Foot Soldiers WW1

There are many many many reasons why I adore my boyfriend. One of my favorites is how he gets as excited about history as I do. So, last weekend as we were taking a lovely walk in the lovely spring sun we passed a poster for an exhibition of photographs from anonymous foot soldiers from World War I our faces lit up and we both knew how we'd be spending the next hour.

The photos were touching. I expected to see a lot of photos with young men lined up and posed. However, the bright-eyed young men looking out at me from a time and a place I can hardly fathom were natural and authentic. There were images of camp sites, villages, military drills, coffees with friends as well as the more stark reminders of war such as charred churches and fallen comrades.

The exhibit groups photos according to themes. The opening photos all pertain to the daily life of the foot soldiers. The next grouping was photos of artillery used by the foot soldiers. Slowly, as the exhibit drew in the viewer, the groupings took on darker themes. There were a few "before and after'' photos of villages ravaged by the war.

Each photo was a reminder of how far we humans have come and how incredibly far we still have to go in our growth towards peace, harmony and respect.


www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle/calendar-of-prague-castle-actions/74.shtml

Monkeying Around

Did you know that according to the Forbes list of best zoos in the world, Prague Zoo ranks number 7?! And it's really no wonder, once you've visited the never ending parade of pavilions, habitats and exhibitions. Even in the drizzle of spring, we spent nearly 4 hours wandering through lions and tigers and bears...oh, my!

http://www.zoopraha.cz/en

Swan Lake

There are millions of little things I love about living in Prague. I could sing her praises endlessly. But I'll limit this entry to praising just one thing I love: Amazing theater performances at economical prices.

Going to the National Theater is always a treat. The grand 19th century building stands on the river beckoning passers by to come catch an earful of some transporting tune from Bach or Smetana. SO when the opportunity came my way to get tickets for the performance of Swan Lake, I didn't let it pass me by.

The music was beautiful, the scenery was nicely done, the choreography was exceptional (as you can read in the link below)...but the highlight for me was watching in amazement at the things these dancers could do with their bodies. The movements, the flexibility, the quickness; it all left me in awe of the human form.



http://www.praguepost.com/print/743-dusting-off-a-classic.html

http://www.narodni-divadlo.cz/Default.aspx?jz=en