Parting Glances

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Today I leave beguiling Prague and head to Budapest, another city I expect I will fall for (I am easy that way!). As always, I wish I had more time. But there’s never enough…

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I spent much of my final full day walking, circumscribing a large loop around the central core of Prague. While I can’t say I went to the outer reaches, I did traverse territory that is typically not covered by most tourists. I started in Vyšehrad, the remains of a castle along the Vtlava, the legendary birthplace of the city. The main reason I came was to poke around the cemetery within the complex, which is “home” to some of the most famous Czech composers and artists - Dvořák, Smetana, and Alfons Mucha, among others. But the views from the ramparts were lovely, and the gardens peaceful. Czech families strolled under the trees and drank beer at the outdoor cafes.

From Vyšehrad, I ambled north to Charles Square (a park really…Prague seems to have a number of “squares” that aren’t really squares!), and then turned towards the neighborhood of Vinohardy. Much of the way took me through a more workaday, less polished Prague. It was sort of nice to see that there are “normal” parts of the city. Not every building has to have ornate sculptural details after all! But parts of Vinohardy, once neglected during the communist era, are now coming back as chic addresses at which to live. The streets, with their faded sense of glory, are in various stages of facelifts, many now rivaling those in the town center.

But my focus in Vinohardy was on two buildings, of utterly different style and purpose. First, there was the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord, a controversial early twentieth-century creation of the Slovene architect Joe Plečnik, whose work I became a fan of when I visited Ljubljana a few years ago. Love it or hate it, it’s definitely unique - a tall, almost tombstone shaped central tower with an enormous glass fronted clock. Second, there was the nearby, and perhaps more controversial structure, the communist era TV Tower. It’s an enormous, 80’s futurist monster that looms above the city. But this thing, which could be a bit oppressive, is defanged by yet another Černý installation - the utterly bizarre addition of ten huge babies crawling up and down the outside of the tower. I leave you to ponder the meaning of that….

Prague is a mystery, a wonderful, wonderful mystery.

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Comments

[Ashley]

Memories
Hey, I loved Prague - If I had know you were going there I would have given you a few tips. One of them being attend the concerts - especially in the concert hall - even the churches open their doors and have concerts in the evenings. Budapest is lovely - find the caves on the side that does not have the castle - they are a fun silly thing to do. Take a dip in the hot springs (much better and nicer than aguas calientes.

[Gavin Plumley]

Composer's Graves
Ah... another cemetery addict. And so marvellous that you saw some of the 'cubist' architecture. There's a fabulous example quite near the Staroměstské náměstí with a black madonna on the outside of the building. I was once kissed by a bellboy from the Four Seasons there. http://entartetemusik.blogspot.com/