Last Two Days in Prague

Day Three in Prague and the weather was lovely.  What a nice sunny day for our trip up to see the Castle and St Vitus Cathedral.  I must admit I had heard so many stories about pickpockets, especially on trams numbered 22 and 23 I was a bit paranoid.  Anyway, we boarded tram 22 and there was no problem.  It was full of middle aged folks going about their daily lives!

First of all we went to the Cerninsky Palace which is 135 m long - the largest palace in Prague.  On 10th March, 1948 (which is my birthday incidentally) it was the scene of Prague's third, and most widely mourned, defenestration. Only days after the Communist coup the only son of the founder of the Republic plunged 45 feet to his death from the top-floor bathroom window of the palace.  Was it suicide or murder?

From there we walked across the road to the Loretta with its tower that lights up at night like a Chinese Lantern.

Then it was down to Novy Svet to see the 17th Century cottages. Now I know I am tall but do people really get through these doors without difficulty?

I am obsessed with "doors" and although these were not the types I normally take photographs of I did find some interesting door knockers.

What about this road sign - it rather amused me.

It was really pleasant walking along this road making our way to the Castle Gardens where we saw lots of lovely buildings and this magnificent lamp.  Unfortunately (in some ways) the sun was shining so much that it was difficult getting photographs, but this is the lamp, or rather the top of  it.

 

This is the Presidents Offices, manned by two guards.

If you walk to the right of the picture you have the most marvellous views of the whole of Prague and as it was such a nice day we spent quite a while enjoying the view - and the sunshine.

From there we went into a courtyard which opened onto a big square, through to the next one and to St Vitus Cathedral.  Magnificent!

The stained glass windows really are something else and this was my favourite one of all, difficult to choose but I think this was my favourite.

From there we went to Nerudova, known for its Baroque houses and their medieval barn doors, most of which are adorned with their own house signs.  I could not wait to see these.  Another obsession of mine is hanging signs and these came pretty close, I had to photograph them all.  Here are just a few.

I love keys.

I won't go on with any more but I must show you this.  As you probably know Prague is full of Marionette shops.  This is at the top of the street and I just had to take a couple of photographs.

This is one of the panels on the left of the door.  Couldn't resist a close up.  They are so cute.

Then it was off to search for another of David Czerny's sculptures. This one was in the Peace Gardens of the German Embassy.  It was quite interesting going up the street as we saw cars being stopped as they went up the street - having the guards look underneath the car with those mirrors on long poles, open the boot etc.  Anyway, eventually we found the sculpture (having walked down a very muddy lane to get a photograph).

Interesting?  Quirky?  Or What?

Then it was back to the bottom and off to Havelske Market where I bought my only souvenir - a glass bowl which holds a night light and has scenes of Prague around it.  This was to make up for my disappointment in not being able to buy a "mug" for my Gluhwein with Prague 2009 on it - they served it in plastic cups!

The next day was spent going over some of the places which we had enjoyed, doing last minute eating and drinking and simply enjoying Prague.  I hope I have not bored you too much but rather whetted your appetite to go and see Prague.  Here are a couple of my other favourite photographs.

And now it's "dobrou noc Praha"

Hope I'm in Time

I hope I am in time for the Play Date Cafe Challenge this week.  I was happily messing about when suddenly I thought "I wonder what the colours are this week, must get on with it tonight".  Checking I realised I was on the last minutes so straight into my craft room, out with my Distress Inks and voila!  Colours used are Worn Lipstick, Peeled Paint and Fired Brick.

It is an image I have had for simply ages but one which I like to use from time to time.  No idea who it is by but the background is a Paperartsy one - that I do know because it is a favourite of mine.

I've tried to stick to the colours of Forest Green, Deep Red and White - hope it qualifies.  Better get it linked to my blog.

Day 2 in Prague AND A Challenge Done

Didn't think I would get any responses to our visit to Prague so thank you to those who commented.

Day two we went to Obecnidum (Municipal House) which is a beautiful art nouveau building.  It was such a shame there was scaffolding in front of it.  This always happens to me!

After wandering a bit more we went to the Jewish Quarter where we wandered along Rodeao Drive (not really called that but full of shops like Prada and Louis Vuitton) on our way to see the Ceremonial Hall.  This is at the top of a little street lined with tiny stalls.  I love the quirkiness of this building.

I love looking at buildings like this.  I had read about a clock which goes backwards (because the Hebrew script reads backwards) being on the Town Hall in this area and so we set about looking for it.  Not easy to spot but we did eventually see it.

From there we walked along the edge of the river and I spied the Hanavsky Pavillion which was a showpiece of wrought ironwork for the 1891 Prague exhibition.  Don't you just love the shape of this?

As you can see from the photograph the day was not a good one and by this time it was getting to dusk.  Not to be put off the intrepid travellers carried on across the Maneusuv Bridge where we got a shot of Charles Bridge before continuing to Mala Strana.

I was in search of the Lennon Wall on this side of the river and so we wandered around and around Kampa Park - but saw these David Czerny sculptures which fascinated me.

We also found a little waterway which reminded me of the canals of Venice or Amsterdam but my favourite photograph was this one where it peters out into a small river and I just had to share.  Who would think there was such a spot so close to the hub of a city.

Now to the Lennon Wall.  Not the same picture as the ones I had seen in the Guide books - obviously those images have been painted over and this is what we saw.  If you click on the picture you will see that below the  image of John Lennon someone has put candles and made it into a little shrine of sorts.

I'll not upload all the photographs of the whole length of it but I must show you this water wheel.  As we walked back to the Charles Bridge from seeing the Lennon Wall we crossed over a tiny bridge and there was a water wheel to our right.  The railings of this little bridge was full of padlocks!  Not a clue why, but I could not resist a photograph.

Back to the Old Town Market and a Mulled Wine before returning to the hotel and dinner.

Thanks for bearing with me with my Prague trip - a bit more tomorrow and then that will be it.

In the meantime, I went to Victoria Stampers on Saturday where we were having Make & Takes with it being the Christmas Dinner that day.  I only managed to do two of them but got hooked on these Box Christmas Cards which we were shown how to make by the ever talented Lynne Wilkinson.  I don't know where she finds all her ideas but she had made some beautiful samples and cut out enough of the shapes needed for us all to make one.  Even those who did not get a chance to do her session took the instructions home.  Here are mine that I made and I am entering them into the Lots to Do Challenge this week as they are full of "snowflakes".

This first picture shows all four of them before you take the lids off.

This is one I did for Chas, colours chosen because then it will match in with our colour scheme in the lounge.  Can you see how the figures in the middle stand up because they are on a kind of concertina bit?

This is for my friend Naomi who loves getting handmade cards from me.

This is for her mum and dad - her dad has had a rough time of it these past few years with illness and has just come out of hospital having had his gallbladder removed.  Am sure they will like this one which is the one I made at Vicky Stampers.

And finally, one for aunty.  Simple cream and gold.

Must get on as I need to make another for Andy & Sam - in red and gold - the colours she has chosen for this year for her Christmas table.  Hope you have not been bored with my Prague photographs.

Gosh - A Whole Week Has Gone!

I have been so busy since my last posting and guess where I have been?

Visiting a Christmas Market.  But Where?

Does the style of this building give you a clue?  (I had to include this photo as I thought it rather good with the Christmas baubles on the left - photographers will most likely disagree).  Ok - this is the most massive clue of all and you will know straight away where I have been.

It's the Astronomical Clock in Old Town Square in Prague.

We set off on Monday morning, arriving before noon at the airport.  Our hotel was ideal to find (especially for first timers in Prague) as we just caught the airport express bus which dropped us at the railway station, crossed a road, walked through a tiny park and there was our hotel (Falkensteiner Maria Prag) and to our delight a restaurant which had been recommended to us was right by the side of it (The Sherwood).

The hotel was lovely, obviously an old building which had been modernised, beautifully decorated, and we got complimentary drinks, complimentary coffee and cakes and complimentary 24 hour transport passes.  Breakfast was buffet style and huge, you could eat enough to fill you up until well into the afternoon, if not until time for the evening meal.

This photograph is in the area off reception and I had to take it because the red floral decorations were everywhere and they were so beautiful.

There are four markets in Prague and my favourite ones were the one in Old Town Square and the Havelske Trziste one.  We did find them quite small in comparison to the German Markets we saw last year so most of our time was spent exploring Prague itself.  What beautiful buildings, such a pretty city.

This is the Tyn Church - at night the towers are lit up and it is absoslutely beautiful to see.  Unfortunately my camera never managed to take a good enough photograph so it has to remain a memory.

This is a view of St Vitus Cathedral taken from Charles Bridge on our first evening.  We walked over the bridge and the views were truly wonderful.  It is a very fairytale place.

That is it for our first day in Prague.  A lovely meal in the Sherwood and off to our hotel.

Brilliant!

I think Sam's theme over on Lots to Do is absolutely Brilliant!  She gives a link to some well known chocolate bars and you choose one of them and use those colours in your work.  Obviously you have to use the colours of green and black but then you have the fun of putting another colour with them.

Not really my favourite, if I am being honest, but my first card is "cherry".  For this one I stamped with Ranger's Perfect Medium and then went over with Perfect Pearls 'Forever Green'.  I just don't use my PP's enough, apart from on my claywork, and I am going to make it a resolution to use them more as they are lovely especially when they catch the light.  It's a shame it doesn't show up in the scan.  The  background was run through my Cuttlebug and then I swiped over it with a Moss Green Mica Pad.

Got a bit carried away with this Challenge this morning and produced this next card for the Butterscotch flavour.  Again not my favourite but an ideal opportunity to use my Alcohol Inks.  This time I used Lettuce and Butterscotch (obviously) for my background.  I do love this stamp but cannot for the life in me think who it is by.

My third and final card actually does use my favourite type of chocolate - White.  Definitely a Milky Bar Kid.  I remember using this image a couple of years ago and one of my friends, Anne, liked it so much she went and bought some of the American Art stamps over the internet.  She never told me how many she bought though.
I used my Twinkling H2o's to colour the olives in and then decided to give her an emerald necklace and a greeny-yellow flower in her hair (Lemongrass).

Oh, sorry Cath - another PO at the top!