April 24, Our travels took us to the Reichstag building and a tour of the rebuilt dome:
April 25, We spent the day (Noam's birthday on the Gregorian calendar) at a lovely campsite south of Dresden (we drove through and got a little tour of the city the previous evening). We read and wrote and relaxed in the warm sunlight. Then as we drove over the mountain into the Czech Republic we found snow just outside of Altenberg. Spring continues to happen:
April 26, Our Prague Spring. After taking the tram into town we made our way to the Old Town Hall square (chances are this has more, or, perhaps, more accurate names... the German ADAC (AAA) map reads: "Staromestske Namesti"), directly to the house where Franz Kafka was born and grew up. From there we turned the corner and found the Maisel Synagogue (which happens to be the first stop on the multi-station "Jewish Museum in Prague" trek). Station number 2 is the Spanish Synagogue which appears behind us as we pose with still blooming forsythia (but beginning to turn green)... we have experienced a nearly perpetual spring:
April 27, Once again, the tram #14 takes us to Nam Republiky (Square of the Republic), we walk, via a different route across town, across the Manesuv Most (bridge), climb the hill and visit the Prague Castle. On the way back we have our picture taken in front of the Charles Bridge. We walk across it to return to town for dinner and a concert at the Spanish Synagogue.
April 28, It should not be surprising that we would be in Prague and not experience something you could call "Kafkaesque". We had been searching for information about the current Jewish community in Prague, but the names of the institutions that might answer that question (and a couple related ones) were confusing to us. As we approached one ("The Educational and Cultural Center [of] The Jewish Museum in Prague"), we learned that there are three separate entrances on Maiselova with the number 15 (the number we wanted). We could find no indication at the street entrance how to get into the building. By chance, a woman in an olive green khaki jacket (with a German flag patch on the left shoulder) stood smoking a cigarette. She "intuited" our plight and entered her pass-number which unlocked the door. The people at the Center (four flights up) were helpful, but explained that for our questions we wanted "The Jewish Museum in Prague - The Reference Center" on Stare Skoly 1. As we left the office we could not figure out how to open the door. A young woman who was there with friends pressed the correct button (among three or four to the right of the door) to release the latch. The sign at Stare Skoly 1 suggested that what we wanted was the entrance to an institution around the corner. Arriving at that museum entrance, we were re-directed to the earlier doorway. Finally as we entered we were greeted by someone who needed the name and city from which one of us came for their "security" database. To top it all off, the day has been appropriately gray with a near-constant drizzle. We made our way to a little cafe connected to the Anagram Bookshop an English language used-bookstore on the far edge of downtown where we could sit, drink, read and write.
April 29, Another drizzly day, but this time we were able to get to Gehry/Miluni "Dancing Building" before it got too wet. We spent most of the day walking and then reading. We had hoped to get to a concert at The Educational and Cultural Center [of] The Jewish Museum in Prague for which we had received a brochure the preceding day, but, there was no way to get into the building (again) and there was no notice at the entrance. So we had some soup at a vegetarian restaurant across the tiny square from Kafka's house, then went to JoeCafe a local Israeli hangout (bar/restaurant, with WiFi, loud Israeli (and other) music), they even celebrated Havdallah... at about 20:15!) which is especially busy because the Final Four is here now!
April 26, Our Prague Spring. After taking the tram into town we made our way to the Old Town Hall square (chances are this has more, or, perhaps, more accurate names... the German ADAC (AAA) map reads: "Staromestske Namesti"), directly to the house where Franz Kafka was born and grew up. From there we turned the corner and found the Maisel Synagogue (which happens to be the first stop on the multi-station "Jewish Museum in Prague" trek). Station number 2 is the Spanish Synagogue which appears behind us as we pose with still blooming forsythia (but beginning to turn green)... we have experienced a nearly perpetual spring:
April 27, Once again, the tram #14 takes us to Nam Republiky (Square of the Republic), we walk, via a different route across town, across the Manesuv Most (bridge), climb the hill and visit the Prague Castle. On the way back we have our picture taken in front of the Charles Bridge. We walk across it to return to town for dinner and a concert at the Spanish Synagogue.
April 28, It should not be surprising that we would be in Prague and not experience something you could call "Kafkaesque". We had been searching for information about the current Jewish community in Prague, but the names of the institutions that might answer that question (and a couple related ones) were confusing to us. As we approached one ("The Educational and Cultural Center [of] The Jewish Museum in Prague"), we learned that there are three separate entrances on Maiselova with the number 15 (the number we wanted). We could find no indication at the street entrance how to get into the building. By chance, a woman in an olive green khaki jacket (with a German flag patch on the left shoulder) stood smoking a cigarette. She "intuited" our plight and entered her pass-number which unlocked the door. The people at the Center (four flights up) were helpful, but explained that for our questions we wanted "The Jewish Museum in Prague - The Reference Center" on Stare Skoly 1. As we left the office we could not figure out how to open the door. A young woman who was there with friends pressed the correct button (among three or four to the right of the door) to release the latch. The sign at Stare Skoly 1 suggested that what we wanted was the entrance to an institution around the corner. Arriving at that museum entrance, we were re-directed to the earlier doorway. Finally as we entered we were greeted by someone who needed the name and city from which one of us came for their "security" database. To top it all off, the day has been appropriately gray with a near-constant drizzle. We made our way to a little cafe connected to the Anagram Bookshop an English language used-bookstore on the far edge of downtown where we could sit, drink, read and write.
April 29, Another drizzly day, but this time we were able to get to Gehry/Miluni "Dancing Building" before it got too wet. We spent most of the day walking and then reading. We had hoped to get to a concert at The Educational and Cultural Center [of] The Jewish Museum in Prague for which we had received a brochure the preceding day, but, there was no way to get into the building (again) and there was no notice at the entrance. So we had some soup at a vegetarian restaurant across the tiny square from Kafka's house, then went to JoeCafe a local Israeli hangout (bar/restaurant, with WiFi, loud Israeli (and other) music), they even celebrated Havdallah... at about 20:15!) which is especially busy because the Final Four is here now!
April 28, It should not be surprising that we would be in Prague and not experience something you could call "Kafkaesque". We had been searching for information about the current Jewish community in Prague, but the names of the institutions that might answer that question (and a couple related ones) were confusing to us. As we approached one ("The Educational and Cultural Center [of] The Jewish Museum in Prague"), we learned that there are three separate entrances on Maiselova with the number 15 (the number we wanted). We could find no indication at the street entrance how to get into the building. By chance, a woman in an olive green khaki jacket (with a German flag patch on the left shoulder) stood smoking a cigarette. She "intuited" our plight and entered her pass-number which unlocked the door. The people at the Center (four flights up) were helpful, but explained that for our questions we wanted "The Jewish Museum in Prague - The Reference Center" on Stare Skoly 1. As we left the office we could not figure out how to open the door. A young woman who was there with friends pressed the correct button (among three or four to the right of the door) to release the latch. The sign at Stare Skoly 1 suggested that what we wanted was the entrance to an institution around the corner. Arriving at that museum entrance, we were re-directed to the earlier doorway. Finally as we entered we were greeted by someone who needed the name and city from which one of us came for their "security" database. To top it all off, the day has been appropriately gray with a near-constant drizzle. We made our way to a little cafe connected to the Anagram Bookshop an English language used-bookstore on the far edge of downtown where we could sit, drink, read and write.
April 29, Another drizzly day, but this time we were able to get to Gehry/Miluni "Dancing Building" before it got too wet. We spent most of the day walking and then reading. We had hoped to get to a concert at The Educational and Cultural Center [of] The Jewish Museum in Prague for which we had received a brochure the preceding day, but, there was no way to get into the building (again) and there was no notice at the entrance. So we had some soup at a vegetarian restaurant across the tiny square from Kafka's house, then went to JoeCafe a local Israeli hangout (bar/restaurant, with WiFi, loud Israeli (and other) music), they even celebrated Havdallah... at about 20:15!) which is especially busy because the Final Four is here now!
