Throwing Defenestration Out The Window

It certainly was a full day in Prague yesterday. After breakfast (which was fine, but not the same quality as the breakfasts in Spain or Italy – not a complaint, just an observation, because that’s what I do), we headed to the Church of St. Nicholas (west side, not east side?), which is just a few blocks from our hotel.

Built in the 1700s, the church had an amazing dome fresco, pulpit, and high altar. The baroque organ was once played by Mozart.

Czech entry fees are hard to figure out – there is a family fee, a student fee, an individual fee, a senior fee (spare me the jokes -- doesn’t apply to me for a few more years), and a photography fee. Plus they only take cash. That’s why it takes so long to get into these places – the options are so many that the average tourist is dazed and confused. Even your friendly, and sometimes even knowledgable Iron Tourist has to take an extra moment to figure things out.

After a spot of time there, we headed up the steep hill to Prague Castle. The buildings were similar to those in Old Town Prague – large, beautifully built, and colorful. The cobblestone streets make it impossible to be surprised by cars – which are relatively few and far between during non-rush hour times. It’s nice to be able to walk in the middle of the street without fear of traffic. Every corner turned is one taken in amazement at the buildings and the views.

The castle is amazing. It offers a commanding view of Prague (undoubtedly why it was built there in the first place!). First started as a castle in the 8^th century (people had lived there much longer), it had sources of water on it, which, between that and its position over the valley made it the perfect site for a castle. These people knew what they were doing in terms of real estate – location! Location! Location! This is the largest old castle in the world. There’s not much of the original castle walls left – but the cathedral, the royal apartments, and the rest were neat to walk around and explore. It’s like a small town – including the famous Golden Lane (which, of course, I had never heard of until planning to come to Prague).

We spent several hours there – including going through St. George’s Convent, which now boasts the finest collection of 19^th Century Czech art housed in one locale. So, if you are ever looking to Czech out 19^th Century Czech art, this is the only place you need to go. I’ve now checked the Czech art box, so I’m covered.

The highlight of the castle for Julia was seeing the window from the Defenestration of Prague (1618). She had studied it in one of her history classes – and was thrilled to see the locale that created the word “defenestration” – quick, loyal readers, what does it mean? She posed for a picture by the window – with much lame joking by all of us about throwing her out the window (which is what happened to the three unfortunates at the time – although they all survived the 50 foot fall because they landed in a pile of manure). That led, for some reason, to the Thirty Years War, which is only remembered because of the name.

(Believe it or not, “defenestration” means to throw someone out a window. Of course in parts of New York and New Jersey, they just say “throw him out the window.” Not quite as elegant, but on the other hand, those people aren’t lucky enough to land in a pile of crap.)

After the Cathedral, we had a late lunch at a restaurant on the square. During lunch, jet lag was starting to catch up to the Iron Tourist – but our hero was revitalized by the Bohemian plate – which included duck, sausage, cabbage, sauerkraut, bread, and other stuff.

Heading over to the Strahov Monastery, Carol noticed we were right by the Loreto, which was built in the 1600s and was a place of pilgrimage, because the house is said to be an exact replica of the Virgin Mary’s before it was carried from Nazareth to Loreto, Italy by angels to avoid it being ruined. It’s an astounding place (and, yes, keeping with Czech tradition, a photo permit costs extra). If you come to Prague, make sure you see the Loreto – it’s a calm, beautiful place. Be sure to go to the Treasury to see their collection of ostenories – which I am certain, after seeing them, is where the word “ostentatious” comes from. Amazing to see.

The next stop was the monastery. The church is not open, although you can look into it from the open door. But, the part that is open to the public (for a fee, of course, with photos extra) is also worth the trip. The Philosophical Hall is a huge library, with a beautiful ceiling fresco. Nearby is the Theological Hall, which has beautiful ceiling frescos, and a collection of huge globes from the 17^th and 18^th centuries. There is also the Cabinet of Curiosities (sounds like something from a Harry Potter book), that was essentially a forerunner of natural museums – all sorts of sea creatures were in it, dating from the 1700s. There is also a collection of old books to admire. Unfortunately, we were running quite low on Czech money (should be called Czech Marks, but alas I wasn’t in charge), so I didn’t pay the extra money (they don’t take Checks) for the photo permit.

Leaving the monastery by a different direction afford a step walk down a narrow road – with Prague spread out below us. Quite a view – and photos won’t do it justice.