The Czech Republic – Day 7, Prague

We got a later than usual start on the day but redeemed it decently by finding a fun little café in new town called I Need Coffee! The name was fitting and they even made an Americano with ice!

Dad found an interesting tour that explored Prague during WWII and I must say it was really fascinating. Our guide was born and raised in Prague and could speak with a greater depth to some of the cultural and historical changes that Prague has experienced.

She took us through the streets of Prague stopping occasionally to point out a building or street that played a significant role or to show a picture of it during Nazi reign. She also did her best to explain the cultural make up of Czechoslovakia and why the country no longer remains one. The tour briefly touched on Reinhard Heydrich – the butcher of Prague and one of Hitler’s right hand men – who was assassinated in Prague by a Czech and Slovak. Apparently a featured film is in the works called Anthropoid and should be fairly accurate historically.

We were also allowed to explore some cellars that were once at street level but were raised due to constant flooding – now they act as cellars or underground restaurants but during WWII they served to send information and convey people without drawing attention.

Dad and I at the Powder Tower – part of the old wall and where gun powder was kept

All in all interesting but serious stuff. To even out the day we went to an excellent restaurant, ordered a big meal, and drooled slightly over the mousse (which we ordered and enjoyed in the beautiful Prague sun).

White and dark chocolate mousse with raspberries - so good! — White and dark chocolate mousse with raspberries – so good!

The next part of our day was a free walking tour. It was interesting and we learned some new things about the history and some lesser buildings we weren’t aware of but we had seen or learned of around half the things discussed during the tour. Hindsight being what it is – we should have taken this tour first to learn a little about the city then done the other sightseeing things.

We did stop and learn about Jan Palach who set himself on fire to bring national and international attention to the tightening of government power on the people and remains a very powerful Czech cultural figure. His death became a cultural symbol and there are a few monuments for him around the city.

In a sadly odd parallel we briefly learned about Jan Hus whose status stands in Old Town Square and was a very early Christian reformer who thought that people should be able to read the bible in their own language and began translating it into Czech. He lived and died before Luther and is considered to be one of the first reformers to the church. Sadly, he was burnt at the stake for heresy and his ashes scattered in the river. There are some clear parallels beyond the sharing of these two men’s names and their deaths and it’s interesting to note that both men are still considered iconic to the Czech identity.

Astronomical Clock – its quite close to the ground and for its time is incredibly advance being a clock

Jan Hus in Old Town Square on a clear day

It rained a little during the tour but I was able to use it as an opportunity to share my umbrella and get to know some of the other people on the tour.

After the end of the tour we changed over our money and wandered in and out of stores. We found a little restaurant near the Charles Bridge with a nice patio that served good food and had live jazz music wafting over.

More walking about and listening to various performers along the river before we eventually called it a night. Tomorrow I move into the dorms and mom and dad leave for Croatia – it had really been a very lovely trip.

Austria – Day 5, Vienna and the Czech Republic – Day 6, Prague

Alas, I took pictures of this part but for some reason my computer is being fussy and not allowing me to download them to my computer and post here. Until I figure out what’s going on, on my end of things this will be a picture-light post. There are a few towards the bottom but not many more for now. Sorry!

Our last day in Vienna was very relaxing. We had a few hours before we needed to check out of our hotel and hop on a train so mom and I went to the Naschmarkt and walked through the different vendors, stalls, and restaurants. The air was filled with the smells of hot pastries, curry seasoning, flowers, and coffee. The market has so many things to see and taste and we ended up finding cactus fruits which reminded us of home as did the cactus yesterday. It’s so funny to see these things that are considered exotic to some but common place to others. It was a very nice way to end our time in Vienna.

After checking out of the hotel we got sandwiches at the local shop and hopped on a train bound for Prague where I will be for the next few months.

Prague – as we crossed into the Czech Republic my excitement seemed to grow in inverse relation to the distance between the city and I. Sandwiches eaten, book read, and no wifi on the train all I could do was wait and think. I realized that I’m ill prepared for the coming winter months and would need to get a heavier winter coat and some shoes. I thought about what I will be studying, wished I could access the internet and find out what books I will need. I dreamed about what I will see and experience.

Sufficient to say, it was a long and tiring train ride with me frantically worrying about things that I cannot possibly control. Story of my life – I worry.

Finally in Prague mom and I made our way to our hotel. Backpacks and carry on we walked the distance from the tram and our hotel along the river. The sidewalk and roads are covered in cobblestone but not uniform cobblestone. It felt like there was a sale on tiles but there wasn’t enough for the city planner to cover the entire city so he decided to hodge-podge the different tiles and styles together in a quasi-mosaic effect.

I know that’s probably not what happened but walking the streets and seeing the different types and styles of tiles it’s a half-believable story.

Tired from our day we rested as dad arrived from the airport with the beast – my trusty luggage with all my winter clothes for my longer stay in Prague. His journey was a long one, last week he was in Japan for work, and then he was in Arizona for a few days before flying into Prague. When asked if he even knew what time or day it was he just shook his head.

We had dinner at a local place and called it an early night.

Rising early, mom and I (who were accustomed to rising early for a full day and are fairly well adjusted to the time zone) walked to a coffee shop in the hopes of finding a cup of coffee and some breakfast. When asked if anyone spoke English we were greeted with a very noncommittal shrug.

After a little confusion we got our coffee and some pastries. The coffee shop was ok – nothing to write home about but decent – but the shop was decorated in books and they even sold some used books in the store! Very cute.

Caffeinated and ready to start the day we went back to the hotel hoping to find a livelier dad. Our luck held and he was moving.

We got ready and headed to the Prague Castle. It is now the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic and dates back to the 9^th century. As different monarchs and rulers add on to the castle complex new examples of modern architecture are illustrated creating a mix-mash of different stylistic elements and architectural periods.

St. Vitus Cathedral in the castle complex

Wandering around this UNESCO World Heritage site is best done with an audio guide to better understand all the symbolic, cultural, and historical elements dotted around the grounds. We spend a good 4 or 5 hours looking around and learning, including a good bit of time spent in the Lobkowicz Palace exploring their personal collection of paintings, weapons, rooms, musical instruments, and their personal family history narrated by the current family descendants who fled WWII and the fall to Nazi Germany and returned only to be forced to flee again with the advent of communism.

The Lobkowicz Palace is really interesting as is the family’s history and it all sits on the Prague Castle grounds. Personally, the highlight was seeing the family’s original manuscripts and scores from Beethoven and Mozart – Beethoven dedicated his 3^rd, 5^th, and 6^th symphonies to the 7^th Lobkowicz Prince.

After the castle we stopped at a deli and bought supplies for lunch and breakfast tomorrow. We briefly stopped at the hotel to re-group before heading back out to Old Town.

Old Town is a mix between a charming medieval city center and a bustling modern city. It’s both charming and hectic. We looked around at the stores and shops and meandered around vendors. A quick dinner and more walking about before we decided to go up the Astronomical Tower in city hall.

Several long stair cases later we were at the top and had 360 degree views of the city and got to watch just as the sun went down. Beautiful views of the city and looking down at the plebeian crowds below it’s easy to block out the noise and look out at the roof tops.

Back on the streets we listened to the musicians, watched a man creating beautiful shinny bubbles, and a comedian or fire dancer – the verdict is still out on what we saw. Tired and ready to head back we took the long way back to the hotel and stopped at Charles Bridge as the last lights of the sun were vanishing from the sky.

Walking along the river we watched boat cruses pass by and a few more performers. We passed cafes tucked under bridges and statues to important people long forgotten. We passed beggars kneeling with their hands stretched out holding plastic cups. We passed a city that is both breathe taking beautiful and heart breaking broken.

Public Libraries

Public libraries big and small, old and new have played a hugely important role in society – they are a reflection of the community they seek to serve, they act as a meeting place, a place to share thoughts and ideas, and as a hub for book lovers. In the entire history of public libraries no one has forced a library into existence; it grows from a natural desire within the community and is then sustained by the community to better serve the unique characteristics and demands within the community.

Public libraries are not a new idea – many can date back to the Roman era, then to the British Empire, and Benjamin Franklin’s establishing the Library Company of Philadelphia – but in the mid-19th century a push was made to increase the number of these libraries and make them truly public (paid for by taxes and run by the state or a board of directors).

I was blessed to grow up in a family where books were treasured, my mother read to my brothers and I, and our weekly trips to the library were a family affair. I knew where the 3 closest public libraries where, which one had the best selection of books, which one had the cool second floor, and which one my mom would take us to after grocery shopping. I love public libraries, I grew-up surrounded by them and deeply submerged in the culture – there is a certain kind of magic in that which is worth fighting to preserve.

I recently saw some picture Robert Dawson (a California-based photographer) took for his book The Public Library: A Photographic Essay and was reminded of of integral libraries are to healthy communities and I wanted to share some of the images of libraries all over America that he took.

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More Tree-houses!

I love tree-houses – there’s a childish part of me that wants to live Swiss Family Robinson style in a giant cluster of redwoods and become a hermit with a killer library and breath-taking views. For me tree-houses (and forts now that I think about it) capture the child-like wonder and novel excitement many have when being in forests surrounded by natural beauty.

With that in mind it makes sense for me to Google things like “circle tree-house” when I should be doing grown-up things like making dinner. While searching for tree-houses I found this hotel place in Vancouver Island’s rain forest that rents spherical tree-houses, for me, this is the dream! I could live in a sphere dangling above a lush forest – forget being afraid of heights – this is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time! There are 3 different hanging tree-houses available to rent, each one sleeps 1-2 people and has a bed, a table, kitchenette, and giant cozy windows overlooking the forest. Get excited people!

Las Pozas

I’ve officially added Las Pozas to my list of places to see before I die. Created by eccentric Englishman Edward James in Xilitla, Mexico, he spent millions of dollars in the late 1960s and early 1970s to create this surrealist sculpture garden. I can just imagine wandering the ruins all day finding hidden corners and stair cases leading to nowhere. I would almost expect to stumble upon a table set for tea with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare midway through tea. This is one of those place where I would happily be lost for hours exploring all the nooks and crannies!

Spomeniks

These eerie and beautifully shaped monuments (apparently called “Spomenik”) were built in the late 1960s in Yugoslavia honoring World War II. Belgian photographer Jan Kempenaers began documenting these fascinating Spomeniks images (which remind me of something strait out of H.G. Wells or some mid-century science-fiction novel) and eventually compiled them into a book. While once well traveled destinations these unique shrines to the past have fallen between the pages of history and are now deteriorating thanks to time, nature and vandalism. Take a look while we still have them.