St Thomas

Return to NYC

The trip to the airport through the streets of Prague- a lovely day was dawning. 

Home again home again jiggity jig :)

Prague

A quick trip in the morning to the Old Town Square and the Astrological Clock and its  mechanical performance which in the Middle Ages was considered one of the wonders of the world. 

We had time to climb the town to get a view of the glorious tiled roofs.

The Prague Astronomical Clock, which for 600 years has been one of the greatest treasures of the city, still amazes people with its procession of Apostles, moving statues and visualization of time like no other instrument in the world

I mucked up my flight booking- at least I misread Lynne's itinerary thinking we were all leaving on August 8th so I had an evening in Prague by myself. Alfons Maria Mucha, often known in English and French as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist, known best for his distinct style. He produced many paintings, illustrations, advertisements, postcards, and designs.

This painting is not like his usual work but it appealed to me on my visit to the Mucha museum. 

This is more the style for which he is well known - art nouveau posters, paintings and decorative art 

Lucky for me Sharan and Peter were in town and we went to dinner with Rex and Helen at a fantastic restaurant below the Charles Bridge. This chap was one of the patrons at the next table. 

Falconry and Kafka

 Traveled through the "beautiful Czech countryside" to Chateau Jimneste. After touring the interior of the house we were invited to a falconry display

Back in Prague Lynne and I rushed to see to a busy shopping center in Prague, this twisting and reflective sculpture depicting the head of writer Franz Kafka is the latest kinetic artwork by controversial Czech artist David Cerny.

 Installed in 2014, the enormous mirrored bust is comprised of 42 independently driven layers of stainless steel and weighs in at some 45 tons. The piece brilliantly reveals Kafka’s tortured personality and unrelenting self doubt that plagued him his entire life.

The layering of objects is a common motif for Cerny who built a similar rotating head that also functions as a fountain titled Metalmorphosis.

It rained in Prague

Budapest

 Budapest, Hungary’s capital, is bisected by the River Danube, and the 19th-century Chain Bridge connects its hilly Buda district with flat Pest.

A funicular runs up Castle Hill to Buda’s Old Town, where the Budapest History Museum traces life from Roman times onwards.

 Trinity Square is home to 13th-century Matthias Church and the turrets of the Fishermen’s Bastion, which offer sweeping views.

Schonbrunn Palace

 Schönbrunn Palace (German: Schloss Schönbrunn  is a former imperial summer residence located in Vienna, Austria. The 1,441-room Baroque palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historical monuments in the country.

 Since the mid-1950s it has been a major tourist attraction. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs.

 The sculpted garden space between the palace and the Sun Fountain is called the Great Parterre.

The French garden, a big part of the area, was planned by Jean Trehet, a disciple of André Le Nôtre, in 1695. It contains, among other things, a maze.

Vienna- Inside the Spanish Riding School stables

 The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the only institution in the world which has practiced for over 440 years and continues to cultivate classical equitation in the Renaissance tradition of the haute école.

The objective of classical equitation is to study the way the horse naturally moves and to cultivate the highest levels of haute école elegance the horse is capable of through systematic training. The result creates an unparalleled harmony between rider and horse, as only Vienna's Spanish Riding School achieves.

Melk

 Melk Abbey (German: Stift Melk) is a Benedictine abbey above the town of Melk, Lower Austria, Austria, on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube river, adjoining the Wachau valley.

The abbey contains the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau and the remains of several members of the House of Babenberg, Austria's first ruling dynasty.

 The abbey was founded in 1089 when Leopold II, Margrave of Austria gave one of his castles to Benedictine monks from Lambach Abbey. A monastic school, the Stiftsgymnasium Melk, was founded in the 12th century, and the monastic library soon became renowned for its extensive manuscript collection.

 The monastery's scriptorium was also a major site for the production of manuscripts. In the 15th century the abbey became the centre of the Melk Reform movement which reinvigorated the monastic life of Austria and Southern Germany.

 The abbey was founded in 1089 when Leopold II, Margrave of Austria gave one of his castles to Benedictine monks from Lambach Abbey. A monastic school, the Stiftsgymnasium Melk, was founded in the 12th century, and the monastic library soon became renowned for its extensive manuscript collection.

 The monastery's scriptorium was also a major site for the production of manuscripts. In the 15th century the abbey became the centre of the Melk Reform movement which reinvigorated the monastic life of Austria and Southern Germany