CZECH REPUBLIC – Prague Part Two
TEXTURAL ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENT
MATYLDA – FLOATING RESTAURANT AND HOTEL
DINING ROOM
PANNACOTTA – This masterpiece of a pannacotta in strawberry sauce was the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
AQUA-RELIC
MORE CUBISM
BAZILIKA VYŠEHRAD
CEMETARY
MILAN RÁČEK – CZECH CINEMATOGRAPHER – 1937-2014
BAZILIKA ENTRY
DOOR DETAIL
ALTAR
This is a relatively disturbing image, but I suppose it’s better than the paintings of him up on the cross with blood pouring out his wounds into chalices. For spaces that are supposed to be an environment of spiritual upliftment, Christian churches certainly do have a lot of unpleasant and macabre imagery. Since it’s most likely just another manmade myth anyway, it begs the question as to why the faithful would want to subject themselves to such repellent stories and imagery. Why would people want to expose their children to this? Why is the majority of humanity under the thrall of spiritual philosophies that have acts of violence and supplication at their core?
DOUR ANGEL
GOTHIC CELLAR
CONTEMPORARY ART
PRAGUE ABSTRACTIONS #1
PRAGUE ABSTRACTIONS #2
PRAGUE ABSTRACTIONS #3
PRAGUE ABSTRACTIONS #4
PRAGUE ABSTRACTIONS #5
U VEJVODU – TRADITIONAL CZECH RESTAURANT
MORE GOULASH
NATIONAL MEMORIAL TO THE HEROES OF THE HEYDRICH TERROR
Hitler placed Richard Heydrich in charge in order to solve the “Czech Matter” which concerned the liquidation of two-thirds of the Czech population, the final solution of the Jewish population, and the performance of other horrible atrocities. Operation Anthropoid was a mission with the ambitious purpose of assassinating Heydrich.
In this display are a paratrooper’s headgear, a portion of a parachute, a Sten machine-gun, and a model of the bomb that killed Heydrich.
This is Hedrich’s automobile after a hand-thrown bomb tore through it and mortally wounded him.
DOOR TO THE CRYPT
This is the space where the heroes of the Heydrich Terror spent their final hours as 700 Nazis planned an assault.
Many of the men gathered in these crypts and awaited their deaths.
I encountered this grafitti less than 300 meters from the memorial commemorating the fight against Nazi cruelty and oppression. In these days of moral ambiguity, exacerbated by leaders like Trump who equate fascists with those who oppose them and who is so fond of brutal dictators, is it such a surprise that this sort of thing is rearing its ugly head again? Angela Merkel recently spoke of dangerous elements emerging in Europe once again. Ironic, that the leader of the country that engineered the Holocaust, is now a check against future fascist activities.
PUSH TO RESET THE WORLD – FRANKLY, I THINK IT’S TIME – I FOUND A PLACE ACROSS TOWN TO DO JUST THAT
KAREL ZÉMAN MUSEUM – Fantasy is the ideal way to reset the world at least on a temporary basis.
Karel Zeman was an award-winning, visionary, Czech director who was ahead of his time and whose influence outweighed the global fame that eluded him.
Two years before his 80th birthday, Karel asked a friend to organize a party for him. All of the upper echelons of the Eastern European film industry were gathered together for his celebration. Less than a year later he died.
ZEMAN WAS ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF STOP-MOTION DINOSAUR FILMS
JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME – This film brought dinosaurs to life for millions of schoolchildren who were able to learn without boredom.
The pterodactyl battles in this film really blew people away due to well-choreographed, effective editing.
A BRONTOSAURUS STARES AT THE BOY’S BOAT
A JURASSIC DRAGONFLY
SUBMARINE MODEL
PERISCOPE
PROPULSION MECHANISM
THE FABULOUS BARON MÜNCHAUSEN
BARON MÜNCHAUSEN – WEAVER OF TALL TALES AND FLIGHTS OF FANCY
The film won many international awards, including in Cannes and Locarno. The American director and Monty Python member Terry Gilliam admitted that his film The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) was primarily inspired by Zemen’s version.
MÜNCHAUSEN COSTUMES
THE MOON: FROM FANTASY TO REALITY
SIMULATED MÜNCHAUSEN SET UTILIZING PERSPECTIVE
KILLER STREET ART
CAR SHOW
STROMOVKA PARK
AERIAL VIEW OF TROJA CHATEAU
TROJA CHATEAU – The advantage of getting here early is that nobody gets in the way of your shots.
They’re busy restoring the main staircase. Hopefully upon my return next year the work will be complete and it will be ready for its close-up.
THE CHATEAU CHAPEL
STONE TREASURES FROM THE PRAGUE GARDENS
Vase with Female Figures – Early 18th Century
Anton BRAUN – DAY – 1728
Anton BRAUN – NIGHT – 1728
Johann Georg HEERMAN – Figural Sculpture from the Central Fountain – 1705
Jiri KACER
Jiri KACER
BACK ACROSS THE RIVER
THROUGH THE PARK
LILAC DELIGHT – SPRINGTIME FINALLY COMES TO EUROPE
EVEN THE SIDEWALKS ARE A WORK OF ART IN PRAGUE
THE VIEW TOWARDS WENCESLAUS SQUARE BEFORE HEADING TO CATCH A BUS FOR BUDAPEST
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