Prague... The Last Day
I thought it best to start with the video of bubbles written about in yesterday's blog. So many bubbles! Several people all around this city of 1.28 million, set up bubble machines! Click on the arrow to see the video!
As we started our walk for the day, we came upon this work of art. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I had no idea what I was looking at... after staring a bit, I realized what it was. Located in front of the insurance building where author Franz Kafka once worked, stands this unusual sculpture. It depicts Franz's head atop an empty suit... facing city hall. Jaroslav Rona created an image from the Kafka book "Description of a Struggle". After doing a bit of research, I understand that this is meant to depict his (and others) struggle with government bureaucracy. This is honestly my favorite part about travel... the unique way history is shared through art!
High on the bluff overlooking the city is what was formerly known as Stalin Park. After five years of work, a sculpture honoring Joseph Stalin was unveiled in 1955. In 1962, in an effort to de-Stalinize Prague, Stalin's statue was replaced with a giant metronome. The views from Letna Park are still worth the visit. Now home to skateboarders, these shoes filled the overhead wires. A site I saw in several cities...
Visiting the shops around the castle area was quite a challenge for my 6'7" son. All the doorways and walkways were this high... if he lived during this time, he'd have the sorest back ever!
Green! Full green trees lined the wall around the castle area. They really hadn't started changing colors... not sure if they ever do.
Exquisite! The spires really fit with the royal castle. Can you imagine that this beautiful building dates from the NINETH century?!?! It is where the President of the Czech Republic has an office.
What a great spot to enjoy my daily coffee!!! Such a backdrop...
I've made no secret about the fact that I love arches... we saw this while entering the castle grounds. The scene looked like a painting... cobbled walkways, clouds, shrubs... all perfect. I guess now that I think of it, the arches serve as a frame for the perfect picture :-)
Once inside the castle grounds, we toured the Basilica St George. The rooms under the domes were very special... the wall brick, the ceilings a combination of paintings and intricate tile work. Arched windows added more character.
Looking through the arch the building directly in front of us was the Treasury of St Vitas Cathedral. Behind that, peeking above the buildings is the spires of the Prague Cathedral. If I was an artist and I could paint, I would use this photo as my reference.
The Treasury of St Vitas Cathedral is the largest church treasury of Czech Republic. Items in the inventory include relics from the middle ages.
This Catholic cathedral is located inside the grounds of the Prague Castle. It is not only the largest, it is the most important church in the country. The interesting history of this church dates all the way back to 930.
Standing inside the cathedral took my breath away... Guinness Book of Records lists Prague Castle as the largest ancient cathedral in the world. I stared at the ceilings for a VERY long time because I could not imagine how builders created these tall, dramatic rooms of the church! The stained glass added to the beauty!
Passing by this cute cafe was a great idea. We sat outside and had a snack. Drawn to the restaurant by the wheelbarrows of fresh fruit, the food did not disappoint!
We passed by this underground restaurant a couple of times and decided we needed to try it. Zlate Konvice. We were intrigueud by fact that it looked like entering a tunnel.
When we first committed to step inside the underground restaurant, we were led by a waiter, passed a nice bar. We continued on and finally arrived a dinner. Great rock work!
My dinner of salmon was beyond delicious! The sauce was outstanding. Tucked away in this basement restaurant was a fun experience. There were a couple of lively bar seating areas also in the underground.
