We welcome Leo Bowski and his father Abe on the trip. Abe is a survivor of Dachau and Auschwitz. We are privileged that he chose to return to Poland with us to, in his own words, visit 'kever avot', the honored graves of our ancestors.
At the heart of Prague is the Castle (Prazsky Hrad) The Castle Gate is ornate and beautiful. While Kings and Queens no longer live in the castle, the President and 'West Wing' have their offices there. A new president was just elected in March and the flag flies over the building when the President is in the country.
Another Prague landmark is St. Vitus Cathedral. Started in 1357, the structure was completed after 600 years of work in 1929.
Jewish writer Franz Kafka lived in Prague at #22 on the 'Gold Lane', where goldsmiths once lived, a charming street with fairy-tale houses built up against the walls of the Castle.
The Charles Bridge was the first stone bridge over the Vltava to last, and it has lasted since 1357. It is possible that the calcium in chicken egg shells may have been the 'glue' that continues to hold this bridge together after six centuries.
On the lighter side...a very narrow alley in Prague with a light to 'regulate traffic' on this 'potentially hazardous' narrow pathway.
Tomorrow, we will spend the day seeing Prague's Jewish history. According to Ruth Ellen Gruber's book Jewish Heritage Travel: A Guide to Eastern Europe, Jews have lived in Prague since the 11th century. She estimates there are 1,500 people in Prague's Jewish community today. We look forward to tonight's dinner at the Dinitz Cafe (www.dinitz.cz) where we will welcome one of the local Rabbis as a guest speaker.
No comments:
Post a Comment