Czech republic – Cesky republice 2001

pro zvetseni kliknete naobrazek
click pictures to make larger .

Saturday 13th – Sunday 14th January

Word of the day – Suitcase = Kufr

The over night flight to Frankfurt, Germany was uneventful and while being transported by bus to the connecting flight to Prague there was a beautiful red sky sunrise on the horizon. It was a short 1 hour flight to Prague and unfortunately the Czech republic was covered by cloud. Upon arriving at 8am in Prague, I along with about half a dozen other people discovered that our suitcases – kufr never arrived. They took my info and said they expected it would arrive that afternoon and that they would send it by train to Stana’s home town of Pardubice. I then went to find the anxious arms of Stana who by this time was wondering what happened to me. It was so great to see her again. Her parents Jarmila and Stanislav were there with her and drove us back to their home in Pardubice about 1 hour away. I was starting to get very tired at this point having not slept on the flights. After lunch I lied down for a nap and Stana called to find that they still had not found my kufr. That evening the airport called to let us know it was found and that they would ship it right to our door the next morning. I spent the rest of the evening with Stana and her parents looking at photo albums of Stana – the early years. From her cute baby face up to her high school years and right until she left for her trip to NZ. It was so nice to get a glimpse of how she grew up. I definitely got the impression that not only was Stana the most attractive girl in her high school classes with her long blond hair, she was almost one of the smartest, and very musical as well having traveled around Europe with the choir she was part of.

Monday 14th January

Word of the day – Grandmother – Babicka

After my suitcase arrived, which also contained most of the gifts that I had brought with me, Stana and I finally exchanged our Christmas presents. Stana’s parents then took Stana and I to visit her Babicka Jarmila, in the town that Stana’s mother was born a little over an hour away. Upon leaving, I found out about one of the new laws that came into effect as of January 1st 2001. This one states that you must drive at all times with your headlights turned on. Stana’s dad Stanislav was out with the car earlier that morning and like half the other Czechs in the country forgot to turn the lights back off. 🙂 Their car a Skoda (made in the CR) was a standard so we were able to easily push start it. I’m sure they felt a bit embarrassed, but personally I was very impressed by the Skoda cars which of many were quite old but struck me as very reliable cars that were built to last forever it seemed. A couple more laws that just came into effect across the country requires you to stop at crosswalks if some one is waiting to cross, and you are no longer allowed smoking in public areas where people need to gather.

The drive through the country side to Grandma’s was a nice one. The landscape is much like Nova Scotia with gentle rolling hills and areas of flat land used for farming. What really sets it apart though is that there are only very short spans of forest or farmer’s fields before entering the next town. These towns all have the same very old look to them. Another thing that sets the Czech country side apart is the shear number of castles everywhere. Each town has at least one castle of it’s own, and often in the distance you will see small mountains with the distinctive silhouette of a castle set against the sky behind sitting atop the highest point and surrounded by farmers fields in all directions. It is so easy to imagine how that picture has not changed since medieval times. I seen a book showing all the castles with in a 100km radius and the book was huge, listing 3-4 castles per page. Not long before reaching our destination of Zamberk, we stopped at a cemetery where Stana and I paid a visit to the grave site of her grand father. The cemeteries are much different there than in North America, each being completely walled in, and the individual family plots having their own concrete crypt set into the ground with a concrete top just above the ground.

Stana’s grandmother who had just turned 80 on the 13th, was a nice lady and like all grandma’s had lots of food waiting for us! During our visit here Stana and I took a walk along the river and up to the Castle and town center. The castle was closed for the Winter season but we took a short walk around the grounds, and then through the town. This is where I first encountered the statue that appears in just about every town square around the country. These elaborate stone sculptures []where constructed hundreds of years ago to ward of the pestilence which was spreading through Europe at the time.

We also seen the house where a man by the name of Prokop Divis was born whose claim to fame was the invention of the lightening rod.

Tuesday – 15th January

Word of the day – Big horn sheep – Moufflon = Muflon

Getting up early we left again with Stana’s parents to go visit her Sister Petra and her husband Milan, about a 20 minute drive away. They are a really nice couple with two daughters Nela (7) and Majka (10), both very good violin players. I also got to meet their cat and the dog named Gita, who was a national champion when Milan use to show him. He still uses him as a hunting dog. Petra and Milan then took Stana and I for a walk through the woods behind the house, where there is a herd of Muflon in a game reserve. On our walk we went by big stone walls of a castle ruins that set on the edge of a steep cliff over looking a river valley below. Milan is a forest ranger and thus loves talking about nature and wildlife, which is fine by me! 🙂 Unfortunately no pictures of the Muflon as they spooked easily and stayed well away from us. The walk was very nice, after which we had a meal before leaving. Stana’s parents generously decided to spend a few days here so that Stana and I could have some time to ourselves.

After leaving her sister’s we drove to the open air museum of folk architecture nearby at Vesely Kopec. It is a reconstructed village showing the traditional buildings constructed by the Czechs and the way of life of the time. Much like Sherbrook Village in Nova Scotia. The museum itself was closed but we were free to walk around the village and look in all the windows! 🙂 On the plus side it was free, no crowds, and still interesting. After leaving here we went to visit the castle in the nearby town of Slatinany. The castle itself which is also a museum of hippology was closed but we went for a walk around the castle grounds. If your like me you would be thinking… hippology …why do they have a museum of Hippos, but it is actually a horse museum. Since it was a very clear brisk winter day even the horses, whose lineage goes back for hundreds of years were inside their stables where it was warmer. Horses have always played an important part in Czech history from the days of knights, to one of the World’s most famous steeple chases which takes place in Stana’s home city each year.

After arriving back for the evening we had tea. I really felt like part of the family when I opened the cupboards to get the cups out and discovered that Stana’s entire family including Petra and Milan and the kids all had personalized tea cups the same as Stana had given to me when she came to visit me in NS last summer. I didn’t realize the significance of the gift until that moment! My cup has my Czech name of Marek on it. We then sat down and watched the Simpsons and Friend’s in Czech. I now know that the Simspons look funny no matter what language is coming out, it is still very obvious to tell what is going on! Friends would be more difficult if it was an episode that I had not already seen! 🙂

Wednesday – 16th January

Word of the day – Ring = Prsten

Another day of nice but cold weather. After first shopping for a battery for my camera, we drove out to Kuneticka hora(mountain) to see the old castle which is perched atop it. The mountain is unique in that it is solid rock formed millions of years ago by a volcano and towers 75 meters above the surrounding plains. A very strategic place for a castle. We walked up the mountain road as countless people must have done in ages gone by to the entrance of the castle. Of course it too was closed for the season, but it was very cool to see up close. We were also rewarded with a great view of the surrounding areas including Stana’s home city of Pardubice. After making our way back down we returned to Pardubice to go ring shopping! We visited most of the jewelry stores in town, looking at their ring selections. Stana had surprised me by saying she did not wish to have a diamond ring, but would rather a gold one. So we did manage to decide on one particular beautiful gold ring. There were so many really beautiful ones it was not easy. Being happy that we had found a ring we then went on home to have dinner and get ready for the arrival of Stana’s friend Zuzka (Susan) who was coming for a visit. Zuzka and her friend Libor arrived and we enjoyed a nice evening of conversation, though Stana had to do a lot of translating as I don’t know Czech yet! I certainly look forward to being able to speak it though as many of the people I met here I wished I could better speak with. Later that evening Stana and I watched a bunch of home videos, including a video that Petra & Milan made last summer while on vacation in the High Tatras of Slovakia. This is a common family vacation spot for both Czechs and Slovaks who both enjoy getting away from the towns and cities and into the wilderness. The area also has many very beautiful Caves. Also watched one of Stana when she was younger and on vacation in Corsica with the German family she worked with as a nanny.

Thursday – 17th January

Word of the day – Castle = Zamek

After being late getting up, we drove to the near by town of Chrudim. Here we went to visit Zuka at the hospital where she worked as nurse. Afterwards we drove down town and climbed the long stairway that lead steeply up to the town square above where we parked. The plague column at the center of the square is known as “The Transfiguration of Christ” was carved out of Sandstone in 1724 and stands over a large Baroque water fountain. As with all places during the winter months the main attractions such as museums were closed for the season, including the Puppet museum which Stana was hoping to show me. Puppetry has a long history here and is celebrated with a yearly festival which has become a Mecca for puppeteers from all over. There is also a statue here of a man from the town, named Josef Ressel who really helped to change the history of travel at sea by inventing the ships screw propeller. After exploring the town we stopped at a restaurant for dinner. The food was very good and plentiful once it finally arrived at our table. Good thing because I was really starving as I had a clear view of the open kitchen and was very hungry watching, hearing and smelling the meals being cooked. 🙂

I had felt a bit disappointed at not giving Stana a diamond for our engagement, and thus talked her into letting me buy her a diamond ring of a different kind. So after returning to Pardubice we went and visited all the same Jewelry stores for the second day in a row, this time asking to see all their diamond earrings. The selection was a bit easier this time as we only found a few that we both liked. Being glad to find such a nice pair, we then went on to explore the city of which dates back to the 1300’s. We entered the old town square which has been beautifully preserved by walking through the Green Gate. Actually a clock tower which is so named because of the green copper roof on it. The old town square is definitely the most beautiful town square I’ve ever seen. It’s actually rectangular with the green gate entrance at one corner and a narrow lane exiting at the opposite corner which leads to the castle. As in all the towns the square is paved with stones and has a large pestilence statue in the center. The building fronts are all artistically decorated in some manner with each a different pastel color from the one next to it. Many old houses in the Czech republic were originally identified by names rather than a numbering system, and many buildings have either paintings or sculptures carved onto the front of them which visually represent the name. One very cool one in this square is the Dum u Jonase or House of Jonas. Though the building which stands out most in the square is the city court house, a large building which is completely decorated. Each Friday and Saturday numerous couples join together in marriage within the confines of this building. The high number of court weddings is attributed to the fact that many people do not belong to any church, and because of people such as Stana who belong to a church which sadly has yet to be officially recognized by the Czech government. Thus many people are forced to be married by the court after which they hold a church wedding before God. Stana said that often there will be three weddings on the go at once in the court house, they enter at one end and then as one couple is preparing, one couple is being married and one couple is signing the records and having their photos taken. It’s a bit of a marriage assembly line. 🙂 Understandable why Stana never liked the thought of getting married at the court.

As we exit the square at the far corner we walk past the Canada shop, which looked to be a pub that was under going renovations. 🙁 We continued on through the narrow road built for horse and wagon rather than cars through the gates and into the castle grounds. To our amazement we discovered that the castle and museum was open to visitors. We bought our tickets and I proceeded into my first castle! 🙂 The Pardubice castle has under gone much through time and unfortunately all the interior walls once covered completely with richly colored paintings were all plastered over. During the restoration process all the walls were x-rayed to determine where any original paintings or portions there of remained. These original paintings dating back to the 1500’s were then uncovered with bits being revealed here and there on the walls through out the castle. Just enough to let you easily imagine how beautiful it once was. Sections of the castle were empty rooms while other parts were being used as the East Bohemia Museum. We visited a Czech Glass Exhibit which was a collection of historical glass as well as modern day creations. It made it very easy to see why Bohemia became known world wide for it’s crystal creations. They had glass wear that dated hundreds of hears ago which just staggered my mind at the thought of how they could of created pieces that were so intricate and beautiful. While looking at the glass, we had noticed but did not take much notice of a background noise until we walked by one of the windows. The trees outside on the castle grounds were covered by pure black birds. I do not mean covered as in a hundred birds in a tree, I mean literally covered as so that you could barely see a branch on the tree. The trees all looked like silhouettes of trees being the shape of a tree but being pure black in color. Neither of us had seen anything like it. As Stana pointed out it looked like a scene out Alfred Hitchcock’s movie The Birds. The fact that we were standing in a medieval castle made it feel all the more eerie. We later heard that there was a flock of about 10 000 ravens passing by. The movie “The Birds” played during my flight home. HOW much of a coincidence is that!!

We then visited the rest of the museum glad that we did not yet have to leave the confines of the castle. I’m sure we felt the safety provided by the castle as much of some of it’s previous owners. 🙂 The rest of the museum showed displays of medieval times when knights in shining armour patrolled the lands and cruel battles were one or lost on the fields on in the castles. One of these most famous defenders is now buried in a beautifully decorated crypt which has a relief of the knight himself carved into the top and is located at the town church.

Another section showed what it was like living in the city 100 years ago. It was interesting to note how similar things seemed to that of the same period displayed back home in Nova Scotia, with the museum displaying certain articles that seemed all too familiar. It was a really nice museum which showed a good over view of times gone by.

After eating some pancakes for dinner we sat down to go over what Stana had to fill in for her part of the immigration forms. It was amazing how much info she needed to provide. It included a record of every place she lived since she was 18 accounting for every month. A record of every job she held and how much money she made, again accounting for every month since she was 18. She also needed to obtain a police record or in her case a statement of no record from each country she has lived in for over 6 months. This includes 4, the Czech Republic of course as well as Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. She then needs to get all these documents translated into English to send in with the application. It took us 3 hours to go through the entire application.

Friday – 18th January

Word of the day – Engagement = Zasnuby

Managed to get up fairly early in order to go visit the hospital in Pardubice where Stana works as a nurse. It was nice to see where she works and meet many of the people she works with. After this we went back into town and walked to the castle again where Stana wanted to show me around the gardens. I took the ring hoping there might be a nice place there to propose to her, but as luck would have it, the gardens around the castle were all locked up tight. 🙁 We then stopped at a couple of shops in the square where we picked up a couple of souvenirs, and then stopped by a flower shop to pick up some flowers for Stana’s mum. After arriving back at the apartment we had a traditional lunch of Apple dumplings with tvaroh on them. I was not aware just what tvaroh was but it was a white creamy stuff, which while not too bad I could not eat a lot of it. I discovered after returning to Canada what it actually was ….curds…. :>(

After lunch we then started going over what Stana’s parents have been collecting as a dowry for when Stana gets married. It took a while as there was so much. Tons of dish, which were all so beautiful, as well other kitchen utensils and also towels and bed sheets. There was so much stuff, and we had to figure out what things I could carry back with me. We finally decided what I would carry back which included a beautiful set of 6 Czech crystal wine glasses, a set of beautiful tea cups & saucers, A set of plates, a set of silverware, a beautiful set of kitchen utensils, some tea cups and mugs, and a bunch of towels and sheets. As you can imagine I was really nervous about trying to get all this breakable stuff home in one piece. We then packed the other 90% of the stuff back away. There is so much!

Then while getting ready to go back to Stana’s sister’s house I got Stana to write down a Czech phrase that I could use to ask her parents for her hand in marriage. On the drive to her sisters I kept going over and over this phrase praying I would not forget it when the time came to say it.

Upon arriving we went in and were offered some snacks before dinner. We then decided to ask her parents before dinner, so I went out and got the flowers out of the car before they froze! I then offered the flowers to Stana’s mum as I said those famous words….. “Prosim vas o ruku vasi Stani.” which translates roughly to “Please may I have the hand of your Stana.” Stana later said that her father was more nervous than I was, I don’t know if that could be possible but we both survived well, as they both gave me a welcoming reception in to their family. Stana’s father welcomed me on the condition that I take good care of their daughter, which I certainly plan on doing. 🙂 He then gave a toast to our future together hoping that we are able to share as much love as he and Jarmila have shared. After giving them my thanks and my promise to take care of their daughter, Stana and I decided to go to the living room where I then proposed to her giving her the ring she was anxiously awaiting over the past days. After arriving back to the kitchen they told us we needed to seal everything with a kiss for them and that Milan wanted to get a picture of it. Milan certainly took his good ol’time pressing that shutter button. We then all shared gifts which we had for each other. After everybody was done Stana then opened her small gift making like she didn’t know what it was….. 🙂 I then placed them on her ears where they looked so beautiful being complimented by the beauty of Stana herself. We all then enjoyed a great meal and a lot of good laughs before having to say good bye.

Arriving back at the apartment we then started the tedious process of trying to pack everything in to my bags with out going over the weight limitations. Stana’s father gave me a big backpack of his to help out. After much rearranging of things we finally got everything packed. It was now late, and we had a early morning ahead of us.

Saturday – 19th January

Word of the day – Prague = Praha

Another beautiful but cold winter day. We awoke early to get ready to go and take the train to Praha. Stana’s parents drove us to the train station and waited with us on the platform until the train arrived. It was sad to say good bye to them knowing that it would so long before seeing them again. They have had close ties to the railways having worked with the railway company for many years. Jarmila worked in the accounting department, while Stanislav worked as an ambulance driver for the out patients clinic run by the railway company. The train we rode was very modern compared to our rail liners here in Canada. It was an electric train and the ride was so smooth it felt like the train was floating. The ride to Praha took about 1 hour whizzing through some beautiful country side passing through town after town along the way, though no stops were made. The sadness started to set in as Stana and I realized that this was our last day together, and it was a quiet trip.

After arriving in Praha we made our way through the large modern train station, to the subway which whisked us into the city. We then dragged my two suitcases, the big backpack and another large plastic bag up to street level and onto a street car which took us to Jana’s apartment building. Here we carried everything up the 4 floors to Jana’s. I could definitely not buy anything else to take home with me!!!! 🙂 Jana had graciously offered her apartment to us for the night as she went out of town to visit her parents. We both knew Jana from the hostel we stayed at in NZ, and it was very nice to see her again. Unfortunately we did not see her for long as she had to leave in about 15 minutes to catch the train on time.

After resting for a few minutes and having something to eat, we headed out to explore the city. One difference that was very noticeable in Praha compared to the out lying towns and cities, was how many people you could hear speaking English and other languages as they walked by. Praha has become a very multicultural city, and I don’t think a person would have too much trouble getting around not knowing the Czech language. The city is also very clean, and the artistry found in the architecture of the buildings was visually overwhelming. Every direction you looked you would see a building just as amazing if not more so than the last you looked at. After a while a person had no idea what to take pictures of, every thing you seen was deserving of a photo. And with in the architecture of one building you could easily take a hundred more pictures! Praha would be a beautiful place to study photography because there is an endless supply of subjects. As we walked down the hill towards the river Vltava we first came upon the National Museum which over looks Saint Wenceslas mounted upon his horse, and the square named after him. This is the most common place in Praha to suggest as a meeting spot, and it was in 1989 when 100’s of thousands took that suggestion as they met here under the horse to demonstrate for the freedom of their nation. They gained that freedom peacefully, being released from communist control, and becoming known as the Velvet revolution it went so smoothly. The city has not looked back, only ahead as it continues to shake of the political restraints it was under since the end of W.W.II.

In 1993 similar demonstrations took place in the Eastern Slovak part of the Czechoslovakia, as they wished to regain their independence as an independent nation. With this came the velvet divorce with both countries now becoming their own independent nations, the Czech republic and the Slovak republic often referred to as Slovakia. While the two countries have close ties they definitely have distinct differences making them each unique which includes their own unique languages.

We then continued downward through a very narrow street lined with shop windows displaying the best in Czech crystal, a product that Bohemia was always world renowned for. The street then opened in to the old town square and a view of the astronomical clock which resides on the old town hall. This is an amazing piece of 15th century workmanship and is the most complex clock I’ve ever seen. It features numerous animated statues as well as two blue doors above the astronomical dials which open on the hour revealing a parade of the 12 apostles statutes. It would take a page to describe how complex the astronomical dials are which are based on the knowledge of the 15th century believing the stars revolved around the earth. Large crowds gather before the clock on the hour to watch it’s display and we arrived just before noon to join such a crowd. As the clock bells rang 12, Stana turned to me and said “Listen…do you here it?”. Then I realized what she meant, you could hear bells all over the city ringing out. Prague is said to be a city of towers, well over 200 and many of them have bells all of which ring on the hour. It is a magical sound to hear the whole city ring out!

To the left of the old town hall is the “Dum u minuty” or house at the minute. The facade is decorated with 17th century sgraffito work which was discovered under layers of plaster in 1919. There are many scenes depicted of power, war, drunkenness as well as several biblical scenes including that of Jonas leaving the whales mouth. To the right of the clock the street opens in to a large town square where we found a crowd gathered listening to a band playing music in the square. In the square you will find a statue dedicated to Jan Hus on July 6th, 1919 to mark the 500th anniversary of his execution for preaching ideas very similar to those of Martin Luther which inspired the Protestant Reformation a century later. Another monument against religious intolerance is the 27 white crosses set in the pavement which mark the location where 27 Protestants were publicly executed in 1621 following the successful victory of the Hapsburgs a year earlier in the Battle of White Mountain. The executions began the process whereby a largely Protestant Bohemia was wooed back to Catholicism.

There are two churches which stand out in the square as well. The 18th century “Kostel svateho Mikulase” or Church of St. Nicholas stands on a site that has been occupied by a church since the 12th century. The same family of architectures that built this church also built the larger Church of St. Nicholas which resides in the Lesser Quarter on the other side of the river. The other church the 14th century “Kostel Panny Marie pred Tynem” or the Tyn Church has been boxed in by houses all around it yet the twin towers stand out against the sky behind and allows you to imagine the grandeur of the structure beneath.

Most of the Old town square is lined with facades of the 18th century and is truly a beautiful square. As anywhere in Prague you could spend a great deal of time here admiring the individual buildings. From here we head down to the river front and come to the “narodni divadlo” or national theatre built in much the same style as the national museum it opened in 1883 after many setbacks including a fire two years earlier. It’s a massive structure which is adorned by a great number of statues. Looking down the river you can see one of the most famous and oldest structures of the city, the Charles Bridge.

The first wooden bridge crossed the Vltava at this location before the 12th century was destroyed by floods in 1157. The second stone crossing was destroyed by floods in 1342. The present bridge built of sandstone was begun in 1357 and has withstood the floods for over 600 years giving rise to speculation of it’s longevity, such as the mixing of eggs, wine and cheese into the mortar when it was built. Today it is closed to traffic except that of the flood of tourists that cross it daily. Access is gained through the gothic gateways at each end.The one of the old town side is said to be one of the finest bridge towers in Europe. Near the tower is a large statue of King Charles IV of whom the bridge has become named after. The Gothic bridge is now lined on each side by Baroque statues creating a remarkable combination unmatched anywhere else in the world. On the cold crisp January day that we strolled across admiring the statues, I was surprised by the large number of tourists there with us, though I was lucky to be avoiding the jam packed summer months. A small bronze cross on the wall of the bridge marks the spot where St. John Nepomuk was supposedly thrown in. If you put your hand on it and make a wish the saint will supposedly bring it to fulfillment. The polished bronze was evident of how many wishes are made each day.

Leaving the bridge you then enter the area known as the Mala Strana or Lesser Quarter. As you walk up the street leading from the bridge you are hemmed in by a beautiful scene of facades lining each side of the street only to be broken by the small banner signs for such things as MacDonalds or FujiFilm. Stopping into Macdonalds for a quick bite was like leaving the city, actually it was like leaving Europe as it looked like any North American MacDonalds complete with the same english packaging. Continuing up the street you are overwhelmed by the height of the St. Nicholas Church towers which seem to box in the street ahead. The church is said to be one of the most impressive sites in the city, of which there seem to be countless numbers of! Construction began in 1702 and took three generations of architects about half a century to complete. As you enter the church, which we had no time for, you see ceiling paintings depicting the life of St. Nicholas. The painting which is about 1500 square meters or 16000 square feet is one of the biggest in Europe, and was the expression of Johann Lukas Kracker completed in the early 1760’s. Once inside you are standing under the dome, the ceiling of which is also covered by paintings and is 75 m or 247 feet above you. There is also a painting in one of the side chapels by Palko of the death of his name sake, St. Francis Xavier. This is also a church where Mozart often came to play the organ and after his death a special commemoration of the composer, more popular in Prague then in his home city of Vienna, took place in the church, at which which Mozart’s own Requiem was played. From the church you continue to wind your way up the hill towards the Prague Castle.

Arriving at the top of the hill you are presented with the guarded gates of the castle, a huge building, much of which is not open to the public. Also being the quarters of the much loved President and former playwright Vaclav Havel, who in 1989 reluctantly accepted the presidency and has remained president ever since, though he chose not to live in the castle preferring his small riverside home. The castle sits like in a fairy tale, in the air above over looking the rest of the city and is surrounded by palaces and gardens. It was here that Prague was first founded and from here that the kingdom of Bohemia was created, and for a time much of Europe was governed for centuries. A castle was first built here in the 9th century being destroyed in 1041 then rebuilt stronger using dry stone walls. The most important changes took place in the 14th century when King Charles IV was determined to put Prague on the map. He was King of Bohemia and also Holy Roman Emperor and therefore effectively the ruler of Europe. Unfortunately through the 17th and 18th centuries the castle was neglected for long periods, but in 1918 when the Czech republic gained it’s independence a restoration process was begun. The castle has been a center of government through out the 20th century having seen many changes with the last being “Havel na Hrad” or Havel to the Castle and the split of Czechoslovakia. Being the size of a small town you’d easily need a day to tour the castle properly. Walking in past the guards which you can see change every hour, you pass through another gate into the second court yard. Crossing this and through another arched passage way, the real jewel of the castle is slowly revealed to you as the massive entrance and wall grow in height as you near the exit and are presented with the awe inspiring view of the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, the largest in Prague. Founded by King Charles IV in 1344. Since then construction has taken place with many Gothic and Renaissance additions being made up until it’s final completion in 1929. It is truly massive standing inside with it’s 28 piers and 21 chapels. Some of the main attractions within are the chapel of St. Wenceslas (Good King Wencesles), and the tomb of St. John of Nepomuk where more than 2200lbs or 1015kgs of silver is used to display angels and saints surrounding his tomb. You can also descend into the crypt below the church where among others are the sarcophagi of Charles IV, his children and four wives. While down there you also see the walls of two Romanesque churches dating back centuries earlier.

Back outside in the court yard beside the Cathedral you will find the presidential balcony from where public speeches are made by the president. Continuing around behind the Cathedral you enter an area called called the Golden Lane, which is a lane of shops as would be found in the 14th century. The shops which also hosed the gold smiths hence the name are very small with room for only a few people in each and the door ways being very low attested to the physical growth of people over the last 600 years. The shops are now filled with traditional Czech crafts which you can purchase.

Entering in to one of the castle walls running along the Golden Lane you are presented with a look back to the Medieval times with the hallway being lined with Suits of Armour, shields and weapons of every description. At one end of the hallway you can test your skills firing a medieval crossbow, while at the other you can purchase a full suit of armour, whether it be plate or chainmail, as well as any medieval weapon you can imagine. Might be hard sneaking those souvenirs back through customs! 🙂 We then left the castle through one of the back gates where we witnessed a changing of the guard, and were presented with a beautiful view of the city. We then hurried back through the castle to the front gate and went down the road to the Loreto Chapel built in the 1700’s also known as the treasure house.

It contains many treasures that were gifts to the Catholic Church, many of which are monstrances. The star of the show is a Viennese silver monstrance with over 6000 diamonds.

Leaving here we made our way back on weary feet to the nearest tram car which took us back to the apartment. We managed a quick nap before having to leave again to go meet, Andrea, a friend of Stana’s at U Svejku, a traditional Czech pub for dinner. After a good meal we left the pub and to our surprise found large gentle snowflakes landing on us. The first snow since the day I arrived.

Sunday – 20th January

Word of the day – Goodbye = Cau

The morning came fast as we headed of early dragging all the luggage to the subway which we took to the end of the line and caught a bus out to the airport. It was a quiet trip as we both felt the end of our time together drawing near. After checking the bags we waited to the last possible minute before saying our good-byes. For once it was I that was flying away this time. As I approached the checkpoint for the gates I could hear a lady calling “Mr. Stewart….Mr. Stewart….”. The bus was loaded and ready for departure to the plane when I got to it. 🙂 The flight and transfer at Munich went well and before I knew it I was looking down on the lush green fields, rolling hills, and remote sandy beaches on islands of Scotland, before heading out over the Atlantic. It was a sad flight broken only by a truly spectacular view of Greenland with it’s countless deep valleyed fjords lined by sharp peaked snow capped mountains with glaciers meandering down to the sea where they then broke of leaving ice strings of icebergs floating away from the coast. It was so beautiful but at the same time looked as though a very inhospitable place. Then as we passed Greenland we flew over flows of massive icebergs floating down from farther north. Then before I knew it I was in Toronto and on the highway back home. It was then time to unpack and check the damage. As I lifted out the box of wine glasses I could hear the glass rattling, and my heart sank. Of the six, we have one remaining. But that was the only thing that was damaged, and Stana looked at it as good luck as in the tradition of a couple breaking dishes to bring luck! I love this girl!

Cau!

If you ever decide to take a trip to Prague, which is a place I’m sure anyone would enjoy visiting, I would recommend the following book, from which I took much of the historical information from.

“Discover Prague” – Berlitz

It’s gives a great description of the city and it’s history complete with excelent photos. I can’t imagine a better book on the city than this one though the copy I have is a bit dated having been published in 1993.