Sun., 7.22.18 Prague Immersion
- Jul 22, 2018
- 3 min read
Above is a shot of the Prague Castle property with the spires of St. Vitus in the background.
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Sunday morning we met for breakfast at the Hilton cafe, a bustling venue with pushy tourists and an overly attentive staff ("Are you done with that?" asks the young man referring to a half-full plate.) We joined the Viking group and took a bus to a launching spot on the other side of the bridge. Our guide was solemn and talkative for the next three hours as we wove our way through the Old Town to the Prague Castle property.
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The main square of Prague was loaded with touring groups, musicians, and novelty acts. It's quite large and very beautiful, flanked on all four sides with stunning architecture and featuring a large monument (The Jan Hus Memorial) in the center surrounded by flowers and seating to keep people out. In the image below, you can see a group of six musicians, middle right, who were playing American jazz.
The Old Town Hall is the site of the famous Prague Orlaj, or Astronomical Clock. Sadly, the clock is under construction (as most of this part of Europe seems to be) and we had to make do with some decorated staging canvas and a lame video shown on the hour to the all of the crestfallen tourists.
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The Town Hall had much more to offer we found out. For a small admission fee, we were able to take in the city from the top of the tower. What a view of this magnificent day! Here are some of the bird's eye shots I took:
We were not the only ones who enjoyed this beautiful backdrop. An Asian photographer, his assistant, and a model dressed as a bride took over one of the turrets for a photo shoot.
We marched on through the old city with its pedestrian alleys, stores, and cafes.
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The tour continues across the Vltava River, over the famous Charles Bridge. We boarded the bus again to drive up to Prague Castle, high on the hill. The seat of government is located here, so there was a heavy military presence, with both symbolic guards and armed guards.
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Above, the Charles Bridge with the Old City in the background. Below, a shot of the castle property (up on the hill) taken from the bridge.
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The tour ended at Lobkowicz Palace, where we had arranged for another excursion. Eight of us were taken to a private dining room where we were served a luncheon that included salad, goulash, beer or wine, and dessert. Two other couples also signed up for this tour, one couple from Tennessee and the other from California (originally New York).
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After lunch, we took a tour of the Lobkowicz Family's collection of art and other possessions, including instruments and manuscripts. Twice during the last century, the Lobkowiczes were forced out of their home and country- during World War II and during the Communist regime. The family rule and influence dates back to the 14th century. They were generous patrons of the arts and supported Hayden, Beethoven, and Mozart. Joseph Maximillion made his greatest impact on the musical world as a patron of Beethoven, who dedicated several major works to him, including the 3rd (Eroica), 5th, and 6th (Pastoral) symphonies. On display currently is original handwritten manuscripts, including Mozart's own transcription of Handel's Messiah.
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My favorite part of this afternoon was the private concert we had in the palace. Three local musicians performed for approximately 30-45 minutes (with a program that included _?_ ). I had a front row seat to this amazing, heart-stopping, goose-bumping display of talent and passion. Amazing. So very grateful to have been awarded this spectacular gift of music in this magnificent room.
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What an exciting day!
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We went back to the Hotel of Hilton to freshen up and then, not hungry for another big meal, took an Uber back to the old city to a small pizza place called Giallorossa.. The Uber driver expressed his puzzlement, "Why do you want to come here? How do you know about this place?' He was kind of cranky anyway, claiming that he is a taxi driver, but is quitting Uber the next day. But, I'm not sure what his issue was with the spot we found online. We sat by the window, the service was great, and the pizza was absolutely deliciouso!
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Above, Kerry and Steve settling the bill at Giallorossa, taken from across the street.
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Thus we ended our first full fabulous day in fabulous Prague!
Děkuji, Prague!
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