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.