Leaving Prague (12/26-27/1981)

Saturday, December 26, 1981

Somehow Dot and I stayed up talking until 3:00!

Tom went off to work while we ladies slept. He returned home at 13:30 and we had lunch before an afternoon of sightseeing with Tom driving. Our first stop was Kostel Panny Marie Vítězné/Church of Our Lady Victorious (c. 1609) on Karmelitská, home to the Pražské Jezulátko/Infant of Prague (traced back to at least 1555 and thought to have belonged to St. Teresa of Avila). The Infant of Prague is a wax-coated wooden statue of Jesus who is standing with one hand held up in blessing and the other holding an orb. He wears a jeweled crown and brocaded robes. He stands in a well-lighted glass case, but the rest of the church was pitch dark.

Pražské Jezulátko/Infant of Prague

Next we drove to Loreta, a religious pilgrimage destination with a cloister, the chapel of the Nativity, a Holy Hut, and the clock tower.

Loreta clock tower

Construction started in 1626 by Italian architect Giovanni Orsi.

Loreta ticket

We paid 3 CZK/30 cents each to enter a roped-off courtyard with a small building, the Holy Hut, covered with reliefs of the life of Mary. The building itself is a replica of the Santa Casa/Holy House in the Italian town of Loreto, where it is believed that Mary was visited by the Archangel Gabriel telling her of the Immaculate Conception. The surrounding cloister affords covered views of the hut. The cloister walls had frescoes of the benefactress Countess Kateřina Benigna of Lobkowicz (who donated the land and some of the treasures) in her wedding gown that was once covered with jewels (now in the museum). The lights were not on, so it was hard to see. Upstairs were the museum rooms, and one small room of vaults opened up to see the contents behind glass. There certainly were a lot of jewels, plus the Diamond Monstrance (religious vessel to hold the Eucharist) made by Vienna goldsmiths based on a design of Jan Bernard Fischer of Ehrlach in 1699. It is made of gold-plated silver decorated by 6222 diamonds. The chapel was too dark inside to see anything.

Next we drove along Valdštejnská, the road of the gas lamps. On occasion Tom has seen the lady lamplighter. On to the former Pivovar svatého Tomáše/St Thomas Brewery, now a pivnice/beer hall on Letenská, where beer was first brewed in 1352. It no longer brews beer, but sells the local brew from Braník. In Prague, you either go to a beer hall, or a vinárna/wine bar; you are not likely to get beer and wine in the same place. At St Thomas, the tables seated four to six people, so we joined a table of two after checking our coats. It is almost mandatory to check your coat.

Dot ordered “Devil’s Toast” which was a toasted slice of bread covered with a thick spicy tomato sauce. I tried the beer, and got a mouthful of bitter foam. When the head settled, I tried again, and it was the smoothest beer I have ever tried. But again, it still tasted like beer! Other local specialties were smažený sýr/breaded fried cheese (greasy) and knedlíky/dumplings. The dumplings are the consistency of bread, and they do come in loaves. They are served in slices with a piece of pork and gravy.

Returned to the apartment by 18:00 where I finished packing. The Ls bought the rest of my Czech money for $70, so I only spent about $10 here. We had a steak and baked potato dinner.

They packed me a “picnic basket” with four turkey sandwiches, two cans of Pepsi, fruit and cookies. They offered me cans of food from their pantry, but I teased what I really wanted were rolls of toilet paper! So I got a couple rolls! At 23:00 we drove to the train station and the Ls put me on the 23:30 train. A sad goodbye!

Czech train reservation front

Czech train reservation back

My only compartment companion was a Czech architect who had worked in Cuba. He spent most of his time in the corridor talking to other Czechs.

Sunday, December 27, 1981

Arrived in the border town of Cheb at about 3:30. The young soldier checked the vents under the seats with a flashlight. The money-changing ladies came with the visa man with his attaché desk. Here they checked your visa for how long you actually stayed, and if you did not change enough money when you entered, what then? I suppose you had to change the proper amount and take it with you! My passport was stamped and another piece of my visa application was taken. The customs man only asked if I had any Czech money and I said, “No.” I only had a couple coins for my collection. He took the last of my visa application. The process was not as long this time, and we arrived in Schirnding by 4:30. The Germans had no questions for me. Got off in Marktredwitz at 5:00. Waited for the 5:40 train to München/Munich. Had a seat by a drafty window, but it helped to offset the stifling heat. Slept most of the way, except when a group of girls boarded the coach and sang folk songs in high voices accompanied by a fumbling guitarist. We were due to arrive at 9:24, but it was nearly 10:00. The ticket indicated I was arriving at the Starnberger Bahnhof, which turned out to be certain track numbers at the Hauptbahnhof/Main Train Station.  Changed to the 10:47 train to Zürich. I mostly slept, waking only to show my ticket to conductors and for passport control. Arrived in Zürich at 16:00 and hurried to the opposite side of the station for the train to Biel, arriving at 17:45. I actually took a taxi to the hospital. The roads were freezing over and the taxi slid several times. It barely made it up the hill to the Personalhaus/staff residence. The taxi cost 8.40 CHF/$4.20 and I was expecting it to be double. Gave the driver 10 CHF. He had a rear hood release by his seat, so he didn’t have to get out for me to get my suitcase. Home by 18:00.