Lager, a Golem and some Absinthe

Horse-drawn carriages for hire.

Housed in St. Nicholas Church in Old Town Square, the Harrachov glassworks crystal chandelier, in the shape of the Russian coronation crown, was a gift from Czar Alexander.  It has a diameter of 4,5 meters and weighs 1400 kg

Today was a third magical day spent in Prague, indeed.  After a quick tour through Old Town Square to witness the Astronomical clock’s once-hourly show, we trundled off  in search of sustenance.  A quick lunch of soup and a few pints of lager (of course there was beer..this is Prague, after all!) in The Medieval Tavern (where they have nightly shows and serve a dinner banquet in medieval style) and we were on our way to the Jewish Quarter to visit the cemetery and synagogues.  Yesterday’s tour certainly gave us a better idea of what we were looking at and where to go.

 

 
The Josefov visit was very moving, with the names of all the Czechs who were known to have lost their lives in the Holocaust inscribed in alphabetical order, hand-painted on the walls of the now decommissioned Pinkas Synagogue adjacent to the cemetery.  They have on permanent display an exhibition called "Children's Drawings from Terezin 1942 - 1944." I was moved to tears.  The community tried desperately to rally around their children, providing them with every opportunity to play and create through art and theatre despite the horrors that were unfolding around them.  Along with each artwork displayed was an annotated label that indicated if the child had perished or survived.  Photographs were only permitted in the cemetery.

 
 


The Orthodox New Old Synagogue is the oldest working synagogue in Europe.  It was built in the Gothic style in 1275.  This synagogue is where Franz Kafka celebrated his Bar Mitzvah. Its attic is said to hold the remains of the golem conjured by Rabbi Loew to protect the Jews in Prague from pogroms in the 16th century.  Legend has it that Rabbi Leow’s golem was able to protect the city’s Jews and by erasing the first letter from the word inscribed on the golem’s forehead, he changed the word from “אמת” (truth) to “מות” (death) and the figure once again returned to dust.

The only sculpture in Prague dedicated to Kafka.  The design is based on his book Metamorphosis.

Heading back towards our hotel we walked through the Old Town Square and popped into an Absinthe bar to warm ourselves from the inside out.  A shot of King of Spirits went down fairly smoothly after it was lovingly prepared for us by pouring it through a lump of sugar and subsequently setting it on fire.  It certainly warms the mouth and throat, especially if you breathe in through your mouth after taking a sip.  Thankfully, the server provided us with a jug of still water to help quell the startling effects of the unique intoxicant.  Perhaps that had something to do with me missing my footing and shredding my right knee on the cobblestone sidewalk...ouch (I'm not sure which hurt more...the fall or the bruised pride).

 

 

Awesome...pot seeds and absinthe with chocolate... I love this city!