Blogs from Prague, Czech Republic, Europe - page 195

Well, we're getting by OK not speaking the local language, but there sure is a difference (for an English-speaker) between not speaking German in Germany and not speaking Czech in Czechia. No, I couldn't understand a word of spoken German, but at least I could make some sense of signage and the names of stores. In Czech, nothing looks or sounds familiar (I don't remember enough Russian to get into any kind of Slavic groove), so there's no faking it. Even if the workers in all the shops speak excellent English (as is widely claimed in guidebooks), we'd like to figure out which stores to go into first! The practical upshot of this is that we're sticking to tourist paths, where English signage is more common... at least for tonight. No matter how many times I ... read more

Hello Everyone! This is a rather long entry, so if you want the short version here it is: now in Prague, Vienna was great, but exhausting, my butt hurts from the hike we took, wine+tram= fun!, prague is cheap and we are having language issues (but this has been an ongoing problem). Amy and I are now in Prague, just coming from Vienna. Vienna was great! We got there two nights ago and went to an opera. We managed to get really cheap tickets, only 2.5 euro! Although it was standing room only but it sounded great. Since we stayed longer in Munich, we only had one full day in Vienna so we crammed a bunch of stuff into one day. In the morning, we did a tram tour out of a book that Amy had. ... read more

This morning just as I was getting out of the shower the phone rang in my hotel room. It was the front desk asking when I was wanting my taxi to come. The arrangement had been 8:30 and stated so. The front desk person said he would tell him to come back at that time. What? He forgot to pick me up at the airport and now he is an hour and a half early? Crazy man! So I made it to the airport, had a pleasent flight to Prague, my luggage arrived with me this time. I went to check in with the čsa tour desk to get my vouchers for the hotel and all and decided to be a problem asking if Bethany could ride with me. Somehow this very nice man fixed it ... read more

So, in Berlin I couldn't figure out the computer I was using so I didn't update. We had a good time there. We saw most of the monuments and cathedrals and castles and and and and and there. We went to the underground headquarters of the Gustapo, the Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie. I went to several museums that were fantastic. i saw so many Vemeers, Rembrandts, Van Eyke, Botecelli, Carravagio and so many others that I can't even mention them all. I also got to see the Temple of Zeus and the Ischar Gate of Bablyon! I was absolutely amazing!!! The next day we took a tour of Sauchenhausen (a concentration camp). That was facinating and the guide was great. We experienced a bit of the famous Berlin nightlife. They dance worse that me...which says a ... read more

Cemeteries always bring to my mind my own mortality. I expect it is the same with others. Today Nancy, Johanna and I took a long walk through the Sarka Valley and then up a trail into a residential area of Prague. There is a church on a high point there, visible for miles in the direction of the seminary. We walked to the church, which was locked, and then through the cemetery. European cemeteries have quite a different look than those I am familiar with in the States. The families take a much more active role in attending the gravesites by planting flowers or other plants where there is soil. Many are totally covered by stone or cement coverings. After strolling through the cemetery Johanna took us to a nearby restaurant, a real family run business, ... read more