Trip to Europe: Prague, Czech Republic

In the morning of 1/16, we left Budapest, Hungary for Vienna, Austria, to attend our second Viennese Ball (the Blumenball (flower ball)) at the Rathaus (City Hall) on the very same evening. Lack of sleep, and a few other issues that needed resolution turned what was intended to be an evening of dancing into an evening of talking on a stairway. Having little sleep that night, we left on 1/17 for Praha (Prague), the capital of the České Republika (Czech Republic), where we met Myrto Stamiri, Toli's friend from his high school years (though they didn't go to the same school). Myrto had arrived on 1/16 and had already managed to scout the town. So we essentially had a tour guide waiting for us! And that was only the tip of the iceberg. Myrto had found the wonderful apartment we all shared for our few nights in Prague, she cooked for us, brought along and shared wonderful jams and desserts she had made in Greece, and even brought extra for us to take home! And she shared her wonderful laughter, smile, and love. We were utterly spoiled!

1/17
Smetanovo nábřeži (quay), by the Vltava River
Myrto, with the river and the Pražský hrad (Prague castle) in the background.

1/17
Smetanovo nábřeži, by the Vltava River
Toli, Christine, and Myrto, with the river and the Pražský hrad in the background.

1/17
Smetanovo nábřeži, by the Vltava River
Christine and Myrto, with the river and the Pražský hrad in the background.

1/18
Novotného lávka (catwalk), by the Vltava River
Myrto and Christine, with the river and Malá Strana (dinky side; the Lesser Town of Prague) in the background.

1/18
Novotného lávka, by the Vltava River
The river and town: Smetanovo nábřeži and most (bridge) Legií (panorama).

1/18
Novotného lávka, by the Vltava River
The river and town: most Legií and Střelecký ostrov (island) (panorama).

1/18
Novotného lávka, by the Vltava River
The river and town: Malá Strana (panorama).

1/18
Novotného lávka, by the Vltava River
The river and town: Pražský hrad and Karlův (Charles) most (panorama).

1/18
Novotného lávka, by the Vltava River
The river and town: Karlův most (panorama).

1/18
Novotného lávka, by the Vltava River
The river and town: Karlův most and the tip of Novotného lávka (panorama).

1/18
Karlův most
Christine touches the dog at the statue of Divo Ioanni Nepomuceno (St. John Nepomuk).

1/18
Karlův most
Myrto touches the falling saint at the statue of St. John Nepomuk for good luck.

1/18
Karlův most
Double luck: Toli touches the dog and Christine the falling saint at the statue of St. John Nepomuk.

1/18
British Embassy, Thunovská street, Hradčany (hrad: castle; the castle area)
Winston Churchill's bust, complete with a winter runny nose.

1/18
British Embassy, Thunovská street, Hradčany
Winston Churchill's bust, complete with a winter runny nose.

1/18
On the steps to Pražský hrad, Hradčany
Toli gives Myrto a lift up the steps to the castle. Actually, they are faking it... Toli could never lift a girl with such a big heart!

1/18
Katedrála sv. Víta (St. Vitus Cathedral), Hradčany
Stained glass window.

1/18
Katedrála sv. Víta, Hradčany
Stained glass window.

1/18
Katedrála sv. Víta, Hradčany
Stained glass window by Alphonse Mucha.

1/18
Katedrála sv. Víta, Hradčany
Stained glass window.

1/18
Katedrála sv. Víta, Hradčany
Look, it's a gate with a golden pizza tree on it!

1/18
Schwarzenberského paláce (palace), Hradčany
A close-up of the building facade. Christine dubbed this the "chocolate building" because the tiles look like pieces of a chocolate bar. The tiles may look like reliefs (when the light is right), but they are not. My next guess was they they were painted to look like reliefs, but that wasn't accurate either; they are etched, instead.

1/18
Schwarzenberského paláce, Hradčany
A close-up of the "chocolate building" facade.

1/18
Schwarzenberského paláce, Hradčany
The "chocolate building".

1/18
Hradčany
Christine and Myrto with the Malá Strana in the background.

1/18
Hradčany
Malá Strana.

1/19
Jewish Quarter, Staré Město (old town)
Jewish marionettes (or as Blackadder I would say, "The Dancing Jews of Jerusalem"). Marionettes are very popular in Prague, and there is even a (fairly touristy) attraction called the marionette theater, where we got to see Mozart's (abridged) opera Don Giovanni. I am confident Mozart was rolling in his grave throughout the performance, and will drag the puppeteers down to hell as Il Commendatore did to Don Giovanni in the opera. (Il Commendatore is the father of Donna Anna, the woman Don Giovanni attempts to rape in the opening scene.)

1/19
Staré Město
Christine downs a chocolate pastry, getting most of it on her face.

1/19
Staré Město
Christine and Myrto pose in front of a feline-themed store. Cats in Prague! (That was the name of a local black theater show, which was a very amusing unintentional parody of the Webber musical, from its name and its advertising poster to the music, staging, plot, and hilariously nonsensical English lyrics.)

1/19
Staré Město
Christine in front of Rott Crystal, the most famous crystal shop in Prague.

1/19
Staré Město
Toli and Christine stand warily by Golem. Legend has it that a rabbi created a robot, Golem, to protect and serve the Jewish people. However, someone forgot to turn the robot off one Sabbath day, and the robot menaced the town until the rabbi could stop and destroy his creation.

1/19
Most Legií
Christine and Toli dance, with the Fred and Ginger building in the background. It is so named because one building is leaning on the other. Its official name is the Rasin Building, and its architect is the American Frank Gehry.

1/19
Most Legií
The Fred and Ginger building.

1/19
Kampa, Malá Strana
A creek reminiscent of home.

1/19
Staré Město
Myrto and Christine in front of the Restaurace U Dvou Koček (Chez Two Cats Restaurant), each mirroring the cat above and behind. We spotted it once, by accident, and spent quite some time trying to find it again. Turns out the food wasn't that good, but the artwork made up for it.

1/19
Staré Město
Myrto and Christine as the cats of Restaurace U Dvou Koček.

1/19
Staré Město
Christine and Myrto as the cats of Restaurace U Dvou Koček. "If you're feeling unhappy and lonely..." as Cats in Prague would sing.

1/19
Staré Město
The sign over the entrance of Restaurace U Dvou Koček.

1/19
Restaurace U Dvou Koček, Staré Město
A painting on the restaurant's ceiling, depicting Toli's relationships with his wife and their cats.

1/19
Staré Mesto
The Karlův most tower as the snow starts falling.

1/20
Stavovske Divadlo (The Estates Theatre)
Il Commendatore. This statue by Anna Chromy commemorates Mozart's premiere of Don Giovanni in Prague on 10/29/1787. It's also a little reminiscent of the Anonymous statue in Budapest, Hungary.

1/20
Stavovske Divadlo
Il Commendatore.