Kutna Hora, Czech Rep.

Kutna Hora, Czech Rep.

Today we headed to the nearby town of Kutna Hora. It's lies just to the ESE of Prague about 70km away. The train ride was quick and enjoyable. We left at 10:05am. The purpose was to get out of the town for a day and see the small village that hosts many cathedrals and the "bone church." This church has 2 levels. The upper one is a regular church and has room for maybe 50 people, but the lower level is quite different. Back in the time of the plague, so many people were dying, and they needed a place to hold the bodies. The graves were filling up and the basement of the church seemed to be the best place. After these bodies rested for a hundred years or so, a guy decided to stack them into piles under the church. It turned into art for him, and being a woodcrafter, he made the bones into intricate displays and ornaments. The most recent modeling of the bones was in the mid 1800's, and that is what we see today. I must say, I have never seen this many bones before in my life. There are 4 huge piles (used to be 6) that are way over head high. Along the walls are intricate creations of bones. There were chandeliers and shields created from bones with the focal point being the central section. The crypt was decorated with 4 towers of skulls and a central chandelier using every bone in the human body. The tourists were plentiful and everyone wanted a picture. So did we. Not something that you see everyday.

From there, we toured the little town of Kutna Hora. We lucked out and found a little restaurant right by a giant cathedral. They had free WiFi and wonderful food. The price was right and we made ourselves comfortable. The cathedral was getting some renovation work on the outside, including the surrounding pathways. I love the stonework in the areas that we have seen on our trip. So, I had to thoroughly inspect the workers laying the beautiful stone. What they were laying is meant to last a good 1000 years. No joke. We have seen what was laid in Greece and this stuff was "bomber." They were using granite and their compaction techniques were top notch. The leveling lines were still laid out and looked similar to what I have used on projects. It would be a little weird laying asphalt or concrete along such a cool looking building. Watching all this sure makes me want to start on another stone project. Anyone need something done? Driveway, sidewalk, etc.

After the church, we headed back to the center of Kutna Hora. It was fun trying to find the train station without a real map. I tried to memorize the google maps in my head and it got us there. The station is a little distance from the center and most people take a bus or taxi. For us, we walk. It's better that way. The huge lunch had to be burned off somehow. The train came within a half hour and we headed back to Prague. It was nice to leave the city for a day trip and see what it's like outside in the farmland. Prague is not that big. You can get out of the city pretty quick. The terrain is generally flat and the big mountain are really far away. It would be great to do some cycling out in the rolling hills. Maybe sometime.

We got back to the hostel to find that the place is full. This is normally the case in the summer. So, getting a spot in the kitchen takes patience. The showers are a trick too. You just have to plan what you can, and then be willing to be flexible. Also, don't try to wash your clothes in the sink, hang them to dry, and need them real soon. With the humidity here, you might have to wear wet clothes. Some things take 48 hours to dry if you're lucky. I have a cord that I brought to tie up in the room. It makes a nice clothes line and can fit a bit of laundry.

Tomorrow, we will take it easy for one more day on the town. Prague has been nice and serene. The river is a nice scenic spot. Of course, many towns are built along rivers, but Prague does it nicely and in a little different way. The building and bridges are situated differently creating a beautiful skyline. Let's see what the next day brings.