“Prague is the birthplace of Don Giovanni, Franz Kafka, and the General Theory of Relativity.”
Frank Wilczek, July 2003
I loved Prague, which seems half imaginary even when you are there.
- This “City of 500 Spires” is a patchwork of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau, and modern buildings.
- Comparing a narrow, tangled lane like Karlova to the brilliantly planned streets and markets of Nove Mesto–founded in 1348–I understood that “Medieval” covers a huge range of time and thought.
- When I bought some hand-made silver-and-shell jewelry, the craftswoman warmly added a small free card to each gift –“Look, it is a menstruation calendar!” she explained.
- Many delightfully Baroque buildings rest on thousand-year-old arch-vaulted, echoing Medieval cellars–one excellent reason to visit the restroom in every possible cafe.