A
Quick Look at Prague….
Nov 6 - Pippi Longstocking enjoys a last
traditional English breakfast before she and I get on the plane to… Prague!
Upon the
recommendation of my friend Kevan Vander Wahl who had been there a few months
beforehand at the terminus of a river cruise, I booked into Residence Agnes at
Hastalska 19, Prague 1, Czech Republic.
The hotel arranged a driver to meet me at the airport. What a great hotel, and centrally located for
walking around Prague. Keep this info on
hand: Phone to hotel is +420 222 312
417. Whatsapp +420 774 941 258. E: agnes@residenceagnes.com
Most of the day November 6, I wandered around the city, getting my bearings and making plans for the rest of this brief visit.
I decided to dig into the local food right away; everyone says that Czech food is so good – and it is – but I found it to be it is heavy on starch and light on healthy vegetables. Just down the street from the hotel is a very famous restaurant for that served traditional Czech food – LOKAL. I ordered the braised beef and brown gravy, with dumplings made out of a bread-like loaf, served with a condiment of raspberries in whipped cream. And beer of course.
On November 7, I took a hop-on/hop-off bus tour to get an orientation of the city and its various sites. I hopped off the bus to take a boat tour on the Vltava river. A great place to have a nice lunch and see the city from this famous river.
The boat turned around in front
of the Charles Bridge, which is a must-see site in Prague.
Nov 8 – A visit to the famous Prague Castle, with a private guide to help maximize my short time there. The view of Prague from the castle (at the top of the town) is lovely.
According to tourist guidebooks, Prague castle is an ancient symbol of the Czech State, the most significant Czech monument and one of the most important cultural institution s in the Czech Republic … so, a must-see.
“Prague
Castle was most likely founded in around 880 by Prince Bořivoj. According to the
Guinness Book of World Records, Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle
complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 square meters. A UNESCO
World Heritage site, it consists of a large-scale composition of palaces and
ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, from the remains of
Romanesque-style buildings from the 10th century through Gothic modifications
of the 14th century. The famous Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik was responsible for extensive renovations in the time of
the First Republic (1918-1938). Since the Velvet Revolution of 1989 (a
non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from
17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party
government of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia included students and older
dissidents),
Prague Castle has undergone significant and ongoing repairs and
reconstructions.”
Located within the area of
Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral, also known as “the
Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert” is a Catholic
metropolitan cathedral in Prague, and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague.
Until 1997, the cathedral was dedicated only to Saint Vitus, and is still
commonly named only as St. Vitus Cathedral. St. Vitus Cathedral is the largest and the
most important temple in Prague. Apart from religious services, coronations of
Czech kings and queens also took place here. The cathedral is a place of burial
of several patron saints, sovereigns, noblemen and archbishops.
St. Wenceslas Chapel is an important part of St. Vitus Cathedral. Its
magnificent decoration and the different conception of its architecture
emphasize its singularity as the central point of the Cathedral with the tomb
of the most important Czech patron saint. The facing of the walls, consisting
of precious stones, and the wall paintings of the Passion Cycle are parts of
the original 14th-century decoration of the chapel. The scenes from the life of
St. Wenceslas form a decorative band and are dated back to 1509.
St Ludmilla was the grandmother of St Wenceslaus. Wenceslaus' mother, Drahomíra, became jealous of Ludmila's influence
over Wenceslaus. She had two noblemen murder her and part of Ludmila's
narrative states that she was strangled[2] with her veil. She is the patron saint of
mothers-in-law. (Remember this on
September 16, her saints day.)
A walk down Golden Lane in the castle is
a must. “One of the iconic places of
Prague Castle – the Golden Lane – was created at the end of the 15th century,
after the construction of the new northern castle fortifications. The
picturesque place with colorful houses abounds in many legends and myths, which
have also attracted a number of writers and artists. Among other things, e.g.
the famous Franz Kafka lived here. At the moment, several houses house an
exhibition that shows life in the alley during its 500 years of existence.”
November 9 – The Jewish Museum in
Prague is a museum of Jewish heritage in the Czech Republic and one of the most
visited museums in Prague. Its collection of Judaica is one of the largest in
the world, about 40,000 objects, 100,000 books, and a copious archive of Czech
Jewish community histories. It is a
complex of buildings and spaces, including
the Maisel Synagogue, the Pinkas Synagogue, the Spanish Synagogue, the Klausen Synagogue, the Old Jewish
Cemetery and other spaces.
It's a quiet walk through the Old Jewish Cemetery which is one of the largest of its kind in Europe
and one of the most important Jewish historical monuments in Prague. It served
its purpose from the first half of the 15th century until 1786. Renowned
personalities of the local Jewish community were buried here.
Nov 9 - a night at the
opera - la Traviata- in Prague. This is an incredibly beautiful Opera House,
and tickets are not expensive. AND they
have a bar where you can order wine etc and small plates to be set up for you
at hightop tables during intermission…gives you a chance to visit with local
opera lovers too!
November 10
- Today’s walk across the famous Charles Bridge, took me into the old town
section of the city, and included a chance to rub the plaque on the bronze statue of St. John of Nepomuk on
the Charles Bridgefor good luck. Some say touching the statue can make a wish come true,
ensure a return to Prague, or bring good fortune. To participate in the tradition, I waited my turn with others and placed
my left hand on the left side of the statue's base…
The city
tourism website has this to say about the bridge: “Charles Bridge is one of the most beautiful
and photographed monuments in the world. It is guarded by thirty statues and
sculptures of saints. They represent the great personalities of European and
global history, each of whom somehow moved the world and changed it for the
better. The spirituality of the saints gives Charles Bridge a mystical aura, a
sort of open-air temple enclosed by the bridge towers. The magic of Charles
Bridge stands out especially at night, when the light of the gas lamps sculpts new
events and relationships into the stone. It is then that Prague legends rise to
the surface, with supernatural happenings, statues leaving their pedestals and
going to the aid of humans.”
For centuries, Charles Bridge was the only crossing over the Vltava. This landmark is key to understanding the history of Prague’s Old Town. This iconic landmark, and its unmistakable silhouette can be identified by many. As a testament to its structural integrity, it is one of the few remaining medieval bridges still standing today. The first stone for the bridge was laid in 1357. Next time I come to Prague, I’ll take the suggestion of many travelers, and talk a walk on the bridge at night.
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From the west end of the bridge, |
Nov 10, in the Old City, I paid a visit to the Franz
Kafka Museum. It’s near the west end of the Charles bridge, and lots of
tourists stop there primarily to see the statues of 2 men urinating in front of
it (see the video), The museum itself gives a perspective on Costco‘s life in
the early 1900s in Prague, and several sad letters about his fraught
relationship with his father. My favorite of his short stories is
“Metamorphosis.“ For more about Kafka, Wikipedia has a pretty good write up.
So many interesting things
to see in Prague, day or night. The astronomical clock in old town Square is a
famous landmark; buildings are beautifully lit at night throughout the town;
all kinds of interesting food shops with Czech specialties; shops with marionettes,
and in fact, shops of all kinds that cater to the thousands of tourists here
every day, regardless of season or weather.
Nov 11 - Pippi Longstocking and I bid farewell to the very hospitable and comfortable Hotel Residence Agnes in Prague where we enjoyed late night beer and early morning breakfast for five days, and after a short flight from Prague to London, we then hurried on our mile and a half walk to our departure gate in Heathrow airport’s terminal 3. Finally we are settled in for the flight to Boston. I am looking forward to the next few days of trying to spoil grandson Whit and granddaughter baby Clara Grace.
