Museums Of Prague (2) – Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace

As the second museum for my blog I have chosen Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace. I am not sure if I can call it museum, as it is more empty – unfurbished, with some temporary exhibitions only. It is somewhere in between ages, between being used and being abandoned and I think it is really good time to visit it right now. After paying ridiculous entrance fee in amount of 1 CZK (5 cents) you can visit former apartments and beautifully decorated baroque hall, where some scenes for Amadeus movie were taken as well as it played the role of sleeping room in the TV set Maria Theresia.

If you had visited Prague, for sure you have walked by the palace, as it stands at the most crowded touristic street at the Old Town next to the entrance to Charles Bridge (Karlova street number 2), palace like a bridge over the tram line.

For the temporary exhibition you should pay some more, but we were interested only in the apartments. And here is what we have found:

Through the doors.

Small dining room and gallery (probably).

Wooden wall cladding and windows to the courtyard.

Ceramic heater and mirror room.

The main hall.

Ceiling.

Chandelier in the mirror.

Bear in watercolor.

After the visit of the Palace I recommend a walk through the house where Johannes Kepler wrote two of his three laws of planetary motion (the next building to the right from the palace, the shortcut is closed during night) to Anenské náměstí, where you can find nice cafe Tricafe and have a nice drink and rest from the crowds on the palace side of the block. Sitting at the cafe I always feel like in the living room of one of my student fellows in 1980s. The same furniture, plastic bear for honey. Just like in my childhood :-).

In front of Tricafe.

Vilnius

Please find my photo blog about Vilnius with lots of shots and juste a few words in Czech about Vilnius.

Vilnius, gothic complex of churches so beautiful, that Napoleon wanted to take them home with him

Vilnius is a capital city of Lithuania and it is beautiful baroque city, with cozy atmosphere and nice streets.

Please follow the link here: Vilnius.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting

For Fleeting Photo Challenge I have lot of shots, that were taken by accident. Mostly when I was switching off my phone camera and it took the last shot on its own. The shots can be split in two groups, the first group and the first gallery there are shots of the bottom, mostly you will find the floor, shoes, foots etc on it.

The second group are shots taken on the move. Playing with these shots in instagram gives beautiful abstract atmosphere to them and I hope you will enjoy them :-).

Rainbow above Prague

Prague after the rains and big water

After days full of water from above and also from bellow, yesterday my hope came that we will see sun again.

I was out, but unfortunatelly without camera, only with my phone, but I saw beautiful rainbow stridden above Prague and it made me very happy. See also another shot here.

Floods

Rainbow

Rainbow

To affirm my hope I checked the forecast, and see what I have seen.

Weather forecast

Weekly Image Of Life: Summer

It is almost summer, but the weather this year seems to think it’s not. And what summer means to me? I will show you at some shots taken in Southern Moravia 3 years ago during our family vacation.

Summer is seeing sunflowers at the fields.

Sunflower field in Lednice

Summer is visiting castles and old palaces around Czech Republic.

Lednice castle

Summer is doing nothing and enjoying the sun whenever and wherever you want.

Garden coffee at Lednice garden

Summer is when there are flowers on the street.

Mikulov

Summer is when you don’t go to sleep at the evening, because you go to the summer festival for music.

Meky Žbirka at Bernard Fest in Humpolec

Summer is when you don’t go to sleep at night, because you are having fun with your partner and with your glass of beer.

At Bernard Fest Humpolec

Travel theme: Costume

I love costumes, I love dressing up for some special ocassion and I really love taking vintage photos.
A few years ago we visited Bulgary, we travelled around the coutnry and several days we spent by the sea at small town Pomorie. I really enjoyed the atmosphere there, specially evening walks on promenade and by the sea. Fortunatelly, the first evening I found a special stall, where they had a lot of beautiful colorful dresses and they were doing vintage photos.

Promenade and colorful dresses

We were looking in astonishment how a family with small girls were carefully dressed up, every little detail was handled.

Family getting ready for the shot

And finally I made my husband to go for a photo as well.

Choosing the right costume and dressing

The next day, as we went for the final photos, we were watching another family being taken, really great again!

Great family shot

So I made my husband for one more photo!

Our two shots, my husband is astounding in uniform

And as a result we have two beautiful photographs taken hundred years ago :-).

Final vintage shots

Weekly Photo Challenge: The Sign Says

Last weekend I have visited Kutná Hora and there I had found a nice sign that I want to share with you for The Sign Says Weekly Photo Challenge. More about Kutná Hora you can find on this link.

The sign I found in the souvenir shop simply said:

The sign says: 2 + 1 free

A bit strange and scary to find it at the souvenir shop at the bone chapel, which inside looks like this:

Bone chapel

And all the decorations in the chapel are done from the same “material”, the real human bones and human skulls.

Decorations

Therefore it is really strange to find this special offer:

The sign says: 2 + 1 free

Fortunatelly the small sign next to the first one says:

This sign explains what’s on sale – certificate

Still I would feel a bit strange to buy three skulls, despite the fact that one would be for free :-).

Rumšiškés

Today I want to take ayou for a visit to one of the nicest Open Air museums Rumšiškés. It is located in Lithuania, on the hill above Kaunas sea (lake, in fact :-)). Museum was opened in 1966 and it has about 50 buildings mapping the village life in 4 parts of Lithuania. I love wooden buildings and wooden crosses, the place is so lovely. Enjoy my shots.

Rumšiškés.

A Word A Week Challenge – Face

Lot of Faces for A Word A Week Challenge I found in a beautiful park in France, at the place called Clos Luce in the city of Amboise on Loire river. Leonardo da Vinci lived at the house and now you will find there his museum. Surrounding garden is very beautiful, with lots of devices invented by da Vinci, but also decorated with his works unusual way. Enjoy walking throug the park and meet some famous paintings.

Hidden in the trees

Famous faces.

Do you recognise them?

Travel theme: The Four Elements

I decided that for The Four Elements Travel Theme I will not present here four different shots, but I chose one shot which combines all elements in eternal balance :-). The shot was taken in South Moravia (Eastern part of Czech Republic) in Lednice, are with beautiful castles and also nature gifts, water-tables, forests, meadows.

The earth is represented with trees and small mountains at the back of the shot.

The air is shown at the sky and clouds.

Water is the lake bosom and fire is the sun hidden behind the clouds and reflecting in the water.

Four elements