Posh Paris and Pretty Prague Pictures

We're in Prague, of course, but here's a few Paris photos first that we couldn't post until now.




Hot tourist showing off under the Arc de Triomphe. Paris was seriously hot. 38 C on our first day and 40 C when we left as little puddles.





Notre Dame soaring to the heavens. While inside trying to be still amongst the hoardes, I overheard a young girl say, "Thanks, God, for water." I laughed. Here is this super famous, stunning church meant to overawe and humble one before God, and yet, it was a racket of distraction. My thoughts were nowhere near God. And then the simplest words pop out behind me. And I thought that perhaps it would've been more appropriate to skip the mega building project on this tiny island and just let the trees and the river speak for God.





A visit to Paris is not complete without a tour of the Louvre. Here the large format French paintings overawing little Matt. The Louvre was almost embarassing in its wealth. Treasures, artifacts, paintings from around the globe. Millions upon millions of dollars in one building in one small country. Matt was actually looking at a painting I liked here in which a saint is renouncing the vanities of life, her pearls and jewels and mirrors strewn violently on the floor. Sort of ironic.





Exterior of the Louvre. Well, some of it. In that courtyard is the pyramids.





Matt enjoying sunrise under the Eiffel Tower.



CZECH, MATE?

Back to the Czech Republic. Brought to you by the letter Z, and K, P, V, C, and preferably all in one word with one vowel. (Our Czech has not improved, as you may surmise.) Tomorrow we leave Prague. Pretty pastel Prague. We have so enjoyed you. Unlike in other cities like London and Paris where I knew which monuments and architecture would greet me, Prague was a mystery. I had no idea what I would find here. When we first emerged from the Minotaur's maze that is Prague's metro, I felt a renewed anticipation. And Prague surprised and delighted me. Her buildings hug one another in snug rows, softly painted various shades of peaches , corals, yellows, light greyish blues and greens, with swirling Art Nouveau ornamentation and relief sculptures. Her famous bridges are sweet in their repitition as they cross the river that runs through her centre, dividing old and new town. The squares are alive with people of all sorts and sounds. The "City of a hundred spires" was truly unique from the other European cities we've seen thus far. Matt said it felt like Disneyland. It did feel like a fairytale--without Mickey's garishness. London was gorgeous. Paris was sumptuously and sensually beautiful. Prague is pretty. Neat, tidy, pastelly pretty. Like the daughter a mother in a Jane Austen novel revels in. So here she is, Praha in her ornamented delicacy:




Oops, bad start after that intro. We cannot forget that, though Prague looks pretty now, it was once a Communist city. This reminds us. This is the farthest East suburb of Prague, Cerny Most (pronounced "chair-nee mohst"). The view from our balcony actually. We spent most of our time here, despite Prague's beauty, simply doing not nothing--reading, computing to friends, sleeping in. Just out of view here is 3 massive concrete, 100 foot towers close together that are labelled "Karma Distribution". This strikes me as funny. Nothing comes out. They just loom, but deliver nothing.





The reality of touristing. Running from site to site, cameras snapping, wallets flying, umbrellas waving, and hands sit open, usually empty. But, I promised beauty...





Old Town Square, Prague's main city square. Packed with tourists who watch the Astronomical Clock (the big building on the left) ring out each hour with a funny little mechanical procession of the twelve apostles who creak out little doors high up top. Tyne Church is the impressive spired beauty in the middle.





Prague beauties.





This is every street in Prague.


One site that we didn't have room to show you a photo of was the Jewish Quarter. Actually, a number of sites "sold" together in one ticket, including museums of Jewish Czech history, synagogues, and an old cemetery. Most impacting and worth sharing here is the Pinkas Synagogue, which is unique in that on every inch of its expansive walls were written names, birthdays, hometowns of Holocaust victims. 80, 000 names. 80, 000 Czech Jews remembered here. Very sobering. Outside were the lucky ones in the old cemetery. The most crowded cemetery I have ever seen. The Jews suffered many injustices for centuries throughout Europe. In Prague, they were confined behind walls, unable to own land, build, marry freely, or have any dealings with Christians. They were allowed only a tiny space for burying people so thousands upon thousands of graves are piled on top of each other. As the land settled the gravestones, wedged right beside each other, cracked and toppled. It was quite a sight. Walking through these sites, I wondered at and felt horrified by the extent of hatred. And just how a single people could have such resilience under such consistent hatred and oppression from so many sources.

Resilience is an important word in the Czech Republic. Their history is quite tumultous. A pensive, quiet people in a small area that has been overrun by more rulers than they could've ever imagined. After a week here, I still find the Czechs not a smile-y bunch, but I can't hold it against them. They are tolerant. Nothing makes them blink an eye. On the metro I thought that you could jump on here buck naked except for clown shoes yelling, "Czechs rule!" and no one would look at you twice. So two silly Canadians can pass quite incognito here--I've appreciated that.

Now we are off. Our itinerary thrown out the window. A few more days in the Czech Republic, and then??? Who knows? We're little birds, rested and just a little homesick, but happy to be together and free.