"Czech-ing" Out Prague

Well, our first full day in Prague was very busy.  I have been here several times before but have never done a guided tour.  My sister is here for the first time.  So, when we arrived, it seemed to make sense to book a tour.  We booked one called "The Prague Tour All Inclusive".  It is and, believe me, it is one full day.  We were picked up at our hotel at 10:30 am and the tour, which was mostly walking, began at 11 am and finished at 5 pm.  There was a senior rate which worked out to about $60 pp and that price included lunch at a "medieval" restaurant and a 50 minute boat trip both with a "beverage"  (I chose wine and my sister naturally chose beer).  The tour covered most of Prague's old centre and was very interesting.

We started at Hradcany or the Castle District and there were only 10 people in our group – 2 Scottish couples, 2 American couples and us.  We started with an overview of the castle and its history.  From there we walked on to St. Vitus Cathedral.  It has a Gothic interior which is not ornate at all.  

Our walking tour continued by descending from the hill on the cobble stoned stairs and alley way.  At the top, there are magnificent views across Prague from the old town (UNESCO protected) to further where the modern buildings are.  

We stopped at St. Nicholas Church (Jesuit) and, new to me, the John Lennon Wall.  We also saw the building of the Knights of Malta with its distinctive Maltese Cross.  From there, we walked to Kampa Island where we boarded a boat for a 50 minute boat trip on the Vltava River.  As well as a drink, the ride included ice cream which was very welcome because it was hot and humid.  

The Certovka Canal and the Restaurant where we'd had dinner the previous evening

After the trip, we crossed over the Charles Bridge where all the vendors were scrambling to shut down their stalls before the storm which was obviously approaching hit the city.  The temperature plummeted about 8 degrees in about 5 minutes and a wind came up.  We walked to Old Town Square and heard about its history.  It is a lovely square, one of the loveliest in Europe in my opinion.

From there, we headed to a “medieval” restaurant for lunch.  Anita, our guide, timed it perfectly as we got in just before the rain hit.  We’d heard the thunder so knew it was coming.  Lunch was okay.  I had a mushroom potato soup that would have been good if it had been hotter.  I had opted for a salad which was okay; basically it was shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and crumbled feta cheese.  None of the "tour group meals" are ever that great.  The restaurant had an interesting interior but I wouldn't go back.

After lunch, we had the option of continuing on with the tour to the Jewish Quarter or leaving it.  The Scots left but we North Americans carried on.  We walked along a street likened to the Champs Elysee with all the big name stores (Breitling, Prada, Louis Vuitton, etc.) to the Jewish Quarter.  I had toured the area before but it was still interesting to see the cemetery and synagogues.  Apparently 80% of the Jews living in Prague perished during the Holocaust with most of them murdered in Auschwitz.  Then, our tour was over and we were totally bagged.

One of the Synagogues in the Jewish Quarter

For dinner, we wanted food less touristy than what is offered on the menus of restaurants around the Charles Bridge.  How many times do you want to eat roast duck leg, pork dumplings or sauerkraut?  So, we headed to a Mediterranean restaurant the hotel had recommended called Oliva Nera.  What a find!  I had beef ravioli and it was obviously made on site and delicious.  For dessert, I had pistachio semifreddo and it too was wonderful.  I figured I'd earned it with all the walking we'd done!  We chatted the waiter and he told us that waiters here get paid very little and have to rely on tips for their income.  He told us that, obviously, it works fine in the summertime when the restaurants are full but it is more of a challenge in the quieter months.  The kitchen staff are paid more he told us.

So, another day done and we both agreed that the tour, in spite of the mediocre lunch, was more than worth it.

Good Bye, Vienna; Hello, Prague

We arrived in Prague Sunday after the 4 hour train ride from Vienna.  Getting to the station in Vienna was quite a challenge because a marathon was being held there leading to many road closures and traffic jams.  So, what should have been a 20 minute and 15 Euro taxi ride turned into a 1 hour and 15 minute and 50 Euro harrowing adventure as we raced up and down side streets and back alleys.  It was crazy.  The good news is that we had allowed lots of time so we got to the station 15 minutes before our train departed.  The journey out of Austria and across the Czech Republic was very scenic with lots of forested hills and fields of crops - mainly canola. 

We knew about the nasty reputation of the taxi drivers at the Prague station who will charge exorbitant rates.  We avoided them and went to the TI where the guy there called us a taxi which cost us only about $13 rather than the other guys who would have ripped us off for $75.  Our hotel, The Cloister Inn, is on a little side street not far from the Charles Bridge and Old Town Square.  We found it on Trip Advisor and so far it has lived up to its high ratings.

Because it was still so very hot, our next stop was a bar with a view of the river where we could have something to cool us down.  

View from the bar where we had our "happy hour"

From there, we walked over the Charles Bridge to have dinner at a restaurant called Certovka where I had had lunch the last time I was here.  The patio there has great views of the Charles Bridge and the river.  So, we relaxed there for several hours.  One unique aspect of the restaurant is that the alley with the steps leading down to it are so narrow, there is a pedestrian sign controlling when people can walk up and down as there is no space to pass on the steps. 

The pedestrian control light for the alley to the restaurant

By the time we left, it was dark and the bridge looked magical in the evening light.  Everywhere we looked people were taking pictures.  Now, if I could just figure out how to take clear night shots with mine!  No matter what setting I use they don't come out great.  

We are off to a good start.  Tomorrow we have booked a 6 hour city tour which includes walking, a river cruise, a medieval lunch and a short bus ride.  There should be lots to report after that!

Trinken, Essen, und Kultur

Our last days in Vienna have been spent doing what most tourists here do:  drinking, eating and taking in the rich culture of music, churches and history.

Let's start with the food and drink part.  Friday evening, we ate at a restaurant called Zwolf Apostelkeller (or the 12 Apostle's Celler).  This place is quite a unique place to go and with quite a history.  From the website we learned:

Three underground floors which are up to 18m in depth protect moments of history. The origins of the building go as far back as the Romanesque and Gothic period with evidence from the year 1339. The masonry of the “Brunnenkeller” (well cellar) which uses stoneblocks characteristc of the period from about 1100.
The large gothic arch in the upper floor dates back to the year 1500. After its destruction the house was rebuilt in 1561 and was restored with early barock styled gothic arches in the Brunnenkeller. The foundation stone in the “Brunnenkeller” is engraved with the year 1561.
In war times, for example the Turkish sieges of 1529 and 1683 the lower floors were used as places of refuge. From this time the completely preserved Gothic “Brunnenstube” (dining room) in the cellar was the water source for the refugees. 
The preseved Barock façade was designed by Viennese Architect Lucas von Hildebrandt between 1716 – 1721 and is still one of Viennas most beautiful facades. The house is named after Hildebrant and is a listed building. The house is also known as “Elloisches Haus”. In the building on the first floor there is a “Volutensprenggiebel” (gable arch) with a statue of our Lady of Mariazell with inscrition and chronogram (1717). On September 8, 2007 Pope Benedict XVI visited Mariazell to celebrate a religious service (Vesper) on the occasion of the 850th anniversary of the basillica. At this point all sacred sites of Our Lady of Mariazell were blessed which includes the “Zwölf-Apostelkeller”.

While it gets pretty good reviews on Trip Advisor, I can't say the food is that great but the live music and atmosphere certainly make up for it.  For dinner, we both had Austria's famous dish, Tafelspitz (boiled beef) which apparently Franz Joseph (of the iconic Habsburgs) liked so much he had it daily.  For us, I think one time was more than enough!  For dessert, I had Kaiserschmarren, a sort of scrambled pancake.  I have ordered this in Bavaria quite often and this version didn't live up to its Bayern cousin!  Kath had the traditional Apfelstrudel (Apple Strudel). 
  

The following day (Saturday) our emphasis was more on culture (although some drink and food were also involved!).  As many of you know, my sister is a classically trained church organist.  Vienna has more that its fair share of churches and, as we have wandered around this city, we have stopped in to see many of them.  She had noticed there was going to be an organ concert Saturday afternoon in Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church).  She really liked the look of the program and most of the selections were ones she also plays.  So, that was our first stop.  The interior of this church is very ornate and, surprisingly for me, I quite enjoyed the concert; of course, Kath loved it.  While the concert was free, donations were eagerly accepted and we each gave 10 Euros.  

Following the concert, we walked over to the Staatoper (City Opera House) to take the 3 pm guided tour.  The entrance fee for seniors was only 7 Euros.  This tour was very good with lots of interesting information.

It started in the main auditorium where the stage crew (apparently around 250 people are employed in that role) were setting up for Fidelio which was being performed this evening.  The cool thing about the opera was, not only a large range in ticket prices from a few Euros up to more than €200 but also there is an outside screen set up for many of the performance where people can sit outside and watch it for free.  This evening would have been perfect given that by late afternoon the temperature was about 30 degrees.  We learned that the building had been built 150 years ago but the auditorium and much of the back of it had been destroyed by bombs in WWII.  The auditorium seats (I think) about 2000 people and wasn’t as ornate as I expected it to be. 

There are two important dates of note.  On Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) each year there is a grand ball which includes about 150 debutantes (girls from 18 to 24) who must apply.  One criterion for being accepted is knowing how to do the Viennese waltz (apparently that involves turning a different way than a normal waltz).  Also, hundreds of people attend and it starts late in the evening and goes until early in the morning.  It lasts about 7 hours and some of the tickets are for standing only!  Hmm!  Don’t think I could handle that.  The video we watched made it looked very “belle epoque” and lavish! 

The other thing we learned (or one more I remember anyway) is that, on the first Sunday in each September, it is possible to get a ticket to attend an “atelier” in the Opera House where people can see how wigs are made as well as some of the costumes.  Apparently, there are over 180,000 costumes owned by the Opera House and most are stored off site.  Also, some of them are shared with the Volksopera and another theatre. 

In one of the rooms, there is a statue of Gustav Mahler which was done by Rodin.  It is the most valuable piece in the building.  Mahler changed a lot of the way traditional operas were presented including introducing the idea of “professional” clappers and more movement on stage to make the opera less boring. 

Statue of Gustav Mahler by Rodin given to the Opera by Mahler's wife

Portrait of Mahler

Finally, our guide told us of two performances here of note.  Pavorotti performed here when the new building was reopened and again much later in his career.  During his last performance here, he received an applause which lasted 80 minutes!  Also, Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fontaine performed here and they received 86 curtain calls which, apparently, is a Guinness world record.

So, that was our day of "culture" in Vienna and our last day here.  The temperature was so hot that it made doing much more almost impossible.  We didn't even do the 30 minute walk back to the hotel but opted, instead, for a taxi.  Tomorrow (Sunday) we take a midday train to Prague which is our last stop before Kath flies home and I continue on.

Proletariat and Royals

Friday we took another bus route that would take us out to the lavish Schonbrunn Palace. 
We arrived at the palace about 10 am.  We were told the name means "beautiful brown" and, while the palace was originally gray, it was later painted this colour by the Habsburgs which meant it then quickly came into vogue.  However, the word "Brunn" means fountain and it seems to make more sense that the name would be "Beautiful Fountain".  Not sure if something was lost in translation, the guide was in error, or there are two meanings, perhaps from an old dialect or something.  Regardless, it is worth visiting.  The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The information below is from that website:

The site of the Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn is outstanding as one of the most impressive and well preserved Baroque ensembles of its kind in Europe. Additionally, it is a potent material symbol of the power and influence of the House of Habsburg over a long period of European history, from the end of the 17th to the early 20th century.

Schönbrunn Palace is one of Austria’s most important cultural assets, and since the 1960s has been one of Vienna’s major tourist attractions, drawing millions of visitors each year.  It is an excellent example of the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, a masterly fusion of many art forms.  We had planned ahead and bought tickets online so we were able to enter the palace at 10:30 as we had planned.  Without the pre-timed ticket, we would not have been able to enter it until sometime after 11:30.  The interior of the palace was very much like Versailles and the other grand palaces of that day:  gilded and ornate walls and furniture in every room.  Unfortunately, no photos were permitted inside the palace.  We learned about Franz Joseph and his wife, Marie Theresa whose nickname was Sisi.  it appears she was, in some ways, a woman ahead of her time.  From the family tree we looked at before the tour started, it appeared those Habsburgs were everywhere and, when they didn't marry for regions and power, they waged war for it!

A bit about the Habsburgs from Wikipedia:

The House of Habsburg (traditionally spelled Hapsburg in English), also called House of Austria was one of the most influential and outstanding royal houses of Europe. The throne of the Holy Roman Empire was continuously occupied by the Habsburgs between 1438 and 1740. The house also produced emperors and kings of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Germany, Kingdom of Hungary, Kingdom of Croatia, Kingdom of Illyria, Second Mexican Empire, Kingdom of Ireland, Kingdom of Portugal, and Kingdom of Spain.  From the 16th century, following the reign of Charles V, the dynasty was split between its Austrian and Spanish branches.  Although they ruled distinct territories, they nevertheless maintained close relations and frequently intermarried.

The route back took us through some interesting areas of Vienna with streets lined with apartments most of which, we were informed, had been built in the 1920s and early 1930s for social housing.  Today, a significant portion of apartment buildings are owned by the city; in fact, around 500,000 people live in these types of building which makes for affordable housing for a significant portion of the population here.  While many of these buildings were originally constructed to house workers (the "proletariat", so to speak), today this housing is made available to seniors and young families.  We thought it was an interesting approach to social housing and one, at least according to the bartender in our hotel whom my sister talked to about it, works.

It might be difficult to see but the inscription on both buildings says they were built
by the government and then gives the dates the apartments were built.