it Had been four lonG yearS
Since i waS laSt in europe and,
aS tHe plane toucHed down in
praGue,
a feelinG of elation
Swept over Me.
I
'd changed a lot in that time, and I was
eager to see if the same was true of the
three European capitals I was about to
revisit—Prague, Vienna and Budapest,
often called the pillars of Central Europe.
My tour was named "Bohemian
Rhapsody," which, apart from having a
nice ring to it, turned out to be very apt.
CasTlE CaPITal oF ThE WoRld
at the Prague airport in the Czech Republic, we were
met by our very knowledgeable tour director, Neiha,
who knew more languages than I thought reasonably
possible. she guided us to our luxury coach, which
made airplane legroom appear laughable.
Prague's medieval history, the formation of the city
of today, started in the late ninth century. Prince
Bo
řivoj, of the Premyslid dynasty, founded Prague
Castle, and more than a thousand years later we're still
thanking him.
ClassIC ElEGaNCE
P R aG u E , V I E N Na a N d Bu da P E s T
b y C h r i s t o p h e r m i t C h e l l
opposite: The
astronomical clock is
a tourist beacon like
few others in Prague.
Christopher Mitchell
right, top to bottom: The
Parliament buildings in
Budapest are especially
beautiful at night.
Gaspar Janos/shutterstock
The famous Schönbrunn
Palace in Vienna dates
back to the 16
th
century.
canadastock/shutterstock
A jazz quartet serenades
tourists on Prague's
Charles Bridge.
Christopher Mitchell
