This year’s Christmas escape found me revisiting two cities in two countries – Dresden (after c.12 years) and Prague (after c.25 years). Two-centre holidays always seem longer, though not as long as a British Christmas / New Year!, and this was no exception. Photo’s first?
|
You are invited to view Gareth James’s photo album: Dresden & Prague 2012
|
The gorgeous Semper Opera gave us a musically fine Un Ballo in Maschera (sadly, with a production resembling a Glam Rock reunion concert) and a more appropriate Hansel und Gretel where both the music and the staging excelled. Add in some wanders around a Christmas market or three and even I was feeling a bit Christmasy, two days before we headed to Prague for Christmas itself.
Co-incidentally, I stayed in the same hotel as I did 25 years ago, but apart from the name and location, just about everything else had changed. The lovely Art Nouveau design had been beautifully spruced up and the staff now understood that those people wandering around were guests / customers with an expectation of service; such was the reality of communism.
The city was unrecognisable, but thankfully due to renovation rather than new building. It has lots of Art Nouveau and a visit to the Municipal House with its concert hall, restaurants and assembly rooms was simply glorious. We visited the gorgeous Estates Theatre which housed the world premieres of Mozart’s Don Giovanni and La Clemenza de Tito; it oozed historical significance and atmosphere. At the Klementinium, the baroque church and library were gob-smacking, as was the Church of St. Nicholas in the Lesser Town, one of the most OTT baroque buildings anywhere.
Like all other capital cities (except London) it doesn’t close down on Christmas Day, so we took in the Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral, a lovely lunch nearby and the ballet Giselle at the beautiful National Theatre, all of which added together to provide the perfect antidote to unwanted presents, over-cooked veg, the Queen’s speech, lots of TV and too many chocolates. Boxing Day provided yet another cultural highlight with Dvorak’s opera Rusalka, right where it belongs, in a beautiful production beautifully sung.
Though we ate well, we walked a lot of it off wandering through the Old Town, around Wenceslas Square and across Charles IV Bridge to the Lesser Town where the Wallenstien Palace is now the home of the senate and open on Boxing day for our visit!
One of my best Christmas trips, with good food and wine in fine company; what more can you ask for?
Gareth's Culture and Travel Blog 
Leave a Reply