I am pedalling as fast as I can

but we are so tired on our return that leaping on here and typing keeps getting put aside. I am taking paper notes too... so will continue the story soon!

and so it goes...

That man, with the accordion was one of the highlights of the evening walking tour around Prague. We walked through the new town (built in around 1600) and then to the Pub! This guy played the accordion and traditional music, as well as a couple of funny songs, and everyone had a beer or wine. We moved on to walk over the Charles Bridge, and on the way we saw the Carmelite Nuns House, where the wall is over 20 feet high, to keep the men out and the nuns in I guess. The Charles bridge is a wonderful construction which crosses the main river through Prague. We saw all the levels of flooding, the latest in 2002 was so high you could not imagine how the city survived. We walked through the old Jesuit buildings and it was eerie and old feeling. I think the bridge and the views at night are the highlight to date.



23 December 2008

Up early again, this time in the freezing cold to see Hradcany castle. Really it is a whole small town with the most unbelievable church to date. My highlight in the church was the funny story about the door, which has 7 keys for 7 locks and 7 people hold the 7 keys, and all of them must be present to open the door to remove the precious relics.




We went off then to the Old Town (built before the New Town). We watched the astronomical clock (and like all of these things, the reality is a bit lame, but then you realise that for the most part these things were designed and made hundreds of years ago), and wandered around another Christmas market.

My feet by this time were so sore I couldn't believe it. I am working on what works best, a combination of pain killers, rest and ignoring them!

Keily has taken 7 trillion billion photos and bought presents for... oh not telling! Have been finding magnets 'cos Pip suggested that was the best touristy thing, and she's right!

We took ourselves out for a shopping/wandering walk and found a shopping centre built around 1900 where every window is ringed with brass and it is just glorious. There was an interesting sculpture of a horse, hanging by it's feet upside down with King Wenceslas sitting on it's belly! Apparently a reflection of the topsy turvy life for a while in Prague.

Will try to attach some more photos now, and then tell you about going to three countries in four hours!

evening of 22 December 2008

what is this man doing?
Wait and see...

22 December 2008

On our way to Prague, these early morning starts are a killer, but as Brigette (our tour guide) says, don't waste time sleeping, it will be the most expensive sleep ever!

We stopped at a roadside petrol station/restaurant/toilet where we paid 50c to a machine to go to the toilet. It spat out a ticket, which you could then use to buy something in the shop! All I could think of was unwashed hands handling tickets... ew...

Prague is incredible - so old! like old old!. Run down in places, a little scary in places, in the dark. The hotel we stayed in is a boutique hotel one block from the city centre, so it was easy to walk everywhere. We walked so much I think my feet fell off!

Finally got internet access so I can finally start this blog... and I have.

In the afternoon we walked the streets from the hotel, (after a quick eat at McDonald's.. yes... I know). Every thing we could see was fascinating, most buildings more than 100 years old and many in the several hundreds. We were walking around St Wenceslas Square (so sang the song constantly for a day or so) which is actually a half mile long rectangle on a gentle slope down hill. Just fantastic. Christmas market at the bottom of the road, Huge museum at the top. We saw these wonderful sprial dough things baked over a charcoal fire, yum, and found a brilliant marionette shop. The one I like the most was several hundred dollars... so after that I couldn't buy something smaller, they just didn't compare.

We had dinner with the group, potato soup, pork, sauerkraut and dumplings (but flat, like bread). The best part was the apple strudel, which was the best apple strudel I have ever had!

We chose to pay for the night tour, and it was worth every penny.

OK, must fly for breakfast, will be back with the details of the tour and photos later on.

Merry Christmas everyone (as it's Christmas while I write this)!!

and we carry on around Munich

So we headed off to see the sights of the city, mostly on foot, in the rain. Marienplatz is the famous christmas market, and we did go there, but to be honest it was OK but would have been much better in the evening. We did watch the glockenspiel go through the motions, but it took ages, so sore neck for me!.

Our tour then offered an extra trip to Salzberg, and everyone opted to go. It was 1 1/2 hours away in rain, but the tour guide told us loads of history and what to look at out the windows. We kept seeing these weird brown mounds of something out in the fields. (Training myself not to say paddock as people look at you as if you are strange!) Anyway... they are MOLEHILLS. What a hoot! Never seen anything like it. It's like a cluster of maybe 20 piles of dirt, say cowpat size, in an area of a field. The tour guide said the farmers can't poison them as their stock eat the poison so they try things like sticking garlic down the holes.... but I don't think it's working!

So on to Salzberg. What an unbelievable place. Amazing history, loads of Mozart and Sound of Music stories. We walked for ages and got to see all kinds of places. The best for both of us was walking through this incredible cemetary where all the graves look like this.








And then on to the Christmas market, which was waaay better than the last. Watched ice skaters fall on their faces, and watched all the weird and wonderful people going about their business. I saw the most wonderful stores selling lederhosen and traditional outfits for women, and they are current fashion stores, not costume shops. The best pair of lederhosen, costing about $1,100 were made of deer skin and were just amazing.







Then back to Munich to go to the Hoffbrauhaus. Now if you have been to Munich, you MUST have been here. It seats hundreds and hundreds of people, you just sit down with anyone and order these 1 litre steins. There is an ooompah band, frauleins in their frocks and just a vibrant atmosphere. We tried to make the waitress smile, but no luck. K was happy with this stein, but even happier when Irina and Natalia from Russia joined us at the table!!!

Home to hotel late, tired out, ready for early start the next day.

Just figuring out how to work this thing! Sorry, missed this photo off the last posting. Anyway, this is how they keep the statues from freezing over winter, so the huge garden has loads of these Tardis looking things instead of beautiful marble statues.

Off to dinner with the tour group. We met downstairs in the hotel and had a buffet of all kinds of hot and cold meats and loads of choices. The personalities of the people soon showed through, with all kinds from a 14 year old boy to senior citizens. The accents soon confirmed that people came from all over, with us the furthest travellers.

After dinner we headed back down to the little shopping centre beside the hotel and K bought jeans for 8 Euro. Should have bought more!

21 December 2008

Christmas market day

The day started with Adele taking us around the city, explaining the history and all the rulers and wars and mistresses and who owned which big building. She was really funny... but I can't remember a thing! And then off to Nymphenburg Palace, a building about as big as a small town!

The building on the right is only one of about 20 such buildings all built in a huge circle. It was raining quite hard so we didn't hang around!

When it's freezing cold, they put wooden houses over all the statues so we got to see the huge garden, but it had little wooden boxes all over it like this.

Strange...

Here we go then.... finally have access!

All is well! we just couldn't get on the internet for a few days, so I've been writing in my book, yes using a pen rather than a keyboard.

18 December 2008

After being picked up by the trolly dolly from hell (thanks Kyle!) we set off from Auckland airport, nervous, scared and apprehensive about our big journey. The excitement hadn't quite set in, just worrying about overweight bags and so many etickets to juggle. K surprised me at the airport with a bright blue mp3 player, preloaded with all sorts of songs, videos of funny NZ things (like the gingerbread haka video ... see youtube... and the 42 below vodka ad) and games too. very nice!

Well, the leaving of the mother land was a piece of cake, after the plane pushed back, had an electrical fault, pushed back in, pushed back out, and we set off to Melbourne. Inflight entertainment on Emirates was first class, watched finding Nemo, and Keily watched rerun's of Fawlty Towers... again!

Landed at Melbourne and had to walk about 15 minutes all around the building, only to go through an x-ray check and back to one floor up from where we started. We waited for the plane to get sorted again and back on for the long leg of the journey. Have to admit it was a bit daunting but in fact it was not so bad. There was just about enough leg room for us, the food was actually very good and once again the screens in the seat in front provided enough entertainment.

Arrived at Dubai airport to an easy check through transit, and then a bit of a wait. Thankfully Pip had sent some Dirhams earlier in the year so we got a sticky bun each to keep the hunger at bay before further overfeeding on the next flight.

Set off to Munich... this time the plane was like an old Air NZ, kind of bus seats, rather than the plush kind on first Emirates flight, but OK for the 6 hours. Snoozed on and off (by now had less than 4 hours sleep on whole trip). After getting passport stamped, zipped through customs in about two seconds, one man at the door and he didn't even look up!

Headed to hotel after being picked up by Globus guy.

Had great plans for a short nap and then out for dinner... wellllll K slept for 12 hours! Me for a few less, but a solid sleep none the less.

It's now... who knows what day!

20 Dec - Munich time

Breakfast in the hotel was wonderful, every kind of food you could imagine to suit any taste, K had kippers!

So.. what to do with the day.

We felt so brave, we caught the underground to the city centre, though I am sure we paid too much for our tickets... oh well.

Wandered around the main railway station, and found our first taste of Christmas in Germany. The best idea from there seemed to walk the streets to catch the flavour of the city, so off we went... oh sore feet! K bought some cool gloves and we wandered for 1 1/2 hours or so through the streets in freezing cold with light drizzle. Walked through what seemed like financial district - not many shops, but passed a circus and heard a seal barking. Back to railway station, chose NOT to go to Burger King... but then when we got into the bagel shop the signs were in English anyway.

P's feet very sore - I really needed to buy some new shoes for walking. K kept looking at his flash gloves!

We headed off again on some other streets, and I found some wonderful boots. Bright orange and waterproof Goretex. 30 Euro on special. Very warm and comfortable.

We then found the best way to waste money and paid 1 Euro and 10 Cents EACH to use the toilet in the railway station.

By now we were totally stuffed and gave in and went to Burger King in the station for some lunch but ... 6 Euro each kind of stretched the budget.

We walked more to work off the BK, then caught the train back to the hotel. We saw a market in the distance so walked down to see our first Christmas market. It was still drizzling so not the lovely romantic snowy image you might imagine. Some great stuff, lots of lovely glass balls, and then some obviously produced for the tourist. We could have bought lots. Awesome wood carvings and had painted things. My favourite were the hand felted slippers, one pair made to look like strawberrys, and another where one was pink with white spots, the other white with pink spots - perfect for Sophie!

I'll leave this post to head down for dinner in Prague... and return to tell you about dinner in Munich!

the big day is coming!

Wow, who would believe that after a year and a half of planning, the holiday plans have come to fruition and we are off on our big adventure