Prague to Rome

Today was "getaway" day, and although we were sad to leave Prague, we are looking forward to our adventures in Italy.

Now that we are experts at negotiating Prague's public transportation system, the trip to the airport was easy, and although our flight was slightly delayed taking off, it was totally uneventful. Our flight path took us over the alps, and Innsbruck, Austria which brought back good memories from our visits back in the early 1980's. There was still snow on the mountains, and we could see some of the ski runs. We probably skied some of them many years ago !

Once we arrived at the airport in Rome, it seemed to take forever to get our luggage, change our Czech Crowns for Euros, and pick up the rental car.

What a nice surprise awaited us when we got to our car . . . there were no tiny cars left, so we were given a spacious (by Italian standards) Fiat 500L with 1700 kilometers on it - and it is a diesel fueled car - not gasoline (or benzine as the Italians call it).

Both suitcases and my carry-on fit in the very back with the security panel over top, and the only thing that had to go in the back seat was our backpack. The 'real adventure' was just now beginning as we had come to understand that Italian driving is not for the timid.

It took about 30 minutes to drive to the Kolping Hotel Casa Domitilla where we will be staying tonight and tomorrow night. It is a small, older hotel, located in a quiet residential neighborhood, literally right next to the Domitilla Catacombs, which we plan to visit on Monday.

Our walking tour of Rome begins at 11:00 am tomorrow !

BRIEF HISTORY OF ROME

Rome is a city and special comune (named Roma Capitale) in Italy. With 2.9 million residents in 496.1 sq. mi., it is the fourth-most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome has a population of 4.3 million residents. The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula along the shores of Tiber river. Vatican City is an independent country geographicaly located within the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason, Rome has been often defined as capital of two countries.

Rome's history spans more than 2,500 years. While Roman mythology dates the founding of Rome at only around 753 BC, the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe. The city's early population originated from a mix of Latins, Etruscans and Sabines. Eventually, the city successively became the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire, and is regarded as one of the birthplaces of Western civilization and by some as the first ever metropolis. It is referred to as ‘Roma Aeterna’ (The Eternal City) and ‘Caput Mundi’ (Capital of the World), two central notions in ancient Roman culture.

After the fall of the Western Empire, which marked the beginning of the Middle Ages, Rome slowly fell under the political control of the Papacy, which had settled in the city since the 1st century AD, until in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870.

Beginning with the Renaissance, almost all the popes since Nicholas V (1422–55) pursued an endeavor to make the city the world's artistic and cultural center. Due to that, Rome became first one of the major centers of the Italian Renaissance, and then the birthplace of both the Baroque style and Neoclassicism. Famous artists, painters, sculptors and architects made Rome the center of their activity, creating masterpieces throughout the city. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic.

Rome has the status of a global city and ranked in 2015 as the 14th-most-visited city in the world, 3rd most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist attraction in Italy. Its historic center is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Monuments and museums such as the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum are among the world's most visited tourist destinations with both locations receiving millions of tourists a year. Rome hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics and is the seat of United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.


Our Dinner

The restaurant at the hotel doesn't open until 7:00 pm for dinner (they eat late, here), and since we hadn't eaten since breakfast, we were starving. The front desk manager told us that there were several cafes and pizzarias/trattorias quite nearby, and we quickly decided that this was the path to pursue.

One looked particularly inviting, and although they didn't open until 7:00 for inside dining, we could order and sit at their tables outside. It was a pleasant early evening, and many people strolled past us - older couples, families with children, and one gentleman who offered to take our photo. The pizza was outstanding . . . of course . . . we are in Italy!

Last Day in Prague + Tablet Troubles

This morning Tom and I awoke to the most beautiful day, yet. Our last day in Prague would be perfect . . . except that when Tom turned on the tablet PC . . . nothing. Tom tried all of his IT tricks, but the darn thing just wouldn't respond. The tablet would just have to wait as it was too nice a day to spend inside.

Tom and I once again made use of the subway, and made our way to the Charles Bridge. The temperature was in the 50's, and ALL of Prague was out enjoying the day ! We could hardly get past all of the people on the bridge . . . the vendors, performers, and folks out for a stroll.

Tom and I had planned to explore the Museum of Alchemy, but when we finally found it, it was closed for remodeling, so we strolled with all the other people happy that a beautiful day was upon us - and browsed the shops instead. We were soon headed back over the Charles Bridge toward Old Town, where the streets, cafes and squares were filled with even more people !

It would be our last chance for a tasty traditional Czech meal before we leave Prague tomorrow, and we found a tiny, charming, 5-table restaurant tucked into one of Old Town's most beautiful buildings.

Tom ordered the sausages with mustard and horseradish, I ordered beef goulash with dumplings, and we shared another Czech beer which was quite good - and I'm not such a huge beer fan ! The meal was outstanding ! Czech dumplings are huge, and sliced like bread - perfect for sopping up the thick, spicy gravy.

After our late lunch we strolled toward the Old Town Square one last time - and encountered throngs upon throngs of people ! I guess everyone wanted to be out on such a beautiful, sunny day. One man held up a sign that read "Free Hugs for Peace and Love", and I thought, "Why not?!"

Alas, it was time to go back to the apartment and pack, as we have an 11:40 flight  in the morning, and we would need to have plenty of time to take the subway and bus to the airport.

Tom went back to working on the tablet - he couldn't imagine what went wrong with it between last night and this morning. He was determined to make it work, but there was no way to do that without another computer to download all of the network software onto a USB drive and then use the USB drive to reinstall the software onto the tablet..

And then he had a brilliant idea; there was a Marriott Courtyard Hotel two blocks away from our flat. Once again, Marriott was there to assist us. They had helped us when we had an issue in Vienna, Austria two years ago . . . and tonight they helped us again, even thought we weren't staying there either time - I guess there is some benefit to Tom having that Marriott Lifetime Platinum status. Yes ! The tablet is working again !

Now it's time to bid "Farewell" to Prague - truly a beautiful city !

Kutna Hora

The alarm rang at 6:00 am ! We were taking a day-trip to Sedlac and Kutna Hora, and had an 8:06 train to catch ! To get to the train station we would take the tram (another new experience). Fortunately there were a few people (including children) who were able to point us in the right direction. Kutna Hora is 40 miles from Prague, and round trip tickets for both of us came to
$15. The train was so smooth and comfortable, and took us past charming villages and beautiful countryside filled with mustard and alfalfa fields. I haven't been on a train since we lived in New Jersey 20 years ago !

Five minutes from our destination - the primary Kutna Hora train station - our train came to a complete stop. We sat there for 20 minutes. Several announcements were made, but not in English. We never did find out why we were delayed. At the primary station, we had to transfer to a local train which took us to the Kutna Hora Mesto, 15 minutes from the primary station. Our local train was much older, a relic from the Soviet days.

Today Kutna Hora / Sedlac is one of the most popular destinations in the Czech republic because of its amazing collection of historic buildings, including the ghoulish Sedlec Ossuary, the Gothic masterpiece of St Barbara’s Church and the splendor of the Italian Court. This rich heritage was born in the boom days when Kutna Hora competed with Prague economically and culturally, becoming the favorite residence of several Bohemian kings. How did it get so rich? They made money by making money… literally: they mined the silver that produced the ‘Prague Groschen’ – the hard currency of Central Europe at that time.

Kutna Hora has a handful of tourist attractions and a sleepy, provincial atmosphere. Beneath the town are miles of exhausted silver and gold mines. From 1308, Bohemia’s royal mint at Kutna Hora converted its silver into coins that were used all over Central Europe, but when the mines ran dry the town dwindled. Kutna Hora’s ‘old town’ is so small it can be explored in a couple of hours, and the town is totally walkable. Most of the main attractions sit between the main square Palackého Náměstí and the Cathedral of St. Barbara, ten minutes to the southeast.

Crazy Monks - The Bone Church - Chapel of All Saints

The proper name of the ‘bone church’ is the Chapel of All Saints (kaple všech svatých). When a handful of earth from the holy-land was sprinkled over the surrounding graveyard, the chapel shot to stardom as the hippest resting place for the rich and famous. As war and plague came and went the new burials outgrew the space available, and the older bones were removed and stored in the crypt of the chapel.

The macabre sight of Kutna Hora’s bone chapel draws visitors from all over the world. Just one hour outside of Prague lies this gem of Bohemian history, home to much more than piles of skulls and bones. It was the economic power-house of the Kingdom of Bohemia and played a crucial role in the 15th century Hussite Wars.

Urban myth says that a monk went mad and made sculptures from the bones, but the present appearance is the work of a woodcarver who was commissioned in 1870 to decorate the chapel. His fantastic creations include a coat of arms of the local aristocratic Schwarzenberg family and a chandelier that contains every bone in the human body. We understand there are a few other bone churches scattered around Central Europe, but none are nearly as fascinating or photogenic.


Cathedral of The Assumption of Our Lady of Sedlec

The beautiful Cathedral of Our Lady of The Assumption in Sedlec is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The cathedral is the oldest cathedral building in central Europe. It is part of the former Cistercian monastery that was established by King Wenceslas II in the early 1300s. This was during the time of Kutná Hora's great wealth derived from silver mining. The monastery gained extraordinary profits as the mines were mostly located on their lands. The cathedral was built in the High Gothic style and was the most magnificent church in the Kingdom of Bohemia. The monastery along with the church were burned down by the Hussites in 1421 and were not renovated until the early 18th century.

At the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries the monastery was rebuilt in the unique Baroque Gothic style whose equivalent cannot be found anywhere else in Europe. The seamless combination of Gothic and Baroque is most prominent in the cathedral.

The Cistercian monastery, by then deeply in debt, was closed down in 1783 as part of the religious reform of emperor Joseph II. A tobacco factory was established there in 1812 and is still run today by Philip Morris.

When we entered the cathedral, the friendly attendant told us to be sure and climb the spiral staircase adjacent to the altar. The staircase led us to the attic, which we traversed all the way to the back of the cathedral, and into the choir loft. The narrow attic walkway was at roof level, overtop of the rotundas (which were clearly visible).

All of the rafters were completely renovated and built without the use of metal nails, as it had been originally constructed. The choir loft is the brightest spot of the church, with a view of the 106 windows, an interior length of 260 feet, and a height of 87 feet.






Cathedral of St. Barbara

The Czech Republic is a land of, among other things, spectacular gothic cathedrals (medieval skyscrapers as Tom calls them), and the one in Kutna Hora is the most spectacular of them all. With its three tent-like spires soaring skywards from the highest cliff above the River Vrchlice, it’s visible for miles around and leaves very, very few visitors unimpressed. Dedicated to St. Barbara, patron saint of miners, the cathedral is an integral part of Kutna Hora’s history and the main monument that helped Kutna Hora onto the UNESCO world heritage list.

The construction took over 500 years, beginning in 1388 and ending in 1905 with a Neo-Gothic restoration. Building was interrupted several times, either due to the Hussite wars or for lack of financial resources. Several prominent architects took part in the project over the centuries: Jan Parléř (son of Petr Parléř, architect of Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral), Matyáš Rejsek (designer of Prague's Powder Tower), Benedikt Rejt (author of the Wladislaw Hall at the Prague Castle), and Josef Mocker (restorer of many Czech castles including Karlštejn). St. Barbara's Church was originally planned to be twice its today's size. Its unique design with a three-tent roof and intricate flying buttresses make it an unmistakable Kutna Hora landmark and the town's most significant monument.

The UNESCO-listed Cathedral of St. Barbara (also called St. Barbara's Cathedral) is a monumental Gothic church consecrated to St. Barbara, patron saint of miners. The statue of the miner dates back to the year 1700. The miner is wearing a special costume, holding a lamp in his left hand, while one sees in his right hand a working tool. He has a leather apron around his waist which is used for sliding down to the mine. Miners worked six days a week and 10-14 hours per day. At the beginning of the 16th century, mines in Kutna Hora were as deep as 1500 feet which was a world record for that time.

We were told that the most amazing scenes of the Cathedral of Saint Barbara are hidden before visitor´s eyes. Some of the strangest objects were placed highly on the top of the church. Using binoculars visitors may admire fantastic objects such as bats, demons, frogs, or even winged rams. Some have found a monkey with an orange on one of the south pillars - it is the first depiction of this fruit in Bohemia.

Lazy Monks

Kutna Hora's wealth and renown were built on mining. Legend has it that when a lazy monk named Anton woke up from a nap in the monastery orchard, he discovered three pieces of silver protruding from the ground near his face, and laid down his robe ('Kutna', in Czech) to mark the place. When the monks investigated further they found that the three pieces of silver were the tip of the iceberg ande Kutna Hora's days as the richest silver mine in the Kingdom of Bohemia began.

As the Bohemians’ greatest source of wealth, Kutna Hora received plenty of attention. Palaces were built, the city was fortified, the royal mint was relocated here and Kings Vaclav IV and Vladislav Jagellonsky are among those who preferred Kutna Hora to Prague.

The Italian Court is where silver coins were produced in the Middle Ages, during the time of Kutná Hora's wealth and glory. It is named after Florentine bankers who were summoned by King Wenceslas II to implement his monetary reform in the year 1300. As part of the reform, mints that had been scattered around the kingdom were closed and a central mint was established in Kutna Hora's Italian Court. Silver Prague groschen coins replaced the thin, inferior silver coins that had been used until then, and became one of Europe's strongest currencies of the time.

In early 15th century, the Italian Court became a favorite residence of King Wenceslas IV and important royal matters were taken care of there. The Decree of Kutna Hora was issued there in 1409 and the royal election of 1471 also took place there. The newly elected king, Wladyslaw Jagiello, made the court his part-time residence as well. The complex is now used as a museum and City Hall and is one of Kutna Hora's most visited tourist sites.

Alchemists’ Museum

The bone chapel, cathedral, and mine tour are the highlights of Kutná Hora, but the lovely back streets and lanes took us to Kunta Hora's Museum of Alchemy.

The history of alchemy in the Czech Republic is extremely rich and has its roots in the Middle Ages, the times when Emperor Rudolf II was the ruler of Bohemia. Rudolf II was a big fan of alchemy and had several dozen alchemists in his court. During those times alchemy was very popular with curious ladies and distinguished gentlemen, so alchemists were patronized not only by the emperor but by the wealthy individuals all over Bohemia.

In the depths of the gothic basement there is a furnace - the necessary attribute of such laboratories. Numerous glass flasks, beakers and vials represent the alchemists' working area. The walls have symbolic drawings of Mars, the Sun, Jupiter and the Moon, fish, birds, etc. with inscriptions in Latin. Poster boards and life-size dioramas explain alchemy in action. Apart from the fact that alchemists worked on turning silver, mined in Kutna Hora, into gold, they experimented with concocting ‘life elixir’ and creating a Homunculus.

Most of the alchemists' instruments are replicas made following the original sketches that survived. The atmosphere of the museum retains an occult atmosphere – it seems that at any moment a bunch of alchemists will walk through the door and get busy with magic formulas. The highlights of the place are a giant kaleidoscope and the mythical Golem.


Heading Back to Prague

By the time we got back to our apartment in Prague, we congratulated ourselves - we have learned to negotiate the bus, tram, subway, and train systems - despite a hard-to-understand or comprehend Czech language barrier !

Castle, Infant, and Charles

This morning we took our time getting up and out - yesterday was a long day of walking, and we're both still feeling the effects of jet lag. Once again, the temperature was 39 degrees, and once again, I was really glad that I packed the extra layers.

We took the subway past the Old Town stop, to the other side of the Vltava River, and followed the signs up the hill toward Prague Castle. We stopped at every overlook !

Prague Castle and Grounds

Visitors from around the world are drawn to Prague by its unique symbols of carefully preserved monuments of all periods and styles. from Romanesque rotundas, Gothic cathedrals and Baroque churches, Renaissance palaces, to Art Nouveau, Cubist, and purely modern buildings, The skyline is dominated by Prague Castle towering above the Vltava River, which in turn reflects the city's landmarks, towers, church domes, palaces, and houses.

Prague Castle has been an important symbol of the Czech state for more than 1000 years. It was founded in the 9th century and became the seat of Czech rulers and later its presidents. The castle, one of the largest complexes in the world is made up of historical palaces, offices, church and fortification buildings, and innumerable picturesque spots.

The Cathedral is named after the three most prominent Czech saints - St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas, and St. Adalbert. This very Gothic cathedral is the spiritual symbol of the Czech state and was established in 1344 on the site of the original Romanesque rotunda. The construction took nearly 600 years and was finally completed in 1929.  Its impressive interior is home to the magnificent and beautifully decorated St. Wenceslas Chapel with the tomb of St. Wenceslas, the crypt where Czech kings are buried (including some Holy Roman Emperors), and the Crown Chamber where the Crown Jewels are kept.

The Old Royal Palace was the seat of Bohemian princes and kings until the 16th century. Most notable is the Gothic Vladislav Hall - the largest secular space of medieval Prague with majestic rib vaulting - it is today the venue for ceremonial state events.

St. Georges Basilica is the oldest preserved church building at Prague Castle and the best preserved example of Romanesque architecture in Bohemia. Built around the year 920 and rebuilt in the 12th century, it now has a Baroque façade from the 17th century. Of significance is the Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk and the Chapel of St. Ludmilla, grandmother of St. Wenceslas, and the first Czech Christian martyr.





Today's Lunch

Tom and I left the Castle complex to stroll the lovely streets of the Mala Strana area of Prague. Historically the home of nobles in favor with the king, it's full of palaces, ornate churches, and embassies, including the British, American, German, Irish, and French. The neighborhood has been featured in a number of period movies, ranging from Amadeus to Van Helsing.

As we came upon a cozy and inviting restaurant we both said, "Hey, shouldn't we stop for lunch"?

Our order of Moravian Sausage with horseradish and two kinds of mustard, bread, apple strudel with whipped cream and a Pilsner Urquell (which seems to be the national beer of the Czech Republic) was just what we needed to get us through the afternoon of walking and sightseeing.

The Infant of Prague

The Infant Jesus of Prague resides in the Church of Our Lady Victorious. The Infant of Prague was visited by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. This early Baroque church dates from 1611 and rebuilt sometime between 1634 and 1669 by the Carmelite order of religious. The Infant originally came from Spain and was donated to the Carmelites in 1628 and brought to Prague - now known as the Infant of Prague.

In April 1639, the Swedish army began a siege of the city of Prague. The frightened citizens hurried to the shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague as services were held day and night at the Church of Our Lady Victorious in the Little Quarter. When the army decided instead to pull out, the grateful residents ascribed this to the miraculous Holy Infant. The tradition of the Infant Jesus procession and the coronation continues to this day. This ceremony is the closing highlight of the annual Feast of the Infant Jesus in Prague.

The Infant Jesus is anatomically correct, has 2 crowns, and 46 outfits - which according to an old custom are changed 10 times a year depending upon the time of year. Considering what we know in the US about devotion to the Infant of Prague, both Tom and I were somewhat underwhelmed at our experience of viewing the actual Infant and its surroundings - the church was very plain on the outside, in a tourist area of souvenir shops with a tram stop not 25 yards from the front door, and the Czech populace seemingly non-devotional to the Infant in residence. However, we both liked the interior plainness of the main altar (the Infant is on a side altar), the bright airy feeling of the interior, and the actual display of the Infant in the gold altar.

The small statue is a 19-inch high, wooden and coated in a wax representation of the Infant Jesus. The surface of the wax is quite fragile. In order to protect the fragile wax surface, the bottom half below the waist is enclosed in a silver case. The right hand of the statue is raised in a gesture of blessing, with two fingers raised symbolizing the two natures of Jesus Christ and the three folded fingers represent the Holy Trinity. The left hand holds an imperial orb with a cross on top, signifying sovereignty. The image is clothed in a long robe below which his bare feet can be seen. In the past, the statue was decorated with small jewels, presented as gifts. Since 1788, the statue's raised two fingers have worn two rings, as a thanksgiving gift by a noble Czech family for healing their daughter, along with its golden blond hair.

Today, thousands of pilgrims pay homage to the Infant of Prague every year. Statuettes of the Infant Jesus are placed inside many Catholic churches, sometimes with the quotation, "The more you honor me, the more I will bless you."

Devotion to the Child of Prague and belief in its power to influence the weather is still strong in many parts of Ireland which we saw last year in our trip to the island. A wedding gift of a statue of the Child of Prague is particularly auspicious. It is also common to see the Infant of Prague displayed in the window of houses in some of the older parts of Dublin and the practice of putting it out in the hedge or burying it in the garden as a solicitation for good weather is widespread in areas as far apart as Cork, Dublin, and Sligo - which we also learned last year - what a great way to connect our two trips a year apart from one another !




The Charles Bridge

The Charles Bridge is a famous historic bridge that crosses the Vltava River in Prague. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. The bridge replaced the old Judith Bridge built between 1158–1172 that had been badly damaged by a flood in 1342. This new bridge was originally called the Stone Bridge  or the Prague Bridge but has been the "Charles Bridge" since 1870.  As the only means of crossing the Vltava River until 1841, the Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas. This "solid-land" connection made Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe.

Throughout its history, the Charles Bridge suffered several disasters and witnessed many historic events. Czech legend has it that construction began on Charles Bridge at 5:31am on 9 July 1357 with the first stone being laid by Charles IV himself. This exact time was very important to the Holy Roman Emperor because he was a strong believer of numerology and this specific time, which formed a numerical bridge (1357 9, 7 5:31), would imbue Charles's Bridge with additional strength. During the end of the Thirty Years War in 1648, the Swedes occupied the west bank of the Vltava, and as they tried to advance into the Old Town the heaviest fighting took place right on the bridge. During the fighting, they severely damaged one side of the Old Town bridge tower (the side facing the river) and the remnants of almost all gothic decorations had to be removed from it afterward.

During the late 17th century and early 18th century the bridge gained its typical appearance when an alley of baroque statues was installed on the pillars - including one of St. John DeMatha - the namesake of DeMatha High School where Tom went to school in Hyattsville, MD just outside of Washington, DC. This marks the 2nd time in 2 years on our European trips where Tom has literally stumbled upon St. John DeMatha.

The picture here pays tribute to the saint as it depicts St. John (middle top with the Cross on his tunic) freeing the Crusaders (in the jail cell below) from the Moors (shown on the left) and depicting the DeMatha Stag with a cross (middle left) on its head ! 

Prague At Night

After dinner, as it began to get dark, we hopped on the subway once more. Although we usually don't go out in the evening, we wanted to see what the Charles Bridge and Castle looked like at night. Every tourist in Prague must have had the same idea ! The walkways along the River, and the Bridge itself were packed with camera-wielding visitors, including us ! In spite of the cold, it was definitely worth it, the Castle glowed, and the lights on the Bridge were reflected in the water. It seemed like Prague was having  a huge party and everyone was invited !

Prague Walking Tour

The reservations we held for the Free Sandeman's walking tour of Prague - which met at the Old Town Square - were for 10:00, so we quickly ate our Euopean-style breakfast. We had purchased pastries, cheddar cheese, yogurt, and what we were pretty sure were thin slices of ham at the grocery store, yesterday. The temperature this morning was 37 degrees, and it was only supposed to climb into the 40's, so I was really glad that I had added leggings, a thin fleece pullover and a neck scarf to my suitcase at the last minute ! Old Town is only 4 subway stops away from our apartment, and we got to the meeting spot on the main square with plenty of time to spare.

Our young tour guide was Sarah from Milwaukee, who proved to be bright, articulate, and serious yet funny. She led the 20 of us for 3 hours through the cobblestone streets, and provided us with a thorough and passionate history of the city she has come to love. We learned about the beautiful 13th to 18th century buildings, the good and bad kings, religious conflicts, the war years under the Nazi occupation, the post-War era controlled by the Soviets, the Velvet Revolution that brought democracy to Czechoslovakia, and the Velvet Divorce that established the current Czech Republic and Slovakia as separate countries.

After we walked through "Old Town" and "New Town" culminating at Wenceslas Square (home of the 1989 Velvet Revolution and emergence from Soviet domination) it was time for a 20 minute café break, where we could sit, order a coffee or tea, and warm up. The temperature had barely reached 40, and there was a cold wind blowing.

Following our break, Sarah took us to the Jewish Ghetto, the wide streets now lined by Prada, Hermes, Fendi, and Burberry stores and the Diamond Museum - not so much of a ghetto now. Prague was an important center of the Central European Jewish community. The Synagogues, which are still being used, were built in  the 1200's and early 1400's, and the Cemetery is a tangle of tombstones, containing >120,000 burials. Unfortunately, it was now raining (mixed with sleet and snow), but Sarah was able to finish the tour under an archway, where we were able to stay dry and ask her questions.

We wanted some recommendations from her, and once everyone dispersed, she invited Tom and I to join her at a nearby café, where we enjoyed a lively discussion for 45 minutes, and ended up buying her lunch !

Sarah left us to lead another tour, and since the rain had stopped, we made our way back to the Old Town Square, and wandered the streets of Old Town. We were able to watch the striking of the famous 15th Century Astronomical Clock, where "death" rings a bell every hour to remind us of our mortality, wooden statues of the 12 apostles parade every hour and a golden cock crows. The clock shows the movement of the sun and moon through the zodiac, as well as giving the time in three different formats: Central European Time, Old Czech Time, (in which the 24-hour day is reckoned around the setting of the sun), and for some reason, Babylonian time. Crowds have been gathering to watch the "spectacle" since 1490, and it has recently been voted the #1 disappointing attraction in all of Europe - it was just underwhelming !

The Square was hub of activity ! There were groups of tourists, horse-drawn carriages, Segways, performers, vendors, police/security, and our favorite, the man we dubbed "Bubble Man," who delighted children and adults alike - including us !

On the other corner of the square is one of the most important buildings from Prague's Baroque period, St. Nicholas Church. Commissioned by the Jesuits it took three (3) generations, several financial crises, and the demolition of much of the neighborhood between presentation of the first plans to final completion. St. Nicholas is best known as the bearer of gifts to small children, but also the patron saint of municipal administration. Maybe this why the Church of St. Nicholas was restored by the Soviets in the 1950's when the rest of Prague's baroque churches were left to crumble. During the communist era the church tower was used as an observatory for State Security since from the tower it was possible to keep watch on the American and Yugoslav embassies respectively and the access route to the West German embassy.

The Church of St. Nicholas was built between 1704-1756, and contains huge frescoes with scenes from the life of St. Nicholas. The interior has a massive nave with side chapels and an undulating vault based on a system of intersecting ellipsoids. A crystal crown chandelier with glass ornaments from a local glassworks hangs in the nave. The architectural plans involved an intricate geometrical system of interconnected cylinders with a central dome above the transept.

It was now almost 5:00, and we had been out since 9:00 this morning. It was a quick trip on the Prague subway back to the grocery store (which is located within a really nice shopping mall), and our apartment, a 5 minute walk away. The neighborhood consists of 17th and 18th century buildings, many of which have been, or are being remodeled,  mixed with decaying Communist era (1949-1989) buildings. The streets are tree-lined and quiet, and the locals seem to mostly be young and well-dressed.

We were tired and hungry, and ready for a simple dinner of  beef patties with Bavarian mustard (spicy), fresh rolls, frozen vegetables and Czech beer. Now, it's time to get comfortable and hope for warmer weather tomorrow !