Sunday, May 28: Prague Architecture & Cubism, Old Town, St. Nicholas Church Concert

Our lead guide in Prague, Jana, leading us on a walking tour and sporting what must be Prague earrings since we are not in Budapest any longer.

Wenceslas Square, which is actually an elongated boulevard, is where some of the demonstrations occurred during the so-called velvet revolution in November of 1989 during the downfall of communism that had controlled Czechoslovakia for forty years.  This is especially meaningful to me because this is history that occurred in my lifetime and which I remember.  I wonder what it would have been like to stand in this location at that time.  This is only a portion of the square.  The building under construction at the end of the square is the National Museum.

On the way to the House of the Black Madonna, a cubist structure built in 1912 in the height of the cubism movement, Jana patiently explains the many styles of Prague architecture.  Architecture is Prague is amazing since, except for three bombs in one errant allied raid, Prague was not bombed in World War II.

Our first stop is the Museum of Czech Cubism for a lecture on art and architecture.

This is a cool spiral stairway in the building.

We proceed on our walking tour past the square dedicated to the famous Jewish Czech author, Franz Kafka.

The center of old town Prague is Old Town Square which is a very busy place on this Sunday.

This is an early evening photo of the Old Town Hall.

We have lunch in the Municipal House, also located in Old Town, and view the orchestra rehearsing for this evening's performance in beautiful Smetana Hall.

This is the balcony on the Municipal House from which establishment of the Czech Republic was announced in 1993.

We take a much needed refreshment break in mid-afternoon.  I have been warned not to drink the wine in Prague.  And that warning has proved to be well founded.  Nevertheless, I had to try because, in my old age, I have difficulty with the volume of beer.  I never had that issue in college.

We dine al fresco across the street from the Old Town Hall (notice the French, not Czech, wine)

before attending a classical music concert from a chamber orchestra in the St. Nicholas Church.

I found a few tourists just wandering the streets.

Good night.