Friday, July 1, 2016

Prague Trip Day 3: Prague Castle Tour!

Hello guys,

For our third day in Prague, we set out to explore the castle complex perched high on a hill overlooking the rest of the city.  Hubby and I had gotten a good look from the Charles Bridge on our first day, but we were excited to see it up close.

It was a dark and rainy day.  Literally.  I had trouble taking pictures that weren't super dark, although I think this is a pretty awesome shot of the statues above the front gates.



London was the first stop on my Europe tour after I graduate from high school.  Naturally our trip including Buckingham Palace and I remember taking some great photos of the Royal Guards that stand perfectly still.  In a similar fashion, the front gates are guarded by immobile sentries.  I liked this guy in particular, because although he wasn't moving he did roll his eyes a LOT at the various tourists who came up to him.



Inside one of the courtyards is the Chapel of the Holy Cross, featuring amazingly detailed statues of Saints Peter and Paul on the exterior.



Right next door is the Prime Minister's office.  Can you imagine being able to walk right up to the White House like this?!?




St. Vitus Cathedral has existed on this spot since 930.  It was constructed over six centuries and is built on the same overwhelming scale as Notre Dam in Paris, complete with flying buttresses and a rose window.



This stained glass window was my favorite.  It was designed by famous artist Mucha in 1931 and depicts the life of Wenceslas.



This particular side altar features skull and cross bones on top.



Meet the Habsburgs.  This royal mausoleum contains the remains of the first Habsburgs to rule what was then called Bohemia.



This was one of several amazingly detailed wood carvings depicting the history of Prague.



The tomb of St. John of Nepomuk is supposed to contain more than a ton of silver.



The Tomb of St. Wenceslas, the eternal ruler of the Czech lands.  Future kings were crowned here and loaned his jewels and power.



This obelisk was added in 1928 to celebrate the establishment of Czechoslovakia as an independent country.  Ironically enough, the much taller original piece snapped during transit, perhaps a foreshadowing of the future break of the country into two.




This gentleman guards the exit to the Basilica of St. George  The relics of some long-forgotten saint perhaps?



This model shows the evolution of the massive castle complex with newer buildings added in clear plastic over the older structure.



This poster and window tell the rather alarming tale of two politicians literally tossed out of the building for corruption in an unusual Czech custom known as Defenestration.


Knowing that our trip was coming to a close, I finally decided to treat myself at dinner to something I'd been eyeing on menus all week: fried cheese!  Even the sausage stands offered a sandwich version of this and I was very curious.  It was amazingly good: Emmental cheese breaded with seasoned bread crumbs and fried to golden perfection.  This particular restaurant added fries, tartar sauce, and a small salad with balsamic reduction.  It was definitely worth the wait and I'm glad I didn't try it the first day or I would have probably eaten it at every meal while we were in Prague!

Stay tuned for our final day in Prague,

Amy

2 comments:

  1. Great photos...
    I love Prague it is so incredible...
    Check out my vlog about Prague
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_x0hz15Lc
    xx
    https://theonethattravels.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete

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