Our day in Cesky Krumlov… part five of our 2023 Czech tour!

Wednesday, October 4, was our one full day in beautiful Cesky Krumlov. We were determined to make the best of it. After a good night’s sleep in the big bed in Room 6, we went down to the big table in the lobby and had the first of two wonderful breakfasts. Bill decided to try the fermented wheat, which was described as an “original” breakfast offering at Monastery Garden. The receptionist who had checked us in the day prior was there for breakfast, and she explained that it’s not difficult to make fermented wheat… but the process is “quite stinky”.

I’ve mentioned before that Bill seems to like things that stink… like exotic cheese and probably even me after a particularly active afternoon. 😉 I have a very sensitive sense of smell, though, so I can’t abide a lot of things he enjoys. I wouldn’t have ordered the fermented wheat anyway, because it had mushrooms in it, and mushrooms are of the devil. I didn’t notice that the dish smelled offensive; it came with poached eggs, and Bill seemed to really enjoy it.

I had Eggs Benedict, which were absolutely fabulous. I especially loved the way the dish was presented, with super sweet cherry tomatoes and greens. It was almost too beautiful to eat.

We also had filtered coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice, which was served to us whipped into a foam. On the menu, it mentioned that the juice could be served with “chili” pepper. I asked about that, since I’d never heard of anyone putting pepper in their juice. The receptionist said that some people like to use it to heat up their metabolisms. I joked that I could use a little of that myself, but I decided not to try pepper in my juice. Bill, who likes things spicy and hot, did put some in his juice. He didn’t complain about it, but I noticed he didn’t add pepper to the juice the next morning! Breakfast was not included in our room rate, but it was well worth what we paid.

While we were eating, we were chatting with the receptionist about the pandemic and how things were in the Czech Republic. I had read that they had been pretty strict there during the worst of the COVID era… which I guess is still ongoing. She said that a lot of Czechs were kind of slack about following the mandates. I would imagine that the way the pandemic was handled in Europe was very different than it was in the United States.

After breakfast, we started to explore and soon found ourselves at the Museum of Torture, which is on the main square. We bought a combination ticket with the Wax Museum, which gave us a couple of activities for our morning. The Museum of Torture was mostly interesting, although parts of it were a little cheesy. Like, for instance, at one part of the museum, there’s an exhibit that shows a woman suspected of being a witch being burned at the stake. They played an endless sound loop of flames and the whimperings of a suffering female. It was a little hokey and probably unrealistic, given how much being burned hurts, at least at first.

I have to admit, I was pretty horrified by how cruel human beings can be to one another as I looked at all of the instruments of torture used to punish people in the medieval era. I also couldn’t help but remember when we visited the superior torture museum in Rothenburg ob den Tauber in Bavaria, Germany. The one thing the museum in Cesky Krumlov has over the museum in Rothenburg is that it’s in a very cool dungeon like building that appears to be very old. The building definitely gave the torture museum some realism. Below are some photos…

Just a little bit hokey…

After we spent some time in the torture museum, we moved on to the wax museum, which was also entertaining. The museum had some interesting replicas of celebrities– many of whom were (or still are) American. The wax museum also provided a narrative of Czech history, although perhaps not as well as the Castle museum did. Still, I think it was worth visiting just to see the wax versions of Mick Jagger and Tina Turner. I have a soft spot for wax museums anyway. My dad’s hometown of Natural Bridge, Virginia had one for many years and one of my distant relatives, Bar Tolley, was immortalized there. 😉 Below are some photos from the wax museum.

By the time we finished touring the two museums, it was late morning. We kept walking around Cesky Krumlov, which basically goes in a circle, and soon found ourselves as a bench offering a nice view of the Vltava River, which flows through both Prague and Cesky Krumlov. We were still sitting there at noon, which happened to be the time and day of the month when local authorities throughout the country test the sirens. I noticed an announcement in Czech and English that it was “only a test”. That’s more than we get in Germany.

*We decided to skip the labyrinth, because neither of us likes to look in the mirror!*

Finally, we worked our way to the castle entrance, where we were able to see the bears that “guard” the moat. I remembered how when we came to Cesky Krumlov in 2008, I saw the bears. I also remembered that there was a guy at the bottom of the castle tower who took our money and advised us to go “slowly”. Now, there’s a big complex at the Castle Tower, and visitors can buy tickets to the museum and the interior of the actual castle. We skipped touring the castle interior, but we did visit and enjoy the museum after we climbed the tower. The tower wasn’t too awful, either. I was able climb it without too much trouble and was rewarded with some very nice photos.

After we visited the castle and its tower, we were ready to eat lunch. Since this post has so many photos in it, I will continue writing about our Wednesday activities in the next post! Suffice to say, looking at these pictures, I feel very fortunate that we had such nice weather. There were plenty of people in Cesky Krumlov during our visit, but it wasn’t extremely crowded. I bet the place is now PACKED in the summer! I think October is a great time to visit this town.

Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe

Onward into Czechia… part four of our 2023 Czech tour!

At last, we arrived at the day I’d been eagerly anticipating, Tuesday, October 3rd. One of the reasons we decided to visit the Czech Republic is because October 3rd isn’t a holiday there. German holidays are great if you’re German, because you get a day off work. But if you’re not German, it usually means a lot of things are closed. Our hotel was closed, after all. They said it was due to a lack of staff, and I believe that’s true. But I also think it was because of German Unity Day, which is, of course, a big deal and should be celebrated.

I’m old enough to remember when there were two Germanys. I even wrote about East and West Germany when I was in the sixth grade, having been shocked to find out that the country was then divided. What can I say? We had no Internet in those days, so I spent a lot of time playing outside instead of surfing the Web, learning new things about the world. I don’t know that today’s kids have it better than we did in the 1980s, but they sure do seem to be more articulate and world savvy.

Of course, forty years ago, when I was eleven years old, I had no way of knowing that in just six years, the Berlin Wall would start to crumble. Bill was actually in Germany when it happened, and every time we go to the Czech Republic, he tells me at least once about how he used to guard the German border and mess with the sometimes female Czech border guards. 😉

We packed up our bags, enjoyed the leftover croissants and juice, and Bill got some cappuccinos to go from the bakery. Once we were all set, we loaded up the car and dropped the room key in the mailbox, where the proprietors had told us to leave it. I was kind of glad to be on the way to Czechia, although overall, we enjoyed Hotel La Casa. The people who run the hotel are very nice. I hope they get some new colleagues soon, so they can get back to being fully functioning.

Our drive to Cesky Krumlov would take several fun filled hours. I can’t say that the drive was particularly exciting, although it was quite pretty in some areas. Bill and I are pretty familiar with the German part of the drive, since the beginning of it is the same way one would go to Austria, Slovenia, Italy, or other points southeast from Stuttgart. We broke up the trip by stopping at a pretty awesome truck stop, where I had a really delicious chicken burger and Bill had a Pfännle, which is hard to describe. Luckily, I have photos.

After lunch, we were back on the Autobahn. We had no need to stop at a Rastplatz, because Bill had gotten an electronic “vignette” for the car. This is a cool new thing the Czechs are doing, making it possible to pay to use their highways without having to put stickers on the car. I hope the rest of Europe follows suit. He had pre-paid for the electronic vignette to last for our full time in Czechia– about a week or so.

The countryside on the way to Cesky Krumlov was as beautiful as I remembered it, as the roads were as loaded with potholes. There’s a definite drop off in road quality as one exits Germany. Here in Germany, we have constant road construction projects, but very few shitty roads. In Czechia, it seemed the opposite was true. Our route took us through some scenic areas, albeit with a few aggressive drivers on our tail. Below are some photos I took of the landscape as we headed east toward our destination.

I had pretty vague memories of Cesky Krumlov, as the last time we were there was on my birthday in 2008. It happened to be during their Five Petalled Rose Festival, and everyone was dressed in medieval garb. They had medieval games, too. I seem to remember we parked in a dirt lot near the town after visiting the old town of nearby Cesky Budjovice, where Czech Bud is made. I remember climbing the castle tower, seeing the bears, and noticing how pretty the town was.

Arriving there in 2023 was surprising, as they had parking lots designed for tourists and busses. We had booked two nights at the delightful Monastery Garden, a small lodge near the castle gate. The manager had helpfully sent me instructions on where to park and how to find the place. Unfortunately, we had a lot of trouble finding “P2”, the parking area where we were instructed to park. We finally ended up parking at the bus station and walking into the town to find the Monastery Garden, which we did after about twenty or thirty minutes of searching. Below are a few first looks of the beautiful town of Cesky Krumlov.

As we were checking in, Bill realized that one of his colleagues was also there. They had just spent a week working together in Bavaria. She had her aunt, uncle, and mom with her, and I got the sense that maybe she was delighted to see us. Bill called her by name as I went to get us checked in by the very friendly and English speaking receptionist.

Cesky Krumlov is a very charming medieval town, recognized by UNESCO. Very limited driving is allowed in the town, and you have to pay a fee to legally do so, even just to drop off luggage. Bill paid for the permit to drive into the town, but ended up just parking in P2, once he found it, and trucking in our luggage. Poor guy. He’s such a mensch.

*Monastery Garden in Cesky Krumlov is a wonderful place to stay.*

We booked Room 6, which was one of their “Signature Suites”. It was a very large room, beautifully decorated, with a very cool looking armoire with a door that opened into the bathroom. The bathroom had a clawfoot tub, with a handheld shower sprayer. The place also had an “honesty bar” in the lobby, where guests could help themselves to food and beverages and just report what they had the next day. The lobby is also where they serve their incredible breakfasts that are as beautifully presented as they are delicious. Below are some photos from Room 6.

After we settled in, we started trying to plug in our various electronics. This was when we realized that using a typical adapter doesn’t work in the Czech Republic. Every outlet has a metal post that sticks up. Fortunately, I have a bunch of electronics with European specs, making it possible for Bill to connect his phone and get charged via my laptop computer. The whole time we were traveling, he kept saying he wanted to stop in an electronics store and find a new adapter. He never did, though.

Finally, once we got the electronics sorted, we headed out in search of dinner. I believe this might have been the only night. we went to a restaurant for dinner, which surprised me. I guess we’re just getting old. In the evenings, we were usually not hungry and too tired to go out for an evening repast. So we’d watch TV, drink wine, and eat snacks. It probably saved us money and calories, to some extent.

The place we visited was called Papa’s, and it served very typical heavy Czech fare. I had a duck leg with gravy and heavy dumplings. Bill had pork with a mustard sauce and dumplings. We both had beer. The food was pretty filling. I can never eat more than one dumpling, at most, but they usually give you at least two. I think there were four on the dishes we ordered! We were too full to consider having dessert, so after we ate, we walked around a bit more and stopped at a bar called Apotheka, which used to be an apothecary (druggist). There, we had several interesting designer cocktails. It was a nice way to cap off the evening, even if we did drop quite a few Czech crowns there.

One of the cocktails I ordered…

When we got back to where we were staying, Bill’s colleague and family members were at the big breakfast table playing cards. We stopped to chat with them for a few minutes, but I got the sense we were crashing a private party from the older folk. Bill’s colleague, by contrast, seemed eager to chat with us some more. I can’t say I blame her! As much as I love my family, the idea of traveling with them makes me a bit weak in the knees. I might do okay with my mom, if she was more up to traveling. She’s pretty low maintenance.

Anyway, aside from a rather adventurous “shower” in the fancy bathtub, everything was in order for our night’s slumber. We went to bed and rested up for our big, active day in Cesky Krumlov.

Chasing lakes and waterfalls in Aus-cro-slo-aus… part eight

As we got closer to the Slovenian border, the skies grew cloudier and rain threatened. We slowed down to a crawl at the border, as border agents stamped our passports and Slovenian officials wanted to know where we were going, and if we were vaccinated. Earlier that day, when Bill and I had stopped at a Croatian rest stop, I had suggested that we eat lunch. I knew it was early for Bill, but I also knew that Bill has a terrible habit of not stopping for lunch until I become a raving lunatic. In fact, I had even laughed at him and teased him about his habit of waiting until 2:00pm to stop, and that’s when a lot of places stop lunch service.

There was a time, long ago, when I used to regularly skip meals on purpose. It was when I was a lot younger, more resilient, and body image conscious. I’d get kind of bitchy in those days, too, but I could physically handle it better than I can today. I’ve found that as I’ve gotten older, when I get hungry, I really need to eat. If I don’t eat, I get very cranky and ill tempered. Then, after a period of severe bitchiness, I start to get fearful and confused. It’s uncomfortable for me, and very unpleasant for anyone who has to be around me.

Sure enough, as we crept into Slovenia and were stuck in a single lane, my mood took a steep dive. The skies darkened even more and it started to drizzle, as Europe had changed to standard time the day before. Bill decided to drive into the city of Novo Mesto to see if we could find a restaurant. Of course, it happened to be All Saints Day, which is a holiday in many European countries, particularly the ones that are heavily Catholic, which Slovenia is. The exit he randomly chose took us past a large pharmaceutical factory and into a city center that appeared to be undergoing massive reconstruction. Wherever we were, we didn’t find any open restaurants there.

Bill pulled off at another exit, went into a gas station and came out with a Coke, a candy bar, and an ice cream bar. Sure enough, it was almost 2:00pm. I was really pissed, and let him know… but then sighed and ate the ice cream bar, which brought my blood sugar up high enough so I was no longer frothing at the mouth.

The rain got harder as we turned northwest and headed toward Lake Bled. We were familiar with the road, having traveled it in May 2016. This time, it was dark, cloudy, and wet. I smirked as we passed a campy looking place called Dinopark Bled, which was freshly closed for the season and offered a dinosaur park for kids. They also had a restaurant. I don’t know what they served there… Brontosaurus Burgers? Who knows?

Soon, we were headed into Bled itself, which was as pretty as I remembered it, even with the clouds and rain. We passed the hotel, Vila Bled, where we stayed in May 2016. It had once served as Tito’s presidential palace. Now, it’s a four star hotel that is decidedly old school. I found myself wishing we could pull off and check in there, since I was still hungry and crabby, though not quite as much as I was before I ate ice cream for lunch. I know I should probably carry food with me. I did do that on the way out of Slovenia.

Then we turned toward Lake Bohinj, an area we had missed during our first visit to Slovenia. Despite my irritable mood, I could not help but marvel at how incredibly gorgeous the area was. I thought Lake Bled was beautiful. Bled is charming and gracious, and well appointed with shops, hotels, and restaurants, even in the off season.

But Lake Bohinj and its environs are wild, rugged, splendid… everywhere I looked, there were striking fall colors on the black Julian Alps, and waterfalls EVERYWHERE. They seemed to spurt out all over the place. I couldn’t help thinking to myself that as incredibly awe inspiring as Switzerland is, it has nothing on Slovenia, or the Triglav National Park, which is Slovenia’s only national park. Slovenia is also much cheaper than Switzerland is, and you don’t have to buy a vignette for the whole year to use its high speed highways. Vignettes in Slovenia can be purchased for a week at a time.

We got closer to Lake Bohinj, which is very different than Lake Bled is. For one thing, it’s much larger. It doesn’t have a walkway that surrounds it, nor is it surrounded by hotels or restaurants, although the area near it is plenty touristy. The lake itself is majestic, quiet, and incredibly gorgeous. It’s a paradise for hikers, rock climbers, mountaineers, kayakers, canoeists, or anyone else who just loves wildlife and wild surroundings. And in November, it’s practically deserted. There are few restaurants open, so we almost got the sense of having the whole place to ourselves.

We booked four nights at a house called Villa Stare, which was affiliated with a small hotel in an area called Ukanc. When we arrived, it wasn’t clear where we should go. We found our way into what turned out to be where the reception and breakfast room was. We did book breakfast there every morning, which turned out to be a wise decision, since there weren’t any open stores or bakeries near the house, although there were a couple of small grocery stores in town.

The proprietor greeted us and welcomed us into the manor, which sort of screamed 1986… yet it was large, comfortable, and warm. It looked like it was once home to a family with children, as there were little painted designs on the windows in the kids’ rooms and the master bathroom. The master bathroom, by the way, was something else. It had a balcony, and a wall of windows that looked into the woods. There was a large jetted tub that was big enough for two. It looked a bit old– 80s or early 90s era, and I only say this because my parents had one in the 80s, as did the house we rented when we lived in Georgia. The marble shower had six jets on the walls that would spray water from the sides. There were his and hers sinks and a bidet, too.

The master bedroom was humongous, with a huge bed, built in cabinets, a walk in closet, and a large balcony, which faced the lake, about two hundred meters away. The property was surrounded by huge, imposing mountains, covered in trees of different colors, and marked with waterfalls. I counted three from the kids’ rooms, which also had a shared balcony.

The downstairs had a sitting room with a fireplace, a living room area with a TV, a guest toilet, and a fully equipped kitchen. There was also a terrace. We didn’t really use the kitchen, because there was a rather threatening notice there threatening charges if we didn’t clean well enough. Remembering our painful experience with our ex landlady near Stuttgart, we decided not to risk it. Same went for the fireplace, but we really didn’t need it anyway, since the house stayed warm with regular heating. We hung out in the bedroom more than anywhere else.

*Yikes! I guess someone left the oven a mess and scratched the stove top.*

The proprietor gave us a list of restaurants, although a lot of them were closed, including a pizzeria that had just closed for the off season the day prior to our arrival. When I mentioned wanting wine, he said he’d bring us four bottles and we could pay for the ones we drank. We drank and enjoyed all four, bringing one back with us to Germany. They were all good choices. Bill later found a pizzeria a little bit further into town and that was enough to soothe the savage beast until the next morning.

In spite of my comments about the mauve 80s vibe in the house, we really enjoyed our stay there. It’s a beautiful home, and we were very comfortable, even if it did feel like we were somewhat in a time warp. But then, we had a similar experience staying at Vila Bled in 2016, so there you go.

Stay tuned for part nine.

Eastern Europe

Big business in Poland, part six

I didn’t get to see as many Wroclaw attractions as I had hoped I would, mostly because for some reason, lately I’ve been having some pretty severe back pain. It’s especially bad in the mornings. Nevertheless, Wroclaw (pronounced ‘vrohtz-wahv’) is a pretty town, especially down by the old part of the city in the enchanting market square. Pastel colored buildings surround the vast square with cool architecture and plenty of gothic touches.

There are museums, art galleries, and churches to be visited, as well as many restaurants with a surprising array of culinary specialties offered. There’s also plenty of shopping. I couldn’t help but think back to the 90s, when Poland was a Peace Corps destination and wonder what the people who served as Volunteers back then would think of Poland today. I know Yerevan, Armenia, where I served, is vastly different now than it was in 1995… and yet it doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that places like Wroclaw and Yerevan were off limits to the average American.

Wroclaw is known as the “Polish Venice”, because it sits on the banks of the Odra River and claims over 130 bridges which connect twelve islands. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to explore the bridges or the islands, thanks to my aching back. However, I still managed to enjoy myself and see some stuff that was close enough for this aging lady to walk to without too much trouble.

Speaking of the former Eastern Bloc and Soviet Union, I did notice quite a strong statement against communism in Poland. For instance, there are over six hundred bronze gnomes in Wroclaw, which first started appearing in the city in 2005. The gnomes are tiny, standing at about a foot tall each, and can be found on the ground, atop roofs, on window sills, or climbing up walls. I didn’t even come close to getting pictures of all of them, but I managed to find quite a few.

The gnomes are a reference to the Orange Alternative, an anti-Soviet resistance movement born in Wroclaw during the 1980s. The group used dwarves as its symbol and helped stamp out the communist regime through peaceful protests. From 1981-83, the Orange Alternative, led by an artist at the University of Wrocław named Waldemar ‘Major’ Fydrych, defaced communist propaganda with surrealist art as a means to protest the government’s oppressive restrictions against free speech and public gatherings. The early 1980s were a dangerous time in Poland. There was martial law, and people couldn’t even go out at night without taking significant risks. The gnomes were cute, and gave people something to smile and laugh at. They also helped show ordinary citizens how ridiculous it was that they were having to live with such oppression and to encourage them not to be afraid. Judging by what I saw in Wroclaw last week, the Polish people are now very happy to enjoy the nightlife and express themselves. Here are some pictures I took of the many gnome statues I found in Wroclaw.

You can actually purchase guides to finding these little guys all over the city. Just visit any souvenir shop! Personally, I liked stumbling across them without any help. They really give people a reason to smile… unless they’re like my friend, Mary Beth, who says gnomes give her the creeps!

I also made a video of raw footage from buskers I saw in Frankfurt, Germany and Wroclaw, Poland. Sunday night in Wroclaw, there were quite a few people on the market square in Wroclaw performing for tips. Here’s a look at that! It would have been nice if I’d used my digital camera, but it wasn’t as handy as my “handy” was.

Some talented people entertaining for euros or zloty…

I also visited beautiful St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, which was just across the street from the hotel. This church, which was once the primary Protestant church between 1525 and 1945, is one of the most striking and visible buildings in Wroclaw. It is currently part of the Catholic Third Order and the structure dates from the 14th century. It suffered severe hail damage in 1529 and was gutted by a fire in 1976. It’s important to remember that this church has a strong German heritage, since Wroclaw was once called Breslau and was a part of Germany. Since 1999, there has been a memorial at the church to Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a native of what was then Breslau, Germany, and martyr to the anti-Nazi cause.

There is a huge tower with an observation deck that can be climbed for a small fee, but I never saw it obviously open, we had several gloomy weather days, and my back wasn’t going to allow me to hike up the tower, anyway. Still, if you’re up for a stout climb and the tower is open, it might be worth doing just for the excellent panoramic shots you can get of the city. Here are some photos from inside this beautiful church.

I think this was my favorite of the stained glass windows…

Not being Catholic nor particularly religious, I can’t speak much for what this church is all about. I just like to visit churches in Europe because they are so incredibly beautiful and inspiring. I also appreciate the quiet and peacefulness of them… warmth and shelter on a winter’s day, coolness and shade in the summer.

Next post, back to food…

Eastern Europe

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Ten things I learned!

Every time I go somewhere, I like to make a list of ten things I learned on my trip. The Czech Republic is no exception! Here goes!

In Cesky Krumlov… another place I need to see again. I climbed this tower, too. Phew!

10. It helps to speak some German if you go to the Czech Republic.

A lot of younger people do speak some English, but you’ll find it’s not as prevalent there as it is in other western European countries. Bill and I have noticed that a lot of people speak German and some speak more German than English. So, if you’ve been trying to come up with a reason to try harder to learn German, that’s one right there. It might help you communicate better in the Czech Republic.

9. It’s still super cheap to visit the Czech Republic!

Although it’s in the EU and its economy has picked up in recent years, the Czech Republic still has its own currency. And it’s still really a cheap to visit this country. For our three nights in a rented house, food, gas, and beer, we spent about $635. And we didn’t economize. If you’re looking for cheap and work at it, you can really score a bargain by visiting the Czech Republic. However, if you want to save money when changing money, don’t go to a Wechselstube. Visit a bank or ATM instead.

8. There’s a lot to do in the Czech Republic… so much so that you may have trouble choosing.

Especially if you like beer, which Bill and I do. You will have plenty of breweries to tour, beers to taste, and even some to soak in it if you are so inclined! But if beer isn’t your thing, you can still visit churches, museums, zoos, and take tours of other historical sites.

7. If you are an aviation or military buff, you should try to visit the Air Park in Zruc-Senec.

For about five bucks a head, you and your buddies can walk around a very cool museum where there are tanks, airplanes, helicopters, and the like. In the summer, there are guided tours, though in the winter, you are less likely to encounter crowds. The museum has been open since 1993 by a father and son and is continually expanding.

6. I love garlic soup!

Garlic soup is a Czech treat and it supposedly cures hangovers. That’s a win for me. I would also imagine it’s great for when you’re sick with a cold or flu.

5. Parking is cheap or even free.

I was surprised to find out that parking at Pilsner Urquell is free. The nearby parking garage, which is within walking distance, is super cheap and secure. It also has clean bathrooms that are free to use.

4. I’m still fit enough to climb 301 stairs and not collapse.

Self explanatory.

3. It’s okay to do yard work on Sundays.

This is only a surprise if you’ve lived in Germany for awhile. I’ll probably go through another culture shock when we move back to the States someday.

2. What Czech cities lack in aesthetics, they make up for in heart.

I’ll admit my first impressions of Plzen after a nine year break were kind of negative. It’s an industrial city and there are lots of factories belching filth into the sky. There are lots of ugly communist era buildings. There’s plenty of trash and pollution that we don’t necessarily see in Germany or France. However, once I was there and mingling, I realized that Plzen has sort of a scrappy charm that appealed to me. I noticed the ugly factories less and focused on the older architecture, the delicious food and beer, and the warmth of the people, who were welcoming and kind, especially to our wallets!

*Note- Prague doesn’t count as lacking in aesthetics. It’s still a beautiful city! And cheap, too!

1. I want to go back… soon!

There are still parts of the Czech Republic I want to discover. High on the list is Brno, which I hear is an undiscovered and unspoiled gem. I’ve heard it’s even cooler than Prague is, which is a tall order indeed. If we stay here long enough and run out of places to see, maybe we’ll do a Czech tour of sorts. I think that could be a fascinating trip!

Five Petalled Rose Festival in Cesky Krumlov, back in 2008. That is a great time to visit the medieval town, because people dress for the occasion! This festival takes place in June.

Eastern Europe

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part six

We woke to sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures on Sunday morning. I was glad to see it. After breakfast and a walk with the dogs, we started to plan our day. We were about to leave for Plzen when Bill looked out the window and noticed a couple of guys doing yard work, blocking the gate to the yard. I guess it’s not a problem to do yard work in the Czech Republic on Sundays. They were done soon enough, so we headed back to Plzen, parking in the same garage we used on Saturday. Bill discovered a handy footbridge from the garage to the other side of the street. Like I said in an earlier posts, things are surprisingly civilized in the Czech Republic these days.

Cathedral of St. Bartholomew.

We wandered around the Main Square in Plzen and I noticed people were climbing the tower at St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral. I am in piss poor physical shape these days, but somehow I can’t resist climbing a tower, even if I’m sore for days afterwards. So that’s what Bill and I decided to do. We walked up 301 steep, narrow steps to get to the highest point in Plzen and the highest church spire in the Czech Republic itself.

I paused to take pictures of the bells… and catch my breath.

It costs 50 Czech crowns to torture oneself in this manner. You pay at a station about a third of the way up. Once you get to the top, you are treated to views of the city, which can be exhilarating, depressing, or terrifying, depending on your point of view.

Yes… it’s a very steep climb! There are pictures of the views from the top at the bottom of this post.

I found it harder and scarier to go down than to come up the stairs. Yes, climbing the stairs up was harder work and got me more winded, but coming down was really scary. You’re already tired from the climb up and the steps are really narrow and steep. I found myself holding on to the bannisters for dear life as I slowly made my way down each step, praying I didn’t miss one and take a fall.

On the way down the tower, we ran into a couple of police officers. I wondered why they were going up there– although they did look pretty fit. Bill said maybe they were taking a “break”. Or perhaps they were checking for snipers? I don’t know. If I had to walk up those steps every day, I have no doubt I’d be in shape in no time. However, two days later, I’m still a bit sore and the climb itself was kind of hard on my knees. I’m glad I did it once, but I’m not sure I want to do it again!

Just as an aside about Czech cops… I happened to catch a TV show that appeared to be inspired by our own Cops TV show in the United States. Although I didn’t understand anything that was being said, it was interesting to watch how Czech police officers handle their arrestees. I noticed the guys being arrested were cuffed, put in the back seat, and strapped in with a seatbelt. The cops didn’t bother buckling up. Somehow, I figure the seatbelt was used less for safety reasons and more for security. Or maybe they don’t wear seatbelts because they need to be able to react quickly. Who knows? Personally, I hate the damn things, but if I don’t wear mine, Bill turns into Pat Boone. Besides, cars today are like nannies and will beep at you incessantly if you don’t use them.

Inside the cathedral.

After the tower experience, we walked into the cathedral. Supposedly, you have to pay to see it, but I never saw anyone collecting money for admission. Anyway, there’s a gate at the front of the cathedral, so you can only peek in there. I’m not sure it’s worth the 35 Czech crowns they supposedly collect for that. I did manage to get a few photos.

Then we went searching for lunch. I thought we might try Buddha, an Indian and Nepalese restaurant I noticed near the Brewery Museum. It smelled delicious and they had an English menu. I also knew Bill would get a thrill because he loves Indian food and I don’t. Alas, they were closed on Sunday, despite their sign signifying otherwise. Oh well. If we go back to Plzen, we’ll have to try it. It gets great reviews on TripAdvisor. Even without the reviews, my nose told me it was a good place to eat.

It was okay that we missed Buddha, though, because I found another fabulous restaurant. I had actually noticed it as we walked into town. I am naturally attracted to alcoves when we travel. I like to explore things that aren’t on the main drags. This restaurant was actually on the main drag, but had its entrance in an alcove. Called U Makicke Brany, the outside of the restaurant looks distinctly Eastern European. The inside is very inviting, with cavernous ceilings and an upscale bar area. I was especially attracted by the great music they were playing… lots of classic rock! Good music, excellent beer, and delicious food is an invitation for me to pig out, which is exactly what I did.

Bill looks at the menu.

U Makicke Brany offers menus with German and English translations, which was a huge help. I can often figure things out in local languages, but Czech is a mystery to me. Our waitress and the bartender also spoke English and/or German, which was also helpful. Actually, speaking some German is useful in the Czech Republic, because even if someone can’t speak English, chances are they will know some German. I have noticed it on all of our visits. Bill can speak basic conversational German and it does come in handy when we go to the Czech Republic.

I loved the bar!

And the beer…

But I especially loved the garlic soup!

As we were looking at the menu, I noticed the restaurant offered garlic soup, which is apparently a popular hangover cure in the Czech Republic. I noticed the Brewery Museum restaurant also had it on the menu. I was intrigued by the ingredients, which looked really good to me. There was garlic, potatoes, barley, bacon, and croutons. It sounded perfect for cold weather. But I also knew I wanted dessert and I knew the main course would also fill me up. Thankfully, Bill was happy to order it with two spoons. Our waitress was adorable and beamed when I enthused about that soup. I think she and the bartender had some chemistry going on. I noticed they seemed to be enjoying each other’s company.

This garlic soup was delicious! I need to find a recipe. It wasn’t too garlicky, but had just enough of an essence. The croutons tasted homemade and buttery, which really added to the comfort level of the soup. It smelled amazing, too.

Bill sensibly followed up with a chicken Caesar salad. It also had bacon in it. Bacon makes everything better, right?

I went with smoked duck breast and gravy. I told you, I love duck… even though they are so cute and cuddly. I wish my tastebuds hadn’t evolved before my ethics did. The duck came with baked potato discs that absorbed the gravy in a most appealing way. Or course, I was thinking to myself that green vegetables had been missing from my diet while we were in the Czech Republic. I’ll have to make up for that this week.

For dessert, we shared cheesecake with blueberry sauce. This was just the right size. Not too big, heavy, or rich.

And I had one more dark beer for the road… a Master, which packed a good punch. Between us, we had five beers, a bowl of soup, a salad, an entree, and dessert. It set us back less than $40. Cheap!

A few shots of the outside. In the summer, they also have outdoor seating.

I noticed the street name as we waited to cross the street.

Views of Plzen on a sunny day.

Inside the tower as I recover from the climb.

We decided to go back to the dogs and watch more of the Olympics, since by the time we were finished with our sumptuous lunch, it was mid afternoon. Once again, we were too full to go looking for dinner. Instead, we had more croquettes. Even as I was cursing myself for being so lazy on this trip, I realized that with better planning, we could really fill our days up in this part of the Czech Republic. Not only is there Plzen, which in and of itself offers a lot to do, there’s also Karlovy Vary, which is a beautiful spa town, and of course, Chodova Plana, which offers Chodovar. If we’d wanted to, we could have spent a week and not done the same thing twice. Maybe that’s why we didn’t go out as much as we should have. There were so many choices that we were overwhelmed with making decisions.

Bill and I mostly stay low key on our trips, anyway. We kind of like to soak up the atmosphere, people watch, and do the odd activity, sandwiched with good food, beer, or wine. We also love meeting new people on our trips. We almost always have something interesting happen to us, if only because we’re less focused on seeing things and more attuned to simple experiences.

Sunday night, Bill discovered where he could find Chodovar beer in Plzen. It was available at Billa, a grocery chain in the Czech Republic. On Monday morning, as we were leaving Plzen, we drove to a really seedy looking part of the city, complete with communist era apartment buildings. I remarked that it will take a long time before those vestiges of communism will go away. Those buildings are ugly, but functional. I used to live in a couple of them myself, when I lived in Armenia.

I enjoyed a Chodovar last night!

Bill scored seven bottles of Chodovar and a few bottles of the awesome flavored sparkling water from there. I found myself planning another trip in my head. Next time, maybe we’ll return to Chodovar, which offers a good centralized location for notable cities in the area. Maybe we’ll spend a few more days, just wandering the beautiful countryside, touring breweries, and hitting the spas. That’s the life for me!

Those buildings aren’t going away…

Eastern Europe

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part five

There was one thing I remembered from our first visit to Plzen. In 2009, I remember Bill driving down a main drag and seeing a large “Thank You, America” memorial. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to bring my camera with me on that trip and, at that time, didn’t own a smartphone. I was hoping we’d get to see the “Thank You, America” memorial on this trip, since it kind of makes me feel a little pride for my country. It was built in 1995, fifty years after the United States Army, led by General George Patton, liberated Plzen from the Nazis.

Sadly, we missed the memorial, not because I didn’t have my camera, but because apparently it recently disintegrated. I can’t help but be reminded that the memorial’s decline is not unlike the decline in the United States right now. It seems almost symbolic. But anyway, for those who would like to see a photo of Plzen’s “thanks” to America when it was still standing, follow the link.

I am heartened to report that the memorial is being repaired and will be reconstructed with French marble, which I guess is sturdier. I guess the materials available in 1995 were of poor quality, which doesn’t surprise me, since in 1995, the United States was sending Peace Corps Volunteers to the Czech Republic. That was a time when things weren’t as prosperous in the Czech Republic as they are now. Anyway, the memorial will be back at some point, probably as good as new. Hopefully, our country will likewise be repaired in the coming years. Incidentally, there is also a museum and memorial for General Patton, for those who are interested. In fact, I saw a lot of references to America in Plzen, including a street named for Franklin D. Roosevelt.

We came back to our little cottage with beer, wine, “crocketts”, breakfast pastries, and other odds and ends. I had looked in vain for Chodovar beer in the Kaufland. They didn’t have any of that. They did have some interesting wines, though. We picked up a couple of bottles from Bulgaria, as well as a couple of Czech wines. We tried the Bulgarian merlot, but the others will have to be tested later.

Potato croquettes. We discovered these on an earlier trip to the Czech Republic.

Because we were really full from lunch and it was cold outside, we decided to stay in and watch the Winter Olympics on the big TV. We had “crocketts” for dinner. What I call crocketts are actually potato croquettes. They are all kinds of delicious. We discovered them in June 2008, when Bill and I visited Passau, Germany for my 36th birthday. Passau is not far from the Czech border, so on the big day itself, we drove into the Czech Republic and visited Ceske Budjovice and Cesky Krumlov. We had lunch in Budjovice, which is where the “original” Budweiser is made.

I don’t remember exactly what we had for lunch on that visit. I probably had duck because I love it. But I do remember that whatever we had came with a side of potato croquettes. Our waiter pronounced it “crocketts”, which we thought was funny. I know you can get potato croquettes in Germany, but somehow they seem different in the Czech Republic. I actually went hunting for them at Kaufland. It wasn’t easy, but I finally found them in a sea of frozen pommes. There were only a few bags. I guess the Czech people love them, too.

We watched skiing, including multiple replays of Czech skier Ester Ledecka, an adorable snowboarder and Alpine skier who won gold in the Super-G competition. She was so cute, because after she finished her run, she looked absolutely stunned to be in first place. She had borrowed the skis on which she won her medal.

We also watched multiple interviews with Czech men’s figure skater, Michal Brezina, who is married to a retired American skater and trains in California. I got a huge kick out of his hair. I probably enjoyed that as much as I did his long program. It was a treat to get to watch the Olympics, since we don’t get local TV. I guess if we could watch them at home in Germany, we might have been more inclined to eat dinner on the town.

After a few hours of Olympic coverage, chowing down on croquettes, and drinking Bulgarian wine, we went to bed. I was determined to do more on Sunday.

Eastern Europe

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part four

I mentioned in previous posts about our Czech Republic trip that this is a country that loves its beer. Czech citizens drink more beer per capita than any other country, including Germany, Ireland, and Belgium. This is a country where beer costs less than bottled water and they’ve been making beer since 993 A.D. So it’s not surprising that a lot of beer lovers come to the Czech Republic to taste their suds and visit breweries.

Bill and I had every intention of touring Pilsner Urquell’s brewery, which is based in Plzen. On our last visit, back in 2009, we toured Plzen’s awesome Brewery Museum and really enjoyed it. But as we approached Pilsner Urquell, I noticed how huge the place was. Then I noticed all the tours were timed, because they are offered in different languages. We could either take a 1:00pm tour or a 2:45pm tour. We could tour Pilsner Urquell or Gambrinus… I actually found myself a little overwhelmed. I need more than a weekend to do all of this stuff!

The big gate at Pilsner Urquell in Plzen.

Bill figures out the map at Pilsner Urquell.

It’s a big place! Free parking is available there, but there’s also a large parking garage nearby that is super cheap. Bill paid about 70 cents for several hours of parking on Saturday. The parking garage also has clean WCs. I was surprised by how civilized it was.

“Man, that’s good beer!”

My stomach started rumbling and we decided we’d rather have lunch first. We walked out of the Pilsner Urquell complex, crossed the large, busy street, and headed toward the Brewery Museum, which has a restaurant. We ate in the restaurant the first time we visited Plzen, so we knew we’d find English menus there. It was very busy; consequently, lunch was a leisurely, but delicious affair. I really love Czech cuisine, which is somewhat like German cuisine, but with more or different seasonings.

The Brewery Museum’s restaurant has very good food. We were spoiled for choice.

I eventually settled on duck leg confit with onion gravy and bread dumplings…

Bill had pork with mashed potatoes and gravy. That pork was delicious! Very tender and flavorful.

Although it’s a good idea for me to eat before I try to sightsee, I also have a tendency to take too long at lunchtime, especially when there’s beer being offered. We each had a Pilsner Urquell, but then we tried a lovely dark Sladko, pictured below. It was rich, malty, and kind of like a beery milkshake.

Oh, this was sooo good!

By the time we were finished with lunch, the urge to tour a museum or a brewery had left us. However, I do want to get back to Plzen if only so we can take the Historical Plzen Underground Tour, which is offered by the Brewery Museum. I wish we’d done this on Saturday, because it’s only 50 minutes and offers a look at about one kilometer of Plzen’s 14 kilometers of underground tunnels. Actually, looking around Plzen, I could see that any visitor who likes beer will be kept busy for several days. Trying to make a choice of what to see seemed overwhelming, although having seen the Brewery Museum during our first visit, I would definitely recommend that to any visitor. It’s very well-done and translations are offered in 15 languages. Pilsner Urquell also offers a virtual tour online, for those who’d rather not tour the facility and say they did.

An example of Czech advertising.

I actually took this photo to remind me that there are things for young people to do, too. Plzen has a zoo and other activities for kids.

One of the prettier views in Plzen.

St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral. It dates from the 13th century and opened in 1529.

Around the square.

Off in the distance, a brand new bride and groom were having a photo shoot. I felt sorry for the bride, because it was really cold outside and she only wore a wrap around her shoulders to cover her dress. Kudos to her for not freezing!

For the kids to play on…

The guys in this photo were all dressed in medieval garb. Bill said they were probably going to spar with each other.

By about 3:00pm, we decided to go to Kaufland to pick up a French press for coffee and maybe a few odds and ends for dinner. The Kaufland reminded me very much of a Real on Saturday. It was packed with people. Still, we managed to find what we needed, including a bag of “crocketts”. I’ll explain that in the next post.

I got a kick out of this wienie eating dude. We bought some of his franks.

Eastern Europe

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part three

Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early. Bill went hunting for a bakery and didn’t find one. He did find a small mom and pop shop, though, where he found some rolls that kind of resembled hot dog buns (but tasted much better). He had scored some ham, cheese, and eggs the night before at the neighborhood Coop, which is tiny, but has the basic stuff. Our rental had one of those coffee pod machines, which my coffee purist husband hates. He resolved to pick up a French press later.

After breakfast, we beagle proofed the house and set off for Plzen. Bill took a couple of turns and we suddenly found ourselves confronted by a truly awesome sight… Who would have thought that little Senec would have an Airpark? We pulled up at the same time a young family with a little boy arrived. The boy was obviously very excited to check out all of the old planes, helicopters, and tanks. I was excited, too. Some of the stuff they had there was flat out awesome. The fact that we weren’t expecting to find this place made it even cooler. I mean, where else but in a former communist country would you find huge airplanes on display on the side of the road?

The boy rang the bell and a tall, older woman came out. She didn’t speak any language other than Czech and the signage was mostly in Czech. I think I saw one or two English signs and a few more German signs. The rest was all local lingo… Fortunately, my husband was a tanker in the Army, so he knows about this stuff. He especially took great pleasure in telling me about the tanks.

There are a couple of areas in the park that cost extra to visit. There’s one area that requires a guide and has a plane you can pay extra to see the inside of. Since the lady on duty didn’t speak our language, we decided to stick with the basic tour. It was pretty frigid outside, anyway. There were a couple of planes where you could climb up on ladders and look into the cockpits.

I should mention that the Czech Republic has kind of a special place in Bill’s heart. At the beginning of his Army career, back in the mid to late 1980s, he was posted at both Ansbach and Vilseck. Part of his job, in those days before the Berlin Wall fell, was to guard Germany’s border with the Czech Republic. He said there were times in that era when he and his buddies were sure the Russians would invade and they’d be killed due to being outnumbered. I remember so well what it was like for Bill the first time he crossed the Czech border in 2008. He said it was very surreal, since he could easily remember a time when that was an unthinkable thing to do. I must admit, having grown up during the Cold War era, it’s a little strange for me, too.

The entrance. It even hearkens back to the days before communism fell.

Stalin is watching you!

Missiles!

For an extra fee, you and three friends can climb the steps and see inside this Soviet era plane. Since I flew in one in 1995 on the way to Yerevan, Armenia, I didn’t need to see it.

Extra charge for this exhibit… maybe if it hadn’t been so cold outside… and our guide could communicate with us or vice versa. But we were content to look at the planes over the gate.

Bill was explaining the finer points of missiles to me.

We spent about a half an hour here, I think… give or take a few minutes. It was really cold out and I had to rely on my eyes to tell me a truncated story. Still, I think this would be an awesome place to explore on a warmer day with your buddies who are fascinated by aircraft, tanks, missiles, war stuff… you know, stuff military folks dig. It’s well worth a visit if you visit Plzen. I think it was probably the highlight of our Saturday, which turned out to be a lazy day. After we checked out the planes, we drove to the city with big plans of touring Pilsner Urquell’s brewery or a brewery museum or something. But we got waylaid by lunch. More on that in the next post, which I’ll probably write tomorrow.

Eastern Europe

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part two

After we decided we wanted to go to the Czech Republic, Bill and I had to determine where in the country we wanted to go. I was actually kind of wanting to visit Brno, which is a city we hadn’t seen before. It got some great write ups that made it sound like an appealing place to see. Unfortunately, we were constrained by the brevity of Bill’s time off and the fact that we’d need to bring our dogs, Zane and Arran, with us. I did consider another visit to Chodovar, but again, thought of the dogs. Although Chodovar allows dogs to stay in its hotel, Zane and Arran do better in lower density populations. They aren’t exactly quiet.

I went to Booking.com, to look for appropriate accommodations near Chodova Plana and found a couple of possibilities. The place that won our business was Vila Verunka, a little freestanding house in Senec, a suburb of Plzen. I was won over by the fact that it offered free parking, free WiFi, and didn’t charge extra for the dogs. It’s not that I mind paying pet fees; it’s just that I’ve found that people who don’t charge extra fees for pets tend to be less nervous about them staying. They’re usually dog lovers who won’t freak out over normal things that dogs do. That appeared to be the case at Vila Verunka, too. The owners were very welcoming to our dogs, which I always love to see.

A lot of people like Air BnB. I haven’t tried it yet, mainly because their Web site makes it hard for me to find exactly what I’m looking for. I tend to be specific about what I want in a rental. Although Booking.com doesn’t seem to have as many properties as Air BnB does, its search process is easy to use. And, if I end up really hitting it off, sometimes the owners will just tell me to text them personally. Such is the case in Ribeauville. We’ve stayed at one guy’s apartment three times in the past year and he’s given us his number and told us to text him next time we want to rent from him. I’m sure it’s because he makes more money that way, but if I’m honest, I kind of like having our French friend Yannick on speed dial. 😉

I could tell Senec would be a suburban location. The price was definitely right, though. For three nights in a two bedroom house, we paid the Czech crown equivalent of 288 euros. Although we paid in the local currency, it turned out we could have paid in euros or even by credit card. We didn’t have quite enough Czech crowns when we arrived because Bill stopped at the border and changed money at an exchange– something he shouldn’t have done, because they’re very expensive. The owners were cool, though, and came the next morning for the money, after Bill had a chance to hit the bank. Apparently, that house is popular with business people. The owners asked us if we were there on business or filming something. They seemed surprised that we’d go to Plzen for fun, although if you’re a beer lover, it’s a must see place.

Below are some pictures of the accommodations. Everything was very clean and appeared to be new.

The living room. There’s a gas fireplace, which we didn’t use. I liked how carefree the couch was. Very durable material that didn’t embed dog hair. I will probably be in the market for a new couch when we move out of Germany. I’m going to look for one upholstered with that material.

The bigger bedroom. The mattress was a little hard, but the bed was nice and big. There were flatscreen TVs in both bedrooms. There’s also a single daybed in this room that could accommodate another person.

This property doesn’t have a shower. Instead, there’s a bathtub with a handheld sprayer. Also, the toilet is in a separate room. The sink is in the washroom with the tub and the washing machine.

Nice kitchen, although the microwave was in a cabinet over the fridge. Bill had to get it down when we wanted to use it, which was kind of a pain. We’re both short. It would have been nice if the microwave were on a cart or a table instead of a high cabinet. There is a coffee pod machine, so Bill went out and got a cheap French press because we don’t like coffee pods. Otherwise, the kitchen was well appointed, although lacking coasters. The water in this house is not potable, though. I think it may be because the house has a cistern, which means it uses rainwater. Our first German house had a cistern that we could turn on and off.

The toilet. There was a curtained off “closet” with cleaning supplies. No sink in the WC.

The other bedroom. Somewhat smaller.

Another view of the living room. There’s another daybed for another person to sleep on. Nice flatscreen TV, though there were no English channels. We watched the Winter Olympics in Czech, which was more interesting than it sounds! WiFi in this house worked great! No issues whatsoever.

Washing machine.

The outside of the house. The picture doesn’t show how big the yard is. It’s fenced in and has a picnic area and grill. There’s also a swing set and the owners will rent you an inflatable pool for your kids. There’s also a very small pond, which was frozen over when we visited.

Another shot of the house. It backs up to a wooded area where there are trails suitable for walking your dogs. Otherwise, you can turn them loose in the large, fenced yard.

This house is in what appears to be a developing subdivision. There are several homes being built now. In the neighborhood, there are a couple of small markets and a restaurant or two. We didn’t explore much of Senec, although we did make a very cool find on Saturday morning. More on that in the next post. Here’s a hint, though… if you like old aircraft from the Cold War era, you might want to take a peek!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Category Archives: Eastern Europe

Our day in Cesky Krumlov… part five of our 2023 Czech tour!

Onward into Czechia… part four of our 2023 Czech tour!

Chasing lakes and waterfalls in Aus-cro-slo-aus… part eight

Big business in Poland, part six

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Ten things I learned!

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part six

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part five

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part four

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part three

Cheap thrills in the Czech Republic! Part two