Prague 1 of 2

Earlier in March, I was bemoaning the fact that Dave was in Europe and I was home with only the hope of experiencing his trip vicariously through his pictures when he returned. Well -- I must say that his pictures did not disappoint. And -- he brought home wonderful presents so I can't bemoan my lot too much. :-)

So -- without further ado -- here are some of his pictures!

Welcome to Prague!

This view is looking across the Vltava River to the Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral.

65 people went on the tour with the University of Richmond: Schola (the top choir at UofR), the Women's Choir, and the Orchestra. They traveled in a double decker bus -- however, accommodations for the orchestra's instruments were not taken into consideration and so everyone crammed into the top of the bus while left over luggage and instruments occupied the first level.

St. Vitus Cathedral within the walls of the Castle. This imposing and very gothic in style cathedral took over 900 years to build.

Portions of Women's Choir becoming acquainted with the Castle's history.

The gates into the Castle. Dave -- and several of the kids -- tried to make the guards betray some sort of expression but were unsuccessful in their attempt.

St. Vitus Cathedral is named for St. Vitus -- a Roman Martyr who died under the persecution of Diocletian in 303 A.D. King Wenceslaus of Bohemia (Prague) was a collector of relics and artifacts and was given the bones of the hand of St. Vitus by King Henry I of Germany. This relic has been a sacred treasure to the city of Prague since then.

The nave of St. Vitus Cathedral -- looking towards the altar.

The tomb of St. John of Nepomuk. He is the Patron Saint of the Czech Republic and one of the Patron Saints of the European Continent. He is easy to recognize wherever you are as his head is always surrounded by 5 stars. He was the confessor to the Queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the content of her confessions. He also opposed the King's choice of a new abbot for the Benedictine Monastery. As a result, he was taken to the St. Charles Bridge and thrown into the Vtlava River where he drowned in 1393.

Once inside the walls of the castle, obtaining a picture of the entire cathedral becomes impossible -- it is gigantic!! As you can see in the picture below, people will try every angle to get a good picture.

This is "part" of what the people above are trying to photograph. It is the side of the Cathedral. The crown jewels are located in the top of this tower. However, this tower is only accessible by one door that is located in the St. Wenceslaus Chapel. The door has 7 locks on it and 7 different people hold 1 of the 7 keys.

The back or "choir" portion of the Cathedral.

The confines of the Castle and the rest of Prague.

Dave and some of the girls from Women's Choir on the St. Charles Bridge. If you can't tell -- it was cold!

The Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square. There are 3 portions to the clock: 1) an astronomical dial that shows the position of the sun and moon, 2) the 'Walk of the Apostles' which is an hourly show of the Apostles and other moving figurines, and a 3) calendar dial that has medallions representing the months .

The Infant of Prague in the Church of Our Lady Victorious. A replica of the Infant of Prague can be found in almost every Catholic church.

The beautiful and bustling streets of Prague. Notice the detail on the facade of the building to the right. This is not uncommon in Prague.

This is the inside of St. Nicholas Church. The interior is thought to be the best representation of Baroque ornamentation and detail in the city.

Looking towards St. Nicholas.