Departure day finally arrived. We met Sister-in-law Arlene and little Brother Steve in Philadelphia for our direct flight to Prague that left promptly at 8:05 pm and arrived early…at 8:30 AM!!! Sounds great, but as most of you know, arriving at your European destination in mid to late afternoon allows you to stay awake for a reasonable bedtime. But arriving early creates a whole new set of hurdles to NOT fall deeply asleep during the day…and then not be able to sleep later at a realistic time. So off we went with blood shot eyes, poking each other, to explore downtown Prague where our hotel was conveniently located.So we wandered and rested and wandered and ate lunch and rested on benches and wandered and ate dinner (previous post) early and went to bed. And, sorry, but we promise to let you join us for the formal adventure (official tour of downtown) tomorrow. Get some sleep!
Good Morning! Short night?
Before we talk about the official tour, here are a few highlights of that sleepy first day when we knew little of what we were observing.
We headed to the Old Town Square where we came across this rather grotesque monument of Jan Huss commemorating the victory of the Hussite warriors.
A brisk walk by the Church of St. Nicholas, a late gothic and baroque structure from around 1732, and a Slovak Orthodox Church in 1932.
It wasn’t far from the Jewish Quarter of town and the Staronova synagogue.
The Golem were on display. At least the modern version. The Golem are animated anthropomorphic beings in Jewish folklore that are created entirely of inanimate matter…usually clay. It’s been used to connote war, community, isolation, hope and despair over the centuries.
Arlene found a second synagogue, the Pinkasova. Also the gallery Rudolfinum on the Jan Palach Square on the bank of the river Vltava. Currently the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra is based in the building.
The next day the official Prague walking tour would push us up and down the cobblestones of hilly streets to the amazing sites of this ancient and changing city. And a guide who would put these sights in perspective. Put on some sturdy walking shoes.
Did the Golem display remind you of setting up displays for craft shows??