Over the weekend, K and I visited The Wapping Project-Bankside to view the photography exhibition New York Sleeps by Christopher Thomas. This absorbing black-and-white series of familiar landmarks in “the city that never sleeps” are eerily deserted. The absence of human life creates a softer, almost soundless, city—very much different from the one we know. A wonderfully artistic collection of photographs.
The Wapping Project—Bankside
65a Hopton Street, London SE1 9LR
The British Library (St Pancras Train Station in background)
Last weekend we visited The British Library’s “Treasures” gallery, which is open to the public free-of-charge. The “Treasures of the British Library” is an amazing permanent collection including Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, Shakespeare’s manuscripts, the Magna Carta, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (which I have to admit was fantastic), hand-written Beatle’s lyrics, early bibles, sacred texts, and more. A must-see in London.
Also, the “Evolving English” exhibition is currently open until 3 April 2011. This innovative exhibition explores the diversity of the English language from Old English to slang to tweets and how it is constantly changing. A sensory-stimulating and absorbing display.
The British Library
St Pancras, Euston Road, London NW1
Entrance Gate, Statue of Isaac Newton
[The last stop on our Christmas Holiday.]
St.Vitus Cathedral - Prague Castle
We arrived in Prague’s low-ceilinged Hlavní Nadraží Train Station at midnight—an unplanned (very) late arrival due to ongoing train troubles and weather woes. After our “questionably legal” taxi ride to our hotel, we were ready for a good night’s rest.
Since we only had 1.5 days in Prague, we had to plan our time wisely. Our first stop was The New Town to experience the more modern, urban side of Prague. We started at the top of the Wenceslas Square (more like a boulevard) by the National Museum and the statue St. Wenceslas and walked past the many retail stores, cafes and restaurants until we found ourselves at yet another Christmas Market (despite being two days after Christmas). There we tried trdlo (a warm, lightly sweetened cinnamon bread wrapped around a cylinder-type thing) just because it looked interesting. Quite tasty.
From Wenceslas Square, we walked to Old Town Square (with another bustling Christmas Market) and marveled at the incredible architecture. Most notably, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Gothic Týn Church and the Old Town Hall clock tower. At the base of the clock tower is Prague’s famous astronomical clock. Its moving dials, disks and celestial symbols keep time several different ways. It is a marvelous instrument. We did our best to try to figure out how it actually works.
We admired the snow-covered Jan Hus Memorial in the square’s center and then made our way to the Jewish Quarter. We toured the Pinkas Synagogue, dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust, where the handwritten names of over 77,000 Czech Jews cover the walls. From this moving memorial, we entered the Old Jewish Cemetery. Tombs, dated 1439 to 1787, are buried several layers deep. The crooked tombstones and uneven earth create a very memorable scene.
At night, Kevin and I went to a classical music concert at the Church of St. Nicholas in Old Town Square. The music was enjoyable, but the freezing temp in the church was not. We huddled together to stop the shivering.
The next morning we took the tram to Prague Castle. This massive castle complex is the seat of Czech’s government and boasts some of the best views of city. We visited St. Vitus Cathedral to see Czech artist Alfons Mucha’s grand stained-glass window. We also walked around the Castle Square to admire the various architectural styles along with the dramatic views of the city below.
After our castle visit we walked across the famous Charles Bridge, one of Prague’s major landmarks. Thirty statues of various saints follow you, one after the other, as you cross the bridge—each one with its own story.
Prague is a beautiful city with some of the most amazing architecture. K and I enjoyed ourselves and hope to return in warmer weather.
Posted in Czech Republic
Tagged astronomical clock, Pinkas Synagogue, Prague, Prague Castle
New Town Hall Tower, Munich
Five train transfers later (due to snowy conditions and train issues) K and I arrived in Munich. If there was ever a time I wanted to swing my suitcase into orbit it was then. Hopping on and off trains with a heavy bag was no joy, but we made it to Munich on Christmas Eve tired and hungry with snow falling at a steady clip.
We asked the hotel staff for a restaurant recommendation and they told us that most places were closed Christmas Eve (which we figured) but there was one restaurant they knew was open that served good beer.
(Sounds like the perfect spot for the state we were in.)
With our ragged travel clothes still on our backs, we hit the snowy streets. After a few moments of confusion, we found the restaurant and were surprised when a doorman welcomed us in. As we looked into the dining room we noticed everyone dressed in their finest holiday attire (penguin suits included) and the candlelit interior was impeccably decorated for Christmas.
They serve beer here? Really?
Kevin seriously contemplated asking for a table, but when I saw the hostess in her perfectly fitted evening gown and her perfectly coiffed hair, I retracted. After all, my hair hadn’t seen a brush since that morning, so all bets were off for the two of us dining here in our denim.
We ended up finding a pub-style restaurant, which was surprisingly busy, and the night turned out perfect. Merry Christmas Eve.
On Christmas morning, despite the light snow and cold temps, it was time to check out the city. We took to the streets and walked to Marienplatz, the main square/hub of Munich, to begin our church tour (fitting for Christmas Day)…
We also visited the Münchner Stadtmuseum (Munich City Museum), which celebrates the history of Munich. Housed in a former Gothic armory, this wonderfully diverse museum offers insight into Munich’s people, traditions, art and so much more. A fun place to see, hear and learn.
It wouldn’t be a trip to Munich without a visit to a beer-hall. Although we chose probably the most famous and most touristy one, Hofbräuhaus lives up to the hype. With the dirndl-wearing waitresses, the roaming Bavarian band and the 1L steins of beer, I can only imagine what this place is like during Oktoberfest. (Hofbräuhaus, Am Platzl 9)
Even though it was a short visit, we enjoyed Munich and hope to return to experience more.
k&mk 