Contemplations

As I've arrived in each city along my travels, I've checked the Things to See and Do on the internet, often using TripAdvisor or similar sites. Over the last few days I've been contemplating what makes a tourist site.
I'm here at Céskŷ Krumlov, one of THE places to visit in the Czech Republic and yet another UNESCO World Heritage site. (I must work out how many I've been to on the trip). It attracts a huge number of day trips from Prague, Vienna or Germany. All of the central part of the town is devoted to tourism, with places to visit, stay, eat, and buy jewellery or other trinkets. And yet, apart from the Castle (which unfortunately had its main section closed between Christmas and New Year) and the museum, there is little I can see to attract me.
Perhaps I am jaded, having seen too many amazing places, too many cathedrals, too many world class museums and beautiful buildings. Actually, I really enjoyed the museum,  because it gave me the history of the town from the Bronze Age through to the end of Communism.
So I'm wondering what all these day trippers are doing. Maybe taking photos of each other in front of churches, quaint buildings and castle towers is all they expect or desire.
I had a similar experience in Prague where the #1 tourist site, the Castle complex, was the one that left me most disappointed. It was expensive, the audio guide was even more expensive, and they asked for a $25 surety (500 Ckrowns), and compared to Windsor Castle there was little to see. The American guy I had dinner with went to the Castle between our two dinners and agreed with my assessment. He didn't even like the 'Golden Alley' which I had enjoyed.
So what makes a good tourist site?
As I look back, the places that have stayed most in mind are either scenically special or inspired me to take time to learn about the people, place and history. So the History of Communism museum in Prague, although very amateurish by museum standards, was fascinating because it took me into the life of the people.
It will be interesting to see what Vienna brings.

Journey to Salzburg

I booked a shuttle between Céskŷ Krumlov and Salzburg. That was a saga in itself, but the booking was finally confirmed and I was picked up at 7:20am and joined 7 others in a maxi car. The drive took about 2.5 hours and was very scenic. We wound through river valleys and up and over mountains. Along one section, small cottages propped beside the creek. Most lay dormant but some had smoke curling out of the chimney as a sign of life. A guide in Prague had spoken about the cottages. During the Communist era the Czechs could not travel for holidays so many families built a little cottage, where they would go on weekends and holidays, and most are in forests or by rivers because the Czechs are very fond of mushrooming, canoeing and fishing. She didn't own one because it was 'another house to look after' but her children were the only ones in the class who didn't. They are called chata and the ones I saw seem to have been built to a standard model. A small A-frame with perhaps one big room or two at the most downstairs and an attic which I assume has the beds. There are more luxurious versions I'm sure. My Spanish friends from Madrid also had country cottages. Perhaps living in apartments encourages a little 'house and garden'.
I also saw some 'commons' in towns we passed. Exactly like the English commons, they are plots where vegetables can be grown. Most were lying fallow of course.
As we wound up into the mountains I could see snow on the peaks in the distance and occasional patches in sheltered areas. The early morning sun was glistening on the frost.
We passed through the border into Austria. The building seemed unattended; it reminded me of the ski control points on our mountains in summer. The only evidence we were in Austria was the change in language on the signs.
We wound back down into another valley and as we hit the main highway we were encased in mist or fog, and the temperature dropped significantly.
Fortunately we had one more set of mountains to cross and we arrived in Salzburg to beautiful sunshine gleaming on the snow capped mountains in the distance and the spires of the buildings in the 'old city'.
I'm only in Salzburg for a day so I chose a hotel near the centre. I walk though a tunnel under the hill and I'm there. The old city was busier than I expected. Perhaps because the central area is smaller than Prague, or it's a weekend leading up to New Year, but in some of the streets I could barely move. I decided to head up the hill to the fortress since the clear day would offer some lovely views, which it certainly did. The fortress was interesting and very photogenic, but had few information boards, and although they had signs suggesting audio guides were available I never saw them or any people using them. The museum was mostly devoted to military displays and there was little in the way of English explanations. I know it's a German speaking country, but English has become the universal tourism language and the many Chinese tourists would not have understood the German either. However, the views were fabulous, both of the city and the mountains.
At the other end of the hill is the Modern Art Museum. For me Modern Art is hit and miss, sometimes I am fascinated and spend hours, other times I wonder why they bothered. I experienced both today. The one that fascinated me was a series of 'portraits' where the artist, Chuck Close, had deconstructed the face and presented it in different forms. He uses different printing techniques, and different materials including paper blobs, felt circles, and tapestry.  A good article that shows some of his techniques is here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/museums/photogallery/chuckclose/chuckclose1.htm

There was an elevator back to the city level, and being in Austria I decided I should indulge in a sweet treat. The old city is full of little passages, not quite big enough to be called arcades, and in one I found a little restaurant. I sat 'outside' not realising that it meant 'smoking area', but fortunately wasn't bothered until I was nearly finished. The waffles with fruit came with blueberries, grapes in little bunches and mandarin segments. Not what I expected!

The Bones Ossuary

In an alcove as you go down the stairs.

It's hard to make out, but there is a chandelier which has at least one of every bone in the body in it.

The coat of arms of the family who owned all the land around the area, including the church.
The bottom right is a raven picking out an eye, representing their victory over the Turks.

Then I noticed this above one of the archways at the Cesky Krumlov castle.
Yes, the same family has owned the castle in the last few centuries.

Some random images from Prague

No theme to these, just things I have mentioned in posts.

Part of the old Jewish Cemetery. Seen through the window of the Decorative Arts Museum next to it.

A sample of the music/ballet on offer. 

An ancient car from the Communist era, I think from East Germany.
Made from fibreglass, it was able to be carried by 6 people .

Market food

The Christmas Tree in the Town Square.

A carp in a tub destined for the Christmas Eve diner table. The other tub had dozens of them,
 I'm not sure why he was alone.

I was listening to a jazz band in the square when this couple who had been having photos taken did  an impromptu dance. Of course the photographers were trying to catch the moment as well.

A sample of the beautifully decorated buildings.

Images from Cesky Krumlov

The classic view of the castle tower (left) with the Minaret church in the foreground.

View back from the 'battlements on the gardens side

The passage between the main castle area and the riding stables and gardens

View across to the town square area from the high passage at the castle

I love all the coats of arms.

Museum images

Oil lamp. Bit like a primitive chandelier really

I was really taken by the animal shaped drinking vessels

Another one

From Mycenae 

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Christmas, the bad and the good

I chose to stay in Europe over Christmas for several reasons. Firstly, I felt that if I came back before Christmas it would be too close to the end of the school year that I would feel that I hadn't taken full advantage of my leave. Secondly, airports and flights before Christmas are a nightmare. Lastly, I had had one European Christmas with my daughters and loved it, so it seemed a perfect opportunity to repeat that, and follow up with New Year's Eve in Vienna.
Travelling alone hasn't been an issue. I've had constant Internet contact, I've met various friends along the way, and I've had lots to keep me occupied, including the blog. But when I arrived in Prague I realised it was going to be harder than I expected. There was an added reason - Mum's birthday is Christmas Eve, so that day was going to bring the grief up to the surface. Missing out on the family activities was also hard.
To help me through, I organised to go on a tour on Christmas Day which would fill in the afternoon.
To my surprise, Christmas Eve was harder. Many of the shops were closed, all of the museums and other tourist places were closed. Even the Christmas Market had shut up shop. I retreated to the hotel, the tv, and the laptop. I had dinner organised and the concert afterwards, so the evening was fine.
Christmas Day was odd. It had basically already happened in Australia before I awoke, but it was nice to catch up with family in the morning. After breakfast I headed off to the Museum of Communism to fill in a couple of hours before the tour. It was actually fascinating. Of course the Communists are the 'baddies' so it was biased, but still interesting to see the whole process from before WWII through to the Velvet Revolution.
Then I joined a tour out to Kutna Hora. It was a very important town because of its Silver Mines, but lost influence when the gold started coming thorough from the New World. The standard tour focuses on three sites: a church where the ossuary is decorated with bones, the Church of St Barbara, and the museum related to the silver mining and coin production. Our group was again English speaking (me, a guy from the US and a family from Italy) and a group of Russians (one of whom spoke very good English). The guide has been doing this tour for 20 years, she says, but she was useless!! So frustrating. Ironically, the Russian guy, who had obviously done some research, gave me more useful information than she did. He also gave me a shot of a very warming apricot brandy at one stage :)
The 'Bone Church' was fascinating for many reasons.
For its history see http://www.outsideprague.com/kutna_hora/bone_church.html
The guide warned us several times that we would be seeing human bones. Did she think we hadn't read the details of the tour? Going in, it wasn't creepy, I didn't find it macabre. Weird, yes.  It's not like the Cambodian Killing fields though. There were other groups in there and I heard one guide suggest that because the bones are arranged 'artistically' they lose their sense of connection with dead bodies, and become like animal skeletons. After all, people don't worry too much about skulls decorating hunting halls. The pyramids of skulls have quite a few coins in them, behind the wire. The overheard guide said, it might remind you of paying the ferryman etc but the reality is that people play a game of 'can I get a coin in the eye of a skull'. He didn't encourage it. The family crest was the most interesting. These were the people who owned the church, who paid for the guy to create these extraordinary things. So, of course they needed their crest.
Saint Barbara's has some amazing double flying buttresses and a few lovely old frescoes, but the guide didn't inspire me to be impressed.
The silver museum was in the old municipal buildings where the silversmiths and coin makers had originally worked. The information about the coins was brief, but the complex was also a royal palace, and the chapel was beautiful. The walls were repainted in the early 1900s in Art Nouveau style and were beautiful. In the hall where the king met with the various dignitaries there was a brilliant bench with a revolving back. Apparently if the ones who sat there (can't remember who) disagreed with a decision they flipped the back over and sat with their back to the king and others.
The hall is mainly used for weddings now. Can you see the disgruntled parents flipping the back??
To my surprise, Christmas Night finished on an upbeat note. I started chatting to the American guy towards the end of the tour and we sat across from each other on the way back and chatted for the hour. When we got back, he suggested we have dinner, which we did. We talked politics, religion, education: all the banned topics. He has basically no family so chooses to travel over Christmas, and has travelled Europe extensively. We talked for hours, and both enjoyed filling in the evening so much that we met the following evening for dinner as well. We then went our separate ways, leaving no contact details, but with a pleasant memory of chance-met company.

Music in Prague

Ive never seen a place that has so much music on offer. I don't think it's just because it's Christmas, but of course many of the concerts are Christmas themed. In churches and halls, various concerts are advertised - classical offerings with a combination of organ, strings, harp, soloists. Flyers are handed out as you go past, to ballet, opera and puppet theatre. Restaurants advertise live music, like the one who had the jazz guitarist the town square has has free concerts each evening.
This sounds snobbish, but what most have in common is that they are 'tasters'. With the exception of the opera, which was the Magic Flute (which a lot of opera goers would consider light opera), all of them have very popular pieces and nothing in depth. Even the ballet was the 'best of Swan Lake'. Most concerts only last an hour and they can have 15 different pieces in that time. Pacobel gets a look in, of course, as have various Ave Marias, and a couple of classic Bach pieces. The one that surprised me was the largo from Xerces which was in both concerts I went to. Maybe my more classical friends can tell me why that would be featured.
I loved the Magic Flute. It was in the most over-the-top theatre I have ever been in. The stalls had seats, as did the centre of the circle, but the rest were boxes. The whole thing was high baroque, with red velvet, gilt, angels, exquisitely painted ceilings and a huge chandelier. I was towards the back of the stalls where it curved so although I was at end of a row there were sets in front. To my delight and amazement they were never filled so I had a totally unobstructed view of the stage. The costumes were 18th century and gorgeous, the singing was in German with Czech and English surtitles, and all the performers were excellent, although Sarastro disappointed in his Isis and Osiris. I have a very high benchmark for that particular solo, having heard the most extraordinary one years ago on the ABC summer operas from a German production. No one else I have heard has ever got close. I'm waiting for Nick Dinopoulos to do it. The website for the opera actually puts a comment about dressing appropriately and apparently women who are regulars will take their heels and change into them at the theatre. Heels and cobblestones and winter don't mix. And of course the cloak room was packed as people peeled off layers, then collected them at the end.
The concerts were nowhere near that experience. They were almost amateurish, and I felt that the PLC students could have done a better one. I went to two on the same night in a church and a 'magnificent baroque hall not usually open to the public'. It was cold in the church, and the hall did have some beautiful ceilings but ...
The first had organ, violin, harp and soprano in various combinations. The only one I really liked was the violinist. (And apart from Prue and David I really don't like violinists).  The harpist played one piece like our classical students play jazz: all the notes were there, and in the right order, but there was no musicality. The funniest piece though was an Ave Maria, by Schubert, with organ and soprano. It's the famous one that is in Fantasia for those who know that, with all the twiddly bits. Anyway the soprano sang it beautifully, and liltingly but the organist took no notice and played it very straight and quite fast. At the end, after her bow she actually left the church, although there were a few pieces still to be played by the others. Perhaps she was in a hurry to get somewhere!! Then the singer did exactly the same piece with the harp as accompaniment. It was much better.
The second concert later in the night was a string quartet and a soprano; mostly string quartet. They were competent, but I've been very spoiled at school.
Each concert finished with the singer doing a couple of carols including one verse of Silent Night in German, a botched verse of O Holy Night in English and one verse of Amazing Grace in very stilted English. Mind you, I can't sing in Czech so I shouldn't be rude. The reason it sounds odd is that they are very precise in their English, with all the consonants pronounced clearly, which of course we rarely do.  Paul says the Danish singers do the same, and with a double consonant pronounce them separately like in Italian.
On Christmas Eve I went to the Town Hall square for a performance by a section of the Prague Philharmonic with choir and soloists. It started at 9:00pm, on a stage, in the open. The conductor, a woman, wore a padded coat and boots, and the orchestra were casually dresses. I noticed a number of fingerless gloves amongst the players. One of the singers was in a fur, the others had coats on, and it was cold enough that you could see their breath.  I was very impressed with their stamina and fortitude. I didn't know any of the pieces they sang, traditional Czech I assume, and their encore was a Czech carol in which the non tourist part of the audience joined in. It was fun. Not quite the same as our midnight mass in Munich Cathedral years ago, but still a nice way to spend Christmas Eve.

Religious images

In the spirit of Christmas I present some interesting religious images from the least religious country in Europe.

A Black Madonna!! I am fascinated by these, we look at them in Western Dreaming. This one was in the church which stood on this site, but the church burned down and the Madonna was miraculously saved. It now sits on the outside and the building is called the House of the Black Madonna. The building is also interesting. It is Cubist architecture. Apparently Prague is the only place where it exists and there are several examples in the inner city. I'll post the images of the buildings later.

This is the shrine of the Baby Jesus, which I think came from Spain centuries ago by a Spanish bride of one of the royalty. On specific religious occasions the outfit is changed with great ceremony. The outfits are very ornate, made from very expensive material, sewn with jewels and lace.

A close up

Here are two of the outfits on display in the museum. They have come from all over the world, from governments and from individuals.

This was a gift from Japan

And here are some of the pictures of other outfits. The stairway is lined with them.

Eating in Prague

I was expecting a fairly restricted diet here; meat and potatoes and plenty of beer (which I don't drink). So far it has lived up to its reputation. There are plenty of options on the menu but basically they are meat of some sort and potato or dumplings or perhaps rice. You can get vegetables (frozen carrots and beans and broccoli) as a side dish but the waiter looks at you a bit strangely. So I decided to go to an Italian restaurant before I went to the opera. It wasn't until I was eating my meal that it occurred to me I was still eating the same; I had ordered gnocchi with chicken and spinach!
I'm delighted to find that their hot chocolate is Italian style. Not as thick, but definitely all chocolate. I had one in a lovely Art Nouveau cafe in the Municipal Buildings at Republic Square. Gorgeous place - photos coming!! *note how good I am getting at locations. I can even find my way around the old city without getting too lost now!
I've been drinking cheap glüwein several times a day, which is available at stalls wherever you wander in the city. It averages 40 crowns a cup which is $2. Not bad for something that warms you through. Cheaper and nicer than their coffee which I don't think they do particularly well.
One thing I didn't expect was that they still allow smoking in restaurants. They officially have non-smoking sections, but those of you who are old enough will know how useless that concept was. Luckily I haven't been too bothered by it. The restaurant that the hotel recommends (which offers a discount) obviously doesn't allow it, because I've seen patrons standing outside the door smoking.
I'm sitting at the moment in a lovely restaurant which has a jazz guitarist playing. Yes, I chose it for the live music. When you dine alone having 'company' is important, whether it's updating the blog or listening to some music or, in this case, both.
The dining alone hasn't bothered me except that I have to consciously slow down my eating. When you are with someone you tend to eat more slowly because you are also talking.
Tomorrow I have actually booked a table because most restaurants are closed on Christmas Eve. The traditional meal is carp, which has been available for sale on the streets. They have large tubs of water with the fish swimming around, and pull them out, kill and clean them on the spot. The restaurant I'm going to though, will have a la carte as well.
Also on the streets have been the Christmas food stalls. Glüwein, of course and a sweet bread trdnelnik which is created in a spiral on a hot iron rod then coated in sugar and cinnamon. A lot of kids wear it on their wrist like a bracelet while they eat it. Then there are various sausages, potato and cabbage, and very expensive ham which has been roasting on wood fueled spits next to the stall. I also saw some soup today.
There are also some stalls selling the traditional gingerbread. I haven't Ben tempted by any of the sweet things, although I did try a trdnelnik because I felt I should. It was ok, but I wouldn't rush back for a second one.    

Astronomical clock and church images

The three parts: apostles section (closed), astronomical clock and lower section with the days of the year, astrological symbols and Czech name days

Close up of the clock showing the different sections as well as the figures on the side

Inside the Hussite church 

You have to turn this sideways. This is the withered arm hanging from the ceiling of the St James Church

Tours (updated)

I took a tour out to Českŷ Šternberk castle. The tour is actually advertised as Karlštein Castle, but it is generally closed in the winter and they substitute with this one. It's not as scenic on the outside but much more interesting inside and I found the family history fascinating. The family changed their name to Šternberk (star on the hill) when it was fashionable to have German names, but they are one of the few surviving Czech noble families and have lived in the castle almost continuously since 1241. They still live on the first floor and the second floor is a museum of family belongings which is open to tour groups. The first thing that struck me was the array of etchings, up the staircase and covering many of the walls. One of the family a few generations back was a collector and it is an amazing historical collection predominantly of images of the 30 years war.
There were the usual painting of family members and hunting trophies, guns and swords, but there was also some lovely furniture, china, and a couple of unusual objects. In several of the rooms there were tall metal objects, painted to match the rooms. It turns out they were heaters, a bit like pot belly stoves but much bigger and without being able to see the fire. The access was from behind so that the floors didn't get dirty. In a study there was a painting of a tree on the wall, with a painting of each direct ancestor of the present Count. It was quite fascinating, partly because it also had their family crests. Another room also had some larger crests, and two caught my eye because the star (the mainly crest, hence the name) were on the right, indicating the female. It's the first time I've seen crests relating to the female in a house. These two women married kings so they would have had a higher status.

I did a World War II tour today. The young guy was hard to understand at first, but I think he was nervous and talking too fast. He went through the lead up to the war, with the annexation of parts of the country and then the eventual surrounding of it by the Germans to the point where they let them in or were wiped out. I hadn't realised that basically the English and French decided that the 'peace in our time' meant that parts of Czechoslovakia were disposable, without the Czechs having any say. They didn't realise or care that these were the areas that fortified the country and basically once Hitler controlled them, the country was doomed. We learnt about the assassination attempt on Heydrich, the Butcher of Prague, and the consequences of that including the total massacre of two villages. He also told a funny story which I suspect has been embellished over the years. Heydrich was a very accomplished violinist and wanted to put on a concert for Hitler at the Rudolphinum, a municipal hall turned concert hall on the banks of the river. It has statues of famous composers around the top, and apparently Heydrich ordered Mendelssohn's statue be removed because he was born Jewish. (Ironically he was never raised as a Jew.) The workmen didn't know which one it was so they were asked to find the one 'with the biggest nose'. They started destroying it, but it was actually of Wagner, Hitler's favourite composer.

One of the most interesting parts of the tour was exploring the cellars below the town hall. They were originally at ground level, so there are chambers below them as well, and also tunnels which connect most of the buildings around the Old Square. The resistance were holed up in there at the end of the war, when they made a stand against the Germans. The Town Hall was hit with missiles, damaging most of the largest wing. Some parts of the tower were repaired, including the spire and clock but they demolished the damaged wing and only a part of it still survives.
Most of the war damage in Prague was actually caused by Allied bombers who dropped bombs on the city thinking they were over Dresden. There are also still walls with stray holes from bullets etc but most have been covered over as facades have been repaired. The most obvious signs are on door facades which are harder to repair.
The Jewish Quarter now has small bronze plaques in the footpath at various points commemorating people who had lived there and were killed at various concentration camps. The Jewish Quarter was in a fairly swampy area, basically where the others didn't want to live. They were allowed a small area as a burial area, and were not allowed to increase this, so they dug down deep and over the centuries they buried the bodies on top of each other. In the small area over 100,000 bodies are buried, spanning over 500 years.
Surprisingly the Germans left the Jewish Quarter intact because Hitler was going to make it a museum to an extinct race.
In one of the synagogues they inscribed over 77,000 names of people who had died in the war. In 1968, when the Prague Spring was crushed the names were removed and the synagogue closed because of 'water damage'. After independence the names were put back. In another room are a number of children's paintings down by the children sent to the concentration camp Terezin. A woman at the camp had the children draw as a release for their emotions. They didn't draw torture though, they drew happy faces, playing games etc. Sadly, most of the children didn't survive. She buried the pictures wrapped safely, and told a friend. The woman didn't survive but the friend did, and when the camp was liberated she told the authorities who dug them up and had them preserved.

The only really 'modern' buildings in the Old town are in the Jewish Quarter - two buildings constructed by the Soviets. One is an Intercontinental Hotel which wouldn't look out of place in any western city, but certainly looks out of place here. They built it to show that they were bringing Prague into the present day, and to attract Westerners. The building across the road is even more 70s, and was the KGB headquarters, conveniently placed for spying on the people staying at the hotel!  Apparently when they renovated the hotel fairly recently they found all sorts of hidden microphones ad other devices. 

Instruments from the Royal College of Music museum

This odd instrument is effectively the precursor to the electric violin. The strings are played and the sound picked up and amplified by the horn. It was supposed to reduce the number of violins needed in an ensemble.

Inlaid wood. 

Beautifully decorated violins. Apparently their sound doesn't match their beauty.

London photos

Ornate saddle at the Tower of London 

Henry VIII's armour. Refer to my post ....

This one is for CC. It was at the exhibition at the Globe Theatre

Christmas lights photos

Photos at last

Standing guard

Changing the guard, Danish style

Copenhagen Photos

The photos are coming a couple at a time because the Internet here is slow.

The Little Mermaid

The ship hanging in the middle of the church

Prague

Prague has won the award for the most beautiful city I have been to so far. The old town, which is where I have spent most of my time, is full of beautiful buildings ranging from the 1300s through to the early 1900s (and a very few more modern ones from the Soviet time). The whole area is now World Heritage so none of the buildings can be changed on the outside. It is interesting that there is little visible damage from WWII or the Soviet invasion. Virtually every street I walk down has at least one building worth photographing. I'm staying in the old quarter, so I have been walking everywhere. The streets are quite confusing, but I have sorted my bearings between the hotel and the main areas now. I did a walking tour which took me from the Town Hall Square, past several churches and theatres, out to the Republic Square, back through the Jewish quarter, down to the river, which I still haven't crossed, and back to the square. It was a 'free' tour, you give a tip at the end, and was given by an guy from the US who is now living in Prague. He gave an entertaining tour, although it was oddly superficial. From comments made I don't think he has any religious knowledge or musical background, but he was happy to answer my questions, although asking the questions got increasingly harder as the temperature dropped and my face got colder. I've noticed that happen on both days now, it gets colder during the day! Town Hall Square is famous for its astronomical clock, the Orloj, which dates from 1410. It's the oldest still working, although the other parts above and below were added much later. On either side of the clock are figures representing evils: vanity, greed, death and pleasure. On the hour Death rings a little bell, the other figures' heads bob up and down, then two doors open above and the Apostles parade through. There are supposed to be 12 but some are being restored so we got 9. After that a golden cock above the clock crows once. Then from the top of the tower a (real) bugler sounded 4 times, once in each direction. There was quite a crowd each time I saw it, and apparently in the summer you have to be there a long time before to get a decent view. The town hall is where weddings take place and I have already seen two pairs heading in. I assume that weddings here, as in many European countries, are civil affairs. The Czech Republic seems to be a unusually godless place: a different guide told me that 1% are Christian Non-Catholic, about 10% Roman Catholic, and the rest worship money!! Certainly I am having difficulty finding a church near me to go to Midnight Mass, but they will be giving a version of it in the Town Hall Square with the Philharmonic Orchestra about 10:00pm. I imagine the square will be packed. Speaking of the 1%, there is a beautiful Baroque church in the square which was originally Catholic, St Nicholas, as it is still known, then Russian Orthodox, and is now Hussite which is the Czech Non-conformist church which is neither Catholic, nor Orthodox nor Protestant. Th church is very ornate, with a magnificent chandelier and wall and ceiling paintings. Nothing like a traditional Protestant church. Another church we went to St James the Greater, founded by King Wenceslas, which is famous for a legend of the thief. They had beautiful gold chalices etc in the church, all left on display. A man hid in the church until it closed then started gathering the church plate. He was about to leave when his eye was caught by the necklace around the statue of Mary, who was positioned with her hands in front praying. As he attempted to lift the necklace over her head, the statue came alive and she grabbed his wrist, holding him fast. He was found the next morning by the priests who sent for a saw to cut the arm off: his, not Mary's. As the last of the arm was being cut, the statue came alive again, returning the hands to the praying position. The thief fled in agony and the arm, now released, was kept to wither and petrify and now hangs in the church as a warning to thieves.

Changing the guards

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace, Christopher Robin went down with Alice. Alice is marrying one of the guards. "A soldier's life is terrible hard", says Alice.

It was going through my head like an ear worm. So I thought I should really go. Except that, they weren't changing the guard. Apparently in winter they only need to change every second day, and my last day in London wasn't one of them. But fortunately the Horse Guards do feel the need to change every day, so I jumped on the No 9 bus and headed down. I jumped off at Green Park so I could wander through and at least see Buckingham Palace. I loved the gates at the edge of the park but I must admit I was a little underwhelmed by the palace itself. A few police standing around, a couple of guards, lots of school kids, and lots of tourists taking photos of themselves. Ho hum. So I headed down through St James's Park to the Horse Guards. The park was lovely. I was thinking that Dad would have approved of the various beds because they provided a range of foliage and colour even though it was winter. It reminded me of some of the vistas you get at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. There were lots of birds in fenced off areas next to the lake and lots of grey squirrels running around. I was delighted to happen upon a sign indicating the site of the infamous Pagoda fire which features in a number of my Regency books. It had been set up as part of the Waterloo celebrations, with fireworks supposed to go off from it, but unfortunately a lantern set alight the whole building, which was built on a bridge across the lake, and the fireworks all went off prematurely. The people gathered thought it was part of the show, not realising there were people inside.
There's a bridge in the same spot and from it you can look down the lake to a collection of buildings which from a distance made me feel like I was in Italy. Lots of domes.
There was a small crowd for the Horse Guard changing. The old guard were lined up waiting, sitting perfectly still on beautiful black horses. The new guard came down the parade and into the square. They circled around and faced the old guard. There were various barked commands and swords moved up and down. At a signal from the bugler some of the new guard peeled off and went through the arch to the other side of the building. The leader of each guard then rode forward to the middle and started talking, and kept on talking. I wasn't the only one who lost interest in waiting until they had finished for the old guard to leave.
I am very impressed with the horses. They have to stand still for significant lengths of time, and put up with tourists coming over to stand next to them or even pat their nose. I wonder how long they are trained before they are allowed to be on duty? Perhaps they breed them for their placidity?
From there I journeyed on to Trafalgar Square and intended to get to Kensington Palace, but never did. Next time?

West end musicals

I couldn't visit London without at least one West End theatre experience. I managed two superb evenings. The first was Wicked which I hadn't seen in Melbourne. It has been running for many years at this theatre, but they seem to keep swapping performers and there was no hint of tiredness that you get with some long run shows. I got a last minute ticket and paid a bit more to get a great seat three rows from the front in the Circle. Great views and I was even luckier that there was no one in front. The performance was wonderful! Excellent singing, acting, and the props and effects were brilliant. I have to admit that I didn't even know the ending so I was taken by surprise, but really pleased. It has great music and the characters were really engaging. I did want to throw Glinda somewhere though.

The second show was Matilda which is a new musical based on the Roald Dahl book with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. Prue had seen it and told me I must go. At my first attempt at tickets I was told it was sold out for all the time I was remaining in London, but I tried at another booth and was told that I would be able to get one for that night at £80. I baulked at that, but decided that it was my only chance so I would pay. When he rang the theatre to check on seats they had one for £40. Yay! It was in the upper balcony but just to the left of the entry way in the middle so the view was good. The only downside was that most of the balcony seemed to be full of school kids. I suppose I should have expected it, but it seems a fairly extravagant school excursion. The row in front of me was full of little boys, about year 4 perhaps, who were mostly well behaved, although one further down the row started talking in the second part. No one was shutting him up so finally I leaned over and said shhhh very loudly. He looked across and I put my finger to my lips. He looked quite surprised that I was telling him off, but he did shut up.
The musical was fantastic. The stagecraft was brilliant, the performers, both child and adult were all excellent, the singing was clear, so important because the lyrics are very clever. The girl who played Matilda was amazing. I'm not sure how old she was, probably about 12. She was in almost every scene and had to go through a range of emotions as well as sing and dance, and she made it look effortless. The adults were delightfully over the top, without going too far. I loved the way the various props appeared and disappeared above and below the stage. As you can tell, I was captivated by the whole show. At no time did it lose its momentum and it remained faithful to the essence of the book while creating a genuinely new production. The delights continued right through to the bows at the end, and I was really pleased to see the musicians appear on stage for their bow as well.
When it comes to Melbourne it is a must see!!

Museums and galleries

For my last two days in London I had a number of places I wanted to see. Top of the list was the V&A . I wanted to see the collection as well as one of the special exhibitions: Ballgowns.  http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/ballgowns  it was great fun, but I really needed to have Alli with me to share the beautiful, the extraordinarily and the ugly.
V&A is a beautiful and huge museum and I really couldn't do it justice in the time I had so I had to choose a few galleries. The jewellery area was a 'must do' and I loved it. One of the amazing things I saw was a necklace from La Alberca, the little town where we stayed for our pueblo ingles program. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O144083/necklace-unknown/
I also wandered through the Arthur Sullivan rooms, which was an amazing collection of snuff boxes and other exquisite pieces, all donated to the gallery. There was a clock which was just extraordinary, which I'll put in the photos. There were also two whole rooms which were literally that: they had been moved out of houses which were being demolished. One was the Norfolk House music room http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/n/norfolk-house-music-room/  an extravaganza of cream and gold.
I wandered into the sculpture section, enjoying the marbles and bronzes then was blown away when I saw the huge galleries to the left and right including Trajan's column in two parts. (casts not originals) http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-trajans-column/  
After the V&A I walked literally across the street to the Natural History museum. Again I had to choose a part and I went for the Earth section, looking at earthquakes, geology and minerals, as well as a lovely array of jewels. It has a great collection of hands on exhibits including one where you can alter the flow of water to see the effect on the erosion pattern of the sand. It looked just like the sand at Tidal River where it meets the bay. The earthquake/volcano section looked at the Philippines, Vesuvius, and Japan. I always enjoy looking at minerals, especially the crystal formations. There was also a beautiful table top made from an array of Italian marble. The last section was an extensive collection of jewels, showing the different cuts and colours of various gems. It was fascinating to see the range of colours of gems we assume are a single colour eg. garnets.
The following day it was time for more art galleries, the National Gallery and the Royal Academy. Again I had to be selective. It was very hard, but I particularly love the Impressionists and Turner, Gainsborough and Constable so the gallery satisfied me completely. A random painting which caught my eye was the Citadel in Copenhagen, the military section Paul and I had walked around just days before. The painting was from the bridge we had walked across. Apparently the artist had lived there as a boy because his mother ran the bakery and he painted it for her. Without the visit to Copenhagen I would have walked by the painting completely. I also spent time in the Italian and French sections post Renaissance but was hoping to see more David. Perhaps his were in a different section.
Then the Royal Academy had a display of Constable and Turner and their influence, with particular emphasis on engravings. I'm not really into engravings but the comparison between painting and engraving was interesting.
All the museums and galleries I have been to have had students in them. It's really pleasing to see them being utilised, and from a young age. There was a group of kids today who looked like they were in about Grade 2. I suspect that many wouldn't have parents who would take them to galleries, so it's great to see the schools doing it. Having free access is vital, I believe.  

Cambridge

I went up to Cambridge to visit Zoe Wyatt who finished at PLC a few years back and is studying maths. She met me in the market square and showed me some of the sights including her college which has the distinction of having the second longest corridor in Europe. Then I wandered back into the town to visit the King's College Chapel and have a punt ride on the River Cam. Not really the weather for it - even with a blanket and hot water bottle my hands were very cold, because I kept taking them out to take photos. The attraction of the ride is that you get to see the bridges and the backs of colleges, as most of the colleges own the land along the river and you can't access it unless you are in the college. It was very scenic, and the student doing the punting gave an informative and  entertaining commentary about the colleges on the way down and the bridges on the way back. Highly recommended.

Kings College chapel had an amazing array of stained glass windows, which were created over a period of 25 years, which I consider to be a short time in Cathedral terms. Henry VI created the College and ordered the chapel to be built, but it took sometime to be completed, with each of the following kings adding their bit. Henry VIII had an enormous screen carved with his initials and Anne Boleyn's (before she fell out of favour). In the side chapel area there was a section on Henry VI who was Sainted. A map showed all the miracles which had supposedly happened in his name across the country. I don't remember learning about that in History at all.

Copenhagen

This weekend I flew from London to Copenhagen and back so that I could attend a concert by Ars Nova Copenhagen entitled Christmas in the North, which was also being broadcast by the European Broadcasting Commission as part of their arts program. Why this concert? My 'extra son' and very talented tenor Paul Bentley is in the 12 person ensemble and it was my one chance to hear him sing over in Europe.
I flew across Saturday morning on a delayed flight due to heavy snowfall in Copenhagen delaying the incoming flight. On arrival Paul met me and after dumping my bag we wandered down to the very picturesque harbour where we enjoyed some gluwein at the small Christmas market. Paul had also organised for us to attend a concert that afternoon of a choir, soloist and flutes, harp and organ. The location was one of the many inner city churches and an interesting church because it had a model of a ship hanging in the nave. Apparently a number of the churches do this, connected to Copenhagen being a port city. All of the pews were boxed, and there was a balcony section as well, where some people chose to sit. It didn't seem a good choice though because they were often standing during the performance, leaning over for a better view. The concert was a lovely combination of classical pieces, some short songs and some hymns which the whole audience sang. Even me, a bit, but very quietly.  Listening to classic carols sung in Danish was fun.
On Sunday morning we again wandered the city, heading up to the famous Little Mermaid sculpture. Just before we reached it there was a military complex which is surrounded by a raised hill,w which is surrounded by canals. The land on which the complex sits is star shaped and people are able to walk through the complex or go up on to the embankment and walk around the edge. It's a favourite place for joggers, a bit like doing the tan track.  The view from the embankment was great, giving views across the harbour and city and down into the half frozen canals. The statue was everything I expected, and reminded me of the difference between Hans Christian Andersen's actual story and the Disneyfied version which completely changed the ending. It also seemed appropriate to be there in the week when a manuscript of one of his first stories has just been found.  As we wandered back into the city, we went through some gardens attached to a palace. The paths were very icy and slippery - it was easier to walk on the grass, still partly covered by snow. Approaching the palace, I could hear music. It turned out to be a military band with soldiers marching out of the complex, heading into town. I caught up with them later, in the square when the opera house is. There is obviously an official building there, which was guarded by soldiers with busbees standing outside little shelters. I felt like I had strayed back to London. With much ceremony the flag was taken into the building and the band started up again and the soldiers headed off. My other close miss with Royalty was when we were near the church where they were going to perform, but earlier when the service was on. A car pulled up, with a crown number plate and chauffeur. Perhaps Mary herself was in the service. We didn't linger in the cold to find out.
While Paul was rehearsing/doing sound checks I went back across to another church, circular with a magnificent dome. Paul tells me it has the best acoustics of all of them. It is also stunning to look at, and I was pleased that it enforced a rule 'this building is for quiet and meditation, no guiding inside' .
And so to the concert. The songs were organised under themes which were introduced via short readings and a short piece of plainsong. I knew many of the songs, and some were sung in English, but they had been arranged by the conductor and had some interesting twists and embellishments. It is interesting that a group of 12 can have more complex harmonies and often better volume than a group twice the size. I also appreciated the enjoyment the singers had in their own performance. You could see them watching and listening to each other, and enjoying the solos or parts where others were singing.
I was able to retreat into the hall afterwards to drink some gløgg (like gluwein but stronger!) and was made to feel very welcome.

Churches and Palaces

I've been to the two great churches, St Paul's and Westminster Abbey. Both were fascinating in different ways. At the Abbey it was the history which attracted me. The tombs of the Kings, of Elizabeth and Mary and the politics of their placement and the plaques of famous people, especially in the Poet's corner. At St Paul's it was the beauty that surprised and overwhelmed me. I didn't realise it was so richly decorated with mosaics. Their sparkle and the brilliance of the colour can't possible be captured on a photo (not allowed anyway) or a postcard. I sat a few days later at evensong and revelled in their beauty as the choir's voices reverberated through the quire, dome and nave.  I went up into the Whispering Gallery, which gave a magnificent view, but the other sections weren't open so I wasn't able to get out to the top view.
I also visited the St George Chapel at Windsor. Gay Knox and I spent the day at Windsor. She had been there years before, but was happy to revisit it. We saw the extraordinary huge Dolls House with its amazingly detailed interior. Apparently even the toilets flush, although they have turned off the water. There were lots of galleries and rooms with paintings, china, furniture and silverware. One set of china that caught my eye was fashioned after Greek pottery. The plates had designs from famous vases and the serving bowls etc were shaped like the vases. Apparently it isn't used because there is a suggestion that lead was used in the decoration. There were two long entertaining rooms. The Wellington room was lined with paintings of important British and foreign dignitaries all painted after Waterloo at the Peace talks. The table in there sat about 60 but that pales into insignificance compared to the other one where they recently sat 150. This room has all the heraldry of the Knights of the Garter on the ceiling, and their names listed on wood panels in the window alcove. Some of the crests have been whited out, because they had their title stripped due to various reasons - treason etc. It was entertaining to identify the number of one of them, then go to the list to find out who they were. This room was one that had been damaged in the fire, and has been beautifully restored. We went through several other rooms which were restored, one of which was set up with Victorian Christmas decorations. In one of the other rooms a printing had been removed for an exhibition in London. The guide was saying that it is difficult when paintings are removed at random for various reasons. They have to find others to fill the gap. As an example, the three Rembrants in the previous room had been put there because the usual paintings were on a tour somewhere. Imagine having three spare Rembrants in your store room.
The St George Chapel is dedicated to the Knights of the Garter and in the quire each of the present knights has a stall. When they are installed it is literally that - placed in a stall in the quire. The back panel has a metal plaque with their details, and those of all the previous knights who used that stall. They are never removed so some of the panels are quite full! Above them hangs a flag with their heraldry symbol. Of course, many don't actually have a family one, so they go to the Heraldry institute and have one designed. The one for Maggie Thatcher was surprisingly royal in appearance, 'for the daughter of a grocer' as the guide reminded me, and John Major's had a 3 pronged portcullis with three red circles at the top, representing cricket balls on a wicket!! Their stalls are allocated according to which becomes vacant when a person dies. There was some quiet amusement I suspect when it turned out that Maggie Thatcher and Ted Heath ended up next to each other.  

London 2

My feet have got very sore from all the standing and walking, so the first few days in London I decided to get the hop on/off bus to ease the feet. So on Sunday I got on the bus and just let it take me around all the main sites, while listening to the commentaries. Some have live commentary, some prerecorded, broadcast in different languages that you listen through headphones.  The live ones are more entertaining, the prerecorded more detailed. It was a good way of getting a visual picture of the layout and matching it with the map. It gave a river cruise as part of the package so I got off at the Tower of London then caught the river cruise back up to the Houses of Parliament.
The highlight of The Tower was definitely the Crown Jewels exhibition. The quantity and quality of the gems in the crowns, sceptres etc is simply staggering. The Coronation robes were interesting, partly because a new stole was made for the present Queen. I have an image of a King or Queen in a couple of generations so weighed down by the various pieces that have become traditional that they can hardly walk. I was looking at the long train on the cloak, magnificently embroidered, and could see the rose, thistle and shamrock and suddenly wondered, what about the Welsh? At the same time, I overheard the same thought being shared between a mother and teenage daughter. So we approached one of the guards. She was happy to talk to us about it, after checking that we weren't Welsh! On the new stole there are leeks and the dragon, both Welsh symbols. She also wondered about the cloak but was told that a symbol that looks like a bent fleur de lis on the cloak is actually the three feathers, another Welsh symbol.
I was also fascinated by the 'graffiti' in the room where many famous prisoners had been held. Some of the coats of arms were beautifully detailed, apparently done by stonemasons brought in by the prisoners. The White tower display of armour and weapons was also interesting. I was struck by the sheer size of Henry VIII's armour. The 'codpiece' was equally huge, and a small boy near by was fascinated by it, much to his father's embarrassment. Some of the armour was extraordinarily beautiful: gilded, engraved etc. This was particularly true of any made for young princes.
It was getting dark as we made our way upriver, and it's a lovely sight. One of the big buildings is lit in blue and green, and the main public buildings are floodlit.
The architecture is magnificent but I have found photography challenging here because of the monumental size of so many of the buildings. To fit them in and have a reasonable perspective you have to be some distance away and then you lose the detail.

London transport

I bought an oyster card when I first arrived in London and it has been brilliant. Easy clock on and off with the tube, and clock on only with buses. I've found the city transport system easy to navigate, and there have only been a few occasions when it has been sardine packed. It is all well signposted, transfers between platforms are smooth and services run every couple of minutes. The only time I fell foul of it was travelling to Gatwick to head to Dublin. I had allowed 15 minutes for the changeover but didn't realise that there were two distinct sections at Victoria, the underground and the above ground. Then I couldn't find where to pick up my ticket, and then I had to find the platform. In the end I missed my train by about 30 seconds - it was pulling out as I got to the platform. Aarghh I thought. I had an advance ticket which are only valid on a particular train, and was facing having to buy another, much more expensive ticket. I asked the porter on the platform what I should do, and he said, catch the next train and explain to the ticket inspector, and hopefully he will let you off. I confessed to the inspector and he smiled and said that given my accent, he understood and it was fine. The train wasn't exactly busy; there were only 2 other people in my carriage. I learned my lesson after that and allowed plenty of time for platform changes.
I've tended to use trains rather than buses, but Gay and I used the buses to travel across the river to her place near an extraordinary place called the Elephant and Castle. It's a double 'circle' more an octagon perhaps and the buses radiate from in to all parts of the city. Virtually every second vehicle going through is a bus.

I also signed up for the Barclays bikes otherwise known as Boris's Bikes. It's very cheap as long as you put the bike back at a rack within half an hour, but unlike other places with this system, you have to wait 5 minutes before you can get out another bike. It's a bit annoying. They are also very heavy and fairly clunky to ride. But the biggest issues are the lack of daylight, and the lack of rideable bike paths. They exist, but are often also bus lanes or clogged with parked cars. The roads in London aren't very wide to start with and the traffic is horrendous so I haven't used the bikes as much as I thought I would. They were useful though for the trip back from the shops to Holland Park, where I had figured out a route through the back streets. There are lots of cyclists prepared to brave the traffic though.

London

I've been very slow putting these posts together, for various reasons, so they aren't in any particular chronological order. When I arrived back in London from Dublin I think I hit a wall in travelling and it took me a few days to get back into gear. I've been staying at Youth Hostels, first at Holland Park and now at St Paul's. They are great because they are cheap, centrally located and not as lonely at hotels. The downside can be the irritating woman you keep running into, and the school groups reminding you of another life, and the alarm going off in the bed above you at 5:30 and again at 5:45 and again at 6:00 ....
But the breakfasts are hearty and I'm still surviving on two meals a day.
The London Parks are lovely, even in the winter. I've wandered through Holland Park, and my favourite part was the Kyoto garden. It reminded me of the lovely Japanese garden at the Melbourne Zoo. Except for the grey squirrels who were sizing me up and I was convinced were about to run up my leg. Do London's children grow up traumatised by them the way I was by black swans due to Lake Windermere at Ballarat? There were peacocks there as well. One was flashing his tail at the pigeons. Hmmm. Go away? Look how much better I am?
As I wandered through Kensington gardens I encountered the huge monument dedicated to Prince Albert and realised why the Royal Albert Hall is called that! I went past the monument again with Jo Dee, an ex-student who is studying at the Royal College of Music which is next to Royal Albert Hall. She gave me a tour of the College, including the museum filled with an amazing array of instruments and some fascinating manuscripts. The library there is extraordinary, with virtually any sheet music you could possibly need. We went into the performance hall and were able to eavesdrop on some of the opera students rehearsing as well.
There are so many museums, galleries, palaces and other attractions that I have found it hard to prioritise. I spent a couple of hours in the British Museum in the Egyptian/Greek section. It was mind blowing. The sheer volume of stuff, the monumental size of some of it, and the feeling that most of the treasures of the Mediterranean had been plundered and placed in the British museum. The room filled with pieces from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World, was the one that really threw me. I am also sure that for every piece on display they have several in storage. In the Greek section there was an excellent sequential series of rooms on pottery, then there was the upstairs gallery with some of the 'spare' pots, filling 3 rooms! It would be nice to think that they could share them around the world. I'll go back another time to see some other sections.
A small but fascinating gallery was Handel House, where Handel lived. It still had some of his furniture, paintings and manuscripts, and there were two harpsichords there. One of the rooms is a rehearsal room; they do concerts in the house as well. A young duo were playing harpsichord and violin. Sitting in a window seat listening was a real highlight. Oddly Jimi Hendrix lived in the same house for a while, so there was a room dedicated to him as well.
I also enjoyed the Duke of Wellington's House, Apsley House, near the Hyde Park corner. It's decorated in the Georgian/Regency style and filled with family treasures, particularly paintings and china. The Duke was given huge collections of china, silverware and swords after the Battle of Waterloo from grateful Heads of State all over Europe. He also had a huge statue of Napoleon next to the staircase; the only place big enough to contain it. Apparently Napoleon didn't like the statue when it was done. It's in the classical style, with him semi naked, and he thought it made him look too handsome and didn't fit in with his Conquerer of Europe image. The house was given to the Government by the present Duke's father on condition that they could maintain a part of it as a private residence. Clever move really - they still have a London residence, but the government pays for the upkeep of the building.  In one of the reception rooms a group of suitably clad performers were singing some Christmas carols with audience participation, then the musician played a tune on a tin whistle. A couple of little girls enjoyed that, twirling around, dancing their hearts out.  

Bog bodies

This one had had his legs removed

Close up showing the hair and if you look carefully you can see some chin hair

Only the torso was there

Hand detail