Unfortunately I haven't been able to write about every single excursion I've had on this trip because I've been insanely busy! Since we spend the mornings doing hospital rotations and 3 afternoons a week in seminars, I'm always on the move going somewhere in Prague. Luckily, everyone on the trip has definitely made use of our free time by taking advantage of the beautiful sites the city has to offer. Here are a couple of the highlights from the first 2 weeks of the trip:
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| Some of my fellow classmates and I with Dr. Stransky, director of the SGU Prague Selective, and Andrew Schapiro, U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic |
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| Me and Helen enjoying a late night Wenceslas Sausage |
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| Me and Roxy about to try Trdelnik for the first time: a traditional central european pastry with lots of cinnamon and sugar. This particular one had nutella on the inside! Was so delicious! |
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| Some of my fellow classmates of the Prague Selective enjoying a lovely dinner cruise at sundown on the Vltava River |
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| Prague is gorgeous at night, no filter needed! |
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| Friends during our segway tour around Prague sites |
During the second week, I scheduled a private tour (accidentally) for me and Shannon of the Jewish Quarter in the middle of Prague's Old Town. This area was used as a Jewish ghetto for hundreds of years, but during the late 1800s-early 1900s, much of it was demolished for remodeling. We did however visit a number of the sites that weren't destroyed, including 4 synagogues: Pinkas, Klaus, Old-New, and Spanish Synagogues, as well as the Old Jewish Cemetery. The cemetery houses thousands of graves that date back to the 1400s and because of it's small area, there are 12 layers of graves. All the synagogues we visited had their own unique style, and none of them are still in operation, rather they're now used as museums to house jewish relics and memorials of fallen Czech Jews in the Holocaust. It was a very informative tour that I am so glad I took.
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| The old jewish cemetery housing thousands of graves packed very close together |
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| The bema in the Spanish Synagogue, which was very elaborately decorated |
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Klaus Synagogue, with displays of traditional jewish rituals
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In my next post I will talk a little bit about my Pediatric rotations during the second week, followed by our weekend in Vienna for my 25th birthday!
Another great blog...and nice assortment of pictures :)
ReplyDeleteWhen they discussed the "remodeling" of the Jewish quarter...was it "remodeled" because of anti-semitism? Did the newer area have any sense of a plan? #UrbanPlanning
Do jews operate any of these jewish landmarks/museums? Who maintains the cemetery?
Do they sell Trdelnik at the local McDonalds?
--Actually not sure about the "remodeling," but I was put under the impression that it was NOT due to anti-semitism since the original temples remained untouched. But hey, I could be totally wrong. In terms of planning, I have no idea. This city in general doesn't seem to have much of a plan, and it's not so easy to navigate; but hey, i'm just spoiled with the simplicity of the NYC grid!
Delete--Most of the Czech Jews fled after the Holocaust, so no, jews are not operating these sites. The landmarks are all run by the Czech government. My guide said their are only about 5,000 jews in the whole country.
--I wouldn't know, i didn't go in McDonalds, but I'm going to say no haha