Prague, part II.

The weather was much better for my second visit to Prague, AND I had a better hostel stay as well. For those of you who are going to this most beautiful city, I can recommend cheap hostel accommodation at (believe it or not) Sir Toby's. Not the best location, but not a bad one, and the facility is really quite nice. That means - no bunk beds, plenty of room in the dorms, enough bathrooms and showers, a self-serve kitchen, and a nice little pub in the basement that doubles for breakfast service (extra Czech crowns, but super convenient) and also serves local food for dinner.

So, what opera did I see? Cosi Fan Tutti. It was wonderful. A nicely done production in a contemporary style that completely honoured the integrity of the music, story and intent. Nothing that assailed the senses or sensibilities, yet fresh and fun and fantastic (Vienna - take note!). Voices were great, although I couldn't pronounce any of the names of the principles. Lucky me, I got the last ticket available, 12 Euros (about 20 bucks)! It was in the Estates Theatre which is a lovely old building, where in 1787 Mozart debuted his opera Don Giovanni. Isn't that neat?

I toured the Municipal House, which has been restored after much neglect and pillaging during the bad old days of communism. It is brimming with art nouveau features and details, including one room that was completely designed by Alphonse Mucha, complete with patriotic images of national heroes of old. One of hundreds of beautiful buildings in Prague, the Municipal House makes it almost impossible to imagine how things looked during that recent dark chapter in European history. The vestiges of that dreary time are well away from the city centre and easy to ignore, being so completely ugly and lifeless, and overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence that defines the rest of the city. Without a doubt Prague is the most beautiful city I have been to, with Venice ranking a very close second place. Prague sets the bar very high indeed, and I strongly recommend a visit. It must be even more lovely in the spring, summer and fall.

The bad news is - I seem to have lost all my photos of Prague. I have searched all through my computer, to no avail. This is a major disappointment for me, however I guess it means I will have to go back and take the pictures again. Not a bad plan! Anybody want to join me? Here is a website that has some nice photos of Prague if you want to take a look. http://translate.google.co.ma/translate?hl=fr&langpair=en|fr&u=http://www.pbase.com/alangrant/prague