Empires

Prague - Czechia

Prague is always a destination favorite with every traveler. What makes this city so appealing? I can state the usual: Castle, Old Town, Church, Museum with a big side of Jewish history, rebellious nature, beautiful river, constant change of government, architecturally diverse and historic buildings from Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque to Art Nouveau with a Frank Gehry design to round it out.

The Pope, back in the day, had the power to crown the Holy Roman Emperor. The newly crowned Charles IV chose Prague in 1346 as the Holy Roman Empire's new capital which lasted about 23 years. Charles IV wanted to make Prague the most beautiful city in the world and had a bit of loose change for his plans. Prague is a people pleaser with something for everyone.

History of rebellion runs deep in Prague. While protests and even student self-immolation weren’t successful in ending Communist rule in1968 during the Prague Spring, it was the Velvet Revolution in 1989, named due to it’s peaceful nature, that brought about the most dramatic change.

Marking the 50 year anniversary of the brutal killing of a student during the Nazi regime in 1939 and Inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, up to 500,000 people gathered jingling their keys as a sign of protest. Why keys? Everyone has a set, they make a noise and it symbolizes unlocking the doors for the Soviets to leave Prague.

Josef Švejk, the good soldier, a representation of authentic Czech identity represented in a book, The Good Soldier Svejk, by Jaroslav Hašek. Švejk was a simple-minded, good-humored soldier who often frustrated military authority. His photo is all over Prague representing the resistance against the foreign elites invading his country. Throughout the 20th century Czech citizens suffered multiple invasions, rulers and forms of government, even independence after the end of the Austro-Hungarian rule, then Nazi control, communism, and now democracy.

Prague boasts the largest castle in the world (largest coherent castle complex to be exact).

Youssef’s father served as Ambassador from Morocco to Poland and Czech Republic from 1967 to 1974, where he spent 3 months a year living in Prague to carry out his duties.

We found a hidden dungeon, castle close, to view some fire eating, torch juggling and a few belly dancers just like in the old empire days.

Bachelor parties are particularly attracted to this swinging city. Bath was the home of the hen do (bridal shower) but Prague takes first prize for stag parties. Too many male antics were on display with alcoholic testosterone fueled “Jackass” bravado.

The sculpture is a parody of Prague leadership astride their horse in the Lucerna Palace. David Černý, the artist, doesn't name the rider but some surmise it's King Wencelas. Černý's provocative statues dot the city.

The Prague tourist office certainly never tells people that there aren’t any specialities in Prague. The Charles Bridge is one of Prague's most picturesque sights.

Musically we landed in the middle of the Ethic and Minorities Dance Festival representing the finest musicians and dancers from Eastern Europe's empires and beyond right in St. Wenceslas Square.

When challenging an empire you must be prepared for the consequences. I spent some quiet time in Alexei Navalny’s prison cell, Russia’s most famous prisoner and the Kremlin’s most vocal critic.

The Navalny exhibit is touring Europe to raise awareness. It consists of a small concrete block marked SHIZO (punishment cell in Russian) and is the exact size of his cell. Alena and Vladimir were volunteers for the exhibit and my jailers who gladly locked me in. They told me during the day the bed is locked in the wall position so Navalny can not lay or sit on it.

Hamburg - Germany

Onward to Hamburg, starting point for my great grandfather's emigration to the US. Hamburg is a calculated progression on our journey as we wind our way northward by steel horse.

Hamburg, Europe's second most active port, is a tangled web of waterways with canals, rivers, parks, lakes and close to 2 seas. Historically a mercantile city producing wealth for its bourgeoise population of merchants and the German Empire.

Port districts were being regentrified from the salty sailor town of old. Very interesting architecture from Zara Hadid’s redesigned river promenade to Romanesque churches, art nouveau mansions and the Elbphilharmonic.

Hamburg is managing the ever changing delicate balance of destroying, updating, and improvements. Social activists are fighting uber regentrification to support a very welcoming refugee integration program and one of Europes' largest philanthropic centers.

The story I liked best about Hamburg philanthropy is Johanna Margretha Eding, a charitable lady who donated 850 marks to St. Jacob's church in 1762 for their promise to supply 12 sets

of medium quality knickers to 12 needy women each year. Johanna's endowment ran out long ago but the agreement St. Jacob's signed with her obliged them to gift the knickers each year "as long as the sun shines and the wind blows". Hurray for new knickers and Johanna's smart thinking.

Martin Luther, one of the main protagonists of the Reformation, is represented in Hamburg at St. Michaels Church. We were struck by St Nikolai's Church which was bombed and mostly destroyed, except for the spire, in 1943 by allied forces. It has been maintained as an artistic showcase for audio, video, photographic installations to remind people of the horrors of war. The seated sculpture is sitting on stones from Sanbostel POW camp.

It's not all ships and statues in Hamburg. There are numerous parks, my favorite being the Planten un Blomen.

I loved the Elbphilharmonic glassy design merging old and new. It resembles a hoisted sail, water wave, iceberg or quartz crystal resting on top of an old brick warehouse. We found last-minute concert tickets with a performance by the NDR Big Band and Wu Wei playing the Sheng, one of China's oldest instruments. The Sheng is a mouth blown reed instrument with typically 17 bamboo vertical pipes dating back to 1100 BCE.

Morocco - Marrakech and Casablanca

An offer we never refuse, a wedding in Marrakech.

What does Marrakesh conjure up for you? Is it the stories of caravans from Timbuktu & Niger, passing through this ancient center of trade, or perhaps Marrakesh Express a song written by Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1969?

For me, from the near and distant past it conjures up the Jemaa el-Fnaa market place with its exotic snake charmers and mischievous monkeys, the caleche giving the slow ride and the profile of the majestic Atlas mountains gorgeous when covered in snow.

Terra cotta structures contrasting with the clear blue skies, hard penetrating heat filtered through latticed wooden shade covers leaving designs that dance in the heatwaves.

Marrakech is all of that with an expanding new city and resorts that make for exotic and restive breaks for us from trains and luggage wrangling.

Morocco's dynasty existed long before the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires. It was united under Idrisid's Dynasty in 789, creating an indelible stamp of identity.

Morocco conjures up the cadence of the call of the muezzin to prayer that jolts and comforts at the same time, mint tea, cumin and spices flood the mind recalling previous experiences. Memory senses of smell, sound and taste are always reactivated upon entry.

Tea Service with fresh mint, black tea and sugar in the silver tea pot, stir and wait for the typical after-dinner drink, one of the classic Moroccan traditions.

But foremost Morocco is family. Something we miss the most in our gypsy lives. We basked in the warmth of Youssef's brother Dafir, his wife Naïma and sister Bahia.

Then there was the wedding and so many friends to see. The wedding was for Hisham (son of Youssef's best friend, Rachid) and Dounia. Hisham and Dounia exchanged their vows out in a Casbah in the Moroccan desert combining the traditional with the new.

Moroccan weddings have morphed into creative testimonies and performance love notes from the friends of the bride and groom along with Moroccan marriage traditions. Live bands and a good song to dance to and I'm off on my own dance marathon. I can’t stop, I won't stop until my feet tell me otherwise.

Returning to Casablanca the next day after our late night dance-a-thon, vendors line the road to sell coffee and tea out of the back of their trucks. Fruit vendors set up shop roadside with the freshest melons, figs, pears, tangerines, plums... making the short list on our next meal.

Dafir and Naima's home is another oasis of respite bidding us to relax and enjoy the fantastic meals prepared by Naïma and culinary chef Nana.

Les Poules à la pool.

Now we take leave and head North for our Nordic train adventures.