Prague

Well I took a Friday off and flew to Prague for a long weekend. I am so glad I did. It really helped with the winter doldrums.

Prague is a beautiful city that was restored after communism fell. Also Pragues was not bombed out during WWII. I think it is probably the most beautiful city that I have seen in Europe. I visited several breath-taking churches. The inside of these churches are very rich in history. I walked over the St. Charles Bridge which is now a pedestrian walkway but for several centuries it was the only way to cross the river in Prague.

I went up to Prague Castle Hill. The Cathedral with gargoyles is located here as is a castle from the Hapsburgs. In the Castle there is a hall that allowed jousting to occur indoors. The steps were made such that horses could climb them.

I also did a Jewish synagogue tour. This was very profound for me. First two stops talked about the History of the Jewish community in Prague. The third stop was a synagogue that had writing on the walls. It was the name birthdate and last date known alive of the people who perished in the concentration camps. The fourth stop was the cemetary. Only a few places could the Jewish people be buried so it is like one on top of another. The fifth stop was an explanation of their burial tradition. The final stop was an explanation of the religion and their special days. To me, it was like here is our history, here is our tragedy, here is how we prefer to treat death, to here is our religion and we continue.

If you ever have a weekend that is unplanned in Europe. I highly recommend Prague.