There is a legend here about a creature called Golem. On the north side of the old town is a large Jewish quarter (where our dear Franz Kafka was born and died). Golem is essentially a Jewish Frankenstein - made by a Rabbi, not a scientist. Some say his body is hidden somewhere still in the area, the basement of this synagog, the attic of another, the Rabbi's former home -who knows, really.
This and many other interesting and gruesome things Josie and I learned on our free walking tour of Prague last week. (There are actually the remains of a theif's hand hanging in one of the churches, right up there on the wall. They say Mary, from whom he was trying to sneak some jewelry, grabbed his hand and then froze again leaving no option but to chop it off. I guess it was the priest's idea, though, to hang it on the wall for all to see, for generations.)
Maybe I should mention again how beautiful Prague is. Better when it's not raining, which it has been doing a lot of these last few days. On my first day on the town I read a quote by Kafka saying something about this 'Old Crone, Lady Prague' having a hold on him and not letting go. I think I could say the same at the moment. After a number of attempts to leave, or make plans to leave, I am still here, with no set plan on how I'm going to leave.
