It's Like Disneyland, But Real

When Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the feast of Stephen, he did it in Prague.  It would be cool to visit on the Feast of Stephen.  But we were there for Easter.  Which is the...Feast of....Jesus?  

If I had to describe Prague in one word, I'd pick decorative. Dang, that place is decorated.  And so much like Disneyland.  Probably because Disneyland was based on Prague.

For us it was a place to make a number of pilgrimages. Travel is always better when it's a pilgrimage.  Especially if your destinations are quirky, unimportant spots that no one else cares about.

Pilgrimage 1: Kutna Hora Bone Church.   holy cow you won't believe it's real. The whole ancient church (outside of Prague) is decorated--and I mean decorated with thousands of human bones dug up from the graveyard. 

Pilgrimage 2: Easter Eggs.  holy cow you won't believe they're real.  They seriously know how to decorate easter eggs. Puts us to shame really.  It was a delight to peruse the market stalls, trying to pick the perfect one to take home.  This is just a tiny sample of the impressive stuff they do.  Those things that look like holes? they're holes.  heart. shaped. holes. in eggs. 

Pilgrimage 3: Marionette Opera. holy cow you won't believe it's real.  Take Mozart's Don Giovanni, combine it with a really, really old theatre made for marionettes, throw in some Czech puppet masters and a bunch of 3-foot marionettes and you've got something to blow your mind and make you laugh for hours. 

Pilgrimage 4: John Lennon Wall.  holy cow you won't believe it's real.  Okay, maybe this one you will believe.  It's just a big old wall covered in Beatles-inspired graffiti that's been around since Beatles-mania back in the day.  The authorities kept painting over it but the people kept coming back with their paint, until the French Ambassador asked the authorities to leave it (it's near the French Embassy).  cool.   I should have brought some paint and added my own Beatles-love.  I'm cursing myself now! 

Pilgrimage 5: Kutna Hora Medieval Silver Mine.   health and safety officials all over the world won't believe it's real.  It's a medieval silver mine you can tour, and it's very not safety-approved by western standards. We were basically scrambling around in deep dark wet cracks in the earth.  With hard hats and flashlights. And wearing bathrobes, for some reason. 

Being claustrophobic, I was trying not to panic. And when I came out the other end alive, euphoria!  If Hell is exactly what you fear most, Satan's got a medieval silver mine (in medieval working conditions) waiting for me.  I'd rather have my eye pecked out by a bird made of human bones. 

That was going to be the end, but it feels wrong to end on such a creepy picture.  Hm.  Here's some happy news: they still have seesaws in Prague.  Fantastic!