A small, but elegant, gallery of modern Czech work, the Kampa sits on a
The yellow umbrellas to the left are on the terrace behind the gallery.
The museum itself doesn't allow photography inside, so I hope you enjoy a few of the ginat pieces in the garden.
This kid really demanded closer inspection.
Then, stumbled through a film shoot with 1920's vintage cars and a few knowing smiles withe the beautifully costumed extras, all on the way to Petrin Hill.
Once on top, I wasn't thrilled, but the funicular ride up and down was fun.
Have you ever seen such a stunned group of campers? They wouldn't even join me in any of the team songs!
All of that was yesterday. Today began with a visit to the MUCHA MUSEUM - another You-cannot-use-your-camera place.
The story of Alphonse Mucha, who was born in a tiny village nearby and became rich and famous - early in his career is one of Be careful What You Wish For.
Mucha was one of these geniuses who could make perfectly lovely pictures by the age of 8! Like Thurber, Picasso and Leonardo, he was an incredible draughtsman who seemed to need nothing more than a pencil and paper and 10 minutes to blow your mind with his work.
So he went to Paris, was commissioned by Sarah Bernhardt to do a poster for her and then a few zillion. Not wanting to be stuck in a single groove, he went to America for a while and then settled back in Prague, devoting his last many years to Slavic themes. He just happened also to be a prolific and breathtaking painter.
From there to the JERUSALEM SYNAGOGUE.
Like the Spanish Synagogue, this is done in the Moorish style and it simply beautiful.
I wonder if this very short video will work.
I toured the other Synagogues last week, but I took no photos for several reasons. The Pinkas has rooms with 77,297 names inscribed on the walls. These are among the millions who were murdered in the concentration camps and on the streets. Tourists today are practically sprinting through snapping their little memories like they are in Las Vegas. When you leave that shattering experience, you then wander through the Old Jewish Cemetery where bodies have been buried many, many layers deep.
I can only add that none of that stopped me from appreciating this wonderful place.
And finally, up a tower for a Room with a View.
Let us now give thanks for our laptops and Netflix and the universality of microwave popcorn, otherwise it would be Law and Order re-runs in Czech.
1 comment:
Thank you for continuing to post about your time in Praha. Loved each one of them!
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