As we approached the Czech Republic we wondered what we’d find considering it was only in the 90’s that this country stepped through the “Iron Curtain”. What we discovered in downtown Prague was an eclectic mix of old and new where capitalism is thriving. There appears to be no apparent shortage of brand name establishments with willing spenders to fill them. But, as we left the central core of the city, our overall impression deteriorated slightly when driving through some well worn outer industrial areas surrounded by some obviously depressed neighbourhoods. I think however, the Czech Republic will very soon be “nose-to-nose” with some of their more highly developed neighbours to the West. We spent our last full day in old town exploring the Royal Palace and sampling some of the local cuisine before packing it in. On Thursday our drive along the secondary roads towards Vienna took us through some very beautiful countryside and farmland.