Divoká Šárka - Communist Pleasure Paradise

it was a sunny late summer day when i went to divoka sarka. which apparently means wild sarka, a mythic female warrior, who threw herself off the cliffs.

i felt like val kilmer on the set of top secret.

what made this impression on me was primarily the reservoir named dzban. it is a concrete pleasure peark. it has a man-made lake with a concrete beach (concrete blocks made into smaller pieces). metal bars along the concrete bridges and concrete boardwalks are rusting away. on the side of the conrete lake are concrete diving platforms which are protected by fences and rusting barbed wire and an array of prickly plants growing from the cracks in the concrete. all with the paint that had been bleached in the sun for 20 years.

we had a drink at a restaurant with a view on the abandoned lake accentuated through the brown barbed wire. nevertheless a festive mood hung in the atmosphere. i could easily imagine families staying around the lake. planning their entire summer when they would get to sit along the lake at divoka sarka and have their children play outdoors have their teenagers look for romance on the concrete shores...

the lake which attracted so much of my attention and imagination lay surrounded by hills and mountains. To add to the already pastoral landscape the goats and sheep roams the grassy hills, albeit surrounded by a portable electrical fence. which may dissapoint some who cannot get close to the sheep it proved a great source of entertainment to myself as i watched numerous dogs and people jump up as they got electrecuted. i would have warned them, but well... i don't speak czech so... i'm not so cruel to be entertained by others people's suffering.

the view from the top of the mountains is nice. its a romantic place for lovers who like rolling around the fields and picking flowers. and for those of you who like sheep... well watch out for the electric fence.

Karluv Most - Charles Bridge -

i was asked to write this. i might as well post it here since i don't think it will be used anywhere else.

Karluv Most - Charles Bridge - Karlbrucke - Pont Charles - Ponte di Carlo - Puente de Carlos - Kaarlen Silta - Podul Carol

The Charles Bridge is not the bridge to cross in a hurry. Not only because of the crowds, but because the spectacular sights require time. The centuries of stone require time to tell their story.

The Birth

Constructed under the reign of Charles IV the birth of the Charles Bridge is shrouded in legends and mysteries. Construction was started at 5:31 am on the 9^th of June 1357. All the numbers are odd and, excluding the number 9, they are all prime numbers. Legend has is that the mortar used to bind the stone blocks was strengthened with egg yolks and science has shown that there are indeed inorganic and organic ingredients in the mortar.

The bridge was finished in the beginning of the 15^th century and whatever was used to bind the stones was a success, because despite countless floods across the centuries the bridge still stands today. Even the waters of the river Vltava (Moldau), whose banks gave birth to the powerful Golem, were not strong enough to break free of the bridge.

It stood solitary across the river, the only connection between the Old Town, Prague Castle and surroundings until 1841.

The Statues

The Charles Bridge has been decorated by different means over the centuries, ranging from the severed heads of anti-Habsburg revolutionaries to gothic and baroque style statues and statuaries.

Thirty time-blackened statues of forgotten saints now stand on the bridge, each with their own story to tell.

The statue of John of Nepomuk is the oldest statue on the bridge. The statue was built where Wenceslas IV threw John off the bridge for refusing to reveal Queen Johanna’s confession in 1393. The martyr’s secrets drowned with him in the river. Countless hopeful, greasy fingertips have polished the plaque on the statue, which is said to bring good luck and ensure your return to Prague when it is touched.

The statuary of the Holy Crucifix and Calvary was gradually modified over the centuries, having been mutilated by the Hussites and the Swedes. A Hebrew text was placed over the crucifix as a punishment for a Jewish man, Eliass Backoffen, who had debased the crucifix. An American rabbi cautioned the city of the offense this might cause and the city added a plaque explaining the historical significance of the text.

And many more stand mutely with their stories to tell.

The Modern Day

Centuries have passed and the bridge has lost little of its mystique. Walking over the bridge, which stands over the river like an imposing fortress, all the senses are brought to an alert. Vistas of red, green, white, and gold sparkle on both banks of the river. The coolness of its flowing waters can be tasted in the air.

The bridge bustles in the daytime. Music mingles with the sound of camera shutters as an old man gives Pinocchio a run for his money with a clown-faced, faded, red-nosed puppet with a guitar.

During the night and early morning the bridge is a silent romantic haven. Lit by gothic-style lanterns it stretches longingly over the Vltava. Standing close together to ward of the coolness of the night, you can watch the reflection of the city shimmering in the dark blue waters under the moonlight.