Day 11–Sunday, May 31

Day 11–Sunday, May 31

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Prague:: Mass at Strahov/tour Strahov Abbey Library and lunch/travel to Berlin (4:30 drive)/hotel in Berlin

Over the course of the trip I’ve discovered we have 6 lefties. It came to mind because we’ve eaten together so often. This group is very considerate and the lefties always want the ends as to not elbow their neighbors.

Lunch was great today—again; duck and 2 types of dumplings, onion soup and dessert crepes. But this time we had St. Norbert Amber beer offered to us. The restaurant associated with the Abbey has many types of St. Norbert beer on their menu. 

Earlier we went to Mass at Strohov. Not to minimize it the church by any means, but it was another Baroque Abbey. Mass was in Czech today. I didn’t understand a word. Some First Communicants were there in their adorable little suits. And lots of incense wafted into the rafters. This church also has many frescoes on the ceiling that are muted colors surrounded by gold, white and pink stucco embellishments. The incense filled the air and the space a sense of atmospheric perspective–where scenery is less vibrant and more grey as it recedes to the horizon. Something beautiful happens to light when the air is hazy. Outdoors, some refer to it as “God light.” Seems appropriate here. 

The organ played and children sang. Their little voices were such a stark difference from the booming organ music we’ve heard and I wasn’t altogether prepared for it. John and I are out of words for beautiful. The children’s singing was beautiful and bounced through the space gracefully. Light streamed in from above and rested in spots all over the church. I found it quite beautiful.

This Abbey, from 1143 originally, and special to us because relics of St. Norbert rest there. They’ve added a display space that has key scenes of the life of Norbert in large oils—the guide was quick to point out The Spider Incident and seemed to enjoy telling the story. The new space has a large gold and glass reliquary ready to receive remains.

St. Norbert’s remains were in Magdeburg for quite sometime, until the church became Protestant. Some negotiation ensued and his remains traveled to Doksany, where the nuns “re-casketed” them as our guide told us (and planted a tree), and finally to Strahov.

Strahov has a storied past as well. Communists assumed the property as their own and threw out its residents, imprisoning the Abbot. That was as recent as 1950. Ironically, because of the historical significance of the church and library the Communists also restored it. 

The library was beautiful. Having seen the posters hanging in Fr. Andrew’s sitting area for a year, I was glad to finally see it and take my own photos. President Kunkel asked how old the oldest volume was, it is from the year 800. 700 years before Gutenberg. And, if that’s not cool enough, they have somewhere around 1400 incunabula (books printed within the first 100 years of the press.) With a couple of librarians on the trip, I believe the excitement level was a little higher than normal. Gaping jaws, awed and inspired, I talked Sally into guest blogging. I’m impressed that no one touched anything. Sally said she had to clasp her hands behind her back, after all Strahov’s library is pretty fantastic!

5 hours on the bus today! We will be in Berlin for the final leg of the trip. We pass through more countryside and Dresdin as I’m typing.

It has been enlightening to see the relationships, from place to place, among the Norbertines and those who have visited before. It is touching and evidence that family is not just by blood.

Tomorrow we take a tour of Berlin.

Day 10–Saturday, May 30

Day 10–Saturday, May 30

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Prague:: day trip to Doksany (40 minute drive)/tour Abbey/travel back to Prague/hotel in Prague

This morning feels like an eternity ago. We got a late start and drove to Doksany to see Sr. Augustina, the representative from her cloistered group and one of the visitors for the 2012 General Chapter at SNC. 9 nuns live there now.

The history of the church dates back to 1144 when it was a Romanesque basilica. They’ve even left a door that when opened has a portion of the original wall visible, it’s rather fascinating and totally different from the wall around it. After being all but destroyed, occupied by Communists, and then left in shambles it was restored. This church also has stucco walls that are now Baroque in style. There’s bits of evidence from the storied past through the building, much of it subtle. One of the stairwells has many names carved in it, for instance. This church, like the others we’ve seen, is also dedicated to Virgin Mary. Sarah played the organ for us. We took our photos and toured the property.

These nuns only act as owners of part of the property–the part that is impeccably kept and is restored as money comes available. The remaining part is owned by the government–which, to the nuns dismay, is currently being used to film a TV series.  So part of the property is essentially a back lot, like the ones at Universal Studios.

We walked through a section where one real wall is next to a fake and they are nearly indescribable but when you knock on them they are hollow. The dead give away is that the fake walls end and the real walls have roofs or decorative tops.

Walking through the property is like a trip back in time. Even the set looks old.

A couple of peacocks and chickens greeted us on our way to get to the tree planted when St. Norbert’s body was moved to Prague more than 400 years ago.After Agusustina’s long goodbye we stopped at a local pub for lunch, had soup and some paprika chicken–Mike can get you the recipe.

Lots of time to walk and pursue interests this afternoon. People from the group went to all ends of the city.

Tomorrow is the much-anticipated Strahov. Starting with Mass, tour and then we travel to Berlin for the final leg of the tour.

Day 09–Friday, May 29

Day 09–Friday, May 29

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Prague:: Tour of Prague with Marcela Zackova/free afternoon/cultural dinner (as a group)/hotel in Prague

We started this morning, greeted by Hans and Marcela, our new tour guide. I was having a difficult time making out much of what she said due to being soft spoken and having a thick Czech accent, but it was obvious she’s an expert on Prague. 

Prague is crowded. I’m reminded of my visit to New York city. There were moments were the crowds were shoulder to shoulder and went on as far as the eye can see. Being driven to the top of the hill, and left off where the castle and cathedral are, we began winding down the hill through the buildings and then streets. It took around 3 hours.

Many references to St. Wenceslas and the Habsbergs through this tour as well as the last. We were given SO much information. And were separated so often by big crowds, and noise, I found it difficult to follow her talk but knew to follow the melon colored scarf on a pointer stick!

This has been the hardest day for me so far. I’m a bit over-tired. I think there were lots of naps this afternoon. We have about five hours on our own this afternoon and I was hearing many say they were looking forward to getting alone or to being somewhere quieter.

Some trivia from the tour: Prague University was founded in 1348, Charles bridge is the oldest bridge in the country, there are five formerly independent cities that combined to create Prague. They don’t mess around with naming—it is, what it is. There’s New Town, Old Town, Small Town and the Jewish Quarter, I dare you to guess what their distinguishing characteristics are.

While touring we had our first peak at Strahov Abbey through the skyline and trees. She told us about the two libraries and around 140,000 volumes. They call the group there Premonstrators here. From the twelfth century and originally made of wood, it’s been rebuilt many times. We’ll have more on Strahov in a few days. I can’t wait to see this.

The Cathedral was loud and crowded, it was hard to hear the tour guide but I did catch a snippet of the story around the rose window there. It is a telling of the creation story, but it has eight sections.

The royal jewels are in the cathedral locked away, Marcela told us that there are seven keys to enter the area and all must be present to get inside.

We saw many more old tower, old bridges, blackened limestone, little shops along the bridge and statues along the bridge—even one of St. Norbert. The 30 statutes–half limestone, half replicas, a few bronze but all Saints–and finished with seeing the clock chimes…I have a ton of pictures.

Later today we will go to a “cultural dinner.” Fr. Sal told me I should expect to get many more photos tonight.

It is getting harder and harder to keep the days and events straight in my mind. Even through my foggy confusion it has been amazing. I love learning about these cultures and history of the Norbertines, and I’m eternally grateful.

I’ll post about tonight’s festivities, tomorrow. I’m sure it will be memorable.

As far as tomorrow goes: it is our last day in Prague. A day trip to Doksany by way of a 40 minute drive. We have another tour and lunch and will stay here for the evening again.

Day 09–Friday, May 29 (Cultural Dinner)

I left off with “I’ll post about tonight’s festivities, tomorrow. I’m sure it will be memorable.”It was.

We ventured out on the bus and off to the cultural dinner. I’ve never been a part of anything quite like it. They make sure you have enough to drink. We started with a shot of herbal liquor–their specialty. And then begin filling the wine glasses with these odd contraptions, a picture at the top and long rod/straw out the bottom where the wine flows out of. A guy continually walks around filling glasses.

We had something like potato salad but warm, and then skewers of different meat and veggies in a second course. The music began almost right away but the show did not begin until somewhere around the second course.

This show: part talent show, part America’s Got Talent, part variety show was fast paced and had audience participation. Nancy, Eric, Fr. Jay, Sam, Dave and Sally all were asked to join in the fun at one point or another. The pictures are priceless. It was hysterical.

We ended the night with a crepe and ice cream, a champagne of sorts and then the short walk to the bus which I’m still not sure how Hans parked in where he parked. That guy is amazing.

 

Day 08–Thursday, May 28

Day 08–Thursday, May 28

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Vienna:: Free time or tour of Vienna and the Shonbrunn Palace with Renate Hofbauer/travel to Prague (4 hour drive)/dinner on your own/hotel in Prague

We’ve hit the halfway mark of the trip. It is hard to believe we have been together for almost 8 days already.

On the road again. After a third night in Vienna we boarded the bus and are off to tours. Some of the members have decided to visit other sites or pursue hobby interests this morning.

We set out with Renate, our tour guide, who told us about buildings and associated stories around Vienna. She shared a novel of information. It’s 51 percent green space, Johann Strauss is from Vienna and wrote the Danube Waltz there. It is 3500 Euro to stay at the Imperial Hotel and anyone famous who visits stays in it—examples: JFK, Queen Elizabeth, and Liz Taylor. 

We drove past sites like the Swartberg Palace and Karlskirche (St. Charles’s Church) a baroque church, architecture by Otto Wagner and the “Neo-” buildings. Instead to tearing anything down, it was updated in the same style that it was built. Neo-gothic, Neo-classical, Neo-everything. We were informed that the Charles Church has all the hearts of the Habsbergs. Embalmed bodies have no organs, but theirs were kept safe, hearts in the church, entrails elsewhere.

Other trivia: Mozart is buried there, died at 36, but is in a common grave. Vienna University was founded in 1365. Thanksgiving Church, a large Gothic church, was built to thank God for sparing the life of Francis Joseph; the church is made of limestone and is porous, taking on the pollution in the air. Over time, the church has been cleaned, many pictures of it have striking black and white edges because of that pollution. It is currently being cleaned again. Vienna also has Egon Schiele work and Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss.”

The bus stopped in front of the Shonbrunn Palace and we all walked to the gardens. Roses of all sorts are everywhere. The gardens, expansive with gravel walkways and wrought iron trellises, are probably the size of 6 or 8 football fields. They span from the castle to a building way in the back of the gardens. Renata explained the designers placed that building at the very back gardens to stop your eye from continuing on to the natural horizon, so you look at the space. 

A short stroll and then we went to the museum. I learned on that stroll that Fr. Jay is going to take ownership of the castle, but he’ll probably only use 10 rooms; it would be ridiculous to use more. (He was joking…I think.)

Before the castle tour we met with the other group members who’d been out and about earlier this morning. Eric and Sam brought me a postcard of “the Kiss” because I didn’t see the original. (Awe, thanks guys!) And we went inside… 

Renata lead us through 40 rooms in 45 minutes! We saw Baroque (symmetrical) and Rococo (asymmetrical) art in the rooms, heard stories of the Habsbergs members and tried to stay together as a group. It was full today. Shoulder to shoulder bodies listing to audio guides and struggling to get the next room. Interesting tidbits about Mozart being portrayed as a child and busts of Marie Antoinette stick out to me.

The tour was quick and hit the high points. We were in the bus shortly after it concluded, meeting up with the remaining members and on our way to Prague. Besides a pair of controversial bright yellow shorts, the day went very smoothly.

We had a four-hour drive today. The landscape is changing. We’ve gone from ornate skylines to blocky buildings, from grape vines to rolling hills that look way too much like Wisconsin.

Entering the city is like traveling to an alternate universe. Somethings are familiar and many things not so much. Money is really different here. 25 of theirs is 1 of ours.

Tonight we’re on our own for dinner. I’m sure the group will once again attack the local scene. I’m hearing talk of attending an opera here at some point. The opera house is supposed to be amazing.

Tomorrow is a tour of the city, some time to rest and group dinner.