Similar to the routine in Berlin, we awoke and made our way to the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square to start a walking tour. Allowing some time to sleep in, grab lunch, and wander the city, we started the tour at 2pm. We stopped at this extensive cheese shop with cheese wheels covering the walls. We settled on a prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich for a late breakfast, early lunch. While waiting for our tour to start, I couldn't take my eyes off the Astronomical Clock. It was an intricate combination of dials, Roman numerals, zodiac signs, symbols, colors, statues, etc. I stood on the sidewalk gaping at the details as we started our tour.
The Astronomical Clock, commonly referred to as Prague Orloj, is a medieval clock installed in the early 1400's. It is the oldest astronomical clock still working and the third oldest in the world. The clock is built into the the wall of Old Town City Hall, and entertains viewers with a magnificent show at each passing hour. There is a local myth stating that citizens of Prague will suffer if the clock is not kept in pristine condition, which could be a contributing factor to why it is still functioning flawlessly.
We passed by many beautiful churches on our walk through the city, stopping briefly at Church of Our Lady Before Tyn to take pictures. This ornate church was built in the 1300's and continues to be a popular attraction and notable monument in Prague. Even in the first few minutes of our tour, I noticed that this would be a very different experience than the Berlin tour we took just a few short days ago. Prague was certainly not lacking in history with buildings enduring since the 1300's; however, the history shared by our tour guide is lighter than the the dark, tragic history we learned about Berlin. Our tour guided rattled off the year of construction, architect's names, and current purpose of each attraction, but it felt like I was missing the depth of the history that allowed me to imagine.
The next stop was the Pinkas Synagogue, dedicated to the 80,000 Jewish victims of the Holocaust from Bohemia and Moravia. The 80,000 names are listed on the main walls inside the memorial along with date of birth and death. I would have especially liked to walk through the "Children's drawings from Terezín 1942-1944" exhibit. This collection of artwork is available and on display thanks to Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, an art teacher who gave art lessons and lectures after being relocated to Terezín. She saved the children's artwork, and right before being transported to Auschwitz where she would meet her end, she passed along two suitcases filled with children's drawings that are now displayed in Pinkas Synagogue. I was inspired by Friedl Dicker-Brandeis's dedication to her work and bettering the lives of children. Art is a beautiful form of expression, and I would imagine these lessons were immensely therapeutic for the children.
We continued our walk through the Josefov, the Jewish Quarter of Prague. Jews in the Czech Republic were persecuted well before World War II and the Holocaust. Starting in the late 1000's, pogroms began, a genocide against the Jewish people. These massacres confined Jews to an isolated area, often referred to as the Jewish ghetto. Another pogrom occurred in the late 1300's when over a thousand Jews were decimated on Easter Sunday. Josefov was expected to be destroyed during Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia; however, Hitler planned to create an "exotic museum of an extinct race" in the small town. A frightening museum title that made my stomach flip and my head feel light. As a result of Hitler's proposal, great Jewish history has been preserved in this small segment of Prague.
We sped past the Jewish markets, the Spanish Synagogue, and I'm sure many other historical landmarks that I wasn't able to recognize before racing to our next destination. The Old New Synagogue, built in 1270, is Europe's oldest active synagogue. The synagogue was unlike any of the other buildings in the Jewish Quarter, compliments to its gothic style. It stood out among the buildings as dark and simplistic, compared to its detailed, colorful surroundings. It was initially referred to as the New Synagogue, but when the Jewish quarter expanded, it was renamed the Old New Synagogue.
Knowing we would return to the Jewish Quarter after our walking tour, we continued on our way to the Church of St. James. Built in the 1200's, the simple looking building from the outside was quite elaborate and lavish on the inside. Paintings, sculptures, and later an organ were added to the ensemble after a fire destroyed the church in the late 1600's. On the walk out I noticed something black hanging from the wall. I thought it was some dried up flower or burned out light bulb, but our tour guide had a different story. She told us it was a mummified arm over 400 years old. It is believed to be the arm of a thief who tried to steal from the altar. The myth says that when the thief reached out to steal the jewels, the Virgin Mary grabbed his arm and didn't let go. When no one could remove his arm from the statue, it had to later be cut off and hung on the wall as a reminder to thieves. I'm just surprised the arm didn't smell after being upp there for 400 years.
We passed the Theatre of the Estates which intrigued both my mom and me because of our love for music, theater, and plays. The theatre was established in the late 1700's and is famous for its association with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's debut of the opera Don Giovanni. In addition, the Czech National Anthem was first performed on this stage in 1834 as part of an opera melody, before it was declared the National Anthem in 1919.It felt like we were flying through a race track around Prague and all of a sudden we were back at the Astronomical Clock where we began. Although we weren't provided a detailed history of the Czech Republic, the tour served as a great resource to get a sense of what is in the area, so we could refine the list to later visit specific attractions more extensively. Since we took the later tour, getting out around 4pm, we had a very small window to return to our favorite destinations. We decided to climb the clock tower because it was closest in proximity. The plaques with information were of little interest to me because I was so excited about the view from the top. It was a perfectly clear day and I couldn't wait to see Prague from an aerial view.
The climb to the top was rather interesting, both visually and physically. The main walkway was along the wall and a peculiar metal structure was in the center of the room reaching from floor to ceiling. It wasn't until halfway up the tower that we realized what the metal structure was, an elevator. Watching people rise in the air took me by surprise and it looked like a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with the glass elevator. I was back to focusing on my path to the top, apprehensive with each step because the floor and walls looked very old and unsecure. At times I swear I saw the floor sway with the steps of those around me. We had to wait for people coming down before it was our turn to take the last few steps up on a ladder. I was more than delighted to reach the final level and look out over Prague.The 360 degree view of Prague was stunning, magnificent, breathtaking, awe-inspiring, and every other word imaginable that would describe the overwhelming beauty. The colorful buildings, churches, and museums popped out of the skyline. There was a lot to take in, and we could have easily spent an hour there. Of course on the way out my mom had to get a smashed penny to remember her visit to the Astronomical Clock and Prague. You haven't actually visited a museum unless you have a smashed penny to prove it.
The small sandwich from earlier in the day didn't quite hold us over until dinner, so we decided to stop at the food stands in Charles Square. We shared a hotdog, a crepe, and a bag of cherries; it was the perfect combination of salty, savory, and sweet. We found a nice shady spot on the steps of a building and enjoyed our afternoon snack. After visiting the Holocaust memorial in Berlin inspired by the Old Jewish Cemetery, I aspired to visit the gravesites to observe where architect Eisenman drew his inspiraiton. Next stop, the Jewish Quarter.
Prior to visiting the cemetery, we walked around the Jewish markets before everyone closed up for the night. There were still a few open vendors where we were able to find earrings for my mom, aunt, and mom's mom. We spent a long time picking out the perfect match and I'm sure they will love what we found.
Just down the road we found gates into the Old Jewish Cemetery, dating back to the early 1400's. Business hours were long over and all we were able to see was through a peephole in a door or beyond iron bars of a gate. According to the halakhah, Jews must not destroy other Jewish graves, nor may they remove the tombstones. So when the cemetery ran out of space and the city denied an expansion of land, additional soil was added and more graves were created on top of the old ones. Bodies were buried on top of one another with their tombstones placed side-by-side. Even the few areas of the cemetery we could see were peaceful and serene. I don't like cemeteries. I think they are scary and sad, and always bring tears to my eyes. So for me to refer to the Old Jewish Cemetery as anything close to beautiful is astonishing. But sure enough, there was something surprisingly beautiful about the setting. The tombstones were scattered in overgrown grass, not the expected perfectly lined graves with perfectly mowed grass. In addition, it felt like a very safe, protected place with the gates surrounding the property and trees to shade the land. I was pleasantly happy with what we found.
The end of our full day of tours was at Prague Castle. Prague Castle is where the President of the Czech Republic lives and has been the home to rulers since its construction in the 800's. We walked the mile and a half to Prague Castle, regretting the decision every time we saw comfortable, relaxed people pass us on the tram. At first a mile and a half seemed like no big deal, but after our full day of walking, not to mention that it was all uphill, I was ready to rest my feet. There is a concert or other event there tonight because there were crowds of people standing in line outside a large venue. On we went, up the hill, to the castle. The enormous castle was hard to miss, but it was helpful to have tip-top directions to lead the way.
Inside the castle gates we didn't know where to start; the 750,000 square foot castle was overwhelming. The sun was working its way down over the skyline and the crowds were slowly dwindling. We decided to walk along Golden Lane because it was free during the closing hour, and it was the last exhibit open for the day.
Golden Lane, or Zlatá ulička, is a row of colorful houses associated with alchemists from the 1500's. Alchemists believed they would create gold using their profound powers, but only on Golden Lane. I didn't understand the appeal of Golden Lane. The miniature houses looked more like Munchkin Land from the Wizard of Oz than anything. My mom was in love with the street and I'm sure she would move there if the President of the Czech Republic would allow it. We walked up and down the street with nothing more to see in terms of museums and exhibits. There was more than enough to see in terms of admiring the architecture and the view.
I thought the view from the Astronomical Clock tower was incredible, but I obviously had no comparison. The view from the castle reached as far as the eye could see and I continued to be amazed at the vibrant colors of Prague popping out at me. The setting sun intensified the colors and brought out the reds and purples of buildings in the distance. We sat on the castle walls prolonging the view until the sun soon disappeared altogether. I felt like I was on top of the world with nothing standing in my way. I thought about all I had accomplished over the past two weeks, a true testament to my independence.
As beautiful as the sunset was, it meant the city would soon be dark and it would be more difficult to find our way back to the hostel. We made our way down the path; a different route from the way we walked up. On our way down, we discovered a bookstore and decided to peak inside. Usually I would be searching the shelves for a good read, but at this moment I could care less about the books. I was more focused on the lounge chairs scattered throughout the room. Once I sat down I was afraid a bulldozer would have to come get me out. I was so comfortable and my feet were finally happy again. My mom searched around, but came up empty, aand was soon ready to go. This would be a true test of the neurons firing to my feet. With some stiffness and struggle I was able to pull myself out of the chair and drag my feet back to the street.
The path we took down from the castle let us out closer to Charles Bridge, where we hoped to cross the river. I initially thought Charles Bridge was a normal bridge one could drive over, so I was uncertain of the appeal and great attraction everyone hyped it up to be. Apart from it's attractive architecture, Charles Bridge is closed to cars and is instead a pedestrian bridge filled with street vendors. We got confused when searching for the entrance to the bridge and instead stumbled upon a quaint little bridge with locks attached to the bars. I had heard stories of these bridges, but this was my the first time seeing one. Couples go to the bridge and attach a lock to the rails, throwing the key into the river as a symbol of their everlasting bond. Maybe one day I will find a nice gentleman I can lock myself to for the rest of my life. I don't necessarily need a lock and bridge to do that, I think in the States they call that marriage.
We finally found the entrance to Charles Bridge and enjoyed a beautiful concert on the walk up the stairs. We took our time walking across the bridge, visiting street vendors, enjoying the view, and people watching. By the time we reached the other side of the bridge it was fairly dark and now both our sore feet and hungry stomaches were unhappy with us. We wandered the dimly lit streets of Prague, desperately trying to find a place to eat. Finally we found Mattoni, where the food looked good and beer was cheaper than water. There isn't much more you can ask for from a restaurant.
Dinner was better than I could have imagined, and I'm not just saying that because of the extent of my hunger. We shared three different dishes, all unique and flavorful. We started with the cold cucumber soup with creme fraiche which was light and refreshing. Moving next to gratinated goat cheese served with melon, with sauce form oranges, honey and red pepper, yum, and mozzarella wrapped in parma ham, with arugula salad and cherry tomatoes, yum again. We finished our meal with apple strudel served with vanilla ice cream. This may have been my favorite meal thus far on our trip.
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