Prague – aha

They call It Praha over here and I can see where the aha comes from. We didn’t get a full day because of the snow and rain but what we saw today was incredible.

I went out on my own this morning to get cash to pay for the apartment and pick up some groceries. Got a little sidetracked with a beautiful church whose name I don’t even know and another building that has some sort of concerts in it. Picked up some killer pastries (is it ever to early for dessert) on my way back and don’t know what it was called but the chocolate pudding and whipped cream inside a hard shell with chocolate coating was worth whatever it cost and I don’t know because the conversion is too complex for me. It’s vacation.

We both got a good nap to catch up with some of the sleep we have been missing and headed out around 2:00.

We weren’t sure where we were going just trying to get a feel for the town and didn’t know what to expect. Well it’s no revelation but each City has had its own feel and Prague is certainly different than all the others. Can’t describe very well with my limited vocabulary but it kind of has a small village feel to some parts, a cosmopolitan feel to others and then a bunch of really cool old buildings crammed in there. Now that I’ve painted a clear picture in your mind, let’s move on.

We made it to Old Town Square just before dark and it was spectacular. There was still a Christmas carnival going on with nice food and craft booths. They also had some music that was in Czech but it sounded fun and had some of the younger folks dancing. We went up in the Old Town Hall Tower and Val got some great shots while I helped some French women (they were older but those French women can get me to do anything if they just call me Gareee) figure out how to make a pressed coin. They didn’t speak English, I don’t speak French and neither of us knew anything about Czech language or money. It was fun and took my mind off the heights.

When we were leaving, the Astronomical Clock was about the strike 6 and a crowd had gathered to watch. It was cool and someone played some trumpet notes from the top and folks cheered. Might try to make it back for New Years or will watch the fireworks along the river. Had some great food at the booths. We got some dough that was wrapped around a hot rod and cooked over an open fire then rolled in cinnamon and sugar. A little like cinnamon toast but quite a bit better.

There seem to be lots of young people here. Not sure if they are in town for the celebration (New Years and Velvet Revolution Independence Day – I made that up but do know it is a big event) or if it is always that way.

We stopped at a supermarket in the City center and it is the first supermarket I have been in that is on two floors and has an escalator type device that allows shopping carts on it. It is basically a moving sidewalk on an incline and was a funny feeling riding it.

We got lost on our way home but at least we got our monies worth on the transit system. Had to go back to the same place twice then finally got pointed in the right direction to get back to our apartment. Val’s not so hot on my direction finding skills right now but I’m the best she’s got and I don’t eat much when I’m on vacation.

It rained quite a bit tonight and we were out in it more than planned but my coat and Val’s poncho worked and kept us and our stuff mostly dry. If it rains every day for the rest of the vacation we can’t complain because we have had wonderful weather.

We are having a little dilemma. Trying to pick between a Czech hockey game and a classical music concert. I say go to the concert hall and look at it for cheap and do the hockey game too but for some reason Val wants to hear the music. Do they have classical music at hockey games? We will keep you posted on where that goes.

Travel day to Prague

Every travel day is interesting and tests us in new ways. We had a pretty successful trip today; we got here without too many mishaps or wrong directions. One thing that has become quite comedic has been the fact that Valerie’s glasses broke so we are kind of down to one pair between us. We can see most things but transportation maps are usually in pretty small print. I usually ask Val to find or verify something and depending on how well we are getting along she will let me know that she needs the glasses to be able to do that. You can probably imagine the range of ways she expresses that to me.

We shared a train cabin with a lady and her 21 year old daughter today who had been in Vienna were going to Prague and then on to Budapest. They were currently from North Carolina but have lived in several countries over the years as her husband’s job requires quite a few moves. It was nice to have some conversations in English with someone other than ourselves.

If you haven’t done it I can’t explain how difficult it is to get from one place to another. The train was a little late and moved from one platform to another. That is not announced in English and you have to just get lucky to see it appear on the overhead. We almost got on a train to Rome. Maybe that would have been fun? Lots of other chances like that make we wonder how we have ever made it to Prague. One more trip and we will be back in Anacortes.

The landscape in the Czech Republic was beautiful on the trip over. Lots of farms and rolling type hills. I didn’t expect that but not sure what I did expect. Old communist tanks abandoned everywhere? The buildings range from cool old European to square boxes. Not sure what that means either, just and observation.

Train trips are tough on me. Too much time to think. Closed my eyes and didn’t fall to sleep. Rare. So therefore didn’t snore. Embarrasses Val but not me for some reason. Anyway the light filtering through the trees and other passing things made we think that it must be like using some drugs that I have never used since they were popular shortly before my time. The psychedelic effect was cool until I realized it would stop when I open my eyes. It helped pass the time and we made it safely to our apartment.

The apartment we are staying in is perfect. The location is a bit sketchy but I am hoping we adjust to that. It is right on a tram route that will take us to the downtown area but there is lots of painting and vandalism on the outsides of the buildings. The inside is spacious and lovely and appears to have decent internet service and is close to a real grocery store.

No pictures today so I went back and included ones we left out. Hoping for a more interesting post tomorrow.

Laundry day

Well even on vacation you have to take care of some mundane tasks. Still quite an adventure when you don’t speak the language and can’t read the signs. First problem was that I had to get money changed. The bank lady isn’t like the one at Horizon in Anacortes. She couldn’t or wouldn’t speak English and apparently didn’t find me too charming. I felt the same about her but got my 100 back in 5 20’s just the same. Now back to the machines. No English and a different system than our Laundromat. I was getting close to having it down but couldn’t find any detergent. Someone app

eared from the back room and made some motion that led me to believe he was asking if I needed help. I apologized that I only spoke English. He asked why I apologized and I told him that we weren’t the most popular folks in some countries. He said “we are all just people” and went on to give me the assistance I needed. My experience is that most folks recognize the similarities between all of us and our struggles / triumphs / dreams /needs / etc. Maybe that wasn't what he meant but it was what I heard. Anyway, the detergent is in the machine and I didn’t bother to ask about bleach or fabric softener. I think it is a waste of time anyway and just use it because Val tells me to.

Oh, by the way. How about those Bengals. Playoff bound and did it with a win not having to count on Baltimore losing even though Pittsburg beat them anyway (thanks Dan).

Went to a great little place that was really crowded but lots of fun today. They sell small sandwiches and beers among other things. We had a few sandwiches and three small beers. The beer was really good and I wondered if I like it better in small glasses. Didn’t wonder too long about that because it was getting dark and I have to say I love the lights of Vienna with the beautiful buildings as a backdrop. Took some decent pictures but the sights will stick in my mind for quite some time to come.

We came around a corner and there was a big door and small dome at the end of the street so I asked Val if she wanted to look inside. It was another splendid church. Not as special as our find from yesterday but still really cool. Not sure how many of those there are around here but suspect there are plenty of reasons to come back.

We are both still not feeling the best and today the drug stores opened back up.

Another interesting trip. The drug stores are apparently the only place they sell things like Dayquil since we couldn’t find it anywhere else. So I go in to the drug store and am trying to play it cool and look around for something with a sick person with a runny nose on it. No luck, lots of stuff I didn’t know what it was and was a little wary of taking a chance. A nice fellow says can I help you. I explained my situation and he pulls out from behind the counter something that looks very much like Vicks Dayquil. Glad I didn’t have hemorrhoids and just wanted to quietly pick up some Preparation H.

Travel to Prague tomorrow. Should be fun.

Val’s special find

Not me. I am pretty special but not in such a good way.

Gary started this yesterday – but is watching football and updating his fantasy leagues – bless him – so you are stuck with me.

Yesterday we started the day at the Imperial Treasury – in a palace once housing the Hofburgs. My crow eye for all that glitters and sparkles was rolling about every way and I flapped my crow wings in excitement and hopped all about the place. We viewed exquisite jewels, robes, crowns, scepters—trinkets as Alec calls them. We even saw a jeweled cradle and receiving blanket fitting for the coming attraction to our family, Little Yoyo.

From here we walked to the chocolate palace – Dremels – that is touted to have incredible chocolate displays – we didn’t see displays but we did see incredible pastries. The place was jammin’ and elbow-to-elbow with tourists so we went out for a sausage and Gluwein from a street vendor instead. Gluwein is a hot mulled wine drink that makes me such a jolly traveler!

We wove around the core of Vienna to the edge where we found our destination: Dominikanerkirche (dates from 1630). Of all the churches we have visited, this is the one I have fallen in love with. It is small and the outside is rather plain but the inside detail is jawdropping. After all the crowds of Vienna this was an amazing change – at most there were 10 other people inside of this church. We had time to sit and look and look and wonder. Lit a candle for Grandma Cecelia Rose.

It was hard to tear away but we left to find our way to Belvedere Palace. We took a few wrong turns but that is always part of the adventure and the more you walk, the more you get to eat! The Belvedere is another incredible museum with a large Klimt collection. If stripped of artwork the museums would still be worth viewing.

Three dessert day

Some days are just better than others and today was one of those days. Three desserts in one day and they were all low calorie. Dessert #1 was at the Sacher Tort Café. They have a famous café, hotel and cake that is simply explained as chocolate cake with some apricot jam, chocolate frosting and whipped cream. Val ordered it and I got a white hot chocolate with some sort of biscuit. They were good and the place was fancy but not too intimidating for a couple of hicks like us. Dessert #2 came at some place by Stephansdom Cathedral and mine was some sort or custard cream layered pastry thing and Val got a “apricot custard delight” both were excellent and I got a dainty cup of hot chocolate in a fancy cup.

Dessert #3 came after dinner and was something that looked like cheese cake but was made out of what we think was creamed cheese and whipped cream with a shortbread crust. It was delicious also. We walked plenty to make up for the added calories today.

On the tram ride in to town I was thinking to myself how much fun I could be if I had a ton of money. I could do this and bring friends along almost any time. Then I wondered if it would still be fun if you could do it all the time. Then I got sidetracked with the incredible beauty of the day and never got back to the question and now it seems pointless. Oh well.

The sun was out and it was brisk but not cold today. We say some incredible sights inside and out. The Albertina Museum had a impressionist display that was magnificent. All the painters I like and not too many I don’t. Can’t name them all but Monet, Manet, Chagall, Munch, Cezanne, Renoir, Degas, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Sisley and they had some cool modern art too. Then we went to Stephansdom Cathedral and it was spectacular inside and out.

We were able to visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum (great names they have over here and easy to pronounce too, aren’t they Dara?). It has lots of stuff but val wanted to see the really old paintings I hate. The building was incredible and they were getting ready to shoot some sort of movie or film. We went and looked at the Arcimboldos together then I sat down in a comfy spot and mapped out the rest of our evening. Vals was so thrilled to ditch me that she wasn’t able to make it back to me at closing. They shooed me out and as I came down the grand marble staircase with all the stage lights on and ballet dancers practicing Val was at the bottom of the stairs giggling. Mary, you should have come, you would have been able to hang around the set and meet famous people and who knows how your evening might have ended.

We went back through the downtown area and the lights of the buildings and the Christmas lights were absolutely amazing. I love that kind of stuff and was really enjoying the moment. The camera battery went out so we didn’t get any pictures but maybe we can make it back there again one of the next two nights for some photos.

At the end of the night we stopped off at what amounts to the local 7-11 with a small twist. It has a gas station and convenience store stuff but it also has a bar in it that is apparently frequented by a group of old men that I would guess are regulars. They rarely seem happy that anyone is getting gas or trying to buy some milk and complain to the one person manning the whole place. It’s kind of comedic but the whole place is a little seedy and all I am interested in is getting some milk and getting on my way without getting into a fight that Val might not be able to get me out of.

P.S. Sorry about the shitty Christmas Dara and Alec but we spent too much money on this trip to do much for you guys this year.

Merry Christmas

Sorry about missing the post yesterday. Once again Val picked up the slack. Seems like a theme is developing. How long has that been going on?

Val did leave off one observation from yesterday that we both found interesting. We came all this way, have seen incredible sights that can fill volumes of picture books but one lasting memory will be of some small child singing “Oh Taunnenbaum” (gsp) filling this tram that seemed like it was at least one block long with her youthful voice of joy. It warmed our hearts at a time when we were missing our own kids.

This morning we went out looking for an open grocery store (for some reason Val didn’t want “Eees goot meat” as she thought it might make us sick(er). As we were following the path of grocery bags to their starting point we came upon a lady with a dog. Well most of you know that part of the reason I come to Europe is because I’m not very good socially. Over here since I don’t speak the same language I can’t talk to most people so it’s somewhat acceptable. Now I can’t resist a dog so I give hand signals to the person asking if it is ok to pet. I think she says sure and start to pet the dog. She is talking to me in some language I don’t understand then I tell her I am sorry but I only speak English which doesn’t impress her much but when I say I have a dog she busts out the English and we exchange a few words while her dog licks my face. Bottom line is that I think dogs and kids speak the universal language and maybe if they were in charge we would all get along a bit better. Not sure it matters but the dog was a pit-bull and a good looking boy too Mia.

We went to Schounbroon (gsp) Palace today. Some say it is the Versailles of Austria. Not sure it reaches that level but it was spectacular and I loved the garden and the green house. Too much family history for me. I can hardly keep track of my own immediate family and these folks have lots of kids and marry them off the other countries to gain power, etc. Didn’t work so well for Marie Antoinette in this case.

Forgot to mention that I have very smugly been packing and having with me foul weather gear just in case it rained. Well when the day started it was around 55 and pretty clear so I decided to leave the stuff at the apartment (which is as nice as promised on the internet). So when we get out of the palace to tour the grounds the temp seems like it has dropped 20 degrees, it’s raining and the wind is blowing. Being from the northwest I am not going to let a little weather get in my way of a good time so we went out to tour the grounds. It was wet but not as bad as the trips with Dara, Adam and Alec. Now I will keep packing the gear and I can be sure I won’t need it.

Short story about Val and a Christmas center piece. We are walking along the street and see a Christmas center piece outside a florist shop with no price on it. I think maybe it’s free. Val goes in and asks the price. The shop owner says 15. Val says no thanks. The shop owner says he will take 10. Val give him 15 and says Merry Christmas. Now I say Val got the centerpiece for the 10 it was worth and gave the poor shop owner a 5 Christmas bonus and that is one of the many reasons I love her.

We had a great encounter on our bus ride today. Got on the right bus and came to the place we wanted to get off. For some reason the door would not open so we were standing by the door. The bus driver yells something. We thought he was saying not to go out that door but he could have been saying either Merry Christmas or YFSA’s . We went to the other door and it wouldn’t open either. The bus driver yells again this time maybe Happy New Year or AYSYFSA’s so I’m in a panic and push what I think is the stop button on the bus which turns out to also be the open the door button. We calmly get off and I am going to just assume that he was wishing us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

One last thought for this Christmas day. Viennese women should not be allowed to eat sausages in public they way they do. It truly is not fair.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Vienna - A city of wonder

Christmas Eve --Today’s blog brought to you by Val.

Gary has done an incredible job of chronicling our little journey but since I so generously shared my cold with him, he is taking the night off. I am the designated blogger.

We had an absolutely lovely train ride from Munich (Muchen) to Vienna (Wien). The train was called a Rail Jet and sped along at 200 km. There is an engine on each end of the train – they do not turn the train around on a turnstyle – the conductor just moves to the other engine and heads off in the next direction. This means all the train seats were facing backwards. I admit I was getting a bit queasy seeing where I had been.

Side note- apparently Gar isn’t as sick as he claims. He just had to interrupt and point out on the map where he wants to go tomorrow; Wienerburg. Really? Will my oldest “son” ever grow up?

After arriving it only took about 40 minutes to get our bearings, purchase tickets for the tram-rail-underground system AND find our apartment. Gary is navigating us around Europe like a pro. I can’t find my way out of a Safeway.

Another side note – I have never seen so many dead animals on women as we have during this trip. It is quite upsetting to see the Robinson rabbit friends and other little forest animals fashioned into adornments. Don’t think the ASPCA has a branch over here.

We were looking forward to stopping in some specialty shops and purchasing our Christmas dinner fixins’ but we were walking all over Wien with our mouths hanging open and lost track of time. This city is as elegant and classy as Audrey Hepburn. All the stores were closing early for Christmas Eve. We hurried down to a large outdoor market similar to Pike’s Place. Only a few stalls remained open – we went into one that offered a variety of meats and asked about turkey. The gentleman paused for a second then said, “Ya, I’ve got turkeeee.” Goes to a box and pulls out half a turkey with feathers still clinging to it and SLAMS it down on the counter. “Eees goot meat!” We are the suckers that purchased this noble bird without giving thought to one detail – an oven – we do not have an oven. Stewed turkey anyone?So today was spent on in child-like wonder strolling about Wien and visiting a Christmas Market. Our plans to attend a midnight church service are out because we are both hacking like smokers.

My lesson – Tomorrow we have six eggs, some milk, some bread, and a bottle of champagne for Christmas dinner. I feel that I am the luckiest woman in the world to be sharing this with a man that I have loved as long as I can remember. I am lucky that our kids pushed us out the door and said JUST GO! I am lucky to have the most loving and supportive family and friends. Merry Christmas every one!