On Day 4 we went to Prague Castle to begin our tour. We saw the castle and the outside of the President's office. We saw the changing of the guard which is always impressive. St. Vitus Cathedral is stunning. The stained glass is very impressive. We saw the window in Prague Castle where the 2nd Defenestration of Prague took place. Czech Protestants pushed Catholic representatives of the Emperor of Austria out of the window to their death. However, they were saved depending on the version of the story you believe by landing in a pile of horse manure or through the intervention of angels. We also saw a hall where the king would have dinner and actually joust. We saw Golden Lane which is where all the Goldsmiths lived once and Souvenir shops live now. It's small and cute. We saw a beautiful view of the city from the castle. We walked across the Charles Bridge which is a lot like New Orleans with the music and vendors We ended up back in the Town Square to hear the Astronomical Clock ring on the hour. One student got to hold the purple brush the tour guide used as a signal!

We had pizza for lunch. Well, I had fantastic goulash, but you get the picture. Then we took the Old Town Hall tour which showed us where the mayor holds court and the great wood work. We also saw the clock working from behind. Then we went underground which was easily the best part of the tour. We saw an area where commanders orchestrated the uprising of Prague in 1945. We also saw where you'd have to climb into in order to fix the clock.

We made our way back across the Charles Bridge to the Church of St. Mary in Chains to see a statue called the Infant Jesus of Prague which was impressive. He's credited with saving numerous lives. His clothes are actually made by the Carmelite nuns according to the church seasons.

We had a dinner of pork before heading off to the ghost tour. Our tour guide was from Vermont and she told great stories. There's a group of soldiers who every June 21 come out to see if the Clock is working correctly. If it is they rest for the year. If not they will wander the square guarding the city from harm.

JMoo