Not sure how long I will have on the computer so will start by saying that we arrived here safely and had a great day today visiting the synagogues of Prague. We already have our tickets for the train tomorrow that will take us to Karlovy Vary. This site is all in Czech so I'm hoping I can remember how to post this blog.
I'll backtrack a little now to say that we were up at five am yesterday for the flights to Prague via Munich. We weren't too impressed with having to get off on the tarmac since it wasn't just pouring but coming down in buckets and the ground was just one great big puddle. With all your hand luggage and waiting for the people in front of you to move, it wasn't much fun. However, we did like the free coffee in Munich airport. The second plane to Prague was the tightest we have ever been and Michelle said she felt like a sardine in the tin.
We got off the plane in Prague where, if anything, it was raining even harder and thank goodness there were signs in English. We managed to buy a three day pass for the bus-subway system and found our way to the station closest to the hotel. I figured that by the time we got to the hotel we would be like a couple of drowned rats but lo and behold the hotel was just steps away from the subway. If we had had access to the computer last night we would have invited you to a party in our bathroom which is bigger than Michelle's living room.
Bathroom at the Hotel Christie
The room is great too with two single beds, bar, safe and two massive windows overlooking a courtyard.
Our Room at the Hotel Christie
We didn't want to go wondering around for food so went to the hotel restaurant which serves food till nine thirty. Nobody else was there when we arrived so we thought we were out of luck but we ended up having a wonderful meal of chicken with a herb topping and roasted vegetables and a basket of bread for the same price we had been paying in London and about eleven dollars Canadian. If you are wondering why I am not writing the numbers nor abbreviating with apostrophes it is because there are four characters on the top row and its taking just too long to figure out which keystrokes for which letter.
Anyway things seem quiet around here...so I will just carry on. We made some enquiries about the train to Karlovy Vary tomorrow and were told that we should pre book as tomorrow is Friday and the people in Prague go back to KV for the weekend. So...before starting our real day we found our way to the main train station which looks very nice and modern. The subway here seems to be very quick and efficient and the subway map very easy to follow. We then set off on our main mission to go to the one synagogue that has the names of all the holocaust victims inscribed onto the walls. What an amazing sight. They are listed by town from which they were rounded up so you have to know that in order to find any names. Fortunately we have this information for quite a number of my relatives and we did manage to find {and photograph} the names of my grandparents, as well as some other close family members.
One of the Large Rooms in the Pinkas Synogogue
(The walls here are covered with places and names)
Closer View of One Panel in the Pinkas Synogogue
Close Up of Wall in Pinkas Synogogue
(Entries are alphabetical, first by city then by surname. Surnames are listed in red followed by the first name, birthdate and the last date the person was known to be alive. Families with the same surname are divided by a golden asterisk.)
Photography is not allowed but there are as many people breaking this rule as those observing it and so we continued except for the one occasion when Michelle was told specifically to stop.
Which reminds me that we had the most amazing buffet breakfast this morning which was included in the price of the room. I thought continental breakfast meant rolls and coffee but not here. There was everything from cold cuts, cheese, cereals, cake, yoghurt and fruit, every imaginable beverage etc. etc. Because of this we had a huge breakfast which kept us going until four pm when we went for some typically Czech food of roast pork, potato dumplings and sauerkraut. This blog is going to end up sounding as if we spend all our time eating but my feet will attest to the fact that we have walked miles. The tickets for the synagogue actually includes five synagogues many of which are museums so we are well and truly educated in Jewish traditions and customs, something in which we have been sadly lacking. So far we have only visited the old town of Prague. As well as the synagogue we visited the old cemetery with graves dating back to the twelve hundreds. You will have to wait for the photos but it is amazing. The lack of space meant that they buried people on top of others creating higher ground and the grave stones are at every angle crowded together very closely. Obviously some of the trees have been there a long time as they have grown around some of the grave markers.
Old Jewish Cemetery
Old Jewish Cemetery
I must admit that I was very moved in this synagogue and the graveyard. Maybe a sentimental feeling for things that might have been. My mother always refused to retrace her steps and visit Prague and her home town. I believe today that she felt tremendous guilt about leaving her parents behind and I never pushed her to come with me although it would have been awesome to do this trip with her. Still Michelle and I are enjoying the experience together.
The Spanish synagogue was amazing...haven't yet figured out why it is called Spanish but anyway it was full of holocaust memorabilia including a Daily Report from Terezin or Theresienstadt as it was called in German, which was dated the day before my grandparents were shipped out of there.
Alter of the Spanish Synogogue
Dome and Star of David Chandelier in the Spanish Synogoue
Close Up of Wall Detail in the Spanish Synagogue
Nothing special about that I suppose but since it was the report of the daily activities, the date caught my eye. Sorry this is all a bit scattered but I'm just chucking things down as I think of them. Lots of stone in this city...buildings, floors in the train station, cobbled streets and mosaic patterns of stone on the sidewalks. You will have to backtrack to this blog at some time to get the photos.
Well, I'm feeling a bit guilty as I chucked some guy off the machine. He was just doing Facebook and listening to loud music. Now there is nobody here and it looks as if I could go for another while. But....I have packing to do.
Again...not sure what we will find at the next hotel. I have a feeling that it is a bit smaller than this one but we are getting used to surprises.
By six in the evening we were totally done and so here we are at home going for an early night so we can be up early again so we can check out and be on the train by nine thirty.
I'm thinking that publikovat prispevek means post this blog so here goes
love to all.
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