The View of Prague: From the Castle

The view of Prague from the castle is stunning. 

It was a bit hazy so the light wasn't too harsh.   The American Embassy is in the image below.

It was a lovely view.

Music for the Changing of the Guard

OK, these guys weren't the official changing of the guard music.  But, I did like the traditional Czech music.

I didn't hear any Rolling Stones.

I didn't hear any James Taylor.

But, it was exactly right for the location. 

The Prague Castle: Changing of the Guard

This reminded me of the scene in front of Buckingham Palace.  A crowd had gathered and were waiting for the changing of the guard.

I was actually surprised at how close they marched through the crowd.

It would have been possible to touch any of the soldiers as they walked by.

The Ghost Statue of Prague

I loved this statue when I saw it.  It was outside of the Estates Theater in Prague where Mozart conducted the 1787 premier of Don Giovanni.

This figure represents the opera’s character Il Commendatore, who appears as a ghost.

The work was created by Czech-born, Austrian-raised artist Anna Chromy and is one of several “empty cloak” statues she has created. It was installed in 2000. 

Prague: The Town Square

Like any town square, it was filled with students, performers, restaurants, tourists and trades-people hawking various wares.

Prague: Tyn Church

The Tyn Church near the town square was the original church for the protestant Hussites.  It replaced an older, much smaller church in the Romanesque style dating from the 11th century.   It was finished in 1365.   However, there were a number of other construction projects and delays.

There have been various re-construction projects, as recently as the later 1900's.   I found it a beautiful building filled with history and wonderful works of art.   

The Good King Wenceslas: Was Actually Only a Duke. OPPS, Wrong One!

Wenceslas was considered a martyr and a saint immediately after his death in the 10th century.  A Wenceslas cult grew in Bohemia and England.  He was considered a righteous king whose power rose from his great piety.  He was said to awaken in the night and walk about in bare feet, giving money to the poor and orphans. 

Several centuries later, Pope Pius II declared the legend was fact.  But, the photo of the statues above is NOT that Wenceslas!  

Seriously, it is easy to get them confused.  There was also a King Wenceslas I of Bohemia, born 200 yrs later!


In 1228, the other Wenceslas was crowned co-ruler, with his father, of Bohemia.   He died in 1253 and his son succeeded him.  He was known    Under his reign, the royal court came to cultivate lifestyles typical of contemporary Western Europe, including jousting and the enjoyment of courtly poetry and songs. His government is associated with the establishment of Czech statehood, an increase of Czech political influence in Europe, the rise of Czech nobility, and continued development of urban life, trade and crafts.
Wenceslas, like his father and son, supported the arrival of ethnic Germans into the country. He was also the first to allow privileges to the Jews; however, they were expected to pay considerable sums of money for them.

Prague: A Library Work of Art

On our walking tour, we visited a library.  For the life of me, I can't recall which one.   But, this column of books was arranged in the front entry.  It was a wonderful work of art that drew little kids in...and big kids, too.

When you got close, you could peer down below.  And, the perspective was delightful!  

It was actually done with a mirror placed about 2-3' down.  It created a wonderful endless book cave...to knowledge.

Prague by Day 7: St. Giles Church

St. Giles Church is located in Old Town Prgaue, St. Giles Church is a Baroque & Romanesque space that was built in the late 1300s. The church bell in the tower (one of three) is the oldest in Prague.

This was the first of many churches visited.  We were on a marvelous walking tour, hosted by a very knowledgeable and delightful tour guide.

It is hard to fathom the wealth and power held by the Church in the middle ages.

But clearly, faith was a major part of their lives.  Below is a portion of the ceiling.

Finally, I did like this statue in a small stone grotto.  Backlight, it was actually quite stunning.

The church periodically hosts classical music concerts.  I think it would be amazing to hear Mozart echoing through the stone walls and corridors.

Prague by Day 6: Looking West Towards the Castle and Cathedral

The architecture was amazing.  It is hard to believe how well Prague survived the war nearly unscathed.

Prague by Day 5: Exploring the Bridge and the Old Town (East Side of the Charles Bridge)

While the Charles Bridge has over 30 statues and statuaries, the most prominent is of Saint John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene).   He was born in the 1340's and studied at the University of Prague and studied canon law at the University of Padua.  He was named the vicar-general of Saint Giles Cathedral by Jan of Jenštejn (1348–1400), who was the Archbishop of Prague from 1378 to 1396. In the same year, on March 20, he was tortured and thrown into the river Vltava from Charles Bridge in Prague at the behest of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia.  

The reason for his torture and drowning was that he refused to reveal the confession of the Kings wife.  The King, Good King Wenceslaus (yup, that one!) believed his wife was having an affair and had confessed to Saint John.   He ordered Saint John to reveal the confession.  And, Saint John refused.

• In his chronicle Chronica regum Romanorum, completed in 1459, Thomas Ebendorfer (d. 1464) states that King Wenceslaus had drowned the confessor of his wife, indicated as Magister Jan, because he had stated that only the one who rules properly deserves the name of king and had refused to betray the seal of Confession. This is the first source to mention this refusal as the true motivation of the condemnation of John of Nepomuk.
• In his Instructions for the King, completed in 1471, Paul Zidek provides further details.^[8] King Venceslaus was afraid that his wife had a lover. As she was used to confessing to Magister Jan, he ordered him to tell the name of the lover, but to no avail. Therefore, the king ordered John to be drowned. Note that in these chronicles neither the date of the events, nor the name of the queen is mentioned.

However, the legend has it that Saint John, after being thrown into the water from the bridge, was lifted into the air by 5 angels.   Hence, the 5 stars in a crown around his statue.

This is the tower of the entrance to the Bridge from the East side of the river, where Old Town Prague sits.

Prague by Night: 4

Looking again to the west on the Charles Bridge

Prague also features a number of stores selling fine glassware.

Prague by Night 3

In the background, behind the Lessor Town Bridge Tower, you can see the castle and the castle wall.

Prague by Night: 2

As you begin to cross of the Charles Bridge and look back to the west, this is the view.

This is the "Lesser Town Bridge Tower"

Love the lighting and stone work.

Prague by Night 1

I took these as I walked along the river on the way to the Charles Bridge.

It is a beautiful city, nearly untouched by the war.

The Charles Bridge in Prague, at Night

After dinner, one really needs to walk about Prague and catch the sites.

The Charles Bridge crosses the Vltava river.  Construction started in 1357 under King Charles IV and was finished in the early 1400's.  The bridge replaced the old Judith Bridge that was built in 1158-1172 that had been damaged by the flood in 1342.

For a long time, it was the only connection between the Prague Castle and the city's Old Town areas.  Prague was, because of its location, a prime trading route between eastern and western Europe.

The bridge is just over 2,000 feet long and nearly 33 feet wide.  Placed evenly around the bridge are 30 statues and statuaries that were originally erected about 1700.  What you see now have all replicas.
It was a lovely walk across the bridge that night.   There will be more photos of subsequent trips.

Traveling with Friends

Meet Claude!

I had the opportunity to travel in Europe for a while with a group of friends from both the US and Canada.   Claude has been featured in the blog at least two other times.  

Here, he is contemplating the menu choices in Prague.

I really liked the décor!

Bon appetit!

July 4th, 2018

Today we celebrate July 4th.  On this day, in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed.  To be clear, the signing of the Declaration of Independence started on Aug 2 of the year before.  This wasn't hashed out over a weekend at Ben's house (that would be Ben Franklin for those without any historical knowledge).

All 13 colonies were represented in Philidelphia.  There were 56 representatives in all.  14 were from New England.  21 were from the middle colonies.  And 21 from the Southern colonies.  When they signed their names, they became traitors to the British crown.  And, a price was on their heads.

They ranged in age from 26 to 70 (that would be Ben). Half of the signers were lawyers.  The balance was made up of farmers, merchants, those engaged in shipping/trading.  And together they pledged "to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

None of the signers died at the hands of the British.  Four were captured, but survived.  And, they were all poorer after the war.

Out of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 came the United States Constitution.  This document, and the accompanying Bill of Rights, formed the foundation of our government.  At the close of this convention, a Mrs. Powell asked Ben Franklin, "Well Doctor, what have we got?  A republic or a monarchy?"   Franklin answered immediately, "A republic, if you can keep it."

It isn't a democracy.  This is critically important to understand.  Under a strict democracy, 10 people can vote and tell 9 people what they have to do.  With a republic, there are foundational laws (the Constitution) that limits the power of the government, of those "in charge" to clearly defined roles.  And, this is important, the individual is the most important entity.  The entire United States Constitution is driven around the following points:

• The freedom of the individual is paramount.
• An individual has the freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness.  It doesn't mean they will get it.  But, they can pursue their own lives.
• Government, especially the Federal government, should be strictly limited.   Remember, the framers of the constitution had lived under monarchies where everyone was subservient to the crown.  There were no individual rights.   The state had all the power.
• For that reason, the Constitution broke up the government into 3 equal players.
• The Legislative Branch:  Charged with making laws
• The Executive Branch:  Charged with enforcing laws
• The Judicial Branch:  Charged with ensuring the rule of law and the constitution are not violated.
• With this division, no branch of government should be able to control the others.
• Finally, the Bill of Rights, were established as the ground floor of what individuals were entitled to....because they were citizens of the United States.  This document is as radical today as it was then.  Every single "right" was founded due to the framers historical experiences.  There is a reason for those rights.  They saw the abuses of the totalitarian government.   
• The framers created a way to modify the constitution.   It is clearly spelled out.   Rights can be added...or removed....just follow the method outlined.   But, it is designed to not be easy.  Nor should it be.  Tampering with the Constitution is serious business.
• Finally, and this is sort of my baseline for understanding the Constitution and Bill of Rights:  the Bill of Rights were designed to protect the people from the government.   That is the reason we have freedom of speech and the right to keep and bear arms.  The framers of the constitution recognized both rights as critical to support the rights of the individual.

The last 100 years or so have brought significant change to our country.  

• The power of the Executive branch has increased.
• The Judiciary has become more reactionary and interested in legislating by judicial rulings. 
• The legislative branch has become a laughing stock where Congressional members are massively mistrusted. 
• We have lost much in the fight for freedom of speech.  The US should rank #1 in the world.  But, in the last assessment I saw, we were about 19th.  
• Our communications are secretly monitored by many branches of government.  
• There is a concerted push to repeal the second amendment.  It seems strange to me that I can lawfully carry a firearm in my state.  But, if I drive to Illinois, Maryland, New York, I can be imprisoned.  I am legal in this state.  If I cross into another state, I am a felon.  This is not freedom.   This does not support the second amendment. This movement must be resisted. And yes, I believe the entire structure of the US is at stake in this fight.   Once we give this right up, any of the others can fail.

Well, I have rambled on much more than I usually do. There are others far more eloquent than I am about these issues.  So, I will leave them to further carry on what I have expressed.

So today:

• If you don't know why we celebrate July 4th, do some simple research.
• If you don't know what Bunker Hill was, do some simple research.   
• If you don't know what the "shot heard round the world" is, do some research.