Seeing another side of Prague and visiting Karlovy VaryI now feel more at home in the Czech republic... The weather is unbelievable, unseasonably hot, well over 30 degrees. People here look like they have all come back from a vacation in Hawaii, scantily clad and golden brown. Strangely enough, I suffer more from the ruthless sun here than in Iran where I had to be covered from head to foot. How do you explain that... |
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| I spent pleasant hours with my friend Gary who showed me the quieter, more authentic side of Prague. As I mentionned before, he lives in the residential district of Vinohrady. Many neo classical buildings, shaded by tall trees, little cafes with inviting "terraces", and a park that used to be the vineyard of the King. We went for a stroll there. The gardens, blissfully empty of tourists, were simply lovely. They were not as manicured as could be expected but instead had sort of a cosy, homey look with fruit trees growing here and there, patches of wild flowers and ornamental bushes. |  |
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Lots of lilac and the famous vineyards growing on the
side of the hills. On top of one of them, a wooden gazebo coiffed with a
pagoda type of roof where locals can enjoy a glass of the royal brew.
On the week end, Gary took me to another picturesque area called Vysehrad. Vysehrad is for the locals the true symbol of their history, much more than the castle area which is associated with Germany. There we spent the major part of the day walking around, along with many Czech families enjoying an afternoon outing. In the park, a band playing classical music among the trees and the fine statues. The views overlooking the Vltava river, speckled with drops of sunshine, were breathtaking. A vast canopy of red tiled roofs, pierced here and there by ornate church steeples, floated in thick, lusciously green vegetation. |
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We visited the cemetery where repose famous Czechs like Dvorak or Smetana. This graveyard looking more like a well tended garden abounding in fresh flowers and touching statuary, like this stone sad eyed boy sitting on the grave of a young child. What a difference from the Jewish cemetery! We also entered San Peter and Paul Church where I admired many examples of naive imagery of Czech Saints, often simple men and women. They have of course never been recognised by the official Church. |  |
One day, I decided to go to Karlovy Vary,a famous spa better known in the old days as Carlsbad. There all the rich, |
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titled or famous used to flock. It was fashionable and of "dernier chic" for tsars, emperors, kings, artists to come to take the waters. People like Peter the Great, Chopin, Karl Max to name a few. The city, now inundated by well off Germans, Austrians and nouveaux riches from Russia, has kept |
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its old charm. Many promenades along the river, a myriad of flowers and trees in bloom,
a profusion of baroque manors turned into posh hotels, elegant colonnades with graceful
statues on their roofs, imposing 19th century spa establishments and springs, of course,
all contribute to the alluring atmosphere.
Most of today's spa goers are older. You can see them smartly dressed, with a spa cup in their hands sipping the "rejuvenating" water, panacea for all ailments. It was fun to watch and I enjoyed walking around, looking at the truly splendid architecture. |
| So this is it for the Czech Republic. Am off to Poland on Monday for new adventures. |
