Reflections on Prague

When we first arrived in Prague, I had no idea what to expect. All that I knew about the city was based upon my wikipedia research. I soon found out that it is a great place, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I also soon found out that you "can't spit" without hitting a jewelery shop that sells either garnets or amber. Upon learning this fact for myself, I decided that my "significant souvenir" from Europe would be a garnet ring (I finally bought one today).

The garnet ring

We have done various things this past week - from attending a slightly bizarre marionette show of Mozart's Don Giovanni to a tour of Prague Castle. The actual castle was not what I was expecting at all, though I suppose I didn't know what to expect. Instead of a single large building, Prague Castle consists of many seperate buildings and is one of the largest castle complexes in the world. I especially enjoyed seeing St. Vitus Cathedral. I almost think I liked it better than Notre Dame, because the stained glass windows were vibrantly coloured, elabourate and striking and it was nowhere near as crowded with tourists. My favourite window was done in the Art Nouveau style and was actually painted glass. Overall, it was a very interesting tour full of good information and insights into various architectural styles.

St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle

Another highlight for me was going to see the Mucha art exhibition at the Galerie u Bileno jednorzce. I love the Art Nouveau style, and he is possibly the most famous artist of this era. I find the amount of detail in these simplistic seeming artworks quite impressive. It is also fascinating how much of this artwork was used for advertisments and magazine publications rather than as standalone prints. I ended up buying a book of Mucha's work, and I contemplated buying a collapsable umbrella (but I didn't - we have enough umbrellas).

Overall, I have quite enjoyed my time here in Prague. We had a lot of unique experiences and we pretty much did everything we could in the short timeframe that we had. I would definitely come back to Prague in future travels so that I may see more of what the city has to offer and find more joys to remember for years to come.

Jet streams above the Astronomical Clock Tower