A Tale of Two Cities...

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Navigating Two Worlds: A Tale of London and Prague - Unveiling the Rich Tapestry of Culture, Lifestyle, and Intriguing Contrasts in the Eternal Blue Series.

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Perhaps it's no coincidence, that the first book in the Eternal Blue series was set in the two cities I know best in the world: London and Prague.

Both are capitals of small countries that manage to punch far above their weight.

I'd like to touch on a few more of their similarities and differences, plus some common misconceptions.

The mistake often made about Prague is that it is labeled not as a 'western' city but as a central Europe, sometimes even eastern European.

If we are talking geography, it's actually west of Vienna, and you have to go much further east to say Budapest or Warsaw before you get to central Europe proper.

Prague is a great surprise to many first-time visitors; they somehow

Expect to go through a time warp and find themselves on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain which used to divide Europe.

Then the international visitor arrives and is almost shocked that it's pretty much like any other affluent city in western Europe, complete with Porsches, Mercedes, and Pariska Street with all the upmarket luxury brands like Cartier, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and so on.

But if you find yourself on one of its narrow tourist-filled streets leading to the famous Charles Bridge, you can find umpteen shops selling mementos to take home with you, including the odd T-shirt saying

'KGB STILL WATCHING YOU.'

But it's not, of course, as the KGB is now called the FSB and is not interested in the masses of

Tourists that have now turned the historic center of Prague into some sort of Disneyland.

Now to get to one of my gripes.

The center of Prague is so infested and overrun with these hordes of tourists from all parts of the globe

That it does feel like the Czechs have lost their capital to invaders.

Yes, you still find a few Czechs around the center, but many of the top businesses have now moved to the suburbs, and few of the really wealthy Czechs would any longer dream of trying to cohabit with these foreign crowds that speak just about every language in the world except Czech.

It's almost impossible to drive around the center; so many roads are pedestrianized, and parking spots are as rare as hen's teeth.

You might take as long trying to find one as you did to drive to your destination in the first place.

Back to London and,

despite the toll called the 'Congestion Charge' to enter the central areas, driving is no easier, and parking is only to be had at exorbitant rates.

Few people commute to central London by car any longer.

The traffic jams, which the toll has not abated, and parking issues put most people off. Perhaps once a week or once a month, they might brave the fray, but otherwise, it's usually the train that ferries the commuters in and out each day.

Now, like London, Prague has a very good metro service, which in

London, the locals call the 'Underground.'

But Prague has its famous trams that run the length and breadth of the city, and frankly, why not stay above ground using them, rather than go underground like a mole to be transported through tunnels with no view?

I know which I would choose, but in London, there is only the double-decker bus service to compete.

Trams are now just a dim and distant memory.

What else does Prague do better than London?

Well, the list is so long that I'm only going to touch on a few things.

Czechs reading this, please forgive me if I've forgotten some obvious things like the cost and availability of the opera, for example.

Now Brits are obsessed with the weather.

You can always pass the time of day with a Brit, talking about the day's weather and what might be to come. Some kind of morbid fascination drives them to this preoccupation.

So let me give it to you straight.

The weather in Prague is much better than the weather in London.

Proper summers and proper winters and not much in between.

Maybe because the Czech Republic sits in the middle of a big landmass, so much of the rain gets dumped well before it ever reaches Prague.

Whereas in London, with its prevailing weather fronts moving across the Atlantic from the west, rain is partially dumped on Ireland, a bit more on Wales, but plenty left in the tank to drop on London and the Home Counties.

So sure, you'll have a few outrageously hot summer days, with bikini-clad hotties, disporting themselves around the Serpentine in Hyde Park, but no real summer that you could count on for regular BBQ parties.

Now, let's touch on safety.

Walk around central London during the day, and you would have to be very unlucky to get mugged.

But few wealthy people will wear their gold Rolexes on the street any longer, and there is a notable absence of bobbies (what the Brits call the police) on the beat.

You might spot a patrol car with its siren blaring heading at dangerous speeds through the capital, but walking officers of the law are few and far between.

After dark, the streets don't feel that safe.

Listen, I'm not trying to scare you; it's probably still safer than say Paris or Brussels, but it's nowhere near as safe as Prague.

The Czechs are very strong on law and order, and with so much of the Prague economy dependent on tourism, they make a big effort to keep any kind of violence off their streets. Which they do successfully.

That's not to say your handbag is safe to put down for even thirty seconds,

But no one will ever mug you for it, even if it's a real Chanel one.

London is probably the most international city in the world.

It may have lost much of its Britishness and become an ethnic melting pot of all races that mostly manage to get along with each other with reasonable tolerance.

Prague is very international in its own way, but a little differently. It's learned

to cater to the international market as a tourist hub,

Outside the center however?

The Czechs still prefer to be with other Czechs,

not rubbing shoulders with those from outside their borders.

There is still a suspicion of the foreigner, and you'll rarely ever be invited to a Czech's home in the same way as you might expect in the more cosmopolitan London environment.

Having had to deal with German occupation and then the Soviets, one can have some sympathy for the

Czech's somewhat anti-social approach.

At first, I found it a little insulting, and then when I got to know them better, understandable.

But which of the two cities has the better overall quality of life?

There's really no contest;

Prague comes out the winner every time, no matter how rich you are.

However, for value for money is outstanding in Prague, and just about everything in London costs double.

Friendliness of the people generally.

The Czechs have the reputation for being somewhat cold and standoffish.

Not my experience with them, and the younger generation is friendly, savvy, and great fun to hang out with.

Workwise, they put their all into it and get the results for that effort. Much more effort than the Brits do.

Perhaps they are just more ambitious.

The Czech star is on the way up again, and the British one on the way down.

How unpatriotic of me to say that, but that's where I remind you I'm partly Irish.

What are your thoughts on this London Prague Comparison, is there really any comparison to begin with?

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