By my estimates, today marks the exact halfway point of EuroTour 2010. I have the odd sensation of not having been home for a long, long time combined with the sensation that I will not be home for a long, long time. It is quite surreal.
This day has a simple agenda, as we are saving a few things for when my friend Josh meets us in Prague. Josh has hit the job jackpot, working for a company that has chosen to send him to London during his first few weeks of employment. He is meeting us in Prague for the weekend before heading to London, and as we are extremely considerate co-travellers Barbie and I are saving certain activities for him.
It is official. I am a fruit plate man. Fruit plates will be ordered for the rest of my life.
Barbie at breakfast.
His french toast with apple compote.
Her eggs benedict.
Seriously. Look at that. French toast and baked cinnamon apple on a fork. A designer fork, which makes it that much more clear how ridiculously spoiled I have become. And you may ask yourself, "How did I get here?"
And prepare yourself for my geeking out more and more with this iPhone 4 camera. Look at that close-up focus?
The courtyard at The Augustine. Can you picture monks slowly moving about, contemplating the divine?
Our simple plan today is to check out our immediate neighborhood. First visit, St. Nicolas Church, which is approximately 210 steps from our hotel room. (I did not count.)
Looking for a way into the church, we found that we can go up to the top of the bell tower. Survey says, "Why not?"
This is around step 180 of 215. Above here it gets interesting.
Watching over the Malostranske Namesti. Recall that we are in the Lesser Town, or Mala Strana. Not too hard to figure out this name, as Namesti is the Czech word for square. One great thing about traveling in Europe is learning the word for square/plaza/piazza in every language. And then you get a little disappointed because in the USA we have replaced the public square concept with the mall and the parking lot.
Our hotel, The Augustine, is right THERE.
The dome of St. Nicolas Church, from quite the near perspective. Recall from yesterday that this church is considered Prague's most important High Baroque building.
The church to the South is famous for the Infant Jesus of Prague, a little wax statue of Baby Jesus in some serious doll clothing.
I stuck my arm way out the window to get this, which explains the tilt. Good thing I have an iPhone case with strap. Makes me feel safe when I hold it far, far away from my body.
Pulled from the previous picture. This is what a crop and straighten in Photoshop Mobile can do. That is Basilica St. Vitus, which looms over Prague from nearly every open space in the city. This cathedral is part of Prague Castle, which will be discussed more when we actually visit it. But I think it is no accident that the royal palace of Bohemia rests on a hill above Prague, where everyone else must gaze up at its grandeur.
At the top of the St. Nicolas bell tower we learn that when World War II ended and Czechoslovakia was left behind the Iron Curtain -- and casual reading would indicate that the people and their leaders did not want this at all and that the Western allies kind of sacrificed this nation, and probably others, to Stalin, but let us accept that it was pragmatism or another war -- this bell tower literally became a surveillance tower. They spied on Western diplomats and their own people up here. And I bet it was no secret; better the people know that they are being watched, yes?
The rooftops of Prague, with the Charles Bridge stretching across the Vltava.
Minutes ago we were up THERE.
Not sure why, but I have a mild fascination with post offices. One, this is how humanity has kept in touch for centuries. Two, you can always tell what they are regardless of language. Three, they will soon be extinct, I think, so that the time to enjoy them is now.
Barbie walking into St. Joseph's Church, which sits between St. Nicolas and our hotel. This is Europe. Churches, churches, everywhere.
Trick shot. I have tried this multiple times without success, but this one worked. This is a panorama where we worked our way upwards instead of left to right. Somewhere between the pulpit and the dome an algorithm stitched together separate pictures. Technology makes life better yet again.
Our hotel, the former monastery. I am going to assume that it is called The Augustine because it housed, and still houses, Augustinian monks. St. Augustine of Hippo encouraged his pupils to give up one's possessions and live a life of study and prayer. I am wildly ignorant here, as there has to be more to it. I am pretty sure that there are not any monks who hold onto their possessions and ignore the whole prayer thing.
Our room is right THERE.
One, McDonald's is around the corner. Two, it is not expensive. Three, we know exactly what we are getting.
Post Script: Three is a lie. I asked for Kari sauce for my McNuggets because the color suggested to me it would approximate Sweet 'n' Sour. It is Czech for curry. In classic McDonald's fashion, it was a sweetened curry and I quite liked it, so that we can add, "You can get sweet curry sauce for your McNuggets," to the list of things that are great about Prague.
I love seeing the word Bohemia around town. We are in the real Bohemia. That is cool.
As you well know, I have abandoned guide books for Wikipedia. Wikipedia lists among Prague's Main Sights, "The Lennon Wall." None of our maps or other guides include this sight; a wall of graffiti devoted to John Lennon and The Beatles. And it is five minutes from our hotel.
There it is. Now, before your anti-graffiti muscle starts spasming, here is the history. The students of Prague living under the Soviet supported communist regime began writing anti-communist graffiti on this wall in the early 19080's. Irritated, the government would cover it up. Organically, the graffiti became John Lennon themed, and Beatles themed, most likely due to the brilliant pun of Lennon and Lenin. The student movements against the communist regime became labeled Lennonism, which, really, can make me cry if I start to think about it. Can there be a more true memorial for John Lennon that his name being used as a verbal sword against repression? Add to it that the Velvet Revolution of 1989 began with student protests in Prague and within two months resulted in the freedom of Czechoslovakia from communist rule? Overwhelming.
This is a walking panorama, where I walked to make the edges match instead of turning. I learned that my Pano app only allows 7 frames. But you can right-click-open-in-new-window to see that this is really quite a wall.
Here is a standard Pano, turning the camera with each frame. Not as pretty, but it also gets the whole wall.
One my more favorite sections.
Another favorite.
Waling back from The Lennon Wall, Barbie spotted these clouds. It may be raining in the next day or two.
We stepped onto the Charles Bridge, but did not cross. Before we turned back to the hotel, I thought I would share with you, loyal Waste readers, this bizarre statue which literally features imprisoned men.
I suspect the Charles IV approved this one as a way to say, "Do not mess with me, people. I am a nice guy, but do not test me."
The sun and clouds, looming over Prague. I can never get enough of St. Vitus's Cathedral on the hilltop. Never.
During our stay at The Augustine, Colossal Waste is brought to you by the Business Center. Since the former monastery walls are too thick for WiFi, I have discovered this desk as the perfect place to set my netbook and type away.
By the way, that is another Pano trick shot. The writing on the wall is a bit far from the room; I shot it and then shot the desk, letting Pano stitch them together. Technology.
Barbie got hungry after working late into the night, and here sits out late-night room service meal; the wife's salad and vegetable risotto, the husband's mint pea soup with Prague ham.
Time for some Slingbox and then sleep.
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