Prague's "Tears of Stalin"

 

This is an odd one: no one I spoke to is really sure what's going on with the Hollywood-style "Tears of Stalin" sculpture, but apparently Prague just has a difficult time figuring out what should go up there.  There's been a massive pendulum sculpture up there as well, and next they're planning on tearing it down in favor of a forty-foot tall Michael Jackson sculpture.

I guess they really like Michael Jackson.

EDIT: Also, it's in English.  What's up with that?

Prague Castle

 

A view of Prague's castle district from across the river after a rainstorm back in June 2011.  

Prague, Czech Republic

 

Prague, Czech Republic in June 2011 the day after a ridiculous rainstorm.  

Czech Puppets

There were puppets all over Prague. I'm embarrassed to admit that I have no idea why--all I can figure is that it's a traditional thing that kind of gained momentum and turned into puppets of naked mermaids, Jack Sparrow, Michael Jackson, and Charlie Chaplin.

Prague's cathedral

The cathedral was even prettier than the castle, which was nice enough of its own accord. The above photo is of the outside--part of it. It's in the middle of Prague's castle district, surrounded by tons of other buildings, so I couldn't back up far enough to fit the whole of the outside into one photo.

The inside of the cathedral, to give you a vague notion of how big it was.

Zoomed-in photo of the stained glass at the far end. Tickets were required to go about thirty or forty feet past the entrance, so I didn't bother. There was still plenty to see, particularly the stained glass. I genuinely can't think of any stained glass I've ever seen that might be prettier, or as pretty, as the enormous, twenty or thirty foot tall windows in that cathedral.

Prague's famous clock

The famous astrological clock in Prague, Czech Republic.

Not as impressive as most would think. Mostly it's just pretty and kind of complicated-looking. The best part, I'd say, is when the groups of confused tourists gather around it at ten or eleven at night waiting for it to ring--it quits ringing at 9PM, and starts back up at 9AM.