Architecture

It's no secret that I am no architecture whiz.

In a city like Prague, that offers a dazzling array of architectural delights, this lack of skill is a major handicap. Sure, I can easily suss out the difference between Soviet architecture and everything else, but other than that I'm a bit at a loss.

This is what I do know.

The old town of Prague is like a sketch stolen out of a fairy tale. I can't tell you what century the cute shops and homes were built in, what era the Prague Castle or the Charles Bridge hail from, but when I think of "once upon of time," this is the setting that I imagine.

I also know that films like Amadeus and others that depict early days in Vienna or Berlin are often filmed in Prague as the city has managed to preserve its most historic creations through years of war and modernization.



I know that the new town of Prague has breathtaking examples of art nouveau and art deco architecture. As well as some post-modern buildings, like the Dancing House by starchitect Frank Gehry.

And when I went to the symphony this evening to hear the Czech Christmas Mass, even though I didn't have the vocabulary to talk about it, I was swept away by the grand staircases, the high arched ceilings, the matted drawings on the wall, and the general Old World glamour of it all.