As readers of my older posts know, I always find the small European washing machines a bit hard to decipher, especially when written in Czech. A little Google translation led me to discover that the Gorenje machine doubles as a dryer. The wash cycle was two hours and the dry cycle was three in this very energy-conscious continent. I’m glad I got an early start.

After throwing the clothes in the dryer cycle, I decided that this was a museum day, so I walked over to the Malostranská metro station for the quick ride to the Muzeum station. I didn’t want to navigate through masses of umbrellas.

There was a long line to get into the National Museum, so I checked their website and saw that they had automated ticket machines, so I walked right in and had my ticket in 30 seconds. I suppose tourists are afraid to use the automated version.

The special exhibition was “Baroque Art and Life in Bohemia and Bavaria” and it was well curated.

Here are some of the works on display plus information in English:

The third floor held a permanent natural history and rocks and minerals collection. There were thousands of minerals. I could’ve spent an hour there.

Finally, the second floor had a gallery devoted to the decade of the 1950s, during the most totalitarian period of Communist rule.

I decided to trek up the big hill and walk through the Nový Svět neighborhood in the rain and have a very late lunch at a charming bistro that I noticed on Sunday; but, alas, it was closed. So I popped into a surprisingly good local Czech place instead.

Rainy days are good for museums and churches, the latter of which Prague has a countless number, generally of the Baroque variety. Like Wagner’s operas though, a little bit of Baroque goes a long way. Nonetheless I decided to enter the Loreto monastery, a place I’ve photographed and walked past both this week and in 2021.

I forgot what a big thing relics once were. From fingers to fingernails, from bones to shriveled feet, the number of these macabre fragments, often encased in gold or crystal, boggles the mind. The Loreto’s small museum was worth the visit. I even left an amusing note in the guestbook. When I was on my way out, it had already closed and the sextant unlocked the gate for me.

I imagine the last exhibit would induce excitement in some quarters, not necessarily of the penitential sort.

From Nový Svêt I got a nice pic of the distant St Vitus Cathedral before popping into the Baroque Church of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help.

I’ll probably hang around the neighborhood tonight since I fly back tomorrow. At least I’m leaving at a civilized hour!