One Step at a Time: June 2013

We had THE BEST time in Prague! It was absolutely beautiful! Notice in the pictures how high the water under the bridges, due to flooding right before we went. Restaurants and parking lots down by the riverbank were completely underwater. The Charles Bridge, which is a walking bridge, was closed because authorities were concerned about its safety. There were no boats allowed on the Vltava River, which runs through Prague. I would like to go back and see the differences when it is not right after a flood! (Sounds like a good excuse to go back to me!) During World War II, Prague was one of the only large city that was not damaged by bombing. The skyline remains so awesome, with old, wonderful buildings. Old Town Square is fun, with sidewalk restaurants, food booths, bands playing, and gold/silver sprayed “human statues.” It is where we spent lots of down-time! We loved it! The people-watching was great! On the Square, were the Astronomical Clock, Tyn Church, and St. Nicholas Cathedral. The clock has small stained glass window panels at the top. On the hour, the “windows” open and the twelve disciples rotate through the windows. We climbed the clock tower, and got a great view of the Square. The churches are beautiful! The Jewish Quarter is also on the same side of the river as the Square. In that area, there are several synagogues to tour, and the old Jewish cemetery. Notice the picture below of the cemetery. We walked through it, wondering why it was in such disarray. Then we found out! The headstones were turned every which way, tilted, backwards, forwards. During the time the Jews were confined to this area, they were given only this small space for a cemetery. There were so many deaths, that bodies were buried ten deep! Hence, the “disarray” in the cemetery. What a sobering thought to think of the prejudice and injustice that occurred on these cobblestone streets.

The next day we visited the Prague Castle. The castle area is located up on a hill, which has an awesome view of the city. It is not one castle (which is what I pictured before we went), but several buildings, and multiple churches including the beautiful St. Vitus Cathedral. There is also a section that is set up to show the way the street looked in its early years, called Golden Lane. There are model shops from that time: an herb shop, dress maker’s shop, tool shop, model kitchen, bedroom, and living room. Very interesting! We also visited “Lesser Town” that day, which included the Lady of Victory Cathedral. It houses the famous wax Infant Jesus of Prague. This is another beautiful area of Prague!

The third day we climbed up Petrin Hill! It seemed way higher than a hill to me! There is a cable car that you can ride, but because of damage from the flood, it was closed. So, we walked! At the top, is an “eiffel tower” look-alike. You can climb the 300 steps for an amazing view! BUT, we did not! The hill was enough for me! It was an absolutely stunning walk though: trees, flowers, shrubs, GREEN!!! The desert has made us appreciate the green so much more.

We had time to visit two open markets, and spent time just walking down the beautiful cobblestone streets, past the wonderful, old buildings. Prague is a great walking town. The temperatures were in the 60’s, and no rain! Our hotel was small and intimate. Our room was on the fifth floor in the “attic.” The ceiling was sloped, with a rollout window. The view was amazing! It was a perfect holiday of walking, people-watching, and relaxing. When we were planning our trip, and heard about the floods, we considered not going. I am so glad that we did! We took many steps, and God was with us, One Step at a Time!