Day 1
Touchdown in Prague
Prague was, to a large extent, an unknown quantity to all of us. It was, one friend told me, a beautiful city, but I did not expect what I found there. It is at once a serene city that straddles the pacific Vltava River (Moldau in German), but also possesses a deep undercurrent of rebellion which manifests itself creatively all over the city. Contemporary art that, at times, pushes the boundaries of taste, is routinely placed beside centuries-old religious idols and architecture. The result is a city that proudly displays its rich heritage, but refuses to sit still.
As the wheels touched down, Bedrich Smetana’s “Moldau” from Ma Vlast suddenly filled the fuselage. What else…
We arranged for an airport pickup by an American ex-pat from Sacramento who probably used his remuneration to subsidize his pot habit. We piled into his unkempt car and he shuttled us the to Hotel Casa Marcello in the Staré Město, or “Old Town.” This hotel occupies buildings that are over 700 years old.
After a shower, we hit the streets, but it was only a matter of time before we ran out of energy—I don’t much care for red-eye flights. We wandered around the neighborhood, aiming for the old town square.
A pair cycling around Prague's cobblestone streets. This street is adjacent to our hotel, which is on the left.
A manhole with Prague's small coat of arms, which has on it an armored man's arm holding a sword at a gate, symbolizing Old Town's successful defense of the Charles Bridge from the Swedish army during the 30 Years War.
The office building around the corner from our hotel offers some distractions.
Another ad for the Museum of Communism, this one has santa claus with a bloody sickle and is standing in a pool of blood.
These signs, and others like them, are all over Prague.
This town is dripping in Rococo. Barely a blank wall is left in this city. Roaming around the city, we stumble upon these expressions where you least expect it. For example, the façade of the diminutive Church of St. James the Greater is covered with top-heavy sculptures on an otherwise ordinary building.
One of three sculptures on the facade of the St. James church in Prague.
Stories are carved into the facade of Prague's St. James Church.
Adjacent to the main square in Prague is the Astronomical Clock, an enormous clock built onto the facade of the Old Town City Hall 600 years ago. We happened to arrive just before the top of the hour, when the walk of the apostles commences.
Defying logic, the Astronomical Clock is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Prague. It dates from the 15th century and is, by all standards, an impressive timekeeper. The top face shows the time (among other things), the bottom face is a calendar wheel showing rural Bohemian scenes throughout the seasons.
The bottom face of the Astronomical Clock depicts the seasons and the zodiacal signs. The face is filled with painted scenes showing rural Bohemian life, which are surrounded by a saint-of-the-day calendar. The small script around the face marks each day of the year, and denotes each saint's day.
The top face of Prague's Astronomical Clock. There is a hand for the Sun's position, the Moon's position and phase, and dawn, day, dusk, and night. Also, notice the map of the world, at least what was known in the 1400s, with Prague at its center. The four figures beside the clock represent the civic anxieties of 15th century Prague: from left to right there is vanity (man with a mirror), greed (mister moneybag), death (this one's obvious), and Pagan Invasion (represented by a Turk).
Feeling tired, we all began to head back to the hotel. We ate an early dinner at a lovely little Parisian brasserie, Chez Marcel—literally a stone’s throw away from our hotel. The grilled squid was lovely and the Pilsner Urquells were awfully good too.
I was asleep before nightfall. Tomorrow, we start fresh.