Another fun-filled day in London! (there were a lot of them, and all of them were fun-filled!)
We began today’s tour with a visit to a hidden oasis; St Dunstan in the East.
The church was first built here in Saxon times, restored by St Dunstan in 950 AD, and then rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire in 1697. (It’s around the corner from The Monument of the same fire.) The garden you see now was laid out following severe damage in the blitz. Would you like to know more?
This was going to be a more interesting post, I swear. But I have the plague. Or perhaps it’s just man flu.
So please, enjoy some pics of the V&A and Natural History Museum.
It is an experience to travel these days. Not like it was in the old days (she says pulling at all the bags and wrinkles under her eyes). There are few to no humans involved in the check-in process anymore.
You flash your passport at a computer, it spits you out a boarding ticket, and then you put your suitcase onto a conveyer belt, puling down a screen door in front of it and off go your worldy possessions, and you hope for the best. Would you like to know more?
In brief (I know, too late); I have seen the Dancing House, built on the site where a house was destroyed by a U.S. bomber in 1945. It’s controversial owing to how vastly different it is in design from the rest of Prague.
I have stood in Wenceslas Square, and felt the gravity of the space where the Patron Saint of Prague watched silently as the Soviet tanks invaded. Jan Palach and Jan Zajic were not so quiet.
We came across the Kafka monument one night while leaving a restaurant, and though we didn’t have time to go and see the Kafka Museum on this trip, I’d like to read some more of his work and then go and see it on our next visit.
On our final day the sun finally shone through, and I was able to take even more photographs of the castle, this time drenched in sunlight.
The rest of Prague also looked much nicer in daylight as opposed to the flat overcast sky we’d had the rest of the week.
I was finally able to get photos of some of the remarkable statues on the Charles Bridge that I liked.
I love watching how people interacted with the statues.
We walked up the top of Praha 7 to go to the Technical Museum, only to discover that it isn’t open on Mondays. But there were some amazing views to be had from up there.
The bridges that connect each side of the river stretch off into the distance.
It was a remarkable holiday, and one of those rare ones which changes your entire outlook of the world. There are some things which you just can’t fathom living in Australia. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like to live in a country that was occupied by the Nazis. It is hard to concept what it must have been like to live in a country that was subsequently invaded by Communism.
The Czech Republic has come so far since the Velvet Revolution, and achieved so much.
And I am grateful everyday for the life that is mine.
In which our unlikely heroes walk up a hill to Prague Castle! (again)
So much to see, so little time! We spent an entire day up on the castle grounds. I was also glad it was the “off-season” and we didn’t have to fight our way through crowds to see everything!
Owing to the need to buy a licence to take indoor photos in some buildings, which we opted not to purchase, you’ll get the edited version of the tour.
We were also glad that we’d seen St Vitus Cathedral earlier in the week, as it was closed for maintenance the day we went back!
Thank goodness nothing else was closed that day, and all other maintenance was scheduled for later in the week! Though, from outside St V, the organ sounded like it was working just fine!
The Basilica of St George was founded by Prince Vratislav I. at the beginning of the 10th Century.
It became a burial ground for the princes of the house on Premyslid. Look, here’s one now … (under the tabletop)
This was church number six.
Then it was on to the Golden Lane. Along with everything else we’d already seen, this was a wonderful insight into how these buildings have been used through the various phases of history.
Initially built in the 16th Century to house the castle sharpshooters and later used to house castle goldsmiths (a possible source of the name), staff and guards, at one point is also housed the castle alchemists (also a possible source of the name). The last inhabitant only moved out in 1952.
Upstairs was the most amazing armoury I’ve ever seen! (No, I haven’t seen that many yet, but I’m working on it.) We may have spent cash in this particular gift shop …
We were out the bottom of the castle now, and it was cold, so we had a brief break to sample a traditional cinnamon pastry made right in front of us while we waited! So worth it too!
The view from up here was remarkably good too! 😉
Because I love you all and hear your requests, here’s a photo of Me and Himself. See how much I love you!?
We were nearing the end of this particular adventure, and as we sat down over dinner, Beer goulash in bread (I need to perfect this recipe!) …
… we took the time to point out to all my wonderful readers what some of our favourite sites were!
All these things and more coming your way shortly!
ghoti industries 