Monday, December 29, 2008
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!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
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!
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!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
what is this man doing?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)!!
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)!!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
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 m
ade 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.
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 m
ade 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.
Monday, December 22, 2008
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... bu
t 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...
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... bu
t 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...
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