Stockholm Wednesday 27th February

Good evening. So nice of you to join me again, at the end of my last full day in Stockholm. Well, you remember me saying yesterday about how sharp the winter sunshine is here? Not a problem, today, thanks. Still rather mild for the time of year, but it meant that the wind was that little bit sharper today, and you couldn’t warm up in the sunshine, because there wasn’t any.

I nearly made a bit of a fool of myself on the pendeltag into the city this morning. Even though it was well gone 9, the train was full, and I was standing throughout the ten minute journey. No problem with that, except that after Stockholms Sodra, the last stop before mine, I suddenly found myself crowded by two very large pushchairs. I was wedged up against the door on the left, while the right hand doors had been opening at all stations. I tried suggesting to the parents involved that they might like to let me out through the universal language of the raised eyebrow, but either I was ignored, or it means something quite different in Swedish. I was just checking how much of a leap it would be to mount my high horse, when the train started pulling in, and the platform was actually on my side.

So, then, working on my city to do checklist, by yesterday evening I’d ridden on trams, commuter trains, the T Bana (metro) and buses, but not yet boats. So I took care of that this morning with a couple of rides across the bay , island hopping. Hence the sketch of the ferry I’d just got off when I got to the Djurgarden. There’s still a ton of ice all around Stockholm, but it’s broken up into huge chunks which you just watch floating by as you slip across from one island to another. There’s worse ways to spend your time.

Museum of the day was the Historiske – the Swedish History Museum. The first thing which came to mind when I arrived about 10 minutes before it opened was that it must be the Swedish equivalent of half term this week, since there seemed to be tons of kids waiting in ones and twos with parents and presumably grandparents. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Historiske. Highlights included the Gold Room – which is basically a room full of gold objects – like the Dutch the Swedes are a commendably literal people. I studied Old Norse as part of my English degree, way back in the mists of time all those decades ago, and as with any body of literature it really helps if you learn at least a little about the historical context. So I found some of the Viking artifacts fascinating. Not that the museum is only about Viking history – far from it, that’s only one small part of the story. To be honest, it was one of those places where you suddenly look at your watch and realise that two hours have gone by since you came in.

From there back then to my favourite part of the city, Gamla Stan, where I made my only watercolour sketch of this trip so far. Once again, it was a little bit of a frustrating day for the exhibitionist type of urban sketcher, considering that all of my sketches today had their observers again, and once again absolutely nobody passed comment on them. I made three of today’s sketches on the Gamla Stan, in a period of about an hour and a half, starting with the Riddarholmskirk , and finishing with the Riksdag entrance. By the time I’d finished I literally was so cold that I couldn’t feel my fingers.

Having said that, though, I’ve had proof that it is still mild for the time of year. When I first arrived at Alvsjo, where the hotel is, on Monday,

coming out of the Pendeltag station I saw a huge mound of dirty, gritty snow piled up in the centre of the square. Both yesterday and today, when I’ve emerged from the station at the end of the day there has been a huge puddle seeping away from the mound, which has noticeably shrunk since Monday.

Well, that just about wraps it up for this episode. Tomorrow I fly back in the later afternoon, so there’s still time for foolishness in the morning. Watch this space.

Stockholm Tuesday 26th February

Good evening, and welcome to the second episode of An English Fool Abroad With His Sketchbook, Stockholm Edition.

If you’ve been with me for a while you may recall some of the comments I made about the breakfast in my hotel in Amsterdam in November. That was an extra that I paid for. Breakfast is all part of the deal in my hotel here, and I was quite looking forward to seeing what I could get away, sorry, I'll read that again, seeing what was on offer this morning. Pretty much what you would expect, although the bread rolls were at least fresh. I did consider trying to walk out with some bits and pieces for a packed lunch, but the moment I stood up to go back to the goodies after finishing my second helping of everything, I felt as if all eyes in the room were upon me. I looked around, and indeed they were. So, as the saying goes, I made my excuses and left.

Traditionally I usually try to cross off the number one thing on my list on the first full day I spend in a city, and absolute number 1 on this trip was a visit to the Vasa Museum. I’ve known about the Vasa for quite a long time, but only because I once read the blurb all about it in an Airfix model catalogue. If you weren’t lucky enough to have done the same yourself, well, basically, the Vasa was a warship constructed in Stockholm between 1626 and 1628 at the orders of King Gustvus Adolphus of Sweden, who was at war with Poland-Lithuania at the time. On the day of it’s maiden voyage it got almost a mile before it started listing to one side, and then sank. Basically, although it looked fantastic, it was too narrow in the beam, and too tall, and didn’t have enough ballast. All of which might make you think that the ship’s architect might not have exactly been looking forward to the inquiry following the sinking. Actually, according to the film in the museum, nobody was blamed for the sinking at all. We can’t be certain how many people died, although the thinking is that it would have been about 30, of whom remains of 15 have been found. I found it rather gruesome that some of the bones are on display next to the ship – the words ‘insult’ and ‘injury’ come irresistibly to mind. Still, none of them have complained about it yet, so there you are.

Not going to lie – it took AGES to make the sketch you can hopefully see with this post. This is partly because it is so intricate, and also partly because the ship is bathed in what I like to think of as museum twilight. Which is fine, if it helps us preserve the ship for as long as possible, although I can’t help feeling the amount of flash photography going on all around it can’t be helping.

The Vasa was actually found in the late 50s, and finally raised in 1961. It’s a remarkable achievement, especially considering that I would imagine that the team were probably having to invent techniques as they went along. The ship itself is in a really remarkable state of preservation – although parts have been replaced, the fact is that the ship I saw today in the museum is actually 90% original.

I was at the Museum this morning slightly before opening time at 10 am, and when you’ve paid your money, and if you are ever lucky enough to visit, I defy you to walk in without saying ‘wow’ when you first see the ship. It is absolutely breathtaking.

Well, you may recall that yesterday I went to the National Museum to find that it was shut on Mondays. So the next call on my list was to the same National Museum. Those of you who are saying to yourself – he was only so determined to see it because it’s free are being very harsh (but fair). This was a bit of a revelation. The National Museum has a superb collection of paintings, and I spent a couple of hours there, and could easily have spent longer.

It was a beautiful day again today. The weather here has taken a little getting used to. I’d better try to explain that. Firstly, although for a lot of yesterday, and all day today, the city has been bathed in brilliant sunlight, the fact is that the sun is quite a bit lower in the sky this time of year, even at midday, than it is at home. What with it being winter as well, the light is, well, I hesitate to use the word ‘sharp’ but somehow it seems the most appropriate word to describe it. Also, there’s a gentle wind which blows fairly continuously, which doesn’t feel at all vicious, until you stop moving. If you’re in the sunlight you’re okay. If you’re out of it, though, you suddenly start to realise that you’re cold. Walking through the Gamla Stan old town again today, I found that I had to wear my gloves and hat because the high buildings and narrow streets were in shadow, and as they say in these parts , nobblingkold.

Nonetheless, in the sunshine it was warm enough to sit in the open and sketch the Radhusset – the Civic Hall, and look across the water – er – ice – to the Ryddarholm Island, and make a sketch of that as well. The sketches either aren’t any good, or the Stockholmers just aren’t very demonstrative people. Several of them stopped for a look while I was sketching as they passed by, but none of them made a comment.

Speaking of comments, I have to say that I finally got round to checking the exchange rate between GBP and Swedish Kroner, all of which confirmed what I already suspected, that, compared to the other cities I’ve been to in the last few years, Stockholm is expensive. Such is life. It hasn’t spoiled my enjoyment at all yet.

Well, that’s just about it for day two

Amsterdam - 29th October - 1st November Part Two

Hello, and welcome to the second episode of An English Fool Abroad with his Sketchbook. I’m sorry to say that after the misadventures getting to the hotel, this has been a largely foolishness free trip, and I’m afraid that this episode continues in very much the same vein. So if you want to leave this episode and go and do something else, then feel free.

Right, now they’ve gone, let me tell you what really happened. No, only joking, nothing that exciting, honestly. Yesterday I was only able to book one of the earliest times for the Van Gogh Museum today, so I decided to have breakfast at the hotel. Mistake? Not necessarily. However, notices like “You may only take what you are going to eat NOW! Do not take when you will not eat!” frankly set the wrong mood. Yes, alright, I would have taken a free lunch from the cold buffet as well as breakfast if not for those notices, but I’d like to have been given the benefit of the doubt. Frankly, too, what was on offer was rather, well, spartan. I didn’t expect a full English, but it might have been nice to have something approaching a full Dutch. I felt like complaining after having my third helping of everything that was on offer, but discretion proved to be the better part of valour.
So to the Van Gogh Museum. Now, I’d like to say something very witty and clever and original here. But I can’t. Literally, amazing. Van G. is an artist whom I’ve come to appreciate more and more over the years, and this collection was just out of this world. I was a bit sceptical about shelling out another 5 Euros for the audio guide, but I’m so glad I did. I entered, worked my way through the audio tour, and looked at my watch. Two hours had gone! Honestly, and I hadn’t even noticed. An absolute highlight of the trip.

Mindful of the fact that I didn’t do a great amount of sketching, I decided to head back towards Dam. Dam is the heart of the tourist area of the sity. So called because that’s where the locals first built a dam in the River Amstel – Amster – dam, see? They’re a wonderfully literal people, in my experience. The nearest Metro station to Dam is called Rokin. Now, I’m very sorry, but I cannot read that name without mentally adding the words – Don’t come knockin’. Here I made the first sketch of the day, of an agglomeration of buildings that I liked. This also revealed the great problem with sketching today. It was a bright and very crisp October day in Amsterdam today. If you were moving around, then it was great. But. . . if you were sitting down for between 30 and 45 minutes working on a sketch, the cold began to creep into your bones. All of which, I suppose, is by way of being an excuse for the fact that I only made another four sketches today.

A short walk from Rokin, then, back to Dam, and I sat and made the second sketch, this time of the Nieuw Kirk – or New Church. It’s still pretty old, actually, and now more of an exhibition space than a church. It’s currently holding an exhibition about the Life of Buddha. Arguing against themselves there, I would have thought. The Oude Kirk, or Old Church, which is in the Red Light district, is actually the oldest surviving building in Amsterdam. Before they built the New Church, it was simply called the Church. They built the New Church, so this became the Old Church. Told you that the Dutch are pleasingly literal people.

A Dutch gent came up and had a look at the sketch, and I was a bit worried, because Amsterdammers are reputed to be very forthright and blunt in their views. But he liked it, so I refrained from drawing an ink moustache on his face, which might have been my reaction had he not.

I sat for about 45 minutes, but by then I literally couldn’t hold the pen straight, I was so cold, and so I moved off in search of coffee (and a chance to use a toilet for free). Once I’d had a coffee from a Dunkin Donuts I headed to a bridge over one of the smaller canals which I’d noticed on the walking tour yesterday. It had a handy bench by it, and this is where I produced the third and last sketch of the day. While I was in the process of making it, two American ladies came up, gushed a little, and asked if they could take a photo of the sketch. Seriously. So, if you’re thinking that this made my day, then you know me too well. Once again, about an hour into the sketch the sun had gone in, and I just froze, and had to stop where I was.

As for the rest of the day, well, after eating I spent an interesting couple of hours in the Amsterdam Museum. Another audio tour, although this one was included in the price, which is all well and good. I did enjoy it, although I did find something a bit strange. You’re led through the story, from he founding of Amsterdam to the ‘golden age’ of the mid 17th century. Then suddenly the story jumps forward, and you’re hearing about Napoleon Bonaparte making his brother Louis – and I have to say that he really looks a shifty sort – the first King of the Netherlands. What happened to the intervening century? Maybe not a great deal, but it would have been nice to have been told something.
Time was getting on by the time I’d finished in the Amsterdam Museum, and I was, as the Dutch might say, knakkkerrred. So I headed back for the hotel. I might head out this evening and see what’s what, but my legs and calves are giving me gyp, so it’s unlikely. 9:30 flight tomorrow morning, so I’d say this pretty much wraps up An English Fool Abroad with his Sketchbook for 2018.

August 18th San Isidro - Catral

An English Fool Abroad With His Sketchbook has been out and about a bit again today, although you couldn’t really call it as much of an excursion as the trips to Elche, Murcia and Alicante. We were off early to see John in the hospital this morning. He seems pretty much the same as yesterday, but certainly no worse, and that’s all to the good. While I was there I went two floors down to get John and Jen a coffee each from the cafeteria. Despite distinctly asking for café con leche fria – coffees with cold milk – the cups were so hot that even though the lady behind the counter gave me two extra plastic cups into which I could place the takeaway cups with the coffee in, they were still so boiling hot that I couldn’t hold them for long. In fact, he only way I could do it was putting the two plastic cups together, carrying one cup inside it, and balancing the other on top. Up two floors. You can guess what happened, can’t you? Well. . . you’re wrong. I managed it.

After leaving the hospital we nipped quickly back to the Casa Me Duck to change cars- the Smart car needed filling up, and the trip to Catral provided the best opportunity to do it. On the way Jen took a slight detour behind the station in San Isidro. The reason? To show me the Memorial – which is both behind the station, and also the middle sketch on the page below. I didn’t previously know it, but Alicante was the last city to hold out against Franco in the Civil War. The community of San Isidro wasn’t built until the 1950s, but prior to this part of it had been the site of a concentration camp where Franco put , well, basically anyone he felt like. It’s a very understated memorial – just two huge metal bars, with broken chains connected to them, and a simple stone plaque at the bottom, yet it’s oddly moving.

My ulterior motive in wanting to come to Catral, then, was to take a look at the church, which is the picture on the left hand side of the page below. It’s pretty impressive, but true to form it is in the middle of a square which just doesn’t have enough room for you to make a good sketch of it from the front. I mean, you could do it, but then you wouldn’t get the dome or the tower, which are, to my mind, the church – actually it is a Cathedral, which surprised me – to my mind its best features. We did pop inside. It was very dark, and Jen suggested that we might have entered the Lady Chapel. As our eyes accustomed it became clear that the figures and pictures we had taken to be the Virgin Mary were in fact the Lord Jesus. The unworthy and sacrilegious thought that maybe it was actually the bearded Lady chapel came to mind, and I’m glad that I kept that thought to myself at that time. The sketch below is actually my favourite view of the cathedral, which is approaching it from a side street.

Sooner or later, whenever I stay in San Isidro, I end up in Catral market on a Saturday. I must admit that I’ve never seen it quite as bare and looking quite as sorry for itself as it did this morning. It was gone midday, and some of the traders were clearing up and calling it a day, but it’s also true that a lot of the traders go on their hols in August. So, with little or nothing of interest within it, this left just one more thing. Lunch. Jen suggested Chinese, and who am I to refuse? The fact that I love Chinese food is totally immaterial. Now, you may recall that when I had a Chinese curry in Madrid, I believe it was the medium through which Montezuma extracted his revenge later that night. Well, I have to say that this one, a prawn curry was absolutely delicious. Whether I’ll pay for it later we’ll just have to see.

And that, I dare say, is pretty much it for today. If you’ve been with me this far, you have my thanks and congratulations. We are nearing the end of the marathon – 3 more full days, and then I’m on my way home.

Kaunas Day Three

Day three was my last full day in Kaunas, but this time I didn’t have a concrete itinerary. I had a couple of objectives in mind, but was also inclined to follow my nose. Once in Kaunas town centre I headed for a huge, white, art deco church on top of the hill overlooking the town. This is the Church of Christ’s Resurrection. It was begun in the 1930s. The building of a church in Kaunas, the temporary capital, to celebrate Lithuanian independence from Russia was an idea which came about very soon after the end of the First World War, but they didn’t get round to having a design competition until 1928. Ironically it was just about completed by 1940, when work naturally enough had to stop. After the war, Stalin decided that it would be used as a radio factory. Money being scarce after Independence, the Church was not actually consecrated until 2004. To me, it’s so art deco that it brings to me two buildings – neither of which it actually looks at all like – the Hoover Building in Perivale, and the original Wembley Stadium.

Back down the hill then, to do a wee bit more painting in Liesvas Aleja. Here I had my first conversation with a passer-by. He sat down just as I was finishing, and when I replied to what he said with my usual shoulder shrug and “Sorry – I’m English”, he started a conversation . His English wasn’t, it must be said, completely intelligible, whether through a lack of vocabulary, or from the alcoholic fumes wafting from his breath, I couldn’t be sure. I think he said that the UK are crazy, and it’s America for him. You’re welcome, I said. I made my apologies and left.

Museums, then. Handily placed on the Liesvas Aleja is the Zoological Museum. Now, if you like stuffed animals, this is the place for you. Look, I kind of expect that from a Natural History Museum sort of thing, but I did think the room full of mounted stags heads and antlers was taking the pee. I did make a sketch of a coelacanth. Childhood memories of watching Sir David of Attenborough’s “Life on Earth” demanded no less.

On to the Vytautas the Great War Museum. I entered the door, and the woman behind the desk looked at me, and when I did the shoulder shrug thing she asked , “What do you want?” What did she think I wanted? Don’t tell me they get so few visitors that they’ve forgotten what visitors are supposed to do, I thought. No, actually, when I told her “I’d actually rather like to see the Museum.” She told me I was in the wrong place, and that entry was upstairs. Of course it was.

Time was getting on, and I still had one place I really wanted to visit. This meant another long walk back into the Old Town. This time I went by the riverbank for variety’s sake. You may remember that I said it was like a breath of springtime yesterday. Well, this afternoon in Kaunas we had the 12 inch version of that. It was absolutely beautiful, and the first time I can remember being hot outdoors since last summer. Back at the Old Town I wanted to go into the St. Peter and Paul Basilica. I passed by it yesterday and Wednesday, but hadn’t been inside. However I’d since read that the Basilica contains relics of Pope John Paul II, since his canonisation, and thus intrigued I popped in for a holy shuftie. Well, it’s true. There’s a huge oil painting of the lad himself, and a box continuing relics underneath. I couldn’t see what was in it because there were half a dozen worshippers kneeling in front of it. I’m not so impious that I’d have wanted to disturb them, so I left them to it. I hope their prayers are answered.

Kaunas Day One:

Arriving late on the Tuesday evening, my first setback came when the receptionist at the hotel refused to accept my (or any) credit card. This meant I had to use my hardearned Euros, which in turn meant that I had to get to an ATM at the earliest opportunity.

The receptionist only spoke enough English to tell me I had to pay cash and to tell me that the 51 and 57 buses went into town. Not where they went from. There was a bus stop outside the hotel, but it didn’t say that either bus stopped there. I walked about half a kilometre to a crossroads, and saw what looked like a shopping mall away off into the distance along the left hand turning. Having bought a bottle of water inside, I came out to find that this was where the 51 and 57 buses turned round. 

Once in town I found an ATM fairly quickly, and this meant I could begin to explore properly, and to sketch.

Kaunas is big on great churches, but terrible for maps or signposts. This huge hunk of baroque and roll provided me with a very useful point at which to get my bearings. It’s the Archangel Michael Roman Catholic Church, and stands at the end of Laisves Aleja, a long and impressive pedestrianised thoroughfare through the centre of Kaunas, which is rather like a Parisian Boulevard. And it is utterly massive. Guess how many people stopped to compliment me on my sketch while I was making it? That's right, none. I have only got a day's experience to base this on, but the good people of Kaunas seem rather like East coast Scots to me - they're not the most demonstrative of people, but they are actually very kind, and I expect that once they're taken with you, then you've got a friend for life.

At the other end of the Laisves Aleja is Vilnius Street, and this leads down into the Old Town. I like the Old Town, although it doesn’t possess the narrow, crooked streets that the name ‘old town’ maybe conjures up. No, I walked through pleasant wide streets, lined with fine baroque buildings, until they opened up in the town hall square.

I've already posted my sketch of the Vytautas the Great Bridge, which is close to the Old Town, and a trolleybus, but I also made on more sketch on this first day. This is just behind the Town Hall, and is part of a seminary which forms one corner of the square.

14) Hungary - One Day in Budapest - Other Pictures

St. Matyas Church, Buda

 Yes, this is one of the pictures that I finished off in the evening back at the hotel. It was taking ages, it was cold, and time was getting on. It's a stunning looking church, high on the same hill that houses the Castle.

Chain Bridge, from Pest side of the Danube

 My first attempt to sketch the Chain Bridge. It just doesn't work because of that crenelated tower in front of it.

St. Matyas Church and the Fishermens Bastion, Buda

 My first sketch of part of the Matyas Church, and the Fisherman's bastion beside it, which is a great place to look down and out across the river and the rest of the city.

Budapest Parliament Building - Buda - from Danube

This is the other sketch I finished off in the hotel. I made a very quick outline sketch on the boat, but most of the work was done from the photograph.

12) Germany - Berlin - Other sketches - late August 2017

Domkirche - Berlin Cathedral

 This is the Domkirche - the late baroque masterpiece which houses the tombs of the Hohenzollern Kings of Prussia and Kaisers of the German Empire. I sketched it from the side of the Spree.

Marienkirche - St. Mary's Church

The Marienkirche is one of the oldest churches in East Central Berlin, and it's not without its own beauty.  It sits to the side of a square, at the end of which is the Rathus, or town hall, behind a very ornate fountain.

Brandenburg Gate

 An iconic image of Berlin. Its so easy now to cross from East to West Berlin that it's difficult to visualise that this place was the symbol of the Cold War once upon a time.

Mozart - Haydn - Beethoven Memorial - Tiergarten

 If you walk west through the Brandenburg Gate, and keep walking, you'll eventually come to the Siegsaule - pictured below. The thing is, though, that the Siegsaule is so tall, that you think it's a lot closer than it is. I was, after walking from the Brandenburg Gate to the Siegsaule, knackered. Even after resting to make the sketch, I was soon knackered walking back. This time though I walked through the Tiergarten, the park which runs alongside the road. I found this charming memorial to three great composers, and sat down on a bench beside it and made this sketch to give me a bit more recovery time.

Altes Museum - Museum Island

 Back to Museum Island. I was waiting for the airport bus and made this sketch while I did so. A group of passers by liked it, and the little Italian guy who was selling ice creams by the side of the road even asked me if he could take a photo of it. He didn't give me a free ice cream, though.

Berlin Rathaus

 This is the aforementioned Rathaus. It's not a great sketch this, although to be fair the scanner does seem to have exaggerated the slight sland to the tower which my sketch had (the original building is as straight as a dye, I hasten to add) I was intrigued because to me this looks very like a German cousin of the contemporary Cardiff Pierhead building. Did the architect have a bike?

Siegsaule - West Berlin

The Siegsaule. Literally the Victory column, which was built to commemorate the Prussian victories over Denmark, Austria and then France in the second half of the 19th century, which led to the unification of Germany in 1871.

10) Spain - Alicante Area - Catral-Dolores-La Marina area - Early August 2017

Church - outside Dolores

 Confession time. I saw this church as we waited by traffic lights in the car, and took a phot. This line and wash is based on that photo, and not made on the spot, sadly. It would have held up the traffic if I'd tries to do it in situ.

El Pinet Beach nr. La Marina

 This I did do sitting on the sand by the water's edge, and it's not too bad thought I say it myself.

Catral - late breakfast

 Will you please put your pen and your sketchbook down and eat your breakfast - I think that's what they said while I was doing this one. To which the answer was - no, sorry.

Catral Saturday morning market

 Too hard to stand painting in the market so had to make do with an ink sketch . I found that I got far more interested in combining figures to make the picture than I was in the scene itself.

Catral - evening in main street

Again - will you please put your bleep sketchbook down so we can go in and eat. We had a lovely Chinese meal too once I finished this one.

7) Czech Republic - Prague - Other sketches - April 2017

Vintage style car cruiser - Prague Old Town

 These stylish car tour vehicles were everywhere. You can't drive through every street in the Old Town, but through the few that you can drive, these were a constant.

St. Nicholas Church - Prague

This is y favourite church in Prague, and it's pretty much as good inside as it looks outside. It's a baroque masterpiece which sits on the same hill as the castle complex, only a little lower down.

Watercolour - Prague Old Town Powder Tower

 This is the only true watercolour I made in Prague, and I won't lie - it's based on a photograph. This illustrates one of the great things about the Old Town - you can literally turn a corner and find a medieval remnant just waiting for you to admire it, like this one.

Prague Legionariu Bridge

 You can see the dome of the St. Nicholas Church here in the background. This is a perfectly tidy metal arched bridge which only suffers by comparison with the Charles Bridge, which is really unfair competition for most bridges.

Prague - Number 23 tram approaching Legionariu Bridge

 Yes, as well as bridges I also have a thing about trams. This is the number 23 tram which I used to get to and from my hotel in Kubanski Namesti. I won't lie. I had to sketch incredibly quickly, but even so I needed three number 23s to stop there before I had the tram finished. The figures were sketched in the same way as I often do to form a composite sketch - as I've said before, they were all there, but not necessarily at the same time. This next sketch was made later from a photo that I took at the time: -

Prague Tram Café - Wenceslaus Square

 Imagine my delight to discover the café to one side of Wenceslaus Square made out of 2 vintage trams. I sat down and ordered the most expensive cup of coffee in Prague ( I can't prove this, but I can't believe anywhere else charged more) while I sketched this.

Prague - Church sketched while sitting on a bench in the street market off Wenceslaus Square

I made this sketch about an hour before my airport transfer was due to pick me up just off Wenceslaus Square, and finally a couple of passers by reacted and took a good look at my sketch. I was beginning to get paranoid through lack of feedback.