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  • Lin's Prague JournalPrague 2019
    Day 7

    Day 6 - Cesky Krumlov

    June 2, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today we hopped a Regiobus to Cesky Krumlov, an 8:00 a.m. departure and roughly a 3-hour drive from Prague. We had booked tickets online for an English-speaking tour of the castle and otherwise planned to see the Marionette and Moldovite museums, wander the streets and enjoy the atmosphere.

    Once we arrived, we decided to have lunch/supper at the Ruze Hotel. We had their Panaramic Terrace largely to ourselves. We both chose duck with red cabbage and two types of sliced dumplings, and at the waiter's suggestion, a Czech garlic soup. Everything was melt-in-your-mouth goodness, and the garlic soup, an especially pleasant surprise.

    The view was stunning! The terrace was just above the river and we looked directly onto a green, lush hilly park. Imagine sunshine, blue skies, birds singing and the gentle sounds of water flowing. It felt like time had stood still.

    After lunch, we wandered the streets until we found the Moldovite Museum. Moldavite is a meteor-formed precious stone, created only under certain conditions. We watched a short video and speed-viewed the museum displays; then walked up stairs and uphill to the castle for our tour.

    The guide was excellent! We learned the castle's history and some interesting facts about its Rococo style. I was particularly impressed by three things - the chapel, the Masquerade Hall (http://images.app.goo.gl/dr7rwpkhC2XSazhx8) and a porcelain chandelier with ornate flowers in an oriental design.

    Diane opted to people-watch and enjoy the views while I trekked up to check out the revolving theatre (http://www.ckrumlov.info/docs/en/atr753.xml) and the Royal Gardens.

    We passed on the Marionette Museum in favor of a sit-down break in the shade (27 degrees in direct sun on hot pavement was wearing). Went back to the Ruze and the Ukrainian mother/son working there remembered us from lunch. Ice cream for Diane and a yummy apple strudel for me.

    Back to the bus stop and a comfy trip back to Prague.

    From my perspective, the day flew by and it was hard to believe we'd been in Cesky Krumlov for seven hours and on buses for another six hours. It was simply not enough time to explore the town at a relaxing pace. I'd recommend an overnight stay there.

    My bottom-line impressions of Cesky Krumlov? From a distance, stunningly beautiful. Close-up, not so much.The cobbled streets are lined with souvenier shops & restaurants. Uber crowds. Very touristy. Not at all the charming fairy-tale Bohemian town I had imagined when reading about it.

    That said, I would definitely recommend it as a destination to others. I remember what a tour guide constantly mentioned when I was in Greece, 'If you don't see what you expect, change your expectations'. Great advice.    Read more

  • Lin's Prague JournalPrague 2019
    Day 6

    Day 5 - Kampa Island Park

    June 1, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We decided to head to Kampa for lunch and a look-see. Along the way, checked out the Lennon Wall. I read somewhere that it's the only place in the city where grafitti is legal but we've seen this type of street art all over the place. That said, Lennon's Wall has taken on a special significance to people desiring independence & freedom.

    Lovers Bridge used to be covered with locks that declared people's love for one another. However the city removes the locks regularly to protect the integrity of the bridge. Now the gnome-like fellow is on his own.

    More cool street art! David Cerny's 'Babies' are larger than life and are said to have barcode faces. Very unusual as are all of his creations.

    And more... The yellow penguins by The Cracking Art Group are made of recycled plastic bottles taken from landfill sites. They are marching in protest of what is happening to their Antarctic home due to global warming and environmental destruction.

    We chose the Sovovy restaurant by happenstance. It was riverside, the food was good and the views, spectacular! It was so relaxing to watch people enjoying the day in paddleboats shaped like cars, geese, and other shapes. Large boats shared the same space and moved through the locks beside us. At times, it was a bit of a traffic jam in the locks and in the open channel.

    Diane struck up a conversation with a very nice couple who joined us at our table. We discovered it's a very small world. They live in Calgary and the lady grew up near Diane's son-in-law's home town in Siberia. She was very passionate about astrology and healing waters.

    We headed home and have had a lazy evening. Tomorrow, we're going to Cesky Krumlov in southern Bohemia, a 3-hour bus trip each way. Need to be up especially early to tram it over to the main bus station. 💤💤    Read more

  • Lin's Prague JournalPrague 2019
    Day 6

    Day 5 - Naplavka Market & Maya Strana

    June 1, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Today we planned to go to the riverside market, the Czech Museum of Music & explore the 'Little Quarter' neighborhood across the river from where we are staying.

    First up, coffee! The apartment has a French press and some ground coffee but it is barely drinkable for me and not even that for Diane. Cafe Ebel was nearby, thankfully.

    The Naplavka market sold mainly foods - meats, bakery items, fresh veggies & flowers. Took a pic of a mushroom (?) with a most interesting shape & a beautiful flower the Czechs call 'Jirinka'.

    There were lots of people, many with small kids & small dogs. Along the boardwalk, various eating places and tour boats.

    One of the interesting vendors was a fellow who sold wine drawn from spigots at the back of his van. For serious beer drinkers, there was Tankove Pivo, roughly translated as tanks of beer. And there were tanks!

    It was hot-hot-hot and manoevering through the crowds was exhausting!    Read more

  • Lin's Prague JournalPrague 2019
    1
    Day 6

    Day 5 - Czech Museum of Music

    June 1, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    I loved this museum & could have stayed there for hours! A very unassuming first impression but a Wow! factor inside every exhibition room. The instruments were staged in categories, e.g. pianos, violins, drums, and so forth.

    The interactive design allowed you to listen to recordings of instruments and to learn something unique about each of them.

    You could opt to play select instruments. That was fun. I loved the feel of the harp's strings & its sound. In contrast, my attempts to play the theremen were a bust. It was difficult to achieve anything remotely melodious.

    If like me, you'd never heard of a theremen before, check out this You Tube video: http://youtu.be/7l9YcewEumw.

    Chris, this link is for you & other Star Trek fans: http://youtu.be/Rhw8lk-DUGU though the original series did not use a theremen. 😊    Read more

  • Lin's Prague JournalPrague 2019
    Day 5

    Day 4 - Ending on a High Note

    May 31, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Tonight we attended a second concert, part of the International Prague Spring Festival. This was held in the Smetana Hall at the Municipal Building. It looked and felt much different than it did on our tour with so many people in the room.

    Diane's navigational skills are AWE - full while mine are simply awful. She manoevered us thru the dense crowds there and back in record time without a map! If it had been me, we would have ended up lost, miles away from our destination.

    The concert was world class. It featured the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and a guest pianist whose fingers moved like lightning across the keys, yet so gracefully it seemed he barely made contact. He used no sheet music to play very complex melodies!

    The conductor was interesting to watch - his physical movements, his smile & his obvious pride in the orchestra's performance. Diane noticed that he singled out those musicians who could not readily be seen by the audience for applause. It led me to wonder things like... How do you learn to be a conductor? Are the conductor's cues to the orchestra a variation of sign language? Are there any famous female conductors?

    I noticed that all the people playing stringed instruments held bows in their right hands. Can a person play the violin well using the bow in their left hand? Could they be part of an orchestra given the seating and symmetry you see when everyone is playing on stage?

    Anther observation was the difference in expressions & body movements of three oboe (?) musicians. The one closest to the audience smiled constantly & bobbed his head wildly as he played. The one in the middle barely moved & had no expression on his face. The 3rd changed the intensity of his facial expressions constantly and his body seemed to meld with his instrument.

    On our way back, I took some pics along Charles Street - here, souvenier shops sell chandeliers and candy that looks like fried eggs. 😯    Read more

  • Lin's Prague JournalPrague 2019
    Day 5

    Day 4 - New Town Here We Come!

    May 31, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Our priorities today were exploring New Town, enjoying cafe time, watching the Roma parade in Wenceslas Square, discovering street art & visiting the Mucha Museum. Time & energy permitting we might go to Vsehrad (the historical park & cemetery).

    We opted for breakfast at Cafe Louvre where Einstein, Franz Kafka and other well-known public figures were said to frequent. The cafe's been around since 1902 and hosts local actors at a closed event each month. Our meal was very good & the service, the best yet.

    After enjoying a great fortifier for the day, we made our way to the square, seeing the Memorial of the Velvet Revolution, David Cerny's Metalmorphosis (42 moving layers that continously deconstruct and reconstruct Franz Kafka's head), the Cubist lamp post (reputed to be the only one in the world), and the Franciscan Garden (a delightful reprieve from concrete and crowds). Posed in front of the 'Wild Girls/Divozenky' sculpture by Josef Klimes'.

    At one exit from the gardens was a piece of the Berlin Wall, complete with barbed wire & an old German-made car (Trabant I'd guess) sitting angled on top of the break (my interpretation... to depict East Germans' escape from communism).

    On to the square to catch the Roma (Gypsy) parade, held as part of the International Khomoro Festival.    Read more

  • Lin's Prague JournalPrague 2019
    1
    Day 5

    Day 4 - These are for YOU, Chris!

    May 31, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    You know how you luuuuvvvv your kitchen appliances? Here's one to add to your list. Pictures taken at Styl & Interier Garden Cafe today.

  • Lin's Prague JournalPrague 2019
    Day 5

    Day 4 - More Street Art

    May 31, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    New Town 'wins' for having some of the most eclectic street art. Here are a few more examples, starting with 'Slight Uncertainty' by Michel Trpak: sculptures of a man & a woman hanging from umbrellas suspended from overhead cables. Apparently, meant to depict the working class in economic crisis. Note the huge mushrooms on the wall behind him and the huge insect on the wall of the building behind her. Hmmmm, whatever were the artists thinking?????

    Bugs on walls. Huh???? P.S. Diane reminded me that Kafka was into insects in a big way!

    Funky street chairs. 👍    Read more

  • Lin's Prague JournalPrague 2019
    Day 5

    Day 4 - Roma Parade & The Mucha Museum

    May 31, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We weren't sure what to expect re: the Roma parade since the degree of publicity typical of an international, annual event was not evident. This, in sharp contrast to Prague's Spring Festival where posters abound!

    The parade kicked off at noon sharp and those in it had passed by us in five minutes. Shortest parade ever! The colorful costumes & music were wonderful! A perfect example (maybe) of 'Less is More'.

    Off we went to the Mucha Museum after finding out the Cafe Europa had been closed for 5 years. Don't know how I missed that in my online research. 😕

    A wonderful lady welcomed us to the museum & later recommended a cafe (we couldn't find it) that was less touristy, better food & less expensive than the one we eventually went to.

    The display of Mucha's art was impressive. Even more so was learning about his 'Slav Epic' work which I was unfamiliar with. It took him 18 years to produce 20 canvasses as a means of freeing the Slavs & depicting their culture. He wanted to build a strong feeling of national consciousness and when they were freed, felt he had achieved that.

    A quick stop at Lucerna Passage to see David Cerny's 'Horse', followed by lunch at the Styl & Interier Cafe. A little garden cafe with a relaxing atmosphere. You'd never know a busy traffic area was outside its entrance. Re-energized, we looked for more street art on our way 'home'.    Read more

  • Lin's Prague JournalPrague 2019
    Day 5

    This is for YOU, Jan!

    May 31, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Strudel, glorious strudel. Mouthwatering strudel. Poppyseed & plum. Totally decadent. Loved. Every. Single. Bite. 😘

    My Cafe Louvre breakfast - neat 'froth art' depicting their logo on the cappuccino.

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