That’s how you say Good Day or Hello in Czech. I just had a fantastic vacation in the Czech Republic. We went to Prague for a couple of days and then we went to the Krkonose Mountains (the “Giant” Mountains) near the Polish border to ski. I don’t know where all this good fortune is coming from but I am enjoying the ride while it lasts! Here are some photos I took.
The Charles Bridge over the Vltava River in Prague
On the bridge with the castle in the background.
I have been told that this bridge is almost impossible to cross during the summer because there are so many tourists.
I wonder what the story is behind this monument. I liked the man in the front and the deer with the cross on its head.
I wonder what sins these poor souls committed.
You may want to scroll past the next dozen photos or so. I have indulged my love for John Lennon by including all of the photos I took of the John Lennon wall.
Jimi Lennon?
And now for something completely different. The Infant Jesus of Prague is a famous statue. It is 47 cm tall and was brought to Prague from Spain in 1628. The Infant of Prague is said to have protected the city from the plague and the destruction of the Thirty Years War. It is a tradition to dress the statue in beautiful robes. There is a museum of clothing for the Infant of Prague but we couldn't go to it because mass was being celebrated in the cathedral.
The Church of Our Lady Victorious - where you can find the Infant of Prague.
Walking up to Prague Castle.
This is an indication of how cold it was. It was FREEZING in Prague.
Not sure but it doesn't look positive.
Within the walls of the castle. The Czechs call it 'hrad' (castle) and it is largest ancient castle in the world. It covers an area bigger than seven football fields.
There's something missing from this cathedral.
All of the statues of the saints that were once here were removed by the Communists when they were in control of the country.
This is a mosaic of the Last Judgment. On the right, the godly are raised to heaven by angels. On the left, sinners are cast down to hell by demons.
There were these little sculptures on the gate to the Church. There were scenes of life in the Czech Republic, such as spinning thread and farming, and signs of the zodiac.
Reminds me of Maine.
Flying buttresses.
So many buildings in this castle!
I learned a new, interesting word while in Prague: defenestration. It is the act of throwing someone out of a window. This window is in a part of the Old Royal Palace called the Ludvik wing. There is a window on the other side of the building - you can see it in the background of this photo. On May 23, 1618, Bohemian (Bohemia is a region in the Czech Republic) nobles threw two Catholic councillors from the window after an argument about land. They landed on a pile of dung and escaped serious injury. Some say it was divine intervention!
The hrad has its own toy museum and Barbie was having a birthday party.
Finally, through the castle and out to the castle walls.
Leaving the castle, we came upon a little vineyard covered in snow. I am not sure about Czech wine but I am told that the beer is excellent.
It's hard to see who is playing Santa playing a saxophone. Imagine, Bart Simpson playing Prague.
A memorial to WW II
Crossing back over the bridge to see more of Prague.
I never found out what this was. A giant metronome, maybe?
This was an interesting museum.
I am sorry this photo didn't turn out well. The Museum of Communism is housed in an 18th century aristocrat's palace. On one side of the museum is a casino and McDonald's is on the other side.
Communism developed as a protest against extreme wealth and oppression but in the Czech Republic, as in many other places, communism meant oppression.
Stalin was the Soviet leader who was in power when Russia expanded its borders by annexing the countries in eastern Europe.
Military force ensured the annexation.
Despite the desperate poverty most Czechs suffered through in the aftermath of WW II, Stalin insisted that this monument to him be built.
Communism is supposed to honor the laborer.
This poster says that the laborer is the university student's friend.
Students were taught that Communism was the best way to organize life. "From each according to their ability. To each according to their need." Communism was supposed to create an ideal society where no one was left out and everyone had enough to meet their daily needs.
People were taught that America was to blame for poverty.
According to this poster, American money was used to increase weapons in the world.
Americans were against freedom.
The museum had several posters with images of spider webs and America.
Americans and their bombs were not to be supported.
And so the arms race, the space race and Cold War had begun.
Like our 'duck and cover' drills in school when I was a kid, Czechs were warned to be prepared for war.
The average person was encouraged to see the police as a friend and protector.
Street names in Prague were changed to reflect Communist leadership.
Checkpoints were put in place, to keep the country safe. In reality, many Czechs became prisoners of their country. Travel outside of the country was severely restricted.
The police, with their guns and dogs, were repressive and violent to the Czech people.
People were shot if they tried to escape the country.
People were terrorized.
In addition, Communism didn't turn out to be a very good economic model. Without financial incentives to work hard, people didn't produce enough goods. Empty stores shelves were the norm. A black market for goods developed and it became 'Every man for himself' instead of a workers' paradise.
Many people listened to Radio Free Europe and The Voice of America on radio to find out about life beyond the "Iron Curtain".
In 1968, the Czech people tried to rid their country of the Russians.
It was a time of great change all over, including America. This poster is for a band, the Plastic People of the Universe, that wrote songs condemning the Soviets. The government tried to ban the band. Music can be a very powerful force for change. It just takes a long time sometimes for some people to appreciate lyrics that celebrate freedom.
The Czechs prepared for the Soviets to invade their country militarily. They rubbed the names of the streets off the street signs in an effort to stop the Soviets from finding their way around Prague.
The Soviets responded with tanks and the push for freedom in 1968, known as the Prague Spring, was crushed.
But, like Gandhi said, the way of truth and light always wins. This person is holding up a clock as a way of saying the time had come for Russia to leave the Czech Republic.
November 17, 1989 was the 50th anniversary of the execution of 9 students by the Nazis. 50,000 people took to the streets in protest against the communist government. They were met with baton blows from the police. It took 2 weeks for the government to collapse. This is known as the "Velvet Revolution" because there was relatively little bloodshed.
Vaclav Havel became the first president of the newly freed Czechoslovakia. In 1993, the country split into 2 countries: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
By the way, there is no longer a monument to Stalin in Prague.
There is a subway in Prague now. I liked the walls of the underground.
I thought of all the Strafford students I know who love paintball when I saw this sticker on the subway. Paintball is everywhere!
A few more images of the city. The sidewalks are made of beautiful, patterned stone mosaics.
This is the Old Town Hall. It has one of the greatest clocks I've ever seen.
It is known as the Astronomical Clock and it was given to the town in 1410.
This is called the calendar wheel and it has 12 seasonal scenes painted on it which celebrate rural life in Bohemia.
I didn't get a good picture of those scenes but I did get another shot of the signs of the zodiac that were so prevalent in Prague.
The clock tells all sorts of time: the hours of sunrise and sunset, traditional Bohemian time, the houses of the zodiac, the phases of the moon and sideral (a new word for me - it means stellar) time. I would need a lot more time in front of that clock to be able to read it.
Can you see the figures on the side of the clock? They represent the deepest fears of 15th century Praguers.
On the left is Vanity, with his mirror. On the right is Greed, which was originally a Jewish moneylender. It was altered after WW II to make it look less like a stereotype of a Jewish moneylender.
On the other side of the clock is Death and Pagan Invasion, represented by a Turk.
The clock is mechanical - every hour on the hour, it does something wonderful.
The little blue windows at the top open up and a parade of saints pass by the open window.
As this is happening, Death rings a bell.
Then the rooster crows and the doors close and the show is over for another hour.
On the walk to the Jewish Quarter of Prague, we stumbled upon another Adam and Eve. It was too cold to contemplate this painting.
I found the Jewish Quarter very moving. Considering how many Czech Jews died in the Holocaust during WW II, it surprised me to see so many synagogues still standing.
This is the Spanish synagogue. I thought it was quite beautiful.
This is a very old synagogue. It was built around 1270. It is Europe's oldest "working" synagogues, according to my Lonely Planet travel guide.
This graffiti that I saw on the way up to the castle captures the idea that it is very hard to forget the pain of the past and present.
For some reason, humans seem to endlessly travel in circles. War and rebuilding. War and rebuilding.
That was the last photo I took in Prague before we headed off to the mountains. That is ice on the seats at the bus station.
We took a three hour bus ride up to the Krkonose mountains, near the Polish border. This was our hotel - the Hotel Praha or Hotel Prague.
This was the view from the front door of the hotel. It was a great place to stay. Fantastic food, a little spa with a pool and 3 types of saunas to choose from. The best one was an herbal sauna. Just what you need after a long day of cross country skiing.
I loved the snow on the river.
We skiied a lot. The rental skis were brand new. Hardly anyone cross country skis in this area. There are lots of downhill skiers though. One day we took the lift up a mountain. We went through the clouds to make it to the top.
The slopes were shared by downhill skiers, cross country skiers, people walking, dogs, and people with sleds. This area was pretty peaceful though. Just a few hardy cross country skiers.
At the very top, there was a restaurant with great food and drinks. Hot cocoa never tasted so good.
On another mountain across the way, there was a hotel. I couldn't see a road leading up to it but it must have been there somewhere.
There were some living creatures besides people up on the mountain. There was a mouse on the trail. It climbed right up the boot of the woman in front of me. It must live in the restaurant - how else can a little mouse survive in the snow? There was also lichen growing on the rock that I liked because it reminded me of Massachusetts.
It was so wonderful to ski after a 3 year hiatus due to my broken ankle. It was also wonderful to not find myself in need of another mountain rescue.
Skiing above the clouds...
it doesn't get better than that!
Despite all these amazing adventures, I still love and miss Strafford School! Cheers for now!
Whew! What a whirlwind tour! I love those subway walls. What a great trip that must have been. Miss you! Liza