Prague

Whilst Bratislava, Budapest and Prague are beautiful, historic, romantic cities, you don't need to travel too far to observe remnants of the communist era.

The grey, communist flats have been brightly painted since the iron curtain fell less than twenty years ago as the Hungarians, Slovaks and Czechs attempt to erase all reminders of this period of their history.

An ugly little car such as this, if you were brave enough to buy it during those shadowy decades, would need to be paid in full upon signing the purchase papers.  If you were lucky, you would receive your car five years later - if not, it could take up to eight years for delivery.

Prague is a magical city of bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes dating back to the 9th century.

The clocks on this church tower date back to the time when two clocks were required to show the time - the one above for hours and below for the minutes.

By the time the Astronomical Clock was built in 1410, knowledge of time had advanced to the point where, not only were the hours and minutes on the same dial, the earth, sky, sun and moon were all incorporated into the one device, which is still in operation today, 600 years later.

But Prague, for me, is a city of contrasts, where beautifully preserved gothic and baroque buildings exist grandly beside the peeling paint of neglect.

Where street vendors' delicious aromas of roasting beef, potatoes, corn are sharply overtaken by that of the sewerage below, struggling to cope.

Where filthy cigarette butts fill gaps in the carefully patterned street stones, polished clean by centuries of wear.

Where it is easy to lose yourself in the crowded maze of narrow streets yet miraculously find yourself at recognisable landmarks.

Oh - and the shops full of amber and crystals and garnets have taken me under their sparkling spell!

I am so happy and grateful to have had the opportunity to lose myself in this magical city.