What a great privilege it has been for me to spend five weeks in Europe over the course of four months...how many of us get to take that much time off in the middle of our careers? We have traveled through Europe and I have had the opportunity to spend three entire weeks in one incredible European city. Renee and the boys the pros at this point in Florence but I really have a good sense of the city and am very comfortable there. What a treat it has been.
So my last trip of this great experience spanned the last couple weeks in April...a couple days in Prague, four days in southern Tuscany, and another week in Florence. The plan had been to meet in Milan and then fly to Prague together but some bad weather stateside nixed that...ended up missing some time in Prague but meeting the family there.
Prague was terrific...first time for all of us. A very walkable city, we stayed in Old Town and went everywhere on foot. Prague and the Czech republic have transformed swiftly since liberation from communist rule in 1989. The city is charming, yet feels very different from the other cities we have visited...very Bohemian.
The heart of Old Town is Old Town Square...our hotel was only a few blocks away. Very festive with some great sites:
The Tyn Church and Old Town Square...a traditional Gothic church, construction started in 1365
Part of the old Town Hall, the Astronomical Clock is a Prague landmark. Built in 1410, it is the oldest of its kind in Europe.
Now that is a doorway! I didn't see stuff like this growing up in New Jersey...
Charles the fourth was a Holy Roman Emporeer in the 14th century and gets credit for transforming Prague from a medievil city to one of Europe's most important cities at the time.
This is taken from the Charles Bridge over the river Vltava, looking over to the Castle District...most of what you see on the hill is Prague Castle, a city within a city...the largest castle complex in Europe. The spires belong to the Cathedral of St. Vitus, one of Europe's great gothic cathedrals. It was started in 929 but gradually expanded...the present cathedral took over 600 years to complete.
The front of the cathedral...and below the interior:
The boys exploring some modern sculpture
Modern Prague's most eccentric building...Frank Gehry's "Fred and Ginger" house.
Like Rome, and many other European cities, Prague has a historical Jewish ghetto, Josefov...and this is the old Jewish cemetery, the last burial took place in 1787.
Anti-Roma graffiti..the Roma gypsies are all over Europe and heavily discriminated against...a dose of reality with our wanderings
I love the decorative aspects of the buildings in Prague...just incredible!
Incredible!!
The Charles Bridge and Prague castle at night...really spectacular.
And finally, Old Town Square at night with the amazing Tyn church spires lit up.
Our time there was brief but very relaxing...some cities open up to you if you just walk their streets...most cities do I believe. Always best to explore on your own. And there's nothing quite like exploring a city or place for the first time...Prague was fantastic!
So we took our trusted Easyjet back to Italy...more to come...
