Czechia, East Germany, Eastern Europe, Polska, Slovak Republic, Ten Things I Learned

Ten things I learned during our Eastern European October…

Featured photo was at St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow…

Once again, I find myself at the end of one of my travel series. Whenever I write my blow by blow accounts of my trips, I always like to end with a “ten things I learned” post. It sort of neatly sums up the new things I learned during my travels. No matter what, I always learn something new, even when I return to places. I learned a lot on this trip to Karlovy Vary, Vyoske Tatry, Krakow, and Dresden. It might even be hard to narrow down just ten things! So, without further delay, here’s my list of ten things I learned!

10. Poland has better roads than Czechia does.

Or, at least that’s the impression I got as we traveled through Czechia and Poland. We started our trip in Czechia and traveled across the country to reach Slovakia. On the way back we came through Poland. We encountered a lot less construction and fewer detours in Poland. However, it did look to me like Czechia and Slovakia are working on improving things.

Poland also is more likely to offer premium gas than Czechia and Slovakia are. My husband commented that he was able to find higher octane gas in Poland that he could not get when we were in Czechia and Slovakia.

*Approaching Katowice, Poland… smooth sailing!*

9. Slovakia is a country with ambition.

My first trip to Slovakia was in 1997. At that time, it still had Peace Corps Volunteers in service. My next visit was in 2015, when we spent the day in Bratislava during a trip to Vienna. This year, we visited an area where there’s a lot of tourism. I was pleasantly surprised by how clean and beautiful the country is, and how tourist friendly the high Tatras are.

*There’s plenty to do in the high Tatry mountains of Slovakia. Bachledka, alone, will eat up a good portion of a day.*

8. Fall is a wonderful time to visit Eastern Europe.

In 2021, Bill and I went to Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia. I was mesmerized by how beautiful the fall colors were, and how few tourists there were. It was amazing. Well, I’m here to tell you that Czechia and Slovakia are also incredibly beautiful in the fall season. I got some lovely photos, especially in Slovakia. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, but there were no crowds! I would highly recommend visiting Slovakia, especially, in October.

7. Krakow is an incredibly Catholic city.

I knew that Poland is a religious country, and I knew it’s very Catholic. But I didn’t realize just how Catholic Krakow is. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many nuns and priests in one place.

*There’s a reason why this tour group came all the way from the USA to tour Krakow!*

6. Krakow is the place to learn about Pope John Paul II.

Not being Catholic, I don’t actually know that much about popes or the Catholic tradition. But if you go to Krakow, you will not be able to avoid seeing Pope John Paul’s visage. In retrospect, maybe we should have visited one of the three museums dedicated to the pope’s life. One of them– the Archdiocesan Museum– was located just across the street from where we stayed. That address was where the pope lived and worked as a priest from 1951-1967.

*Pope John Paul II is everywhere in Krakow!*

5. Becherovka Liqueur is made in Karlovy Vary and has an interesting history with Germany.

Bill and I had tried Becherovka when we lived in Germany the first time, from 2007-2009. On our visit to Karlovy Vary, we paid a visit to the “Home of Becherovka”, where we learned the fascinating history of this distinctive drink. We brought home two bottles of it, as well as a few flavored varieties.

4. If you visit Karlovy Vary, you must try the water.

I knew about the mineral water from the first time Bill and I visited Karlovy Vary, back in 2009. But this time, we bought special containers so we could try the warm, salty, mineral waters that are said to bring health and youth. While it’s not the tastiest water I’ve ever tried, it was definitely interesting to try the different taps.

*One of many different places where you can taste Karlovy Vary’s famous water…*

3. If you can’t find parking in Karlovy Vary, try visiting one of the other spa towns.

Of course this suggestion is only useful if you drive a car to the city, which isn’t necessarily a requirement. Trains and buses serve Karlovy Vary. On beautiful Saturdays, it may be hard to find a place to park, in which case you can enjoy a scenic drive through the surrounding countryside. Maybe you’ll even end up at Chodovar Brewery’s Ve Skale cave restaurant for lunch!

*Always a worthy stop, especially if you like beer!*

2. Dresden is still a very beautiful and unique city.

Bill and I visited Dresden the first time in 2008. I remembered it well from that trip, but it was great to go back again in 2026 and see the incredible architecture there that survived World War II. It’s especially essential to visit the Frauenkirche and see how the church was rebuilt after it was mostly destroyed by Allied Forces bombs. It’s simply incredible!

And finally, 1. If I had to do it over again, I’d spend two nights each in Karlovy Vary and Dresden, and four nights each in Vyoske Tatry and Krakow.

This is not to say that Karlovy Vary and Dresden aren’t worth visiting, or even that they aren’t worth three nights each. But Bill and I had already been to those cities, and Vyoske Tatry and Krakow are quite far from where we live. I would have liked to have had a little bit more time to explore these less familiar places and do more things. I really hope we can go back to both places at some point in the future.

Below is a small taste of what we saw in the four distinct places we visited…

There’s more I could write about what I learned. For instance, on our trip, I met a Black Russian Terrier for the first time, and learned the interesting history of that dog. I saw signs at a Catholic basilica requesting people not to visit. I encountered a Catholic tour group from the United States. I saw Polish breakdancers, and German demonstrators… I saw beautiful young Polish women with the same look, seemingly either being trained for a job or auditioning for one. I encountered many beautiful carriage horses, and gazed at several gorgeous churches. I ate good food and drank lots of beer…

It was truly a GREAT vacation, even though I got sick afterwards.

If you’re looking for something different and affordable, especially if you’re Catholic, I would highly recommend a trip to Krakow… If you love the outdoors, Slovakia and Czechia might be just what you need. If you love history, visit Dresden. This was a great itinerary with something for everyone.

Our next trip will be next month. We’re going to… Switzerland– AGAIN! But we are going to, Adelboden, a town we’ve never been to before. It has incredible views, and I am really looking forward to the hotel. So, I look forward to writing about that. Thanks for following along on this series! See you next time.

Someone’s video about our next planned trip together… Can’t wait to make my own video.

East Germany, Eastern Europe, Health

Our Eastern European October… part fourteen

Homeward bound…

So, I have finally reached my last post in this series covering our visits to Karlovy Vary, Vyoske Tatry, Krakow, and Dresden. In retrospect, this trip was one of our best vacations. It even rivals our trip to Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia, back in 2021! The best part is, we didn’t do this trip during a pandemic… although given what happened on our way home, maybe it would have been better if I’d
“masked up”.

We woke up to cloudy Dresden skies on October 13th. It happened to be my sister’s birthday, so I sent her a birthday message. Then, Bill and I got dressed and went to breakfast in the Moritz restaurant. Since we needed to get on the road, Bill and I stuck to the buffet.

After breakfast, Bill called the front desk to ask them to bring our car around. Then we hauled our bags down to the lobby and Bill settled our bill. I had already paid for the room, so we just had to pay for the city taxes and parking, and we got a slight discount for skipping housekeeping. We loaded up our car and headed out, immediately getting turned around at a roundabout and construction…

On our way out of Dresden, we passed a train station, where gay pride was on display. I love this about Germany. They are all about being inclusive… or, at least a lot of people are, anyway.

The sun came out for a brief time as we passed the local Russian Orthodox Church…

I’m afraid things got more boring once we left Dresden. The clouds came back, then we got rain, and the terrain was the usual German countryside that has become so familiar to me over the years. But I took a few photos, anyway, just to pass the time.

And then it happened. We crossed the border into Hessen, which is the state where we currently live. We had about 90 minutes left in our drive, and we needed a break. So Bill pulled off at a rest stop.

Rain was falling and it was chilly. The rest stop had a Burger King and a Gusticus, as well as a gas station and toilets. But it was laid out weirdly. Usually, at German rest stops, the doors are at the front of the building, and there’s no barrier on either side. If someone is walking slowly, you can easily pass them to enter.

At this stop, which was at Rimberg Nord, just off the A5, there were two entrances at the back of the building. The one closest to us had a single door, and there was a barrier on the other side of the sidewalk leading up to it. We were rushing to the door, to escape the rain, when we encountered a woman with a girl who appeared to be her daughter. The girl looked to be about ten or eleven years old.

As we approached the walkway, the woman and the girl stopped, and the girl vomited right in front of us. They were also blocking the way into the entrance, because they stopped at the end of the walkway and had the building on one side, and the barrier on the other. Perhaps that was a sign that we should walk the other way. But we waited for her to finish, which took a minute or two. We went into the restaurant, which was crowded with elderly tourists from a bus parked outside.

The interior of the rest stop was kind of weird. Instead of the big open layout one usually finds at German rest stops, this place had smaller rooms connected by corridors. I think that, somehow, we were exposed to the nasty virus Bill and I have had all week. It was either the vomiting girl on the way in, or someone in the large group of tourists. I’m sure eating Burger King didn’t help. The Gusticus was closed, not that it would have been that much better. When we left the rest stop, the girl’s puke was still on the sidewalk.

*A picture of the entrance. You can see there’s a barrier by the walkway, making it hard to avoid other people.*

Anyway, the upshot is, less than 48 hours after we got home, I started feeling sick with a respiratory virus that laid me out all last week. Bill also got the bug, although it doesn’t seem to have made him as sick as it made me. I am mostly over the bug now. I just have a residual cough and a lot of fatigue. But that was a rotten way to end what was otherwise an epic trip to Eastern Europe.

Since we got back from Eastern Europe, I have looked back on our trip with amazement. I wish we could have done more… and if I had to do it over again, perhaps I would have done two nights in Karlovy Vary and two nights in Dresden. I would have liked to have spent more time in Vyoske Tatry and Krakow. But overall, we had a wonderful time on our journey, and it was such great thing to get a change of scenery.

Just this morning, Bill said he was feeling better at work, even though he’s been very busy. Next week, he has to go to the US, and then after that, there’s another business trip. At the end of November, we will celebrate our wedding anniversary with a belated trip to a lovely hotel in Switzerland. So that will keep the travel blog going…

Anyway, so ends my blow by blow reporting on our Eastern European October. We just changed the clocks back to standard time, so it seems later than it is. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series, and will stay tuned for my usual ten things I learned post!

East Germany, Eastern Europe

Our Eastern European October… part thirteen

Our last full day in Dresden fell on what used to be known as Columbus Day. It was destined to be a drizzly day, but I wanted to go into the Frauenkirche and walk around the Der Zwinger, a palatial complex that now serves as a museum. Given the weather we had on October 12th, I wish we had gone into the museum, but I think we had kind of reached the end of our desire to be tourists.

We had a nice breakfast at the Moritz restaurant, with mimosas and Eggs Benedict. I remembered loving the egg dish during our first visit. It was pretty damned good the second time, too.

Bill and I had seen both the church and the museum on our visit in 2008. I remember when we went into the Frauenkirche, we also took the paid trip to the observation deck, which offers views of the Elbe River. Below is a picture from 2008.

*I remember this to be a somewhat crowded activity in 2008…*

The Frauenkirche is always worth a look, as it offers an example of the incredible restoration work done after the church was bombed by Allied forces during World War II. The fire caused by the bombing obliterated most of the church’s original structure. The church was reconstructed between 1994 and 2005, and opened to the public in 2005. It really is incredible what was done to resurrect the church to its former glory.

It’s interesting that I would be writing about the Frauenkirche today, as another German historic building was destroyed by fire on Friday night. The Kehlsteinhaus– popularly known as the Eagles’ Nest, and located in Berchtesgaden– was engulfed in flames and ruined. The Eagles’ Nest was built in 1938 and was meant to be a retreat for Nazi officials. It’s said that Adolf Hitler spent little time there, because he suffered from a fear of heights and enclosed spaces. In recent years, it was used as a cafe, which I happened to visit in June 2009. Below is a photo from my 2009 visit.

*The Eagles’ Nest in June 2009. It was destroyed by fire over this weekend. On the day I visited, I was denied the beautiful views of the Bavarian Alps, thanks to the clouds.*

The Eagles’ Nest will also be rebuilt, according to the news. I have every expectation that the work will be meticulously undertaken, and the cafe will be updated with state of the art equipment. Meanwhile, the person responsible for the fire has been arrested on charges of arson.

Anyway, we happened to visit the Frauenkirche just before a service. We considered staying for the service, but we were there 20 minutes too early, and didn’t feel like waiting. I managed to get some good pictures, though. The inside of this church is absolutely gorgeous!

*This funny “angel” was encouraging people to visit the Frauenkirche. He was quite the ham!*

Below are a couple of photos from 2008…

*Another view from the observation deck, circa 2008.*

After we visited the church, and Bill lit a candle for his late father, we walked around to the Zwinger. When we visited in 2008, we had sunny skies. We had no such luck in 2026.

And here are a few photos from 2008… It blows my mind how few photos I took back then!

By the time we were finished walking through the Zwinger complex, it was raining. We decided it might be a good time to look for lunch. We ended up finding the Shamrock Irish Bar & Restaurant, which actually had pretty good food. It just needed some decent music. We passed a cool looking Italian market on the way there. If it hadn’t been raining, I would have definitely paid a visit.

After another leisurely lunch at the Shamrock Bar, we walked back toward the market square. On the way there, we passed the very East German looking Kulturpalast. I took a picture of it in 2008, when Tracy Chapman was due to perform… The locals decided to keep the mural, which dates from the 1960s, as a relic of Dresden’s East German history.

And then again in 2026… it hasn’t changed a bit on the outside, although it was renovated in 2017…

We stopped in a souvenir shop to pick up a few things, including a couple of signs for the house. While we were in there, we admired an East German Trabant car.

The two signs I purchased, I could have bought at any rest stop. But it always seems silly to buy souvenirs at a gas station. I bought a sign that reads “Biergarten”, which I put over the door to our backyard. The other sign reads “Fickt-Euch-Allee”… which I’m sure you can figure out. That one is in my office. 😈

After we bought a few things from the souvenir shop, we headed back to the guys who were selling prints of Dresden. I hadn’t really wanted prints as much as I wanted original art, but that was what was available to us. The vendor was curious about us, and wanted to know where we were from, and what we were doing in Dresden. He also wanted to see my signs, and laughed at the one that contained German profanity… We bought three of his prints, and they are currently being framed.

*We spotted this just before a protest started on the square.*

After we bought our prints, we went back to the hotel room for a short rest. Neither of us were very hungry after our big meal at the Shamrock. Nevertheless, we ventured out one more time, just as a political protest and counter protest got started. It started with the LGBTQ crowd…

They were protesting the far right political swing in Saxony, but their protest was pretty peaceful and mostly included music and signs about Nazis getting out.

Bill and I decided to have a light dinner at the Augustiner Biergarten. We sat outside, which gave us a view and the ability to hear the far right protesters, who marched in to a drum beat. As we had beer, bread, butter pretzels, and potato sausage soup, we listened to the energetic rantings of far right politicians. It was a bit eerie. I was also a bit irritated, because everyone around us was smoking cigarettes.

*The soup was good, but could have been hotter.*

I’m sure you can guess which side of the debate Bill and I are on, but since we aren’t Germans, it’s not really our call. One thing I noticed during our first visit to Dresden, but not during our second visit, was the sign below. These people were forbidden to enter the premises of the restaurants, because of their behavior. I remember running into a couple of them during our 2008 visit. I have never seen another sign like this one, in all of my years in Germany. But I read that they aren’t actually uncommon.

Once we finished our light dinner, we went back to the hotel and called it a night. The next day, we were to head back to Wiesbaden. But we would run into something that would mess up our time at home since we returned. Read about that in my next post.

East Germany, Eastern Europe

Repost of my review of Hotel Suitess, November 2008…

This is a repost of a review I originally wrote for Epinions.com in 2008, and also reposted to TripAdvisor. I am reposting it in 2026 to show how Hotel Suitess has changed since our first visit. It used to be better than it is now. The photos in this post were taken in November 2008, when we visited for two nights before we headed to Poland.

Hotel Suitess is located literally steps away from the Frauenkirche in the old part of Dresden. The hotel has a private parking garage, which requires reservations and at this writing costs 18 euros a day. We drove up to the hotel’s entrance and were met by two spiffy uniformed men who unloaded our luggage and spirited our car away.

Reception

We were greeted by a very professional looking young woman who spoke English with a heavy German accent. She offered us a glass of Sekt while we filled out the registration paperwork. As we enjoyed the welcome drink, I took a look around the lobby, which was decorated with lovely paintings, a bar, a fireplace, and lots of couches… almost too many for the small space. The lobby was very classy, but I think it could have done without a couple of those couches.

Our room

Our deluxe double room was located on the fourth floor. As she escorted us to our room, the receptionist explained that most of the hotel’s twenty-one rooms are on the fourth floor. I could smell the faint scent of fresh flowers as the receptionist presented our room in all its glory. Our room had a beautifully made up king sized bed, a small writing desk, a wardrobe with a safe, minibar, an array of German magazines, two telephones, robes and slippers, a huge mirror, free Internet, and a large flat screen television with satellite service and channels in a number of different languages.

I took a look out the window and noted that the view could have been better. Our room overlooked a construction site. Luckily, it was the weekend and no building seemed to be going on during our stay. The receptionist asked us what kind of newspaper we preferred in the morning. We asked for the International Herald-Tribune.

The hotel was very quiet while we were there. Although there were other guests staying there, the only time we saw evidence of them was when we ate breakfast. The hotel was very quiet and peaceful, and the bed was extremely comfortable, with first rate linens and a very nice mattress.

We appreciated the complimentary bottled water that was left in the room, but we were also impressed that the minibar was reasonably priced. We did not partake of the beer, wine, or snacks in the minibar, but we could have done so without feeling guilty.

The bathroom

The bathroom was truly impressive. First off, it was huge and appointed in marble with gold fixtures. There was a shower with a rainfall shower head, a generous sized bath tub, a toilet (of course), towel warmer, and scale. Fresh flowers were left between the marble his and hers sinks.

The lighting was excellent and actually very flattering. Excellent toiletries by Hermes were provided, including shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath, shower gel, and a small bar of soap. There was also a speaker in the bathroom which allowed for listening to the television and a telephone by the toilet. Towels were supposedly changed twice a day. We didn’t have a need for that level of service. I do wish, however, that the towels had been a little bit higher quality than they were.

Service

We were very pleased with the service we got at Hotel Suitess. It started on our first evening, when a very young and adorable housekeeper showed up to turn down our bed. She folded back the generous duvets and set down towels and slippers on either side of the bed. Then, she drew the curtains for us and presented us with a small plate of fine chocolates. My husband gave her an obviously unexpected tip and she rewarded him by beaming. Later, another young woman brought us a tray of fruit. Every time we encountered a staff member, we were given a cheerful greeting.

Food

We were tempted to try the hotel’s restaurant, Maurice, but decided we wanted to walk around the city. As it turned out, we were not able to eat dinner in the restaurant because it’s closed on Sundays. Of course, at a price of 98 euros a person, it’s also not cheap.

We did try the buffet breakfast on the morning we checked out. It was priced at 23 euros per person, a bit of a splurge, but we felt it was money well spent. The buffet included a huge variety of meats, cheeses, breads, cereals, vegetables, and even desserts. Several different fresh squeezed juices were offered. A very attentive server offered us coffee or tea. We both had cappuccinos, which were expertly presented.

I also opted to have Eggs Benedict, which was included in the price. The Eggs Benedict was absolutely perfectly prepared. So while I think paying 46 euros for breakfast is extravagant, I’m glad we did it this time. It was definitely worth it. Room service is, of course, also available. We didn’t use it.

Hotel amenities

Hotel Suitess has a full service spa, which we didn’t have the chance to use. There’s also a very small fitness room and a “wellness center”, which includes a jacuzzi, two showers, steam room, and sauna. There was not another soul in the wellness center when we used it. We had the whole place to ourselves.

One complaint I did have about the wellness center was that the jacuzzi was pretty cold. I don’t know if that was by design or not, but I sure would have appreciated warmer water.

The hotel also offers laundry service and a complimentary shoe shine service.

A word about Internet usage…

Hotel Suitess does offer free Internet, but it’s not wireless. The hotel provides a cable that patrons can use on their personal computers. My husband and I used the Internet and had some problems with it. First off, it was a bit slow. Secondly, the program the hotel uses caused some issues with some of our computer’s security settings. We were able to do some ‘Net surfing, but it wasn’t without effort and frustration. I guess that’s just as well, since most people don’t go on vacation to surf the Web, anyway. It could, however, be a problem for business travelers who depend on being able to use the Internet.

Checking out

Checking out of Hotel Suitess was a breeze. The staff bid us a cheery farewell as we loaded up our SUV for Poland. My husband tipped the bellhop, and again, he was rewarded with a grateful smile. It was pretty apparent to us that the staff at the hotel has not yet been spoiled by big tippers. We definitely would not hesitate to book a stay at Hotel Suitess again.

East Germany, Eastern Europe

Our Eastern European October… part twelve

Our first full day in Dresden happened to be on a Sunday. If you know anything about Germany on Sunday, you know that most shops are typically closed that day. I wanted to get some writing done, so I told Bill to go take a walk after we had breakfast in the Moritz restaurant. I remember when we visited Hotel Suitess in 2008, the restaurant was called Maurice, and we had no money to try it for dinner. We only ate one breakfast there, and it was delightful because of the Eggs Benedict.

This year, we ate breakfast at the hotel each day. I got a kick out of the very German sign directing people how to access the buffet. I’ve never seen a sign like this before in a hotel… but it strikes me as something Germans would do. They also posted a sign by the elevator on the ground floor, advising people of when they should try to have breakfast. On another note, I loved the cake on the plate below. It seemed kind of Black Forest inspired.

I sat down at my computer to write, while Bill walked around in Dresden. He found a Biergarten and a guy who was selling prints of Dresden and, while I was writing, sent a photo. I was glad to see the Biergarten, especially since it was in a prime spot for gazing at Dresden’s amazing architecture. When he got back from his walk, we headed over there. It required crossing a bridge, which gave me more chances for great photos.

We were having a great time drinking beer and people watching when the first raindrops fell. We quickly finished our beers and made a run for shelter. It was quicker to keep going across the bridge to the other side of Dresden. I was kind of glad we did that, since I don’t think we ever ventured to that part during our first visit. Bill said he’d seen a brewpub on the other side, not too far from the bridge. As luck would have it, it was about time for lunch, anyway.

As we were heading across the bridge, the rain turned into sleet and hail. This is a pretty common thing in Germany, especially during the spring and fall seasons. I was grateful I wore a sweater, as we rushed towards the brewpub called Watzke. I see it has several locations. We were at the one near the Golden Rider. I got several good shots of it, once we were seated, and slowly drying off.

Maybe it seems like all we did was eat and drink on this trip, but we definitely got our heart rates up in our attempts to avoid the rain and sleet! And I was rewarded with good beer and some great chicken and fries. Bill had sausage with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. This restaurant seemed very popular with the locals. I didn’t notice a lot of Americans in Dresden, anyway, but this location of Watzke had mostly Germans in it, having a nice Sunday brunch.

*This was really good! I loved the potatoes.*

We enjoyed a very leisurely lunch, and I took a few photos of the “golden rider” statue from our table. It’s amazing what playing with the camera settings will do. Same camera, different modes… The bottom two were taken as we were headed back across the bridge. Dresden has lots of gold statutes. I couldn’t help but think of Trump when I saw them. 🤮

The Golden Rider statue commemorates Augustus the Strong (1670-1733). The statue was erected in 1736, in Baroque style, based on a design by the scultpor Jean Joseph Vinache. It’s very impressive… or gaudy, depending on your view.

On our way back, we stopped to tip a few buskers who were offering some ambiance. I also noticed some rather telling graffiti, which implored the government to put hospitals and healthcare back in public hands.

The newly sunny weather gave me a chance to take some more photos of Dresden’s beautiful architecture and the Elbe River… It’s amazing how quickly the weather can change! Especially at this time of year!

After some more walking around, we decided to have a rest at the hotel. Our vacation was definitely winding down, and we were thinking about going home. We did venture out again for dinner, though, at a restaurant called 1328. It was located just across the street from Hotel Suitess, and was clearly affiliated with the large Augustiner Brauhaus next door to the hotel.

We weren’t really all that hungry, but were mainly killing time. Still, I was glad we stopped in at 1328, as the food and service were very good. And we also had an interesting conversation with our dirndl clad server, a petite young lady from Asia. I didn’t ask which Asian country from which she came, although I noticed that several of her co-workers were also Asian. This matters, only because she asked us where we were from, and we ended up having a conversation about what it’s like to be foreign in Germany.

Bill and I often get mistaken for German. We blend right in here, until we start to speak. Our server was obviously not from Germany, and I got the sense that maybe she found it a bit lonely living here. She seemed very young, but obviously had accomplished a lot. I know she could speak at least three languages, for instance.

In any case, 1328 was a good find, because the food and service were good, but it also wasn’t crowded at all. I especially enjoyed my Wolfbarsch (sea bass) filet with risotto and tomato caponata. Bill had zander filet with root vegetables, fried potatoes, and a honey-mustard sauce. We also had a lovely bottle of wine. For dessert, I had three chocolates. Bill had pistachio creme brûlée.

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel room and prepared for bed. It was nice to be in Dresden again, if only to see some familiar sights and enjoy the atmosphere.

Tomorrow, I will write about our last full day of vacation, and our last day in Dresden.

East Germany, Eastern Europe, Polska

Our Eastern European October… part eleven

Our last stop, Dresden!

It was finally October 10th, and we were due to move on to our next destination, Dresden, Germany. Bill and I visited Dresden for two nights in November 2008. The occasion was our 6th wedding anniversary. At the time, we lived near Stuttgart, having been sent there by the U.S. Army. We had little money in those days, so it was a big deal when I booked the five star Hotel Suitess. It was our first five star property.

I remembered enjoying our two nights at the Suitess, and I knew it was in an excellent location. It was also a lot less expensive than the five star Hotel Kempinski. So, in the interest of nostalgia, I booked the Suitess again.

But I was pretty sad to be leaving Kanonicza 22 on October 10th. I loved staying in the Prince Suite, with it’s gorgeous baltic blue, brown, and gold theme. I’d love that color scheme for my own house. On the whole, we really enjoyed Krakow, Poland. I hope we can go back. On a related note, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many priests and nuns in one place, outside of Vatican City!

We had our last breakfast in the apartment after packing most of our bags. Bill schlepped them to the garage, leaving me with just my purse and rolling suitcase.

Then, once we were finished with breakfast, we made our way downstairs, said goodbye to the lady on duty, and walked back to the huge garage where our car was. I would absolutely book Kanonicza 22 again, given the opportunity. it was my favorite of all of our lodging on this trip.

Below are a few more shots of Krakow before we said goodbye… What a beautiful city!

When we left Krakow, the skies were sunny and bright. But soon, as we headed west toward Germany, the clouds came out. I don’t have a lot to write about the drive, except for the difference in the quality of roads between Czechia and Slovakia versus Poland was quite obvious. Poland was a lot easier to drive across, even with its tolls.

It was pouring rain when we decided to stop for lunch. We were at a Polish McDonald’s. Things have really changed since our first Polish visit in 2008. I remember going to a McDonald’s in Jelena Gora, mainly because it was the only place where we could find parking. None of the staff spoke English and they had to present us with a picture menu so we could order. Now, everything is done on a touch screen, and so many people speak English!

We happened to be at McDonald’s at the same time a large tour group of teens were there. Fortunately, we managed to order just before their arrival. It wasn’t until later in the trip that I realized just how lucky we were in our timing. But I’ll get to that in a future post. There was a cheap hotel next to the McDonald’s. It looked like one of those places that is totally automated.

*That kid looks how I have been feeling since we got home.*

It wasn’t long before we were crossing the German border. We were required to drive through a repurposed rest area that had been turned into a security checkpoint. Since we have German plates and look very much like Germans, we were waved through with no fanfare. I made a joke about how “hot” one of the cops was. Fortunately, Bill is a good sport about such things.

The rain continued as we arrived in Dresden. It was still familiar to me after so many years away.

Hotel Suitess is located in a pedestrian area, but it’s permissable to pull up in front of the hotel to check in. I remembered when we visited in 2008, there was a valet waiting to park the car. This time, we had to park outside and go into the hotel to check in. I noticed that they had also done some renovations. In 2008, there were two ways to enter the hotel, and the check in desk was at the bar in the hotel’s parlor. Now, the desk is set up in what used to be a corridor leading into the hotel. It seemed a little strange to me.

The lady who checked us in was nice enough. She didn’t offer us a welcome drink, though, and that was something I remembered that happened in November 2008. I had read in recent reviews that the standards at Hotel Suitess weren’t really what you’d expect at a five star hotel, so I wasn’t surprised about the lack of a ready valet or welcome drink. It was a little disappointing, though.

The receptionist asked us if we would mind forgoing housekeeping during our stay, since it was only three nights. She said this was for “environmental reasons”, but personally I think it’s more likely that the hotel doesn’t want to employ people to clean. It certainly didn’t give off five star vibes, although we agreed to skip housekeeping. I didn’t realize it at the time, but not getting the room cleaned resulted in a slight discount on our nightly rate. At least there was that, then.

I booked us an executive suite, which came with a bedroom, sitting room, refrigerator, and three TVs, including one in the marble bathroom. The room was big enough, but it looked like some of the frills from our earlier stay were gone. The bed was not made up with anything beyond pillows and duvets. The desk, while massive, wasn’t near any electrical outlets. The bathroom had a tiny shower and narrow tub, and no Hermes toiletries, as we had enjoyed in 2008. And this was our view…

*We had two big windows that overlooked two courtyards…*

I could see some traces of the hotel’s former glamor. The artwork in the room had little lamps over them. The color scheme was beige and gold, just as it was in 2008. But I got the impression that the place could use an overhaul. Below are some photos of the room.

*The blue pillows are ones we brought with us, because European hotels usually don’t supply pillows we like.*

And below is a picture I took during our 2008 visit…

*Notice the decor is the same, but the bed is more completely made up. We also got turn down service in 2008. We didn’t get that in 2026.*

Hotel Suitess was okay for three nights, but it’s definitely gone downhill since our first visit. If we go back to Dresden, I’ll probably go ahead and spring for the Kempinski, or try a different hotel. There are quite a few good ones to choose from now. The Suitess does have a spa area that I thought we might use, but as it turned out, we skipped the spa. I never got a chance to see if the whirlpool was heated. It wasn’t when we were there in 2008. And yet, I was still impressed in 2008… How things can change!

After we checked in and had a chance to rest for a few minutes, we decided to venture out. It was close to dinner time, so we went to the restaurant next door to see if we could get a table. They were fully booked, so we walked across the market square and wound up at a place serving typical Bavarian cuisine and Hofbrau beer, with wait staff curiously dressed in dirndls and lederhosen. A lot of the restaurants in Dresden were Bavarian themed, even though we were in Saxony.

We were lucky to get a table at the Hofbrau, because the tables were all reserved after 7:00 PM. We were there at 5:30 PM, so we had plenty of time to eat and enjoy a couple of brews.

After we ate dinner, we visited the shop across the way and bought a few things to tide us over until it was time to head home on the 13th. Below are a few more photos I took before we turned in for the night. Neither Bill nor I are big night owls, especially nowadays. And driving is tiring… but it was nice to be in Dresden again.

Tomorrow, I will write about our first full day in Dresden, Germany. It really is a beautiful city, and more people should visit it.

Eastern Europe, Polska, Slovak Republic

Our Eastern European October… part eight

Onward to Krakow, Poland!

On October 7th, we awoke to another stunning sunrise. We were going to be moving on to Krakow, Poland, a city I was very curious about and really looked forward to visiting. For years, some of my well traveled friends told me about the beautiful architecture in Krakow.

I had originally thought that maybe we could use the city as a base for visiting Auschwitz, but I soon found out that was impossible. I guess I wasn’t that wedded to the idea of going there, because I didn’t plan ahead. Now that I’ve been to Krakow, I’m glad we didn’t try to go to Auschwitz on this trip. There’s so much to see in the city, and we didn’t really have enough time to do it justice. We’ll have to try to do Auschwitz on a later trip.

Because Krakow isn’t that far from Vyoske Tatry, we took our time packing. Our host at the panoraMic Mountain Residence was really cool about our checkout time. I’m not sure he gets a lot of business at this time of year, although once winter hits, his property will surely be in demand. It will be ski season. He came over to give us a bottle of Slovakian wine and say goodbye, and he brought along his gorgeous dog, a Black Russian Terrier.

I had never seen a Black Russian Terrier before. If I had seen her on her own, I would have assumed she was a large black poodle. Our host explained that Black Russian Terriers, otherwise known as Chornyi Terriers, are dogs that were bred in the Soviet Union during the 1940s and 50s. They are descended from about 17 different breeds of dogs brought from countries where the Soviets were active during World War II. They are not true terriers, but were bred to protect, guard, and serve as companions.

I wish I’d had a chance to take a picture of the host’s dog, who was very well trained and extremely sweet and friendly. She was clearly very bonded to her master, but was also quite happy to accept pets from me. It’s hard to imagine such a loving dog could come from a breed that was known to guard Russian prisons! Obviously, she was okay with cats, too, as the host had several roaming his property.

Bill told the host that our destination was Krakow, but we thought maybe we’d go by way of Zakopane, Poland, since Krakow wasn’t that far from Vyoske Tatry. We needed to take our time getting to our destination, because our lodging would not be ready until 3:00 PM. Vyoske Tatry is maybe a 2 or 3 hour drive from Krakow.

I had read Zakopane was charming, and I wanted to have a look at it. Maybe, if it was charming enough, we might stop there for lunch. The host gave us some suggestions, and said that before we left the area, we should venture down a country road and have a look at the stunning fall colors.

*One last picture of our Slovakian lodging…*

We did as the host suggested, and it was a good idea, as I got some incredible pictures of fall foliage just before we left Slovakia. We drove back the same way we went to go to the Tree Walk, drove down the country road, and then got on our way to Poland. Below are a few shots before we got on the country road.

Just beyond Bachledka, we encountered the road, which the host had warned would be kind of primitive, but serviceable. I noticed there was a rickety looking arm barrier that was up. I guess when the weather gets bad and they have to close the road, the arm comes down. Or maybe it’s a relic from another era. Anyway, we started down the country road, I got lots of photos, some of which are pretty similar. I still find the colors stunning, and worth the trip! I think Slovakia might be my favorite of all our stops!

*I don’t know these people, but I think I know how they were feeling! What a beautiful place!*

I didn’t realize it when I was taking these photos, but we were extremely close to the Polish border. We came back down the country road and got back on our route… Very soon after, we encountered these signs, and everything changed.

Suddenly, the houses looked different. There were steep angled roofs, with wooden panels that looked like they were whittled from a tree. I wish I’d had a chance to take more and better pictures, because the change was very obvious in a short time. There were more billboards, more businesses, more construction areas, and and more traffic. It was obvious there was more money, too.

*Just over the Polish border, toward Zakopane…*

We stopped at a gas station to top off our tank and allow Bill the chance to pee. Bill was instantly delighted to see that in Poland, higher grade gas is available. It was not available in Czechia or Slovakia. I noticed the busier vibe and realized that as charming as the housing was, I was already missing Slovakia’s rugged charm, peace, and quiet.

We didn’t end up stopping in Zakopane. It just looked too touristy to me. At one point, I noticed several huge billboards set up, obviously meant to lure tourists. I wondered how it must feel to the locals who have to look at that shit. Still, it was interesting to see some of the more charming aspects of Poland, and realize how different it is from Czechia and Slovakia. Some things about it were genuinely great.

As time went on, Bill urgently needed to pee again. He grew ever more desperate as we crept toward Krakow on a busy road with no rest areas. He finally got desperate and pulled off at an exit for a small town. At first, he felt like he’d made a big mistake, as the town was very crowded with cars and no parking spots. But then we ended up near a town square that instantly reminded me of Freudenstadt, a city we used to live near when we lived in Jettingen, Baden-Württemberg. It had a charming square, a fountain, and a town hall.

Bill saw an open spot, so he parked the car. As he was getting ready to buy a parking ticket, a lady who was backing out of her spot rolled down her window and said something to me in rapid fire Polish. She smiled and handed me her ticket, which still had about an hour’s worth of time on it. She was gone before I could thank her.

We ended up visiting a patisserie called MonoDe, which, thankfully, had a toilet Bill could use. Over delicious pastries and coffee, which served as lunch, we took care of the urgent business, and enjoyed a rare treat. Welcome to Poland! I still don’t know where it was that we stopped. I’ll have to do some sleuthing later. Edited to add: The town is called Myślenice! It is about 30 kilometers south of Krakow.

We got back on the road to Krakow, and immediately hit more traffic. It turned out there was a McDonald’s very close to the exit where we’d gotten off, and that would have also solved Bill’s pressing problem. But I’m so glad we got off at this little suburban town, ate pastries, and saw a quaint Polish village square. We can go to McDonald’s pretty much anywhere. 😁

Traffic got heavier as we approached Krakow. Fortunately, we had already pre-booked and paid for a parking spot in a huge garage near our Krakow lodging, an apartment over a well-regarded restaurant. Nevertheless, I got pretty antsy as we inched toward the city…

*The Poles like their KFC. I spotted one on either side of the highway!*

We were getting closer as we approached what appeared to be a carnival on the side of the road, along with some pretty ugly communist era architecture…

And then, before we knew it, we were there in the garage. I had rented what was called Kanonicza 22, basically the street address of the apartment I found. When I was looking for lodging in Krakow, I was having a hard time deciding where we should go. I was very attracted to Kanonicza 22, but was a bit hesitant, because of the parking situation. This place is on one of the oldest streets in Krakow, and it doesn’t have parking. However, it is very close to the parking garage.

Kanonicza 22 has three apartments available over a small restaurant called Pod Nosem. The restaurant staff run the apartments, which are really more like suites, since they don’t have any cooking facilities. We were in what is known as the Prince Suite, which is on the second floor. Fortunately, there is an elevator.

When we arrived at the Prince Suite, I was blown away how beautiful it was. This huge suite had a living room and a very comfortable bedroom, along with an enormous bathroom. The suite included a large bowl of fresh fruit, a bottle each of red and white wine, still and sparkling water, and a couple of soft drinks. Breakfast was included, and could either be enjoyed in the restaurant, or in the apartment. The only thing I didn’t like about this suite was the mirror by the toilet. Otherwise, it was absolutely gorgeous! I think, for three nights, I paid just under $1,000 for this… I’m so glad I booked it!

*Yes, there is also a bidet, which might come in handy!*

Since it was late afternoon when we arrived, Bill and I decided to have dinner at Pod Nosem. That, too, was a great experience, although there were a number of Americans there. One couple sat near us and I overheard the male half say that he’d dined there several years before and loved it. He wanted to eat there again on his last visit, but it was fully booked, so he made sure to reserve a spot for his most current trip.

Bill and I tried to keep a low profile, but our waitress soon asked where we were from. I noticed that in Krakow, people generally pegged us for Americans. Or, maybe they just defaulted to English, because if you don’t look like a local, they assume you can speak English…

Below are some photos from dinner… This was our only fine dining experience on the trip.

Our waitress was impressed that we ordered Armenian brandy. She said she’d been to Georgia, but could not go to Armenia, because she didn’t have a passport. That led to a discussion about our American status, and how expensive it is to have an American passport. She said she didn’t want to go to America. I can’t blame her for that!

After dinner, we went back to the apartment for a much needed rest. And that we got, because the bed in the Prince Suite was–hands down– the best of all of our stops on this trip. I would definitely book this property again, in spite of the parking pain!

In the next post, I’ll write about our first glimpse of Krakow.

Eastern Europe, Slovak Republic

Our Eastern European October… part seven

Tuesday, October 6th, was another incredibly beautiful day. I was thinking maybe it would be fun to go to Poprad, the local town, south of where we were. I wanted see if they had a nice old town we could visit, and perhaps look for something to bring home with us. We had heard there was a nice church there, and our host’s son had mentioned something about an old castle… I was in the shower when he visited, though, so I base that comment only on what Bill said.

I looked on the Internet, and I thought it looked like there was a proper centrum in Poprad, a city at the base of the Tatra Mountains. There’s an art gallery, and I knew there were some restaurants.

So we ate breakfast, and headed out, stopping to greet one of the several cats that live at the panoraMic Mountain Residence. But, when we got to Poprad, we had trouble finding exactly what we were hoping to find. The main thing we hoped for was parking, and that proved to be elusive. We followed the signs for the centrum, but never saw a place that invited us to stop. Instead, I got the feeling that Poprad hadn’t yet evolved from its communist history.

Before anyone comes at me… let me state that I’m sure that if you know where to look, the city of Poprad does have its charms. It has an airport, after all, and a connection to London’s Luton Airport, as well as a few other seemingly obscure and inconvenient destinations. But we were not successful in finding anything that made us want to explore. So we decided to head back to the mountains and search for something to do there. I got a few photos on the way.

*This was at the airport… which actually kind of resembled a hospital.*

We decided to stop at the apartment so Bill could pee, and on the way there, I got a couple of pictures of a deer near where we were staying. Maybe she was related to the gorgeous buck we saw the first night. Yeah… I was “horny”, too…

We decided to explore in the opposite direction of where we had gone on Monday. We got on the road, and soon found ourselves driving through some splendid scenery. At one point, we saw several men standing on the side of the road holding out baskets, as if they were offering treats.

Bill said, “It looks like they have goodies to share. What is that? Bread?”

Looking at the man who offered a basket on Bill’s side, I could see why he thought it was bread. It kind of looked like the guy was holding bread, based on the color. On my side, a different man held out his basket, and I got a better look at the wares, which were clearly visible– much to my horror. They were selling wild mushrooms! If you know me, you know that I would never consider that a treat! In fact, that’s my idea of a nightmare! But mushroom hunting is very popular in the region, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.

In spite of the mushroom nightmare, it was a good decision to explore in the opposite direction, as we soon found several things to do. There were a couple of caves to visit, some traditional looking restaurants, and also the place where we ultimately decided to stop, Bachledka Ski & Sun.

We had no plans to stop at Bachledka before we stumbled across it. It simply looked like an appealing place to go. And it turned out to be a good decision to stop there, because besides a hotel and apartment rentals, this place offers a “tree top walk”, mountain carts, restaurants, shopping, and The Forest Kingdom, an adventure park for the whole family.

Bill and I are very familiar with treetop walks. We’ve done the one in the Schwarzwald. We’ve also done one in Bad Camberg, which is close to where we live now. The two treetop walks we had done before our visit to Slovakia were made by different companies, though. The one we encountered in Slovakia was made by the same people who made the treetop walk in the Black Forest (Schwarzwald). I noticed that the treetop walks in the Schwarzwald and the Tatras differed from the one in Bad Camberg, because they don’t have any steps, and they seem to be more focused toward education.

The treetop walk at Bachledka is very similar to the one in the Black Forest, in terms of its height and length. It started operations in 2017, and offers stunning views of the national park where it’s situated. Like the treetop walk in the Schwarzwald, the walk at Bachledka also has a slide to the bottom, although it wasn’t operating on the day we visited.

As we pulled into a parking space, we noticed a group of people parked near us. They started speaking and I realized I understood what they were saying, even though they weren’t speaking English. Sure enough, they were Germans, and they noticed our license plate. The father in the group said hello, noting that we were “neighbors”. For the second time on our trip, we’d run into people who live in Mainz… which is VERY close to Wiesbaden! 😁 And once again, we were mistaken for being Germans.

To get to the treetop walk, one can either take a mountain cart, or ride a cable car. We opted for the cable car, but having seen the mountain cart, I’m a little more curious about that option. I could see people on the little carts going up the mountain side from the cable car, where Bill and I were sitting.

Here are some photos from just before we started the treetop walk, which was a pleasant, and not too strenuous, activity for me and my fat ass.

*The colorful bottles in the background are different flavors of a special tea liqueur called Tatratea. They are made in the Tatras.*

I didn’t take any photos on the way up to the walk, because the cable car we were in was completely enclosed, and the view wasn’t very good. But once we got to the top, I had plenty of options for taking pictures, of which I took full advantage! Even the trail to the observation tower is a treat for the eyes, especially on a clear sunny day, like the one we enjoyed on the day of our visit!

As you can see, there is a real emphasis on education. There are a number of stops that are meant to engage youngsters and teach them about the environment, as well as help them burn off some steam. The tower itself is great if you have a stroller, or even a wheelchair. It’s just a 1250 meter ramp that doesn’t require taking any steps.

*My guess is that the toboggan slide was closed because there was no one available to work…*

I got some pictures at the top of the tower, too… The net was stretched across the top, and I assume it was allowed to be on it. I did see one girl on the net, and there were signs advising not to jump on it. Of course, I wasn’t about to try it myself.

We walked down the tower and, after a quick stop in the gift shop, decided to have lunch in the restaurant. That was also a bit of an experience, as it was set up like a cafeteria. The guy who tried to help us was a teenager who spoke almost no English, and Bill was pointing at it and saying yes and no as the guy tried to figure out what we wanted. Fortunately, one of his co-workers was able to explain things. They didn’t didn’t have their whole menu available, but I was satisfied with my grilled salmon. Bill had lasagna. We bought some mustard and mead in the shop.

Soon it was time to come down off the mountain, since the cable cars were soon going to close. I did try to take a couple of pictures going down. I also noticed the tinkling of the cowbells on the cows grazing in the bucolic pastures below. But, as you can see, the views were a little marred by the enclosed car.

*A couple of deciduous trees among the conifers.*

Since it was late afternoon by the time we finished our excursion, we decided to head back to the apartment. I was suddenly sorry we didn’t have another day or two to spend in the High Tatras, as there were other things I wanted to do. For instance, there are a couple of cool art galleries/museums in that area. And if you follow my travel blog, you know I love visiting caves and waterfalls. Ah well… now that I know what this area has to offer, perhaps we can visit again sometime.

For now, there are a few more photos to share… Slovakia is SO beautiful! Especially at this time of year!

For dinner, Bill decided to go out and get us a Hawaiian pizza. I don’t mind ham and pineapple on pizza, although it’s not my favorite. But here in Europe, I often get Hawaiian pizza, because it’s pretty much guaranteed to be mushroom free. I have a phobia of mushrooms and will not eat them under any circumstances. Consequently, I eat Hawaiian pizza… which is probably a nightmare for a lot of other people!

The next day, we went to Poland, and I’ll report more on that in the next post!

Czechia, Eastern Europe, Slovak Republic

Our Eastern European October… part five

Onward to Stary Smokovec, Vyoske Tatry…

On the morning of October 4th, we had breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and I heard a friendly British guy warning the waitress that some of his buddies would soon be descending on the hotel to play golf. That told me it was a good thing we were vacating the premises. Not that we have anything against Brits or golfers. It’s just that large groups in small venues tend to take over in an obnoxious way.

Chateau Cihelny does appear to be quite popular with Germans. Many of the people staying there were from Germany. In fact, a German couple saw us drive up in our car, with its plates from Wiesbaden, and proclaimed that we’re neighbors, as they were there from nearby Mainz.

I managed to finish reading my most recent book while we stayed at Chateau Cihelny, so I decided to write a review in the hour before we departed for Stary Smokovec, in Slovakia. Then, after we loaded the Volvo and checked out, we made our way east.

In retrospect, it was a good thing we decided to move eastward on Sunday. The Czech Republic has a lot of roads under construction, and on weekdays, they back up a lot due to more people on the roads and workers actually working. As it was, it took us over seven hours to reach our destination. I don’t actually have a lot to write about the drive, although I did see some magnificent scenery and vibrant autumn colors.

We got on a major highway toward Prague, and then drove onward to Brno. Bill had been in Brno the week prior for a business trip, and he had lamented about the terrible traffic and roadworks being done there. Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad on that Sunday.

We stopped for lunch at a very crowded and chaotic rest area that had a KFC and a McDonald’s. We opted for KFC, but Bill got himself a wrap that he said wasn’t very good. I was smart and stuck with original recipe, although KFC doesn’t taste like it did in the 70s and 80s. Especially not in Europe, where they don’t even give you biscuits!

I did get some nice pictures, though, as we drove through some very pretty country in Czechia and Slovakia.

Below are a few last images of Czechia…

And then we entered Slovakia…

The border took us through Trenčín, a city in the western part of Slovakia that I remembered from my 1997 visit. There is a large castle there, and you can see it from the road. I remembered seeing it as we passed it on the railway, too. I managed to get a few shots of the castle as we passed. If you happen to be in the area, you can visit the castle.

After awhile of driving on a pretty decent Slovakian freeway, the GPS directed us to a two lane road that was undergoing some construction. Bill got confused about a turn he was supposed to make, and continued going north. It was about twenty minutes before he realized his mistake, and the GPS put extra time on our estimated arrival.

I am not a big fan of using GPS, myself, so I got out my iPad and looked up a map of the area. I told Bill to take a different road going east, which I hope would get us back on track. Fortunately, my hunch turned out to be right. We drove through a few picturesque towns, as the sun began to set. I was astonished by how gorgeous the scenery was. The weather was beautiful, and the colors were absolutely brilliant.

The pretty views made it somewhat easier to take when we were stuck in a long queue of cars on a two lane road. It took about ten minutes to get through the jam, before we were able to make a left turn onto the road that we were originally supposed to be on, before our little detour. It was good that we hadn’t gone that way, because it was even more backed up, and from what I could tell, not nearly as beautiful as our unexpected detour had been. I kept thinking to myself that sometimes the deviations turn out to be welcome surprises for the senses.

We finally stopped for a pee break and some gas. Bill called our next host to let him know we’d be at panoraMic Mountain Residence within the hour. I chose this self catering accommodation because it got stellar reviews. I had considered booking at a hotel, and even thought maybe we’d like the nearby Kempinski, which overlooks a pristine lake. But the panoraMic Mountain Residence was a lot less expensive, and seemed to be right up our alley. It turned out to be a good choice, although we did have trouble finding it, once we got to Stary Smokovec. It was very dark on the roads, and we had no moon to help us with lighting.

Once we parked the car, feeling a bit punchy from the long drive, the host came out to show us our lodging. It was a very cozy apartment themed after the novella, “The Little Prince”, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I have never read that story, but if I’d wanted to on our trip, I could have. Our host had copies in many different languages.

Below are some photos from our lodging. It was the least expensive place we stayed on this trip. For three nights, I paid $545.

*The host had this awesome masonry heater lit up for us on our arrival. We didn’t need it, though, because the temperatures were very pleasant.*

Bill told our host that we were hoping to get something to eat, since we hadn’t had a chance to stop for dinner. He very kindly called up the folks at Stary Smakovic— a local restaurant– and they advised that we could come there, but we’d have to leave immediately. It was about 7:30 PM, and they closed at 9:00. The host was even kind enough to lead us to the parking area, which we’d already found as we were looking for his apartment.

Stary Smakovic offered a lot of meat dishes. They had steak, burgers, ribs, goulash, and chicken, as well as local delicacies. I suspect this restaurant is especially popular with men, given how the waitress was dressed. It did the trick for us. Bill decided to have a traditional Slovak dish made with sheep’s cheese. I went with a surprisingly tasty cheeseburger, although my chair reminded me that maybe I should have had a salad.

On our way back to the apartment, we encountered a magnificent buck with a full set of antlers. He was very close to our apartment. I hoped we’d see him again, so that I might get a photo of him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. He sure was majestic, though, and seeing him set the tone of the magical beauty in this part of Slovakia.

And now, I’ll close this post, so I can start the next one fresh, with plenty of photos of the rugged Slovakian Tatra Mountains…

booze tourism, Czechia, Eastern Europe

Our Eastern European October… part three

After my rather dramatic and explosive first night in Karlovy Vary, I was ready for some breakfast. So after I did my morning hygiene routine, I made my way down that pesky spiral staircase and got dressed. We left our bags in the sitting room, because hauling them up that spiral staircase would have been a real pain in the ass. I wonder how in the world they got the furniture in the bedroom. I’m sure it’s easily explained somehow…

We went back down to the restaurant… the scene of the pickle crime that had me barfing hours earlier. They laid out a very nice buffet, with plenty of choices. Bill and I fueled up, and then headed out to the city for a few hours. The only thing on our agenda was visiting the Home of Becherovka, a museum dedicated to Becherovka herbal liqueur, which is made in Karlovy Vary.

On our way into the city, we encountered the first of many horse drawn carriages. Interestingly enough, it was in the news yesterday that Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City has now brokered a deal to end carriage rides in New York. This measure, which has been discussed for years, has come about due to the death of a teen who was riding in a carriage in Central Park when the horse spooked and had an accident.

I have my own opinions about the carriages, but then, I am someone who literally grew up with horses. It’s important for them to have jobs. Most people can’t afford to keep horses as pets. On the other hand, there have been instances of abuse in the carriage industry. The horses we saw in Karlovy Vary appeared to be healthy and well cared for… but I am certainly no expert on this issue as it is in Eastern Europe. Bill and I did not take any carriage rides, but I did enjoy seeing and smelling the horses. I really miss having them in my life, but keeping them is expensive and requires a lot of hard work! They are wonderful company, though.

We found a paid parking lot on the immediate outskirts of the city center. I noticed some cops standing by. One of them had a cute little dog on a leash. I’ve never seen a police dog like this one…

*I’m not sure what job this pooch does…*

As we headed into the city, I instantly recognized the Teplá River, the warm river that flows through the center of Karlovy Vary. Teplá means warm in Czech, and the river is fed by the many hot springs in the city. I took some photos of the colorful buildings we encountered as we walked into the familiar environs. After almost 18 years, it was still pretty recognizable, even though we didn’t spend that much time there in 2009.

*A Mix Markt! This is a chain that specializes in products from the former Soviet Union. We have them in Germany, too.*

As we headed closer to the main square, I caught sight of a vendor who was making chimney cakes. I took a few photos for Bill’s daughter, who lives in Utah and loves them. Someday, Bill and I will have to try one. There were other things on sale, too… only I didn’t see any art.

*Except for the mushrooms, this grill smelled and looked great!*

Soon, we encountered the first of the mineral water springs, where one can taste the thermal waters. I remembered the gazebos from our first visit, which is also incidentally, where we found my favorite painting in my collection, back in 2009. I took a video of our first tastes of the water, after we bought spa cups. The spa cups are easy to find. They are sold in kiosks around the many springs.

Yes, that is a toilet. I have a very irreverent sense of humor.

Naturally, I took some photos, too… It was very helpful that the locals provided instructions on how to best “enjoy” the water. If you listen to my video, you will hear me say that it reminded of Gloucester in 1980. I grew up in Gloucester, Virginia, and in those days, the local water was pretty terrible tasting. It was full of sulfur. They have since put in a water system there, so the water is now better. My parents, fortunately, had a well, so our water wasn’t as gross in the early days of our time living there.

Karlovy Vary really is a very pretty city…

We had an appointment to visit the Becherovka Museum at 1:00, so we had to make our way to the other side of town. On the way there, I took a few more pictures, including one of a woman’s art. I wish we’d had the chance to go back and take a closer look at what she had. It turned out hers was the only art collection with paintings that we saw during our entire trip! Everybody had mass produced prints, instead of original artwork.

*I remember when beer spas were a novelty. Now it seems like they’re all over the place!*

It was raining on the way to the museum. We got there a little bit early, so we took the opportunity to use the bathroom. Then, we took our guided tour… Bill got us “exclusive tickets”, which meant we each got personalized bottles of Becherovka to take home with us.

The guide who did our tour spoke excellent English, and we enjoyed learning the history of this very special Czech drink. The museum is very interesting and well put together. I thought the exhibits were fun and engaging. And it was fun to try the different flavors of products made by Becherovka. We came home with several different bottles after our visit.

After we visited the museum, Bill and I had lunch at a local place… It wasn’t all that “special”, but it did give us a chance to people watch and enjoy some heavy local cuisine. Bill got to have some garlic soup, too, which is a local specialty in Czechia. I need to learn how to make it, because I think it would be good for when I’m sick. Sadly, I think I’m getting sick now. 😢

Once we finished our leisurely late lunch, we decided to head back to the hotel. As we walked out of the city, we passed a political rally, and stopped by the Mix Markt for some wine and a bottle of Ukrainian vodka from a producer we like.

On the way back to the hotel, we passed a body of water. I noticed a lot of people were going down to walk near it. There was also a picturesque looking hotel… but it wasn’t quite as cute as the one we stayed in…

*Our room was in the tower… the top three levels of windows.*

Since we had a late lunch, we decided to skip dinner. We enjoyed some Georgian wine in the room, along with a few snacks from the hotel’s vending machine. You have to use a credit card to use the machine. That is so weird to me, as someone who grew up in the 70s and 80s!

So ends our first full day on vacation. In the next part, I’ll write about our quick change of plans, and a visit to a Czech Globus!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Category Archives: Eastern Europe

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