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Tuesday, May 20, for today we return to the place of the clock, and then we return to the Strahov Monastery for our evening meal. After breakfast with the famous cereal-smilley, we take the tram and after a little while commuting, we're back at the famous Astronomical Clock. The place is packed with people (tourists), which is understandable since it is largely a symbol of Prague.

Built in 1410 by Nicolas Kadau of it is reworked in 1490 by the master clockmaker Hanus Rose (Jan Ruze). Legend has it that for Hanus can build another masterpiece of astronomical clock, it blinded him by slashing his eyes.
Located on the south wall of the town hall, the clock runs every hour until 21h: 12 apostles parade above the upper dial (one hour, the interior is a beautiful Astrolab the bottom dial is dedicated to the names of saints and zodiac signs) while there has 4 statues surrounding the upper dial with (left to right):
- The vanity with her ​​mirror
- The avarice: a Jewish merchant with his purse
- Death, a skeleton with a call bell
- Greed / envy: a Turkish prince with his mandolin
The rooster at the top was added in 1882 and announces the imminent death at the end of each animation.

Calendar, located on the dial at the bottom, was painted in 1886 by the painter Josef Manes. It represents the zodiac signs in and the months of the year represented 12 scenes of peasant life in the middle of Bohemia.
The astronomical clock was rebuilt several times (once in 1948 after being burned in 1945 by the German during their flight in 1994 and again in 2006).

Right next to the tower is a magnificent facade of the town hall decorated with several coats of arms:


A little more on the side is Dum U minuty (home of the minute) covered with painted figures:

I enjoy being here for several more pictures of the astrolab and space and buildings (I must say that the architecture is very interesting, like everything else in Prague).


On our way out to continue the walk, a bride arrives luxury car in city hall (for her marriage no doubt):

Behind City Hall, here we are on the small square (Malé náměstí) with opposite Dum U Rotta (home of Rott).

A little later, we see the Clementinum, the chapel of Ice (Zrcadlová kaple Klementina) built in 1781, is the Czech National Library. At first it was a simple chapel dedicated to St. Clement founded in the eleventh century, transformed in 1227 by Dominican convent and then a Jesuit college in 1556 At about 1666, the parchment Voynich pass into the hands of the headmaster of Clementinum time (Johannes Marcus Marci).

Continuing to go around the town hall, we passed a large mirror in front of the house of resin three drums (U Tri Bubnu). House where they make products based on absinthe. As I already said, alcohol absinthe-based (called simply Absinthe) was known by the Egyptians at least -1'500 BC. Then, in 1798, Major Henry Louis Dubied and Pernod opened the first Absinthe distillery with the current recipe, in the city of Couvet Switzerland. In 1805, the son Pernod takes distance and founded his own distillery in Pontarlier (brand will become the first brand of French spirits). In 1915, Absinthe is banned because of poisoning and poisoning due to methanol. It was not until 2011 (in France) that Absinthe is again permitted. During the time of the ban in Europe, Czechs have produced their own absinthe, which replaced under the coat, which was no longer possible to have in Europe. It is for this reason that there are so many shops absinthe in Prague tourists here enjoying the ban nonexistent to buy absinthe legally in the Czech Republic but illegal in the rest of europe.

Just off the ice is a sculpture of a frog that gives the impression of having vaguemment abused absinthe.

At the corner of the street, before returning to Staroměstské náměstí we see the home of Franz Kafka (and place his foot: Franze Kafky náměstí).

Back in the square, this time on the side of the church of St. Nicolas (Chrám Svatého Mikuláše). We decide to eat our lunch on the benches of the square under the trees. At noon, it's fajitas, sausage, cheese and tartar sauce!

In an exhibition hall in front of the Church of Our Lady of Tyn, a huge drop of water with eyes swollen and is placed at the entrance ... it is the exhibition of drawings by director Tim Burton and his eccentric worlds (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland and many others).

On returning to the inn, we stop the big market of Holešovic (Holesovicka Trznice). Here we find cheap functional taser, lasers of all kinds, fakes such as excessive PolyStation (instead of PlayStations) or handbags / clothes '​​brands' and countless other trinkets.
Incidentally, I take photos pictograms prohibitions of the post office when I was talking the first day of reporting.
We can see that the phone, cameras, bicycles, dogs, food, cigarettes and weapons are prohibited ... that .. what? WEAPONS? Logical yes ... but it's not supposed to be banned everywhere? Yet I did not feel any risk to my life or anything. I even felt less apprehensive than Geneva or Paris.

Passage through the hostel, shower, preparing for tonight: meal at the Strahov Monastery with a beautiful view of the city at night. To get there, we will go through the small alleys behind with a quiet and decorated here as a beautiful way. We get off at the stop Brusnice, take the street U Brusnice Nový Svět and then go up the street Cerninska. Next door in the neighborhood is the home of the astronomer Tycho Brahe (N ° 1 Kapucinska Street) which later became that of Johannes Kepler.


We turn next to Notre-Dame-de-Lorette (Loreta Praha), built between 1626 and 1631 Custom Baroness Catherine Benign Lobkowitz. This church houses (among others) a statue of a bearded lady crucified, the bones of two Spanish saints, jewels of all kinds, a beautiful carillon (see and hear), etc ...
The architecture is beautiful, but the statues are cleaned on both, not all ... it's weird to have alternating white statues (clean) and black (dirty).

And here we are again the Strahov Monastery Brewery, There is room inside (we had reserved), it is good, it smells good and the interior is well decorated, you can see the stills. Once installed, we order: Camembert beer on toast fried with garlic. Prague goulash (a bread-ball instead of a bowl). A scallop marinated chicken with beer and potato gratin. A pancake beer and ice beer with whipped home. And the meal washed down beers (many beers to try them all).
Camembert as appetizer was very strong in taste (a very very fact camembert), goulash was quirky like that, but excellent. The chicken was tender and well seasoned, the cream too. As for dessert, it was really special. Not bad, but a little hard to digest after swallowing as much beer and food beer. In the end, the meal cost us € 13 each while we ate like 15! The service was impeccable, the atmosphere also, nickel meal and beer girl uses ... (so good).

Leaving the pub-restaurant, night falls nicely and darkens the landscape. We go on the terrace and enjoy the view while all lights Prague: Prague Castle left, bridges, various city tours and the TV Tower in the center, Petrin Tower right.


We return quietly after profiteers sight for a while. The tram and hop, back to the hostel to sleep ... except we do not get to sleep because of the noise of racing on our floor and the one above. We decide to stay at home for their elephants that have decided to organize a race ... (a herd of payphones ... ahem ...).

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