Prague: Week 1

Everyone has always raved about Prague, and since Ed had already traveled there twice, I was very excited to finally visit it. And to have three weeks there! What a luxury! Why, then, did I spend our three weeks there trying so hard to get excited about doing anything at all? It seemed like both the kids and I were worn out. The weather was much better than we deserved at this time of year (usually 55-60 degrees and almost never raining) so we couldn't blame it on that. Everyone was sleeping longer at night, especially me (an embarrassing 9, sometimes 10, hours a night!), so we had plenty of energy. Maybe it's because the museums aren't world class, so they weren't particularly motivating. Maybe it was because the kids had also become generally unimpressed with old architecture, and getting them to a castle, or worse, a church, was difficult. They were definitely tired of making lunches and carrying backpacks and riding trains, and I was definitely tired of making them do all those things.

So even though we went out and toured most every day, there was much more downtime than before. The kids began talking about their friends and their toys and their backyard more and more, and they all began to talk about school in longing tones. I reminded them that they are going to have to start doing real chores again and getting up early, but they're so excited to be with other kids their own ages, it doesn't even phase them. They are also really, REALLY excited to go to Primary where everyone speaks English and there are other kids their age they can talk to. Since we were in Prague for four Sundays, I had hoped the kids could get involved in Young Women's and Primary activities, or at least have a playdate or two, but it didn't ever work out. They are hungry for a steady sociality. To be honest, so am I. I miss my friends, too.

I also couldn't get excited about documenting our outings as we went along, so after waiting so long to write it down, the next few posts will probably read a little more like a travelogue or list. But at least there are some cute kids in the pictures.

As per our traveling tradition, Ed and I went out on the town the first night we were in Prague. The Old Town Square at night is stunning and beautiful, and is one of the very best things to see here. These photos are taken from roughly the same spot, turning in a circle. Amazing.

Our first full day was Sunday, and we enjoyed meeting the members in Prague. There are almost as many missionaries (young and senior) as there are branch members, and they are obviously an integral part. There are enough visitors that they have translation headsets, which are infinitely better than someone translating in the row behind us. Now we can at least force the kids to put the headphones in their ears.

Monday the kids were somewhat disagreeable. I knew a castle wasn't going to be appreciated so we went to the Lego Museum. It was the saddest excuse for a museum I've ever seen (what's worse than a building full of lego creations behind glass so you can't touch them?), but at least they had a small room in which to play Legos for an hour or so. We tried a few stores after the museum to buy new Lego sets, but the kids had a hard time figuring out how best to spend their money. I think they are starting to get a sense for the ridiculous cost of Legos.

Of course, I would have had to pay extra (in addition to the extortion they call ticket prices) in order to take any pictures in the Lego Museum. This photo is from the Tesco department store where we went after the museum to try and find a reasonably-priced Lego set. Hah! They don't exist.

Tuesday I forced the kids to take the tram with me and go to see the Prague Castle--the largest castle complex in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Instead of one massive building, it's a collection of smaller palaces and royal buildings encircled by a huge wall. It's also still the residence of the Czech Prime Minister. The kids thought it was boring, surprise, surprise. I found St. Vitus Cathedral particularly beautiful.

A stunning example of the high Gothic style.

The most amazing thing to me about high Gothic cathedrals is the height of the central nave. It amazes me that eight hundred years ago they could build walls that tall that haven't fallen down. 

The tomb of THE Good King Wenceslas. 

Oh yes, that's right. The kids were happy when I bought them hot cocoa. Granted, it was pretty cold out that day.

The kids also loved the toy store. Actually, I did, too, but chances are good that none of the toys would have made it home in one piece.

One of the streets now encompassed by the castle walls is beautifully restored and centuries-old. This house behind Abby happens to be one of the places Franz Kafka lived. 

Also within the walls of the complex is a "Toy Museum." Like the Lego Museum, it was a disappointing and dusty collection of things for kids that kids can't touch. But there was one whole floor (okay--three small rooms) devoted to a collection of Barbies, many of which were prototypes and never actually sold. And look at the interesting specimens I found!

 

I wouldn't have expected to find BYU and Trailblazer Barbies in Prague. And--does anyone else find Pregnant Barbie slightly disturbing?

Is this Joe's superhero face? 

One of the Prague attractions I was most looking forward to was the Museum of Communism. I know very little about Czech history, but I remember the Velvet Revolution of 1989 when Vaclav Havel took over the post-communist Republic. But I was particularly interested to know how the Czechs themselves represented communism. The museum was mostly photos and text, so the kids didn't get much out of it, but there was an excellent documentary video covering the student and public protests of 1989. 

As you can see from the teeth on the matryoshka doll, the Czech people have no love for Communism. The Museum of Communism was right above a McDonalds and next door to a casino. Stalin must be turning in his grave. 

After the museum, we went out to Wenceslas Square where all the protests in the 1960s and 1980s took place. The kids didn't get the importance of it and whined to go home. I was moved to think that 500,000 people had marched here for weeks to free their nation.

And after all that, we told the kids that Aunt Rachel was engaged. And what did they say? "We want to go home and play computer games!" 

By Thursday, everyone was tired and coming down with a cold, but I tried to brave an outing anyway.  I wanted to walk the Charles Bridge, a stone pedestrian bridge from the 13th century, and I thought I could show the kids the Old Town Square and the Dancing Building while we were out. We'd take a couple fun tram rides, spend only a couple hours, then go back home and relax. 

It was a bad choice.

At the bridge, Isaac is saying "Ugh, this is so dumb."

"The Dancing House," one of the only modern buildings in the architecturally historical Prague. It was small and pretty underwhelming.  

Isaac now: "Can't we just go home, please?!"

At least I got a nice panorama of the Old Town Square

The Skoda Museum. Prague, like other European cities, has narrow streets and very little parking. Most of the parking near our apartment is for residents only, and the only free parking is on the weekends. After doing some research, we found a park-and-ride out in the suburbs and only brought the car into the city on the weekends, making Fridays and Mondays the easiest days to travel outside of Prague. The first Friday I thought the kids would like to see the Skoda Museum, about an hour's drive north of the city. And while Skoda may be the pride of Czech automobiles, the Skoda line isn't exactly prolific. But the kids enjoyed the museum and we had a nice afternoon.

What museum would have little cars for the kids to ride on, and then have no barriers around their show cars? Yikes! 

Skoda started as a bicycle company, then added motors to the cycles.

Then they added seats to the front of the motorized bicycles, and so on. Amazing.

The kids favorite part: the crayons and building toys. Mary was mostly just very bored. 

These were my two favorites in the collection.

The Skoda Museum also had a secondary exhibit of Czech sculptor David Cerny's dioramas of famous moments in Czech history. I was amazed at their detail, as well as the interpretive quality. I won't bore you with too many photos, but I have a new addition to my list of favorite artists.

This one depicts Mozart's premiere performance of Don Giovanni at the Estates Theater in Prague.

HALLOWEEN!

There was ONE pumpkin at the store. 

The kids had been looking forward all week to the Ward Halloween party, and Mary had been planning to attend the youth activity in the afternoon, but the ward party was cancelled, and Mary couldn't get the details about the activity. To combat the disappointment, we decided to splurge and take the kids to the blobsled run. It was so much fun we all went down four times. I wished I could have gotten a photo going down, but I don't have a GoPro and didn't dare risk losing my phone. (My top speed was 43km/hr.) So here are a couple from the top, and one headed back up the hill on the track.

After the bobsled we played at the park for a bit, had a picnic lunch, and drove around the castle area of town. It was a gorgeous day, 65 degrees and sunny, and the autumn leaves were at their height. Then I took the kids to see Hotel Transylvania 2, which they thoroughly enjoyed. On the way home we stopped at the grocery store so they could make their Halloween haul. We had a small dinner and a big dessert.

Here's a nice photo of Linda and Joe I found. Although she can sometimes smother him, they are a happy team. I love these smiles.

Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic

On our drive toward the Czech Republic we saw Zweibelzopf for sale at a roadside stand. They are a decoration made of braided onions, and have been around for centuries, linked to the Onion festival in Weimar every October, and hung in homes to repel illnesses. I thought they were quite beautiful, and if I could have gotten one home in one piece, I would have brought one for Ed's mom. 

We had one night to kill before we could check into our room in Prague, so we opted for a picturesque Czech spa town that saw its heyday in the late 19th century. Obviously created and cultivated for the wealthy who wanted to escape the cities for fresh air and thermal baths, it is today much more touristy, but still caters to a wealthy, though more aged, clientele. The architecture has been well-preserved and perpetuated, and I think the majority of the town is hotels. But we hit the perfect time to visit--the fall colors were at their absolute height, and exploring the valleys and hills of the town took my breath away.

A view across the town.

One of many hotels, and this wasn't one of the more beautiful ones All of them are in the art nouveau style. 

The city park.

One of the more common street performances we have seen in the Czech Republic consists of a musician, with full electronic back-up, with a display of his (they have all been men) CDs for sale. We had to laugh because this particular style of music seemed to perfectly match the town's target tourist: older, female, the Czech version of a Lawrence Welk watcher, perhaps?

Called the Laska Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this was built in 1909 by the local theatre director to honor his deceased mother. As you drive along the country road on the outskirts of town, you can just see it peeking through the trees on the side of a hill. I took time to walk up there, then continued on the paved but well-concealed trails through the trees and found a restaurant, a tennis court, and public bathrooms. I could just imagine writers and thinkers of the 19th century coming to Bohemia to try to heal from TB, or big city smells and pollution, being wheeled around in their chairs by their nurses, taking turns around the park with pretty young ladies. 

We stayed one night in a much less lovely part of town, in an extremely basic house; no ultra-fancy hotel for us. The next morning we tried a ropes course (the high course was closed, but the kids could run around on the low course) and The BoheMINIum. Similar to Madurodam in the Hague, this was a collection of miniature (1:25) landmarks from throughout the Czech Republic. I have learned that Bohemia refers to the west and north parts of the republic, while the south and east was Moravia. I liked this place better than Madurodam--the setting was much prettier and everything was nicely spread out. We unfortunately had to leave after 45 minutes to get our apartment in Prague, just after the kids discovered the playground WITH BIKES. There was some kicking and screaming. 

The ropes course. I love the Fall!

                                

This was my favorite miniature at the Boheminium. Called Zdar nad Sazavou, this pilgrimage chapel was built by Czech architect Jan Blazej Santini-Aichel in 1722 to celebrate St. John of Nepomucky. When St. John died, a five-pointed crown appeared in the spot where he drowned, and thus Santini-Aichel used the five-pointed star as the motif for his architecture. I had hoped to get there for a day, but it unfortunately closes to the public in October, and I would have to schedule a private tour. The kids would never behave for a whole tour. Oh well. Something for next time.

I have to share one story. When we arrived at the ropes course it was fairly deserted. Being a chilly and wet morning, there was almost no one around. The course was owned by a resort that also had thermal baths and a large set of tennis courts. I found my way around to the office, and, as I had been doing all the way around the building, I peered into the windows to see if I had the right place. There were definitely people inside--two people who happened to be making out. I quickly backed away, opened the door with my head down, and wiped my shoes carefully to give them time to regroup and get presentable. I had a hard time keeping my cool, though, because when I got inside I realized that the two people were the boss (a 50 year old graying man) and his employee (a beautiful young girl about 20). I was shocked, but tried to keep my cool. The girls was blushing a little and a bit giggly, but a tried to pretend I knew nothing. But that moment has stayed with me for weeks. How limited must a beautiful, athletic, intelligent young girl's options be for her to have an affair with her boss? Sad and Yuck. Ed says it's because we are closer to Eastern Europe, and maybe that's true. But maybe not. Maybe he's a great guy. Maybe not. 

Germany Again. But This Time I Like It.

We spent Tuesday night through Friday morning (October 20-23) in a small town called Jena, in the east-central part of Germany, between Weimar and Leipzig. The town of Jena is most famous as the temporary residence of Goethe and the more permanent residence of Friedrich Schiller, philosopher, and Friedrich Schlegel, critic, poet and philosopher. The confluence of these minds, and others, made Jena the center of European intellectual thought for a short time in the late 18th century. Nowadays it's not famous for much of anything, but it does have a nice University, enough restaurants for variety, and some decent shopping. Also, the old town is small enough to walk completely around in 30 minutes, so three days was just fine for enjoying the area.

Ed's work went well while we were there (finally), and he again accomplished some good networking, as well as tablet scanning. We were staying in a hotel (as there were no apartments or airbnb offerings within 40 minutes drive), so the kids and I got out for as much of the day as I could get them out. The hotel was small--only ten rooms--and everyone was gone during the day, so we weren't too much of a nuisance running back and forth between our three separate rooms. When possible, I try to have the kids do homework in the morning, and it always takes until lunch, even though it should only take 40 minutes. I am not nearly as efficient as classroom teachers, and it seems like no matter what I do the kids are always sneaking onto their apps and games when I'm not looking. Aargh!

An example of Jena architecture. It sits in a run-down lot with graffiti, but the windows and doors are lovely.

Part of the city wall remains around the Altstadt, including this tower. The kids were cold and didn't want to pose for me.

On Wednesday afternoon we went to the planetarium to get tickets for the sky show, then had to wait a couple hours until it started. We decided to go out for lunch and found a waffle restaurant--we haven't had waffles since we left the States!

While buying the tickets, the kids all bought silly putty with their allowance. It was a great way to keep them occupied while waiting for their waffles to arrive. Joe apparently wasn't ready for the picture.

Of course, these waffles don't have syrup. They have ice cream.

Then we went to buy hats, gloves and scarves at H&M, and we ended up with a few extra pairs of pants and shirts we hadn't planned on. (Have I mentioned yet that we are all very sick of our clothes, except Joe and Isaac who haven't seemed to notice that they are wearing the same thing every day?) Then we went back to the planetarium and enjoyed our tour of the universe, even though it was in German. (Also, this is the world's oldest planetarium, so Mary was particularly enthusiastic for the visit.) After the planetarium we headed back to the hotel, then met Ed for dinner at the Hercules Restaurant, introducing the kids to Greek food. Luckily, the kids like meat.

Abby posing with Ernst Abbe, the scientist of note related to the planetarium. She can even melt a stone heart.

Like I said, Jena is a small town, so although there were a couple small art and history museums, the kids would have hated them. We decided to take a couple hours on Thursday to go to a "swimming pool." It's actually a swimming complex, similar to the new one in Provo, but with fewer restrictions of age and height on the water slides. We ended up spending a whopping six hours there, and the kids were absolutely exhausted when we were done. But it was a marvelous time, and I was particularly happy watching the kids play together. They went down the water slides in twosomes, in fivesomes, in a train, in races, and they were always careful to help the little ones and cheer each other on. It was the sort of attitude I have most wanted this trip to cultivate--I want my kids to be best friends with each other, and the Jena GalaxSea created some good memories for them. My heart was warm and full as I watched them play together.

A victory cheer after their successful team run down the blackout slide.

Looking back, I can see now that our ten days in Italy was the moment of real change for me. Before Italy, I measured the success of our trip primarily by how many monuments we visited, or how much time I could keep the kids out of the house and off of their computers and tablets. Now I try to count the perfect moments. They are everywhere: the kids helping each other with homework, playing at the pool, goofing off with Dad, my quiet walks at night down beautiful city streets with Ed, Joe recognizing the prophet during Conference, Abby offering her candy to Isaac so he won't be sad. I am beginning to realize that we have at least in part attained what I wanted most from this trip: closeness and joy.

After the pool, we picked up Ed from work and went to the waffle place for dinner. Unfortunately, they were closing, and we were all disappointed. We promised to come back the next morning before leaving town. Friday morning we packed, got waffles (the same waiter served us all three times--a nice college kid who was patient with my kids and had great English), split up to hit two quick museums, then hit the road for the Czech Republic. Actually, our next stop was only two hours away, so we didn't have far to go. But the whole week had been cold and wet, and this morning the clouds opened up to gorgeous blue sky and sunshine. The fall leaves were still in full swing, so we had a beautiful drive.

This is the Friedrich Schiller House, where Schiller lived and had meetings with Goethe and other intelligentsia, fueling German Romanticism.

And just for fun, Linda and I stopped at a shoe store to try on some really fun shoes.

Love the elf curls!

These are for Aunt Rachel--they'd go great with her 50s Drive-In Diner dress!