Financially this trip has been very interesting. Each city we visited had a different currency. From what I have been able to figure out politicians are fighting for a carte blanche use of the Euro but the people seem to be against it. The European Union would like a consistent currency as this would allow for businesses to operate more freely and for some level of consistency when looking at the minimum wage. Many countries within the Union have acquired exceptions for accepting Euros and some are adamantly postponing acceptance. This has meant that in each place we have had to change currencies. We had Euros in Vienna, Forints in Budapest, and the Czech Koruna in Prague. In many city centers the Euro was accepted , although change was provided in the local currency, in all three cities. But if you ventured too far from the City Centre you had to have the currency of that city. This was of course interesting on the bathroom break between Vienna and Budapest. It was also difficult making purchase outside of the hotels due to credit cards not always being accepted.
We toured Prague by coach. Lunch was in the U sv Jana Nepomuckeho in the Prague Castle area. Following lunch our tour guide George took us on a tour of the castle area. We participated in an audio tour that allowed everyone to hear the tour at their own volume. It was essentially an FM system that each individual wore. George wore the microphone and we could all listen to his rendition of historical events complete with some comedy and lesser known tidbits thrown in for fun.
The Castle is surrounded by a moat. The moat was originally intended to protect the Castle. During the Communist Era this area contained a secret subterranean shelter for the rich and political elite. It was named the Deer Moat due to the plethora of deer which the French killed off in 1742 when they occupied Prague. The moat is covered by the Powder Bridge which connects the Royal Garden(there are birds of prey in this garden now, don't ask me why) to the Castle. In the 16th Century Emperor Rudolph II kept lions, the symbol of the Bohemian Empire in the moat.
We were able to during the tour witness the changing of the guards similar to what one would see in England. The guards according to our tour guide have been paid soldiers who serve at the gates in one hour shifts since approx. 2005. Their uniforms were a gift designed by Theodor Pištěk, an Academy Award winner for Best Costume Design for the movie Amadeus and Academy Award nominee in the same category for the film Valmont.
The Prague Castle is considered to be the most significant Czech monument and one of the most important cultural institutions. The Castle made the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest coherent castle complex in the world with an area of close to 70000 square meters. It is also considered to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. President Vaclav Havel the first post communist president was a symbol of democracy and took the oath of office on December 28, 1989. Shortly after taking the office he was presented with and used a wooden scooter allowing him to travel around the massive structure with long corridors. There are many statues as part of the castle many with symbolism of the Czech people. The lion near the front gate is the symbol of Czech. The eagle is symbolic of the Austrian empire. Random but fun tidbit. The Rolling Stones financed a new lighting system for four of the grand halls in the castle after having struck up a friendship with Havel when they visited in 1990. The 1990 visit was a concert performed as one of the post Communist activities. Prior to this date rock music could only be heard on foreign radio stations or bootleg copies of albums as it was against the law.
There is a lot to celebrate today. At our special buffet dinner this evening we celebrated complete with chocolate cake at the Vendutta Room in the Clarion Congress Hotel. We bless His name for each of you and the unions that you have or are beginning to form. We pray that He will bless you for many years to come. Congratulations are in order so here goes:
- Congratulations to Vaneese & Wayne they have been married 25 years.
- Congratulations to Bill and Laura who have also been married 25 years.
- Congratulations to Christina & Matthew who got engaged during the first leg of our excursion.
- Congratulations to the one of the most talented pianists anywhere Annastasia who also recently got married and joined us immediately following her honeymoon in Cancun.
- Congratulations to Peter our guide. He has passed the exams that will allow him to study law. Although the university system here does not allow for the choosing of specializations he is interested in ultimately pursuing international business law as a career path.
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