[Prague] Runners gonna run

Like all humans, I spend my day doing things. Some of those things are a pain (debugging topping the list) and some of them give me great pleasure, many actually. Topping the list are travelling, running and of course writing.

There is nothing special about running. You just have wear fancy running gear, then one foot in front of the other you try to go as fast possible, aimlessly stamping until you get back to where you started. In the end, you are back to square one with nothing to show for it except maybe sore muscles. Utterly pointless, right? I know there are gazillion reasons why running is good, but the real reason I run is because I like to aimlessly wander, something I can afford to do being an early riser.

It was sensible to stop running while travelling for many reasons. First, for the obvious reason that you have to actually know your way around before you wander. If you are determined enough, you use Google Maps and Street View to plan your route beforehand. A task that naturally takes low priority when you have to think about more urgent matters like catching your flight, planning things to see, food, internet etc. Even if you have been proactive enough to plan your route before, like your primitive ancestors, you are at the mercy of the weather. My plan was to stop running for the time I was travelling but I felt an itch every time a runner passed by. So that’s how I found myself being the crazy tourist running in the European winter.

I woke up to fine weather on my second day in Praha. It was chilly but not too cold. It had rained the previous day but there was no sign of rain for the next few hours. The roads were calling my name and I replied.

The first few steps are difficult, so much internal conflict going on. What if I got lost in the middle of nowhere? What if it starts to rain again? Just imagine the comfort of your bed instead … All the voices stop once I see the river, there is something about running over water that keeps me coming for more. As I cross the Vltava river, my mind, like my feet, begin to wander.

The world on the other side of the river is not so different. Lots of McDonalds, ATM’s, shops, and corporate offices. I pass by the Google office quietly appreciating how much Google Maps has saved my life lately. I pass by the Andel tram station, I see people getting on with their daily life, a life I dearly long for, after living on the go for a month. I cross the pavements to observe merchants opening their shops waiting to receive Czech Korunas (CZK). The Czechs may not like it but I appreciate how cheap Prague compared to Western Europe.

I proceed North thinking of meaning of life and existence. I passed by the Church of our lady victorious which houses the statue Infant Jesus of Prague.  It is believed that it belonged to St. Teresa of Avila, it has been from amongst Nobility and now attracts countless devotees. This reminds me that I’m in Prague, probably for the last time, the meaning of life can wait.

 

Church of our lady victorious

Infant Jesus of Prague

My legs are getting sore from the uphill battle but the view is a consolation. I pass by St. Nicholas church; a baroque church that stands out from miles away. I admire the architecture, pondering how religion inspired people to create masterpieces. I see the magnificent Prague Castle from afar, I make it a point to prioritize visiting it in the day.

 

St. Nicholas Cathedral

By this time, I’m sore, but the grandiosity before me is enough to distract me. It could be the river, but I’m sure it is the bridge, the one and only Charles Bridge of Prague. I had seen it last night but the crowd of tourists deterred my appreciation for it.

On Charles Bridge the previous night

One of the stone towers protecting the bridge

The bridge was commissioned by King Charles IV, the first King of Bohemia to be a Roman Emperor, the same King behind Charles University, Charles Square, Charles Castle etc. Construction began in 1357, to replace the wooden Judith bridge that was destroyed by floods. Being the first bridge made of stone, up until 1870, it was known as the Stone Bridge. Adding to its appeal are the 3 bridge towers protecting it and not 1 or 2 but 30 statues of Saints.

Charles Bridge by night

The Bridge by day

Running by the statues feels holy and ancient. I feel special just having the bridge to myself and perhaps 1 other runner and 1 photographer.  The runner greets me, I reply with an enthusiastic “Morning”, We exchange smiles, smiles expressing the excitement of meeting fellow a.m. wanderers.

 

statues by night

Statue of St John of Nepomuk at the bridge

The Cross at the bridge

I look at my phone and its 5:50 am, the astronomical clock show is enough excuse to route me to the Old Town Square. I arrive with a few minutes to spare to find 5 other eager people. I take the time to of course catch my breath then watch the show for probably millionth time. It strikes me that this is the work of engineers and I’m lucky to be one. I feel special again to watch it in a small crowd.

The clock

As I make my way back “home”, I pass by shops of Old Town. The puppet shops draw my attention, because it is a typical Czech entertainment. I pass by a truck, the driver and passenger cheer me on. I smile back.

Prague puppets

I come across a street that I have passed before but this time I notice a hanging statue. It amazes me how much we miss out on when its noisy and overcrowded, especially when our minds are crowded.

 

The statue I hadn't noticed before.

In a few lapses, I arrive at my hostel. From the outside I look like a mess, I’m sweating and freezing at the same time. I just went 6 km round a circle, to return, with not even a selfie to show for it. Thanks to endorphins, I feel different on the inside: I have meditated, appreciated, connected and cleared my head. It is going to be a great day.

  

Telling the time in Praha

Fast forward to 2117 when space and time travel is another past time. You treat yourself to a spontaneous trip leaving the destination to fate. In a few seconds you find yourself, in the middle of what looks like a small and very unfamiliar city. The only thing you are sure of is that its 1918 because everyone is talking about Germans losing the big war. Otherwise, you are completely clueless. The sun is out so it has to be summer and that’s as much about the time that you can deduce.

Luckily you have landed on a public square surrounded by an old church, a town hall, food stalls and lucky for you, a gigantic clock. Unlike the wall clocks you are used to, this one is an astronomical clock: a fancy clock with special mechanisms and dials to display extra astronomical information like the relative positions of the sun, moon, zodiacal constellations major planets. Everyone else on the square is attentively looking at it, as if waiting for the second coming, you on the other hand are struggling to even tell the time. This sounds like an excuse to speak to someone so you spot a kind looking lady and start the conversation with the one question that is never awkward to ask. “Excuse me, do you know what time it is?”. She looks at you, perplexed on the absurdity of asking the for time when the clock is right in front of you. Being the kind person that you thought she was, she reserves her comments and lets the conversation flow.

Lady(L): ”Yes , Its 11:50 am madam, Are you new here?”, she responds in an inviting tone

You(Y): “Speaking English, can’t read the clock, I sure am new here. Just arrived actually and I’m already fascinated by the clock. There is a lot going on with it, can you please tell me how you read it?”

L: “It’s pretty easy actually ignore the status, you tell the time from the first dial, the astronomical dial and the day from the second dial, the calendar dial.”

Y: “Not sure if I’ll find it easy but continue, I’m listening.”

L: “First notice the stationary background of the Astronomical Dial. At the centre is a map of the Earth pinning Praha at the centre. Those colored rings surrounding the earth represent the current sun light; the bottom dark circle is night time (7), the orange to the left is day break (5), the grey to the left is sunrise (4), the blue on the top is daytime (2), the grey on the right is sunset and the orange on the right is twilight approaching night time. These rings move throughout the year as seasons change.

.

You can also see the Moon (11) along the Zodiac Ring (13). It has a black and white half to show the current cycle of the Moon. It spins around the clock as it does around the earth.”

Y: “What about that Golden star (6) on that arm?”

L: “Good question, the small Golden Star shows the position of the Northern spring equinox. If you read the Roman numeral it points to on the outer ring you get the Sidereal time. You know about sidereal time, right?”

N: I’ve heard of it, but I’m not conversant.

L: “It’s basically another time keeping system that can precisely locate celestial objects

The Zodiac Ring also moves so that as sun goes counterclockwise around it, it marks the current position in the Zodiac year.”

Y: “You make it sound very easy, by the way, how do you read the current time?”

L: “Ha! I should have started with that. On the edges the of the Astronomical Dial the ring of Roman Numerals shows the Modern 24 Hour Clock (1), set to Central European Time.  Follow the Golden Hand (9) to see the current time on the standard 24-hour clock.

You can also read Ancient Bohemian Time from the ring with Shwabacher numerals (8). Ancient Bohemian time was set on unequal hours. It differs from modern hours in that the day started at sunset and that even though the day was made of 12 hours, the length of each hour changed with the length of day. The Shwabacher numerals on the clock also rotate to keep the end of day in line with sunset which normally between between 4-8pm.

Read the position of the Golden Sun in relation to the Golden Arch Lines on the background and you get the Ancient Bohemian time. You will also notice that the Arch Lines at the top are numbered from Sunrise on the left to Sunset on the right.”

Y: “So it’s basically moving rings and arrows synchronized to celestial body movements.”

L: “You can say that.”

Y: “Cool, what about the second dial?”

L: “The calendar dial is less complicated. On the outer ring are days of the year, with the current day on top. The inner ring has the 12 Zodiac symbols that were used before 2012. These symbols line up with the days on the outer ring. Finally, at the center is the Court of arms of Old Town Prague.

Luckily you are just in time for the best part. Watch...”

You then realize what everyone was waiting for. The skeleton starts ringing the bell, the surrounding wooden statues, respond showing reluctance. The windows open and one by one, 12 holy looking figurines pass from the first window to the second window. You figure they must be the 12 apostles. When the apostles finish their journey, the golden cockerel at the top crows and quivers its wings, the bell rings and the clock strikes the hour, 12:00 noon. Once the show is finished, everyone claps and disperses to their less dramatic lives.

Y: “That was pretty cool. Thank you so much for your time and patience. It is very kind of you.”

L: “You are welcome. By the way, where are you from?”

Y: “Geographically from Mars, chronologically from 2117 (pause initiated by her perplexed look again). It’s a long story”

L: “Well, strange foreigner, welcome to Praha, I hope you enjoy your stay here.”

Y: Thanks, I already have.

With such a mind-boggling introduction, you realize fate was on your side when you were routed to Prague or rather Praha as the Czech’s call it.

Back to 2017 …

I would like to believe time travel will be a reality in the future but in the meantime, the hypothetical story above sums up my encounter with the astronomical clock of Praha, otherwise called the Orloj. It is the third oldest astronomical clock and the oldest one still operating.  This grand masterpiece has been put together piece by piece, over centuries. The astronomical dial was installed in 1410 by the clockmaker Mikulas of Sadan. The calendar dial was added in 1490 followed by the wooden statues surrounding the astronomical dial in the 17th century: Historians are still debating whether it was 1629 or 1659).

Vanity and Miser

Skeleton and Turk

 These statues represent the elements that were believed to be problem areas of the city in the medieval times These elements are Death represented by a skeleton, Vanity represented by a man admiring himself in the mirror, the Miser represented by the man with a bag of gold and Lust represented by the Ottoman Turk, since Ottoman empire was a real threat at the time. Every hour, the skeleton rings the bell to remind city of death, the end of vanity, miser and lust. That explains why these 3 statues respond by shaking their heads in reluctance. To make it even more dramatic, the apostles were added in 1787-1791. In 1805, statues of the people of a chronicler, an angel, an astronomer and a philosopher were added around the calendar dial. Unlike their upper counterparts they are immobile and they represent virtues, not fears.

Chronicler and angel

Astronomer and philisopher

The last addition to the collection was the golden cockerel that was added in a repair done in 865-1866. 

golden cockerel

Such a spooky masterpiece is not without legends. It was previously believed that the master clockmaker Hanuš was its first constructor, the city council blinded him so that he wouldn’t repeat his creation. In anger, he disabled it, leaving it dysfunctional for the next 100 years. We know it was a historical mistake but had it been true, the city would suffer even more consequences. According to another legend, the city is doomed if it neglects the clock long enough to jeopardize its operation. The skeleton of death nods its head to confirm this. The only way out of the doom is a boy born on New Year’s night. The boy is supposed to perform the impossible feat of running out of the Tyn Church, across the whole square to the city hall and he has to arrive before the strike of the last hour, mind you this must soon after birth. If the legend is true, then it explains why the Czechs are fighting to keep the clock running. It has been repaired countless times and the statues are well protected in cages and constantly restored. In another legend, whoever tries to destroy the machine will be cursed to death or insanity.

There are alternative legends where the skeleton is a sign of hope. Above the clock are two windows where the 12 apostles pass. Before the apostles were added the windows used to lead to the jail for noble men. One day a knight who was imprisoned there was waiting for his execution. He looked out the window to see a sparrow imprisoned in the skeleton as it flew by and the skeleton closed its jaws. The sparrow waited for an hour before the skeleton opened its jaws again. The knight took this as a sign of hope which eventually led to his release.

The clock clearly means a lot to the Czechs. In addition to the attention it receives, what makes the clock even more interesting are the people who chose to ignore it. A notable example is a smart German man who came to live in Prague in 1600-1612, after an invitation from the famous Tycho Brahe. While everyone stopped to watch the hourly show, Kepler looked up to the stars. This is because the clock is based on the assumption that the sun revolves around the earth but Kepler, having studied, Copernicus’s theory knew better. As a result, he came up with the Kepler’s laws of Planetary Motion in 1619, building the foundation for lsaac Newton, Albert Einstein among other notable physicists.

That pretty much sums up my encounter with the Orloj. Congratulations if you have read to this far, this article is not only long but covers Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy, History, Geography, Politics and Engineering just from one machine. Underneath the glamour and entertainment is a clock that doesn’t tell the time but the age of time itself.

Once you get used to it, you start seeing its flaws like the irrelevance of the statues, ancient time and egocentrism. It might be a wise to be skeptical like Kepler, but while you are still fascinated, watch it as it strikes the hour, re-watch it and if you are in Praha for a while, make it a routine to watch it. Perhaps you’ll appreciate the universe, or make friends of fellow observers, or simply get a break, either you’ll be winning.

Of course when you leave Praha, get the most memorable souvenir.

Till next time!

[Brussels] ..On Chocolate and Capitalism

chocolate speculoos

Chocolate is good, it tastes good and a healthy dose of it feels good. It's so good that we find ourselves craving it at odd hours of the night. The modern economy has made it so easy to satisfy these cravings because unlike our forefathers we don't have to plant food to have it, the minimum effort required is just a few taps on your phone and it magically appears on your front door. All things considered, have you thought about how chocolate came to be? 

Europe has the biggest chocolate brands in the world, which is why chocolate was part of my agenda on the Euro tour. Since Switzerland and England were not part of my itinerary, Brussels seemed like a good alternative chocolate spot. In addition to chocolate, Belgian cuisine wasn't disappointing at all. It was here that I learnt that what we we call French fries should actually be called Belgian fries. Blame it on the American soldiers who during WWI who confusedly thought they were served fries in France, or perhaps blame it on geography, Belgium and France are pretty close. Either way I prefer French fries.
In addition to fries, we owe the Belgians for a lot of other foods that your doctor forbids:  Belgian waffles, speculoos, stoemp (mashed potatoes), and of course Belgian chocolate just to name a few. 

Speaking of chocolate, Belgium joins Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Italy and France as one of the biggest chocolate exporters. Little does it mean that chocolate originated from Europe. In fact, if Christopher Columbus hadn't crossed the Atlantic, chocolate wouldn't be the same as we know it today. We owe the treat to the tribes of MesoAmerica who about 4000 years were first to domesticate cocoa beans. Even though we associate chocolate with sweet, cocoa beans are very bitterand chocolate was served as a bitter liquid, mixed with spices, wine, or corn puree. It was regarded as a drink of the gods, some tribes believed gods shed their blood on cocoa pods giving it its color, others believed a god named Quetzacoatl was condemned by other gods for sharing cocoa with mortals. The legends may differ but it is clear that chocolate was a respected drink used as an aphrodisiac and to replenish strength. 

In the 16th century, when Christopher Columbus and other Spanish explorers arrived in America, they couldn't help but notice the sacredness by which cocoa was harvested and chocolate was prepared and served. Soon enough it became their favorite drink that they enthusiastically brought it home, of course after adding sugar. Europeans went crazy over it that it somehow justified slave trade and colonization of America and Africa. In 1847, Joseph Fry, a British chocolatier figured out how to make solid chocolate, taking its value to a new height.

The Belgians came across chocolate about 1650 when they were colonized by the Spaniards. They too fell in love with this drink that was reserved for nobility and the rich.Production  got better and cheaper in the 20th century when Belgium got Congo as a colony and Congo happened to be a huge cocoa producer. Thus began the rise of Belgian Chocolate by strict law terms means chocolate that is produced in Belgium. 

Belgian chocolate got more popular when a man named Jean Neuhaus arrived in Brussels from Switzerland in 1857. He set up a drug store near to the iconic Grand Place. You may be wondering how a pharmacy came one of the largest chocolate brands in the world, I did too. Neuhaus added chocolate shells to medicine to make it easier to swallow. The chocolate shells were so good that people started buying chocolates without the medicine, the rest is history. The trade ran in the family which eventually invented the praline and the ballotin. I had the opportunity to not only visit the shop but also get free samples to taste. I wasn't disappointed.

The hall leading to the shop

The original Neuhaus shop

 The next stop on my chocolate tour was the choco-story museum. I could feel it calling my name for so many reasons. Perhaps it was the convenient location close to the Grand Place or it was the 5 Euro student entry fee that gives you unlimited access to chocolate. Either way, it did get my attention and in I went. It too wasn't disappointing. I credit a lot of my knowledge on chocolate history and geography to it. Even more exciting was the chocolatiering class that was part of the visit.

Stumbling upon the musem

Spanish artifacts

Hot chocolate mugs of the old times

On a summer day, I would take the class in a group where I probably wouldn't hear a thing or even take any picture, instead I got a personal class; one of the perks of travelling in winter is there are fewer tourists and sometimes like this one, you will be the only one. The teacher told me everything I needed to know about Belgian chocolate or at least what I could glean in 45 minutes. He demonstrated how he makes different shapes out of molten chocolate, the composition of his chocolate and of course how hard it is to eat a healthy amount of chocolate when you work with it daily. After the class, I also got to taste (for almost free) the truffles he made. 
This my friend is how I had 20Euros worth of Belgian chocolate for 5Euros.

A chocolate Manneken Pis!

Chocolate class

yum truffles!

choco-mushrooms

choco-masks

Free chocolate tasting!

I enjoyed the chocolate, but I was still feeling unease. Here I was in a western country which prides itself in the chocolate business, making billions every year, but here is the catch, they don't actually produce cocoa.  As a matter of fact, if you google world's largest cocoa producers you will get a list of countries like Ivory Coast, Ghana and Brazil none of which are in Europe. The reality is, farmers in the producing countries are at the mercy of volatile world markets, sometimes resorting to slave labor to keep things afloat. I had one of those moments where I imagined an alternative Africa in which perhaps colonialism operate in the opposite direction. How much better life would be. I know I'm not alone because many African travelers are hit with that moment and I hope if we keep the conversation going one day we will make the alternative Africa.

I have been writing this post drinking Nestle hot chocolate. I realize why it was regarded a deity drink. I feel good, not just because Phenylethylamine is running through my veins but because unlike in Brussels I'm hopeful about Africa's future. There may be no clear cut solutions to our problems but we have passionate people and that is usually enough to bring change.  

Have a great week ahead!

The essence of Brussels

Every city has an essence,  the basic foundation underneath every architecture, history and conversation. In New York, that's freedom, in Rome it's romance, in Paris, fashion, in Johannesburg commerce, you get the point. Locals usually can't consciously pin point what it is but a foreigner will always smell it. 

Brussels, being 3 hours away from Paris, was part of my itinerary. It had all the characteristics of a Western European city, a well-defined transport system, paved streets beautiful architecture, supermarkets, lots of good and cheap restaurants especially of Eastern Cuisine, rainy November weather and lots of tourists. It takes a bit of effort to get past the superficial camouflage but when you do, you are in for a treat.

A bit of  walking around the Bruxelles commune and perhaps a free walking tour will lead you to confectionery shops that sell truly Belgian treats particularly 'gaufre de Liège-Luikse wafel' (Belgian waffles), Couque de Dinant (sweet biscuits), Speculoos (ginger bread biscuits),  La Dame Blanche(hot fudge sundae) and so much more.

Belgian Speculoos

If you speak neither Flemish nor French nor German you will have a hard time like I did as the Belgians are not letting go of their past colonizer's languages anytime soon. If you are accompanied with a true local you will get a panoramic view of the city not from some tourist tower but a quite ordinary parking lot, You will be amazed by the beautiful 300 year old buildings at Grand Place whose illumination make for even better pictures at night.

Grand Place

Guild Halls

Saint Michel on top of the City Hall

Guild halls of the Grand Place, grand aren't they?

Mimicking statues and paintings can be quite addictive

A statue you can rub for goodluck 

In a church

Brussels from a parking lot

In the midst of wanderlust you will start to get into the spirit of Brussels once you see the statues. You'll probably see many statues of children or dogs in not-so-public poses.

What's with Belgian and public excretion?

It will truly sink in when you come across the landmark statue of the city. It is not some grand statue of some famous person but one of unnamed naked boy urinating into a pool. That will be the Manneken Pis which does a great job at capturing the irreverent spirit of Brussels. 

The grand Manneken Pis

Couldn't mimick the boy

The are hundreds of legends attached to the statue. Some believe that a boy named Julianske who seeked refuge in a tree found urinating to be an effective way to drive away troops. Others believe that a wealthy merchant visited the city and had his boy missing. He commissioned a search party who later found him urinating in a garden, the merchant built the statue to say thank you to the city. Either way this 400 year old statue captures the motto of the city, 'Be ever playful'. Just as the statue of liberty  symbolizes freedom, the Manneken Pis symbolizes play. This motto is taken very seriously that a female conterpart, the Jeannekke Pis was constructed in 1987 not only for gender equality but to also symbolize tenderness.

The Jeannekke Pis is caged for security

Once again I couldn't mimick the statue

The Manneken Pis has drawn much attention over the years that it has been stolen several times. The soldiers of King Louis XV of France started the record, so much upsetting the city that King Louis donated a medal of honor and a custome for the statue. This initialized a tradition of dressing the boy up, a tradition taken very seriously that it has become very competitive for a custome to be accepted, keeping the boy happily dressed throughout the year. 

Later that day I went to visit the City Museum where I found the Manneken Pis clothed in national attire of different countries. Excuse the camera quality, the statues are inside glass cages and I was rushed since the museum was about to close.I was happy to find South Africa and a couple of other African countries made the cut.

City Museum treasures

Mexican

South African

African costume that made the cut

I stayed in Brussels for a little over 36 hours but it was memorable. It is true that adulthood requires lots of effort and strength but it is even more important to have fun while at it. 

Playing in the rain