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.
Prague – Part 5
In which we went on a Day Trip.
Kutna Hora. Just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it? I have wanted to go to Kutna Hora for years. Ever since I learned that there existed in the world …
The Sedlec Ossuary!
Impressive, no?
Check this out!
The story goes that in 1278 an abbot of the monastery was sent off to the Holy Land on a pilgrimage and returned with soil from Golgotha, which was spread around the churchyard, making it THE PLACE to be buried in central Europe.
What with the Black Death in the 14th Century, and the Hussite Wars in the 15th Century, the churchyard had to be radically expanded to accommodate all the new business.
When they were still running out of room, they made the eminently sensible decision to exhume all the old bones (flesh decomposed away) so they could replace them with new bodies. More business!
Of course, when they began drowning in bones, they charged an old and half-blind monk to come up with a decorative way of stacking/storing them. He began with four giant pyramids. One for each corner of course!
The chandelier in the middle has at least one of every single bone in the human body.
The crest is of the Schwarzenberg coat of arms. (Note the buzzard pecking the eye out of the Turk in the bottom right corner.) It was put together by the woodworker who was hired by the Schwarzenberg family and he is responsible for most of the current state of the bones.
There are a guestimated 40-70,000 people’s skeletons in that room. And I can tell you now, the room’s not all that large.
It was a remarkably humbling experience.
But it was a tour and there was more to see! So we jumped back on the bus and we were off to see St Vitus’ Little sister Cathedral, St Barbara!
Originally designed by the son of the man who designed St Vitus; the cathedral as it currently stands has a vault of 30m high, is 70m long, 40m wide, and is quite imposing enough thank you very much! In this picture you can see the wooden statues of Christian Virtue. For those of my readers unfamiliar with those they are; Justice, Fortitude, Prudence and Temperance. The statues stand 3.5m high.
Nope. I don’t know which one’s which either.
Everything in,
… and about …
… this church …
… was just exquisite!
However, time waits for no man, and with a brief tour of the town, we were back in the van for the hour drive back to Prague!
How many churches am I up to? Was that four and five? *shrugs* Onwards!
Jurassic Lounge
Just like so many other people, we went to the final Jurassic Lounge of 2011. Those of you with keen eyesight and memories will remember that we went to the first one way back in February.
Though I must say, going by the volume of people that turned up, I think they’d be silly not to run it again! I don’t think I’ve ever seen the museum so full! Sections of it when there’s a specific exhibition on yes, but the was packed all night! HOORAY for the Australian Museum!
Just for a change of pace from our usual route through the museum (beginning down and heading up), with tickets purchased and complimentary drinks acquired, we headed on up to the Dinosaur exhibit. I was determined this time to work my way down through the Museum for a change!
As much as I really got into wandering around the Museum with the glass of wine in my hand, it did somewhat inhibit picture taking when you need both hands to be steady because of the low light! But I managed to work around it! *smiles *
Scores of people!
You might remember Ripley from the February post linked to above …
It really is amazing the art that can be created on the wall with a projector and some dirty glass dishes!
*tries not to make a Monty Python reference *
For those in the know, this was originally where Himself and I were planning on holding our Wedding Reception. In the Bone Room! Is that not a spectacular idea?!? Dinner amongst the bones!!!
At this Jurassic Lounge though, the bone room was the karaoke room.
I have a few more photos that I would like to share with you from this trip, but those can wait for now. Hi-Ho Silver, AWAY!
Until next time, keep adventuring!
ghoti industries 