Nativity Scene
Today we went to Kostel Panny Marie Andelske (Church of Our Lady of Angles). They have a life size Nativity scene that is carved entirely out of wood and then painted in great detail. The carved statues are from the first half of the 18th century. This would make them closer to 300 years old than the 100 years old I mentioned to the Overhead Door people in a quick email. There had to be 30 statues at least. The postcard I purchased shows 18 of the statues and there were more on the other side that are not in the picture. The church itself was built from 1600 to 1602. It is a small church, but again the alter pieces and side alters are very elaborate and made from wood.
It also has a monastery connected to it. The communists used many of the monasteries as places to torture or just detain people without having to go through the prison system. Apparently, this was this church’s purpose prior to the revolution in 1989. It has now been given back to the monastery that originally had it.
We walked around to the back of the church and down a narrow and winding street that went back up and around to the main part of the Prazsky Hrad and Hradcany. Jack’s daughter, Mary, will really like the area. She had talked about doing a collage from pictures of doors. Every other door was very unique and most of them were in wood. Many been refurbished while others look like they had not been touch in a hundred years.
Our timing was right as it was about quarter to twelve. We stayed to watch the changing of the guard at the castle. We don’t know if it was because it was noon and on a Sunday but there was more grandeur and formality to it. Last time we had seen the changing of the guard was from the side entrance and only involved three soldiers; a leader and the two replacements guards.
This time we were at the main entrance. A group of 20 or so soldiers march from somewhere off behind us. We could not see exactly from where they came from as it was up and over a slight knoll. They proceeded to march through the main gate. A small brass ensemble was playing very military sounding music. We know it wasn’t their national anthem.
Once inside the main entrance they did a bunch of saluting, turned left, then turning right, presented arms, etc. Then three soldiers marched with no music, carrying a rifle on the left arm and bringing the right arm (in a slow and stiff movement) up to the top of the left shoulder. The leg movement was also a slow and deliberate stiff, full extension of the leg, kinda Russian like. Two of the guys branched off and replaced the two guards that were on duty. Then the two guards now coming off duty joined the third guy and in the same walk went back into the main area of the entrance. We left before the very end. There was starting to get to be too many people, plus, at the pace they were walking it was going to take half an hour to finish, or so it seemed.
Traveling and the Dog
Mike had mentioned and we have seen advertised the low hotel and air fare rates they currently have for the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain. However, boarding the dog is presenting a problem. Places to board a dog are not common. Since Mike and Hanka don’t have a dog, naturally they don’t know of any. One of the ladies that works for Mike thinks they must exist, but she too doesn’t know of one. She uses her parents to dog-sit. She also gave us the name and address of her vet. Monday or Tuesday we will contact him. Maybe he knows of one or two. We would really like to spend a week on the Islands in January. Nice and warm. In fact, President Havel is there with the King of Spain at their official residence for three weeks rest.
We also have to contact the vet because someone ate something they should not have and now has had the diarrhea for three days. The aunt from upstairs feeds a cat that possibly stays in the basement. She is always leaves scraps out and a saucer of milk or left over gravy. The window to the basement is completely off. They have 3/4 of the window blocked off with a sack stuffed with something. Shep spends a considerable amount of time sniffing around the window and a stack of wood next to the house that is near the window. We have never seen or heard what animal it is they are feeding and have assumed it to be a cat.
Naturally, the aunt felt the cat deserved a holiday feast and left it the heads of two carp, a couple of pieces of fish (probably carp), the casings of three or four salamis and some almonds (almonds???). I try to make sure Shep stays away from it, but the two dogs from upstairs have dragged pieces on occasion into the yard. It seems Shep must have got a hold of something that didn’t agree with him. Everything else in his diet has stayed the same. I’ve given him rice cooked in chicken broth in the morning and again at night. That has helped within a day in the past. It seems to help a little, but he just can’t get it back to normal. Tonight he turned his nose up at it. Not that he doesn’t want to eat; I think he’s tired of rice.
Here’s hoping the vet knows of a kennel. We also thought about contacting one or two of the larger hotels as a last ditch effort. With all these people that travel with their dogs they can’t be taking them with them every place and every time they leave the hotel. Possibly they have someone or some place that they use. I see a need and if we were younger and enterprising individuals we might look into it.
Holiday Inn
Speaking of hotels. We knew the Holiday Inn purchased the old International Hotel. This is the first hotel we stayed at the first year we came to Prague back in 1991. It was what you would call a very old and grand hotel. We remembered everything being of cherry wood and highly polished, but mostly we remembered the huge marble stair case after you first come in going to the restaurant.
The hotel was built to resemble the Kremlin. Holiday Inn didn’t change anything to the outside except a fresh coat of paint. Even then the paint was in a very traditional dull cement color. They changed the registration area, kept some of the wood. They added very narrow floor to ceiling windows and extended the bar area. Of the course the furniture was all new. All in all they kept it very reminiscent of the old style.
We went over to the hotel yesterday just for the heck of it intending to have a mid afternoon cocktail. However, the place was deserted so we just wandered around a little and grabbed a brochure or two.
We peeked out into the garden. They used to have a miniature golf course there. It seems they yanked that and put in more patio area. Their brochure doesn’t mention the golf but does mention the patio for receptions of up to 300 people.
Dinner
We walked to a restaurant near here that we had not been to for a couple of years, nor since they had remodeled or changed the name. Its wasn’t so much the meal, but drinks that made me think this is something I need to put on paper. Jack drinks whiskey and water; a simple drink back in the states. Here he orders Viskey, voda, and ice (we never remember the word for ice). They give him a glass with the shot-shot and a half of booze. He also gets a small bottle of water which the waiter pours into a second glass and leaves the bottle with the remaining water on the table. Then he gets a third glass containing the four or five ice cubes and a tiny spoon. Jack then mixes it all himself. It’s just sort of humorous to see all this stuff on the table just for one drink. Most of the time it is Ballentines Whiskey and he says it’s well worth it. That must be why I either order beer or wine, keep it simple.
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