When your Fitbit calls you a "Step-geek"...

Snapped this on one of my evening walks.

So, my Fitbit called me a Step-geek after my tour on Saturday (see my last blog post). I clocked in over 21 000 steps. Here's what I got up to after the Bone Chapel:

The Statue of Saint John of Nepomuk

The Queen of Bohemia would meet with Saint John once a week without fail and would never miss an appointment. King Wenceslaus started to grow suspicious of his wife's behaviour. He decided to torture Saint John to find out her secrets. What sins was she committing that she had to confess so regularly? Was she having an affair? Was she having one with Saint John?

John was tortured by the King, put inside a wooden box and thrown into the river Vltava. Before he touched the water, angels swooped down from heaven and carried him away. That night, 5 new stars appeared in the sky. And that is why the statue of Saint John will always have a halo of 5 stars. 

You can find another statue of Saint John of Nepomuk on Charles Bridge.

The statue is located right outside of the cemetery
which surrounds the Bone Chapel. 

Saint Barbara's Church

Saint Barbara (circled) with her book
and tower, with 3 windows.

Barbara's father wanted to keep the wealth in the family. So, he locked his daughter in a tower, with only two windows. She read lots of books during her time there, including those about Christianity, and decided that it was the religion for her. Barbara wanted to become a Catholic.

She asked her father if she could build a third window, because of the importance of the number 3 in Christianity (the Holy Trinity). Nowadays this wouldn't seem like such an unreasonable request, but her father was furious! 

He dragged her to the Romans to be tortured, but this wasn't enough for him and he decided to decapitate his own daughter. I'd like to think that my dad wouldn't chop off my head if I asked for another window! 

This depressed looking guy, in the red tights,
is about to be punished for stealing.

(Left) A fresco on the wall of St Barbara's Church. Thieves were punished with the same hammer used for imprinting on coins. The thieves had to hold the coins in place, while the workers knocked them. Of course the workers didn't have perfect aim and the thieves' fingers seldom got away unscathed. If you were lucky enough to walk out of there with all of your fingers, you wouldn't even think about stealing again!

(Right) An 18th century wooden statue of a miner. Note the black leather apron tied around his waist. It was used for sliding down the mine-shafts and to kneel on.

Typically, miners would work 6 days a week and 14 to 16 hours a day. Naturally, they lived short lives. So, the church convinced them to donate their money to the church when they died. This is actually how they were able to build Saint Barbara's Church.

Barbara is the patron saint of miners. Legend has it that Saint Barbara saved a miner who was trapped underground, after he prayed to her profusely.








These next two weren't part of the tour, but I did it on the same day... Okay, no wonder I'm a "Step-geek".

On the way to the wall...

John Lennon Wall

Today, at the wall, you'll find young people getting drunk off beer and rolling a joint, but after the death of John Lennon, it was a means of expressing dissatisfaction with the communist regime.

Černý at it again

David Černý is a Czech sculptor known for his controversial work. For example, a giant, purple middle-finger pointed towards Prague Castle, put up right before the Czech elections.

I'm not sure what the meaning of these faceless crawling babies is, but you can find them climbing Žižkov Television Tower as well.

 

Faceless babies in Kampa Park, which is around the corner from the Lennon Wall. 

Met a delightful Italian man here who wanted his picture taken, while he kissed the baby's bottom. I saw the same man earlier, taking a video-selfie and pretending to conduct the band behind him (see the picture of the band above). What a lively man! 

Prague is a serious walking city. Just ask my poor geek-feet. The city really isn't that big, but a word of advice, watch out for Segways - it's the lazy man's mode of transport around Prague and they may just run you over. You have been warned!