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Saved: September 26th 2012
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Prague Here we are, last day of our trip, in Prague. It is dreary and rainy, the rainiest we've seen it the entire trip. Prague is stunningly beautiful, eclectic and diverse. The architecture changes from building to building as we walk up to Old Town, through more cobblestone streets and the Tower Gate that marks the center of the tourist area. Our guide leads us through passages, narrow streets and out into a large square, pointing out important buildings and sites along the way. The thing I am most interested to see is the Astrological Clock, we will be watching it strike 10am. The Astrological Clock is one of a kind, installed in the early 15th century, seriously damaged during World War II, and restored to its current condition and working order by 1948. The clock tells the time, the date, the season, the moon phase and the current astrological sun sign. It is a remarkable feat of engineering and is a joy to watch. At the hour, a skeleton begins to ring a gold bell, next the skeleton (representing Death) is a Turk, representing pleasure. On the opposite side of the clock is Vanity, looking at himself in a
mirror, and next to him is Greed, holding bags of gold. Above the clock face are windows, where a procession of the twelve Apostles appear during the striking of the hour. When the hour finishes, a golden rooster crows, and the entire process ends with a trumpeter in the tower window, heralding the new hour.
We leave the square to visit the Prague Opera House, where Mozart premiered two operas, including his Don Giovanni. We are serenaded by a quartet form the opera's orchestra. We head back out to the Marionette Theater, where we watch a show based on Don Giovanni. At the end of the show, we get to examine the marionettes more closely and I actually got to hold a couple of them. They are very heavy!
Tom and I leave the group to head into the Jewish Quarter, where we stop for a bite to eat at the Franz Kafka Cafe, and are treated to yet another rude and too busy to be bothered with us waiter. The rain comes and goes as we wander back through the Old Town, shopping and people watching. We head over to the Mucha Museum, to see displays of
the artist, Alphonse Mucha, one of the most prolific producers of Art Nouveau posters, stained glass, architecture, jewelry and textiles. His talent is remarkable and he has always been one of my favorites.
We go back to the hotel to clean up and get ready for our final evening with the group, a tour and concert at the Lobkowicz Palace. The Lobkowicz Family was a very wealthy and powerful influence in Prague, until they were run out of the country by the Nazis during WWII. Their descendants have reclaimed the family holdings, including two castles, and much of the art and other treasures of the family that were confiscated by the Nazis.
After the tour, we head out with the Decs to The Imperial Hotel's Restaurant, an Art Deco delight. The tiled walls and wonderful light fixtures are as much of a delight as their food. I tried Dill Soup, ambrosia! One of our nicest evenings of the trip, we even loved the faucets in the bathrooms! We walk back to the hotel and say our goodbyes; Ellen and Walt are leaving early in the morning to pick up their rental car and drive to Strasbourg, then on
Toy Shop
Marionettes are a big item in Prague to Italy for a visit with their daughter and her family. We have an early shuttle to the airport for our 11:55 flight.
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