After stopping in at Starbuck’s about midday to reconnect with the outside world, and discovering (among other things that American icons Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson were dead), I decided to go exploring again. I caught the 112 tram outside Starbuck’s to see where it would take me. We traveled northwest past the Malastranská metro station and continued following the eastward curve of the river (on the north bank), passing under the giant metronome in Letná Park (across the river from the Josefov district).
As you read in all the guidebooks, there used to be a huge stone statue of Stalin leading the people on that spot—allegedly the largest in Europe. (Apparently, locals jokingly referred to the statue as “the bread line” as it resembled the long waiting lines that were common under communism.) When Stalin fell from favor during the Khruchev “thaw” the statue was dismantled and removed. The idea was to do this in secret, at night, but everybody knew it was happening and came out to watch. And the statue proved to be stubborn and would only yield to multiple dynamite charges. Then 1991 (for reasons I’m still not clear on) someone got the bright idea of putting a giant metronome in the same place. I guess it may have its symbolic usefulness (marking time of the city), but it’s not very attractive. People do notice, however.
The tram turned north along Dukelských hrdinů and then east again to the Holešovice railway station. A few changes of direction later, we crossed the river (which was now running N/S again) eastward to Palmovka. There I changed to the 10 tram (it seemed like everyone was getting off the one I was on, and I thought I was at “the end of the line” again!). This tram wended its way southward toward the huge Olsanské cemeteries in Žižkov. I had wanted to look in at the “new” Jewish cemetery there to see Kafka’s grave. I was going to wait for a sunny day, but since I was close… But it was about 4:00 PM, and it being Friday, the sabbath was approaching so the cemetery was closed. I’ll have to come back another time.
Jumped the metro down to Námětí Míru, a square in the Vinohrady quarter. The square is dominated by the large neo-gothic Church of St. Ludmila, dating from the 1890s. It was designed by Joseph Mocker, the architect of the west end of St. Vitus’ Cathedral. The church can be seen from all the way down the hill at the head of a long avenue (Ječna and Jugoslávská). I remembered that some of us walked up here to get a closer look at this church during our first visit to Prague in 2004. Pavel and Lenka, a very friendly couple we had met at the first English camp, had invited a group of us to meet them again for lunch in Prague after the camp. They took us to the Pivovarský Dům (a microbrewery on Ječna). After eating we walked up to St. Ludmila’s at Námětí Míru. None of this really matters all that much. Just a random recollection. But it did lead me to walk down to Pivovarský Dům for a bite to eat and a pint of their excellent beer.
My grand plan for the day was to end up at 6:30 at the Church of St. Ignatius on Charles’ Square for a free concert by the Chancel Choir of St. Luke’s Methodist Church of Indianapolis, Indiana, that I read about on a sign outside the church when I’d walked by a few days ago.
I arrived early, and stepped into the building as it started raining hard again. I watched the end of the 5:30 mass. There were more people in attendance that I would have expected. The methodists were waiting outside near where their tour bus was parked at the curb. The choir was probably already inside getting ready for the concert that would begin right after the service.
When the congregation was dismissed I went in and took a seat near the front. There seemed to be a few locals in attendance, but I suspect most of those in the audience were part of the group traveling with the choir. The concert was billed as “20th Century American Church Music,” and almost all of it was unfamiliar to me. There was no printed program, and the director didn’t make any comments at all about any of the pieces, so I don’t know who the composers/arrangers were (too bad). (Perhaps no one was prepared to translate for him anyway, so what would have been the use.) They did sing a couple of contemporary arrangements of “spirituals” and familiar hymns (e.g., “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”). One piece, for organ, oboe, and choir was very striking. Needless to say, the choral sound echoing through that large baroque church was beautiful.
After the concert, I headed back to Zbraslav.
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