A Pristine October Day in Czech Republic

Old Town, Prague

What an extreme joy to once again travel to the Czech Republic!  My first trip was in February of this year.  It was cold and snowy, but I was so attracted to the beautiful city of Prague that I couldn't resist putting on my long underwear, donning my coat, hat and gloves and spending the day walking around the city.  

Astronomical Clock, Old Town Prague

Every direction was another photo opportunity. I have heard people joke about sitting down on a street corner and just rotating in every direction and snapping pictures as you go. That is how beautiful the architecture is! 

Many of the famous landmarks that still exist today include chapels, churches, cathedrals and monasteries, all evidence of the overwhelming wealth, power and influence of the Catholic Church, the oldest of which began with the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th century.

Prominent architecture styles easily visible in the city of Prague include Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Classical and Romantic.  While the city is rich with churches and cathedrals, there are also rotundas, great halls, towers, stone houses and castles.

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

On my most recent trip to Czech Republic, I had the privilege to visit the Cesky Krumlov city and castle.  This photo is an overview of the city and river from a great castle vantage point.  While I did not take the opportunity to climb or tour the castle tower, I believe I will be returning to this historic and charming area to enjoy more castle touring as well as exploring and shopping in the local shops.

Before I made the trip back to Czech, I paid a visit to some local friends.  As we were visiting, he asked me what I knew about the Infant of Prague.  He told me that his mother has a statue of the infant and was wondering what the story and history was behind it.  I told him I didn't know but would check it out.

Our Lady of Victory Church, Prague

After researching a bit on the internet to see what I could find about the Infant of Prague and then traveling back to Czech, I asked my Czech friend what she knew of the Infant of Prague.  She asked if I meant Pražské Jezulátko.  At first I couldn't understand what she said, but then I realized we were talking about the same thing.  She said she didn't really know anything about it but had heard of it. 

In my research, I found that the statue was present today at a small church called Our Lady of Victory Church in Mala Strana.  I remembered walking past this church on my last visit but not stopping to see what was inside.  The church was undergoing renovations, but the Infant of Prague statue was prominently displayed in a glass case and surrounded by gold decorations.

There are a number of stories surrounding the statue.  All of them bring one to the same point and that is the amazing power of prayer surrounding this small yet powerful religious icon, the Infant Jesus.  As one story points out, a monk created the statue after having an apparition of the Infant Jesus.

War came and the statue was battered and the hands of the Infant were broken off.  The priest at the time who was recovering the statue from some church rubble felt the Infant Jesus was speaking to him, saying,

"Have mercy on me and I will have mercy on you.

Give me hands and I will give you peace.

The more you honor me, the more I will bless you." 

The priest, Father Cyril, prayed to have the hands for the statue reconstructed.  It wasn't long after that a man came along who took care of the task.  Many blessings followed for the priest and the church.  Thus there are many followers today who still ask Jesus for his help with the above prayer.

The above photo does not show the statue very well as the lighting was not very conducive for photography.  Also, the garment on the statue for the day was black.  The garments follow the colors of the priest's vestments as they follow the liturgical season which is governed by the church calendar.

Outside the City

One rainy and damp afternoon the local forest beckoned.  With basket in hand and a light rain jacket, we set out to pick mushrooms.  Foggy, misty weather had been the ticket for a few days, along with some very moderate temperatures, so conditions were perfect for mushrooms.  The area where we scoured the forest floor is home to wild boars who had left lots of leaves, dirt and moss overturned in their search for not only mushrooms but other delicacies. 

While neither of these mushrooms is edible, they do make mushrooming entertaining.  Having never seen a red-capped mushroom before, I enjoyed finding the "Mario" mushrooms, as they are easy to spot and certainly add brilliant color to the forest.

The next image was a very vivacious mushroom cluster.  And since I am not a mushroom expert, I do not know the name, but I certainly enjoyed photographing them.

So after about an hour and a half we had a few small but edible mushrooms which were a delicious addition to our next home-cooked meal.

One thing that is very different in Czech than in the US is that a lot of the homes are in small villages rather than scattered across the countryside.  This leaves lots of wide open spaces, graduated forest regions with trees towering over sixty feet, quaint little streams for fishing or wildlife, and non-GMO farmland to raise crops for cattle, hogs, sheep, and other livestock and birds.

While this is just a quick sampling of some of my Czech experiences, I do look forward to a return trip...hopefully, soon!