The Charles Bridge

 

To stand on the Charles Bridge! Wow! Actually, it's not my first time but the first time I only was in the city about one day and barely remember any of it. So this felt like the first time and the Charles Bridge is a very cool place - just too bad that it is so stuffed with tourists that it's almost impossible to really enjoy the place.

Materials:

• Cardstock: Club Scrap Fiesta
• Font: Mom's Typewriter and Bradley Hand ITC

Journaling:

• English version:
  We continued to the Charles Bridge, the classic must-see in Praque. Even though it was kind of late, it was still swarming with tourists - not many street vendors though. The statues on the bridge are really great and the view amazing - but it's annoying with all those people! And to dark to take great pictures but we did get a few anyway, among these some of St. John of Nepomuk. It's said about him that if you touch the bronce plate beneath his statue, you will return to Praque. The plate is worn all shiny because of all the touching! St. John is guardian angel for the czech people and in 1393 he was dressed in armour by king Charles (whom the Charles Bridge is named after) and thrown from the bridge - according to legend 5 stars rose from the water when he hit it and followed him down the river and the five stars are now one of his symbols. The reason he was thrown from the bridge is not quite clear - one explanation is that he got involved in a strife between the king and the top leader of the church and when the king afterwards took revenge on some of the top leaders in the church - another juicier explanation is that the king got mad at him because he wouldn't reveal what the queen had said in confessions and then tortured him to death.
• Danish version:
  Vi fortsatte op til Karlsbroen, det klassiske must-see i Prag. Selv om klokken var forholdsvis mange, så var den stadig fyldt med turister – ikke så mange sælgere dog. Statuerne på broen er rigtig flotte og udsigten fantastisk – men belastende med alle de mennesker! Og for mørkt til at tage super billeder, men vi fik da snuppet et par stykker alligevel, blandt andet af St. John af Nepomuk – hvorom det siges, at hvis man rører ved bronzepladen under hans statue, vil man komme tilbage til Prag. Pladen er slidt helt blank! St. John er skytshelgen for tjekkerne, og blev af kong Karl IV (som Karlsbroen i parentes bemærket er opkaldt efter) i 1393 iklædt en rustning og smidt ud fra Karlsbroen – efter legenden steg 5 stjerner op af vandet, da han ramte det, og de fulgte ham ned ad floden og er nu et af hans kendetegn. Årsagen til, at han blev smidt ud fra broen er uklar – en forklaring går på, at han blev involveret i en strid mellem kongen og den øverste leder af kirken, og at kongen efterfølgende hævnede sig på nogle af kirkens topfolk, men den saftigere historie lyder på, at kongen blev sur på ham, fordi han ikke ville afsløre, hvad dronningen sagde i skrifte og så torturerede ham til døde.