August 12, 2003
Early start in Prague
I did not run this morning but Lynne and I went for a walk around Prague at 6:30 am. This is not masochism as the temperature is cool and you can see the sights before the tour parties arrive and make life unpleasant. Prague has a spider problem everything is covered with webs. As the sun came into this alley we were walking in I saw this lamp and web "lit" by a sunbeam. The rest of the alley was pretty dark and the effect is rather good I think.
The clock in the old square was easier to see without the crowds of people this morning.
We went to the Jewish cemetery later in the morning – this is serious sight seeing. There are thousands of graves in a very small space. All the headstones are on the surface but bodies are layered, extra earth was brought in to get even more bodies in, as the space they were allowed was so limited. I learnt a little more about how the Jewish people have been treated over the ages.
I then went on to a converted convent that houses an exhibition of major religious paintings and woodcarving from 1300 –1550. I was very impressed; the security was an old lady in each room who followed you around. Many looked as they had been done yesterday. You can never normally see religious painting as it is around an altar in a dark church. Here it was properly hung with great lighting and you got a written explanation of what it was all about. As we walked back I decided to develop a new way of window-shopping. The photograph below shows some "gorgeous" handbags that are desired by family members, prices are high, but please feel free to purchase for Christmas. I have decided not to purchase them myself as they are out of my price range!
Talking of tour parties. It is great the way the tour "leader" carries an umbrella or other symbol to guide their flock. I have been imitating this behaviour by holding my map up and crossing the road or walking through a square with my hand in the air, this has been extremely irritating to the youngest member of the family.
I think I ought to grow up. We crossed the Charles bridge early this morning, the statues are very black but I did spot the tail feature of the man who works downstairs
and a little further on a rare glimpse of what it might be like down there.
If I were staying any longer my next theme would be how people with turbans are portrayed. I think this has something to do with crusades and Christian relations with Muslims.
I noticed something today that my family has been aware of for sometime. Pigeons are prevented from messing the buildings up by the placing of spikes to stop them landing. You will not be surprised to hear this also applies to gutters and drains!
As I have mentioned the gutters around Prague are decorated with a flower. This also applies to duel entry drainpipes.
Wonderful Mike. You are an excellent correspondent. The BBC surely will headhunt you eventually. May I use the spiderlamp photograph and the clock by shrinking them and having them on my Psychoanalysis website? I will make explicit acknowledgement to you as copyright holder.
Speak soon - and perhaps you will have time to reconstitute my index page.
Chris
Posted by: Chris at August 12, 2003 06:53 PMAnother wonderful report from the front - I've really enjoyed catching up since I have returned to work to a computer that doesn't crash every time I try to access the internet ...
A strange coincidence(?) - I went to see an ENT
surgeon yesterday (same profession as my Father) who has referred me to a Speech therapist (same profession as my Mother) - could have kept the whole thing in the family and saved myself a lot of hassle!
What is this with guttering? Or do I need to really read the continuation of the entry from the other day. Sigh. All the while a small child is at my feet, posting stuff in the printer, destroying my address book and licking CDs.