Prague day 1
First, I want to mention that I have noticed the emails I am trying to send out are not being sent. Incoming emails seem to be working OK, but we have 20 backed up to go out. David contacted Cox, who says they cannot help because they do not have contracts with these European servers. So please do not think we are ignoring your emails. At some point, they may still get delivered, but just not in a timely manner.
The day dawned cloudy and cool. We are delighted despite rain in the forecast. We plan to spend the day doing a self-guided walking tour in our Frommer’s guide book. Breakfast at the hotel includes what we have become accustomed to seeing, assorted breads, sliced cheeses, sliced meats, scrambled eggs, yogurts, fruits, juices, coffee and tea.
The Ibis hotel is in an ideal location, very near the old town. The backpack has our rain gear and cameras. I am carrying the town map and the guide book. The walk described follows the ancient coronation route of the Bohemian kings. It is a long walk and mostly uphill, especially the latter part as it goes up to the castle. The streets are cobblestone and the sidewalks too, but the street stones are closer to the size of bricks, while the sidewalks have stones about 4 X 4 inches. The sidewalk and plaza stones are always arranged in patterns. Sometimes stones of the same color are arranged in arching rows, or at times stones of contrasting colors, say black and white or brown and black, are arranged in variations of patterns—maybe a white field of stones with a square of black in the center, or a checkerboard pattern, or many other designs—reminding me of quilting patterns of squares in designs. These stones are not always of a level surface as some have worked their way higher than the next stone. So it is easy to stub a toe. It is important to have sturdy walking shoes. We have seen a few women trying to negotiate in high heels, but it looks dangerous!
The first stop on our tour is only a block from the hotel. It is the Late-Gothic Powder Tower, so named because it used to store gunpowder to defend the city. It dates from the 15th century, and is one of the last standing remnants of the Old Town’s original fortification system. Dark and formidable looking, it marks the start of the original coronation route. We next pass the Art-Nouveau Municipal House from the early 20th century. The Prague Symphony Orchestra performs here and we bought tickets for a concert tomorrow night.
Speaking of concerts, Prague is a city of concerts. Nearly every church, hall, and castle we pass is advertising daily concerts—some at 1pm, most in the evening. There are also ballets and operas being promoted. It is difficult to choose because of a wide variety of offerings. One is a soprano and organ performance of Ave Maria. We selected the Prague Royal Orchestra.
Our next stop is a building which demonstrates Czech Cubism style architecture from the early 20th century. This was a very popular style in Prague, cut short by World War l. There is a Black Madonna Statue on the corner of the building. To our delight, the Estates Theater comes next, which in 1787 was the venue for the world premiere of Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, conducted by Mozart himself.
There are crowds of tourists everywhere. The guidebook says the tourists thin out in September, so we wonder how crowded Prague must be in the summer. And once it starts raining and the umbrellas appear, negotiating the crowds is a real challenge, especially as people are stopping abruptly to take photos or admire something in a shop window. The shops are most attractive, as in addition to the usual tee shirt and souvenir shops, there are many shops selling crystal, glass and porcelain—products Czech is famous for. There are also many shops selling marionettes, which apparently are a Czech tradition. One can even buy tickets to marionette theater productions. We stop in a crystal shop which advertises live demonstrations. For a small fee, we are escorted by an English-speaking woman who takes us to the back of the store where a young man is working with a furnace and making glass animal figures. The woman gives us quite a detailed explanation of the steps in the process while we watch him work. She tells us how the glass is melted and colored, shaped and cooled by a special overnight process. It is very interesting. She says education of the craft takes about three years. Down the street, we come to a shop selling Swarovski crystal. David inquires about prices for the annual Christmas ornaments, which we buy each year for the granddaughters in Dallas, but they are less expensive on line in the US than this shop is asking for them.
The sprinkle has turned to drizzle and David stops to buy an umbrella. The one I brought from home has seen a lot of miles on this trip.
Now our tour takes us to the Old Town Square, the heart of the Old Town. It is one of the most beautifully preserved Gothic and Baroque spaces in Europe. We admire the Tyn Church, a huge statue of Jan Hus, (a Czech Protestant Reformer), St Nicholas Church, (one of two with this name), and the Old Town Hall, with a clock tower on top and a fascinating medieval astronomical clock on the side. Our timing could not have been better if we planned it, as we are arriving just at noon. At the top of each hour, a brief, eerie, medieval morality play unfolds. Two doors slide open and the 12 apostles glide past, while the 15th-century symbols of evil—death, vanity, corruption and greed—shake and dance below. The clock then chimes the hour and we got to hear all 12 strikes of the bell.
The Old Town Hall has a high tower so we take the elevator instead of the stairs. Once up there, there is an exterior platform all the way around the building. The views to the square below is beloved by photographers everywhere—one of the signature views of Prague. Not to be outdone, David takes photos from each side. Some photos are of the distant views, the red-roofed landscapes of Old Prague, and up the hill toward the Castle. But my favorites were looking straight down directly into the square below, where the multiple-colored umbrellas created a stunning garden of flowers below.
We follow Karlova Street to the famous Charles Bridge, arguably Prague’s most stunning architectural attraction. The bridge was commissioned by Charles IV and when it was built in the 14th and 15th centuries, it was considered one of the wonders of the known world. In addition to the huge and ornate bridge towers at each end, both sides of the bridge are lined with Baroque statues that lend the bridge its unique character. We stopped at most of them, took photos, and marveled at the stark religious imagery. Each statue has a story to tell.
By now, the rain is coming down in earnest. At the far end of the bridge, the book suggests a stop at an inexpensive café called Bohemia Bagel. As it is nearly 2, we are ready for lunch. I ordered goulash, but they were out. Soup of the day is cabbage, so I took that-it was good and had potatoes too. I also had chicken salad with melted Swiss. It all came on a fancy bagel covered with sunflower kernels. Far too much after the soup, so I brought half home. David had hot pastrami and steak fries. Really good and a large portion. A English radio station is playing in the background.
Lunch over, the rain has stopped for a time and we continue on toward the castle, passing the second St. Nicholas Church, a masterpiece of high Baroque, with marble columns, statues and frescoes that are over the top in almost every way. We follow Nerudova Street in a serious uphill climb. It is lines with stunning Baroque palaces, each with unique exteriors and named with descriptive names like “The Red Lamb” or “House of the Three Violins”.
Finally we come to the Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. Stately and regal atop the hill, it provides beautiful views over the town. It is nearly 4 pm and too late for a tour, but it is free to walk around the Castle Grounds and to enter the cathedral, so we do both. This is one of the most spectacular churches we have ever seen. It is huge with towering ceilings and more than 20 stained glass windows which must be over 20 feet tall.
We had originally thought we would take public transportation home, but decided to walk instead. We got off course a bit, but made the correction and arrived back at the hotel about 6, in time for a cup of hot tea and some rest. Except for lunch, we have been on our feet all day, nine hours. So we decided we were glad not to have concert tickets for tonight.
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