Travel with Twinny … Prague…Medieval Marvel

Hi All…It’s me Twinny !

Have finally learnt the origin of the word

‘BOHEMIAN’!

Startlingly easy!    Means ..

From ‘land of BOHEMIA’!

NOW CZECH Republic!

So are the Czechs …bohemian Twinny??
Yes!! Yes !!!

Enter PRAGUE , the capital… Fondly called ‘PRAHA’

And this is what you see..At the Airport…

And lit up ……

Prague Castle.. the BIGGEST CASTLE COMPLEX in the WHOLE world…!
Majestic , Gothic, Sprawling, the Crowning glory to  ecclesiastical buildings ,Churches cathedrals…. all standing in ORIGINAL medieval splendour!

CITY of a 100 SPIRES! Maybe even more…!

Set against the beauteous Vltava River!

Gorgeous!

So what’s so bohemian about that ??
Patience ..Isabella!

Walk across the CHARLES BRIDGE…a bridge wholly made of stone lined by 30 baroque statues….and you Begin to feel the BOHEMIAN spirit …!

CAREFREE, CREATIVE !Artists, Musicians, Lovers!

Sit in a cafeteria in the Old Town Square…and BACK you are transported to the MIDDLE Ages…the DARK Ages

( 5th to 15 th century AD ) cobblestones, carriages,a time of knights ,castles , of Christianity ,orthodoxy ,of spells ,witchcraft…To A time..

When TIME STOOD STILL .. !

Till emerged the

Age of Discovery ,

Of Renaissance (in the 16 th century ), Of change..!

DARK ?When Time stood still..?
Really Twinny??!

OF COURSE NOT Amruta!

Hear the gonging of the ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK..

the DANCE of metal puppets .. announcing the time..

Working like ‘clockwork ‘ EVEN TODAY …..as it did centuries ago..

So also the CLOCK of the Old Town SYNAGOGUE..In the Jewish Quarter.. Ticking perfectly … only
the hands of this one moving backwards! Yiddish .. naturally DIFFERENT!

Walk a little ahead .. yes in Praha WALKING ……more or less compulsory !

It’s the Bohemian way!

Step two storeys underground.. into a medieval DUNGEON.. !
Complete with lanterns/ firebrands/ropes/ barrels / fencers/ dancing gypsies/the beats of the FAMFRNOCH…

What’s that Twinny ?

Sssssh!!

Patience .. Amruta…!

Back up on the street
Right In front ……home of  FRANZ KAFKA…. German Jew writer , INTROSPECTIVE , dark ….impossible to ignore ! His short stories peppered with Dry humour …

Much like yours Arvindji!

You will love ‘Metamorphosis…’

KAFKAESQUE as you are!

Call for a BEER !
Have a pint or two… it’s the Czech favourite!

Cheap too!  100 Czech crowners for water

35 Czech crowners for beer!

PILSNER originated here! Urquell  the favourite brand..

GOLDEN ,HOPPY ,DELICIOUS!

Can have it with breakfast!  Bohemians do!

And Why not??!

Can feel the rhythm now..
A JAZZ Band is playing!

Praha ALIVE with jazz gigs, clubs, hubs!

The Jazz Capital of Europe…YOUNG , SPONTANEOUS, EVOLVING !

Even WILD!

This city …Host of the International Jazz Music festival ! Annually!

Hark .. someone’s playing…

Cross the river… Behold  The Lennon wall!

GRAFFITI….Painted at the time of John Lennons death in 1980 …a SYMBOLIC burial ground .. endorsing his call for peace ,love happiness in the world!

LOVERS of PEACE / HARMONY ! Bohemians hardly resisted foreign invasion …

Instead they  try to REACH OUT….

Here a special table with chairs constructed around a tree..saying…come let’s TALK…and get to know each other..,

BONHOMIE…the BOHO way!

Check out the Czech QUIRKY sense of humour ..

ECCENTRIC,UNCONVENTIONAL , RANDOM!
Here a sculpture of a WATERMAN .. devilish but doing his job of guarding the water mill..
Here the metallic heads of assassinated SOLDIERS on posts guarding the road ..
And here the name of the restaurant which was nearly submerged in a Vltava flood .. the ‘ YELLOW SUBMARINE!
And more recently in 2015 the oversized RED UNDERWEAR  put up on the Parliament building instead of the flag .. protesting the policies of the President!

Buy some Funky silver trinkets,
Gaze at the bright  glaze of creative ceramics …. CERAMICS  the NATURAL CRAFT of Bohemians ….

In fact…..The OLDEST CERAMIC figure in this world…Venus of Dolni Vestonice ..26000 years old ….unearthed from Czech land !

Now Time for some Prague Chocolate…!

OR
Maybe a giant cinnamon roll …TRDLO…they call it!

Hey Kk .. is that you … ?!

Potato soup , Pork chops!

Colour and Carnival…SAVOUR the moment !

FORGET the GOAL………..

….,……..PURSUE the PROCESS!

This …the BASIC BOHEMIAN Rule to HAPPINESS !

And finally ……NEVER  say NEVER !

‘IT IS ‘  POSSIBLE   to …..

CATCH  ……

……that Elusive DREAM!!

Byeee!