Baby, it's cold outside!

Once again, Mother Nature shed tears of joy for us -our presence in Prague throughout the majority of our walking tour this afternoon must have moved her to tears.  She must have been awfully thrilled that we ventured forth to explore and find out more about this magical city.  Despite the forecast predicting rain to begin much later in the day, we were informed that the weather in Prague can and does change on a dime.  We started off under sunny skies and within the hour the rain began, changing from a gentle sprinkle to a full-on storm.  While crossing the Charles Bridge we actually lost two members of the tour (I assume they gave up and opted for shelter rather than brave the storm).  The guide shared his umbrella with me but as we crossed the bridge, the wind was so strong it blew the umbrella inside out and that was the end of that for a while.  Despite being soaked through and through, we stuck it out.  Mr. Unmentionable was not amused, I can tell you.

Maxim, our extremely competent tour guide (originally from Ukraine but has been in Prague for quite some time), started the tour with an abridged history of Prague and the Czech Republic in impeccable English.  After hearing him speak Czech like a native, I asked Maxim just how many languages he speaks.  He responded "Well, I use 4".  Yikes!  We wandered around Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral then moved down the hill to a tour of Mala Strana (Lesser Town), crossed the Charles Bridge into Old Town where we walked through Jozefov (The Jewish Quarter) and then returned to The Old Town Square Christmas Market and Astrological Clock.  We certainly have a few places to explore further (some of which are pubs and involve beer).  We learned quite a few interesting facts; my favourite (and Mr. U's of course!) is that here you can get a Doctor's prescription for Pilsner!  It is prescribed for an upset stomach and as a digestive aid.  Move over Pepto Bismol, here comes Pilsner.  In the Czech Republic water, sugar and yeast = beer but beer ≠ alcohol, apparently.

http://www.pragueexperience.com/places.asp?PlaceID=1137

The facade is created using multiple layers of different colour plaster.  Once dried, the surface is scratched to reveal the coloured plaster hidden underneath.  This technique is only found here, in France and in Italy.

The entrance to the first courtyard of Prague Castle.

When this flag is flown, the President is in the country.

Looking through to the second courtyard.  Peter and Paul Cathedral and St. Vitus Cathedral are visible.

The rose window of St. Vitus Cathedral as seen from the exterior.

Interior view of the St.Vitus Cathedral rose window.

Profile of St. Vitus Cathedral.

Protected remains of the original wall.

St. George slaying the dragon -apparently he is the patron Saint of most eastern European cities and countries.

It is said that Saint John of Nepomuk had five fish circling his head when he drowned after falling off the Charles Bridge.  The fish have since been replaced with stars in every depiction of him.  If you rub the statue of St. John of Nepomuk on the Charles Bridge it is said to bring you good luck.

Flying buttresses of St. Vitus Cathedral.

Church of St. George -note the two spires.  One is narrower than the other, one representing the female and one the male.  I'll let you figure out which is which.

Prague Castle structures represent a myriad of architectural styles, reflecting the origins of the rulers of the time.  This building is the only one of its kind in Prague, made of bricks and reflecting a Dutch style of architecture.

Doorway into St. Vitus Cathedral.  Note the Aboriginal mask incorporated at the bottom of the floral design.

One of the stained glass windows in St. Vitus, designed by Alfons Mucha.  The actress Sarah Bernhardt is pictured in the bottom, left panel.

North-facing stained glass in St. Vitus Cathedral.

Mosaic in one of the side chapels of St. Vitus Cathedral.

Side chapel of St. Vitus Cathedral.

South-facing stained glass in St. Vitus Cathedral.

Looking out over the city of Prague.

Red clay roofs of Prague.

Frescoes along a side street in Mala Strana.

Mala Strana

Maltese Knights hall in Mala Strana.

The knights sharpened their swords on the stone structures pictured here.

John Lennon wall -the only place in Prague that graffiti is permitted.

Young lovers come here to affix a lock affirming their everlasting love.  Once the lock is placed, the key is thrown into the canal.  If the couple break up, they are meant to retrieve the key and remove the lock.

Prague's only canal. (photo credit: Mr. Unmentionable)

Water wheel now used only to impress (amuse?) tourists.

Clock in the Josefov area.  Note the Hebrew characters used as numbers on the bottom clock.

The previous post includes photos from the Christmas Market and Old Town Square so I didn't add any more today.  At any rate, my fingers were too frozen to shoot and the camera was safely tucked away under Mr. U's coat to protect it from the rain.  We sated our hunger by indulging in a grilled sausage from a vendor in the market and called it a day.  We are on vacation to get some R&R after all!

After a 4 hour walk through the rainy streets of Prague, the warmth of the dry hotel room is so very welcome (I cranked the heat and am finally warm from the inside out). Thankfully, I'm not footing the hydro bill!  A cup of mulled wine might fix that too...