Dobrý den, Prague

We were super happy to see our cousin Dana in Prague!  Dana is working in Amsterdam this summer, but she made time to help us explore this historic capitol city.

Here we are standing on the Charles Bridge in front of the controversial "Crucifix and Calvary" statue.  (We didn't know it was controversial at the time.  Apparently, the Hebrew text added to it in 1696 is offensive to some.)

Indeed, we soon realized that none of us knew much about Czech history.  And trying to speak Czech proved too much for our tongues.  None of this detracted from admiring an incredibly beautiful and beautifully preserved city.

We stayed in a highly-designed (and mostly functional) apartment on Kampa Island in Malá Strana.  Every morning, we walked past the famous John Lennon wall where Prague's youth expressed their desire for freedom and peace years before the Velvet Revolution.  The original graffiti is no longer visible.  Indeed, it seems to be actively painted every day, so it is just layer upon layer of art and commentary.  Here are some that we liked:

Even though it was blistering hot on our first day in Prague, we walked across the Charles Bridge to Old Town where a medieval astronomical clock announces each hour.  We even waited the 40 or so minutes for it to chime and send out its 12 statues of the apostles.  Here's a pic:

To the modern eye, perhaps a little underwhelming.  But maybe if we were alive when it was built -  1410 -- we would be more impressed.  After sitting in the heat, we were mostly grateful for the nearby gelato stand.  Here are more photos from Day 1 & 2 in Prague.  More to come.