Not quite the normal for us but a recent four day city break in Prague certainly had me in awe of the architecture and also the very unexpectedly, the site of many dozens if not hundreds of street 'gas lamps'. Each single 'wall mounted' double and triple 'post mounted' lantern, boasting 6 individual mantels with a manual seesaw actuating lever. There appears to be a pilot on one side and a thermal coupling the other, presumably to prevent gas leaking after a flame out. My wife thought I was bonkers, I just thought they were wonderful....
The lamp lighter just pulls a lever..not quite as romantic as an old fashioned fire wielding variety . I'm also sure that they could have made the lamps automatic but Prague being the massive tourist attraction that it is, benefits from this traditional spectacle.
If you take one of the Prague boat tours you can also see some very fine wick lamps still lighting the way in the underground caverns. I would call them Argand lamps but there are other descriptions. Oh and just by the way - London still has gas lamps and a gas lighter. I think it is Westminster and in the vicinity of Parliament and the streets/parks thereabouts.
Yes, The King's Arms in Shepherds Market, Mayfair, used to be lit by gas, as did the street lamps in Whitehouse Street, though they may have gone electric: Google Maps The area around Great College St. Westminster are still gas: Google Maps
The famous astrological clock in the background. If you haven't been I would definitely recommend it as a City break.
I will be in Prague in July, so I will be sure to visit. Thank you for posting this thread. Cheers Tony
Prague is well worth a visit. Make sure not to have a car, you do not need one. Within the city you are unable to reach your destination (small, overcrowded alleys) and public transportation works great and is fairly cheap (CZK 310 (about US$ 13.50) for a 3-day pass to all of the city including the airport). We were there several times, just dug out some of the images: Make sure to visit Prague's famous "Eiffel Tower", the Petřínská rozhledna (Petřín Lookout Tower) , it is the same height as the Paris Eiffel Tower if you count the hill it stands on... It is a nice walk from the city. You might also want to visit the TV tower, which is a good idea as it is the only place where you wont have to see it. If you need some more ideas on where to go, please let me know. Erik
Beginning to wish I had kept quiet about those wicky crap lamps down in the cellars where the boat leaves. They are very fine examples of black! One of you lot might talk them into agreeing a price before I manage to get back....
