Czech Republic: Oct. 29 - Nov. 4

Prague: Friday Oct. 29, 2005

 

Once again it was another long day of train travel. We actually could have continued on from Budapest yesterday but we didn’t want to arrive in Prague in the middle of the night. So we opted to break up the trip.

We passed through Slovenia and Slovakia before arriving in the Czech Republic. So we have lots of new stamps in our passports. I was impressed with the appearance of all three countries. From the train, which is not always the best view, the towns were neat and clean and the scenery was pretty. We even saw a golf course in Slovakia! How western….. As well I spotted at least a dozen beautiful ring-necked pheasants in the corn fields and two herds of deer.

One of the interesting parts of the trip was that we were in an open car this time, not one with compartments of 6 seats each. It contained about 8 other American tourists and us. For most of the trip it was quiet, like pin-drop quiet. Then at the last stop about 6 Czechs got on and it was like all hell broke loose. They were all talking non-stop and when they weren’t yakking; they were walking up to the smoking section. One guy had 3 cigarettes in 15 minutes. Cigarettes were cheap here so I guess the financial incentive to quit was non-existent. The Eastern Europeans have been much heavier smokers than in any of our previous countries.

After a couple of encounters with some rude men at the train station’s currency exchange offices, we managed to get a taxi and get to the apartment rental agency. The agent was wonderful and she got us checked in promptly. (We booked apt #301 on Husova 12 through www.prague-city-apartments.cz.) We had to walk about another kilometer to our apartment and then up four flights of stairs but it was all worth it. The apartment was big, bright, clean and quiet and the best of all, it included internet access. Sierra and I ended up talking with Jamie and Kathy MacNeill through skype for over 2 hours! We had a lot to catch up on. Then Brennan stopped drooling and got on line for many hours of World of Warcraft. He was twitching like an addict while he was waiting for us to finish talking. The poor guy really has been missing all his electronic toys at home.

Prague, an incredible city of exotic churches, grand palaces and thousands of statues (more than any other city in the world), justifiably deserved its name “The Queen of Baroque”. Ironically baroque architecture was imposed on the Protestant Czechs by the victorious Catholic Hapsburgs after the Battle of White Mountain in 1621. However the style came to exist in the city, it definitely took it over and now provides many exciting sights for visitors.

For us, Prague also meant six days of errands, future trip planning, school work, unlimited internet access, talking to friends and family for hours with the computer and just general relaxation. Our apartment (see previous entry) was a great find and we all enjoyed the sleep-in mornings, home cooked meals and computer time. Brennan was especially thrilled with all the game time he had on-line. As we didn’t attack the city as we typically do, to see all the sights in a day or two, this journal will vary slightly from the previous format. So more about the city……..

The modern day city has been divided into areas based on its historical towns. There was a Jewish ghetto, an Old Town, A New Town, A Castle District, etc. Our apartment was located in the Old Town with all its winding, narrow streets not too far from the city’s historical Charles Bridge over the River Vltava. The bridge has connected Mala Strana (or Little Quarter) to Stare Mesto ( Old Town) since the 14 th century and was the only crossing until the 18 th century. Legend states that the bridge will exist forever because the builders mixed eggs with the mortar to strengthen it. Over the centuries 30 large Baroque statues were added to the bridge’s edges. The guidebooks suggested visiting the bridge at dawn or dusk for a special effect with the statues. We tried but the weather was too foggy. Also on our first outing to the bridge on a sunny Sunday afternoon, we were surprised at the huge numbers of people who were out for a stroll. Sierra, Brian and I could barely move through the crowds. Brian’s reaction has always been to get away from a horde so we didn’t go back that night. I figured incorrectly that we’d have many more chances.

Brennan showed definite signs of mutiny and preferred to stay in the apartment to seeing another castle or church (as he put it). So Brian, Sierra and I visited nearby Josefov or the Jewish Ghetto, named after Emperor Joseph II. He lifted racial and religious discrimination at the end of the 18 th century. We looked for signs of The Golem or Prague’s monster, which was given life by Rabbi Low in the 16 th century and was said to wander the streets at night. The main draw in this district was the large Jewish museum. It consisted of several synagogues each with an emphasis on a different part of Jewish history in Czech lands and an ancient cemetery. The Maisel Synagogue built in the early 1590s, housed an exhibition that showed the origins of Jewish settlements and the treatment of those settlers by non-Jews. The Pinkas Synagogue was extremely moving as its walls were covered by the handwritten names of the 77,297 Jewish Czech victims of the Nazis. The Spanish Synagogue built in a Moorish style, showed the last 100 years of Jewish history in Prague. The Old Jewish cemetery was established in the first half of the 15 th century with the oldest existing tombstone dated 1439. There were over 12,000 gravestones and more than 100,000 people buried in the cemetery during its 348 year history. As space was so limited, earth was brought in twelve times to add layers to the cemetery and remains were piled on top of the previous layer. The tombstones, varying greatly in size and colour, all were written in Hebrew and often had sculpted pictures to reflect the status of the occupant. Next to the cemetery was an old Ceremonial Hall which provided details on the strict protocols involved in burial. There was actually a society and positions in it, were coveted by the Jews of the time.

Near the Prague Castle, was the district of Hradcany which was home to the VERY baroque place of pilgrimage called the Loretto. We found it interesting that it had a replica of Virgin Mary’s house dating from 1631, before the discovery of the house near Ephesus in the 1800’s. Maybe the German nun who had the vision that led to the Ephesus house visited Loretto? Hmmmm. Sierra and I liked the monstrance with over 6500 diamonds. There were many other sights to tour in this district but our goal was Prague Castle and it was exceptionally cold that morning. So we didn’t dawdle in Hradcany.

Prague Castle was the original home of Bohemian royalty and later the presidents of the Republic. It started as a wooden structure in the 800s and wasn’t fortified until the 11 th century. I was awed by the gothic Vladislav Hall built in the 1490s. It wasn’t gilded or highly decorated like many castles we have already visited. Very simple with beautiful curved arches and ceiling, its immense size was its most arresting feature. At one time it had been a tournament hall and knights used to joust in it. There was even a riders’ staircase for the participants to enter the hall. Below this great hall there was a fabulous museum outlining the history of the castle area. We have seen many museums and this one was well designed and informative. As well we saw a well-made, if a little heavy handed, documentary on the castle. Next to the castle was the gothic St. Vitus Cathedral which was started in 1344 but not completed until 1929! It was massive. The Art Nouveau stained glass windows were very striking. Even Brennan who had enough of churches was suitably impressed. In one corner was the silver explosion dedicated to St. Wenceslas. It was beyond baroque! We also visited the royal crypts under the main floor which were suitably eerie. Our last major stop was the Golden Lane where Emperor Rudolph II housed his alchemists in tiny multicoloured cottages built into the walls of the Gothic fortifications. Writer Franz Kafka also lived in cottage #22 from 1917 to 1918. Brennan had fun shooting a large crossbow at a target in one of the museums here. He even managed to hit the target. I tried it once and it was tough to aim.

The Staromestske namesti or Old Town Square was near our apartment. On one side was the old town hall built in 1338, home to an astronomical clock built in 1410. We had hoped to see the moving figures in the clock but unfortunately it was under renovation for two months. Instead we checked out the immense square which was the city’s oldest market (since 1091) and the Hussite Church of Our Lady Before Tyn with its dark gothic spires. This church housed the tomb of Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe who died of a burst bladder during a royal audience with Rudolph II. Even now the expression “not wanting to die like Tycho Brahe” is a colloquialism for needing to go to the toilet.

On another day Brian and I visited Nove Mesto or New Town which was founded in 1348 by Charles IV when Old Town got too cramped. Its center consisted of the large Wenceslas Square that used to be a horse market and now was home to many fashionable shops, theatres, cafes and hotels. One large shop was the original Bata shoe store. It was a Czech company started in 1894 and then restored to the Bata family in 1992 after their return from exile in Canada. This square hosted many events in Czech history. Independence was declared here in 1918; Nazi occupation was challenged here and many demonstrations against communism leading up to the Velvet Revolution in 1989 occurred here. When we walked around, it was hard to equate the calm businesslike atmosphere with all that strife. Even after visiting all these places, we still barely scratched the surface of the city. It was definitely a positive experience even with the less than stellar weather conditions.

One aspect of Czech life that Brian readily adapted to was their consumption of beer. This golden elixir has been made here since the 11 th century. He discovered that no self respecting beer drinker in Prague buys their beer in cans. So he became a connoisseur of bottled brew. His favourite was Plzensky in Czech or more commonly known as Pilsner Urquell in German, and has been brewed about 50 km southwest of Prague since 1842. This beer developed the style of pilsner. The best part was that even the most premium beer cost only 17.90 koruna (kc) or about 75 cents US for .5L. He also enjoyed Budvar or Budweiser beer. The original Bud was actually Czech and has no relation to the American company. In fact there are many disputes regarding copyright between the companies.

Other notable Czech products were Bohemian crystal, garnet jewellery and puppets. Brennan tried to convince us that he wanted to be a grand puppet master when he found a gigantic wooden three headed dragon puppet. With a price tag of approximately $500 US we told him to try a sock puppet. The puppets were truly amazing and there was certainly one for everybody’s taste. They ranged from pretty princesses, handsome princes, jesters, Czech country maidens, magicians, movie stars like Charlie Chaplin to devils and other scary monsters. I kept trying to get a good look at the crystal and garnets but I was hustled past all the shop windows by Brian. I think he was nervous with the jewellery.

On our third night in Prague as we were preparing dinner, we heard the constant clip clop of horses’ hooves on the cobbled streets below our apartment. As we peered out the windows, we groaned as we saw snowflakes falling lazily to the ground. It wasn’t until we took a second look that we realized that the snow was artificial and that the street had been lit up with strings of bulbs strung between the buildings. It looked like a scene out of a Dickens’ Christmas and a mini movie or commercial was being filmed right below our apartment. We saw this scene two more times during our stay in Prague. It was fun to watch all the preparations.

One part of Prague culture that I won’t miss was the crazy grocery shopping. There was only one supermarket near our apartment and it was always busy. As well as too many people, the aisles were small and a lot of the food had to be obtained from or priced by clerks before we could go to the slow cashiers. It was part of the experience of Prague but I wouldn’t want to have to do it all the time. Give me a restaurant any time!!!

We all had a chance to recharge our batteries in beautiful Prague. It was great! Next stop will be the UNESCO town of Cesky Krumlov in Bohemia.( NEXT PAGE )