Lights! Camera! Doors!

Okay, mostly hardware. I can't get enough of door hardware. I love it! Today the sun was high and the skies were clear so Rich and I hopped the tram up to the castle complex. We started at St. Vitus Cathedral and worked our way back down to the metro. Rich was seriously patient with me. It's never enough to get one picture. I've got to get the big picture, the close-ups and then maybe something playful.

So many doors are stand-alone works of art. I get giddy just thinking about all of the magnificent hardware in Prague! The last time I had this much fun taking pictures was in Venice.

Sometimes people react to my picture-taking. At the cathedral, they started to notice the doors and take pictures, too. To think I have inspired others to adore the beauty of door hardware!

much music

The Spring Music Festival is nearly over I believe and yet there seems to always be some kind of festival of music or other entertainment going on. Rich and I attended a jazz concert in a room in one of the castle complex buildings. The band was from New York. I didn't get a program so I have no idea who they were or what the building name was, but it sure was magnificent. Floating chandeliers and gold painted plaster ornamentation created a sumptuously wicked atmosphere for the smooth sounds of a saxophone and the tinklings of the piano. So much brass, such high ceilings! Kudos to Rich for the picture.

don't be afraid of monsters...

Is it any wonder I've woken in the morning feeling as though I was beaten in my sleep? What kind of people carve doors like this? Believe it or not, this is from the door leading to the courtyard of the chateau or zamek where the wedding was held on Sunday. Everything else was charming and beautiful, and then there was this door. Of course I was immediately drawn to it and took multiple photos. This was the scariest. Not so scary in daylight. After all, as I was reading in my bathroom book, there are no monsters to be afraid of, only men. What? You don't have a bathroom book? No, really, everyone reads in the bathroom. I wish not to comprehend otherwise. So go get a book!

pretty patterns pull me

If you click on the pic you can view it full size. We have a street lamp right outside our kitchen window. This means our flat has the most fabulous shadows at night. I was so thrilled with these patterns I decided to give a go and try to capture it. What do you think of it?

Willful Wedding

We went to a wedding today - the first day in a week it hasn't rained! It was warm, especially in the glorious sunshine, and the zamek where it was held was very beautiful. Honza, the groom, was Rich's student four or more years ago and they became friends. Honza and Lucka, the bride, have been together for years so this wedding was well anticipated. They bought a new house together outside of Prague and opted to have their honeymoon pre-wedding! They are a very happy couple and it is delightful to see how kind they are to each other.

Winning and Losing

In the old city you will find beggars like this one. They have perfected the art and as I dropped my change into his box I couldn't help but notice how generous people had been - there were 50 koruny pieces in there. What they understand that the street people in Philly don't seem to, is that no-one wants to have to look at them directly. By bending over he ensures that I never have to make eye contact with him if I don't want to. It's very passive and apparently effective, especially for tourists on holiday. It can't be fun though. Every city has dispossessed street people and Prague is no exception.

Quietly Queuing

In the rain on Sunday at St. Vitus Cathedral there were still tour groups and some straggling independent tourists. I thought the line of umbrellas was fun. It's a shame no-one had a polka-dot umbrella. A few people were wearing those sheer emergency plastic raincoats that sound like plastic bags stuck in a tree branch during a storm. It's better than wet I suppose.

You didn't hear lots of laughter and chatter and there weren't many children, but a choir did perform on the cathedral steps despite the drizzle. I thought this doorhandle captured the mood. I was delighted, but then again, I don't mind the rain if I'm warm.

Powder Power

The Powder Tower (yes they stored gunpowder there) in the castle complex had such interesting windows in the wall. It looked down onto a green valley - the very same one where I discovered the delightful statue already posted in this blog. I also found a fabulous snail.

I almost stepped on the snail and my foot stomp caused it to hide in its shell. So I squatted down and waited for her to feel comfortable again and begin to move. Would you know, people walked right past me without so much as a glance to the snail? I would have wondered why someone was squatting and holding her camera in the middle of a path. No such curiousity inspired these passerby.

energized

It is Sunday and it rained all day. So I just had to. I had to take the tram up to St. Vitus Cathedral to see if the gargoyles were spouting. Actually, they were drooling. I'd post a picture, but my camera is the dial-click, off the shelf variety and you won't get much effect from a thumbnail. The joy was that I got to go touristing alone for hours with my camera (and raincoat and umbrella, of course).

I'll post other pictures of the trip, but this one just couldn't wait. The rain let up and there wasn't even drool for me to consider so I sauntered around the castle complex. I headed down a trail into a green valley. And there he was. Raw, powerful movement. A large statue carved from stone. You almost wouldnt notice it until you are right in front of it. Or all over it as in my case. I was just so delighted by it I had to see every angle.

I won't bore you with all the detail photos, but I can hope these two photos convey some of the potent and dramatic movement of such a solid figure. Sculpture, greenery, the damp scents of spring, gothic in all its macabre and massiveness. Bliss.

Exploring the flat...

There is wisdom in turning as often as possible from the familiar to the unfamiliar: it keeps the mind nimble, it kills prejudice, and it fosters humor. -George Santayana, philosopher (1863-1952)

relaxed

We have internet in our flat again!! Once again I am enjoying the charm of my room as I work. I've provided a playful picture to give you a sense of my satisfaction. Once again I gaze outside on the secret garden visited only by a pampered pup. Of course now it's so warm I can have the window open. Ahhh, what bliss!

internet limbo

As we are STILL in between internet service providers we have had the good fortune to have our benevolent landlord lend us his flat with internet service while he is away for a few days. The picture is the view from his window. It’s an easy walk from our flat and a relief from the caffeine of the café!

The weather has turned here and it has been beautifully warm and sunny. We are enjoying it while we can. Unfortunately I woke up Sunday morning with the most incredibly painful back. There was no comfortable position. It seems unjust that even though I exercise, stretch, and practice yoga and pilates I should have back issues. It really makes me wonder what I must be doing in my sleep!! Thankfully today I am much improved with just some residual soreness - nearly back to my limber self.

So we’ve been spending a lot of time in cafes offering free wi-fi and visiting with friends. We had a delightful dinner last night right in the heart of the city. The food was extraordinary! Rich's friend has his own chef and he is worth his weight in gold – he is charming, fun and can do fabulous things with food. He lives in a lovely flat on the same street as many of the embassies. We ate on the verandah and he tells us that sometimes the German ambassador waves from the building next door.

Viewing Visions

Is this a beautiful view? Visions of lavender are everywhere! All of the parks have it and so many homes. The smell is magnificent right now. This view is from our bedroom windows. ahhh. Unfortunately, I am missing the lovely views I get while I work because we have no internet access at the apartment. It means spending time in darkened cafes that have free wif-fi, oh my.

Happy Holiday

We woke up on Thursday, May 1st and there was no internet. Considering *all* of my work is on the internet, that's a problem. So we packed up our laptops and walked to a cafe that has free wi-fi. Except that May 1 is May Day and none of the cafes were open. So guess who took a holiday? Me! I wandered about in the sun that afternoon and enjoyed not working. Ahhh. This pic is Namiesti Miru reflected in a dessert place across the street from the square.

Rudolfinum Hall

Oh, for my vanity! Always I am attracted to reflections. We went to hear our friends' son perform - he was singing with a choir and a full orchestra. The acoustics in Rudolfinum Hall were wondrous!