The south gardens

I like gardens. A lot. So this morning, our last weekend before we leave, Rich and I trekked on out to the castle - again! We headed directly to the south gardens. What a day! The sunshine was bright and the temperature very mild. Lovely. Really, really. So many gardens. So little time.

All you get is the brochure

Our friends invited us to come with them to a party so we did. It was on an estate our hosts rennovated and were continuing to rennovate. They invite artists to stay in this delightful setting and then ask that in return the artists perform. And they did.

So five musicians picked their favorite music to play and performed for a delighted audience of 15-20 people. They played Mozart and Tchaikovsky but they also played some Icelandic classical rap(!) and other very fun and impressive pieces.

And as you will notice from the picture, I forgot to bring my camera :-(

Sgraffito

Near Prague castle is a palace, among many. It is a bit above the castle and is decorated with sgraffito. Many buildings are painted convincingly to look like sgraffito, but this one actually is a scratched or carved design. It is crisp and very pleasing to see.

Blue Blooms

Someone had fun with this door in Kutna Hora. Heck, maybe someone fun had fun with this door. Maybe it tickles them to look out their windows and find tourists pausing for a peek and a snap. If I lived in a heavily touristed town I would be tempted to create a trap for tourists! Touristing behavior would be an interesting study.

No studying for me although I do hope to tourist more this (my last) weekend because my week has been too busy to take photos. Our time here is waning and my workload is waxing. I'd say that is poorly designed time except that I designed none of it and am abivalent about both sides of it!

Petrin Hill

I needed a good solid walk in peaceful surroundings. I love the green. I'd been to Petrin Hill before, but always close to the castle. This time I went on the other side. WOW. There was some museum at the bottom of the hill and all the paths around it and up the hill were cobblestone! There were lovely benches, a waterfall and even sculpture in a pond.

I chose the steepest route up and eventually wound my way around to the funicular to ride down. It was cloudly but it didn't rain on me, thankfully. Then Rich met me for lunch on Ujezd. I had quite an appetite!

Trains

Trains are fun. We've taken a few different kinds whilst in Prague. When we traveled to Kutna Hora we took a big train to the outskirts of the town and then a baby train shuttled us to the center (picture on left). They had roses blooming at the train station! Returning home we got stuck on the platform in Kolin. We had to switch trains and then the train was very late. And yet, there right on the platform was a window box with flowers. I'm in love with the love of beauty.

Looking Down

Puddles are so much free fun. You can jump sideways into them and splash all over without getting wet yourself and sometimes you can see beautiful things in them. Sometimes you can do both!

Every town we visit there are decorative sidewalks promenading somewhere. There are all sorts of patterns around Prague. This particular sidewalk is in Kutna Hora around a square.

Bats and bits

This lovely creature was found on Chram sv Barbory in Kutna Hora. The cathedral was ringed with all sorts of mythical monsters, mouths agape in anticipation of rain. We walked through town to the cathedral. Along the way were all sorts of interesting bits of architecture. The bottom left of the doorway below has a cutout to receive mail that I found particularly pleasing.

Kutna Hora

On a warm and sunny Sunday Rich and I hopped on the train for a trip outside of Prague to Kutna Hora. We stopped to see the gothic cathedral, Chram sv Barbory. You can see the three spires in the picture. I went walking up the hill to check out the neighborhood.

As usual, I couldn't resist the doors. Works of art they are. Good thing Rich was around to suggest moving the door to visit the sunshine.

Kampa island

I wanted to cross the Charles Bridge without being swarmed by other tourists. So I set out at 6am on Sunday morning. I saw maybe 10 people total as I crossed the bridge. It is a remarkable bridge. Then I explored Kampa Island. The orange sunrise was delightful.

A little rain?

So what if it's raining and in the mid 50's. Rich and I still know how to have a good time. There are so many places to eat, drink and be merry! We are merrymaking after visiting a museum.

I can't help myself. I love the beer coasters. They fascinate me. Endlessly it seems.

Tourist Tram Trap

Yes, I stood in the back of the tram snapping photos. Shamelessly. With abandon. Red tram, blue trash truck, yellow headlights and tram tracks curving into the horizon making it all seem a little bit like some kind of time warp. Yup. And I have no regrets.

visualizing vistas

I have been taking many long walks up and down stairs and pathways to stairs! Mostly around the castle. And inevitably as I reach some height there opens before me a beautiful view. This particular view is from the Royal Gardens directly across the moat from the castle complex.

An apple a day

Prague is so old, and this building with its mostly eaten, old apple captivated me on my walk near the castle the other day.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs!

There is a campaign afoot to teach the young'uns proper social behavior. And anyone else who wants to read the signs can learn it too.

Do you see me reading the sign? Ooops. I guess I'm picturing the sign more than reading. Hey, maybe that's good. I'm "internalizing" it.

The thing is that I find the signs so dastardly comical I can't help but be mesmerized by them.



Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all about proper social behavior. Well, it's just that the more people the more important it becomes. And there's lots of dogs too. Oh, and lots of backpacks too! Can you get over this graphic?!!

Wool in August

Yes, I am being silly with a very large woman in front of the palace, but do you see the wool sweater I'm wearing? In AUGUST?! It was 50F that morning. But it was sunny and the Royal Gardens beckoned me. It could be worse, of course, as I'm told that there was hail two inches in diameter in the Philadelphia area the other day. Now that's weather worth some consternation!

Royal Gardens

Rich and I decided to make a trek into the Royal Gardens and this sculpture typified our delight. And here we are being delighted ;-D

Car Windows

Malostranksa Namesti isn't much of a square, mostly because it has distracting traffic and tram lines through it. But as is true so much everywhere here, old meets new with such drama!

Puzzling Perspective

This is another photo from Narodni Gallerie z Praze. I found such a new perspective on my fiance. Who knew we had such similar fascinations in art?

Eventless Evening

I am on a quest to see certain sites in Prague before we leave in September. I read about a palace just up from Prague Castle. We had the evening and it's really just a simple tram ride away. Well, we didn't find it but oh my how beautiful and pleasant these narrow winding streets were at sunset. And how few people find their way here.

Painted Portraits

Some days a girl just has too much fun and this is my day. Yesterday we party-crashed the English-speaking "Prague Friends" group and it made for a late night of wine. so today I am only too happy to spend an hour or so swapping colors and otherwise fooling around with effects on pictures.

I have to admit to being inspired at the gallerie yesterday. the colors! the infinite variety of expression! the joy of rediscovering!

I may not end up in a gallerie, but I'm suggesting I'll have just as much satisfaction!

Narodni Gallerie

Rich and I don't visit too many museums. There's often something a bit contrived and static about them. But there are some things you simply can't see elsewhere and art is chief among them. I noticed a write-up about the National Gallerie in one of the travel books and decided it was a place I wanted to visit before leaving Prague this year. Rich agreed to go with me. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN! What a fabulous and interactive place this was! Together with a remarkable collection of seriously good artwork was a lot of interactive, multi-media exhibits. It was altogether dynamic and we loved it. We'd even go again.

Tiny Tourists

This is a view of the old town square from the second story window of a photo exhibit (yes, again the one featuring women). Not being unduly delighted with the photos on exhibit, I wanted to capture some of my fascination not just with the tourists in the square below, but with the lack of tourists below. Economies in their apparent erractic behaviour seem to be mimicking the strange weather patterns we are experiencing. And yet, in such an old city, there is that comfort peering out from an old, dark wooden window frame, that it has all been seen and done before.