September 13, 2026

September 13, 2026

Sunday

Praha, Czech Republic

Good morning! A slightly overcast and drizzly day. This is a good thing because today is a day of rest for us. The full day tour yesterday too a lot out of us. We had breakfast here in the hotel, but we did get the young lady managing the breakfast room to make us cappuccino using the expression machine behind the bar. This is a vast improvement over the “cappuccino” made by the machine.

We asked housekeeping to take the day off from our room. No need to clean it. I worked on this blog and sat on the patio and had a cigar. Mary too the opportunity to catch up on her sleep. We weren’t hungry at lunch time so we just skipped it altogether. Mary did manage a four and a half hour nap. Mine was just a short two hours.

The only planned activity concert tonight in the Mirror Chapel of the Clementinum by members of the Royal Czech Orchestra. The mirror Chapel dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. The area was a Dominican monastery in after that. It was heavily damaged in 1420 during a series of civil and religious conflicts fought in Bohemia from 1419 to 1434 between Czech reformers and Catholic loyalist forces, commonly known as the Hussite Wars.

Later it was transformed into a Jesuit college (1556). In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of the Charles University to the Clementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The main building phase of Clementinum was in the years 1709–1726, during which the Baroque library was built. The Jesuits remained until they were kicked out in 1773, at which time the Clementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.

The idea of a Czech Republic didn’t happen until after World War I, when Czechoslovakia was created. During the Middle Ages and early modern period, Bohemia existed as an autonomous duchy. It was also a powerful kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1526 it became a province under the rule of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy.

It was after World War I and the fall of Austria-Hungary that Bohemia became the historic core of Czechoslovakia. It would remain so from 1918 until 1992. On January 1, 1993 the dissolution of Czechoslovakia occurred. It is Ordered to as the Velvert Divorce; the peaceful split of the country into two independent nations—the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The National Library was founded in 1781 and from 1782 the Clementinum became a legal deposit library. In 1791, the Clementinum was the site of the first World’s Fair. This industrial exhibition was held to celebrate the coronation of Leopold II as the king of Bohemia, and served to highlight the sophistication of manufacturing in Czech lands.

In 1918 the newly established Czechoslovak-Slovak state took over the library. In 1990  it became the National Library.  The library contains a collection of Mozartiana, material pertaining national Czech hero’s such as Tycho Brahe and Comenus, as well as historic examples of Czech literature. The building itself is a notable example of baroque architecture, and the Clementinum, covering 20,000 square meters, is the second largest complex of buildings in Prague after Prague Castle. In 2005, the Czech National Library received the UNESCO Jikji prize (Memory of the World). The UNESCO Jikji prize is a biennial award that honors individuals, institutions, or groups for exceptional work in preserving and expanding access to humanity's documentary heritage.

Thinking about something to eat and the concert, an internet search for restaurants near the Clementinum was conducted. What was found was a restaurant called Sova at Veleslavínoa 10, in Staré Město (Old Town) Praha. The concert starts at 18:00 so we left for dinner about 16:00.

Dinner consisted of Variace českých Sýrů (a selection of Czech cheeses), Krůtí prsa, smetanová kešu omáčka, brokolice, kukuřice, hlíva ústřičná s lanýžovým olejem (Turkey breast, creamy cashew sauce, broccoli, corn, oyster mushrooms with truffle oil) and Krémová polévka z dýně s restovanými houbami a sýrem feta (Pumpkin cream soup with fried mushrooms and feta cheese). We looked at the desserts but nothing hit our fancy.

After dinner we walked about a block to the Clementinum. It took us a minute to find out where exactly the Mirror Chapel was. It turns out the entrance is the central courtyard of the Clementinum. We were still a half hour early but the line was already forming. Seating is by area, not by seat. We got Area A; the first seven rows.

The doors opened a little before 18:00 and we got good seats in the fifth row. The chapel itself is beautiful. The seats were comfortable. The only issue was the guy with a really big head, and ears that would have made Jumbo jealous. The acoustics were excellent.

The ensemble from the Royal Czech Orchertra was a sextet. Four violins, a cello and a double base fiddle. They played ten different “tunes”. They had a soprano, Eva Müllerová, who sang Ave Maria. It wasn’t the church version of Ave Maria, or maybe it was just the Czech version thereof. I did recognize J.S. Bach’s Toccata & Fugue in D Minor; one of my favorite pieces. I remember it from the 1954 film “2000 Leagues under the sea” with Kirk Douglas and James Mason. They also played Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 (Destiny Allegro); which I recalled from “The Longest Day”.  

After the concert we walked back to the hotel. We didn’t cover much ground today. Both of us had less than 5,000 steps. This is ok, because this is a day off. Mary continued to win at canasta. Apparently, I am not destined to win a game in the Czech Republic.

Buonanotte & Ciao

Enrico and Maria