Best Day - Kutne Hora

Absolutely loved our full day in Prague on our own.  Karen had tipped me off that if she were in Prague the one thing she would especially like to see would be the Sedlec Ossuary.  I did remember seeing about that one time on a Rick Steve's Europe Through the Back Door program on PBS, but hadn't paid much attention since I never, ever thought I would one day be in Prague.  Madeline was not too excited to see a bone church but agreed to take a train and find our way out into the Czech countryside.

When we had gotten to the hotel we discovered that Kutna Hora was one of the optional tours being offered so the adventure was toned down a bit by having a private car, driver, and guide.  What a bonus!  I now know more about Central Europe than I ever could have wanted to know, about life before and after WWII,  before and after being Czechoslovakia, and again before and after Communism.

Candy and Dave, the other Steve's fans, agreed to go so we had our needed four, and Ron and Lily Thorpe from Perth, Western Australia went along as well.  Ron and Lily are a lovely couple.  He always calls her 'Luv' and when they walk along they hold hands.  Even though they were celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary the hand holding was because they want to, not just to support each other over the cobbled walkways.

The drive took about an hour through some lovely suburban and rural country side.  Once we were off the main roads the pavement was actually better and the ride was smoother.  As we arrived in the little silver mining city I was surprised by how modern it was.  Turns out that Kutna Hora (sometimes spelled with an 'a' and sometimes an 'e') had long been a rival of Prague to be the capital city.  It was favored to be the seat of royalty but after a major fire and the exhaustion of the silver mines, it lost prominence.  


Our first stop was at the Sedlec Ossuary. These pictures are perfect to give you the feel of this large underground mausoleum. Those who had no idea what to expect were stunned.  The beauty of this obviously reverent display is remarkable.  The artistic works are not Halloweenish or garish.  Rather it was a silent reminder that no matter our earthly power or wealth, we are all the same in the end. 

The story of Sedlec is that it was an effort to organize the bones of the mass grave found when the little church was built in 1400.  It was not until the approach of the 20th century that a need was found to create order. In 1870, František Rint was hired by the wealthy Schwarzenberg family to put the 'bone heaps' in order.  His macabre sense of mortality is evident, but not scary.  I loved the intertwining of snakes among the pillars of skulls and the Schwarzenberg Family Crest is a fascinating piece of art.

Notice the raven pecking the hollow eye.

In the surrounding cemetery the graves were mostly perennial planted. Many  had cabbages or other vegetables.  One headstone showed the life dates of the young man buried within and also had a mounted steering wheel.  Car accident?  I would have liked to spend a little more time here, but there was so much more to see.

We drove across the modern center to the Old Town.  Here we found St. Barbara's church.  Workman were busy laying a new and extensive paver walkway.  This was the first church on this ABC Tour that was not shrouded in scaffolding.  The flying buttresses give the church a light and airy feeling.  The bright windows let not only the facade seem gentle but gave plenty of light inside.  The link I have given you will let you see many pictures of this beautiful edifice both inside and out. The church features a shrine to the silver miners who made this part of Slovakia a valuable asset to whomever controlled it.  The numerous side altars are elaborate and really stand out with their dark wood and stone against the surprising lightness of this baroque church.

Once again outside in the beautiful summer air, cooled by the thriving greenery around us, we strolled through an arcade that the citizens built to rival the Charles Bridge.  Not as massive but really lovely with grape vines trailing below it and the city church of St. James in the background.

The Jesuit Seminary that backs the arcade is now a museum and as we passed by the friendly gatekeeper gave us a huge smile and big wave.   I think the bunny ears made him laugh!

St. James was in the traditional modern European church garb: scaffolding and sand blasters cleaning the centuries old facade.  We bypassed that with a stroll through town toward the brewery where a choice of traditional lunches was waiting.  All the time the guide continued to give us a blow by blow description of Czech life, then and now.

After a pleasant biergarten meal we continued our stroll, stopping here and there to browse in the quaint shops.  I actually bought a souvenir for myself which is something I really never do.  A carved brown dachshund I have name Czechkers.  She now sits on my hearth keeping Skeeter company.  I decided to get an apricot ice cream cone.  The whole group agreeed this would be the perfect ending to our time here.

During the ride back to Prague, which like most trips seemed faster than the ride out, it was quieter in the van.  Candy was already making notes from Rick Steve's for their visit to Copenhagen which was where they were heading out to next.  Madeline, Ron, and Lily napped.  I couldn't see Dave, seated behind me, but every now and then he commented on the passing countryside so I think he was just chilling and watching the world go by like me.

Upon returning to the Prague Hilton I was still excited by our wonderful day.  I was not ready to just hang out in the room or the pool.  Since the day before (you remember it was a long, exhausting day of non-stop hiking on rough city streets) we had decided not to visit Wenceslas Square on our return to the comforts of our elegant hotel, I suggested this as the grand finale.  Madeline decided to to rest in the room and put her feet up.  Candy and Dave were going to go for a swim but before I could regroup and set out on my own, they called our room to let me know that they too wanted to see this iconic location.  I was glad, because wandering alone around cities where I do not speak the language - no matter how many people there speak English - is probably not smart.

We set out on a quick walk to the nearby square.  It is massive.  At least as long as our own National Mall in D.C.  As wide as that open area but not as wide if you consider that streets that run along side of it in D. C.

At the head of the square is the enormous National Gallery and Museum fronted by the St. Wenceslas Fountain. All along the way beautiful hotels, restaurants, stores, and boutiques line the sides.  Throngs of people were heading home after their work day or coming to the square to enjoy the leisurely atmosphere for dinner or an evening out.   Laughing children ran behind the truck that was spraying water to cool the streets and keep down the dust. In one store window of a Thai spa ladies were having their feet nibbled by fish to remove dead skin.

At the top of the square, in front of the fountain was a memorial to two young men.   As I took this picture an older man threw a piece of paper over it.  ( I had moved the paper thinking it was trash that had landed there.) He said "Don't take home these lies to your newspapers. Your newspapers love lies!"

When I got home I looked up these two names. These youths protested the communist takeover of Czechoslovakia with self immolation. Their deaths are not a lie. I think I agree with those who placed the monument, they are heroes.

So map in hand we took the short cut home.  Yep, you guessed it.  After more than an hour wending our way through parks, past derelicts, through a modern train station, backtracking to avoid going over a highway, we made it back. Candy and Dave wanted to stop for dinner.  Once we were nearer the hotel where I knew Madeline was waiting for me to go to dinner I was going to go back on my own. By then, they too decided that the hotel sounded like a good idea.

Back at the room I learned that Len had called up to share the bottle of wine he and Diane had been saving for this occasion.   It had welcomed them in their room aboard the ship when they arrived.  A year or so earlier, Len had met a guy in an airport when they were stranded by cancelled flights.  Len helped him get a hotel room and then met him again over dinner.  Turned out he was the owner of Viking River Cruises, Torstein Hagen.  When Len emailed him that they were going on this trip, he had sent wine to greet them and asked that Len let him know his opinion of the experience.

Since Diane was not feeling well Len brought the wine to our room and Madeline, Len, and I enjoyed a recap of their day and ours.  They had opted for a tour of the elaborate Lobkowicz Palace and a classical concert.

Len went to pack and get ready for the next day's trip home.  M and I went to dinner and again ordered the delicious pizza.  When I paid the bill I used the remaining Czech Krona and put five dollars on the charge and was happy not to be carrying home a ton of foreign money.  My grandkids don't get a kick out of it like my kids did when they were little and Mom and Dad brought home the change. Then they used it for school projects but projects are done differently now a days.

Candy and Dave were just finishing their dinner in the same spot and brought their dessert over to join us.  I always hate to see vacation end because of all the nice people we meet along the way.  It does not surprise you that I talk to everyone and feel like we become friends.

And so I come to the end of this journey.   They next morning I was out of the hotel by 6:45 am for a 9:50 flight home.  It was uneventful, just long.  I enjoyed my window seat so that I could see the shores of England, then Ireland, and finally the good old U.S. of A.  We flew over Manchester in England where my cousins live.  I think I will write them that I saw them working in their garden.  Then over Dublin, and New York City.  I saw the Statue of Liberty waving a warm welcome home.  In the distance you could see Washington, D. C. and finally Lake Lanier and came in right over my favorite, Stone Mountain!

This is the end of this blog.  However as soon as I figure a way to post some photo albums I will.  Adding personal pictures while working with the limited internet aboard the ship was not realistic.  Since I am home, you can see that I have included some of my own. If you want to see all four thousand plus I will just send you the link to my online albums, but I think instead that I am going to try to create some annoted photos that we would all enjoy more.

Thanks for following along on this trip!

Sincerely,
Judy-Lynn