Scandal in Bohemia

Wenceslas Square

Back in the '80s Lloyd Cole (no relation to Nat King as far as I know, but possibly related to comedian Jimmy Carr?) allegedly spent a lost weekend in Amsterdam. This was before the advent of cheap "no frills" airlines and the fall of the Iron Curtain leading to the return of democracy and freedom across Central and Eastern Europe. Just over a week ago I had something of an extended lost weekend in Prague with a group of reprobates known only as John, Aiden and Phil. The "sickest joke" was not the "price of the medicine" as Mr Cole succinctly put it, but the strength of the Absinthe. To the uninitiated this is a vile green liquid with a 70% alcohol content which according to anecdotal evidence causes you to see hallicinations of green monsters - and I'm not talking about Fianna Fail's coalition partners in government here.



We didn't get to visit the famous Prague Castle as it was closed due to the visit of a certain GW Bush. He couldn't have picked a worse time to visit - he should have known were coming. There's a pub in one of the narrow winding streets of the old town whose walls are strewn with graffiti scrawled by legions of stag parties and backpackers. The proprieters actually encourage this, but you have to pay to write on the walls. At every table in this establishment there are complementary giant pretzels hanging from stands. Somehow I don't think this place was on Mr President's itinerary.

Pictures by Aiden Fitzsimons