Monday Exposure: Prague's astronomical clock

Prague's astronomical clock, the Orloj, puts on quite a show every day. The wondrous main clock, with four moving parts, was completed in 1410. Later generations have added moving figures, a "Walk of the Apostles," a crowing rooster, and a rotating calendar.

                    1          golden cockerel who crows at the top of the hour

                    1          bell in the clock tower which peals the hours

                    3          sets of mechanisms: the astronomical clock, the calendar clock, and the moving statues

                    3          celestial movements recorded: the Sun, the moon, and the ecliptic revolution of stars

                    4          parts of the astronomical clock which rotate: Sun, moon, outer ring of time, and Zodiacal ring

                    4          moving figures: Vanity (with mirror), a Jewish moneylender (with bag of gold), Death (as skeleton
                                with hourglass and ringing a bell), and a Turk (representing hedonism)

                    4          non-moving figures: a Chronicler, an Angel, an Astronomer, and a Philosopher

                  12          statues of apostles who parade at the doors above the clock every hour

                  12          signs of the Zodiac on the Zodiacal ring

                  12          months on the calendar dial

                  23.93     hours for a Sidereal day (i.e., time reckoned from the Earth's motion relative to the stars)

                  24          hours on the outer ring, with the "24" indicating the time of sunset (Old Czech time)

                  24          hours in Roman numerals (I–XII repeated twice) indicating modern Central European Time

                  24          hours in "Babylonian" time, with twelve hours for daylight (indicated by the curved blue lines on
                                the central dial) and twelve hours for nighttime, the length of each of the hours changing
                                depending upon the time of year

                  28          days of the lunar phase displayed on the clock's moon

                150          years the clock has been continuously repaired and regularly functioning (since 1866)

                365          days listed on the calendar dial, with the current day at the top

                606          years of age for the central astronomical clock

              1490          probable year the calendar was added

              1572          probable year of finish of repairs and perfection of mechanisms which remain largely intact and
                                in use today

              1948          year the clock was reconstructed after damage in World War II

Using the Roman numerals, you can see that I took this photo around 6:45 am. (I work hard for you people.) Using the curved inner sections with the Arabic numerals, you can see that this was the second hour of daylight. The four statues around the clock are, from left to right: Vanity; a Jewish moneylender; Death; and a hedonist Turk.

The calendar face has a rotating outer band with 365 days of the year. Meanwhile, the inner golden circle rotates for the months of the year. While the Astronomer and Philosopher stand to the right, the Chronicler and Angel had been taken away for repair and cleaning.

Two of the Apostles parade by, looking rather warlike with spear and sword.

Death turns his hourglass while the Turk strums his lute.

Every hour the crowds gather to watch the clock's show.

Like this? You might want to check out some further Monday Exposure posts:






Monday Exposure: Lysicrates Monument











Monday Exposure: Stirling Bridge









Monday Exposure: Michelangelo's Pietà

Monday Exposure: Dancing House in Prague

Prague's modern architectural masterpiece: the Dancing House.

In a city renowned for its abundance of medieval, Baroque, and Art Nouveau architecture, the completion of the "Dancing House" in Prague caused quite a stir.

The previous building was bombed by the United States at the end of World War II, and its rubble finally cleared in 1960. Václav Havel, a famed dissident during the nation's communist era, had lived in the building adjacent to the destroyed site since his childhood. Havel's neighbor, architect Vlado Milunić, suggested using the empty corner site for a building in two parts, as though in dialogue with each other.

After Havel became the Czech Republic's first president in late 1989, the project got off the ground. Milunić eventually secured the services of renowned Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, who designed the building in his inimitable style.

Gehry glibly nicknamed the building "Fred and Ginger," referencing dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Milunić, on the other hand, saw the building as a reflection of his nation's discourse as it left behind the totalitarian Communist regime and explored its new parliamentary democracy. According to Milunić, Gehry later had misgivings about importing a Hollywood theme to the Prague building.

Nowadays, most people refer to it as the Dancing House.

The eight-legged female figure leans in toward the male. Her steel and glass dress sweeps out from her. The male figure is more solid yet still light on his feet, with 99 individually-shaped concrete panels undulating its windows down the block. A steel mop of hair swings in the breeze atop his head.

The Dancing House, unfortunately, is not a home. Nor is it open to visitors. It serves, rather, as office space. However, an upscale restaurant occupies the top floor, offering fantastic views over the Vltava River toward Prague Castle in the distance.

Completed in 1996, the Dancing House was not instantly beloved. But now, two decades on, most residents and visitors acknowledge it as a late-20th century masterpiece. It is the newest gem in a treasure-trove of gorgeous Prague architecture.

The Dancing House overlooks the Vltava River in Prague.

Busy travel season

Tomorrow we set off for our latest adventure: the far north of Scotland. After an overnight stop in Inverness, we'll head up the eastern coast to the tippy-top of Britain; spend eight nights in the Orkney Islands; take a driving tour across the northern coast of Scotland; head down the northwestern coast with a couple of nights in Ullapool; and then (sadly) return home to Glasgow.

This trip has me so excited, I'm nearing the realm of euphoria.

We'll enjoy many boat rides among the islands of Orkney.

Trips like this keep me busy for weeks in advance. Planning, planning, planning. I'm a natural planner — or, at least, I was raised to be one — and that curse trait goes into overdrive when a trip is looming. Seriously, I spend hours upon hours upon hours researching where to go, what to do, events and festivals, housing, eating, photographing . . . and somebody slap me! or else I'll abandon all other activities.

{Ed.'s note: Like blogging, for example?}

Yup.

Besides our twelve-day excursion tomorrow, we've also been gallivanting around elsewhere. For example, we just returned last Friday from five days in Prague.

And a week before Prague, we spent a weekend in the southwestern Scottish borders.

Three weeks before that, we toured northeastern England for five days, visiting places like Durham, Bamburgh, and the holy isle of Lindisfarne. Even hiked a glorious stretch of Hadrian's Wall.

A month before that we were in Ireland, part of our three-week visit from Nana and Grampa Bill.

Next month, we'll likely fly off somewhere. Possibly more eastern Europe. Maybe somewhere warm. Perhaps even northern Africa. Must start researching, must buy guidebook(s), begin internet sear -

{Ed.'s note:

Thanks. I needed that.

Topping all the planning and traveling, we're in the midst of some professional and personal fermentation. All good stuff, but nonetheless time-consuming.

How's that for a teaser?

Hang tight, folks. I shall return soon soonish promptly eventually.