Winter Scene

 

An earnest fountain in Vojanovy Sady, frozen but still going. We'll have to come back in the spring when this bench will be much more inviting.
We've had a pretty cold winter thus far and someone said that January should be snowy. Yeah!

Prague Christmas Markets

 

It's that time of the year again - Christmas Markets are open all month with lots of goodies for your belly. Oh, and some neat stuff for stockings as well. Unfortunately this was taken just after the new wave of snow. It looks like it's going to be a long and white winter here in Prague.

Autumn in Prague

The last days of autumn color is upon us in Prague. Here are a few scenes from this past week. We actually had a few unusually warm days giving Prague that nice autumn glow with lots of yellow leaves throughout the city. 

The best place to get take in some greenery in central Prague is Petrin. It has great views of the city and lots to see and do from its Little Eiffel Tower and the Stefanik Observatory to the Bludiste (House of Mirrors).

 

Of course the Stag Moat at Prague Castle is a very nice place to stroll and see some color. It's such a wonderful spot aware from the tourist crowds yet super close to everything including Malostranska metro station and the rest of Mala Strana.

 

Of course when the temperatures start to dip, warm drinks start popping up around Prague. Hot wine anyone?!

 

Wenceslas Statue

One of the most common photos (and meeting places) is the impressive statue on Wenceslas Square. Meet me at the statue the inevitable t-shirt will say one day, I'm sure of it. Anyway, after walking Wenceslas Square your eyes start to glaze over and seek an oasis from the din of traffic and fellow pedestrians. Yes, even in Prague this can happen. When it does, head over to the Lucerna Passage which near the Mustek metro station. (It's about halfway down/up the square.)

Here, you can check out a few shops, a movie, sit for a coffee or just check out the very interesting take on the famous statue of Wenceslas on the main square.

This version is by the "controversial" artist David Cerny.

Prague Posters

I love watching the seasons turn just as much as watching posters go up and down across the city. Here's a look at a few from this week...

Prague's Municipal House - Obecni Dum

 

These are a few photos that didn't make the cut on the new page about Obecni Dum. I figured this was a good outlet to show them instead of hiding them away on the ole hard drive.

The first two scenes are exteriors. Thankfully the sun was shining on a glorious fall day. The light especially in the mornings is remarkably different than the summer. It always surprises me. Anyway, the window here is of the building's cafe on the ground floor.

 

 

The stained glass is just above the door to the main entrance. There are two faces on either end of the windows facing each other.

 

The grumpy faced guy here is on the building's facade. There are a variety of animated faces out there - actually they are across Prague - watching over us silently (at least from what we can tell).

 

Here are two shots of the city's own design/logo. It's pretty prominent throughout the building - after all, the building was commissioned by the city.

 

The next few photos are interior shots of the stairs going down to the American bar, the tile works on the walls downstairs and the entrance to the American Bar.

 

 

 

The last photos are of Prasna Brana (Powder Tower) that's located just next to the Municipal House. This tower is a wonderful and almost comical contrast to the Art Nouveau madness of the Municipal House.

 

 

 

Lamps on the Square in Prague

I've always been enthralled by these lamps that are in a few squares in Mala Strana (Lesser Town). They have such strength and beauty that I like to just stare up at them.

They once served such a basic purpose and today they have become more decoration that tourists just hustle past on their way to other destinations. But, these lamps are destinations of their own - well, at least I like to think.

Anyway, if you're in Prague stop by one of these huge ornamental lamps. To call them lamps almost doesn't do them justice since they are certainly more like wonderful huge street sculputures.

This "lamp" is just off of Charles Bridge in Mala Strana, just in the shadow of the bridge tower. There are two others above Prague Castle in Hradcanske namesti.