...early evening on Wednesday...
I wanted to find the very unadvertised Abbey...sometimes Salzburg makes you feel a bit like a processed tourist (unlike Eastern Europe) but the Abbey is not mentioned ....climbed a long high hill and around the coner at the top i found it...I found the Abbey church was open and i was the only one around...opened the door quietly and......was enchanted! sat quietly in a back pew and listened to some nuns singing Vespers, somewhere behind and above me, enclosed....i could only hear them....so pure, the loveliest thing...!...it brought me to tears...
...i think it was the single most beautiful moment of this whole trip...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Saltzburg...
Stardate: um...oh yes, Wednesday, Sept 29
Guten tag!
I was just strolling the Getreidestrasse...pedestrian street in Saltzburg...but let me go back to where i left off....
The last dinner was ever so nice...the tour gave us a wonderful send off...we arrived for the dinner to be met with a glass of wine and bruschetta, plus a wonderful accordian player who had us all itching to dance :-)
In fact Etelka, our guide, managed to get a few people to dance for a minute or two, the guys were very embarrased but grinning like mad hehe..i think they loved it. Then inside we were given a wonderful dinner....after a bit everyone told their favorite part of the tour, and some of the comments were very touching, sweet and others hilariously funny. This has been simply a wonderful group to travel with, the best yet on these tours! Very well-travelled, bright, very fit and very very fun! There was ZERO drama and zero grumps....just wonderful!
So now time to travel solo.....
Although it turned out, Mary-Jo who is also travelling solo (her husband does not like to travel) was going to Saltzburg also so we shared a compartment. One of the best parts of travelling so far was the train ride from Bled in Slovenia to Saltzburg....it was through a valley amid the Austrian Alps....chalets, cows....what's not to like!! We felt like Heidi :-)
Bit of chaos at Salz. Train station which was entirely under construction with all signs in Germans so we had to kind of guess....i needed some schedules printed out plus wanted to buy a Saltz. card, giving entry to the sights and buses etc. That went fine...then Mary Jo went her way (different hotel) and i found a bus to take me into town, over the Salzach River and my hotel was easy to find. Very warm welcome there, i had heard it was a good hotel, not fancy, but just fine for my simple needs.
Headed out almost immediately as it was already early-afternoon. Tried to follow Rick Steves self-guided tour, but it was a little confusing and 1/2 way thru i gave it up lol Took the funicular up the Monksburg Mtn to the Fortress and rambled around...but it was so almost...desolate, hardly anyone around and cold and rainy...i walked the Monksburg Trail across the top of the mountain but had trouble getting back into the gate in order to get to the Fortress Mozart concert i had booked at the Train station. A kind kind German lady came over to help me out with the not-very-nice-German attendant...and after paying a small fee i got back in....but had to wait ages for the concert. All the eating spots had closed, almost everyone had gone...it was rather awful! Nobody had said the tourist season was pretty much over by late Sept! they were supposed to be open! lol the joys of travelling...well anyhoo.....i waited patiently and the concert turned out to be surprising GOOD...excellent, actually ....worth the wait for sure. Nice to hear Mozart in his home town.
Then funicular back (dark now) and walked back to my hotel, easy to find.
Wednesday (today)
Sound of Music Tour...i booked with a small company, a mini bus...it was very good. I didn't care so much about the Sound of Music sites, but the drive out to the Saltzkammergut (lake district) and over the alps was just great. Plus ok...it really WAS fun to see the places they filmed the movie : ) : )
Then that over, I walked through the Mirabelle Gardens, spent a good time in Mozart's Residence (excellent presentation there) and went through his birthhouse also.
Then i caught a wonderful 40 minute cruise down the Salzach River.
Then strolled down the pedestrian street....cuz i had figured out there was internet somewhere down this end...and voila! i found it : )
Now im going to walk to the other end of town to see the Abbey (Maria's), still functioning and the oldest convent in Europe. Then will go for dinner and have a quiet evening in my room.
Tomorrow leaving here and catching a bus to Berchtesgaden, just 12 miles from here, in Germany, to see the Eagle's Nest....some history....staying there for one night.
So adios for now! take care all!
God Bless,
luv P. xx
Guten tag!
I was just strolling the Getreidestrasse...pedestrian street in Saltzburg...but let me go back to where i left off....
The last dinner was ever so nice...the tour gave us a wonderful send off...we arrived for the dinner to be met with a glass of wine and bruschetta, plus a wonderful accordian player who had us all itching to dance :-)
In fact Etelka, our guide, managed to get a few people to dance for a minute or two, the guys were very embarrased but grinning like mad hehe..i think they loved it. Then inside we were given a wonderful dinner....after a bit everyone told their favorite part of the tour, and some of the comments were very touching, sweet and others hilariously funny. This has been simply a wonderful group to travel with, the best yet on these tours! Very well-travelled, bright, very fit and very very fun! There was ZERO drama and zero grumps....just wonderful!
So now time to travel solo.....
Although it turned out, Mary-Jo who is also travelling solo (her husband does not like to travel) was going to Saltzburg also so we shared a compartment. One of the best parts of travelling so far was the train ride from Bled in Slovenia to Saltzburg....it was through a valley amid the Austrian Alps....chalets, cows....what's not to like!! We felt like Heidi :-)
Bit of chaos at Salz. Train station which was entirely under construction with all signs in Germans so we had to kind of guess....i needed some schedules printed out plus wanted to buy a Saltz. card, giving entry to the sights and buses etc. That went fine...then Mary Jo went her way (different hotel) and i found a bus to take me into town, over the Salzach River and my hotel was easy to find. Very warm welcome there, i had heard it was a good hotel, not fancy, but just fine for my simple needs.
Headed out almost immediately as it was already early-afternoon. Tried to follow Rick Steves self-guided tour, but it was a little confusing and 1/2 way thru i gave it up lol Took the funicular up the Monksburg Mtn to the Fortress and rambled around...but it was so almost...desolate, hardly anyone around and cold and rainy...i walked the Monksburg Trail across the top of the mountain but had trouble getting back into the gate in order to get to the Fortress Mozart concert i had booked at the Train station. A kind kind German lady came over to help me out with the not-very-nice-German attendant...and after paying a small fee i got back in....but had to wait ages for the concert. All the eating spots had closed, almost everyone had gone...it was rather awful! Nobody had said the tourist season was pretty much over by late Sept! they were supposed to be open! lol the joys of travelling...well anyhoo.....i waited patiently and the concert turned out to be surprising GOOD...excellent, actually ....worth the wait for sure. Nice to hear Mozart in his home town.
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| Mozart Concert at the Fortress |
Wednesday (today)
Sound of Music Tour...i booked with a small company, a mini bus...it was very good. I didn't care so much about the Sound of Music sites, but the drive out to the Saltzkammergut (lake district) and over the alps was just great. Plus ok...it really WAS fun to see the places they filmed the movie : ) : )
Then that over, I walked through the Mirabelle Gardens, spent a good time in Mozart's Residence (excellent presentation there) and went through his birthhouse also.
Then i caught a wonderful 40 minute cruise down the Salzach River.
Then strolled down the pedestrian street....cuz i had figured out there was internet somewhere down this end...and voila! i found it : )
 |
| Getreidestrasse (did i spell that right?) |
Tomorrow leaving here and catching a bus to Berchtesgaden, just 12 miles from here, in Germany, to see the Eagle's Nest....some history....staying there for one night.
So adios for now! take care all!
God Bless,
luv P. xx
Monday, September 27, 2010
Lake Bled....
Monday, Sept 27....
I just walked around the entire lake...so serene, so lovely... 1 1/2 hours solid walking. Wunderbar!
Earlier, this morning our group rode the pletnas....beautiful local flat boats with a canopy, like a gondola...over to the little island in the middle of Lake Bled...climbed the 99 steps to the church at the top and had a good look around. Most of us rang the bell inside the church (it rang outside, rope was inside) and made a wish.....shhhh it's a secret! Then we were rowed back....about 25 minutes each way of utter serenity. Now we are free till our final dinner tonight....next time i write will be from Austria!
I just walked around the entire lake...so serene, so lovely... 1 1/2 hours solid walking. Wunderbar!
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| Pletna on Lake Bled |
Earlier, this morning our group rode the pletnas....beautiful local flat boats with a canopy, like a gondola...over to the little island in the middle of Lake Bled...climbed the 99 steps to the church at the top and had a good look around. Most of us rang the bell inside the church (it rang outside, rope was inside) and made a wish.....shhhh it's a secret! Then we were rowed back....about 25 minutes each way of utter serenity. Now we are free till our final dinner tonight....next time i write will be from Austria!
Nazdrovya! (do not check the spelling hehe)....luv P. xx
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Slovenia!
Stardate: Sunday, Sept. 26 (i finally figured out which day of the month it was )
Left Rainy Rab and back along the Adriatic coast north to Slovenia.
Leaving lots out! but at least im getting caught up : )
easy...and so very very impressive, this whole cave.....if you saw Lord of the Rings, the Caves of Moria ...well it was like that.....i could not believe my eyes!! Astonishing..... little fairy like lights to guide us along the little ledge we walked along skirting this underground river for about 2 kilometers.....well i just can't possibly describe it! you will all just have to come and see for yourself!
Left Rainy Rab and back along the Adriatic coast north to Slovenia.
Leaving lots out! but at least im getting caught up : )
Southern Slovenia is like driving through the most beautiful park or golf course with big hills and increasing mountains as a backdrop as you go north. Deep emerald green everywhere. Slovenia is a beautiful country.
Stopped at the Skocjan Caves.....oy...!!! Aye yai yai....!! these caves are overwhelming! i had no idea when we went in...HUGE stalagmites and stalagtites like i've never seen, some like big huge trees.....but then there was this cavernous part that had a big frothy underground river (we were pretty far underground) at this point....that churned underneath as we crossed over a little bridge far above. ...some people didnt go down with us because they were scared of this bridge, but it was
easy...and so very very impressive, this whole cave.....if you saw Lord of the Rings, the Caves of Moria ...well it was like that.....i could not believe my eyes!! Astonishing..... little fairy like lights to guide us along the little ledge we walked along skirting this underground river for about 2 kilometers.....well i just can't possibly describe it! you will all just have to come and see for yourself!
Then on the bus to Ljubljana....we did not spend much time here, but the very center is so lovely and charming! Was very glad to have a look at it....(capital of Slovenia).
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| Lake Bled |
Then let me end with our last bus ride into Bled...Lake Bled. Great hotel room (they always give you a really nice hotel at the end hehe)....i will try to find a pic for you....tomorrow we take a little boat across the lake to the island in the middle with a hill you climb up to a church....(lot of legends but am running out of time!) ...afternoon free and then our final last dinner together. Been lovely travelling with these great folks.....! now time to say bye bye and head out on my own. REady for that too....i am ready for the next week on my own and very much looking forward to it.
So will leave it at that for now, not sure when i will write again, you all take care! God bless!
luv P.
Holy Moly.....
Budapest to Croatian border...the only country on our travels with border control...and it was a bit like Communist Era all over again hehe...well in light of the intense war here a decade ago, i guess i can undertand why.
Speaking of which, as the title says...holy moly.....driving thru Croatia you can see the results of this war all over the place. For every 3 Croatian houses with beautiful germaniums there is beside them an empty shell of a Serbian house....maybe the roof missing, the windows definitely just gaping holes....bullet holes riddling the outside walls. It is one after the other and in some towns up to 1/3 of the houses are like this. There used to be 20 or 30% Serbian population in these Croatian towns, now they are all gone.
Ethinic cleansing....first the Serbs did it to the Croats, then the Croats did it to the Serbs. What a living history lesson! Most of the landmines have been removed, but you still have to be careful where you wander, they tell you to stick to paths and roads....eek! But the country feels very safe these days ...otherwise this tour company would not be here ...
And yet what a beautiful country...green rolling hills, trees everywhere...becoming more beautiful as you go east towards the Adriatic Coast. Our bus driver, Slovenian, Bojan, passed around the bus, his photo album of himself as a young army officer under Tito. Photo of Tito in there too. One of the towns closest to the coast called Slunj....just blew us all away! i swear it was just like Rivendell out of Lord of the Rings....wooden houses settled into the hillside with hundreds of silvery waterfalls coming out of every corner and some quite big, others little...it was completely magical and impossible to capture in a photo.
We drove into Plitvice National Park....we are over the Big Cities part and into the Back to Nature part of the tour. ....and wow.... this is nature at her best....things i have never seen before...gems! Plitvice is one of the reasons i signed up for this tour.
Friday Morning!
This was our 3 hour walk through Plitvice...for a few miles along boardwalks, up hills, down hills...waterfalls EVERYwhere you can imagine and pools of dark green water, lakes the same. If you read CS Lewis, Magicians Nephew from the Narnia series, you will remember the dark pools of water they jumped into, each pool a new world....that is what one wooded part off to the saide was like. This place is so stunning i can hardly describe it. Halfway through the walk we got onto a boat which took us across the largest of the lakes, it was serene....quiet....beautiful. REally steep climb at the end to get back up to the parking lot.....which was no problem! Incredible view from the top, almost as high as Niagara, though the water is split into hundreds of falls, not just one big one.
Back in the bus and more gorgeous Croatian scenery on our way toward and down the Dalmatian Coastline to catch our ferry to the Island of Rab which is in the Adriatic. Feels and looks like Italy here ...which is not very far away at all. Clear water......30 minute ferry ride and we are on this island for 2 nights. "Beautiful sunny Adriatic vacation from your vacation these 2 days are supposed to be ...haha!! we were completely deluged with rain. I decided to risk a walk the next morning, was just a drizzle...but wow did i get caught!! i was completely soaked right through to the skin....and after dragging myself back into the hotel ...long walk back from the Old Town.... i spent the rest of the day trying to get my stuff dry again (especially my walking shoes!!) using the room hair dryer ha!.....i have a great pic, which i wish i could download onto this...of my little clothesline strung up in my room with all my unmentionables and jeans and jacket strung out along it ....i just had to laugh : )
Dinner ...fresh caught fish, caught that day.....yummmmmmmmm! with some excellent local white wine sitting out on an outside patio under a almost full moon and looking out over the Adriatic.....pretty much perfect : )
Last night, walking through the old town part of Rab...and come upon a Croatian wedding celebration...which was just amazing! the entire families with bride and groom in the middle dancing in a big circle....back and forth, with the local musicians playing and people cheering for them...it was really lovely! Then after watcing for a bit, i started to walk back to the hotel and they ended up going in the same direction...this fella leading, dancing and waving a big Croatian flag, followed by the bride and groom and then all the guests...no matter which way i turned, they were right behind me...it was pretty funny!! and so colourful and full of life they were....
Special note....i ate 2 gelatos on the way back, my first on this trip : )
Travel Tip #3 Always buy the more expensive gelato. I did a taste test and the one that cost 6 kunas was WAY better than the one that cost 5 kuna .....both ended up at around 1 dollar each lol
k that's enough of that....i'll start one more post before i go to bed....hold on....
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| Abanadoned Serbian house |
Ethinic cleansing....first the Serbs did it to the Croats, then the Croats did it to the Serbs. What a living history lesson! Most of the landmines have been removed, but you still have to be careful where you wander, they tell you to stick to paths and roads....eek! But the country feels very safe these days ...otherwise this tour company would not be here ...
And yet what a beautiful country...green rolling hills, trees everywhere...becoming more beautiful as you go east towards the Adriatic Coast. Our bus driver, Slovenian, Bojan, passed around the bus, his photo album of himself as a young army officer under Tito. Photo of Tito in there too. One of the towns closest to the coast called Slunj....just blew us all away! i swear it was just like Rivendell out of Lord of the Rings....wooden houses settled into the hillside with hundreds of silvery waterfalls coming out of every corner and some quite big, others little...it was completely magical and impossible to capture in a photo.
We drove into Plitvice National Park....we are over the Big Cities part and into the Back to Nature part of the tour. ....and wow.... this is nature at her best....things i have never seen before...gems! Plitvice is one of the reasons i signed up for this tour.
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| Plitvice! |
Friday Morning!
This was our 3 hour walk through Plitvice...for a few miles along boardwalks, up hills, down hills...waterfalls EVERYwhere you can imagine and pools of dark green water, lakes the same. If you read CS Lewis, Magicians Nephew from the Narnia series, you will remember the dark pools of water they jumped into, each pool a new world....that is what one wooded part off to the saide was like. This place is so stunning i can hardly describe it. Halfway through the walk we got onto a boat which took us across the largest of the lakes, it was serene....quiet....beautiful. REally steep climb at the end to get back up to the parking lot.....which was no problem! Incredible view from the top, almost as high as Niagara, though the water is split into hundreds of falls, not just one big one.
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| More Plitice! |
Back in the bus and more gorgeous Croatian scenery on our way toward and down the Dalmatian Coastline to catch our ferry to the Island of Rab which is in the Adriatic. Feels and looks like Italy here ...which is not very far away at all. Clear water......30 minute ferry ride and we are on this island for 2 nights. "Beautiful sunny Adriatic vacation from your vacation these 2 days are supposed to be ...haha!! we were completely deluged with rain. I decided to risk a walk the next morning, was just a drizzle...but wow did i get caught!! i was completely soaked right through to the skin....and after dragging myself back into the hotel ...long walk back from the Old Town.... i spent the rest of the day trying to get my stuff dry again (especially my walking shoes!!) using the room hair dryer ha!.....i have a great pic, which i wish i could download onto this...of my little clothesline strung up in my room with all my unmentionables and jeans and jacket strung out along it ....i just had to laugh : )
Dinner ...fresh caught fish, caught that day.....yummmmmmmmm! with some excellent local white wine sitting out on an outside patio under a almost full moon and looking out over the Adriatic.....pretty much perfect : )
Last night, walking through the old town part of Rab...and come upon a Croatian wedding celebration...which was just amazing! the entire families with bride and groom in the middle dancing in a big circle....back and forth, with the local musicians playing and people cheering for them...it was really lovely! Then after watcing for a bit, i started to walk back to the hotel and they ended up going in the same direction...this fella leading, dancing and waving a big Croatian flag, followed by the bride and groom and then all the guests...no matter which way i turned, they were right behind me...it was pretty funny!! and so colourful and full of life they were....
Special note....i ate 2 gelatos on the way back, my first on this trip : )
Travel Tip #3 Always buy the more expensive gelato. I did a taste test and the one that cost 6 kunas was WAY better than the one that cost 5 kuna .....both ended up at around 1 dollar each lol
k that's enough of that....i'll start one more post before i go to bed....hold on....
3 days with no computer !
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| Puter Withdrawal! |
Roight.... not able to get a computer for a while, so a lot to catch up on...but there are people breathing down my neck already...ugh...will see what i can do....stay tuned!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Sooooo....what is your favorite East European City...?
Roight....the big question. I was sure it was going to be Prague. Most of this little group says Prague, a few say Budapest....for me it is Krakow. Sigh...i am such a sucker for monasteries and trees... Krakow, for me, was like a little peaceful oasis in this bit of a whirlwind, travelling. But Budapest has its own charms! Unlike the other big cities, this one was heavily damaged during the wars and there is a lot of decay and rebuilding, so in a way, it is much newer - there is not the usual historic city centre; instead, it was deliberately planned out with Paris and Vienna as models. So it has a beautiful tree lined street, Andrassy St. which is built ala Les Champs Elysees.
Anyhoo...here are the gory details:
Tuesday morning we had a 3 hour walking tour of Pest with Hungarian guide, Peter - wonderful information....these Hungarians and Slavs in general seem to have the most delicious sense of humour : )
We walked all around the area close to the river, then took the metro (they gave us a 2 day transit pass, cuz we had a lot of time on our own here.) up to the City Park, Hero's Square, Szechenyi Hot Springs etc...stopped at a huge bookstore which had a beautiful Baroque coffee shop....yummm...back to the river and up through the financial district, parliament buildings (beautiful!) and then caught a tram to the Great Market Square, about as colourful and full of life as you can imagine. I bought some fresh fruit there to take back to my room. Tour over, I walked back along the Pedestrian Walkway to the hotel.
Then 5 of us (Intrepid Souls all!) took the metro back up to City Park to experience the hot springs at Szechenyi...ooh lala!!! i LOVED this experience - Budapest is built on hot water springs everywhere...there was a main outside pool (pic in earlier post) and about a dozen thermal pools indoors...the hottter the better as far as i was concerned...could have stayed there all day! There was this hot hot HOT steam room too...when i first went in i could barely breathe it was that hot! but slowly filled my lungs and wow! it was good.....i couldnt stay in very long though lol....(what a little northamerican i am!)
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| Budapest at night |
We met for dinner at 6:30pm and then went on a really really lovely Danube cruise. Budapest is gorgeous by night...the most amazing buildings and bridges all lit up - it was just magical. Sitting outside on the top of the boat with a blanket snugged all around me...lovely to experience the Danube in this way among new friends : )
Wednesday Sept 22....
Day begins with another 3 hour tour with Peter, this time the Buda side - the Castle area. I didnt actually take too much of it in....i was a little worn out hehe.... Much different in character to the Pest side. Tour over, we are on our own for afternoon and evening.
So I had great plans for this afternoon....tour the Budapest Opera House and take the tram over to the Buda side to try out the Gellert Hot Springs ...but all plans got spontaneously dumped when i got back to my room...and....zzzzzzz all afternoon! (goodness me...that felt good...!)
So here i am after catcing a light dinner and back at my favorite Budapest cyber cafe typing to YOU : )
I am astonished at how well my knee is doing! Up stairs, down stairs, walk here, walk there...it is doing brilliantly! (thank you Universe!)
Tomorrow we leave Budapest and travel by bus to the place i have probably MOST looked forward to...and that is Plitvice in Croatia (see pic on my first post on this blog). It is like Niagara Falls only all spread out...boardwalk and paths through this beautiful natural park....ahh! See ya then!
Take care all and cheers from Budapest.
luv P. xx
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Romas and Hungarian Wine...
Alrightee then....what a good day!
Morning was free - we stayed in Eger last night, a Hungarian town east of Budapest. So I walked all over, found a great local outdoor market...fruits, veggies....and tables full of chilies, peppers,..paprika.
At noon we drove into the countryside to a school where our guide knows the teacher. 40% of the students are Roma.....learned a lot about them, the difficulties between the 2 types of culture and how they just don't quite mix...who's to say one is better than the other?! They are quite beautiful...dark hair, dark eyes....school means nothing to them, very hard for the teacher.. They are being taught English as one subject and they got to try it out on us and vice versa. Was a treat to interact with them. I hope they will do alright in the future, it isn't easy...
Back on the road, Etelka, our guide continued filling us in on history and personal stories of her experience in growing up under communist rule (they were so brutal sometimes...egads...) Hearing these personal accounts are a real eye-opener... Then we went to a Hungarian winery...Under communism, the lands of the winery were taken away and the owners, who we spent the afternoon with, had to gradually buy it back (well buy their grandparents land back actually). They make fantastic wine...we had a full tasting sitting outside in their garden. I felt like I was in Italy : ) The thing is...most wine tasting (in Canada anyway), is maybe an 1/8 of a glass at a time? Well the owner poured us out 1/2 glass each time for 6 different wines haha!! We were pretty HAPPY by the end of it.....and they got us all up and taught us a Hungarian folk dance - it was pretty funny! We laughed so hard! He took us down into his wine cellars then and gave us a bonus glass of whatever we named as our favorite (like we needed another lol) It was a fabulous afternoon, the people I am travelling with are just so much fun, it will be hard to say bye when it is time for me to go my own way in Austria!
After that we made our way over to Budapest, ...it is so big..there is SO much to see, we will only scratch the surface in 2 days. We just went for a short walk this evening ...but i can already tell this is an beautiful city...tomorrow we have the chance to go to the hot springs baths - can't wait, brought swimsuit! : )
I am learning so much about this part of the world. These people are truly lovely...they have been so generous to us with their time and kindness.
nity nite all, time for the Traveller to go back to the hotel and find a pillow zzzz
love, Patricia
Morning was free - we stayed in Eger last night, a Hungarian town east of Budapest. So I walked all over, found a great local outdoor market...fruits, veggies....and tables full of chilies, peppers,..paprika.
At noon we drove into the countryside to a school where our guide knows the teacher. 40% of the students are Roma.....learned a lot about them, the difficulties between the 2 types of culture and how they just don't quite mix...who's to say one is better than the other?! They are quite beautiful...dark hair, dark eyes....school means nothing to them, very hard for the teacher.. They are being taught English as one subject and they got to try it out on us and vice versa. Was a treat to interact with them. I hope they will do alright in the future, it isn't easy...
Back on the road, Etelka, our guide continued filling us in on history and personal stories of her experience in growing up under communist rule (they were so brutal sometimes...egads...) Hearing these personal accounts are a real eye-opener... Then we went to a Hungarian winery...Under communism, the lands of the winery were taken away and the owners, who we spent the afternoon with, had to gradually buy it back (well buy their grandparents land back actually). They make fantastic wine...we had a full tasting sitting outside in their garden. I felt like I was in Italy : ) The thing is...most wine tasting (in Canada anyway), is maybe an 1/8 of a glass at a time? Well the owner poured us out 1/2 glass each time for 6 different wines haha!! We were pretty HAPPY by the end of it.....and they got us all up and taught us a Hungarian folk dance - it was pretty funny! We laughed so hard! He took us down into his wine cellars then and gave us a bonus glass of whatever we named as our favorite (like we needed another lol) It was a fabulous afternoon, the people I am travelling with are just so much fun, it will be hard to say bye when it is time for me to go my own way in Austria!
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| Szechenyi Baths (going there tomorrow!) |
I am learning so much about this part of the world. These people are truly lovely...they have been so generous to us with their time and kindness.
nity nite all, time for the Traveller to go back to the hotel and find a pillow zzzz
love, Patricia
Yes!
StardateÉ (whoa look at that Hungarian symbol) Monday Sept 2o (cant find the zero thez have the z an y in different places on the kezboard in hungarz lol)
Well then, lets see here...where were we...oh yes, the saltmine with the 8öö steps. I had no problem.....yes! (pumps fist in air)! The railings were such that I could descend using the power of my arms, and so no pressure on the knee at all.....made me very happz :-)
The mine was very interesting, we were a long way below, very funnz guide who kept us laughing...said the lift up wasnt working pfft. There was an entire chapel carved out of salt down there...with brilliant acoustics ....we have an opera singer in our group and she sang Ave Maria in this chapel under the earth ...prettz amazing!
When we were done there we went back to Krakow and had a local man take us through the Jewish Quarter, the Kasimierz...we were all pretty tired by then so were glad to get to dinner at a Jewish House where we had a great meal, but even better got to listen to Klezmer music...something i never heard of before - it is particularlz Jewish and extremelz beautiful....very poignant. Most took a tram back to the hotel but the diehard walkers (including yours truly) walked back - half hour or so (because we just havent been doing enough walking....haha)
Sunday....long bus day....right through Slovakia and into Hungarz. I was so surprised to see how beautiful it is in this part of the world. The border of Poland and Slovakia is gorgeous, a bit like the Rockies in some parts...called the High Tatras (part of the Carpathians). And all through Slovakia, lush green forested hills....twists and turns, i couldnt believe the bus made some of those turns. Some of the people on the bus were turning green, but i was just fine. It was a bit of a low day for most on the tour, because a sore throat got going and spread prettz quick. I got it too, but it is alreadz on its waz out....lucky!
Slovakia, definitely you can see it is poorer and more basic ....noticed a change as soon as we crossed the border into Hungarz...odd how evident it is... Picnic lunch in a small Hungarian park, a town called Ledace ( i think) then continued on into our town for the night, Eger from which i am typing this. VERY basic hotel, nuthin to write home about...(so i wont lol)... Except to say that we were joking we were staying in the Communist Block..haha....everytime you leave a city centre in Krakow, Prague, etc..you get to where the majoritz of people live and it is all these big communist built buildings that originallz were all grez but the people have now painted them bright colours....thez are still prettz drab though (please excuse me not correcting all the z/y s.....running out of time, have to get back soon.)
We shared dinner out, our guide who is completely devoted to a diet of meat meat and more meat...tried her level best to get me to eat goose liver....alas i have let her down...there was just NO way!! There was REAL Hungarian goulash....not like what is served in N.America..more like a broth with meat and veggies. I sipped a bit of the broth and it was delicious...their seasoning here is wonderful.
Then the usual housekeeping was done....currencz exchange, ATM withdrawal of Hungarian florints. The ATMS have been no problem at all....so easz to use.
ok i have to boogie...or i will miss the bus! we are going to a wine tasting this afternoon.. (big smile)
cheers all
thanks Yvonne and Mum for comment on last one...cant go back and respond right now...but thank You! Yvonne it is wonderful to see you on my blog'
luv P. xx
sorrz no time to find a pic!
Well then, lets see here...where were we...oh yes, the saltmine with the 8öö steps. I had no problem.....yes! (pumps fist in air)! The railings were such that I could descend using the power of my arms, and so no pressure on the knee at all.....made me very happz :-)
The mine was very interesting, we were a long way below, very funnz guide who kept us laughing...said the lift up wasnt working pfft. There was an entire chapel carved out of salt down there...with brilliant acoustics ....we have an opera singer in our group and she sang Ave Maria in this chapel under the earth ...prettz amazing!
When we were done there we went back to Krakow and had a local man take us through the Jewish Quarter, the Kasimierz...we were all pretty tired by then so were glad to get to dinner at a Jewish House where we had a great meal, but even better got to listen to Klezmer music...something i never heard of before - it is particularlz Jewish and extremelz beautiful....very poignant. Most took a tram back to the hotel but the diehard walkers (including yours truly) walked back - half hour or so (because we just havent been doing enough walking....haha)
Sunday....long bus day....right through Slovakia and into Hungarz. I was so surprised to see how beautiful it is in this part of the world. The border of Poland and Slovakia is gorgeous, a bit like the Rockies in some parts...called the High Tatras (part of the Carpathians). And all through Slovakia, lush green forested hills....twists and turns, i couldnt believe the bus made some of those turns. Some of the people on the bus were turning green, but i was just fine. It was a bit of a low day for most on the tour, because a sore throat got going and spread prettz quick. I got it too, but it is alreadz on its waz out....lucky!
Slovakia, definitely you can see it is poorer and more basic ....noticed a change as soon as we crossed the border into Hungarz...odd how evident it is... Picnic lunch in a small Hungarian park, a town called Ledace ( i think) then continued on into our town for the night, Eger from which i am typing this. VERY basic hotel, nuthin to write home about...(so i wont lol)... Except to say that we were joking we were staying in the Communist Block..haha....everytime you leave a city centre in Krakow, Prague, etc..you get to where the majoritz of people live and it is all these big communist built buildings that originallz were all grez but the people have now painted them bright colours....thez are still prettz drab though (please excuse me not correcting all the z/y s.....running out of time, have to get back soon.)
We shared dinner out, our guide who is completely devoted to a diet of meat meat and more meat...tried her level best to get me to eat goose liver....alas i have let her down...there was just NO way!! There was REAL Hungarian goulash....not like what is served in N.America..more like a broth with meat and veggies. I sipped a bit of the broth and it was delicious...their seasoning here is wonderful.
Then the usual housekeeping was done....currencz exchange, ATM withdrawal of Hungarian florints. The ATMS have been no problem at all....so easz to use.
ok i have to boogie...or i will miss the bus! we are going to a wine tasting this afternoon.. (big smile)
cheers all
thanks Yvonne and Mum for comment on last one...cant go back and respond right now...but thank You! Yvonne it is wonderful to see you on my blog'
luv P. xx
sorrz no time to find a pic!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Wot? more Chopin? yes! and walking the Planty
Stardate: Saturday Sept. 17 (or is it the 18th now?)
Last night, it turned out to be 7 of us from the group that went to hear the Chopin piano concert in a house off the main square. A young Polish pianist who has won major competition prizes. She was WONDERFUL....fabulous pianist and we all really loved it.
This morning again is free time, i am going to walk around the Planty, a beautiful park area that surrounds the entire Old City....then rest up till 1:30pm when we meet to go to the salt mines.
Back from this beautiful tree-lined walk...1/2 way through my walk i stopped in again at the Franciscan Cathedral...now im not Catholic...more a Hermeticist than religionist...but i LOVE sitting in an almost empty church soaking in the stillness....and in this case i was sitting in a pew right beside the spot, at the back where Pope John Paul used to come in daily to pray...i mean....holysmokes!...(so to speak)....was it my imagination? or was it the most lovely energy there? The stillness was wonderful.....and then I walked into the courtyard where he lived and guess what....a group of monks began singing plainsong somewhere behind an upstairs window....does it get any better than that? it was one of those truly magical moments for me..... (thank you Universe!)
Last night, it turned out to be 7 of us from the group that went to hear the Chopin piano concert in a house off the main square. A young Polish pianist who has won major competition prizes. She was WONDERFUL....fabulous pianist and we all really loved it.
This morning again is free time, i am going to walk around the Planty, a beautiful park area that surrounds the entire Old City....then rest up till 1:30pm when we meet to go to the salt mines.
Back from this beautiful tree-lined walk...1/2 way through my walk i stopped in again at the Franciscan Cathedral...now im not Catholic...more a Hermeticist than religionist...but i LOVE sitting in an almost empty church soaking in the stillness....and in this case i was sitting in a pew right beside the spot, at the back where Pope John Paul used to come in daily to pray...i mean....holysmokes!...(so to speak)....was it my imagination? or was it the most lovely energy there? The stillness was wonderful.....and then I walked into the courtyard where he lived and guess what....a group of monks began singing plainsong somewhere behind an upstairs window....does it get any better than that? it was one of those truly magical moments for me..... (thank you Universe!)
 |
| The Planty, Krakow |
Funny moment...coming out of this courtyard is a vending machine that sells bottled water with images of John Paul all over it...you can buy holy water here ha!! Kind of like at the Palace here in Krakow there is a corner where it is said one of the Earth's chakra points lies...you used to be able to go and stand up against the wall, now there is a desk there with an xray machine you have to go through (i didnt ) and pay money ...can you imagine!?
i am writing this time from a cyber cafe...so i wont be kicked off by the next person and sit and relax.
Walking the Planty, so peaceful...Polish families and their little dogs everywhere just strolling....I was completely happy walking this! In Prague, you had to think about pick-pockets, lots of crowds.....here in Krakow, it feels utterly peaceful to me...a bit like Paris (my favorite city on Planet Earth!)...like the Jardins de Luxembourg (ahh!) such a gentle energy here. And i have become very good at saying thank ou in Polish : )
cheers all!love Patricia
Friday, September 17, 2010
Krakow...
Stardate: Friday September 17
Krakow....more peaceful than Prague...actually i really love Krakow...less touristy, a quiet peace everywhere, a park that surrounds the historic center. We have great rooms here for 3 nights...bathtub!
We had a short walk last night, most of them went for dinner with our guide, i wasnt that hungry so decided to take a sandwich back to my room and do laundry, have a quiet evening, get re-organized. Today we walked for about 4 hours on a great tour with a local guide - ALL over Old Krakov. Saw so much. Afterwards I went back to the University district and spent some time there...Copernicus, Pope John-Paul spent years there. Pope John Paul is SO loved here. I saw the place where he used to live, his home church - a truly beautiful Franciscan church.
Im finding it pretty easy not to spend a lot of money. We always get a big breakfast with our room, I usually take a piece of bread and cheese and some fruit from the breakfast buffet - that's lunch. So it's just dinner i have to pay for and half the time, it's included in the tour. So spending very little, not being a shopper etc.
Tonight, going to take in a Chopin concert. I saw one of his piano's at the university today :-)
Tomorrow the Jewish district. We have a lot of free time in Krakow so im seeing a lotta stuff.
Cheers all!
(tho i think maybe Mum is the only one reading this lol)
Krakow....more peaceful than Prague...actually i really love Krakow...less touristy, a quiet peace everywhere, a park that surrounds the historic center. We have great rooms here for 3 nights...bathtub!
We had a short walk last night, most of them went for dinner with our guide, i wasnt that hungry so decided to take a sandwich back to my room and do laundry, have a quiet evening, get re-organized. Today we walked for about 4 hours on a great tour with a local guide - ALL over Old Krakov. Saw so much. Afterwards I went back to the University district and spent some time there...Copernicus, Pope John-Paul spent years there. Pope John Paul is SO loved here. I saw the place where he used to live, his home church - a truly beautiful Franciscan church.
Im finding it pretty easy not to spend a lot of money. We always get a big breakfast with our room, I usually take a piece of bread and cheese and some fruit from the breakfast buffet - that's lunch. So it's just dinner i have to pay for and half the time, it's included in the tour. So spending very little, not being a shopper etc.
Tonight, going to take in a Chopin concert. I saw one of his piano's at the university today :-)
Tomorrow the Jewish district. We have a lot of free time in Krakow so im seeing a lotta stuff.
Cheers all!
(tho i think maybe Mum is the only one reading this lol)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Poland...Auschwitz
Stardate: September...um...16 i think...
This morning we drove to the Polish border, exchanged our currency and continued on into Poland....
----------------
This morning we drove to the Polish border, exchanged our currency and continued on into Poland....
----------------
Auschwitz-Birkenau....
: (
Travelling opens your heart - sometimes in wrenching ways....for me, coming here helps me to remember there is only One of us...
from the Czech Republic to Poland
 |
| Beskydy Mountains |
Very cold up here in the mountains; I had to pile on an extra eiderdown quilt to stay warm. We were given a great dinner tonight, but best of all, afterwards, a local group of Czech musicians and folkdancers came in and put on a really beautiful show for us. It was absolutely enchanting...whimsical, funny, impossible to sit still....so uncommercial! just authenticity: Czech men and women having wonderful time singing and dancing. It was obvious they were having a blast : ) as were we. At the end of their performance, the dancers came into our group and invited some of us up to dance. I was one of the invited : ) It was like a polka....it was exhilarating!
So yes, full confession here...I, Patricia Parry, danced with a Czech gentleman in a remote mountain chalet atop the misty and magical Beskydy Mts...and it was wonderful! After, when i went to my room to sleep, it was so still and quiet, i had a great sleep.
Bye bye Czech Republic and thank you from Patricia.....
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Mozart at Warp Speed....aka Concert in Mach10 Major
Tuesday Night at the Prague concert (2nd one)
Well now.....not quite the transcendent experience of the Chopin one! (lol)
First up: Bach Violin Concerto: I swear this is true! the solo violinist takes off at MACH10 while the little supporting chamber group manages MACH4....and a magnificent competition ensues. I was just dying to see what the outcome was going to be! [I did notice a few people surreptitiously placing bets].
Brilliant young bundle of energy soloist bobbing and weaving all over the place, clearly enjoying himself...versus grim faced chamber ensemble hanging on like grim death...Sort of hard to tell what piece they were actually playing for a while there... At the end, multiple, enthusiastic bows from the soloist who had the most IMPISH grin on his face!
Next up: Vivaldi's Five and a Half Seasons (cough)
This one is still a mystery to me...they got through the normal four seasons...and then he decides to repeat "Spring" (or was it "Summer", i always get them mixed up)...but only about 1/2 of it for some reason hmmmm. Then he launches into a full out sprint of "Winter" (again) and this time the others kept up brilliantly and the whole thing tore to a rousing finish in record time. (I guess he wasn't too happy with the first rendition).
Well he definitely had MY attention...what would he do next?
Turns out his bit was done for the night and he left, but he must have really got the chamber group going because suddenly the remaining group launched into the FASTEST Eine Kleine Nachtmusic I have ever heard! Even withOUT him there! [maybe they had all just been to Prague Starbucks (there is one) for triple espressos? beats me...]
What's interesting is that the backdrop to all this took place in probably the most ornate Baroque church I've seen which was terribly fitting - not an INCH left unfilled with something golden or cherubic. [Why do I love Baroque music but cant seem to develop any kind of taste for overdone Baroque architecture? ]
Anyhoo...by the last piece, the chamber group had settled down and did a beautiful job of a Dvorak Waltz (Dvorak wrote waltzes?! who knew). A for effort! and a good time was had by all!
: ) : )
Addenda:
1. the concert was billed as 70 minutes. It was done and dusted at 50 minutes flat! (lol)
2. it's not that i normally go to a lot of concerts but when in England you drink Earl Gray...when in Prague, you drink Czech beer made by monks and go to concerts - one on every corner. :-)
cheers all...i wonder if i will get any sleep now....that concert left me feeling like i should run a marathon or something hehe...
love P.
Well now.....not quite the transcendent experience of the Chopin one! (lol)
 |
| Holy Overload on the Cherubs Batman...!! |
Brilliant young bundle of energy soloist bobbing and weaving all over the place, clearly enjoying himself...versus grim faced chamber ensemble hanging on like grim death...Sort of hard to tell what piece they were actually playing for a while there... At the end, multiple, enthusiastic bows from the soloist who had the most IMPISH grin on his face!
Next up: Vivaldi's Five and a Half Seasons (cough)
This one is still a mystery to me...they got through the normal four seasons...and then he decides to repeat "Spring" (or was it "Summer", i always get them mixed up)...but only about 1/2 of it for some reason hmmmm. Then he launches into a full out sprint of "Winter" (again) and this time the others kept up brilliantly and the whole thing tore to a rousing finish in record time. (I guess he wasn't too happy with the first rendition).
Well he definitely had MY attention...what would he do next?
Turns out his bit was done for the night and he left, but he must have really got the chamber group going because suddenly the remaining group launched into the FASTEST Eine Kleine Nachtmusic I have ever heard! Even withOUT him there! [maybe they had all just been to Prague Starbucks (there is one) for triple espressos? beats me...]
What's interesting is that the backdrop to all this took place in probably the most ornate Baroque church I've seen which was terribly fitting - not an INCH left unfilled with something golden or cherubic. [Why do I love Baroque music but cant seem to develop any kind of taste for overdone Baroque architecture? ]
Anyhoo...by the last piece, the chamber group had settled down and did a beautiful job of a Dvorak Waltz (Dvorak wrote waltzes?! who knew). A for effort! and a good time was had by all!
: ) : )
Addenda:
1. the concert was billed as 70 minutes. It was done and dusted at 50 minutes flat! (lol)
2. it's not that i normally go to a lot of concerts but when in England you drink Earl Gray...when in Prague, you drink Czech beer made by monks and go to concerts - one on every corner. :-)
cheers all...i wonder if i will get any sleep now....that concert left me feeling like i should run a marathon or something hehe...
love P.
Chopin and History....
The walk last night with Czech local, Martin, a science professor, was SO good...because we got a personal perspective on communisim - what it was like to live under it, the difficult decisions that had to be made, the enormous psychological pressures... ie) Martin was asked if he would be an informer for them....he somehow got out of it but it was a dangerous thing to try and get out of....i got a real feeling for how deeply they controlled things (or tried to), - it was a brutal time :-/ My eyes were really opened (which is why im doing this in the first place !) Anyway, that's just a little tiny bit of what we were told.
From there we all split up and i walked directly to my concert venue (grabbing a Veggie sub on the way - no time for a sitdown meal...but hey! it was a Czech Subway so it was "local food" right? hehe).
omg....the concert....i had been feeling a little blue cuz my knee was acting up again : ( (tho was excellent today, hm.....i really think its just that i didnt have enough time to build up walking time before leaving for this trip, and i've at least tripled what i had already built up to...that's all it is im sure....) but from the first notes, my spirit just soared through the roof....I don't know if it was the superb acoustics of the Smetana Theatre or if it was due to the equally superb Prague Symphony Orchestra, but the sound was just unbelievable!! I dont know if i've ever heard such an absolute purity of sound - and with them playing that wonderful Chopin Concerto - one of his 2 that i really love - well, it put me in a "happy place"! They did the New World Symphony too....best version I've heard....Czech music in Prague...wow : )
So afterwards I couldnt seem to find my way home! Usually never a problem for me, when i have a map, but these streets are like Venice and I just got somehow turned around and it was dark and i was alone! Eventually i made it back ....[n.b. my mother will be all worried now, reading this, she is quite certain i will never make it back to Canada alive....hehe "it's ok Mum! I was very safe, honest : )" ] So..hm...are you supposed to be really truthful on these blog things? ok, i will tell all: last night felt so mixed.... i was a bit down over my knee and getting lost didnt help - wouldnt usually bother me...just one of those things and i hadnt' gotten enough sleep soooooo.......but then that music just sent me straight into heaven...so thar ya go....that's normal travelling for you. Still.....I need to get better at identifying with the stillness underneath everything and not the little temporary waves that surge back and forth on the surface of that big ocean. Getting better at it! [If my Dad is reading this, he will be scratching his head, saying..."huh?" (lol)
This morning (Tuesday) we took a tram up Castle Hill and explored all around. Got to see all the places I'd read about in a book about that enlightened Habsburg (maybe the onlyone?) Rudolph II recently. Prague Castle....impossible to get a good photo...everything on such a huge scale.
We then walked to the nearby Strahoff monastery where they have their own brewery and had lunch there....mmmmm dark Czech ale : ) ALMOST as good as Guinness... (and im not even much of a beer drinker haha i probably dont know what im talking about). Anyway, seriously thinking about becoming a monk now...... Walked back down Castle Hill, over Charles Bridge and picked up another concert ticket for tonight in the Klementium...Mozart, Bach etc...i love 'em both, should be great. Apart from that, some quiet time in my room.
Getting along GREAT with this little travel group - they are good, kind people, playful in spirit, who know how to have a good laugh. Lovely folks...i've noticed that these Rick Steves tours seem to attract couples who are genuinely happy and have a great time travelling together. Sometimes i really envy their companionship....
Tomorrow we leave for eastern Czech Rep. Moravia....and stay atop a mountain. REALLY looking forward to a hike there! Dunno if they have a puter...this place has been fantastic for puter access...so until next time...be well all!! xx hugs from
Ace Reporter
patricia
(someone waiting for the computer, so no pic today lol) how about a stick picture instead? >-->o (me lying down for a wee rest before taking off again : ))
From there we all split up and i walked directly to my concert venue (grabbing a Veggie sub on the way - no time for a sitdown meal...but hey! it was a Czech Subway so it was "local food" right? hehe).
omg....the concert....i had been feeling a little blue cuz my knee was acting up again : ( (tho was excellent today, hm.....i really think its just that i didnt have enough time to build up walking time before leaving for this trip, and i've at least tripled what i had already built up to...that's all it is im sure....) but from the first notes, my spirit just soared through the roof....I don't know if it was the superb acoustics of the Smetana Theatre or if it was due to the equally superb Prague Symphony Orchestra, but the sound was just unbelievable!! I dont know if i've ever heard such an absolute purity of sound - and with them playing that wonderful Chopin Concerto - one of his 2 that i really love - well, it put me in a "happy place"! They did the New World Symphony too....best version I've heard....Czech music in Prague...wow : )
So afterwards I couldnt seem to find my way home! Usually never a problem for me, when i have a map, but these streets are like Venice and I just got somehow turned around and it was dark and i was alone! Eventually i made it back ....[n.b. my mother will be all worried now, reading this, she is quite certain i will never make it back to Canada alive....hehe "it's ok Mum! I was very safe, honest : )" ] So..hm...are you supposed to be really truthful on these blog things? ok, i will tell all: last night felt so mixed.... i was a bit down over my knee and getting lost didnt help - wouldnt usually bother me...just one of those things and i hadnt' gotten enough sleep soooooo.......but then that music just sent me straight into heaven...so thar ya go....that's normal travelling for you. Still.....I need to get better at identifying with the stillness underneath everything and not the little temporary waves that surge back and forth on the surface of that big ocean. Getting better at it! [If my Dad is reading this, he will be scratching his head, saying..."huh?" (lol)
This morning (Tuesday) we took a tram up Castle Hill and explored all around. Got to see all the places I'd read about in a book about that enlightened Habsburg (maybe the onlyone?) Rudolph II recently. Prague Castle....impossible to get a good photo...everything on such a huge scale.
We then walked to the nearby Strahoff monastery where they have their own brewery and had lunch there....mmmmm dark Czech ale : ) ALMOST as good as Guinness... (and im not even much of a beer drinker haha i probably dont know what im talking about). Anyway, seriously thinking about becoming a monk now...... Walked back down Castle Hill, over Charles Bridge and picked up another concert ticket for tonight in the Klementium...Mozart, Bach etc...i love 'em both, should be great. Apart from that, some quiet time in my room.
Getting along GREAT with this little travel group - they are good, kind people, playful in spirit, who know how to have a good laugh. Lovely folks...i've noticed that these Rick Steves tours seem to attract couples who are genuinely happy and have a great time travelling together. Sometimes i really envy their companionship....
Tomorrow we leave for eastern Czech Rep. Moravia....and stay atop a mountain. REALLY looking forward to a hike there! Dunno if they have a puter...this place has been fantastic for puter access...so until next time...be well all!! xx hugs from
Ace Reporter
patricia
(someone waiting for the computer, so no pic today lol) how about a stick picture instead? >-->o (me lying down for a wee rest before taking off again : ))
Monday, September 13, 2010
Chopin and Astronomical Clocks...
Stardate: September 13, Monday
Well look at that, here I am again, nobody using the hotel puter : )
Met the tour group last night - a really lovely bunch, GREAT senseof humour, all...all married couples except for a few single ladies, like myself. Started with a walk through Old Prague - lots of winding streets so i have no idea where i went : )
and then dinner in an old stone cellar from the 1400s....followed by a walk under the stars over Charles Bridge - it is gorgeous in the nghtime.
When that all ended, i was able to get my train ticket in place for when i'm on my own, Sept 28, going from Lake Bled to Salzburg. We are on our own for dinner and evening tonight so I have bought a ticket to a concert at the Municipal House (see pic) for Chopin and Dvorjak (local Czech boy : )) The Chopin especially will be a real treat because it is the Piano Concerto in F-, one of my favorites..and which i've practised at home many times several years ago, so i know every bar - great prices for music in Prague!
So...this afternoon, a bit of a rest and then at 4:30 pm we set off with another guide to walk the route of the Velvet Revolution which ends at Wenceslas Square...will be about 2 hours and full of history. Time for a quick bite and then I will walk to the Municipal House for the concert.
Tomorrow morning = Prague Castle, and then from noon on we are set free to do as we like individually : )
Weather is great! note to Dr. M if you are reading! Knee is holding up!although definitely feeling all the walking - so still not quite back to normal, have to watch it a little...but it's not letting me down :) :) : )
k cheers all! love Patricia
Well look at that, here I am again, nobody using the hotel puter : )
Met the tour group last night - a really lovely bunch, GREAT senseof humour, all...all married couples except for a few single ladies, like myself. Started with a walk through Old Prague - lots of winding streets so i have no idea where i went : )
and then dinner in an old stone cellar from the 1400s....followed by a walk under the stars over Charles Bridge - it is gorgeous in the nghtime.
 |
| Municipal Hall/Smetana |
This morning, after breakfast, a local Czech lady, Jana, took us walking all through the Old Town part of Prague giving us history and architecture information - really lovely lady...this was from 9 am till around 1 pm so a LOT of walking... got to see the famous Astronomical Clock in action, which was a treat, although those 12 apostles chaps that revolve around the little window kind of glower at you, i'll probably have nightmares tonight hehe but the clock itself is phenomenal... Then Jana walked us through the Jewish Quarter, most of the Jewish here never survived, we went through a synogogue, and the cemetary where they are buried 12 deep, in layers up till the 1700s, because they were not allowed to bury their people anywhere else.
When that all ended, i was able to get my train ticket in place for when i'm on my own, Sept 28, going from Lake Bled to Salzburg. We are on our own for dinner and evening tonight so I have bought a ticket to a concert at the Municipal House (see pic) for Chopin and Dvorjak (local Czech boy : )) The Chopin especially will be a real treat because it is the Piano Concerto in F-, one of my favorites..and which i've practised at home many times several years ago, so i know every bar - great prices for music in Prague!
So...this afternoon, a bit of a rest and then at 4:30 pm we set off with another guide to walk the route of the Velvet Revolution which ends at Wenceslas Square...will be about 2 hours and full of history. Time for a quick bite and then I will walk to the Municipal House for the concert.
Tomorrow morning = Prague Castle, and then from noon on we are set free to do as we like individually : )
Weather is great! note to Dr. M if you are reading! Knee is holding up!although definitely feeling all the walking - so still not quite back to normal, have to watch it a little...but it's not letting me down :) :) : )
k cheers all! love Patricia
Sunday, September 12, 2010
addenda
n.b. Please 'scuse all typos and grammatical faux pas....im typing like the wind, since time is limited on this thing...and so hardly even re-reading what i write. hm...they are filming something outside my hotel...tv cameras...maybe i should go ask them if they would like to use me as an extra....(just kidding lol)
cheers!
cheers!
ahhh Prague!
Stardate: September12, 2010
I'm here! Trip over was great....well, except for the bit where we were hijacked toReykjavik....Rjkyekvec...Rayjkyavik. OSlo....and then traded to Barbary Pirates for a few hours..but in the end, i got here just fine : )
Exhilarated to be in Prague! (it is WAY more beautiful than the pix can show in books)....
Serene trip from Summerland right across the ocean (that's a lotta water..!) intoHeathrow. Heathrow...oy, what a zoo....but found my plane to Prague...so amazing to look down upon the English Channel, northern France, Belgium -I saw Brussels and Ghent from the air : ), across Germany which turned into masses of beautiful dark green trees...and into Prague. Long time to get to my hotel...long story, I'll spare you :-/....so not in till late evening.
Sweet little room for 4 nights ...very comfy bed, old wood trimming everywhere which i love...big sit-in windows that look over a little square. People sit at tables there, in the beautiful night air in candlelight eating dinner and sipping wine....how European of them! I was just itching to join them! The architecture here is absolutely beautiful...graceful, refined....then at night the cobblestone street out my window is awash with the ebb and flow late into the night of mostly male hormone little waves (lol) so as usual in Europe, a bit noisey to stay in the center of town, but I love watching and feeling that pulse of life.
n.b. Travel Tip #2 It's hard to catch up on sleep and jetlag when you keep popping out of bed to see what's going on....3:30am..it actually did become very quiet.
Today, (the 12th, i seem tohave lost a day in transit) I set out for a walk to see Prague by myself for the first time, before i join with the little tour group tonight at 5 for dinner. Walked across that wonderful pedestrian bridge...Charles Bridge,and then to the Old Square and well all over the place....spent quite a long time at the Mucha Art Museum...like impressionism, it is a whole different matter to see an entire body of an artist's work up close and personal, rather than in a book....i was blown away by the delicacy of Mucha's work... Then went throught the Museum of Communism..since Prague was very much affected by all that of course...
ok...will leave it at that for now....sorry I took lots of pix but have no way to put them onto this blog....
Not sure when my next post will be....I'm not terribly interested in competing with a horde of other tourists for the one hotel computer haha...so may wait for a quiet cyber cafe somewhere for the next one...
Til then, be well everyone! cheers from Prague!! xx love, Patricia aka Sophie the sock ;-)
ps Well look at that! i found a way to copy a photo from the web!
I'm here! Trip over was great....well, except for the bit where we were hijacked to
Exhilarated to be in Prague! (it is WAY more beautiful than the pix can show in books)....
Serene trip from Summerland right across the ocean (that's a lotta water..!) intoHeathrow. Heathrow...oy, what a zoo....but found my plane to Prague...so amazing to look down upon the English Channel, northern France, Belgium -I saw Brussels and Ghent from the air : ), across Germany which turned into masses of beautiful dark green trees...and into Prague. Long time to get to my hotel...long story, I'll spare you :-/....so not in till late evening.
Sweet little room for 4 nights ...very comfy bed, old wood trimming everywhere which i love...big sit-in windows that look over a little square. People sit at tables there, in the beautiful night air in candlelight eating dinner and sipping wine....how European of them! I was just itching to join them! The architecture here is absolutely beautiful...graceful, refined....then at night the cobblestone street out my window is awash with the ebb and flow late into the night of mostly male hormone little waves (lol) so as usual in Europe, a bit noisey to stay in the center of town, but I love watching and feeling that pulse of life.
n.b. Travel Tip #2 It's hard to catch up on sleep and jetlag when you keep popping out of bed to see what's going on....3:30am..it actually did become very quiet.
Today, (the 12th, i seem tohave lost a day in transit) I set out for a walk to see Prague by myself for the first time, before i join with the little tour group tonight at 5 for dinner. Walked across that wonderful pedestrian bridge...Charles Bridge,and then to the Old Square and well all over the place....spent quite a long time at the Mucha Art Museum...like impressionism, it is a whole different matter to see an entire body of an artist's work up close and personal, rather than in a book....i was blown away by the delicacy of Mucha's work... Then went throught the Museum of Communism..since Prague was very much affected by all that of course...
ok...will leave it at that for now....sorry I took lots of pix but have no way to put them onto this blog....
Not sure when my next post will be....I'm not terribly interested in competing with a horde of other tourists for the one hotel computer haha...so may wait for a quiet cyber cafe somewhere for the next one...
Til then, be well everyone! cheers from Prague!! xx love, Patricia aka Sophie the sock ;-)
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| Charles Bridge at night (where did the people go!) |
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