April 14, 2018 ~ A Walking Tour of Prague and a Jazz Date!
April 14, 2018 ~ A Walking Tour of Prague and a Jazz Date!
We had another early call this morning as our walking tour was to begin at 8:20 a.m. Alarms were set so as not to miss breakfast since there were no stops for meals on this tour. Breakfast was good, but I will write more about it tomorrow since we were a bit rushed this morning, due to my favorite dawdler.
We met our guide, Dagmar, who was most entertaining. We both enjoyed her political commentary about the Russians and the Communists. She had very clear opinions about both, and has an interesting history having grown up under rule of both and now experiencing new freedoms. I think we take our freedoms for granted in the U.S., and this trip has given me new perspective.
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| Our Guide, Dagmar |
According to Wikipedia, Prague was founded during the Romanesque period and flourished during the Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque eras. It was the capital of Bohemia and the main residences of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV along with several others. The Hapsburg Monarchy (remember them from past entries) also resided in Prague from time to time.
The historic center of Prague was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
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| Prague Castle Photo Credit: Wikipedia |
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| Prague Castle in the distance |
Prague Castle is probably the city's biggest tourist attraction, and there were MANY tourists there today. The first walled building, the Church of the Virgin Mary, was built in 870. In the first half of the 10th century during the reign of Vratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia and his son St. Wenceslas (of Christmas carol fame), the Basilica of Saint George and the Basilica of St. Vitus were founded. Next to the church of St. George is the first convent in Bohemia, and a large Romanesque palace was constructed in the complex during the 12th century. Today the castle is home to the President of Prague, a rather titular office akin to the role of the monarchs in England. It is Parliament who runs the country, according to our guide.
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| Castle Guards |
As you enter the Castle, you can see two guards on either side of the gate. Every hour there is a changing of the guard ceremony. We did not see this ceremony, as Dagmar was very efficient in her use of our time.
St. Vitus Church is difficult to capture, so I am relying on Wikipedia for the "big picture." Also, we were not able to go inside, so I also borrowed a photo from Wikipedia showing the nave of the church.
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| Photo Credit: Wikipedia |
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| Photo Credit: Wikipedia |
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| The Church of St. George |
We also strolled through the old town and admired the architecture as we listened to Dagmar's commentary.
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| Many buildings are made of sandstone, which becomes grimy with age and needs a thorough cleaning every 60-70 years |
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| I loved the art on this building |
The astronomical clock is not working - undergoing renovation at this time, but we did go up to the top of the clock tower where there were stunning vistas of the city!
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| Kafka's Home |
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| Once a Grocery store, but it was taken over by the Nazi's during World War II |
The gate to the Charles Bridge, a pedestrian walkway leading from the Old Town to the Lesser Quarter. It was constructed between 1357 and 1400 under the auspices of King Charles IV. There are thirty statues, most of them in the Baroque style, decorating the bridge.
This one caught my eye as we crossed the bridge. The Hebrew was added when a Jew, who did not like this statue and tried to push it into the river was caught and fined. His fine was used to add the Hebrew inscription, roughly translated meaning "Holy, Holy, Holy!"
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| I loved this statue of St. Francis with his cross gleaming in the sun! |
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| The Gate to the Charles Bridge |
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| The Rathaus (City Hall) |
Outside the Rathaus, one bridge and groom poses for a family picture as another couple waits for their turn to go into the Rathaus and be married.
New friends, Gloria and her sister Linda on our walking tour. Jeff smiles large for my camera.
These photos above are included to show how absolutely gorgeous the weather was today. It was quite warm in the afternoon as we finished up our five hour walking tour. We covered about five miles, and when we got back to the hotel to get rid of our jackets and wash up a bit, I noted that I had logged well over 15,000 steps! (But there would be more steps to come.)
I did shoot these two pictures of our hotel on the way back.
I love this lobby area with is chandeliers and beautiful ceiling. The hotel is old and elegant, the room spacious and very comfortable. The modern bathroom is a delight. We both enjoyed baths in the large soaker tub!
After a rest in the hotel, we decided to venture out again to hear some jazz (Jeff was definitely feeling "jazz deprived"). We walked another mile or so to the jazz club to hear the 7 p.m. show. This singer, Elena Sonenshine, planned to record the 10 p.m. show and caught Jeff on the way out and asked him to record a commentary for inclusion in the video that they were shooting. He was whisked off to the bar area while I waited patiently in the lobby.
The club was small and cozy. The seats were not very comfortable. Initially we sat on a seat that had Bill Clinton's name on it. Evidently he performed there at some point. Then we moved to our reserved seats, which were slightly more comfortable and pretty much front and center! The music was good. She was backed up by a pianist who looked to be in his early twenties, a bassist, and a drummer. She said that the 10 p.m. show would also include a guitarist.
We walked back to the hotel, stopping at several outdoor restaurants along the way, but none of the offerings really appealed to us -- neither of us were terribly hungry. So, we ended up back in the hotel cafe where we shared a cheese plate before dragging our tired legs up to bed.
Tomorrow ... perhaps a museum or two ... who knows as we have nothing definitive planned.
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