Kim's Thoughts Today

Another incredible day. The city of Prague is full of walking malls and there are wide sidewalks with cafes.

We had a very interesting day with 2 other couples on our tour of Terezin. It was incredible to see the art and hear about the music and the plays which the children performed. Many of them who tried to get their drawings to the Red Cross were later imprisoned with the political prisoners in bleak conditions. Some of the children who survived became great artists, like the conductor of the Czech symphony orchestra.

The guide was very informative. She was with this company called Wittmann Tours. She gave us a lot of detail. Some of the children who survived returned to plant a tree at the cemetery in 1948.

Terezin is a strange place. Originally it was built by Franz Joseph for his mother Theresa to protect the Czechs from the Prussians. People still live in Terezin and in fact we saw a bicycle tour of people enjoying the sunny day. The people who work in the museums live in the town. It was bizarre.

Terezin was used as a propaganda site by the Germans. They brought reps into the camp to show off the model of how they treated the Jews. The Jews were elicited to make movies on their lives. They also performed for visitors. We saw original music scores and costumes and sets.

When we returned to Prague, we waited in the square with hundreds of tourists to watch the clock which has an elaborate parade of figures every hour. Mark took a video of it. Then we had a beer at a roof top terrace. It was lovely to see the Prague skyline.

You might be interested to know that our guide in Terezin today was involved in making a movie, called The Power of Good. It is about a British man, Nicolas Winton, who saved children through his "kindertransports." He was actually knighted as a result and the movie won best documentary in the Emmy awards. Wittmann Tours gave our guide use of their office for the interviews.

We had a lovely dinner in a courtyard. Whoever said the Czechs can't cook or is Mark simply capable of finding good food anywhere. We strolled for an hour along the river and saw tourist boats and drunk people whooping it up and then we joined the throngs in crossing the Charles Bridge. Once we got through the crowds on the narrower part due to construction, views of Hradcany castle were worthwhile.