To Mala Strana And Beyond, 1

The next day, September 26, we finished the Prague Walk, taking a variant route to the Charles Bridge--Carlova street is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and so is the "astronomical" clock--crossing the bridge, venturing into Mala Strana, and then up the hill all the way to the belvedere just outside Hardcandy Castle. Mala Strana is the "Lesser Town" at the foot of the castle, across the river from Old Town and New Town. We have a couple favorite sites in Mala Strana, from previous visits.

Beautiful buildings all along the way

Jaroslav Rona's famous statue of Kafka near the
Spanish Synagogue

Serpent bench

Paris street and its who's-who of ultra-exclusive shoppes

Kafka Society offices--"don't step on that roach!"

Street scene in Josefov, the Jewish Quarter--most of
which was razed in the 19th century to make way for
these beautiful buildings; synagogues, cemeteries,
and a museum remain, however; we'll visit in due
course

Yes, Virginia, there are (neo?) Gothic synagogues

More gorgeous buildings

And ornaments

Occasionally there are ugly buildings; these we attribute to the
Warsaw Pact era

One of our firmest rules of travel is to stop and drop everything
on encountering a Flemish frites shop

It offered only a dozen or so sauces, but the ketchup
and garlic were just fine for us; note the brilliantly-designed
container with built-in sauce holder 

Now, finally, we are back on The Walk, crossing
the Charles Bridge, noting the assorted statues;
shouldn't the lettering be Aramaic and not Hebrew?

Room for more

This is the one you're supposed to rub certain
parts of in order to get your wish or prayer fulfilled;
we had left our hand sanitizer back at the apartment,
so it was not a good day for wish or prayer
fulfillment; in that regard

Looking back at one of Europe's most beautiful cities

And ahead to Mala Strana's skyline

Near the end of the bridge, a Christian totem pole

And my favorite, a whole gang of saints and
demi-gods; note the horny St. Eustache; imprisoned
are Christians captured by the nasty Moor on the left;
note bird nest in his head gear