NO APOLOGIES, PRAGUE IS PERFECT, especially when the sun is shining.
A perfect evening, says Girlahead, could include a private circumlocution of the city on its trams. Buy-outs of one car mean max-40 can tootle round town, bumping over the sidings. See an image above – the onboard conductor in this carriage must surely hve been an actor. He was the epitomal trainman, flat peaked cap, curly blond hair underneath, a florid face and nonstop jokes. Onboard service consisted of perfectly-chilled 175mls of bubbly, drinking spout included, and more-ish canapés. Thank you Luxury Bloc for arranging it!
Prague has 500km of tracks, incidentally, and Tram 22 is especially popular with tourists – it passes the National Theater to Staroměstská and Malostranská metro stations, and continuing up to the Belveder, to Prague Castle and Pohořelec, with some stunning views along the way.
This is an imaginary Prague evening, however. It could continue at one of Europe’s best Italian restaurants, Casa de Carli, the kind of place which you think has been around for generations. It hasn’t been designed, it has just grown. Think classics, white linens, a tall, excitingly-dark interior flowing on to the pavement. Mature waiters glide as a corps de ballet around the semi-private kitchen where the exuberant Matteo de Carli holds court. He comes to chat with customers (next time a burger my-way, he gushes).
Dinner is incomplete without stimulating conversation and here Gerhard Struger, who opens FAIRMONT GOLDEN PRAGUE late next year, is in his element. He has moved on from his fascination with the Ottomans to recent history relevant to Prague and his hotel, a Brutalist 1974-vintage building at the beginning of what is known as ‘Paris avenue’ for its luxury retail, will be a testimony to the best of the Czech Republic. Think glass, Lasvit and more, and culture, Kafka et al. And when it comes to the three Fs, fashion, fitness and food, Girlahead suspects that this admirable Austrian has lots of surprises up his sleeve.
