August 7…. Crafts Fair and Mucha Museum

The next morning, we all walked down the street and had breakfast at the charming little cafe on our block . Then, Pam and Miles took off on their own with the plan being that we would meet up with them at noon at the Crafts Fair.

It was a beautiful, sunny day and, as Rod and Priscilla and Bill and I made our way to the courtyard next to the National Theatre where the fair was being held, we knew we were close as we could see the golden roof gleaming in the sunshine. This stunning neo-Renaissance building, dating from 1868, is one of the most important cultural institutions in Prague and, since inception, is a symbol of the Czech National Revival. To this end, the theatre, largely funded by private donations, has played a significant role in the development of the Czech language, Czech music and the country's dramatic arts and, today, has a fine repertoire of opera, ballet and Czech drama.

The modern buildings adjacent to the National Theatre, the Laterna Magika, house the world’s very first multimedia theatre and, at the present time, is one of the companies of the National Theatre . It is globally renowned owing to its innovative multimedia performances. Using the language of mime and gesture, the original works presented at the Laterna Magika combine dramatic lighting effects, cinema, moveable screens, props and live actors together to create an extraordinary experience.

Some may view the imposing glass facades of these contemporary buildings as a bit of an eye sore, beside the historic beauty of the National Theatre, but I was mesmerized by how the National Theatre appeared as a golden image on the glass of the Laterna Magika and have always been fascinated by the juxtaposition of the new and the old.

We had a wonderful afternoon perusing the interesting arts and crafts being sold and enjoyed some of the tasty food and local beer while relaxing in the sun and watching the parade of people and adorable children.

Later that afternoon, Pam and Miles took off to meet a friend of their son-in-law and the rest of us walked over to the Mucha Museum . The small museum is dedicated to the life and works of the great Czech Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha. Born in 1860 in what was then Moravia, the painter and decorative artist became instantly famous in Paris in 1895 after producing a poster for the wildly popular stage actress Sarah Bernhardt, in his distinctive interpretation of the art nouveau style. The collection at the museum included paintings, poster, sketches, statues and photographs and some of his works celebrating pan-Slavism. .

Less well known is Mucha’s work as a designer of stamps so, apropos of our visit to the Mucha museum, but quite by accident, we stopped at the Post Office, en route back to the flat, so Priscilla could mail some postcards.  We were pleasantly surprised to find it to be yet another fabulous building. The style was art-nouveau, and I’m quite sure that the elaborate decorations that covered the walls were done by Mucha.

We all reconvened at the flat after a lovely and somewhat relaxing day . Pavel and Milana Kraemer, our hosts for their vacation cabin in the mountains near the Polish border where we would be going next, had a flat in Prague and had invited us to dinner that evening.   So, we all hopped on the tram to meet them near the Charles Bridge. Unfortunately, Pam was feeling a little under the weather so opted to stay at the flat and rest.

Pavel and Milana and Jan and his wife had been to our home in Mexico two years ago and, after many conversations with Pavel, via Skype, we were looking forward to meeting them in person. We weren’t disappointed as they were all so interesting and delightful and we all had a wonderful evening at a beautiful little restaurant nestled above the city, near the Prague Castle, with incredible views. The food was fantastic...some of the best we had eaten, and it was a perfect way to end our day.