Prague.

Of elegance and swans.

Prague station is an art nouveau wonder and again, dressed magically for Xmas. My hotel is opposite the Erotic club and on the edge of the red light district so should be an interesting stay. Wenceslas square is awaiting my exploration , this is the location of the famous Xmas market. The song, Good King Wenceslas comes to mind, the famous Bohemian king who journeyed through the harsh winter to give gifts to the poor. The square is very grand and elegant. The market is small compared to Hamburg and the art in the stalls feels heavier, darker somehow. I don't know why.

It's freezing. I find a tavern to warm up in and have duck with cabbage, dumplings and hot cider, which is the thing to have. Then on my walkabout, I come across a Cubist Cafe, Cerna Madona, built in 1911 in the House of the Black Madonna, which originally referred to a sculpture that once adorned it but does no longer. The Black Madonnas are still being looked into as to whether they depicted Mary, who was of eastern origin and very likely had dark skin but was possibly changed over time to a white Christian representation. This is an amazing cake shop. I order a coconut one in a choc coconut shell filled with a coconut mousse with a ball of mango couli in the middle.

Then I spend the afternoon looking at the beautiful architecture, all gelato colours with red roofs. Baroque, Gothic, Romanesque and Renaissance architecture ,in tact and lovingly cared for. On my way home, as I pass through another food market, it snows! I put my head back and feel the snowflakes fluttering onto my skin. Tourists are stopping, the natives have seen it all before.

The next morning, I've booked to go to the Prague Castle. As usual, I allowed myself too much time to get there and suffer in the cold and gentle but icy rain. There's another market setting up and there's a chimney cake stall, the perfume of sweet yeasty dough and vanilla floating on the air, enticing me but although they are just removing them ready to sell, it is not exactly the right time and they are quite rude about it. And so I wait in the rain with all the other crazy tourists under their umbrellas. The castle, built in the 9th century, is the largest castle in Europe. It's perched on a slight hill overlooking the Vltava River. The castle itself wasn't that interesting but the Golden Mile was, it's full of old houses done up from a century ago.

After wandering through them, I go back for my Chimney cake or Trdelnik, (because I wasn't going home without one, no matter how rude they were and they were still a bit taciturn). It's strips of dough wound around a wooden stick, glazed with sugar and grilled over open coals and filled with all manner of good things. I had mine with melted chocolate. It was a messy business as I ate it under the huge Xmas tree, but worth it.

I walked back slowly, the colours of late winter watercolouring the landscape with golds, rusts and reds, past all the tourists spending ages positioning themselves for the best selfie or Instagram shot. Then down to a section of the river where there is a large swan colony with their big babies waddling after them. Then past a gingerbread shop that lured me in with the smell of spices, full of beautiful biscuits and gingerbread houses and onto a cafe to warm up but truly, customer service is not the best in this city. You're ignored until you make yourself known but they're probably sick of tourists.

On the way home, I stop again at the Cubist cafe where the staff at least notice you've arrived. I have a beautiful Blueberry mousse cake this time. That night I eat at Deminka restaurant, established in 1886, with art nouveau components and one of the longest running establishments in Prague. The staff here are super friendly. I have salmon with potato and pea mash. Food and wine are cheap here.

The next day I go to the famous Dancing House, (or Fred and Ginger as they call it here because it looks like a pair of dancers), built in 1992 near the river. The Fred and Ginger dancing label got dropped later because it was built on a site of historical significance which was bombed by the U.S in 1945, which is slightly ironic. It's stunning architecturally and I meet a guy from Equador who is trying to take a selfie and then we end up taking each other's photos. It's amazing how we don't think twice about handing our phones over for photo ops!

Then I'm off to the famed Charles Bridge with it's grandiose statues, straddling the river and leading into the old town. I'm ready for coffee but am left alone yet again at a cafe but I'm grudgingly served when I go to find someone.

I go through Mala Strana, the historical centre of Prague, passing the water mill and other cute art shops and quirky cafes where they actually serve you with a smile. And then back over the bridge.

Then I inadvertently stumble upon the Municipal building...an art nouveau masterpiece! I don't know where to look. I find out it houses Alphonse Mucha works, a favourite artist of mine whom I've always thought was Spanish but he's Czech! I have chocolate cake and prosecco in the beautiful cafe and sit and watch the idle rich of Prague, dressed in jewels and fur.

And next there's the tour of the Klementinum, originally a Jesuit University, built 1722. It's famous for housing one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, Strahov, an exquisite Baroque masterpiece holding 20,000 books, with exquisite frescoes and a collection of antique globes. We can only look from behind a barrier but it's stunning. They also have the Astronomical Tower, which has been recording local weather there since the 1700's. Even though we have to tramp up many tiny stair treads, the view is worth it.

I recommend Prague in the winter, it seems right to be here with the soft falling snow, to be able to appreciate the hearty Czech meals and to drink the hot cider and for the Xmas decorations that dazzle during the day and twinkle at night. It's such an elegant old beauty.

Tomorrow I'm off to Cesky Krumlov for the day.