Yesterday and today we took day trips outside of Prague. The first was to Karlstejn which is a walled fortress built as a summer home for Charles IV. Construction started in 1348 and like most things that have been around for over 600 years ago it has a history that’s longer than I can possibly remember. The basics are that it’s big, beautiful, and you can’t go into the more interesting parts of the structure… you know, the beautiful room gilded in gold, encrusted in jewels, etc. etc.
Today we spent the day today in Kutna Hora, after a brief stop at a Bohemian crystal outlet and factory. There were two major highlights of that trip to me: a silver mine from the 13th century, and a church decorated with bones from literally thousands of human beings. It’s hard to imagine, but the walls and door-frames and ceilings were entirely decorated with human bones. There was a family crest made from bones. Several pyres (huge piles) of bones. Even a chandelier made from at least one of every bone in the human body. It’s really hard to imagine what someone had on their mind when they were thinking that these works of art (they really are, in a strange way, beautiful) should be in a house of worship. This is what happens, apparently, when you run out of space for all of the bodies in your back yard.
Tonight, we hit the town for an evening of local modern jazz and drinks (green fairies, anyone?), which was a welcome relaxation and entertainment after sloughing around in cold, dark mines all afternoon.
As for tomorrow, we’re celebrating Andy’s 24th birthday with a trip to Pilzen, the one-true home of Pilzner beer.
I’ll get the pictures from these day trips up later… the camera is busy charging, and my brain is busy sleeping.