OK. I’m not telling you where we are now or what day it is. Just assume the journey is continuing as usual. Just sit back, relax, and beam yourself up….
Perusing Prague (with a guide)
Old Town Prague’s Powder Tower or Powder Gate is one of the original city gates. It separates the Old Town from the New. Powder Tower, as with many historical sites in Prague, undergoes periodic preservation and restoration. Prague is outstanding in it’s beauty. The loocals appreciate it, and care for it.
Mariánské náměstí is surrounded by significant public buildings such Clementinum with National library, New City Hall with Mayor of the City of Prague residence and Prague City Council, Clam-Gallas Palace and Trauttmansdorff Palace.
And here’s how they “gaslight” their people, with real gas lights, lit by a real person at dark, almost ceremoniously by pulling the shades up with a hooked stick and lighting with another flame on a long pole.
Continuing in the old town we did take a closer look at the “grotesque” statue we saw yesterday to learn that the Jan Hus Memorial depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus in the wake of the lost Battle of the White Mountain during the Thirty Years’ War.
The late gothic and baroque church of St. Nicholas was built in the late 1700s in the place of it’s 13th century namesake.
The white crosses on the ground in front of the Old Town Hall mark the exact spot where 27 Bohemian Protestant leaders were publicly beheaded following their defeat at the Battle of White Mountain (take care, our Bohemian friends). This marked the end of the Bohemian Revolt against the Catholic Hapsburgs.
We watched the skeleton strike the time at the Prague astronomical clock, or Prague Orloj, is a medieval astronomical clock attached to the Old Town Hall.
A View from the Bridge
On a stunning day (sun and 70s) we walked out of the old square to check out “the Bridge”.
Old Town Bridge Tower is a gothic monument constructed in 1357 AD, during the rule of the Emperor Charles IV. It was designed by the architect Petr Parléř.The views of Prague are spectacular as we walk across toward the castle hopefully to catch the changing of the guard.
As we hurry along the way to be on time for the change we come across some beautiful (inside canals) and “interesting” views (a unique fountain and the Kafka museum) appropriately juxtaposed.
Just as we move down the hill the new guard and his escort march with us toward the castle gates.
We arrive together, with several thousand friends, at the Wrestling Titans, a pair of outdoor sculptures leading to the first courtyard of Prague Castle. Pretty cool, but as someonein our foursome said (I won’t say who), “If you’ve seen one changing of the guard, you’ve seen….”
From outside we entered the Prague Castle complex serving as the official residence and workplace of the president of the Czech Republic. Built in the 9th century, the castle has long served as the seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia. The back entrance sports a mind-boggling mosaic of tens of thousands of stones.
We spent the rest of the comfortable afternoon wandering the castle grounds with its beautiful spaces and views of Prague. It as a great set for the drama of history, art and architecture, and contemporary life that would unfold during the rest of our journey. We even saw the Prague replica of the Eifel Tower (an aside to our friends Bonnie and Steve, maybe the “real” other Eifel Tower?).
We ended the day at a “typical Czech restaurant”, la Republica to experiencce a “real” Czech meal. It did play the standards of goulash soup, veal schnitzel, and mountains of sausages, but the dominant experience was a very unique set of indigestions…. Ah well, tomorrow a four hour bus ride into Bavaria and Passau where we will meet our boat at the Danube. Take some pepto and get some rest!