The Church of the Bones, Kutna Hora, Czechia

September 8, 2026Czechia, TravelChurch of the Bones, Kutna Hora, Legos, Sedlec Ossuary, St. James, wall artkarenfranza

Sep 3 – Today we bade farewell to our modern apartment in Prague, and set out to see more of Czechia.

About an hour’s train ride east of Prague is the lovely village of Kutna Hora. We are only here for a short time, and we are here to see one thing: the Sedlec Ossuary, otherwise known as the Church of the Bones.

Legend says that in the 1100s, a monk brought back some soil from Golgotha in the Holy Land, and spread the soil in the church cemetery. That made this cemetery a very desirable place to be buried, and people brought their family corpses from all over Europe to be buried here.

During the Black Death and the Hussite Wars of the 1400s, the church was overwhelmed with bodies, and devised an ossuary system of temporarily burying, then exhuming and stacking up the bones. It is estimated that between 40,000 to 70,000 bodies were interred here.

In the 1600s a monk was tasked with finding creative uses for the bones. Hence, the Church of All Saints became the Church of the Bones.

Down we go into the ossuary, beneath the church

The space is not large, and you get to spend no more than 30 minutes

Jim managed to sneak a few photos, but most of the pix below are courtesy of the Internet. The church decided a few years ago that people were not being sufficiently respectful of the bones, and banned photo-taking.

This chandelier is said to contain every bone in the human body

The coat of arms of the Schwartzenbergs, the rich family in the region

The ossuary theme carried over to the Lego Museum next door with this Lego skeleton

We also visited the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

It was pretty empty inside, but filled with light

For lunch Jim had a meat sandwich (shredded beef covered with cheddar, and I had the veggie sandwich (little tomatoes and white cheese). Very yummy. Cheese is a big thing here!

In the afternoon we spotted the Church of Saint James,, and went in to visit our favorite apostle

Over the altar was a painting of the slaying of the Moors, which we thought was an odd choice. See the shells over the heads of St Peter on the left and St Paul on the right?

We all have our burdens to carry. A fine day.

Botanicka Zahrada, Prague, Czechia

September 7, 2026Czechia, TravelBotanicka Zahrada, Praguekarenfranza

Sep 2 – For our last day in Prague, we treated ourselves to a quiet day at the botanical gardens, the Botanicka Zahrada Praha.

The tropical plants in the greenhouse were lush

Jim chased down this bird that made much more noise than its size would indicate

Did you know that the oldest land plant, Cooksonia, was discovered right here in Czechia? Wow!

Dancing House, Fortress and Basilica, Prague, Czechia

September 6, 2026Czechia, TravelPrague, Dancing House, Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, Vysehrad Fortresskarenfranza

Sep 1 – No trip to Prague is complete without a visit to the Dancing House, a modern construct erected in 1996 on the site of a building destroyed by US bombing in 1945.

The building has a hotel and a restaurant on top. The ball on top is called Medusa.

We paid dearly for a cup of coffee so we could enjoy the view

Here’s the building from the other side. See how the windows are not in straight rows?

What is this? A sign attached explained that this statue was used as a battering ram during a protest in the Soviet era.

What’s this? You know how Jim likes to climb!

So we went up and up some more until we reached …

…the Vysehrad Fortress! Instead of finding armaments and cannon inside, we found…

…the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul. For a non-religious country, there sure are lots of churches here.

A particularly sweet painting of baby Jesus in the loving arms of Joseph

Adjoining the basilica was a cemetary that featured busts of the deceased

You know I kept looking until I found a woman. Thanks for representing, Milada!

More Czech food today – I just had pasta and chicken, while Jim stepped up and ordered fried meat ball with sweet pickles and mashed potatoes. A fine repast!

Kafka, Freud and a Library, Prague, Czechia

September 4, 2026Czechia, TravelDavid Cerny, Franz Kafka, Freud, Prague, Strahov Monastery and Librarykarenfranza

Aug 31 – When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself changed into an monstrous cockroach in his bed.

I start today with the opening line from Kafka’s Metamorphosis, as today we will see the head of Franz Kafka. Spinning. Slowly.

On a downtown cul-de-sac is a big shiny head of Franz Kafka, a work by Czech artist David Cerny in 2014.

At the top of every hour, it rotates slowly, in horizontal slices

Some say Kafka should not be portrayed as a bright, shiny figure. Others say he was multidimensional, so this work is apt.

Finally, all the slices come back together, and the head is restored until the next hour.

Here is another Kafka statue by Jaroslav Rona, depicting Kafka sitting atop an empty suit. I hope you appreciate all the art education you’re getting today!

Down the street is another work by David Cerny, installed in 1996 high up over the street, dangling from a flagpole. Do you see it? When this work was on tour, people sometimes called the police to report a possible suicide.

This is Sigmund Freud, hanging nonchalantly by one hand with his other hand in his pocket, as if contemplating whether one should hang on for the new millennium.

Now for something completely different, we took a trolley across town to the Strahov Monastery and Library

A beautiful space to gaze into, although we weren’t allowed inside

…and natural specimens in cases that look like books

The Church of Our Lady, attached to the monastery, was equally ornate.

Once again, we couldn’t go in, so made use of our zoom lens to see the altar.

On our way home, we stopped to see one more work by David Cerny; King Wenceslaus astride his upside down dead horse, that mocks the statue of him astride his horse in the square. A day of contrasts!

National Museum, Prague Czechia

September 2, 2026Czechia, TravelMadonnas, National Museum, Praguekarenfranza

Aug 30 – Today we walked over to check out the Prague National Museum, just down the road from our apartment.

The skylight in the lobby, with murals all around

It is a natural history museum with rooms dedicated to all manner of creatures

…as well as an extensive anthropology and evolutionary area that Jim really liked

…and St. Wenceslaus with St. Vitus. There were seriously too many kings named Wenceslaus – I haven’t been able to get that Christmas carol out of my head all week!

There were also lots of Madonnas, my personal favorite

A sad Madonna with a very crabby-old-man-looking Jesus

…and a very old wooden Madonna who lost her head

We treated ourselves to a Sunday meal at our favorite Turkish restaurant, where the entrees change every day. Today they offered roasted aubergine (eggplant) which reminded us of our time in Istanbul. Heavenly!

St. Vitus Cathedral and Prague Castle, Prague, Czechia

September 1, 2026Czechia, TravelPrague, Prague Castle, St. Vitas Cathedralkarenfranza

Aug 29 – Another beautiful morning. The weather so far has been lovely, with highs in the 70s – perfect for walking.

Today we will journey to Prague Castle to see the actual window where the Defenestration of Prague took place in 1618, leading to the 30 Years War.

In case you don’t recall the details, the Catholics and the Protestants were sparring over which religion should rule the people. When the argument got heated, the Protestants threw two Catholic regents and a secretary out the window, presuming they would fall to their deaths. (Defenestration means getting thrown out the window.)

All three survived the fall, with the Catholics saying the regents had been caught up by angels, and the Protestants maintaining that their fall had been softened by their landing in the dung heap. Divine intervention? You decide!

The rooftops of the old town with the spires of St. Nicholas Church in the distance

Our first stop this morning is St. Vitus Cathedral, started in 1344, which is part of the many buildings that comprise Prague Castle

Here’s our old friend St. John Nepomuk, post-drowning, being attended by an angel

It’s early morning, but we didn’t beat the crowds today

I thought this was a painting, but it’s 3D! Mary and Elizabeth in the Mary Chapel

The St. Wenceslaus Chapel, which contains relics of the saint

Stained glass in the Chapel of Saint Ludmila – aren’t the colors gorgeous?

I wonder if those ear curlicues spin on a windy day?

What castle is complete without a torture chamber?

Now the moment we’ve been waiting for – the Window of Defenestration!

Jim tried to see how far down the drop was, but he couldn’t get a clear shot of the ground

Outside the castle is Golden Lane, a row of little dwellings where the folks who worked at the castle lived

Our walk home included a stop at the Czech Senate – a lovely place to stroll

…and a walk over the bridge. Do you think those guys are dressed as bananas or pencils?

We sampled Czech food today – I had the beef goulash with bread dumplings (which turned out to just be bread) and Jim had a pork cutlet covered in cheese.

The Lennon Wall and the Charles Bridge, Prague, Czechia

August 30, 2026Czechia, TravelCharles Bridge, King Wenceslaus, Lennon Wall, Prague, St John of Nepomuk, statueskarenfranza

Aug 28 – After a good night’s sleep, some espresso and an egg breakfast, we are ready to face the day’s adventures.

When Jim told me that Prague had a Lennon Wall, I had visions of Russian Marx and Lenin, but no! After his assassination in 1980, someone painted a mural of John Lennon on a downtown wall. People added song lyrics, poems, signatures and graffiti until the image of John was completely covered over. Every time the government painted over the images, the next day a new mural would begin.

Over the years there were images of short-haired John, long-haired John, bearded John, Yoko and John, and John with kaleidoscope eyes. Today, John was not to be seen, as his face was totally covered with graffiti.

That might be some Beatle mop-top hair under all that graffiti…

…and that might be Lucy in the Sky and Strawberry Fields. Who can say?

🎶Two of us standing solo in the sun… (see what I did there?)

Time to cross the very famous Charles Bridge, started by King Charles IV in 1357. It spans the Vitava River, connecting Prague Castle to the Old Town. Here are the steps to climb up the bridge.

We were there very early in the morning, trying to beat the crowds

The bridge boasts dozens of statues, mostly added in the 1600s

…including St John Nepomuk, who was martyred by (not so good) King Wenceslaus, who had him thrown into the river after refusing to reveal secrets that the queen told him during confession.

At the base of the state are two bas reliefs that every passerby touches for luck: the dog sitting loyally by his knight (good dog!) and…

…the depiction of St. John being thrown off this very bridge. The patina has worn off the reliefs from being touched by so many hands.

We also obligingly touched the dead Saint on a gate at the center of the bridge.

More statues – we learned that all the statues on the bridge are replicas, with the originals stored for safety in museums

We thought this guy was praying, but before the day was out we’d seen several of these beggars, humbly holding out their begging cup and not looking at passersby

As we approached the end of the bridge, we could see the tourist crowds heading our way. Glad we got an early start!

…and considered a snack until we saw it was called Spit Cake

Prague, Czechia

August 29, 2026Czechia, TravelAstrological Clock, Old Clock Tower, Prague, Prahakarenfranza

Aug 27 – Easy travels today, from Norfolk to Philly, then a straight shot into Prague. No delays, no drama. The hardest part was trying to convince myself after landing that it was 8am, when my brain knew very well that it was only 2am and I hadn’t had hardly enough sleep. The entry system into Czechia was easy peasy – kiosk for passport, fingerprints and photo, and practically no line for an entry stamp. Good job, Czechia!

Google Maps gave us detailed directions on how to get to our apartment – the #59 bus from the airport to the metro station, then the A train for 7 stops to get us within a few blocks of our place. Our usual concern is how to purchase transit tickets, but with this country’s “old folks ride free” policy, we just hopped aboard!

We were concerned that we were arriving way earlier than the stated check-in time, but thought perhaps we could ask to stash our packs for the morning. Fortunately, the receptionist was there early and let us right in. We dropped gratefully onto our comfy bed for a catch up nap.

We roused ourselves to find some lunch and sunshine (the best way to counteract jet lag). After some burgers and our first local beers, we walked into the Old Town to see what we could see.

Lots of crowds and pretty pastel buildings

A colorful mosaic atop a fancy old palace

In the Old Town Square is the Old Town Hall, which boasts an Old Clock Tower containing an astronomical clock that dates back to the year 1410.

The top circle is a form of astrolabe that shows the movements of the sun and moon. The bottom circle is a calendar.

Every hour, the two little doors above the clock open up and the twelve Apostles can be seen (just barely) rotating through the doors. The figures of the Four Despised Things (lust, greed, vanity and death) on either side of the clock do a little shaky dance. Thus endeth our day!

Czechia

August 27, 2026Czechia, Travelkarenfranza

Aug 25– We opted to stay home this summer, taking the grands to the beach, the bowling alley, and the pool, and enjoying the tomatoes that Jim’s garden produced in abundance. Now that the kids are heading back to school, it’s time for us to hit the road.

We plan to spend the month of September in Czechia, also known as the Czech Republic until 2016, previously part of Czechoslovakia from 1918 until 1992, and historically called Bohemia. Ever since we’ve been traveling, others have told us that it’s a must-see place. Now we will see!

What do we know so far?

The capital is Prague, or as the Czechs call it, Praha, the 5th most visited city in Europe. We are starting there, and then visiting Kutna Hora, Olomouc, Cesky Krumlov, Pilsen, and Karlovy Vary.

Although part of the European Union, Czechia maintains its own currency, the Czech Krona (CZK). Right now, $1 = 20CZK. There is a good public transport system, and old folks ride for free! Uber is available in the larger cities, as is a local ride sharing app called Bolt.

We’ve been warned to steer clear of ATMs in the tourist areas that charge outrageous fees.

We understand that Czechians are a serious people, who are suspicious of Americans because we smile too much. We’ll try to keep that in mind. Fun fact: most of the world’s beer is produced and consumed in Czechia. That just made me smile! 😊

Czechia is landlocked by Germany to the west, Poland to the north, Slovakia to the east and Austria to the south. The little beer steins show where we will be staying.

Quarantine Point, Grenada

February 26, 2026Grenada, TravelNice People of Grenada, Quarantine Point, St. George’s, wall artkarenfranza

Feb 20 – We took advantage of the amenities of the Radisson Resort that separated us from the water. We’ve been to many places where interlopers are kept out of the resort by security, and you have to show a room key or wristband to use the beach. Not so here! The beach is public property, so we walked the resort, lounged in the lounge chairs, and swam in one of the many pools. How fun to rub elbows with the upper crust!

We had time for one more adventure, so we walked down the beach in the other direction, to see if we could get to Quarantine Point. It is the site of a former leper colony, and the place where travelers suffering from TB, yellow fever, and other communicable diseases were kept back in the day.