Prague - The Land of Stories

Billed as the land of stories, the capital of the Czech Republic surely features in a variety of tales, and now it stars in a few of mine.

Prague is pretty, delightfully so and it certainly is a tourist hotspot. At times, I felt a tad bit like a salmon swimming upstream. Old Town is steeped in history, the buildings magnificent – of course, set in Europe.

I snuck in for the 2017 FIBA European Women Basketball Championships; my days were filled with exploring the delights of Old Town and surrounds, and my evenings filled with cheering for Les Bleus in the early stages of the tournament.

Home for the duration was a wonderful, comfortable, friendly spot; Parkhotel was a fab tram ride away from all the main touristy action but a short stroll to the arena. In my hood, attractions included the Planetarium, the home of ice hockey team HC Sparta Praha, the Výstaviště exhibition grounds, Křižíkova amphitheatre which boasts a dancing water fountain and the giant glass pyramid of the Goja Music Hall.

My first morning I got wondrously lost. Discovering, that my map reading skills had a slight flaw when weary from all the travel. In my aimless wanderings, I stumbled upon the 2017 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup, on display a multitude of talents surfing rapids alongside the Vltava River. Having only ever seen this on the box during the Olympics, I watched with sheer admiration as these paddlers challenged the torrent of water, zigzaggedly navigating their way around a hanging course.

I strolled beyond the impressive Troja Castle, snuggly set away from the road. Passing the massive expanse of the Prague Zoo, all the way to a dead-end: a dock entitled Podhoří. Deciding that perhaps now was either a good time to turn around, or ask for directions, as there wasn’t anyone to question I did a U-turn and made my way back to the Zoo entrance. Here, I hopped on the first public bus, not knowing which direction it was going but sure I would get somewhere more central, and I wasn’t wrong.

Apart from basketball, I had one reservation on my itinerary that I was eager not to miss at a craft brewery, Výtopna. I discovered this place through social media and was keen to try it due to its quirkiness. Set on the top floor in a massive upmarket shopping centre called the Palladium, I went and had lunch there, not once but twice. The menu offered traditional, hearty, affordable, simple food with a small but interesting choice of beers on-tap.

What sets Výtopna apart is the fact that my ‘waiters’ Erik, Marcel and Nela dropping off my liquid refreshments, were in actual fact gorgeous model trains. The ‘waitrons’ travel over 10kms of tracks every day, having served, astonishingly, over 6 million patrons in the three Výtopna restaurants in the Czech Republic since 2009. The Palladium Výtopna has over 400m of tracks cleverly laid around booths, where the trains can chug into your section, allow you to grab your drinks and then expertly reverse out.

As with most first world cities, getting around Prague to see the sights, everything imaginable is on offer. If you fancied a horse-drawn carriage; running tours; guided electric bikes; the Hop On – Hop Off bus; river cruises, or even handsome vintage cars, you could comfortably get around. Chatting to Durban’s Chef, Andrew Draper on his return from Prague, he mentioned a fabulous outing around deserted buildings and communist areas on a Segway. He said the abandoned, ruined stadium, especially stood out for him!

Prague, mostly, is flat so I opted for trams to get central and then ND 10 toes to get around. The trams were easy to navigate, sprouting off in all directions.

Years ago, after a trip to Paris, I posted a pic of a bridge in Paris, Annie - a Finnish mate of mine commented that she liked my shot of Charles Bridge. Admittedly this was the first time I had ever heard of Charles Bridge. Since then I have seen numerous gorgeous shots: a famous capture has mist swirling around, or a haunting sunrise shot. In these dreamy, inviting images there is hardly a soul around. In real life, in summer – this was far from the case.

Connecting Old Town and the Lesser Quarter, the pedestrian crossing known as Charles Bridge is gorgeously ancient. Lined with traders peddling souvenirs, the 500m of historic bridge is a throng of weaving people. An alley of 30 guardian angels look down on you as you stroll across the Vltava River, these mostly baroque statues are all replicas with the priceless originals being housed in the National Museum.

Climbing up to the largest ancient castle in the world, Prague Castle sits proudly overlooking the Lesser Quarter and beyond, I discovered a gem of a tourist trap hidden down a short passage. Tucked away, a cave-like shop stocked with beautiful handmade delicate wooden wares. Christmas shopping for the family was easily done, including collecting some gorgeous wooden postcards.

Something that fascinates me in Europe is how each country cleverly introduces modern architecture around century old structures. In Prague, The Dancing House is a statement of how the city is embracing and entwining old and new.  This quirky, shiny building rose out of a vacant riverfront plot a couple of decades ago, it rejoices in its surroundings.

A ritual in each new location is to spend quiet time in religious spaces. Before I flew north, Gloria Hoff from the KZNSA Gallery urged me to visit the Jewish Quarter, saying how vibrant, and historic the area was. I strolled around admiring the compact area, housing six synagogues and a 15^th century cemetery. Admittedly, everything was closed at the time I visited and peering through the iron gates of the cemetery, it looked sadly run down! Headstones crumbling or knocked over and long over grown grass added to the sorry state.

Hanging out in the square around Town Hall, I admired the Astronomical Clock. A mate of mine, Vishal Ramphal posted an image of the third oldest medieval clock in all its glory. When I was there majority of it was under wraps getting a well-deserved make over. Gratefully, the intricate clock face was on show, while the rest of the building was gently being restored.

I stopped in at the exquisite St Nicholas Church trailing along with fellow passionate French supporter Melanie Gallais. The frescoes donning the high domed ceilings were of Michelangelo quality, the halo of subtle lights equal to those from the Blue Mosque and I loved the door knocker type handles on the massive, bold red doors. I sampled a chimney cake or a Trdelníks, a Czech cinnamon-flavoured pastry, while watching excited tourists jump into buggies with bored looking horses ready to take them on a sightseeing loop. The home-made ice cream was dreamy, the sugar-coated doughnut cone, not so much!

A poignant moment in the heatwave that Prague was experiencing, a chef from a popular pavement café stood with his hosepipe with a refreshing mist being sprayed on passing tourists.

The whole city is incredible, Prague has a lot to offer. There is a lot to do off the tourist track. Little hidden treasures like the Hanging Man – remember to look up, or the modern-day, public art splattered around the city, listening to funky buskers at the foot of Charles Bridge. Or dining out in one of the best spots around, sitting on a public bench overlooking the Vltava, enjoying Turkish take out, watching yoga while concert goers dressed up in ballgowns head into the Rudolfinum Concert Hall as the sun sets on yet another magnificent day in the Czech Republic.

PS - Wear comfortable shoes – nobody told me this and I learnt it the hard way!

Put this on our bucket list! I insist..

Ephesus, Göreme and Gallipoli

Put these on your bucket list! I insist…

Well Ephesus and Göreme for sure, Gallipoli only if you have a keen interest in World War I or are Australian.

Göreme would be without a doubt my favourite out of the three. The day before I left for Turkey, my friend Sharlene Versfeld demanded I stop here, and reluctantly I did. And for that I am eternally grateful!

The landscape is fascinating. The entire area has a mystical hobbit feel to it. You walk around the town or shire half expecting to set eyes on Gandalf or Bilbo. The Nevşehir Province is made up of these dainty cone shaped mountains that all look like fairy chimneys.

The reason for my most recent trip to Turkey was for the FIBA Basketball World Championship for Women. The games were being played in the capital Ankara, a gateway into Cappadocia.  Being based in a big city for six days, I was delighted to discover the tournament followed theatre etiquette and had no games on the Monday night.

I took this opportunity to escape. First thing on Monday morning a hasty yellow cab spat me out at the enormous bus terminal or the AŞTİ in Ankara. I cruised the counters looking for Süha Turizm, a bus company that would take me to the small town, Göreme, a five hour bus ride away.

Göreme is a historic region and is a recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first chronicled inhabitants of the area were Christians during the Roman period and they lived in square carved-out caves usually impressively high up in the cone shaped mountains. Inspired by this knowledge, I opted to dwell in a cave for my one night there, it was simply called the Traveller’s Cave Hotel and for 55Euro B&B, was an affordable experience. Bekir, the hotel owner also kindly shuttled you up the steep hill from the bus stop. From the reception to my room I ambled down 91 steps to my room.

This magical town is easy to navigate, with two main roads bisecting each other. After checking in, I deposited my bags and went walk about. Following the route the shuttle had taken me, I strolled down to the main part of town. Turning left into the next main road, I headed out of town towards the hills to Pigeon Valley. After a decent hike and a bit of rock climbing I literally had a bird’s eye view overlooking all of Göreme.

On my way back I stopped for an early dinner at a spot called One Way. I was eager to try the meal Cappadocia was renowned for, a dish simply called pottery kebab. It came in an enclosed clay pot which the waiter broke open with a small hammer. It was served with rice and a simple garden salad. Delicious!

As night settled in, the peaceful experience of the sun setting was interrupted by keen photographer’s flashes going off. But once the sun had set, the fairy chimneys became more mystical bathed in yellow lights. Some from large spot lights illuminating the hills and others from the huddles of abodes cut into the rocks.

Sunrise greeted early risers, most of them taking the opportunity to float above the chimneys in hot air balloons. The sandstone colour scheme had patches of brightly coloured balloons hovering above them. The experience cost 120Euros through Bekir. Other adventures on offer were quad biking, horse riding, cycling and hiking.

At breakfast, the Turkish lady on duty insisted I have a traditional start to my day. It consisted of a waffle-like pancake with a local version of Nutella. The usual Turkish breakfast options were also available of cheeses and breads.

My highlight in Göreme was cave crashing. I spent several hours walking in the opposite direction to where I had been the previous afternoon, following signs for the Rock Churches. After spending ages in the El Nazar Kilisesi keenly looking at the beautiful cave paintings, I roamed the surrounding area discovering more caves with humble paintings that were just left open to the elements. The former tenants had chipped away steps to their front doors, so with a bit of clambering, you could get in. Each cave had a different feel to it, some with crumbling pillars others with real pigeon holes, small little rooms sprouting off the main living area. All of these had their own simple paintings on the walls, nothing as detailed as the churches, but enchanting none the less.

Next stop, Ephesus. This ancient place is remarkable, picturesque and majestically beautiful, an ancient Greek city that started taking shape in the 10century BC, and then ‘modernised’ by the Romans around 130BC. It is near the coast of Ionia on the Asian side of Turkey, a stone throw away from Greece and its capital Athens.

Like Göreme, my trip to Ephesus was brief. The ruins of Ephesus are a hot favourite tourist attraction and contain the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean. Researching Ephesus, words such as flourished, attacked, conquered, destroyed, raided and damaged all jump out at you and standing in amongst the ruins it is hard to imagine all the blood that has spilt in this wonderful area.

Listening to the various tour guides directing large groups of people, they explained that only a fraction of the ruins have been excavated and there is still so much more preserved under the surrounding hills. The entire area is hugely attractive in its history but moments that stood out for me would have to be visiting the original public toilets, the massive and impressive amphitheatre that up until recently hosted live performances, big names like Sting, Pavarotti, Elton John and Ray Charles have graced the stage. The old harbour road and the road leading to the library that is rumoured to have housed all the best retail shops.

An outline of a foot carved into the marble promenade outside the brothels indicating if the customer was man enough to spend time with the ladies. If your foot was smaller than that etched out yard stick, unlucky! The library of Celsus standing in all its glory was fabulous to see. Standing in front of its massive facade I stood in awe admiring the architecture, the details just exquisite. The library used to house 12,000 scrolls and now is home to Celsus who is buried in a sarcophagus beneath the library.

If you have time, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis are well worth a visit. Both are a short drive away from Ephesus. The House of Virgin Mary has a steady flow of pilgrims passing through it. The shrine itself is not extensively large, but can be best described as a modest chapel. Outside the shrine is the Wishing Wall where pilgrims leave behind their personal intentions on paper or fabric and tie it onto this wall. 

Nowadays, The Temple of Artemis has just a few marble pillars standing lonely in a field on the outskirts of Ephesus. With a bit of imagination you can picture what it must have looked like in its heyday. Most of the temple is on display in British Museums, the site was pillaged in the 60s and the temple was transported by rail to England. 

Finally Gallipoli, directly translated means beautiful city. I accidentally spent a day touring around here in winter. The seaside city was the venue to the great Battle of Gallipoli in World War 1 that lasted 8 months.  The battle is regarded as a defining moment in the nation’s history, the struggle forming the bases for the Turkish War of Independence.

Spotted around are various memorials and burial grounds that are immaculately maintained. Walking around, you find yourself looking up to a massive ANZAC memorial and then further along, standing in actual trenches. 100,000 lives were lost on this peninsula. Littered in the strait there is supposedly 216 French, British and Italian vessels that were sunk and now are fabulous to explore, even for inexperienced divers.

If you find yourself in these parts, be sure to make a detour. It is an affordable trip down a variety of historic lanes.

·         Travelling by bus to Göreme, make sure your bus ticket clearly states the destination as they often deposit you in Nevşehir, a rather costly alternative route that is half an hour away.

·         If you book directly through the website for the Traveller’s Cave Hotel you get 10% discount.

·         Göreme isn’t the most friendly place for wheel chair visitors.

·         Pegasus Airlines flies just outside of Ephesus from Istanbul, and booking in advance you can pick up really good deals.

Kamil Kaya from Hotel Sultan’s Inn in Istanbul can organise tours to both Ephesus and Gallipoli

Ankara - the anchor of Turkey

Surfing the Turkish Tourism website, they proudly inform you that Turkey is home of The Blue Mosque, home of the colour Turquoise, home of the historic site Cappadocia, home of Troy, home of the Silk Road, home of the Golden Horn and home of ancient Gods. But there is no flash pitch about the capital, Ankara!

Ankara is clean, hilly and expansive. The word Ankara means anchor, a rather fitting name if ever there was for a capital.

I was based in Ankara for six days for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Championship; I was there to support the French team. The venue in the capital was the Architectural award winning Ankara Arena which hosts a variety of events; the first event that was held in it after it was built in 2010 was the FIBA World Championship, so no stranger to major basketball events. 16 countries were there to compete for the cup with the games being played both in Istanbul and Ankara. Ankara was host to Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Mozambique, Spain, and host team Turkey.

I have been to and participated in big sporting events in South Africa including being at the World Cup Soccer at the iconic Moses Mabhida, but all of those matches pale into significance witnessing my first international basketball game, the entire experience was tingling. The last game on the opening day was a cracker between Olympic Silver Medallists’ France and the home team. Fans in their droves swarmed the stadium.

It took a while to collect my tickets and find the correct entrance. By the time I had presented my ticket to the FIBA usher, I had walked through a metal detector, had my bag searched by police then frisked by another police officer, before the final police check confirming the legitimacy of my ticket. Finally offering it to an usher who warmly welcomed me.

Having purchased my tickets online months prior, I by some stroke of luck had landed myself in the VIP area. The online booking system had an early bird ticket sale, so I paid for one ticket and got the remainder of the tournament basically for free. It also so happened that all the travelling French fans were seated in the VIP area.

The atmosphere in the venue was electric. Turkish flags floated aloft as the bearer’s sang a catchy tune that obviously was the anthem for the Turkish team. An enclosed space with well over 20,000 people all chanting, singing and cheering was passionate. Needless to say France went down but only by two points.

The remainder of the tournament, the Les Bleus sadly lacked the spark they had in London finishing second in their group, spiralling out in the quarters in Istanbul with a defeat against ace team USA. Then they lost to Canada in the class 5 – 8 games, after beating them in the group games. In the final game of France’s tournament they did manage to get some respect back with a win over Serbia and finishing in seventh.

The Les Bleus fans welcomed me into their small clan of 20 or so. Each game I had my face painted as an honorary frog. I was so proud of neighbours Mozambique, how they held their own on the court.

As far as sightseeing goes, Ankara is a massive, vibrant, cultural city but only really offers a handful of tourist attractions. Stumbling upon the Tourist Information Centre at the main train station across the way from the arena, the fabulously helpful tourism officer presented an impressive colour brochure, in English, of all the sights and stops in Ankara. All could be done on a walking tour over two days.

I found the public transport system difficult to figure out and eventually gave up. From the hotel where I was staying, the arena was a 20minute or 30TYL ride away and the yellow cabs were an attraction in itself. I am sure that the drivers were awarded for the most number of fares they could take on a day, not how scenic a route they took you on. Every ride felt like a race between A and B and on arrival your hasty exit was appreciated. It was a cheap and fast way to get around.

My first day out exploring, I got deposited at my landmark of the arena and wandered along the wide main road towards the Opera House, the Ethnography Museum and the State Art and Sculpture Museum. The Opera House was all closed up and seemed to be out of season. Across the road was a glee-filled Fun Fair snuggled up right against the main road threatening to toss out unsuspecting riders from the brightly coloured rides. Further up the road I came across the grand State Art and Sculpture Museum with the Ethnography Museum alongside. In the garden proudly sat a number of statues of famous Turk artists and sculptors as well as what looked like fragments of Roman ruins that were being slowly restored, were littered around the garden and had become a playground for the local feral cats.

With time on my side I opted to go off the beaten track, I turned off the main road and made my way deep into Ulus, the historic centre containing a number of museums, early republican buildings and the ancient Ankara Castle. Ulus is millennia old and I enjoyed getting lost taking small cobbled lanes, discovering roads and roads of shops spilling out onto the road. The gradients of the roads were quite a hike but the locals had no difficulty trekking up, usually lugging a hefty load.

On the only blue skied day I had, I ventured to the Antikabir. Translated to English it means a memorial tomb and is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the leader of the Turkish War of Independence and the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. The site where the Antikabir was built is the most central in Ankara and can be seen from almost all areas in the city.

The ceremonial courtyard was alive with countless of wiggly worms with hundreds of pre-schoolers out on a day-excursion learning about the history of their country. With each group they had an assigned guide donning a dark tailored suit hugging their ripped frames, they more resembled bodyguards but each and every one of those big burly blokes appeared to be gentle giants. As I was about to depart, I got to see the pomp and ceremony of the Changing of the Guards.

A short yellow cab drive away, I visited the Kocatepe Mosque. It gets a mention in all research you do when you Google Ankara. I spent some quiet time walking around the exterior as the mosque was closed to visitors. It took close on 20 years to build and is the largest mosque in the capital. From there I jumped in another zippy cab and landed up at the Ankara Castle.

The outer citadel follows the ledges of the hill but inside the castle walls you find the real old Ankara with a number of locals quietly getting on with daily chores. Beyond the tourist track, the houses were all old, crumbling, unloved and dilapidated.  The views from up on top of the castle walls are exquisite overlooking all of Ankara. I parted with 12TYL for a freshly squeezed Pomegranate juice, the most expensive food and drink I had spent but the name of the café was the only reason I stopped. It was one word, And.

Would I recommend a visit, about as enthusiastically as I would encourage someone spending their hard earned holiday going to Johannesburg, but for a two day visit as you head to Cappadocia – perfect!