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.

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!

Czechia, East Germany, Eastern Europe, Polska, Slovak Republic

Our Eastern European October… part one

An introduction of sorts…

Well… as I wrote yesterday, we are now home from our epic autumn journey to Eastern Europe. I write Eastern Europe because our almost two weeks away took us to FOUR different countries! We visited Karlovy Vary, Czechia (or Czech Republic, if you prefer). Then, we went to Stary Smokovec, Slovakia (or Vysoké Tatry). From Slovakia, we moved on to Krakow, Poland. Then, we ended in Dresden, Germany, which was once part of East Germany.

As a child of the 70s and 80s, it always amazes me when we visit former “Eastern Bloc” countries. When I was growing up, these were places that were completely off limits to “westerners”. I never thought there’d be a time when we could simply drive to the former Czechoslovakia or Poland.

I thought East Germany would always be forbidden to someone like me. In fact, I remember writing a social studies report about the two Germanys when I was in the sixth grade, and being completely shocked that Germany was divided. I hadn’t known. And now, over 40 years later, here I am living in Germany, and visiting the East with ease! Not only can I easily visit the East, but I can also have a really good time there, because Eastern Europe is nothing like it used to be. But then, I guess it’s just a reminder that I’m getting old, and time is really flying.

I had some specific goals for this trip… and for the most part, my goals went unmet. I had wanted to visit Auschwitz, for instance. That didn’t happen. I thought maybe we’d go to Saxony Switzerland. It was not to be. I didn’t even get to see Frosty the Peacock! But now we have a reason to go back to these fascinating countries and see even more of what we missed. I already have a couple of itineraries in mind.

This trip ran from October 1-13th, which means that my October, so far, has been spent on vacation in Eastern Europe. We took a long break because it had been awhile since our last one, and Bill had some leave to burn. He’s been working very hard over the past few months, so his employer kindly allowed us almost two weeks away from Hessen.

We probably would have come home on Sunday, the 11th, but we had a holiday yesterday– Columbus Day or Indigenous People’s Day, depending on your views. So, we decided to make the most of the extra day off and squeeze in Dresden, a city we had last visited in November 2008.

We had also visited Karlovy Vary previously, back in February 2009, but that was just for a few hours. The weather was freezing that day, so we didn’t get to explore much of the city. I also didn’t have my camera with me on that 2009 trip. Now, I have lots of pictures of Karlovy Vary and its environs! It was worth going back there for that reason, alone!

Anyway… enough with the intro. Time to get down to business! This will probably be a pretty long series. Most readers will lose interest after the first couple of posts. Nevertheless, I’ll keep writing. At the end, I’ll do my usual “ten things I learned post”, which people seem to appreciate more than the exhaustive blow by blows.

We did not do a lot of touristy stuff on this trip. Instead, we enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere, people watching, and taking lots of photos. We also ate rich food and drank a whole lot of beer. 🍺 For most of our trip, we enjoyed mild, and mostly sunny weather. The fall colors were absolutely stunning! Just the beautiful foliage alone was a feast for the eyes. But we also had some interesting interactions, ate good food, and picked up some fun souvenirs.

So, without further delay, on with the series. Here are a few fall photos to get things started… I took these on a drive we took on day three of our vacation, while we were still in Czechia!

blog news, Czechia, East Germany, Eastern Europe, Slovak Republic

In the middle of our trip…

I just wanted to drop a quick note on my travel blog to let y’all know that we’re doing fine on our trip from the Czech Republic to Slovakia to Poland to Germany. We are now in Krakow, and I have so many incredible photos to share next week, when we get back home.

This is a great time to be in Eastern Europe. The weather is amazing, and there aren’t a lot of crowds. I look forward to sharing the stories of what we’ve been doing when I get back to my desktop computer and have time to write everything in detail.

For now, here are a few photos from Slovakia… I would like to add more, but trying to upload photos from a laptop is a real pain in the butt. Trust me, though… there’s a lot more to report on. For now, I’m going to get dressed and go see Krakow. See you next week (or possibly sooner, if the mood strikes!).

Czechia, East Germany, Eastern Europe, trip planning

Our fall vacation is now sorted and booked…

Today is the last day of the Rheingauer Weinwoche in downtown Wiesbaden. Bill and I are usually enthusiastic participants of that particular fest, which features lots of great food, entertainment, and thousands of wines.

But this year, we just haven’t felt like attending. We know what to expect there, because we’ve done it so many times in the past. It’s fun, but kind of “old hat”. Today, the weather is actually pretty nice. The sun is out, but it’s not super hot. I still didn’t feel like going, and Bill had to do some shopping at the commissary, anyway.

So I figured that since I’m not at the fest, awkwardly milling around, looking for a place to sit that won’t offend others… drinking wines that mostly taste the same… promising myself a hangover for tomorrow… I’ll just write about our upcoming fall vacation.

Bill has been working very hard at his job. He has a bunch of conferences coming up, some of which will take him out of town for days at a time. He’s going to Budapest again this year.

I went with him last year, but we decided I’d stay home this time. He’s got back to back conferences in Budapest, and the hotel he booked is in a less tourist oriented area. It does actually look like this year’s hotel might be better lodging than last year’s spot, even though it’s an Ibis. But it gets old trying to dodge the housekeepers, plus it’s no fun going to tourist spots alone, while Bill works.

Bill recently told his bosses that he really needs a vacation, so he arranged to take leave from October 1st until the 13th. Normally, we’d do a champagne bucket drawing to decide where we’d be going. However, this year, we both decided we wanted to do a road trip. I was particularly keen to visit Slovakia, because although we have technically been there, we’ve never done a proper stay there.

My first visit to Slovakia was in 1997, and I stayed in a university dormitory with friends. The second time I visited was a day trip to Bratislava from Vienna, back in 2015. I wanted to see a different part of the country, and maybe get some pretty photos of fall foliage. I also wanted to buy some art for the house, and have a nice rest in a spa.

Slovakia is not that close, if you’re going by car. That meant we had to decide where to stop on the way there and back. Initially, I thought I’d like to visit Gorlitz, which is a German border town where a lot of movies have been shot. I actually didn’t know that until I started looking for a good halfway point between Wiesbaden and the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and southern Poland.

But as I was looking at Gorlitz, I realized that it’s really an underrated gem, and there’s a lot to see there. I also realized that I wanted to visit nearby Bautzen, too. And although we went to Dresden in 2008, I think we’re overdue for a visit there, again. I realized that hitting all of those spots would eat up precious time we didn’t have, and we wouldn’t get much “bang for the buck”. That area really demands a separate, more concentrated look.

I hadn’t originally thought of going to Czechia, since we’ve been there a bunch of times already… Valentine’s Day weekend 2009, we went to Chodova Plana and visited Beer Wellness Land, Chodovar. We had a great time, although that was when we learned we would be leaving Germany a year earlier than expected. 🤬

Anyway, after spending a couple of hours deliberating, I finally decided to look for a hotel in Karlovy Vary (also known as Carlsbad), a beautiful spa town in Czechia that is close to Chodovar. Bill and I did a day trip there in 2009, and I was impressed by how grand it was. It’s also where we met Nikolaj Korelov, the Russian artist who painted my favorite piece of art from our travels.

I actually wouldn’t have minded going to Chodovar again, and having a beer bath and a massage. They’ve really built up and expanded that place since 2009, and added a beautiful pool complex. The restaurants are nice– unless things have changed a lot. But I wanted to see more of Karlovy Vary and get some photos. I forgot to bring my camera on that 2009 trip, so I don’t have any good pictures from then. Karlovy Vary is a beautiful town. I’m sure in October, it’s a lot prettier than it is in February!

So, we will spend three nights in Karlovy Vary at Hotel Chateau Cihelny, a property located just outside of the city. There’s a train there, that will get us to Karlovy Vary in eight minutes. It’s also near a golf course (not that we play), and trails for walking.

After our stay in Czechia, we will move on to Slovakia, where I have booked three nights at panoraMic Mountain Residence, a self-catering apartment in Stary Smokovec, a touristy area in the Tatra Mountains. The apartment, which is our cheapest spot, gets rave reviews. That’s why I chose it over the much pricier Kempinski Hotel. I think we’ll enjoy it, because we’re mainly hoping for peace and quiet, forest views, and maybe some gentle hikes.

From Stary Smokovec, we will continue to Krakow, Poland, a city neither of us have yet visited. People have repeatedly recommended Krakow, although I had a hell of a time finding a hotel I liked. I finally settled on Kanonicza 22 another self-catering apartment located in the heart of the city. We will be parking at a nearby garage. This property has three apartments. We took the Duke Suite, which was the only one still available.

I picked Krakow because I heard it’s beautiful, but I also think we’ll try to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is about an hour’s drive from Krakow. I know it will be a very somber, depressing experience visiting that museum, but I really think it’s important to go there and see it. I’ve read a lot about the Holocaust, but nothing beats actually going to the place where this terrible history occurred and seeing it firsthand.

I looked into staying in Oświęcim, where the museum is actually located, but again, had trouble finding a hotel I liked. And we did want to see Krakow itself. If it turns out we like the area, maybe we’ll go back… I thought about staying in Zakopane, too, but that’s in Poland, and I did want to stay in Slovakia, just to say I did.

After three nights in Krakow, we’ll move on to Dresden, and stay at Hotel Suitess, a lovely small luxury hotel we stayed in back in November 2008. I thought long and hard about booking the Kempinski there, too, but it was so much more expensive than the Suitess. We know where the Suitess is, and we know it has all we need. Why spend so much more for the most basic room at the Kempinski, when I can book us an upgraded room at the Suitess for so much less? Yes, the Kempinski has a pool and a sushi restaurant, but I’m not sure that’s worth several hundred euros more.

A few November 2008 era photos from our first Dresden trip.

I think this will be a great trip that will spawn plenty of memories. I hope to find some more art for the house, pick up some Chodovar beers and Il Santo water, and get lots of beautiful photos. If, for some reason, we aren’t able to get to Auschwitz, we’ll just come back… and maybe pair that with a trip to Gorlitze, Bautzen, and the surrounding area. I am still intrigued by those towns and want to do a trip that focuses time on that area. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that before it’s time for us to leave Europe.

I will say this… we’ve been here so long, and done so many great trips. I feel very fortunate to be so spoiled for choices. And no matter what, we really can’t lose. We always have a great time, no matter where we go. But I did want to do something that doesn’t involve huge cities. I think I have succeeded in these plans. Wish us luck as I research things to do and places to dine. 😁

trip planning

Planning our fall vacation…

Featured photo is of Bratislava Castle. I took the photo in late March 2015.

It’s that time again. Bill has the first 13 days of October off, while he’ll be doing a lot of business travel in September and November. We’re going to take the opportunity to go some places and, hopefully, enjoy a nice rest.

I think we’ve made up our minds to go to Slovakia… but I haven’t yet booked anything. Until I book something, that idea is subject to change. I was considering another trip to Austria, mainly because I want to go to a relaxing spa hotel. But I also want to go to a place I haven’t yet seen much of, and Slovakia fits the bill.

Actually, I have been to Slovakia before. I spent several nights in Zilina back in 1997, when I was meeting my friends Chris and Dawn for part of my train trip through Europe after my stint in the Peace Corps. Chris was getting some computer training at the university in that town, so I met them there while he finished his last couple of days. I took the train to Zilina via Bratislava, having arrived from Vienna.

Bill and I also visited Bratislava for a day back in the spring of 2015. It was a fun day, and I would have liked to have stayed overnight and done some shopping. I noticed they had a lot of cool art for sale there, as well as excellent beers.

Since then, we haven’t been back to Slovakia, and based on what I’ve found while researching, there’s a lot to see there. So… that is probably where we’ll end up going, because Bill wants to go somewhere with mountains and trees.

I had been thinking about maybe going to Malta, since we haven’t been, and October would probably be a good time for it. But I think we have too much time for a Malta trip, and Malta isn’t exactly known for having forests. Maybe we’ll go there in the winter.

The beauty of a trip to Slovakia is that we can stop in the Czech Republic either there or back, or we could go to Poland… Poland and the Czech Republic are also great places to buy art. Maybe we could even visit Auschwitz. I know that would be depressing, but I think it’s important to go there, especially given what’s happening in the United States right now.

Slovakia has a lot of things we like… like waterfalls, fall colors, castles, and wine. The wine is kind of sweet, though.

Anyway… I think today, I’m going to shop for accommodations. Once I figure things out, I’ll update here. Again… this isn’t yet set in stone. I might decide to just bag it and go to Austria, which has what we want, along with some really great looking hotels. We’ll see what happens.

trip planning, videos

A video about feeding a hungry Romani woman in Brno…

I have already written this story from October 2023 on this blog, but I decided to make a video about it for my growing YouTube audience. I’m sharing it here for the interested.

The story about the woman starts at about the 2:32 mark…

Last night, I booked two hotels in preparation for next weekend’s trip to Italy via Switzerland. I’m excited about the trip, which I hope will be memorable and profitable on many levels. If anything, I’ll take more photos, right? Hopefully, we will be blessed with nice weather.

We’ll be stopping near Lugano for two nights, then heading down to Abruzzo for four nights, then stopping again near Vipeteno, Italy. I went there in 2009, but Bill has never been. The hotel is not in the city itself, but is close to it.

I’m still trying to decide where to stay in Abruzzo. It looks like there are a lot of cute little hamlets from which to choose. So stay tuned for that…

Baden-Württemberg, Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe, Ten Things I Learned, trip planning

Ten things I learned this time in BW and Czechia…

It’s time now for my customary “ten things I learned post”. Since this wasn’t our first time in the Czech Republic, I’ve already done a “ten things I learned” post for the country. Nevertheless, this most recent trip was very educational and entertaining on many levels. We really enjoyed ourselves, but we also learned a lot. Besides, people seem to like these summary posts better than my usual detailed postings. So here goes…

*Cesky Krumlov will take your breath away… especially if you climb the castle tower.*

10. Cesky Krumlov is well worth visiting for a day or two.

I mentioned that Bill and I visited Cesky Krumlov for a few hours back in 2009. I thought the town was really adorable then, and vowed to go back someday. This time, we stayed there for two nights. I think one full day in Cesky Krumlov is probably sufficient for most people, although we certainly could have enjoyed another full day there. I don’t know if I’ll go out of my way to return, but I wouldn’t object to it. It’s a beautiful town and well worth a stop if you’re in Czechia.

9. English is widely spoken in the tourist areas of Czechia.

On prior visits to Czechia, we noticed that it was helpful to speak some German. This time, we noticed that a whole lot of people are fluent in English. It’s not a given than they will be, but there’s a good chance that if you go to a touristy area, you don’t have to worry about a language barrier if you are an English speaker.

8. Brno is well worth a stop!

Of all the places we planned to visit when we were coming up with our itinerary, Brno intrigued me the most. I had read that it is an “up and coming” destination in Czechia. It’s not as handsome and charming as Prague is, but it’s definitely got its own vibe. And if you like caving, it’s a must visit destination, as there are several show caves there that are beautiful and worth seeing. I will never forget our visit to the Punkva Caves. I also noticed that Brno was not as heavily touristed as Prague and Cesky Krumlov. For that reason alone, it may be worth putting on your itinerary.

*Choosing to eat here put us in contact with a local…*

7. Someone may be watching you when you’re eating at the street food fest…

We certainly weren’t expecting to encounter an unhoused woman when we sat down to have lunch at a street food fest in Brno. But she did us a favor by eating our leftovers, and teaching us a thing or two about charity and not wasting food. And while I didn’t leave Brno with any artwork, I did leave with a memory and a great story. I doubt I’ll forget it anytime soon.

*Where we spotted a very determined nutria…*

6. Prague has surprising “wild kingdom” moments…

I don’t know if I’d ever heard of nutria (otherwise known as coypu) before I spotted one swimming in the Vltava River in Prague. At first, I thought maybe I was watching an otter or some kind of beaver, but I’m pretty sure I saw a nutria, an animal that has taken up residence in Prague and is apparently causing issues.

*Unusual tufa cave with cauliflower rock formations.*

5. If you’re near Lichtenstein Castle on the first Sunday of the warm months, you should visit Olgahöhle!

Again, this is a suggestion for those who like visiting caves. This cave is kind of special, and it’s only open on the first Sunday of the warm months. We happened to be able to visit by chance, and it was well worth the stop.

4. You can now purchase vignettes for Czechia online and there’s no longer a need for stickers.

This was a really welcome and convenient development for our trip. We were able to buy our vignette online, allowing us to use Czechia’s high speed highways. There was no need to put a sticker on the windshield. And the day before it expired, they helpfully sent a reminder email.

3. But the backroads are still in need of repair…

Our trip required some detours on secondary roads. A lot of them were in need of repair, thanks to potholes and other issues. On the other hand, they can take you to some great places, like the cool burger place we found because Bill needed to pee.

2. The people of Czechia are very warm and hospitable…

I can’t think of a single incident during our trip where we didn’t encounter very pleasant and warm people, especially in the hotels and restaurants. It definitely lent to the country’s charm and makes me want to go back again and again. This is also a great place for shopping, especially if you’re looking for art and unique toys.

The food, wine, and beer is very hearty… but if you want to, you can easily burn it off!

I was amazed anew by how rich and filling the food was on this trip. As heavy as German food can be, I think the Czechs have them beat! But I also found myself working hard, walking, climbing stairs, enjoying nature, and burning that fuel quite handily. Czech wine is pretty decent, by the way. I might not choose it over Italian wine, but it probably deserves a lot more attention than it gets. The beer is, of course, excellent and noticeably different from Germany’s beers.

So… that about does it for our most recent trip to BW and Czechia. We meant to see our dentist in Stuttgart and take in the sights in one of our favorite European countries. We missed the dentist, but sure made up for it with good times, new experiences, new friends, and fun. I hope if you’re inspired to visit the Czech Republic, you will take the plunge! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe

Time to go home… part twelve of our 2023 Czech tour!

At last, I have reached the end of my series on our October trip to the Czech Republic. Not that many people seem to be reading this series, which is a real pity. I think it will go down as one of the most “special” of our trips. But then, I tend to think that way about a lot of our trips, until we take the next one and create new memories.

Tuesday, October 10th was a bit sunnier and warmer than the day before was. We moved most of our stuff to the car before breakfast, encountering Jan, the owner, again. He had an assistant help us load the car. The guy noticed Noyzi’s hair all over the cargo area of the car and said, “Oh, you must have a dog!”

Indeed we do… and he’s a big canine guy who takes up the whole back of the car. As much as we love having him in our lives, he’s not the easiest to travel with because of his size. But he does love car rides! I looked forward to reuniting with Noyzi later in the day.

We went back to the hotel’s cafe for breakfast. This time, we had drip coffee and Bill had Eggs Benedict. I went with pancakes, which came with blueberry sauce. They brought out more wonderful bread and butter with jam. We also had orange juice.

*One last excellent breakfast before we were on our way!*

Once again, breakfast was excellent, although I personally liked the Eggs Benedict better than the pancakes. I think as I get older, I’m enjoying savory things more than sweets. That’s a good thing, although you certainly can’t tell by my figure.

After breakfast, we went back to the room to get the big blue bag and do one last check to make sure we got everything. Then we went back down to say goodbye and thank you to Jan. We were genuinely delighted with our stay at Hotel Nerudova 211, and because we paid upon check in, all we had to do was bid adieu and be on our way.

*This is a sign that caught my attention!*

We left Prague by a different route than the way we came into the city, and I was very amused to see a restaurant that we missed. Someone has started a burger joint called Fatfuck Smashburgers. It’s done well enough to have a second location! I wish we’d had the chance to try it. If we make it back to Prague and it’s still open, we’ll have to go there for the name alone! I noticed the words were spelled out on the sign, but if you type in the Web address, they aren’t. Maybe there’s a rule against using profanity in a site address. Who knows?

Our drive home was pretty uneventful. The weather was kind of moody and depressing, with some sun and sprinkles. We didn’t find a great truck stop on our route, either. Instead, we ended up at a Gusticus, where Bill had a fish box and I had a chicken box. It was kind of sad.

We arrived home at about 3:00 PM. I got started on the chores of unpacking, doing laundry, refilling Noyzi’s water bowls, and mowing the lawn. Bill went to the store to pick up a few things and went to get Noyzi, who had a great time hanging out with other boy dogs. I think once we’ve done next month’s trip to Armenia, it’ll be time to focus harder on finding him a companion. I think it would do us all some good. Or maybe it would be better not to… because I think this trip to the Czech Republic has awakened the travel bug in me. We really enjoyed our trip on so many levels.

Czechia has a whole lot to offer, and we could have easily spent another week there. I think we need to travel there again and plan a stop in Slovakia, too. If anything, I can find more art to fill up our walls!

Well, I think I’ll end this post and do my customary ten things I learned post, which tends to get read more than my blow by blow series do. See you there!

Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe

Our rainy day in Prague… part eleven of our 2023 Czech tour!

On Monday morning, Bill and I enjoyed our first fabulous breakfast at Hotel Nerudova 211. I had already read about the wonderful breakfasts offered at this hotel, which are available until 4:00pm. Yes, that’s right, they serve breakfast all day, in their cafe, which is also open to non-hotel guests. I had booked breakfast with our room, so we were invited to have whatever we wanted from their extensive a la carte breakfast menu.

I ended up having Eggs Benedict, mainly because the receptionist had recommended it so highly. I wanted to see if it would be as good as the Eggs Benedict I had at Monastery Garden in Cesky Krumlov. Bill had scrambled eggs in a croissant. We both had cappuccinos and fresh orange juice, but they also brought out very fresh bread and butter that was absolutely delicious.

I got a kick out of one of the waiters, who deftly handled one rather demanding fellow who showed up and started barking orders. He calmly said, “Yes, of course. Go take a seat and I’ll be right with you.” I could be wrong, but I think I caught a hint of a smirk on his face. Frankly, I couldn’t blame him for that.

After we finished breakfast, we had some filtered coffee, and the same waiter offered us a piece of cake. They had strawberry cake and banana bread. He called the whole piece of cake a “sample”, but was wise enough to bring two forks. It was so good, but boy were we full afterwards! I had asked for cream in my coffee and the guy looked a little panicked as he asked if steamed milk was okay. Yes, of course! I’m just American, and some of us take cream (half and half) in our coffee. I forget sometimes that isn’t how the Europeans do it.

Once breakfast was over, Bill and I set out for the old town in Prague. We made our way to the Charles Bridge, marveling at the number of people walking across it. Somewhere in the middle of the bridge, I looked down and saw evidence of vomit. I remarked to Bill, “Ooh! Someone threw up! It was a lot, too!”

I noticed some guy overheard me and was laughing. I will admit, it was kind of funny… for us, anyway. I’m not so sure about the person who puked.

As we got closer to the other side of the Vltava River, we heard some really great jazz swing music. There was a band of four buskers, just jamming on the bridge. They were great! And they had a CD, so we bought one and brought it home. I’d have to say they were the best of the whole bunch of great buskers we heard in the Czech Republic. I love supporting them with applause and tips, and when they have CDs, I buy their music.

This is the Charles Bridge Swing Band, and they rock!

We stopped near the end of the bridge and looked down at the water. That was when I noticed a furry critter swimming past some paddle boats. I later identified the creature as most likely a nutria, which apparently have invaded Prague in large numbers to the point at which they are considered a nuisance. I got a video of the little fellow, swimming among the ducks.

A nutria is busily swimming in the Vltava River.

Then, thanks to all the fluids we drank at breakfast, I needed to pee. I was trying to get to the nearest pay WC, but was soon accosted by a couple of Black guys in sailor suits. They were selling boat rides. We didn’t take the bait, but maybe we would have, if the weather had been better. Instead we looked at another church, then continued on toward the famous astronomical clock and the cathedral.

We were pretty slack about taking in touristy stuff, mainly because we were kind of tired and ready to go home. Maybe it’s good that we did Prague last, if only because it was the grandest stop on our trip, and had the best chance of keeping us engaged in our travels. But we had such an eventful vacation that we were kind of overloaded by the time we got to Prague. Still, we managed to take a lot of photos and do a lot of walking in the main areas. At one point, we sat down and watched pigeons fight over ham.

*Spotted in one of Prague’s many public WCs.*

We did some shopping for ourselves and Bill’s grandchildren. I managed to find us a couple more paintings, coasters, a tablecloth, soaps, beer shampoo and conditioner (great for your hair), and toys for the grandkids. Prague is a great place for shopping!

*People were rubbing this statue for good luck.*

The paintings we bought were done by a Russian couple who have been living in Prague for thirty years. The man said his friend owned the shop where he was selling his art, but he had trouble making sales, because people tended to want smaller things. I was delighted to buy a couple of his paintings. We were actually planning to buy some art for the house. I wish I’d bought more.

Then, after a few hours of walking off breakfast, it was time for lunch. We found a great Italian place very close to our hotel. After walking past a bunch of touristy places that were crowded with people, I noticed an unassuming restaurant that had plenty of room for us and wasn’t full. It turned out to be a fabulous spot called Pivo & Basilico.

*A great shop with lots of handmade Czech crafts for the home.*

The waitress was a very friendly young woman who turned out to be from Ukraine. She made a great recommendation for wine, and Bill and I used it to wash down some truly lovely homemade pasta. Lunch was so good that we had dessert– a house speciality for Bill with Nutella and vanilla creme, and tiramisu for me, plus a round of espresso. We didn’t need to eat again for the rest of the night! When I told her we were going to Armenia next month, she wished us safety. It turned out she had an Armenian friend at home in Ukraine. It was interesting talking to her… and when we settled the bill, the proprietor was very warm and genuinely friendly. I really liked that restaurant and would happily go back if we’re ever in Prague again.

When we got back to the room in the late afternoon, we found a really lovely letter on the bed from the owners of the hotel. I thought maybe we’d go out again later, but the cold was catching up to me. So we settled in for our second night at Hotel Nerudova 211, wishing we’d booked one more night. We will have to go back to Prague again soon.

I thought we might go to a beer spa, but we ran out of time. Now we have another reason to visit Prague again, even though we’ve been to quite a few beer spas.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Czech Republic