Prague: Aug. 28 - Aug. 31

It had been a few years since I last took an overseas vacation, so it was with great anticipation that I embarked on my recent trip to Europe. Prague, the golden city of a hundred spires, had long been on my "To Visit" list, and finally seeing it in person certainly did not disappoint. It is a city full of picturesque charm and vibrant energy.
Getting to Prague took some effort: two flights, a tight changeover in London Heathrow, and a traffic-filled shuttle ride from Prague-Ruzyne Airport to our B&B, Lida Guesthouse. We spent the remainder of the afternoon planning (with a lot of invaluable, friendly guidance from our B&B host), resting, and getting our bearings. The next day, we began our sightseeing at Vyšehrad, a castle only one metro stop away from our B&B. The large castle compound included a Romanesque Rotunda, the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, and a cemetery where reknowned Czechs such as Dvorák and Smetana were laid to rest. Jumping from the old to the new, we next visited Frank Gehry's Dancing House. I enjoyed seeing an example of his work that differed from the signature look exemplified by the Guggenheim and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Then it was off to the Strahov Monastery. There, we paid admission to view the famous libraries, but one of them (the Library of Philosophy) was undergoing a massive renovation. Scaffolding hid the entire room from view, and we could only get a sense of its opulence from a poster. The Library of Religion, however, was open for viewing. At the end of the spacious room, we glimpsed the glass cabinets where forbidden texts were held. I was a bit puzzled by the sculpture near the door to the library. He was probably a lamenting monk or saint, but he looked as if he could just as likely be suffering from a toothache. The hallway joining the two libraries were filled with curio cabinets and ancient tomes with dusty, peeling spines. The slightest touch probably would've disintegrated the ages-old books. Of the specimen held in the cabinets, I found the preserved baby dodo to be the most interesting.

Afterward, we walked down the hill to Prague Castle. We ate a quick lunch (I had a salad and mini potato croquettes), and we got to the castle gate just as the changing of the guard took place. Once inside the castle, we visited St. Vitus Cathedral first. It is a massive and inspiring piece of Gothic architecture. I thought the interior even more stunning than the exterior. I especially loved how the light filtering through the stained glass windows painted lovely splashes of pinks, oranges, and blues on some of the stone columns. Of the many differently styled stained glass windows adorning the cathedral, my favorite was, of course, the one designed by Alphonse Mucha, the brilliant Art Nouveau artist. We next wandered the castle grounds a bit, making brief stops at the old royal palace and St. George's Basilica, though these were rather anticlimactic after St. Vitus. However, the balconies from the palace did offer gorgeous views of Prague. This city really does seem to have wonderful views wherever you look! The last area we visited in the castle was the Golden Lane, a picturesque row of cute little houses now serving as souvenir shops. Franz Kafka lived in the blue No. 22 for a time.

That evening, we had a good, filling dinner at a restaurant called Josephina. I tried the turkey with ham and peach, an entrée that probably wasn't Czech in any way, but it was tasty, particularly the peaches. We then rushed back to the city center to catch a concert at Smetana Hall in Municipal House, a glorious Art Nouveau building. The small orchestra played favorites from Mozart and Strauss, giving us a sort of musical preview of our next destination. Two opera singers and two ballet dancers accompanied the orchestra. It was an enjoyable show, but it definitely catered to tourists and felt rather brief. My favorite part was the dancing; it was by turns lively and romantic, and the costumes were beautiful.

After taking care of some travel logistics the next morning, we headed for the Mucha Museum. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the delicate intricacy of Mucha's Art Nouveau posters up close. Having long been a fan of his work, I found it rather wonderful to experience such a variety of his original works in person. Aside from theatre posters and magazine art, the museum displayed studio photographs, paintings, lithographs, books, stamps, money, and a small collection of decorative arts, all designed by Mucha. I learned a lot from the video biography of Mucha playing at the back of the museum.

Next, we strolled through Old Town, the highlight of which was the central square containing the Huss Memorial, St. Nicholas Church (one of two so-named churches in Prague), and the astronomy clock tower. We watched the very brief "show" when the clock struck at the top of the hour. A skeleton (Death) on the elaborate clock rang the bell while 12 saints rotated through 2 open windows. I found it amusing when the large crowd applauded as the mechanism stopped. It was hard to tell if the applause was genuine or sarcastic. The astronomy clock itself, however, is truly a beautiful marvel.
We wandered a bit through the Jewish Quarter and walked up Paris Street, Prague's version of the Champs-Élysées. It's a lovely tree-lined street filled with high-end shops and sporting a view of a kinetic sculpture (a giant metronome) on the other side of the river. Apparently, the metronome replaced a statue of Stalin. The afternoon was wearing late, so we went to a tea house in Wenceslas Square for respite and sustenance. I ordered the flower bud tea, a green tea with a jasmine flower that unfurled as it steeped. J. had a red tea with the intriguing name of hair tea. For food, we had hummus with pita and veggies, a savory couscous bowl, and a sweet couscous bowl.

Later, we strolled a bit along the beautiful Vltava River before reaching the famous Charles Bridge. Despite the fact that parts of the bridge were under renovation, it was still very cool to walk across this landmark, taking in the statues, tourists, vendors, and most of all the magnificent views of the river cutting through the city. We then entered the Little Quarter, where we made a quick stop at St. Nicholas Church (the other one) to snap some photos. Daylight was fading by the time we caught the funicular up Petrin Hill. The funicular exited into a large park at the top of the hill. An observatory stood in the distance, and we walked through a couple of rose gardens to get to Petrin Tower. The 60m structure looked like a mini Eiffel Tower. We climbed the 299 steps up the tower's double staircase to appreciate breathtaking views of this lovely city as the sun sank below the horizon and dusk darkened into evening. Really, it was a perfect way to end our Prague sightseeing.
Next stop: Vienna!