Prague, Czech Republic – Fabulously Humid Spring-like Day (3)

Oh, I fall more in love with this city each day and I know that the weather they are having, spring-like, is totally unusual but I’m just so happy to be here.

Started out after a nice breakfast (it’s amazing how quickly you can get used to actually eating breakfast when it’s all laid out for you so nicely and you don’t even have to clean a dish.)  I made my way past Old Town Square down Parizska (street) to the Josefov, or Jewish Town section of the city. It only takes about 5 minutes to walk there and the last two times I stayed in Prague we did tours for the beautiful Synagogues. I didn’t do the formal tour again I just enjoyed walking around the neighborhood.

History of the Josefov” “Josefov (also Jewish quarter; German: Josefstadt) is a town quarter and the smallest cadastral area of Prague, Czech Republic, formerly the Jewish ghetto of the town. It is completely surrounded by Old Town. The quarter is often represented by the flag of Prague's Jewish community, a yellow Magen David (Star of David) on a red field. It dates back to the 13th century but its present appearance is mainly the result of a vast redevelopment action undertaken between 1893 - 1913. Only a few most significant buildings were saved, the living testimony of the history of Prague Jews which lasted for many centuries. Yet these buildings form the best present complex of Jewish historical monuments in the whole Europe. Six synagogues remain from this old settlement which includes the Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery - the most remarkable in Europe. Except the Old-New Synagogue they are part of the Jewish Museum.

Old-New Synagogue is the oldest preserved synagogue in the Central Europe. It was built in the early gothic style in the late 13th century and richly adorned by stonework. Also the inside furnishings (gothic wrought-iron grill, wrought chandeliers) are of ancient origin. Up till now it has served as a house of prayer and the main synagogue of the Prague Jewish community.

Old Jewish Cemetery - Jewish Museum has been established in the mid-15th century it served as a burial site till 1787. Among 12 000 gothic, renaisance and baroque tombstones are also those of Rabbi Jehuda Löw (1609) and Mordechai Maisel (1601).”

I first came to the “The Old New Synagogue (Czech: Staronová synagoga; German: Altneu-Synagoge) situated in Josefov, Prague, is Europe's oldest active synagogue with the Scolanova Synagogue in Italy. It is also the oldest surviving medieval synagogue of twin nave design. Completed in 1270 in gothic style, it was one of Prague's first gothic buildings. A still older Prague synagogue, known as the Old Synagogue, was demolished in 1867 and replaced by the Spanish Synagogue.”

It’s wonderful to see there is a thriving Jewish community and this is an important meeting place in the city.

“The Spanish Synagogue (Hebrew: בית הכנסת הספרדי, Czech: Španělská synagoga, German: Spanische Synagoge) is a Moorish Revival synagogue built in Prague in 1868 to the design of Vojtěch Ignátz Ullmann. The facade copies the form of the Leopoldstädter Tempel, built in Vienna, Austria, in 1853, a tripartite facade with a tall central section flanked by lower wings on each side. As in Vienna, the central section is topped by a pair of domed turrets. The synagogue is most remarkable for the elaborate style of the interior, every surface is covered by elaborate Islamic-style polychrome and gilded patterns, some painted and some carved or molded.

During the Second World War, the Germans used the building as a repository for property taken from the Jews. The building underwent a restoration in the late 1990s. The building is owned by the Jewish Museum of Prague, and is used as a museum and concert hall. Despite its name, the synagogue was never used by a Spanish or Sephardic congregation: it was in fact an early Reform temple. There are two theories to account for the synagogue's name. The Moorish architectural style may have been found reminiscent of the Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain. The synagogue was on the site of the city's most ancient synagogue, which may originally have been used by Byzantine Jews. Some awareness of this fact may have given rise to the legend of a historic Sephardic community.”

Outside the Spanish Synagogue is a statue of Franz Kafa, the famous Czech writer. It’s “The Franz Kafka Monument by artist Jaroslav Róna and is located in the area where the Dušní Street and the Vězeňská Street connect, between the Spanish Synagogue and the church of St. Spirit. It is a symbolic place because the Kafka family lived at Dušní Street No. 27. The statue is within the spiritual zone of three Churches – Jewish, Catholic and Protestant. Franz Kafka practically lived his entire short life in this sad (in those days) yet romantic part of the old Prague. The monument was inspired by an important short story written by Kafka called "Popis Jednoho Zápasu" (Description of a Match). The "split" design of the statue refers back to the spiritual split of the writer mentioned in the novel. The novel describes a situation in which a character defeats his opponent who is supposedly dominant. The important part of the novel takes place at the Vltava River waterfront. The statue is 375 centimeters tall and weighs 800 kilograms.” Like me many of you will remember Kafka for the short story we all read in college “The Metamorphosis” “(German: Die Verwandlung, also sometimes translated The Transformation) is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It is often cited as one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th century and is widely studied in colleges and universities across the Western world. The story begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, waking to find himself transformed into a monstrous vermin. It is never explained in the story why Samsa transforms, nor did Kafka ever give an explanation.” It’s such achingly sad story of being alienated and abandoned by his family and from what I’ve read of his life his relationship with his parents, I think in particular with his judgmental father prompted this very moving and frightening work.

I’ll skip ahead just a moment since we are talking about Kafka. Later in the day I was back in Mala Strana (Lessor Town as you remember from an earlier blog entry and right near the river and the Charles bridge.) There is the Kafka museum there and although I didn’t go through the museum there is an interesting sculpture in the courtyard I took a picture of. It’s of two men peeing. I looked it up when I got in tonight and found a great article by Jeffrey Fleishman of LA Times about the piece so here it is “SCULPTURE BY DAVID ČERNÝ, BRONZE, 2004(?) Cerny’s …project is a sculpture of two bronze naked men. They have swivel hips and, facing each other, they urinate into a pool shaped like the Czech map, writing famous Czech sayings in the water. One is by Kafka: ‘Prague is beautiful but it has claws.’ “There’s a Czech idiom about ‘peeing over somebody,’ which I guess translated into English would be to ‘get one over on somebody.’ That’s what the peeing men mean. It’s the way our country behaves,” he said. Cerny sat near the sculpture the other day. “Oh, it still works,” he said. “You know there’s a computer underneath and you can send phone text messages and the men will pee them……Yeah, I’m a prankster,” he said. “It would be nice at the moment when I’m dying if I could say to myself, ‘You know, someone enjoyed something I did.’ Why not?”

So back to Yosefov.  One of the most memorable places to visit in the Jewish district is The Pinkas Synagogue and is one of the most moving places in the city. “It is now a memorial dedicated to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust from Bohemia and Moravia; their names are inscribed on the walls of the main nave and adjoining areas. The interior of the synagogue comprises Memorial 77,297, which was designed and executed by the painters Václav Boštík (b. 1913) and Jiří John (1923-1972) between 1954 and 1959. The memorial was closed in 1968, however, since the building was in an increasingly poor state of repair. After remaining closed for a long time, the building was eventually reconstructed and, following the collapse of the Communist regime, a project was launched to renovate the memorial, which reopened in 1996. The text of the inscriptions was compiled from card indexes, which were drawn up shortly after the war on the basis of extant transport papers, registration lists and survivor's accounts. The names of Holocaust victims, together with their dates of birth and death, are inscribed on all the interior walls. Where the precise date of death is not known - which is generally the case - the date of deportation to the ghettos and extermination camps in the east is stated instead - this is usually the last information we have on the victims. Their names are arranged according to the towns and villages where they were living prior to deportation or arrest and are presented in alphabetical order. The main nave features the names of people whose last address prior to deportation was in Prague; the rest of the interior space commemorates victims from towns and villages outside Prague. On both sides of the Holy Ark (aron ha-kodesh) are recorded the names of some of the ghettos and camps where Bohemian and Moravian Jews were deported and, in most cases, exterminated. This memorial is a long epitaph commemorating the names of those for whom a tombstone could not be erected.”

Next to the Pinkas Synagogue is the Old Jewish Cemetery which most people who have seen pictures of Prague’s main attractions with have seen a picture of this sacred place although the haphazard nature of the headstones makes one wonder if there was vandalism. Although you find out on the tour or when reading about it what went on. Here is a brief idea of it’s history. “It was in use from the early 15th century (the oldest preserved tombstone, the one of Avigdor Kara, dates back to 1439) until 1787. Its ancestor was a cemetery called "The Jewish Garden", which was found in archaeological excavations under the Vladislavova street, New Town. The numbers of grave stones and numbers of people buried there are uncertain, because there are layers of tombs. However, it has been estimated that there are approximately 12,000 tombstones presently visible, and there may be as many as 100,000 burials in all. The most notable personalities buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery are Yehuda ben Bezalel known as the Maharal Rabbi Löw (d. 1609), Mordechai Maisel (d. 1601), David Gans (d. 1613) and David Oppenheim(d. 1736). It is not clear when exactly the cemetery was founded. This has been the subject of discussion of many scholars. Some claim that the cemetery is over 1000 years older than the accepted date, which is the first half of the 15th century. The oldest grave belongs to the Prague rabbi and poet Avigdor Kara from 1439. It was founded by the king Ottokar II of Bohemia. According to halakhah, Jews must not destroy Jewish graves and in particular it is not allowed to remove the tombstone. This meant that when the cemetery ran out of space and purchasing extra land was impossible, more layers of soil were placed on the existing graves, the old tombstones taken out and placed upon the new layer of soil. This explains why the tombstones in the cemetery are placed so closely to each other. This resulted in the cemetery having 12 layers of graves.”

And the “Jewish Ceremonial Hall (Obřadní síň in Czech) built in 1911-12 under the direction of architect J. Gerstl for the Jewish Burial Society (Hevrah Kaddishah) and is in the neo-Romanesque style. Originally used as a ceremonial hall and mortuary it now forms part of The Jewish Museum of Prague holding exhibitions relating to Jewish history.

A famous story told and retold sometimes in a form suitable for children.
“The classic narrative: The Golem of Prague. The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th century chief rabbi of Prague, also known as the Maharal, who reportedly created a golem to defend the Prague ghetto from antisemitic attacks[8] and pogroms. Depending on the version of the legend, the Jews in Prague were to be either expelled or killed under the rule of Rudolf II, the Holy Roman Emperor. To protect the Jewish community, the rabbi constructed the Golem out of clay from the banks of the Vltava river, and brought it to life through rituals and Hebrew incantations. As this golem grew, it became increasingly violent, killing gentiles and spreading fear. A different story tells of a golem that fell in love, and when rejected, became the violent monster seen in most accounts. Some versions have the golem eventually turning on its creator or attacking other Jews. The Emperor begged Rabbi Loew to destroy the Golem, promising to stop the persecution of the Jews. To deactivate the Golem, the rabbi rubbed out the first letter of the word "emet" (truth or reality) from the creature's forehead leaving the Hebrew word "met", meaning dead. The Golem's body was stored in the attic genizah of the Old New Synagogue, where it would be restored to life again if needed. According to legend, the body of Rabbi Loew's Golem still lies in the synagogue's attic. Some versions of the tale state that the Golem was stolen from the genizah and entombed in a graveyard in Prague's Žižkov district, where the Žižkov Television Tower now stands. A recent legend tells of a Nazi agent ascending to the synagogue attic during World War II and trying to stab the Golem, but he died instead.[9] When the attic was renovated in 1883, no evidence of the Golem was found. A film crew who visited and filmed the attic in 1984 found no evidence either. The attic is not open to the general public.”

It’s really a must visit whenever you’re Prague and the district is small so easy to walk it and I really recommend to anyone who visits to do the complete tour, it’s not expensive and I’m so glad I did it the last time we were here.

I walked over the Manesuv Bridge to Mala Strana where I just took in all the sights, sounds and smells. I stopped off at a new/used English book shop but only browsed as I didn't want to carry around any extra books on my walk today.

 I came to the Our Lady Under the Chain Church which was “Originally Romanesque church was founded by Commendam of Johannite, later Knights of Malta in 1169 with the support of Chancellor Gervasio and Czech King Wladislaw I. I Fortified area of Comendam and adjacent hospital with the tower of Judith Bridge formed a significant element in the fortification walls around the Prague castle.

The name of the church "under the chain " has the origin by the chain, which was sealed in Medieval age the monastery portal.” I’m pretty sure mom and I went in here 5 years ago, it all looked so familiar and I loved the Madonna and Child sculpture outside in a little alcove to the right, above the main entrance and when you look back toward the street you see the fortification wall and the Maltese Cross in several places.

In Mala Strana next to Kampa Island is the John Lennon Wall which interestingly as you can read below is continually changing and from pictures I saw online from 10 years ago it was a dramatically different vision but still interesting, vibrate and a huge attraction. "The Lennon Wall or John Lennon Wall, is a wall in Prague, Czech Republic. Once a normal wall, since the 1980s it has been filled with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs.  In 1988, the wall was a source of irritation for the communist regime of Gustáv Husák. Young Czechs would write grievances on the wall and in a report of the time this led to a clash between hundreds of students and security police on the nearby Charles Bridge. The movement these students followed was described ironically as "Lennonism" and Czech authorities described these people variously as alcoholics, mentally deranged, sociopathic, and agents of Western capitalism. The wall continuously undergoes change and the original portrait of Lennon is long lost under layers of new paint. Even when the wall was repainted by some authorities, on the second day it was again full of poems and flowers. Today, the wall represents a symbol of youth ideals such as love and peace. The wall is owned by the Knights of Malta, who allowed the graffiti to continue on the wall, and is located at Velkopřevorské náměstí (Grand Priory Square), Malá Strana."

In Mala Strana there is a gallery for famous Czech photographer Joseph Sudek (1896-1976) in a reproduction of his home which was destroyed in a fire. “Czechoslovakian, trained as a bookbinder (his younger sister went into photography) but had a become a keen amateur photographer before being called into military service in the First World War in 1915. He produced several albums of pictures - including landscapes showing splintered trees and other war damage - during his almost three years of war service, which ended when he was wounded by artillery fire from his own side during an attack, resulting in the loss of his right arm. Sudek's pictures often play on the lower tones of the photographic scale, full of mystery and darkness. He was not afraid to produce prints with a very limited tonal scale. His small, unorthodox and intensely personal pictures were often dismissed by photographic critics attuned as they were to the kind of full-scale print we associate with the work of Ansel Adams and the American 'straight photography' tradition. His work has an earthy and elemental quality; it is intense and dramatic, full of emotion.”

Here are copies of two of his works he first titled “St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague 1928” and the other “Last Roses, 1956.” I was first introduced to him in a book I read about 7 years ago called “Prague Pictures” by John Banville who wrote an autobiographical novel about his visits to Prague to see friends during the cold war and the connection then to Sudek’s photography. It’s also a great history book about the Czech Republic and Prague in particular.

I’d been to this gallery once before on my last visit and like then there were none of Mr. Sudek’s works displayed. The gallery, like another which is located in his second apartment not far from this one and where he lived after the fire destroyed this cottage, are owned by the National Czech Museums but display other up and coming artists or other known artists from the 20^th Century.  When I got to this first gallery on Ujezd street there were several people walking around the small space and one American couple asking the question I came to ask “where can I see his Sudek’s works in Prague.” Much to my disappointment and theirs as well there are no exhibits of his works in the city. The young man said it’s one of those things Prague natives ask as well and wonder out loud why there are no major permanent exhibitions of his work. It’s so strange and I thought as much because I couldn’t find any mention of one online but did find out that in Canada this fall they did an exhibit of about 175 of his works which then traveled to New Haven, CT and may still be there now. I still can’t believe you can see his work in the States but not in the city he photographed so devotedly for decades. He’s also known affectionately as the “Poet of Prague.” I found this little bit about the reproduced building, now gallery from an artlice on Sudek. “When Josef Sudek collected the keys to his new studio at 30 Ujezd, a quiet courtyard in Prague's Mala Strana district, the vendor – the artist Karel Laube – had one question: "Why here? No one in their right mind will come to this place!". Laube is said to have frowned as he cast his eyes around the tiny hut, hidden from view behind a cloak of run-down apartments, from which his friend would run his fledgling photographic business. "Exactly," Sudek replied.”

I stopped off for about 20 minutes to sit and enjoy a quick snack at a French café across the street from the gallery building which really is in the back of two buildings in a small courtyard, you have to be buzzed in and he does have a little lawn outside. You can see from my photos that the small dark brown building enclosed by a metal fence is nestled among several tall buildings including one behind with an interesting spiral staircase. There was also a little dark brown kitty who at first I thought might be hungry but then I looked behind the studio and there were clearly its parents and several bowels with food that they hadn’t yet eaten as they just relaxed in the now rather warm temperatures.

After my break I walked up the hill to the Hardcany district or the Castle District where more than half way up one of the steep hills is the second Sudek Gallery which is doing an interesting exhibit on Frantisek Drtikol’s “Bromografie Prints” from the early 1920’s. It’s a series of nudes in the vein of Late Art Nouveau staged to look like Salome or the Madonna.

I headed back to Mala Strana and went to the St. Nicholas church which is famous for its connection to Mozart who played the organs there in 1787 “Beautiful St. Nicholas Church at the Old Town Square was completed in 1735. It replaced a parish church, mentioned in records dating back as early as 1273. It wasn't until 1901, when the Krenn House was demolished, that its lovely white façade became visible to the rest of the Old Town Square. It simply gleams, hit by the sun during the day and lit by strong white lights at night. St. Nicholas is a Baroque church, decorated with sculptures by Antonín Braun. The interior design was inspired by the chapel of St. Louis-des-invalides in Paris. The delicate stucco decoration was executed by Bernardo Spinetti, and the frescos are by Peter Adam the Elder. In 1781 decoration inside St. Nicholas was removed after emperor Josef II ordered the closure of all monasteries without a social function.From 1870-1914 St. Nicholas became Russian Orthodox. Then, during the second World War, Czech army units were stationed here and artists were set to work restoring the church. After the war, St. Nicholas was handed over to the Czech Hussite movement, with whom it remains today. It now serves as both a church and a magnificent venue for classical concerts.”

I walked across the Charles Bridge and took many photos as you can see. There are many facets of the bridge that are of interest like the exquisite stone structure and the many statues of saints lining each side and not least the views from every direction. But, it’s also interesting because of St. John of Nepomuk and the statue representing him being thrown off the Charles Bridge. The story goes according to an online source “…the court priest of King Wenceslas IV. Legend has it that he was killed by request of the king, because he refused to tell the king about the queen's confession (what was the queen's confession you ask? Well, we don't wish to suffer the same fate as Saint John!). Actually, the truth is that he invited a bishop to Prague who was the king's enemy. Touching the statue is a Prague ritual. It is supposed to bring good luck and to ensure that you return to Prague soon. Walk a few steps towards the Old Town from the statue and you will come to a cross with five stars on the left parapet of the bridge. This is the exact point where the priest was thrown in the water in the year 1383. Legend has it that stars appeared when he touched the water. Here you are supposed to touch the cross and the stars with your left hand and make a wish. Whatever your wish, it will come true!” “The figure of Saint John of Nepomuk is often encountered in Central Europe, including the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Poland and Lithuania. He is usually portrayed with a halo of five stars, commemorating the stars that hovered over the Vltava River on the night of his murder. Other attributes useful to identify his pictures are: a priestly dress, the palm of martyrs, carrying a cross, an angel indicating silence by a finger over the lips. His tomb, a Baroque monument cast in silver and silver-gilt that was designed by Fischer von Erlach, stands in St Vitus Cathedral, Prague. A statue of Saint John of Nepomuk has often been erected on bridges in many countries, such as on the Ponte Milvio in Rome. There is also a commemorative plaque on a bridge leading out of Obergurgl, Austria depicting Nepomuk holding a finger to his lips, as if protecting a secret.”

I didn’t know about the cross and stars so I’ll have to rub it when I’m on the bridge next. And as you can see in my pictures not only is there are the brass depiction of his being thrown over the bridge with a bright shiny spot where millions of people have rubbed for luck but also on the other side of the inscribed plaque in the middle of the two is another brass depiction this one of the queen confessing and a solider with a dog in the forefront. Apparently people weren’t sure which to rub or where so there is a bright shinny spot on the dog as well. Funny that people thought the dog would be the good luck and not the confessing queen. Either way I rubbed both and I’ll try and go back and rub the cross.  It’s all very interesting the things we do as humans because other do it but it’s also nice to be part of something people from all over the world have taken part and mostly either think good thoughts or wish for something good for them and their loved ones, a prayer really which is always a good thing.

 “Charles Bridge (Karlův most) is a 14th century stone bridge linking the two sides of Prague. This magnificent structure is one of the city's finest attractions, and is the main pedestrian route connecting the Old Town with the Lesser Town (Malá Strana) and Prague Castle.From Charles Bridge visitors enjoy fairy-tale views of the Prague skyline. The wide expanse of the river flows beneath it, flanked on both sides by elegant buildings. Prague Castle towers above in its eminent position. Here you are truly in the centre of the city. Charles Bridge throngs with people during the day. Street artists sketch and musicians play; look out for the jazz band, who are particularly entertaining. But for a truly romantic and less crowded stroll, try early morning or any time in the evening. King Charles IV commissioned the bridge. The foundation stone was laid in 1357. Charles IV's favourite architect and builder, Peter Parler, oversaw the majority of the work. The initial idea was to build a functional construction for knight tournaments, and for many years the only decoration on the bridge was a simple crucifix. Later, the Catholic desire for ornamentation resulted in 30 statues being erected between 1600 and 1800. There are now 75 statues on Charles Bridge, but most are copies, as floods and catastrophes over the centuries damaged the originals. Perhaps the most interesting, as well as the oldest, is that of John of Nepomuk (8th from the right as you cross towards Prague Castle). The entrance to Charles Bridge is marked at both ends by towers: the Old Town Bridge Tower and the Malá Strana Bridge Tower.”

I found along a side street near the bridge in Mala Strana a small church which I thought would be a normal rectangle design inside  based on the facade but it's a lovely circular church, intimate and peaceful. "St. Joseph Church in Mala Strana. Built at the behest of Carmelite sisters and completed in 1692, surprisingly not much is known about this mysterious little church situated a stone's throw from the Charles Bridge in charming Mala Strana, or Lesser Town. Experts are unable to agree on the architect responsible for this little gem, which is rather unusual in Prague where many famous architects have showcased their talent over the centuries. Far more is known about the stunning art found at the church, including the facade statues by the artist Matěj Václav Jäckel, who is also famous for his contribution of several statues on nearby Charles Bridge, as well as numerous decorative contributions to various sites in Český Krumlov, Kutná Hora, and other places both in Prague and elsewhere across the Bohemian region. The nave of the church is a rounded, slightly oval in shape, rotunda with a dome supported by 12 pillars surmounted by beautiful capitals, which can come as a surprise given the squared exterior shape of the church, and the side altars are set into shallow recesses around the sides of the rotunda. The interior boasts a main altar, an altar of St. Theresa of Avila, and an altar of St. Thecla, the first female martyr of the Christian church, all dating from around 1695- 1699, the same time period as Jäckel's facade statues. The striking picture of St. Theresa, as well the picture of the Holy Family above the main altar are the work of Petr Brandl. Other notable side altars include the later altars of St. Anne and of the Bohemian St. John of Nepomuk, which are by an unknown artist from 1735. The gilded pulpit is from the end of the 18th century. This intimate church is home to the francophone Roman Catholics in Prague, as well as the Carmelite sisters who first built the church. Mass is normally celebrated at 11:00 am on Sundays in French."

I had dinner at this great Czech restaurant near the public library that mom, Melody and I ate at the first trip here 5 years ago. We were looking for good Czech food and I remember we asked the guard outside the library if he could recommend a place and he kind of pointed us in the right direction and we were very happy. The owner is still the same and I was here 4 years ago as well and I think I had the same meal, pork cutlet with potatoes, yum! And in the picture above you can see the table next to the bar we sat in on our first visit. Nothing much has changed in 5 years.

Now earlier in the day, right near my hotel, I was stopped by a women handing out flyers for a concert tonight and I’d seen the flyers in the hotel and yesterday out in the street as well so I followed her and 3 women, who it turned consisted of two sisters, Italian but one lived outside Rome with their parents and the other lived in Uruguay, South America and was friends with the 3^rd women who also was visiting from Uruguay. Because it turned out there were four of us even though I didn’t know them the women gave us a great discount so we got tickets to see the two 1 hour shows. At 5:00pm a classical music concert with works from Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Verdi, Mascagni, Bizet, Dvorak, Brahms, Handel and Pachelbel. And at 6:30pm a fun World Musicals which consisted of songs from Broadway musicals. The women were in their 50’s and so nice and spoke Italian and Spanish and a little English and we met back at the concert hall, a former monastery hall not open to the public unless for concerts at 5:00pm and I was so impressed with both presentations. There were 3 violin players and a cello player and a wonderful vocalist for the classical section and it was fantastic. Really, really professional, I guess they work with the Czech Philharmonic we were told and just fabulous and the beautifully frescoed room lit with just candles set the mood perfectly. There were only about 15 people for each session but the artists gave it their all as if the place was packed. The second session was a singer, pianist and sax/flute musician and again really, really wonderful. The singer brought me to tears with her performance of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from Evita. It’s amazing the superior caliber of talent you get to see in this city for around  $25.00 US. And there are several performances around the city each night in churches and in the Spanish Synagogue but I’m glad I chose this one and so glad those three women got to see it as well with huge discount. Having four people made a great advantage.  And they’re so nice, the two from Uruguay go back home on Feb 11 and will have been in Italy (with this one week side trip to Prague) for a month during the summer vacation there. The older Italian sister teaches Art History there and it seems that she, her sister and their brother who lives in Germany, were raised in Uruguay because their Italian parents moved there years ago but when the parents retired the younger sister moved back to Italy with them but this older sister just loves her job to much to leave she said. That’s so nice.

I wish them a safe trip home and headed back to my hotel, a whole 1 minute walk thrilled with the evening and having had a remarkable day here including a musical theatre presentation, how can you beat that!!!