We got up early again (relatively speaking) and found a wonderful local shop off the beaten path that sold beautiful crystal (that was on sale – oh the joy!) and we quickly found one that both D and I liked. How wonderful! Now, of course, the trick was getting it back home without breaking it. Then, to spend our last day, we decided to simply go visit the church on the castle mount and the Lobkowicz museum.
We got to St. Vitus Cathedral before there was a queue, and took our time walking around inside. This is an amazing church in that it took almost 600 years to complete. Construction started in 1344 and wasn't complete until 1929. This makes the style somewhat hard to categorize since so many different styles are included. The building is foundationally Gothic in nature but large sections are Renaissance and Baroque. Then, there is the Neo-Gothic half and a few Art Nouveau parts. A push to finish the cathedral in the late 1800's also resulted in a renovation that helped unify the building, preventing a fractured finish to a meaningful city treasure. Despite the fact that the entire western half of the Cathedral is a Neo-Gothic addition, much of the design and elements developed by Peter Parler (the architect who took over the project in 1352) were used in the restoration, giving the Cathedral as a whole a harmonious, unified look.
We found the Mucha stained glass at the very end of our tour around the Cathedral. As a Mucha fan, it was thrilling to see an original. It was easy to find because his style is evident, but at the same time it wasn't out of place. I actually really enjoyed all the stained glass. I am impressed with the beautiful job the modern artists have done in marrying old and new, so that the stained glass still fit the character of the church while also including/representing contemporary elements. I don't remember enjoying stained glass windows quite as much in any other church I have visited. My pictures don't do them justice; they were awe inspiring and majestic. A wonderful tool for representing the character of God in His house.
Next, we trotted down the way to the Lobkowicz Palace Museum. It was possibly my favorite visit of the trip. The story behind the family is almost unbelievable. I will try to summarize it here. With the founding of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, titles were abolished and large scale nationalization took place. Maximilian Lobkowicz, son and heir of the last Prince and Duke of Roudnice, was a noted Czech nationalist and dedicated Republican supporter. Max joined the diplomatic service becoming First Secretary and later Ambassador to Great Britain for the Czechoslovak government in exile during World War II. He was active in the underground movement against the Nazis and was decorated for his service to the country in 1947. He held his ambassadorial post until he was forced to flee Czechoslovakia after the Communist take-over in 1948, leaving everything behind. One of the results of the Velvet Revolution of 1989 was the passage of restitution laws (incredibly unique world-wide), designed to repair the injustices of the previous 41 years and encourage swift revitalization of the country. The process of returning immovable and movable assets was thus set in motion. In addition to the Prague palace's return, the family recovered paintings, decorative arts, original musical scores and instruments, an extensive library of rare books and archives, and important arms and armor, spanning seven centuries of art and music patronage. Some of the pieces that most amazed D and I to see included: original scores of Beethoven’s Fourth and Fifth Symphonies (the 5th was dedicated to his generous benefactor, Joseph FrantiĊĦek Maximilian, the 7th Prince Lobkowicz (1772-1816), who subsidized some of Beethoven's best work), two paintings by Italian master Canaletto, and Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s 1565 masterpiece Haymaking, possibly the finest example of the artist’s work still in private hands.
The restoration of the palace, as well as many of the masterpieces inside, took time and it had just opened in April 2007. D and I were thrilled to be able to see it. It was like an oasis for many reasons. First, we had it to ourselves – we only saw a handful of other people as we went through. This was the only place in the entire city that had such a peaceful and non-crowded atmosphere. Second, since we didn't have anything else planned that day, we were able to take our time and really enjoy this unique and wonderful collection. Third, when we were done, they possessed a cafe that had the best view overlooking Prague – and God had given us a glorious day to sit and enjoy a good hot lunch with blankets and furnaces to keep us warm and a fabulous view to keep us occupied. It couldn't have been a better way to wind up a magical visit.
And for the last few minutes in the Golden City, we decided to sit on the edge of the town center and simply watch people and revel in the beautiful weather and square. We enjoyed this more than I thought we would have. We saw tourists from all over the world (Japan, USA, Germany, France, Russia, etc) and oddly felt like we all quite fit in. Just as I was commenting to D how no one seemed to really stand out - either because of clothing or behavior - a remarkably attractive woman in what I would call a "showier" outfit walked by. D didn't notice her and doesn't remember her - God bless him. We women are funny creatures. It was nice to have the luxury of just sitting and reflecting on the past few days - and couple of months for that matter. It seemed odd to feel like we fit in (or at least didn't stand out) in such a different place, somewhere so far from home. I honestly feel like part of it was because there were so many groups of decidedly diverse and different people - in their language, dress, behavior - that to fit in was to stick out.
Perhaps another part of it was that I wasn't trying to fit in and didn't really care if I did or not. What a freeing feeling. I need to apply these lessons learned to my "real" life and not just on vacation. God is gracious that way, to teach a lesson when I least expect it, and in such a gentle way. We all stick out and are odd in some way, but in Him we have the freedom of fitting in. We don't have a mold we have to conform to, we simply have to recognize the Truth for what it is and believe it. Then we get to stop judging ourselves and others - oh, what a burden lifted, a freedom received. Who doesn't want to be accepted, just as they are?
Prague had a lot of tourists and is expensive – it has been discovered and is no longer off the beaten track. Still, it was worth the effort and expense to visit. The streets oozed mystery and ancient charm. I was so glad I got to visit this majestic city. I am blessed.
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