From the sublime to the ridiculous . . .

First of all the sublime . . .

We only had two nights in Cologne so as obviously we wouldn't be able to see everything, we opted for the cathedral as a priority, and a city tour to give us a flavour of the place. Both were good choices. Here is the magnificent reliquary of the Three Kings which is placed near the main altar in the cathedral.

And here is . . .

This photo was taken from the top of a city tour bus and just made me smile - who said Germans don't have a sense of humour? This seems proof to the contrary! Quote of the week from our travelling companion Danny - 'It's a Köln Cone'

Charles Bridge . . .

When I told friends we were going to Prague, one of the things they all said was, 'you must visit Charles Bridge'. Strange, I thought, to get so enthusiastic about a bridge no matter how interesting it might be architecturally, but having seen it myself, I too would recommend all visitors to Prague to add it to their 'not to be missed' list.

We first visited it in the evening and even then could see it was an amazing bridge but decided to go back in the morning and see it in daylight.

Charles Bridge is Prague’s oldest bridge. Its foundation stone was laid by Charles IV 1357 and the construction stretched almost for the rest of the 14th century.

There is still today a large arch at either end of the bridge which links the old town to the newer part of the town on opposite sides of the river.

What makes it really interesting are the 30 sculptures spaced out along the bridge, 15 on either side.

Sadly they all seem in need of a good clean but even in their current state you can imagine what an amazing impact they must have had when originally erected.

Here are just a few photos:

The arched entrance to the bridge from the old town.

St John of Nepomuk. He was a priest and court confessor. Legend has it that he refused to break the seal of the confessional and divulge the details of the Queen's confession. As a result he was tortured, bound and gagged and thrown from the bridge. Five stars appeared above the place where he entered the water which is why the statue is crowned with the same stars.


Another legend is that if you touch the plaque at the base of St John's statue you will be certain to return to Prague some day.

The bronze Hebrew inscription (Holy, Holy, Holy God) on the crucifix came in 1696 from the fine of a Jew, who jibed at the cross.

St Bernard

There is so much I could write about our trip but I think I've gone on enough for now. Maybe a few photos from Cologne tomorrow . . .

It's no good, I couldn't keep away . . .

Gosh, where to start?

I must admit I've enjoyed a little break from posting but recently have just felt there are so many things I wanted to blog about - mainly our recent holiday.

We drove to Prague with some very good friends - when I say 'we' I mean the menfolk took it turns whilst we 'girls' sat in the back seat giving 'advice' !! We had a very good journey stopping overnight in Cologne on the way there and again on the return journey and had a great time.

Talk about coincidences - when the Pater Familias and number one son joined a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in May they were following in the footsteps of Pope Benedict all the way. In one of the hotels they stayed in, the Holy Father had been there the previous day.

Naturally in Prague we visited the church of Our Lady of Victory where the statue of the Infant of Prague is situated. We couldn't help but notice that there were posters outside the churches publicising the visit of Pope Benedict just a few days after us.

Friends and family reading this will recognise the Pater Familias in this shot kneeling in almost the same spot as the Holy Father would be kneeling a few days later.

The beautiful altar to Ste Thérèse- again particularly apt at this time when her relics are touring the UK.

The magnificent High Altar.

And a slightly clearer picture of 'The Infant of Prague.'