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Czech Telecom
Andrew had already posed in a "old style" phone booth in Cesky Krumlov. Here in Prague, we add a more modern unit to the photo collection. We slept in and lounged about the apartment for a while in the morning. Andrew and John picked up breakfast from a local pastry shop and we ate at home at a leisurely pace. We chose to explore the New Town and Wenceslas Square first. We browsed extensively during the short walk to the square, stopping for some time in a very brightly colored and entertaining store that featured a great array of practical objects, artistically decorated. We purchased a new salt shaker featuring a wind-up motor and wheels which will make “pass the salt” a lot more fun. Despite being the “new town” there is a lot of history in Wenceslas square. It was the site of many mass protests including ones in the 1960’s that were brutally put down by the Soviets and one’s in 1989 that led to the end of communist rule. In the 1960’s, Soviet bullets pock-marked the beautiful Národní Museum at the top of the square. Afterwards, repairs were ordered to remove evidence of the bloody events, but in true Czech style, the workers used materials that dried to a very different color than the existing stone, leaving clear reminders that remain visible to this
Sonia in Wenceslas Square
The "Marks & Spencer" in the background featured significantly in the large rallies on the square in 1989. During what is called the "Velvet Revolution" Vaclav Havel gave a speech from the existing balcony using the sound system from a music group to project his voice. day. Following along the wide boulevard, we stopped in at some of the shopping areas off the main road. Two that we entered looked completely non-descript from the outside, but featured some fabulous internal spaces with beautiful windows, staircases, ceilings and a wild bit of sculpture. We stopped for snacks and investigated a tranquil public garden nestled in between the buildings, a nice respite from the busy boulevard outside, and then wandered farther down Na Příkopě with intent to find the Museum of Communism. The museum was not at first obvious so we followed guidebook directions to look for it ironically located between a McDonalds and a casino. The museum was small but informative and we sat for a while and watched a compelling 20-minute movie on the 1968 and 1989 uprisings which was effective enough to evoke some questions from the children about the role of the police. Outside, Andrew identified a structure made of hand painted bricks and determined that for a small fee (for charity) he could paint a brick and add it to the sculpture, which he did, leaving the Jacobsen name and a drawing of a slug as a marker of himself in Prague. We
National Museum
Note the light-colored marks on the vertical columns. These repairs were supposed to eliminate evidence of the bloody suppression of the 1968 uprising, but the Czechs that made the repairs purposefully chose materials that continue to show (and remind) to this day. had seen all we needed to in this part of town and decided to check out part of the Little Quarter, across the river. We crossed the Legions Bridge and took the funicular railway (part of the city’s normal metro system) to the top of the hill. The weather which had been lovely all day, was beginning to turn and things had taken a notable turn for the worse during our short ride up the hill. It was overcast and windy as we made our way to Petrin tower (a smaller scale tower modeled on Paris’ Eiffel tower). We climbed to the top, getting blown about in very strong gusts of wind (making the climb especially enjoyable for some) to enjoy the spectacular 360 degree views of the city from the top of the tower. Cold and tired, we took a tram back to our apartment for a rest before dinner. We had made reservations at Celeste, located in the “dancing buildings” designed by Frank Gehry. Dinner was very upscale, in a beautiful modern dining room with views of the river and the castle as well as very attentive service. The menu was challenging, but we all found something delicious
Comrade-Telecom
Andrew poses with communist-era phone booth in the Museum of Communism. to eat and even the kids cleaned their plates. Afterwards we hustled home in the cool evening air and were soon in bed.
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