After waiting in a potentially very long line (go on a weekday or in the morning for the shortest waits, and be aware that this is an active church, so Sunday mornings are out), the interior of St. Vitus Cathedral is a treat for the eyes.

Looking toward St. Vitus’ altar

With Gothic arches soaring high overhead, stained glass windows galore, and several notable tombs, there is plenty to keep the eyes occupied as you walk around this large church.

St. Vitus’ organ

Although most, if not all, of the stained glass is from circa 1900, it’s of very high quality.

Stained glass

Because construction of the cathedral took over 400 years and funds were tight near its completion, many of the glass panels bear the names of their sponsors – banks, insurance companies, and the like.

More stained glass

The color schemes of the windows are different than most I’ve seen, with strong reds, blues and sometimes greens dominating.

Still more stained glass

The detailing of the glass is superb – I can’t even imagine how many individual glass pieces there are in the window above!

A large stained glass

For me the highlight, by far, is a stunning painted glass by the superb Czech Art Nouveau illustrator AlfonsMucha:

Alfons Mucha painted glass, detail

Alfons Mucha painted glass, detail

Alfons Mucha painted glass, detail

Alfons Mucha painted glass, detail

Alfons Mucha painted glass panel, entire

His soaring panel exemplifies the Art Nouveau decorative style, with its natural themes, bold yet soft colors, and mixture of straight and organic lines.

Relief Christ-figure

In addition to the windows, carvings and reliefs are everywhere.

Altar piece

Impossible to miss, in the middle of the walkway around the altar area, is the enormous, solid silver tomb of St. John of Nepomuk.

Tomb of St. John of Nepomuck

This gargantuan sarcophagus, made from two tons of solid silver, makes up in fanciness what it lacks in subtlety.

Tomb of St. John of Nepomuck

An ersatz Catholic Czech equivalent of the martyred Jan Hus, it seems no expense was spared in the church’s attempt to make him the Catholic patron saint of the Czechs.

Tomb of St. John of Nepomuck

While walking around the tomb, look down, as many notable early Czech saints are interred or memorialized here as well.

Tomb of St. John of Nepomuck

Also fascinating is the Chapel of St. Wenceslaus (1344-64), which is not open to the public, but one can get views of it from the adjoining rooms.  This fine chapel has walls adorned with semi-precious stones, and contains the relics of St. Wenceslaus, the “Good King” of the Christmas carol.

Chapel of St. Wenceslaus

Despite my general dislike of highly-touristed areas, it would be unthinkable to visit Prague without seeing St. Vitus Cathedral – it’s a masterpiece of architecture, glasswork, and culture, and should be on anyone’s itinerary.

Prague index:

• Part 1: Vysehrad
• Part 2: Vysehradsky hrbitov (Vysehrad cemetery)
• Part 3: Karluv Most (Charles Bridge)
• Part 4: Vaclavske namesti (Wenceslas Square)
• Part 5: Letecke Muzeum Kbely (Czech Air Force Museum)
• Part 6: Stare Mesto (Old Town)
• Part 7: Staromestske namesti (Old Town Square)
• Part 8: Prazsky orloj (Astronomical Clock)
• Part 9: Josefov (Jewish Quarter)
• Part 10: Vltava River
• Part 11: St. Nicholas Cathedral (Chram sv. Mikulase)
• Part 12: Wallenstein Palace (Valdstejnsky palac)
• Part 13: Kampa Island
• Part 14: Mala Strana street art
• Part 15: Petrin Hill
• Part 16: Mala Strana
• Part 17: Mala Strana house signs
• Part 18: Strahovský klášter (Strahov Monastery)
• Part 19: Schwarzenberský palác (Schwarzenberg Palace)
• Part 20: Toy Musuem
• Part 21: St. Vitus Cathedral gargoyles
• Part 22: St. Vitus Cathedral (exterior)
• Part 23: St. Vitus Cathedral (interior) <– You are here
• Part 24: Prazky Hrad (Prague Castle), I
• Part 25: Prazky Hrad (Prague Castle), II

“Poetry for walking”

Prague index:

• Part 1: Vysehrad
• Part 2: Vysehradsky hrbitov (Vysehrad cemetery)
• Part 3: Karluv Most (Charles Bridge)
• Part 4: Vaclavske namesti (Wenceslas Square)
• Part 5: Letecke Muzeum Kbely (Czech Air Force Museum)
• Part 6: Stare Mesto (Old Town)
• Part 7: Staromestske namesti (Old Town Square)
• Part 8: Prazsky orloj (Astronomical Clock)
• Part 9: Josefov (Jewish Quarter)
• Part 10: Vltava River
• Part 11: St. Nicholas Cathedral (Chram sv. Mikulase)
• Part 12: Wallenstein Palace (Valdstejnsky palac)
• Part 13: Kampa Island
• Part 14: Mala Strana street art <– You are here
• Part 15: Petrin Hill
• Part 16: Mala Strana
• Part 17: Mala Strana house signs
• Part 18: Strahovský klášter (Strahov Monastery)
• Part 19: Schwarzenberský palác (Schwarzenberg Palace)
• Part 20: Toy Musuem
• Part 21: St. Vitus Cathedral gargoyles
• Part 22: St. Vitus Cathedral (exterior)
• Part 23: St. Vitus Cathedral (interior)
• Part 24: Prazky Hrad (Prague Castle), I
• Part 25: Prazky Hrad (Prague Castle), II

Filed under: Art, Photography, Travel, Wordless Wednesday ]]> http://blog.adampaul.com/2010/02/24/prague-part-15-wordless-wednesday-mala-strana-street-art/feed/ 2 Adam R. Paul http://blog.adampaul.com/2008/08/27/wordless-wednesday-dale-chihuly-exhibit-at-the-de-young-museum/ http://blog.adampaul.com/2008/08/27/wordless-wednesday-dale-chihuly-exhibit-at-the-de-young-museum/#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:58:13 +0000 Adam R. Paul http://adampaul.wordpress.com/?p=408 ]]> Showing through Sept. 28 at the De Young Museum, San Francisco.  I HIGHLY recommend checking it out if you’re in the area!

We’ve been working hard on the product photography side of things, a new genre of photography for me.  It’s completely different from the usual nature photography I do.  On the one had it’s easier because I have full control over the lighting, composition, etc.  On the other, it’s very much harder because any faults are entirely my own – nowhere to hide!

With that somewhat long-winded introduction, we are very pleased to introduce:

Ju-ju by Sarah, Custom Jewelry and Design

So check it out!

Sarah has a website, featuring photos of her designs (many already sold), as well as an online store, which has currently-available works.

Today was a national holiday to commemorate the 26th anniversary of the Maldives War (which we in the US know more familiarly as the Falklands War), and the day started in a relaxed fashion, especially as little was open, so there was no hurry.

We decided to check out the nearby Jardin Botanico, a 8-block walk from our apartment.

It took some circling to find the entrance to this fenced-in public garden (fenced in partly to keep the dogs out, no doubt).

Once inside, we enjoyed strolling the lush paths, studded with numerous statues and ponds and the like. Semi-feral cats, all looking quite well-fed, were everywhere, with at least a dozen in sight at all times.

The mature landscaping and well-maintained paths with plentiful benches made for nice meandering.

Gilded Sapphire / Picaflor Bronceado

A little blur zipped pas my head, and I peered into the bushes to see a lovely Gilded Sapphire.

The “feral” cats were extremely friendly, and we saw several of them jump into the laps of people resting on the benches. We were taken by the “rent-a-cat” aspect of the place, and it was great to see these animals, although technically wild, so well-cared-for.

After the garden we hopped the Subte to 9 de Julio and crossed the “World’s Widest Street.”

Whether it’s the widest or not I can’t say, but I will say that at 459 feet wide, it is certainly the widest I’ve ever seen!

Jim & Diane wanted to see a movie, so we parted ways, and Sarah & I went back to Palermo SoHo and had a tasty lunch at Bar Uriarte. It was a charming place, and we spent a very pleasant 2.5 hours there.

Back near the apartment, we checked the internet at one of the many inexpensive internet cafes, rested, etc. before a tasty dinner at Social Paraiso. It was nice to have a fairly mellow day after so many fun-filled, but busy, ones.

Thursday, 3 April:

Diane & I woke early and caught a cab to Reserva Ecologia Costanera Sur, eager to explore this enticing refuge smack in the middle of the city. Our cab ride was fairly frightening, with the driver nodding off at a stoplight – I had to tap his shoulder to wake him up – yikes! He took a different route, through the shipping district, and I’ve never seen so very many shipping containers, stacked dozens high and hundreds deep as far as you could see.

We eventually got to the preserve and entered through the gate that we’d found closed on Monday. The reserve, once slated to become a “second city” during the last military junta, consists of paths on raised levees, with grasslands and ponds below. There are about 8 miles of walking trails, and we picked a medium-length loop.

Great Kiskadee / Benteveo Común

At the south end of the preserve, I saw another Great Kiskadee, a bunch of Brown-chested Martins (LIFER!), and a pair of Bay-winged Hawks (LIFER!)

Bay-winged Hawks / Gavilán Mixto

Black-hooded Parakeets / Ñanday

A flock of a dozen Black-hooded Parakeets (LIFER!) flew overhead, which I initially mistook for Monk Parakeets until I reviewed the photos later.

Brown-chested Martins / Golondrina Parda

Rufous-collared Sparrow / Chingolo

Several furtive little brown birds skulked in the bushes – it once again took some posts to Birdforum, but they included House Wren, Hooded Siskin (LIFER!), Saffron Yellow-Finch (LIFER!), and Double-collared Seedeaters (LIFER!).

Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch / Sietevestidos

A contrast’y flash of orange and black zipped past, and some investigating yielded great looks at some Black-and-rufous Warbling Finches (LIFER!, and the winner of the “longest-bird-name-of-the-trip” award).

Golden-breasted Woodpecker / Carpintero Real Común

A bird next to some European Starlings (yes, they have them there too, and no, they aren’t native there either) was a bit different, and once I got it in good light, it proved to be a Golden-breasted Woodpecker (LIFER!). Alas, it didn’t hang around long for photos.

Masked Gnatcatcher / Tacuarita Azul

Another nice find was the fluffy, cute little Masked Gnatcatcher (LIFER!) – this little puffball with its Lone Ranger mask hopped in and out of the foliage, then flew off.

Butterfly

Sure looks like a Monarch – do they exist down in Buenos Aires?

Birds weren’t the only animals we saw – the butterflies were out in force as well. One of them (above) looks exactly like our Monarch to my eye, although I’d be surprised if they had them in the Southern Hemisphere.

The high-rises of the Puerto Madera district punctuated the horizon, much smoggier today than the previous week, but the weather was pleasant and sunny, and a light breeze blew off of the Rio de la Plata.

White-lined Tanager / Frutero Negro

A nearly-solid-black bird surprised me by emerging from a bush right in front of me – a White-lined Tanager (LIFER!).

Chalk-browed Mockingbird / Calandria Grande

Numerous Chalk-browed Mockingbirds dotted the treetops and foraged in the path’s margins – I was surprised at how many of these birds we’d seen on our trip – these handsome birds seemed quite a bit more numerous than the Northern Mockingbirds that we have at home.

House Wren / Ratona Común

One butterfly amazed us with its excellent camouflage – if I hadn’t seen it fly in and land, there’s no way I would have noticed it, since its coloring and markings were identical to the interior of the flower it was feeding from!

Fork-tailed Flycatcher / Tijereta

Eventually we neared the north end of the preserve, and I spied a real treat, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher (LIFER!). Although it was distant and badly-lit, there was no mistaking its unique shape!

Blackbird, Eared Dove, and Red-crested Cardinal

Injured Hawk-Eagle

Near the end of our walk, we passed some cages housing injured birds, and dropped in the nature center. The fellow there spoke only somewhat better English than we speak Spanish, but he did manage to help us identify several of the birds we’d seen.

Costanera Sur is definitely a must-visit for any bird enthusiasts in Buenos Aires – it was definitely the birding highlight of the second half of our trip!

Exiting the park, Diane & I hailed a cab back to the apartment, and we all went back to Palermo SoHo to do some final shopping, as Sarah & I had just two more days left in our vacation. I found a lovely belt, Sarah some jewelry, Jim a wallet, and Diane some shoes – success!

After a tasty lunch at Bar 6 we went home and rested for a bit, then walked to the nearby MALBA. This museum of modern art was a manageable size, and had a nice collection of pieces, although hyper-modern art isn’t my favorite genre by any means. Their works by Xul Solar were my favorites.

We’d intended to have dinner at the nearby Bar Museo, but walking by, we found it completely full of (exclusively male) investement banker types – not what we were looking for, so we instead had a good dinner at Zulu, then retired early.

Trip Index:

Part 1: Getting to Patagonia
Part 2: El Calafate & Laguna Nimez
Part 3: Glaciar Perito Moreno
Part 4: El Calafate backcountry excursion
Part 5: Goodbye Argentina, hello Chile
Part 6: To Torres del Paine!
Part 7: Lago Pehoe and Paine Grande
Part 8: Mirador los Cuernos
Part 9: To Rio Verde and Punta Arenas
Part 10: Pelagic, Penguins, and farewell to Patagonia
Part 11: To Buenos Aires
Part 12: BsAs’ Sunday markets and other diversions
Part 13: Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
Part 14: Buenos Aires’ Jardin Botanico and Costanera Sur <– You are here!
Part 15: There’s no place like home

Click below for more street stencil photos

It didn’t start well, with the park at Fulton & Masonic gone missing (odd, since it was sponsored by the SF Bicycle Coalition & FixMasonic.org), and the one on Cole & Beulah consisting only of a couple of potted plants in the street, and a garage sale on the sidewalk.

Lower Haight PARK

Down in the Lower Haight on Scott St., however,  two gentlemen had a nice little park set up, with a sisal(?) rug, plastic chairs, water and lemonade.  We chatted for a few, and I continued around Duboce Park and on to the park at Noe & Market.

 
Hula Hoop lessons at Noe & Market PARK

This was a fun park, with astroturf and a nice woman (Adriana?) giving hula hoop lessons.  Lets just say that I’m not a born hula hooper….

 
Library PARK at Market & Duboce

A left on Market and a few blocks down the supposed park at Market and Church was also gone missing but shortly after that at Market and Duboce, was the best of the parks I saw, a full-fledged library (with WiFi!).  I sat for a few and read some bicycling-related pamphlets and enjoyed sitting on turf as cars and trolleys rolled down Market St.

 
Hayes Valley PARK

Heading north now on Octavia I found the Hayes Valley park, smack in the middle of the business district.  Although it was a nice park, featuring little totem poles made by a local artist, the people running it were too busy talking to each other, and paid their guests little/no attention.

 
View from Alamo Square Park

I found myself wishing I’d printed out a bigger list of the parks, since many were downtown and it was a short ride away, but I didn’t, so I slogged up the Hayes St. hill, stopped for a moment at Alamo Square to admire the view, and rode home.

PARK(ing) Day is a fantastic idea, and I’m glad it’s catching on in other cities.  Next year I will be more organized and try to visit as many as possible.

Cameron, publisher of a number of books, (all titled “Above San Francisco” “Above Paris” and so on) has made some spectacular photographs over his lengthy career (he’s now in his mid-90s), and he selected these 56 to showcase the western US, both in its beauty and its flaws. A nice pamphlet guides the viewer through each photograph, although the writing style is a bit strange, with very short sentences that often don’t flow very well. C’est la vie, it’s a photography exhibit, not a literary review!

The Presidio Officer’s Club, like most things in the SF Presidio, isn’t particularly easy to find, but I’d highly recommend checking out this exhibit while it’s still here – the price (free) is certainly right, and its a great perspective.

Exhibit Website (although the exhibition site doesn’t say so, the show has been extended through mid-September)

After a tasty breakfast at the Sea Breeze Cafe, we drove to the Legion. As we passed by Sutro Heights Park, Sarah saw a woman in the jewelry classes she’s taking, also on her way to the show via the bus, so we gave her a ride. This turned out to be a good thing, as the Legion of Honor (and the De Young Museum) are free during the month of May for any customers of Bank of America or MBNA and one guest. With Sarah’s MUNI Fast Pass, we got a $2 discount on the other ticket, so all told, 3 admissions cost us only $8!

Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker”

The show features some staggeringly beautiful and finely-crafted jewelry from the turn of the 20th Century through recent times. I definitely preferred the Art Nouveaux and early Deco pieces. Some of these by Lalique were simply breathtaking! It’d difficult to imagine how long it took to construct some of these detailed works, and also difficult to get one’s head around the sheer quantity of diamonds and other precious stones incorporated. Sarah was particularly impressed, since she’s 1 week into an 8-week, full-time, intensive jewelry-making school.

Sculpture at the Legion of Honor

Since we paid nearly nothing to get in, we didn’t feel the need to visit the other galleries at the Legion; although they have many fine works, we went through the whole museum a few months ago when they had a (very good, but crowded) Monet exhibit.

Land’s End, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, has trailheads right next to the Legion of Honor, and we decided to have a little hike in this, one of my very favorite places in San Francisco to hike.

Right off the bat I saw a Western Kingbird (LIFER) perched atop a tree. Naturally, I didn’t have my SLR with me, so couldn’t get a photo of it. Too bad, since it was close by and in good light! In the Lincoln Park golf course green were Western Scrub-Jays, Brewer’s Blackbirds, and American Robins, foraging in the grass.

A busy bee on a non-native Iceplant

We walked down El Camino del Mar a short ways to the signed junction with the Coastal Trail. The NPS has been doing a lot of work on the trails in this area recently, most of it for the better, and there are now nice signs with the directions to the Presidio, Golden Gate Bridge, Cliff House, and other nearby attractions.

Going west on the Coastal Trail, we enjoyed great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, and closer in, China Beach, Baker Beach and the densely wooded hills of the Presidio.  Brown Pelicans soared overhead, along with a lone Red-tailed Hawk, and while looking at a gull on the ocean, I spotted a pair of Pigeon Guillemots next to it.  We climbed a few stairs, then descended many (this walk is by far easier the way we did it, rather than the opposite way, due to these stairs!) and soon came to the spur trail to Land’s End.

Mile Rock “Beach”

Land’s End is one of my favorite places in San Francisco; situated on the very northwestern tip of the peninsula, it has great views north across the Golden Gate to Marin Headlands, as well as nice vistas of the bridge, and a small rocky beach. There’s also a low stone labyrinth that’s fun to walk – although only a few inches tall, it’s large enough to require a couple of minutes to get through. To get there, you walk down at least a hundred steps to a small plateau, from which you can continue down another dozen or so stairs to the (very rocky) beach, or go around the plateau to a nice vista. Today we did the latter.

The center of the labyrinth at Land’s End

On Mile Rock a short ways offshore, there were a few dozen Brant’s Cormorants, and at least one Pelagic Cormorant that I identified only when it took off and showed its dual flank patches.  Land’s End is often quite windy, however, and today was no exception, so after I walked the labyrinth and we took in our fill of the views, we trudged back up the dreaded stairs and continued west on the Coastal Trail until it meets a spur trail by the VA Hospital, which took us back to the parking lot at the Legion of Honor.

This is a wonderful little walk that I’ve done many times and look forward to returning to again and again – it’s a “must-do” for any nature-loving visitor to San Francisco IMO!

Birds seen (12 species):

- Brandt’s Cormorant
- Brewer’s Blackbird
- Brown Pelican
- Common Raven
- Pelagic Cormorant
- Pigeon Guillemot
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Rock Pigeon
- Western Gull
* Western Kingbird
- Western Scrub-Jay