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.