I’m just writing a quick post to update this blog, since it’s been 13 days since my last entry. The weather has been pretty crappy since my last post. This week, we had two snowstorms. One occurred Sunday, and though most of the snow had melted by the afternoon, Bill’s planned business trip to Prague was abruptly canceled.
The meeting he was supposed to attend still happened, but his flight was called off, and there was no way to get to Prague in a timely manner. I heard that not only was the weather bad in Prague, but there was also an airline strike. So I don’t know what actually caused the cancelation– the winter weather, or a strike. I was glad he missed his business trip, because I like it when Bill is home with me. However, it did kind of spoil Presidents Day weekend, which used to be a good time for short trips away.
It’s been quite a winter in 2026. This is the kind of snow we experienced in BW. But it doesn’t hang around for as long up here.
The other snowstorm happened on Thursday. A couple of inches were dropped and then promptly melted. Not quite all of the snow from the first storm was gone. The backyard is sodden, and the creek that runs through Breckenheim is very high right now.
Bill has another trip planned starting Monday. He’ll be gone until Thursday. It’s only to the Netherlands, though, so no airplanes are involved. Meanwhile, once again, a shipper has decided not to deliver to my house. I got an email letting me know that DPD tried to deliver yesterday, and wasn’t able to, because they didn’t have my full address. Of course, that’s not true… it seems like nowadays, shipping companies just want you to go schlep to a packstation. 🙄 The same thing happened last week.
Valentine’s Day was also pretty boring. Bill did send me 30 roses, but they didn’t last long. I think maybe it’s best not to get roses for Valentine’s Day. Maybe choose another flower, or get it a day or two ahead of time… or just buy diamond earrings. 🤣 My roses arrived on Friday, but they were pretty small. I remember last year, the florist sent a small bouquet, which they claimed was the “wrong order”. The roses were tiny and quickly wilted. The following week, they sent a new bouquet that was much better and lasted a lot longer.
Sadly, these only lasted a couple of days before they were depressing to look at. But I did appreciate the lovely thought.
Anyway, I’ve been giving some thought as to where I’d like to travel next. We will definitely go to Switzerland again this year, because of Bill’s studies at the Jung Institute. But I would like to go somewhere we haven’t been yet… providing that we don’t end up in another world war. So, I’m working on that, and waiting for the sun to come out again. Maybe we’ll go out and do something tomorrow… maybe not. But I do look forward to getting out and doing something fun in Germany, soon. The days are getting longer, so it won’t be long before spring arrives, and we can get out and about… then this blog will “spring” back to life. 😆
Here’s one I made about Fasching, which is going on right now in Germany. I included stories, a photo, and video in which we also got mooned.
This is one of my funnier videos. The last part is about my disgust for people who patronize Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman)…
And here is one I made about buying art in the Czech Republic, and how it relates to our political situation today… It includes a sample of music from the wonderful Charles Bridge Swing Band. Both videos are a bit political… but that’s hard to avoid right now.
We can connect with so many people through art and music…
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.
Beautiful Brno…
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.
Typical Czech food.
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!
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.I totally misread this sign at first.
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.
We woke Sunday morning to the first rainy day of our vacation. Until October 8th, we had enjoyed dreamy temperatures and sunshine. Now, the first signs that autumn was upon us had come in the form of a rainy, windy, chilly morning. As is our habit, we loaded more of our luggage into the car before breakfast. We had one more buffet style repast at Hotel JesteBrno, did one last check of the room, and checked out. Because Bill had parked next to the building, I couldn’t get into the passenger seat unless I moved the car, which I did. Bill presented me with the “gift” the hotel gave him– a fancy little box that had a single coffee flavored bon bon in it.
Gee, thanks!
Our drive to Prague was relatively short. It only takes a couple of hours to get there from Brno. Since the weather was kind of crappy and we were on a major highway, I didn’t get any interesting photos on the drive. Below is the only one I got as we were entering the vicinity of Prague.
We can’t escape BMW in Prague.
I also wasn’t feeling very well, because whatever bug I’ve had all last week was taking hold and making me feel icky. We were in luck, though, because I booked a great hotel called Nerudova 211. We were thinking we’d have to drop our bags after parking our car ourselves and find a way to kill the three hours before check in began, but our room was available at noon, which is when we arrived. Jan, who co-owns the hotel with his wife, Sarah, came out and helped us with our bags. Then he very kindly parked our car for us on the street, right across from the hotel’s entrance.
A very enthusiastic and pleasant young woman welcomed us to check in and took us to our room, which was the Deluxe King Suite with Winter Garden, otherwise known as Room 301. One time, Jan’s wife asked us which room we were in and I said 302, because that was our room number in Brno! But room 302 at Hotel Nerudova 211 is very small, and the people who occupied it were obviously Asian. I think Sarah quickly realized I got the number wrong!
In any case, we were definitely not disappointed with our choice. Our room was beautiful, and came equipped with a minibar that had complimentary beverages, as well as a decanter of Czech whiskey. The hotel, which dates back to the 16th century, was renovated and reopened in August 2022. I chose it because I noticed everyone was giving it really high ratings on all of the travel sites. The ratings are truly well-deserved, and I don’t think it’ll be long before this hotel is known as one of the best in Prague. Below are some pictures of our room. All of the rooms are individually decorated and offer cool original features like frescoes and exposed beams and bricks.
Winter garden– private for us.Czech whiskeyA local cola, which came in handy in battling my sickness.Welcome hot tea for me.View from the bed. You can see the winter garden, which is also part of this room.
This hotel is located very close to Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge, which makes it convenient for sightseeing. There are also several good shops, restaurants, and bars nearby. The Romanian Embassy is right across the street.
After we settled in, Bill and I went out to find some lunch. We ended up walking around for awhile before we ended up at a Czech brewpub and had a nice, hearty lunch. Grilled salmon for me, and goulash for Bill, washed down with beer, of course… I noticed on our walk that there were a lot of people around… and it was going to be another one of those cities where someone is always close. Again, I was glad we were there in October instead of during the summer!
After lunch, we went across the street and visited St. Nicholas Church (Malá Strana). We paid a nominal fee to go inside and view the awesome interior of the Roman Catholic cathedral that dates from 1704. I’m glad we visited this church because it really is beautiful. It was convenient to the hotel, too, so although I badly needed a nap, it was no problem to duck into the church and take some photos. There’s also a tower you can pay to climb for views of the city. We didn’t do the tower, mainly because I was feeling so crappy. If I hadn’t been sick, we probably would have gone for it.
I wish I’d had more energy to do more sightseeing on Sunday, but by the time we left the church, I really needed a nap. So that’s what I did… I went back to the hotel and slept for about two hours. Bill went out for a walk to a nearby monastery and took today’s featured photo of the views from there. The nap was a good thing, as it helped give me enough energy to walk around Prague on Monday.
I’m taking a short pause from my Czech tour series to write about today’s visit to Wiesbaden. It actually has something to do with our Czech tour, since our purpose for going into town this morning was to drop off three of the four paintings we bought on our trip for custom framing .
I did a quick Google search and discovered family run Kunst-Schaefer, an art gallery and picture framer in downtown Wiesbaden. I noticed they got really good ratings and have been in business since 1905. Although we have a picture framer in our town, you have to make an appointment to get work done. It was just easier for us to take the art into Wiesbaden during the shop’s open hours of 10 AM until 2 PM.
The weather is really nice today and if I weren’t still getting over the sickness I picked up on our trip, I think I would have really enjoyed myself. But I’m still coughing a lot and kind of fatigued, so it wasn’t that much fun walking from the theater parking garage to the gallery. However, when we walked inside, it was like home again…
You see, my father owned and operated his own art gallery and picture framing business for about 25 years. I grew up watching him frame pictures and sell art. So going to get my art framed was a little like going home. I did mention to the salesman that my dad was in the business, and he assumed I knew all about picture framing. I don’t, and I told him so. I know the process of framing a picture, but it’s not something I ever did or aspired to do. I’m not that gifted with my hands. 😉 But my dad was, so the gallery, which had a lot of beautiful and provocative art for sale, was kind of nostalgic for me.
We dropped off two paintings we got in Prague featuring a cat couple dancing on the Charles Bridge. It isn’t the most earth shattering art, but Bill and I liked it, because it kind of reminded us of ourselves. And the Russian artist who sold it to us said that he and his wife had created the paintings together. He said they’d been in Prague for 30 years. He was clearly delighted when we bought art from him, as he said the shop belonged to his friend, who was letting him use some space to show his art. Bill and I bought art the last time we were in Prague, too… and some of it was kind of hokey stuff. Still, we like it… and I look forward to hanging up the paintings of the cats in our dining room.
The other painting we bought was one that practically leapt off the wall at me in a gallery in Cesky Krumlov. We bought it with another, very different painting of a landscape that came already framed. I realize the painting we dropped off today may not be to everyone’s taste, but it made me stop in my tracks and demanded that I take it home with me. I like art that makes you stop and think, and I loved the colors in it… but as it was taken off the stretcher when we bought it, it needs to be remounted before it can be framed. We should have our cat paintings in a couple of weeks. The other one will probably take longer. But, the good news is, if they do a good job, we’ll have a go to place for framing next month, when we get back from Armenia. I hope to buy some art there, too.
Here are some photos…
Cat paintings by Russian artists in Czechia.I wish we lived in our former house, just so I could buy this and annoy our former landlady.I love this painting…Can’t wait to see it framed.Like going home…The other painting I bought in Cesky Krumlov. Taken in Prague… both the photo and the paintings.We couldn’t decide which one we liked better, so we bought both. Delighted the artist!
As we looked around the art gallery and took note of the prices, I was glad we went art shopping in Czechia. 😉 They had some beautiful stuff in the gallery, but it was a lot more expensive. But the prices for the picture framing wasn’t too bad. The guy even encouraged us to bring in a VAT form so we won’t have to pay 19 percent tax. Very nice, and totally not something we expect German businesspeople to volunteer for us.
Again, I like art that has a story and makes me stop in my tracks. And while I know the naked woman sculpture I captioned in the photo above is kind of weird, potentially offensive, and not to everyone’s taste, I would totally buy it… I like conversation pieces, and if ever there was one, that would be it. And while ex landlady is no longer in my life, I know seeing it would annoy the hell out of her, and that makes me smile. She probably hated seeing my caganers during her many unauthorized walks through the house when we weren’t home. 😉
I made Bill tip the busker. She played so beautifully.
After we took care of our framing needs, we headed to Little Italy for lunch. It had been awhile since our last visit, but we were warmly welcomed. I had black tortellini stuffed with smoked salmon with grilled salmon cubes, cream sauce, rocket, and cherry tomatoes. Bill had linguini with Seeteufel (fish) and vegetables. We washed it all down with Montepulciano and sparkling water. It was a great lunch and a nice afternoon… and now I’m kind of tired.
Bill’s pasta…Delicious salmon and black tortellini…
We did stop by the Trueffel Feinkost downtown to buy a bottle of wine. Bill needed to break some big Euro bills. While we were there, I noticed some very cute pooches. I think my mom would like Wiesbaden. It’s a very charming town with lots of cute shops and people with fancy dogs.
There was also an adorable long haired dachshund in the shop.
I’m still getting over whatever crud it was that I got in Czechia. I’m mostly fine, but still fatigue easily and cough a bit. I’d like to move on in my Czech tour series, and maybe I will after I have a shower… It really is a beautiful day. I’m glad if I have to feel crummy, we’re at home. I can at least enjoy the backyard in my nightie, right? 😉
Well… I’m ready to dish tomorrow, I think. I just managed to unpack everything and start the laundry. I’m kind of tired and getting over the cold that hit me at the end of our epic trip to the Czech Republic. That was really the only bad thing that happened during our travels.
I guess maybe it was bad that we didn’t get to see the dentist, but we weren’t really in the mood for a cleaning, anyway. Maybe we’ll get in to see him in December. Both the dentist and Bill and I are booked for November. Bill has a conference in Bavaria and then we’re going to Armenia. After that, we have Thanksgiving, which isn’t a big deal for us over here. It would have been good if we’d gotten in to see Dr. Blair, just to get that chore over with, and to make staying in Tübingen for three nights more worthwhile. But we had a good time visiting there, anyway, and we got to see a new cave and a bunch of sheep… we even met new people.
As for the Czech Republic… wow! We had so much fun, and saw and did a lot more than I was expecting. And we had some very weird and unusual experiences, like meeting the unhoused lady who finished off our leftovers for us in Brno, and running into the same great banjo player in two different cities. I was thinking maybe we’d run into him in Prague, too, but it wasn’t to be. We found a great swing band instead, and bought one of their CDs.
We purchased four paintings, some toys for Bill’s grandchildren, and some other odds and ends… chocolates, beer shampoo and conditioner, and new stuff for the house. It’s crazy that we now have to find someone who can frame one of the paintings we bought, especially since my father was a professional picture framer for about 25 years. I watched him do it so many times! Too bad he never taught me the family business… but I don’t have the right equipment anyway. I am also not detail oriented enough for that kind of work.
I took so many pictures, and I have some videos that I’ll probably turn into something for YouTube. I even found some new inspirations for my own musical stylings. We ate good food, drank lots of beer and wine, saw everything from caves to castles to wildlife, and we walked and climbed for many miles. And the whole time it was happening, we kept talking about how amazing the whole experience was. We were only away for about eleven days, but it seems like we’ve been gone for a lot longer than that.
Tomorrow, I will start writing up the series about our Czech trip. I hope it will inspire a few people to go there themselves and enjoy all of the wonderful things that country has to offer. It blows my mind that when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the 1990s, the Czech Republic had a program. It’s hard to fathom it now. I think they’re on the upward swing! Tonight, I’m going to relax and try to get over the remnants of this pesky cold. It seems to be moving pretty fast, but I’ll probably be coughing and hacking for a week or two.
Sadly, the church wasn’t open yesterday, but I did get some photos outside… in the rain.
Yesterday’s outing to the Kubach Cave was sort of a test for me. I’ve always been a pretty healthy person, albeit fatter than I ought to be. That is, of course, because I’m not as “herbal” as I ought to be… (with many apologies to Livingston Taylor). I like good food and I drink a lot of beer and wine, as well as the odd cocktail. I probably should stop doing that, since I’m in my 50s, but I’ve got no reason to hang around here… So I might as well enjoy myself while I can.
Here’s James Taylor’s brother, Livingston, singing the song of my people…
Still, it’s not that easy for me to climb up and down stairs anymore. I’m actually pretty lucky, though. I’ve so far been blessed with very robust physical health. I have some friends who have needed knee replacements or other complicated orthopedic interventions. I don’t have any problems with my knees (yet). I do have lower back aches that can sometimes make walking a literal pain, but it’s not so bad that I don’t eventually loosen up.
I was a little worried about yesterday’s caving experience, but it turned out fine. Other than a little minor soreness in my thighs today, I feel mostly okay. I did do a lot of “huffing and puffing”, as my old riding teacher used to say, but I recovered fairly quickly. So now I know that two upcoming physical challenges that I will almost definitely face are well within my reach.
The first challenge I know I will face will be the Cesky Krumlov Castle Tower in Cesky Krumlov, Czechia. I climbed this tower on my birthday in June 2008. One week from this coming Tuesday, we will be back in Cesky Krumlov for a couple of nights. If the weather is good, maybe I’ll work up the gumption to climb the tower again and get some fall views of the beautiful town. During our first visit in June 2008, we happened to arrive in time for the Five Petalled Rose Festival. Everybody was dressed in medieval garb! I thought I had stumbled into a theme park. This time, that festival won’t be going on, but I already know it’s a picturesque town. I was sad we had to leave last time we were there. This time, we’ll get a couple of nights to enjoy the ambiance. And maybe my old body can still handle all those steps at the tower…
Only 162 steps… that’s less than yesterday’s challenge!
Since we’ll have a little more time in 2023, maybe we’ll have the chance to visit the castle itself, although if the weather is nice, I can see myself wanting to just walk around the town. It really is very charming, and I have a feeling it’s a place a lot of American tourists miss. We only found out about it because we stayed in Passau, Germany for my birthday in 2008 and the innkeeper at our hotel told us about it. We had a wonderful day there, and in nearby Cesky Budejovice. Now I’m kind of wishing I could have booked one more night!
We will also be going to Brno and Prague on our next trip, and I suspect there could be climbing challenges in both of those cities. I’ve never been to Brno, but I have read and heard that one of the best activities in that area is caving. There’s a good chance we’ll visit one or two of the 1100 caverns and gorges in the Brno area– especially since only five cave systems are open to the public.
And Prague no doubt has towers to climb… church towers at the very least. I may be in the mood for a visit to a beer spa by then. Prague now has several beer spas. So do other towns in the Czech Republic! Bill and I are really big fans. On the other hand, after our experience at the beer pool in Austria, plain old “beer spas” kind of pale in comparison. Looks like they’ve gotten really pricey now, too.
Prague does have the famous Astronomical Clock Tower, of course… but I see you can take an elevator! Maybe by the time we get to Prague, I’ll be screaming for an elevator! We only have two nights in Prague, anyway. I’m hoping to find us some new art for the house.
The next physical challenge I know I’ll be facing will come when we visit Yerevan, Armenia in November. I know I’ll face the Cascade Steps… and that I used to be able to do them without too much trouble. In fact, there was a time when I climbed up and down them on a daily basis. But then I discovered the escalators and figured out the public transportation system and quit punishing myself with the steps. It’s a shame, really. I have never been a very athletic person, but I have always been pretty strong physically. I just don’t enjoy how I feel when I’m exerting myself. I do, however, like the rush of endorphins. Must be the adrenaline junkie gene that the men on my dad’s side of the family seem to have.
How I remember them in 1995… Special thanks to my Peace Corps friend Elaine, whose photo I ripped off from Facebook (mine are all in storage). 🙁
What they looked like in 2019! Special thanks to Gerd Eichmann on Wikipedia, who authorized use of this unedited photo. շնորհակալություն! (Armenian for thank you!)
The Cascade Steps in Yerevan go up 387 feet, but you can take your time ascending. Or, you can go to the left of the steps and find the seven escalators that will take you up, so you can see the views without getting winded or sore. I suspect the air quality in Yerevan is better than it was in 1995, so I am hoping for some great views of Mount Ararat– if we have decent weather, that is. But we’ll be there a little over a week, so perhaps we’ll have some good luck. I’m sure I’ll climb the steps at least once during our visit.
Over the years, Bill and I have done some pretty great physically active trips. Usually, when we were doing them, I thought I might die. But, as you can see, I never did.
There was the visit to El Yunque in Puerto Rico, where I fell and landed on my ass on a rock. It took months for the tailbone pain to go away. But we had a really great day!
We did a lot of work to get to this crowded waterfall in El Yunque in 2010.
There was the walk from hell from Lake Bled, Slovenia to Vintgar Gorge, during which we neglected to bring water or wear sunscreen. Then, once we got there, we hiked the gorge. It was another great, but exhausting, day. And yes, I made Bill get us a taxi for the ride home.
Vintgar Gorge…So worth the walk…
There was also the time we walked from the port on the Isle of Capri in Italy to the town. It was a long walk uphill. I had a cold, and many Italians were good naturedly laughing at us as we sighed, huffed, puffed, and groaned… We did make it, and we ate lunch served by a guy who looked a lot like Matt Lucas on Little Britain.
Capri!Carb loading for the walk down.Cable car might have been a better idea…
I remember climbing up the mountain to visit Highline 179 in Austria and the castle ruins on either side. Later that day, we visited the aforementioned beer pool in Tarrenz, Austria, which perfectly soothed my muscles.
Bwahahahaha… I guess as long as I keep walking and climbing things, I won’t get quite this big.
We’ve also climbed a whole bunch of church towers in multiple European cities… way too many to list here. And not once has the embarrassing situation in above video ever happened to me. On the other hand, the last time we were in Bruges, I made a point of avoiding that particular tower.
Anyway… I’m just glad we managed to successfully visit the Kubach Cave yesterday and I’m not too worse off for wear today. It gives me hope that my body isn’t too far gone for some of these adventures. I realize that there may come a time when I can’t do this kind of stuff anymore, so I’m going to keep using my body before I lose it. And I will continue to thank God for having really strong and healthy genes. Some of my friends and former classmates haven’t been so lucky.
Bill is off to Bavaria again today, so I guess I’ll spend the next few days planning our upcoming trip. I can hardly wait, because I definitely need a change of scenery… and this blog could use some fresh content. I continue to be shocked that this is my life… and that I’ve managed to have all of the wonderful experiences I’ve already had with Bill. No wonder he makes me smile so pretty. 🙂
We got word yesterday that Noyzi is booked at the Hundepension from September 30 until October 10. That allowed me to book the last hotel for our big Czech tour after we see the dentist. This dental discovery excursion is definitely the most ambitious one we’ve done yet. Just to recap, we’re planning:
I was actually planning to book the Aria Hotel in Prague, having seen Samantha Brown’s Passport to Europe episode about Prague. She made that hotel look like it would be such a fun place to stay! But, I changed my mind last night, when I did a search on Booking.com and noticed that Hotel Nerudova was listed first, and it had great reviews. I was dazzled by the photos, but what really gave me pause were the consistently glowing comments about how friendly the service was. It’s also a family run place.
I decided to check other sites and noticed that on Expedia.com, Google, and TripAdvisor, Hotel Nerudova got similarly great reviews. But they didn’t have a lot of reviews, which made me wonder if they’re new. I see now that the hotel was closed during the pandemic and had fallen into disrepair until it was bought by Jan and Sarah, the husband and wife who now own it. I did read that the hotel was fully renovated in August 2022, and they only have ten rooms/suites.
According to their story, the hotel used to be known as Hotel Santini until the pandemic. The building dates to the 1500s, although the original house was destroyed in a fire. It was rebuilt in the 1700s, and renovated starting in 2002. That must have been a very exciting undertaking, as they found original features such as frescoes, wooden ceilings, and an original porcelain cocklestove.
The only thing making me hesitate was the parking situation. The hotel’s website said there was off site parking available at 15 euros per day. I worried a little about that, and would prefer a secure parking garage. There was another highly rated hotel that offered a garage, and I almost booked the other hotel for that reason. However, I just couldn’t shake the desire to try Hotel Nerudova 211. It was in my head. So, I took the plunge, and I think I booked this room.
Immediately after booking, I got a welcome message from the hotel which included information about parking. That was reassuring. I wrote back to let them know we’d be driving, and they told us to send them our license plate number and they’d put us in a registry to allow us to park near the hotel on the street. I asked if they needed the information now, or closer to October. They quickly responded that we could do it at the reception. Such quick responses are a really good sign. We had a great time when we stayed at the Old Town Hilton in 2008, but I think Hotel Nerudova will definitely be more charming, memorable, and personal, which I definitely love!
Hotel Nerudova appears to be at a very good location. It’s very close to the Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, and Prague Castle. As an added bonus, Bill also spotted a sex machines museum nearby. I’m sure we’ll make a point of stopping by, if it’s open while we’re in town. 😉 Or maybe we won’t, since there’s a lot to do in Prague, and it doesn’t look like that museum gets the best ratings. It looks like people think it’s overpriced for what it is. I’ll probably want to visit it anyway, though. I love weird museums.
We will probably visit one of the beer/wine spas for treatments. I haven’t had a good beer spa visit in ages, and we have never been to one in Prague. When we visited in 2008, the spas in Prague didn’t exist. We went to Chodovar Beer Wellness Land for our first beer spa experience. Actually, looking at the link I shared, it appears to be the same system used at Hotel Moorhof and Hotel Diana in Austria.
There’s another beer spa in Prague that offers a wine spa treatment. We might do that one for a change of pace. I doubt the ones in Prague can hold a candle to the beer pools of Starkenberger Brewery. Unfortunately, I think the beer pools have stopped operating in the wake of the pandemic. I’m so glad we had a chance to have that experience when they were still working. Swimming in a vat of warm beer wort is an experience I will never forget!
Anyway… even if we end up doing things that are less sinful in Prague, we’re sure to have a great time. Prague is a fabulous city on so many levels. I especially look forward to buying some new art for the house!
I think this trip is going to be so much fun! I’m really looking forward to it, probably more so than I usually look forward to travel. We always have a great time when we visit the Czech Republic, and we’re long overdue for another visit.
As for the rest of the summer, I’m not sure if or when we’ll go anywhere. I’d kind of like to go to Austria for a few days, but I don’t know if we’ll manage it. For the next three months, it looks like Bill will be doing a new temporary duty involving finance. The good news is that he won’t have to travel when he’s doing the finance job. The bad news is, he’ll probably be pretty busy. Or maybe not… He’s a multi-skilled, multi-talented man, though. Case in point, below is the breakfast he made us this morning, minus the made from scratch biscuits that were still in the oven when I took this photo.
In fairness, I did kind of teach him how to make cheese souffles. The orange juice is fresh squeezed!
Today, it’s raining a bit, so I don’t know if we’ll venture out. We’ll see. Anyway, it’s time to write a post for my main blog, so I’ll check y’all later. 😉 I’m excited about this trip, though, and I think we’re going to have a blast!
The featured photo is a screenshot from Expedia of the room I booked.
So, in my last travel post, I mentioned that I was planning our next dental side trip. If you are a regular follower and actually care about my posts (I don’t like to assume), you might already know we’ve done a few of these trips. Basically, they entail going down to Stuttgart, seeing our fabulous dentist down there, then taking a few days off to explore.
Bill and I love planning these breaks. These dental side trips give us a much appreciated break from Wiesbaden, and provide content for my travel blog… which is not as popular as it used to be. Of course, thanks to the pandemic, and the fact that we both had to get some work done last time we went to Stuttgart, we haven’t broken much new ground on the last few excursions.
We moved to Wiesbaden in late 2018, so prior to that, we had no need to do “excursions”, since we still lived in the Stuttgart area. In May 2019, we went down to Stuttgart to get cleanings and see Elton John perform, supposedly for the last time, but I believe he came back to Stuttgart again after that show. We never got around to coming down for cleanings in the fall of that year, because Bill was very busy at work. Then came the pandemic…
Our next journey to see the dentist occurred in August 2021. I got the bright idea to book a few days in Baiersbronn, which is a small town near where we used to live, famous for its many excellent Michelin starred restaurants. We stayed in a nice resort, but that only made me curious about an upgraded experience at the Bareiss Hotel, which is where we went last fall. We spent lots of money and ate wonderful food, but what really sticks out to me, besides the friendly goats and ponies, is the Bareiss Hotel’s incredible pool complex. I’d go back there just for that!
In the spring of 2022, we visited Sessenheim, an area of Alsace, France we had not seen on our many prior visits to the area. We stayed in an awesome little hotel that had its own Michelin starred restaurant, and we bought lots of new French pottery. We mostly decided to go to France because its COVID rules were much less obnoxious than Germany’s, but that was a great trip, anyway. I love Alsace!
Now that the pandemic panic has somewhat passed, it’s time to branch out a bit, and go further afield. As I revealed in the previous post, the Czech Republic won the coin toss. Folks, I think it’s going to be a really great trip. I think we’ve got a good itinerary shaping up.
Although Esslingen won the coin toss for local lodging in the Stuttgart area, I couldn’t find a hotel that was particularly exciting. I ended up booking us at Hotel La Casa, which is a boutique hotel in Tübingen. If you search this blog, you will see that we’ve spent a lot of time in Tübingen. We lived near there during our first Germany tour (2007-09), and visited often when we last lived in the Stuttgart area (2014-18). We have also dined at Hotel La Casa on three occasions.
Even when we lived down that way, I was keen to stay at the hotel one weekend. I actually thought about putting our dogs up and just doing a weekend at Hotel La Casa, even though we lived about 20-30 minutes away from the town. I liked the staff, the restaurant, and the hotel’s interior design. Now that we live in Wiesbaden, we have the excuse to book a stay. Plus, Tübingen is just a really cool town.
One of many iconic shots that can be taken in Tübingen… It’s a very beautiful city!
Once I booked that hotel, though, I realized we might have a slight problem. In retrospect, I should have listened to my friend, Susanne, who had suggested a visit to Schwabisch Hall, a very beautiful town about an hour north of Stuttgart. I decided against it, because traffic around Stuttgart is a nightmare, and I didn’t want to be stressed about getting to our appointment. But Schwabisch Hall is actually more conducive to getting to the Czech Republic, as it’s just off Autobahn 6, which is the route we’d be taking under normal circumstances. Staying in Schwabisch Hall would have been more convenient (and I do plan to stop there sometime– maybe in the spring!).
Tübingen is south of Stuttgart, so to access A6, we’d have to drive about an hour north, and that might involve dealing with more traffic. It would definitely require backtracking, which I wanted to avoid if I could.
But then I got to thinking… We really have no agenda. The one place I do want to visit in the Czech Republic is Brno, which is pretty far east. There’s nothing to say we have to access it via A6. We can always get there using a different route.
Then I remembered that in 2008, we went to Passau, Germany for my 36th birthday. I had been there before, in 1997, when I was coming home from my Peace Corps stint and spent a month hopping trains all over Europe. I knew nothing at all about Passau in 1997, and just got off there because I was tired of being on the train. I ended up loving the city. It’s very pretty… and it happens to be exactly halfway between Tübingen and Brno. Below are a few shots from our 2008 trip to Passau. I love the cathedral there, and it’s mighty pipe organ! And I love the confluence of three rivers: the Inn, the Ilz, and the Danube.
Then I remembered that October 3, which is the day we’d be traveling, is a German holiday. And I wanted to get out of Germany for the holiday, because things tend to be closed on German holidays, although restaurants, tourist attractions, and hotels aren’t. I’m as excited about German Reunification Day as anyone is, but I’ve been here for nine years (this time), and I already know how Germans celebrate that day. Besides, what better way to celebrate that day than going to a former Eastern Bloc country? Why not cross back over the eastern border for a chance of pace?
In the late 1980s, Bill actually used to help guard the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. When we visited there in 2008, he got visibly nervous as we approached the border, which, of course, was wide open! I remember stopping to change money and get a vignette, and two sexy Czech girls started cleaning the windshield of our Toyota RAV 4. I said to Bill, “I think you are expected to tip them”. He did, and we were on our way to a very memorable exploration of southern Bohemia.
The Czech border circa 2008. Bill was so nervous, even as two pretty teenaged girls cleaned the windshield for us.
I briefly considered maybe staying in Austria. I stayed in Linz back in 1997 and found it kind of boring, but we went back in 2008 and discovered a great Biergarten there. But other than the Biergarten, on our last visit, I still found Linz kind of boring. Other travelers’ reports confirmed that it wasn’t just me; there are more exciting places to be. So then I remembered Cesky Krumlov, which is a VERY charming town east of Passau.
Bill at said Linzer Biergarten… I’d love to go back to that place, but October is kind of when a lot of Biergartens tend to close, anyway. And I’m sure there are things to see in Linz, but there are more exciting cities nearby.
Funny story about Cesky Krumlov. We visited there in 2008, too. The owner of the hotel where we stayed in Passau had recommended it. The day we were there was my birthday, and it happened to be when they were having their annual Five Petalled Rose Festival. We ran into many locals dressed in medieval garb, and there were games going on. I took an awesome photo there that remains one of my favorite pictures of all time. I thought we’d stumbled into a theme park! I had no idea the festival was happening. I remember thinking the town was very charming, and I would have liked it even if the festival hadn’t been happening. The fact that it was going on only added to its charm.
From Cesky Krumlov, we went to nearby Cesky Budejovice, which is where the Czech Budweiser is made. 😉 I remember having lunch there and thinking I’d like to stay in that town. Below are a few shots from our 2008 trip. I wasn’t as much of a shutterbug in those days. I also used Microsoft computers, which aren’t compatible with my Mac.
For our upcoming visit, I found us a cute hotel in Cesky Krumlov that gets excellent reviews. We’ll stay there for two nights, then move on to Brno, which is maybe three hours away. I found another hotel in Brno that isn’t quite as cute as the one in Cesky Krumlov is, but has a lot of amenities. It’s located on the outskirts of town, but from what I’ve read, a lot of Brno’s charm is found outside of the city itself. Since we’ve never been to Brno, we’ll stay three days there, then move toward home.
At this point, I’m tentatively planning our last stop to be two nights in Prague. We last visited Prague in November 2008, as part of a trip we did to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. In those days, we had a lot less money, but thanks to Hilton Honors Points, we were able to score two free nights at the Hilton Old Town Hotel. I remember they brought us sparkling wine and strawberries because we were there on our actual anniversary. I also remember they had an awesome old school pool that was DEEP. But I think this time, we’ll stay somewhere different.
I still came home with tons of cool souvenirs from Dresden, Poland (Bolesławiec), and Prague. I’m hoping we can find some art for the house. Last time we went to Prague, I bought a painting at an art gallery with an Armenian proprietor! I got to speak some crappy Armenian with him. I had (and have) forgotten a lot. Below are a few shots from Prague. It was COLD during our visit!
I can’t book the Prague hotel yet, though, because we have to make sure Noyzi can stay an extra night at the Hundepension. I don’t expect it to be a problem, but you never know. I gave some thought to stopping at the Chodovar Beer Wellness Land in Chodova Plana (very close to the German border), but recent reviews of the place make it sound less than enticing. I’d like to go there, though, if only to pick up some beer and their awesome flavored mineral water. Last time we were in the Czech Republic, we found some at a grocery store, but there wasn’t much of it to be had.
Chodova Plana isn’t far from Karlovy Vary, which is a great spa town overrun with Russians (last time we were there, anyway). We bought two paintings from a talented Russian artist, last time we were there. The town of Chodova Plana itself, though, is pretty desolate, other than the brewery, beer spa, and hotel. Prague offers a hell of a lot more to do, plus they’ve now got beer (and wine) spas, too. That wasn’t the case in 2008.
From Prague, we can reach Wiesbaden in about six hours, barring terrible traffic. I think it’s doable… If it turns out Noyzi can’t stay another night, maybe we’ll stay somewhere a little bit closer to home. Brno isn’t super far from Prague. I think it’s only a couple of hours’ drive.
Hopefully, we can finalize these plans over the weekend. Bill is coming home from his latest trip today. I look forward to seeing him, as it’s been a very quiet, boring week here in Wiesbaden. On the other hand, my liver has gotten a break, as I have mostly been teetotaling. I had two beers last night, but they were my first since Saturday.
Anyway… I love trip planning. I hope to do more of it… at least until the next war or pandemic sidetracks everything. Maybe we’ll even get a chance to stop by the border of Slovakia, so I can get a new mug to replace the cracked one we bought in 2015. 😉
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