There ARE some perks to working in Sales...once a year, the powers that be decide that they have had enough laughs at the sales force's expense, no more torturing for orders that won't or can't come in anyways, no more demeaning waiting-in-client-reception-for-acting-pricey-client, no more ego-crushing, self-respect destroying exercises in order-picking. Its the end of the year, so go forth and recharge!
This usually means a jamboree in a distant land (for those in India at least), in a 30-hour nightmare flight in steerage, a time to reflect, retrospect and presumably rejuvenate. The smarter amongst us, combines a holiday, pre- or post- this meeting, company pays the long haul, see? A two-week break from clients appears tinted in pink and dressed in rose petals at the end of a grueling last month...so I scoured the net for possible locations at 1 hour flying distance from Frankfurt and finally decide - Praha!Prague - city of medieval mystery, golems, ghosts, knights in battered armour, castles, legends and magic!
Often, there are places that look glossy, attractive, and seeped in history, only for reality to be jarringly different and often disappointing. Prague, thankfully is not one of these. I did have to put up with great weather that seemed to have brought every holidaying family, ageing spinster in Western Europe, out in droves. The bright sunshine also meant that castles and churches instead of appearing gloomy and mysterious, appear beautiful and accessible. But still, it is amazingly pretty, fantistically preserved and very friendly.
Legends abound...the knight turned to stone by his virginal bride, who appears every year to claim a new one...the rabbi who made an image of himself in mud, for it to turn into the violent golem, of clashing faiths, reappearing priests and babies fighting off the Devil himself! There is an abundance of architectural styles - gothic, renaissance, modern, roman...all in amiable co-existence.
And churches....100s of them...scattered all over, with a cycle of faiths that have all imprinted themselves! The townhall tower, offers a magnificent view across the Old Town and every turn of the head, brings up a new spire, more ornate than before. Dominating the landscape is the castle's St. Vitus Cathedral - a Gothic structure with amazing murals and the tomb of every nobleman and royalty to have frequented the place. The more money you donated to the Church, the closer to the main altar you got buried and the more ornate your tomb - the meek shall inherit the earth!!
Prague Castle (from the outside at least) was a disappointment, looking like a bad 5* hotel - I don't understand why palaces can qualify to be castles and hills become mountains in Europe! Prague retains traces of its Communist recent-past and people still seem to be sorting out details including rent-control and free education. 1968 when the Russians rolled in their tanks, is fresh in their memory, and the smart youngsters of today mill around old women dressed in black lace, carrying groceries like treasure.
The city is amazing by night and the Prague of medieval times seems to play hide-and-seek in low light. If you strain your ears, you can almost hear the clip-clops of horse-drawn carraiges and imagine the night watchman patrolling the streets in a black cape and lantern. You blink, only to realise the carriages are real with scores of tourists and the black figure is a student by day and guide by night! Such is life...in Prague where dream and reality seem to meld...where you can straddle centuries in a day and relax with light Czech beer by night!
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