Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Prague... march 28-31, 2007

Prague was not quite what we expected. I had imagined a quaint place full of old-world charm instead of a bustling, cosmopolitan city. There were old, old buildings decorated with intricate paintings or statues but some were marred with modern, garish neon signs. The most surprising thing was to see Bata in Prague!

The famous astronomical clock...

Charming pictures on walls...

Detailed carvings...

Gorgeous windows...
Don't get me wrong, Prague is still full of grand old architecture, like St. Vitus's Cathedral in Prague Castle, which was beautiful. The stained glass windows seemed rather new but still gorgeous. The crypt was not scary but it felt rather disrespectful to sightsee the resting place of the ancient rulers, oops. There were statues and sculptures in alcoves which were not too clustered. I prefer them spaced apart, with enough space to admire them before moving on to the next. Luckily, photographs could be taken!

http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/StVitusCathedral

After that, we wandered about Prague Castle and were just in time for the change of guards. It was grand, with fanfare and barriers. The soldiers were all tall and smart-looking, the imposing effect was dissolved at the funny way they align each other by shoving. See for yourself!
http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/ChangeOfGuards

Near the castle is the famous Charles' Bridge lined with imposing statues depicting biblical scenes. On the pedestal of one of the stautes was two panels with reliefs that were supposed to grant one's wish on touching them. Hope everyone's come true!

http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/CharlesBridge

We went to a musical fountain telling the story of Romeo and Juliet in the outskirts of Prague. The play of lights and water is beautiful but gets rather dull after a while. There was a perk up when the music changed from dramatic Tchaikovsky to a modern upbeat melody. I felt the change a little towards poor taste but the worst has to be scenes of Romeo and Juliet projected onto a curtain of water.

I've picked out the best bits here



People have told us how wonderfully cheap Prague is... to them, because they earn in euros and pounds. To poor overseas students like us, Prague is of the same price back home. Like back home, one has to pay for everything one sees, does and goes. The wonderful thing for the guys is FOOD. There are enormas sausages that are piping hot and bursting at their seams. Also, there are burgers with huge patties that are satisfying.

However, poor me can only look and not eat, as I was not feeling too well. The plus side to feeling not up to a feast is that I've got everything to spend for souvenirs! My doting aunties have not been to Prague, so I spent on some little things for them. Below is me hugging my purchases.

Oh, something I really enjoyed is boat-paddling. We paddled on the river on the last day and gazed upon all the lovely sights that we've enjoyed for the past few days. A perfect conclusion to a tour of such a picturesque city.


This is the city at night

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