Sunday 16 November 2008

More About Prague

I should warn you that I took over 600 (oops! corrected -- 600 not 6000!) photos in Prague, but I'm not going to make you look at them all, promise. I have been going through trying to reorganise them into something that might be a little interesting. Where to start?

Probably the most amazing place is the Staromestske namesti (Old Town Square). It's a must-do sight for tourists or, frankly, anyone who loves beauty. My first sight of the Tyn Cathedral is one of my most lasting travel memories.


Squares are a very European thing and they make a lot of sense. You could probably get a lot of business done in the old days (in this case, the 1100's) with all the main businesses in one area. Smaller squares could shelter people from cold weather and in the summer it's a place to gather and walk around talking with friends and showing off your expensive clothes and sunglasses (in Italy I'm convinced that is what squares are for).

Prague's Old Town Square includes not only the incredible spires of the cathedral, but the Old Town Hall


with its Astronomical Clock.


The crowds that gathered around it preventing my getting pictures of all the action when it struck 12 noon, but there are You Tube videos of the whole thing happening. There is a lot of symbolism in the clock, my favourite being the skeleton that dings the bell.



There is this gorgeous pink building (I love the colours of buildings in Prague) that I think is the other side of the Old Town Hall.



Also this one that I call the "Tapestry Building".


and other colourful buildings.



We seemed to keep returning to the Old Town Square, partly because a lot of what we were looking for was in that area, but also because it we never got tired of looking at it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would love to see more of Europe and am enjoying your travels.

Shelley said...

Bless you. I was hoping someone would feel that way...