As we celebrate Good Friday and head into the Easter weekend, I think back to the beautiful crucifix on the Charles Bridge in Prague.  It is sad to think that christian icons like this are currently frowned upon in the U.S. if represented on public or government property.  Separation of church and state is a founding principle of our country.  I wholeheartedly support this, but we continue to evolve toward freedom from religion rather than freedom of religion.

Regardless, He has died and risen for all of us.  No person, government, 0r circumstance can deny us of this.

Christ on the Cross - Charles Bridge, Prague

I was never aware how great of a city Prague would be before visiting. I would go back in a heartbeat, and I hope to return someday. The city is very clean, quaint, and has so much to offer a tourist. Another reason I think it is so enticing is because of it’s rich and varied history, as well as architecture. Most of my prior images have been traditional cityscape photos without people. It should not lead you to assume it is a not well traveled and visited. People were everywhere as we traveled the streets and explored the city. There are small shops, restaurants, and bars everywhere. One tourism report I read indicated that tourism has increased by 30% since 2006.

Tourists on the Charles Bridge - Prague

5D MkII, 50mm f/1.4, f/5.6 @ 1/60 sec., ISO 1600, handheld

Visitors and locals on sidewalk - Prague

Tourists near Old Town Square - Prague

5D MkII, 16-35L II, 19mm, f/3.5 @ 1/60 sec, ISO 1600, handheld

The Black Star Restaurant next to the Hotel U Cerne Hvezdy captured the eyes of a couple of colleagues and I while exploring the streets on our first day in Prague.  The curb appeal was definitely there with the outdoor tables, bottles of wine, and the lovely sidewalk.  So what was the first thing I did?  Take a couple of photographs, of course!  🙂

This ambiance of this restaurant became engrained in our minds, so much so that we brought a small group here for dinner one evening.  The interior was as classy and intriguing as the exterior.  I must admit, though, that service was terrible and the food was so-so.  I walked away with a couple of nice images as a satisfying consolation, however.

Black Star Restaurant - Prague

5D MkII, 35L f/1.4, 1/40 sec. @ f/5.6, ISO 500, handheld

Interior of Black Star Restaurant - Prague

5D MkII, 50mm f/1.4, 1/50 sec. @ f/1.8, ISO 1600, handheld

A couple of work colleagues and I spent a few hours wandering Prague upon our mid-Sunday arrival.  As we worked our way toward the castle having crossed the Charles Bridge, we came upon St. Nicholas’ Church.  We ascended some 300 steps to the bell tower for a spectacular view of the city.  Little did we know, this was a location of historical significance.  The StB (communist secret police) used this tower as a place to spy on the nearby embassies below.  We learned of this when we reached the very top of the tower where a man in StB uniform shared the history.  There are 4 “port holes,” one peering in each direction.  The U.S and other embassies could be seen through one of the lookouts, while the British embassy was visible from the another.  Due to the vantage point and the relative secrecy due to this being a church, it was an ideal place from which to spy.  One thing that astonished me was that this location was used by communist spies up until the fall of the communist regime in 1989 … barely more than 20 years ago.  It is easy to imagine this being the case in WWII, or even during the 50’s.  But using it for such operations within the prime of my lifetime is still somewhat hard for me to comprehend.

I love the patterns and shapes of the terracotta roofs throughout the city, as well as the curves of the meandering streets below.

Prague street from atop St. Nicholas' Church

5D MkII, 35L f/1.4, 1/200 sec. @ f/5.6, ISO 500, handheld

Prague street and rooftops from atop St. Nicholas' Church

5D MkII, 35L f/1.4, 1/400 sec. @ f/5.6, ISO 500, handheld

This is a very classic street in Prague.  This image was captured at sunrise and illustrates the feel of the city … cobblestone everywhere, low light because the city is often cloudy or overcast, and winding streets that are narrow and full of character.  The colors you see here are very typical of the buildings throughout the retail district; subtle pinks, yellows, tans and grays flourish and include lovely architectural nuances like arches and columns.  Every bend and corner brings a slight yet eye capturing variation.

One of the things I learned while there is that our American Budweiser is originally from this part of the world.  Now known as Budvar in Bohemia, the Czech Republic, and the like, this pilsner has a much deeper history than those commonly known Clydesdale roots.  I don’t care for the stuff, so I have no idea how they differ in taste.  Here is a telling excerpt from Wikipedia:

The original Budweiser Bier or Budweiser Bürgerbräu, was founded in 1785 in České Budějovice (Budweis), Bohemia, which at the time (until 1918) was part of the Habsburg Monarchy. The company began exporting to the US in 1871.^[2][3] In the U.S., Anheuser-Busch started using the Budweiser brand in 1876 and registered it two years later.

A second company (now named Budvar) was established in 1895 by mainly Czech brewers, which also started exporting beer under the name Budweiser (being the German way of referring to something from the city such as a beer, while “Budějovický” means the same in Czech). These exports into the US market led to the Budweiser trademark dispute. Negotiations between the three companies, the two from the original town and the American Anheuser-Busch, about using “Budweiser” reached an agreement in 1911 that allowed Anheuser-Busch to use the brand “Budweiser” only in North America.^[4]  In most European countries American Budweiser is not labelled as Budweiser but as Bud, and the name Budweiser refers to the original Czech beer, Budweiser Budvar, except for the United Kingdom, where both beers are sold as Budweiser.  After World War I the Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up, a number of new states were created, including Czechoslovakia. After the fall of communism, both local breweries tried to secure rights to traditional names.

Budvar Advert on Prague Street

5D MkII, 50mm f/1.4, 1/50 sec @ f5.6, ISO 1250, handheld