The final farewell to Austria was that Richard couldn't use cruise control much due to heavy construction. His calf was really bothering him and he needed a massage or a hot springs pronto. Fortunately Bad means Baths and we were right in the heart of hot springs territory! Serendipity:) We followed the signes to Romertherme because it was open for one more hour! They discounted us and Kelsey, Lindley, Richard and I went and took the water for 45 minutes while mom waited in the lobby. Richard's leg felt immensely better. It's a communal and co ed changing room too. Their approaches to nudity are distinctly different from ours. There were entire families changing together with both small and bigger kids.
The next morning started with us leaving "western Europe" and fast approaching what was the former Soviet bloc countries. One of the things we had noticed during our trip was our disappointment that we no longer get passport stamps for each country. Europe is Europe. And Swiss, French, Austrian, Italian and French passport stamps no long really exist unless you fly into those countries from someplace else. We had passed former border patrol stations that now sit sadly vacant. For you James Bond fans out there, how many times have we seen those border crossing scenes? Now instead of shiny and efficiently scary checkpoints, it's cracked concrete and weeds.
We stopped at a restaurant in a small town in the Czech Republic. There seemed to be more open hills, wildflowers and natural grass than agriculture, although there were as many farmer market stands on the roadside as there are spots on a Dalmation puppy. First things first, make sure the place takes credit cards! This was our first stop in a non € country. Nope, they have their own currency here! The Czech koruna. Kč. New money symbol, new math to do on the exchange rates. And what math! Koruna to dollar is something like 20 to 1. Ever carry around 5000 dollar bills? We did!
Found a great hotel with big bathrooms and new furnishings. It was 30 minutes from town center, but the local transportation is fantastic, as it is in most of Europe's larger cities. Free parking and wifi handled, we went to the giant mall next door to buy our bus/trolley passes. We had had a fairly short drive and it stayed light until 9PM, so heading out at 4PM we still had a long time to go see the sights.
This location was one on mom's bucket list. And we budgeted up to two and a half days here. We used Google Maps walking directions to get to the main square, saw the unbelievable mechanical clock and ran into a giant festival with live music! Flyers were handed to us for a later organ concert in one of the beautiful cathedrals, and that may be my one regret, that we didn't get to hear that. But there was music everywhere in Europe. On the metros in Paris musicians would clamber on and play standing up, surfing on the metro line as it jigged and jagged, demonstrating extreme physical talent in addition to their musical skills.
They also have lots and lots of street musicians. In Prague, many were playing accordians. But the festival we found in the big square was a guitarist playing pop tunes. There were booths for food and drink rimming the square and everyone was just plopped down eating, drinking and partying. They had a booth with Prague Ham, stuck on spits and roasting over open pit fires, sizzling juices throwing a delicious smell in the air. Also huge kettles of traditional cabbage with bacon and onion. We got some of each and went to town eating and listening to the music.
Then we walked to the Charles Bridge which has some of the finest views of the city's famous skyline. Pastel fairytale minarets and domes, the glistening water and the amazing light of sunset were all postcard perfect. Our trip home was a bit dicey, we got on the trolley. Going the wrong direction. But Rick Steves says that's a great way to see the whole city, and it eventually loops and goes back the other direction. So we rode 30 minutes out to the edge of town and then another 50 minutes to get back to our hotel. Got the full view, then off to upload photos to Facebook.
Day two in Prague, we left Richard at the hotel to do some work and rest his leg, and we four went back to the Charles Bridge area for some shopping! I had spotted an Antique store next to the trolley stop the night before plus it appeared less touristy than the area by the square. At home, I collect crystal. Most of it has some personal meaning to me, and I was thinking a small piece of Bohemian crystal to bring home would be perfect. There was a crystal store right near that Antique shop.
We started that day shopping in the hotel gift shop. They had Pashmina scarves, Cashmere scarves and Silk scarves and we picked several of each before we even left the hotel. The antique store was filled with a large variety of items, some quirky, some unknown, and some really elegant. My grandson is named Lincoln Edison, so I had to buy the antique "Edison" lightbulb holder in German! And a lovely bronze taper holder shaped like my daughter's old dog Leo. Lindley found some garnet rings, they are her birthstone and there was garnet everywhere. And amber. Turns out they mine them both nearby. I ended up with a green hued "lemon quartz" ring with a big rectangular stone, and an antique looking ring with a clear crystal stone.
So instead of crystal vases, I took home crystal on my finger. I love rings and haven't had any that fit since gaining weight, so this was a good day for me. The next store we found some garnet for my other daughter, who is also a January baby. Then a handcrafted "made in Prague" store where mom picked up some soaps and lotions for my sis and her hubs.
Kelsey loaded up with a nice sweatshirt and an assortment of tshirts, trinkets and baubles for any number of her friends. I've never seen so many beer and weed souveniers in my life. The nice guy at the store also gave me a great deal on a bunch of wooden bookmarks.
Then we wanted a "real" Czech meal and all day mom was looking for a particular pastry. Her grandmother was Croatian and she had memories of those pastries. We found an authentic restaurant with a nicely enclosed courtyard and ordered lunch. Afterwards, we wanted something sweet so we found the particular pastry we had tried at the square that first night. Called Trdelnik, it is another open fire style cooking. They roll a big long snake of dough, then wrap it with each piece touching the next row like a slinky around a four inch wooden dowel. Then that goes over the open fire and is rotated until the dough is cooked, then dusted with sugar and served in a paper cone. Delightful! Not the pastries mom remembered growing up in mostly Bohemian Berwin, IL, but still yummy. Good on mom for remembering the "please and thank you" to use in Prague at the restaurant!
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