Angels, abroad

There's nothing more settling than hearing the strands of a familiar songs in an unfamiliar setting.

So, as I stood in the middle of the huge old town square of Prague, between the Astronomical clock tower and the Tyn church, trying not to be daunted by their scale and beauty, the well-known melody of Robbie Williams' 'Angels' floated through.

"Wherever it may take me, I know that life won't break me. I'm loving angels instead," sang the tall, thin guy with the long, untidy hair, sporting a leather jacket and a guitar that looked as worn out as his jeans. Struggling musician entertaining people in the heart of the city. Suddenly, Europe made sense again.

It is a regular feature in the continent. And as much as Europeans would have me believe, not every major European city looks the same. They call come with their own unique challenges and charms. Prague is not as big and difficult to navigate as Paris, a city it is regularly compared to: one of Prague's nicknames happens to be 'Paris of the East'. Despite the presence of a very Eiffelesque Petrin Tower in the castle district, this gem of old Europe is more compact and, in my opinion, more hauntingly beautiful than Paris.

The building and bridges that attract the most tourists look their age, which give the place a sense of character. Walking over the Charles Bridge, which I traversed six times in two-and-a-half days, never gets old. Every time you pass you are likely to see new details on the statues that stand imposingly on you. Angels and saints, in their stone set ways of hope, despair or wisdom, flank the way. Everything in old Prague is built to impress.

On my first evening in the city, I stood on the foot of the Charles Bridge as gazed at the Prague Castle perched on the hill, as the sunlight slowly leaked out of the sky and the artificial lights started illuminating the buildings. A did-you-know fact I later learned was that rock star Mick Jagger had financed the castle illumination. The Rolling Stone sure knows how to Shine a Light!

Charles Bridge and Castle district

I am not sure how long I stood there in wide-eyed awe, mesmerised by the lights and sight across the river from me. In the next couple of days, I saw the sight repeatedly, in postcards, on paintings and on magnets. It is one of the most enduring mental pictures you will ever take back.

The Czech are not an unfriendly lot. But they believe in speaking when spoken to, and even then very little. Whether they are naturally shy or have become habitually averse to hordes of tourists funnelling into their city is not clear, but they do take time warming up to you. As one of the tourist guides told us, "Don't judge them, they are tired of people running them over. It was the Nazis, then the communists and now tourists!"

A friendly voice amidst all that chaos, then for a solo traveler at least, feels like hot chocolate on a cold, rainy day. Groups of people huddled up in the square for some of that comforting warmth as he belted out the popular tunes. Some bobbed their head to rhythm, other lip-synched, still other frantically took pictures or shot videos. Occasionally, someone broke the circle and walked shyly towards the guitar case and dropped in some coins. He wrapped up the afternoon's work with Coldplay's 'Paradise': an ode to the escapist. In that moment, it felt good to be one.

By the old town square