Wenceslas tomb was in the red room covered with plaster of semi-precious red and blue stones, including the knocker on the door which he clung to as his brother was killing him. (So the legend goes.) He wasn’t really a king 👑 only a Saint. His brother made it really nice, so as to repent for his sins. (That was the takeaway version I got.)

The side chapels were all so beautifully ornate, and railed off by wrought gold spiral fencing, replete with blue-starred ceilings and relics in the chapels, some were also even tombs. The main altar was impressive, as were the variety of stained and painted glass windows ranging the gamut from Gothic to Art Neauvoux.

Pastels to bright and mosaic to Impressionist style. The rose windows over the main north door, I mean south door. And the golden door on the west side surrounded by vicious gargoyles and flying buttresses. A walk around the mammoth structure which took 1,000 years to complete.

We climbed the bell tower using our Mountain Goat 🐐 thighs, up to the best view of Prague and past the largest bell in Bohemia, over 300 stairs up and down. Passed by the way of a large teenage school group, and fending them off on the way down, as we passed the French delegation in the narrow corridor spiral.

Then it was lunchtime, going first to “fast food” pizza and hamburger place; then checking out two other restaurants. One a shady courtyard and bad menu, the other a overpriced poor menu with a nice however sunny garden seat, where dad managed to beat the French delegation to a nice table, but was vetoed by the food committee’s selection, which opted to go back to the original pad.

Each of us had a “Malè Pivo” and dad got a carrot and orange salad, mom a cabbage and horseradish salad. I had green noodles with mushroom sauce, dad had a mushy (soy?) meat hamburger; mom had fried cheese on toast, smothered with tartar sauce.

We debated the European tipping concept and wages war; then left dad to figure out the bill. It came to 580 Czech Krowns, so 600 CK covered it adequately and we were all happy.

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