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.

Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe

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.

short breaks

Turning 50 in Antwerp… Part three

I got sort of a rude awakening at about 4am, on Saturday morning, as I tried to roll over. My left calf suddenly seized up in a hellacious cramp. I was still sort of asleep when it happened, so I just started whimpering pitifully. I wasn’t quite conscious enough to let out the scream that I really felt brewing. That cramp hurt like a mofo! But I was still kind of out of it, thanks to still being half asleep.

Bill woke up and asked me what was wrong. I somehow told him the back of my calf was cramping. He very calmly and gently reached over and put his hand on my spasming limb, which was healing enough. Then, he slowly forced me to stop pointing my toes. The cramp gradually went away and I was left amazed, and with a sore lump where the muscle bunched up. Yes, I know it would have gone away anyway, but there’s something about Bill’s touch that is very comforting to me. He’s very good at making my pain and discomfort vanish.

I managed to doze for a bit longer, until it was time to get up and face the day. We had told the night receptionist that we’d have breakfast at 8:00am. Breakfast at De Witte Lelie does not come with the room, and costs 30 euros a person. I suppose it’s not mandatory to have breakfast there, since the hotel is so close to the old town, but we found it convenient. The first morning, we ate outside, since it was sunny and warm outside. The manager, an Australian lady, brought out a basket of bread, fresh pressed coffee, and a bottle of fresh squeezed orange juice. I was delighted by the orange juice. That’s one thing I’ve noticed in Belgium and the Netherlands; they have great orange juice. Even if you get it at the gas station, it’s likely to be fresh!

Aside from the bread and juice, there’s also a small buffet with everything from Belgian cheeses to vegan charcuterie. I helped myself to some smoked salmon and avocado, and Bill had a ginger shot. We also had eggs and bacon, although we only did that on the first day, since it was a lot of food that neither of us needed.

As usual, we didn’t have any big plans. We almost never plan specific activities on our trips. Our style is more about going places and letting stuff happen. There are exceptions, of course. When we were in Florence a couple of months ago, we did plan to visit the Uffizi ahead of time. That was necessary, because of COVID and the number of people who want to go to the art gallery. But we didn’t have big plans for Antwerp. It didn’t find it to be the kind of place that requires a lot of planning.

We started out by heading toward the Grote Markt, which is the main attraction in Antwerp. We saw the couple who run the Brewers’ Kitchen, who were recovering from Friday night! The chef told us that he was born and raised in Antwerp and offered some tips on how to see the city. I was especially glad we stopped in to his restaurant on Friday.

Before we had a chance to explore the Grote Markt, we stopped at the Handschoenmarkt, which is where an adorable statue of a boy and his dog are located. I didn’t know anything about the 19th century novel, A Dog of Flanders, which is the heartwarming and tragic story about a little boy named Nello and his dog, Patrasche. The story, which was written by English author, Marie Louise de la Ramée, is well-known, especially in Japan, so the powers that be commissioned a statue to please tourists. The statue was created by Batiste Vermeulen (‘Tist’) and is absolutely adorable.

A clever card. I should have bought this.

We went into Cathedral of our Lady, which is a huge, beautiful church in the middle of the city that dates from 1352 (with earlier churches dating from even earlier), but was consecrated in 1521. If one isn’t a child under 18 or a resident of Antwerp, there is a 12 euro charge to visit this church. We didn’t mind paying, though, since the Cathedral of our Lady is full of beautiful art, and is very much akin to a museum. We spent some time walking around, taking in the tremendous beauty of the vast cathedral itself, and the wonderful paintings and sculptures within it. We also visited the crypt, where we could see examples of the tombs buried under the church. Burials were allowed within the church until the 18th century, so as you walk through the cavernous interior, you are passing graves of people who died many years ago.

*This glass crown was made by a Spanish artist in 2011. I thought it was very beautiful.*

After we walked through the cathedral, we decided to visit the bistro. Yes, this church has an actual bistro, where you can get coffee, cake, and beer. We initially went in there to use the restroom (very handy), but later came back to try the excellent beer out in the courtyard.

On Saturday, we also made our way to the Scheldt River, which flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands. I wouldn’t say the Scheldt River is a particularly beautiful body of water, but it is what makes Antwerp an important port city in Europe. Next to the river is a huge ferris wheel called The Big View. I didn’t know this at the time, but our ride on the ferris wheel was Bill’s very first, ever! He’s going to be 58 years old next month, and he just now took a ride on a ferris wheel. We got three turns, which allowed us to mug for photos and get pictures of the Steenplein (Stone Square).

Bill says he had never been on a ferris wheel before Saturday, because he’s afraid of heights. He probably felt okay on the wheel in Antwerp, though, because it was completely enclosed. I wished we had an open car so I could get better photos, but this is probably a year round attraction. I’m sure enclosing it makes it usable in bad/cold weather. After we got off, Bill said he’d do it again. It always amazes me the things Bill is doing for the first time with me.

It turned out on Saturday, there was some kind of festival going on in the Grote Markt. It was quite the blowout. When we were passing at one point, an opera singer with an absolutely beautiful voice serenaded everyone. She was dressed in shorts and a short sleeved blouse, enchanting everyone with her dulcet vocals. After her first song, she was inexplicably joined by a beatboxer, who was also pretty good… although personally, I preferred her solo performance. I got some video of her singing, which I added to my first post about Antwerp. It made me cry. We also saw a guy balancing three beers on his head while riding a bike!

By the time the ferris wheel ride was finished, it was time to look for lunch. More on that in the next part, since this post is loaded with photos!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: great breakfasts

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

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

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

Turning 50 in Antwerp… Part three