Thursday - (I've lost track of the dates)
This morning we are up and packing. Ready to head to Prague. We have had such a great experience in both countries. We accomplished a great deal while we were here but it's time to move on to our fourth country - Czech Republic.
We head out of town thinking of all the fun we had. As we head out of town we are watching the signs. We have made a game out of trying to figure out what some of them mean.......
One stop along the way - Ceske Budejovice (The original Budweiser - Czech Budvar). How could we not stop! The story is fascinating and being at the original Bud brewery feels wonderful. We take the tour and learn so much about the real Budvar. Our tour guide is adorable and speaks fairly good English. We anticipate the end of the tour when we get to actually sample the beer. The moment finally comes.
Side note: Most of you know I am not a beer drinker. I prefer my wine. I can drink a little beer (a sip or two) but that's about it. After that I feel full and don't really enjoy the taste. I go into the tasting assuming I will have my normal couple of sips and give the rest to Jim. This is what "should have" happened. Instead, I tasted the beer, tasted it again and then drank the entire glass. Yes, it is different than American Budwesier. Yes, it is much better.......... One girl's opinion.
As I watch Jim, I'm pretty sure that he is is one happy guy also! :-)
We leave the town smiling, knowing we have just experienced a very important part of history!
Now, it's off to Prague! But first, we have to cross the border. We don't know what to expect. We know we need a vignette for the car but that's about all we know. We are getting closer. And closer. And we think we are there but we can't read the signs. Absolutely nothing is in English, We drive around the area we "think" is the border crossing. No people and no other cars. Are we in the twilight zone??
After "Googling" and searching on "GoogleMaps" we feel confident that we are at the border crossing into the Czech Republic. We hang out and watch a few cars and trucks roll through. No one is stopping. We decide to go for it!
Talk about a non-event. Nothing happens. There is no "Welcome to the Czech Republic" signs, there is no fanfare, non nothing. We stop at the first place we see to get the vignette for the car. Jim goes in. The woman speaks no English but he manages to get our vignette. At least our car is now legal.
We drive through adorable little towns. Not many signs in English but we are kind of figuring everything out. And enjoying the challenge.
Finally, we get to Prague. We know the area we are staying in is pretty much a pedestrian area. We listen to our Sat Nav and get as close as we can to our hotel. Jim drops me and the luggage off. First a taxi pulls up and is honking at us to get out of the way. Next, a huge tour bus pulls up....... We did not pick a good spot to stop. I take the two large suitcases, my backpack and my purse and wave goodbye to Jim as he has people honking at him. He is not off to find the garage we have arranged to park in. I am hopeful I don't have to wait long for him to get back.
The place he drops me off is cram packed with people. I make my way to a little spot I can hang out with luggage and try to stay out of people's way. After about 5 minutes I decide I will get my phone out to see how far it is to the hotel. To my pleasure, I find it is about 3 blocks down the street I am on. The cobblestone street. Picture this: Me - 2 very large roller suitcase - 1 backpack on my back and 1 purse across my body. Oh, and I'm in flip flops. HA!
I finally make it down the street and into the lobby of the hotel. To say the staff was wonderful would be an understatement. They checked me in, gave me advise and when Jim called (story to follow) helped me get him back to the area.
Jim story: Jim calls while I am in the hotel and cannot find the parking garage we have reserved a spot in. He is on the other side of town and sitting in stopped traffic. The GPS is telling him to make illegal U-turns and he has no idea where he is. We decide to pay for the parking through the hotel and just lose the money we have prepaid to rent a spot in the garage that he can't find. Again, our hotel staff is wonderful. They give Jim the address to put into the Nav Sat and within 15 minutes he is outside the hotel.
Jim's story of getting through a pedestrian area with a car is quite funny and anyone who knows Jim should ask him about his experience. Quite funny.
We are finally checked in and settled in Prague.
Our first night in Prague is a huge success and we absolutely fall in love immediately! We walk the Charles bridge and enjoy the people watching. The sights are beautiful already.
Can't wait for a full day in Prague!
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