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Epic Europe

A 92-day adventure by Awesomes. Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 11, 2023
    AwesomesEpic EuropeTraveler

    Start of Epic Europe

    September 11, 2023 in Australia ☁️ 12 °C

    We are beginning our trip with very long flights. We begin with a flight to Singapore, transit for 4 hours then to Frankfurt with another transit of 4 hours then 1 hour flight to Prague. Total travel time of 30 hours.
    Our Perth Singapore leg was delayed by an hour so transit will be shorter in Singapore. We did manage to rest up at Kai's and not wait at the airport. Landed safely in Singapore and had a good catch-up with Jas for a couple of hours. Had yummy papayas, pineapple , with a ginger drink and a small hawker breakfast that Jas bought and brought to the airport. We took off from Singapore at 11am and after flying 4½ hrs, we are not even halfway there. Still almost 9hrs to go before Frankfurt. Flights a little bumpy in parts but generally a smooth flight.    Read more

  • AwesomesEpic EuropeTraveler
    The 2 brainy people I admire
    The 2 brainy people I admire

    Transit in Frankfurt

    September 11, 2023 in Germany ☀️ 29 °C

    By the time we arrived in Frankfurt, Ruby and I were exhausted. Whatever our earlier expectations of Frankfurt airport were, it wasn't as easy to navigate. Due to the language barrier, we didn't realise to go to the shops and restaurants in the airport while on transit, we needed to get our passports stamped and go through immigration, as this was the first entry into the EU. We managed to find some shops and a rest area. As the choices were limited, we found a rather nice carbonara but the restaurant had Stuart Littles running around. I ushered Ruby out of the restaurant pronto. The 4 hours passed slowly but our flight from Frankfurt was piloted by Speedy Gonzales. We made it to Prague in 45 mins.
    Ruby's lungs were good throughout all the flights so let the holidays begin.
    Distance walked 8km    Read more

  • AwesomesEpic EuropeTraveler
    Charles Bridge
    Charles BridgePieta, one of the 30 statues on Charles BridgeAstronomical ClockChurch of Our Lady Before TyneInside the Church of Our Lady Before TyneThe oldest building in Prague, al The Old New Jewish SynagogueInside the Hussite St Nicholas ChurchOur little concert in the Senate GardensEven the cobblestones are beautiful in Prague.

    Prague Day 1

    September 12, 2023 in Czech Republic ☀️ 28 °C

    Our bedroom window on the ground floor looks directly onto the street, so we just look out the window to see what people are wearing to ascertain the temperature and weather outside, and know what to wear. Everyone was in sundresses, shorts and t shirts, and it did turn out to be a very warm 30°C day.

     After home brought muesli for breakfast, we were on the streets for a look whilst making our way to the meeting point of the walking tour of Old Town, New Town and the Jewish Quarter.

    As we were walking to the meeting place, I needed the toilet. I tried to use the public conveniences but every place wanted coin payment to use the loo but there was nowhere to get change. As the tour was starting, I decided to wait.
    We passed the famous astronomical clock. We heard from a random guide of how the clock not only tells time, but gives the different moon phases, the zodiac, the length of day and night in the changing seasons. Our walking tour guide, Pavel which is Paul in Czech, demonstrated what the clock does on the hour that draws large crowds. He said the skeleton that signifies death will pull on a string to ring the bell whist nodding, the other three characters, vanity, greed and ottoman shake their heads to reject death, whilst the two blue doors open to allow the parade of the twelve apostles, all looking bored as they have done this millions of times already. He said then you may or may not get claps from the crowds whilst their faces register great disappointment and dissatisfaction that they waited just to witness a lack luster event.
    At approximately 1½hours walking, Pavel gave us a 15 min break. I finally found a toilet at McDonalds. Prague toilets vary in cost from 10-20 CZK. Without any small change, I had to buy a McDonald's junior chicken burger so that I could get change for the use of the toilet. What a saga! So, much to Ruby's disgust, our first eat in Prague streets was a MacDonald's hamburger.
    Pavel was very informative, giving great history of the religious, communist, and world wars and it's effects and influence on Prague and its buildings.
    After a 3 hours walking tour, we shared a hearty Czech meal of rabbit in cream sauce with dumplings and a delicious beef and liver broth.
    We visited Our Lady Before Tyne, originally an Anglican church but now a Catholic church. On the same square about 50m away is St Nicholas church, originally a Catholic church but now a Hussite Protestant church.
    In true travelling logic, we walked an extra 2 km to buy Epsom salt to revive or aching feet in the bath back at the apartment. On the way, we chanced an open gate leading into a tree'd courtyard. It was a huge garden of the house the Senate. Walking around, we were treated to a Czech pop group doing is sound test. A very nice sounds indeed.
    Exhausted, we headed back to the apartment for a light salad dinner and bath with rejuvenating salts.

    Distance walked 14.3km    Read more

  • AwesomesEpic EuropeTraveler
    Vojanovy Sady walled gardenButcher with fried chicken on the counter, meatballs in the counter, and the open sandwichesGovernment offices in the Prague Castle complexSt Vitus Cathedral in the Prague Castle complexTomb of St John of NepomukGrand HallBasilica of St George in Prague Castle complexGolden Lane, tiny houses built into the defensive walls of the castle

    Prague Day 2

    September 13, 2023 in Czech Republic ☁️ 22 °C

    Caution, this is written under influence of Czech beer.

    Today is a big day for our walking legs. Yesterday we walked 14.3km with one walking tour. Today we have two walking tours. The first is the Prague Castle walking tour then the Prague Architecture tour.
    We woke at 530am and decided to see the Charles Bridge at sunrise. We were very glad we did as the bridge was not busy around 6am with just 6- 10 people.
    We asked a couple to take our photo on the bridge lo and behold, they came from Geraldton. What are the chances.... Another surprise at the bridge was a photoshoot sans coverings. As she was prancing and posing around the best vantage points, and photo bombing us.
    We were also treated to a kaleidoscope of colours of the sky as the sun rose against the beautiful architecture of Old Town.
    On our way back to the accommodation for muesli breakfast, we chanced on a garden called Vojanovy Sady. Through the gates were a beautiful orchard of pears and apples trees, and other old trees. Felt like the garden of Eden, with an apple tree with the forbidden fruit.

    On our way to the first walking tour of Prague Castle, we passed a butcher shop with a window counter to stand at for a quick meal. We decided to buy lunch of rolls with something akin to a meatball and a piece of fried chicken to go in it for lunch at the castle. In the display were some beautiful open sandwiches with invitations which would have been rude to ignore. We had the sandwiches at the counter, and succumbed to soup after. As the day developed, we were very glad for the extra calories.

    Prague Castle walking tour provided some information that we don't think we'd have otherwise known. She found the perfect corner for us to watch the elaborate ceremony of the changing of the guard with accompanying band. After the tour and very quick lunch of our rolls with butcher meat, we ran around the castle stupid, like 2 crazy ducks, visiting 4 paid sights of the castle with tickets that we bought from Perth. Note that Prague Castle is the largest complex in the world.
    In the photos is the tomb of Saint John of Nepomuk , one of the top saints of the Czech Republic. He was a confessor to the Queen of Bohemia and that he refused to reveal to the King what she told him in confession. The King, enraged, had John tortured and thrown from the Charles Bridge in chains. There are two statues dedicated to St John of Nepomuk on the Charles Bridge.

    It was a very quick walk back downhill to Old Town Square to commence a very detailed and full of informative Architecture Tour with only a 10 minute rest. As it was the second tour, my mind was too full to absorb all the information. There was something about Romanesque buildings changing to gothic then baroque, rococo, manarism, art nouveau, cubist, art deco, and functionalist. There was neo, post, pre, as prefixes between some of these architectural eras. Jason our guide tried his best to help us identify and differentiate between each era, and it just blew our minds!
    We finished our day with a great meal at Lokal, a pub with a basement where we had our meal in the Romanesque section of the building. We also had a rezané beer which is a kozel black beer floating on top of a pilsner. So exhausted were we that we forgot to say "small" when we ordered the beer. A stein appeared. Karsal was so good, we had another small glass.

    Total distance walked was 19.7km.    Read more

  • AwesomesEpic EuropeTraveler
    Market Infront of St Nicholas BasilicaPhilosophical HallOur elevenses at 10am

    Prague Day 3

    September 14, 2023 in Czech Republic 🌙 17 °C

    Today was intended to be a day with much less walking. No walking tours, nothing specifically planned, an easy restful day visiting art galleries We still managed to clock up 17.9km.

    Prague is a lovely city to walk in. We pass interesting galleries, hidden gardens and orchards and architecture that is amazing. First destination was the Strahov Monastery of the Norbertine Order. We were meant to take the tram, however when we woke, the weather was a cool 21⁰C, not too sunny hence perfect walking weather. On the way, we passed a small food market that was just setting up. We bought a spinach strudel to fuel our uphill walk. We passed the Basilica of St Nicholas before it opened to the public. A guard was smoking outside, with the door to the basilica ajar. Ruby asked if we could go in to pray, putting on her most reverent angelic smile. We were led to the back pew, told "here, no photos". We did go on our knees, and looked around the beautiful church with our heads bowed and hands clasped, feeling very privileged.

    Strahov Monastery had an interesting collection in the Philosophical Hall, much akin to a library today. Beautiful frescoes, inlaid furniture, and a natural collection together with a collection of astronomical and terrestrial globes dating back to 1500. The lady who checked our tickets pointed out the whale's penis to a local group , and insisted, through the international language of sign, that Ruby take a photo of it. The St Norbert monks were renown for their brewery, hence at 10am, we had to break with happy hour traditions, to have a beer.

    In Prague their art galleries are scattered in 6 different locations spanning a rather large area. We decided upon National Gallery - Trade Fair Palace as we wanted to see Klimt's Virgin, Van Gogh's Green Wheat Fields, Picasso's works, and the Czech artists. Trade Fair Palace was only 4.6km from the Strahov Monastery and downhill so we decided to walk. How quickly does one forget that today was a less walk day.

    We did lots more walking and ended our day in Roesel Beer and Food Cafe. We went for their special brew called burcek but they had run out, so we tried a sour, salty beer which was surprisingly refreshing and tasty.
    It's a shame that they ran out of burcek because now we are forced to go back tomorrow to try again.    Read more

  • AwesomesEpic EuropeTraveler
    Charles Bridge
    Charles BridgeLichtenstein PalaceHomes along Devils InletDancing House also known as Fred and GingerMonastery Praha EmauzyWhat a contrast !!Lunch

    Prague Day 4

    September 15, 2023 in Czech Republic ⛅ 22 °C

    Breakfast today was vegemite on the extra bread from meals yesterday. We learnt from Kai to always squirrel sustenance as you never know when it will be needed in one's travels.
    We walked to Vyšehrad, passing the palatial buildings along Mala Strana foreshore. Notable was the 16th century, Lichtenstein Palace, Prague’s most extensive baroque construction. It was home to one of the cruellest and most ruthless men in Prague’s history, the “Bloody vice-regent” Lichtenstein who ordered the deaths of 27 leaders of the Hussite rebellions in 1621.

    As we detoured from the route by Google, we found a Hussite church (Monastery Praha Emauzy) and the Botanical Gardens with lots of kids on excursion. One little girl quickly scoffed a pretzel that was bigger than her face. The kids were mesmerised but 3 screechy white cockatoos. We thought Kai's tiny humans followed us here.

    "According to ancient legends, Vyšehrad is the oldest seat of Czech princes; in fact, the local settlement was established in the mid-10 th century. Situated on a rocky promontory above the Vltava River, it offers stunning views of the city, and the park area holds hidden architectural treasures including the neo-Gothic Church of Sts Peter and Paul, the national cemetery Slavín, and the underground casements housing the some of the original Baroque statues from the Charles Bridge." (official Prague tourism website).
    We found the graves of Dvorak, Planacek, and Sturska.
    We didn't make it to the Romanesque Rotunda because I got hungry.

    Ruby found a quaint restaurant in the area where we could have local Czech fare. We had the yummiest grilled pork knuckle ( they call it pork knee) basted in black beer. Ruby had fried grunion fish (like big whitebait) on salad. With my pork knee order, the waitress asked if I wanted potatoes , bread or fries. When a big plate of boiled potatoes arrived, we realised that it was not part of the pork knee dish, but an added extra. Nevermind about vegetables, must have the carbohydrates. The meal was washed down with black beer. Pork knee was melt in your mouth, fall off the bone yummy. Fish was crispy and tasty. It really makes a big difference to venture outside the tourist areas for food. Much cheaper, much more delicious, and above all, much better vibes. No tourist pollution, local air there was clean.

    After lunch we dropped off our overnight bag to our next Prague accommodation. The host kindly agreed to lighten our load and hold a bag for 12 days as we explore northwards. We will return to Prague to watch an opera before heading south of Czech Republic . When we got to the ticket office of Klementinum National Cultural Monument, we found that we could only book the 5pm time slot for the guided tour. Since our butcher was just round a few corners, we visited it to get a big meatball, a rollmop, and some fennel salad for afternoonses at our accommodation and we rested till the tour.

    The Klementinum National Cultural Monument is the seat of the National Library of the Czech Republic, constructed between 1578 and 1726. Most valuable document is the Vysehrad Codex which is valued equal to the crown jewels. Since 1775 the temperature and precipitation has been measured in the Klementinum without interruption, making it amongst the three oldest in Europe.
    The library was amazingly well preserved with beautiful frescoes on the ceiling. The Klementinum Astronomical Tower provided 360° breathtaking views of Old Town, New Town and across the river to Lesser town (Mala Strana, where our accommodation is). From the tower, we could see the crowds on Charles Bridge and it's surrounding streets. Crowds are a great deterrent for further venturing, so no burcek drink tonight. We took the lesser bridge across the river and headed straight back to our accommodation.
    Our restful, take it easy day was a mere
    15.2km.    Read more

  • AwesomesEpic EuropeTraveler
    Some of the beautiful architecture around Mala Strana.Vodnik Kabourek the water demon by the water wheelLennon WallTrams on the left, cars in the middle, people on the right. A place for everyone.Window next to the bed of our apartment where we can people watch.

    Turnov Day 1

    September 16, 2023 in Czech Republic ☀️ 22 °C

    I thought I scored a major bargain for the bus fare from Prague to Turnov for 15CZK per person just over AUD $1. Then I realised that it was only a seat reservation fee, and the fare was to be paid to the driver, however that amount was not stated anywhere in the email confirmation nor in the ticket. A kind man at the bus station looked at his phone and told us it was 110CZK, still very inexpensive at AUD $7.30 for a 1 hr25 min bus ride. We took a Bolt to the bus terminal. Bolt is very much like Uber, but cheaper. We had a very stern young man as our driver. The fare was AUD $12.50 for a 19km 30 minute journey. Petrol here cost AUD $3.70/litre. We did give him a tip and he almost smiled when we thanked him for helping us with our bags. I read somewhere that many ride share drivers here are immigrants who do not speak the language and they just need to work the app. My wild imagination led me to wonder if he was from Ukraine. Quite a different experience to our taxi ride from the airport. Our very proud father chatty driver then showed us photos of his 10 month old baby girl. He used the Sayhi app on his phone to tell his experience at the birth of baby. We conversed through his app. I don't think there's a rule against using one's mobile whilst driving. It was common to see drivers blatantly scrolling through their phone or holding it whilst talking.

    We had some time for a last walk around Mala Strana (Czech for Lesser Town) this morning. Not sure how we could still be jet-lagged after 5 nights but Grace was wide awake at 5am, very unusual for her. I was awake more than an hour before, not at all unusual for me. We stopped by Cafe 22 for second breakfast served by a very animated waiter. He said that he was in a very good mood this morning, but won't be for much longer as he has a 12 hour shift. On a Saturday, in a cafe on the main tourist route from Charles Bridge, I'd be grumpy from the week before to the week after.

    Our lovely host at Turnov picked us up from the train station. We are in an apartment at the ground floor of her family home. She and her sister run this airbnb. We took a walk to the Information Centre to get the routes for our hikes sorted. Turnov is in Cesky Raj, Bohemian Paradise, known for its beautiful scenery. Turnov is a small town, so we haven't seen any of that scenery yet. We did walk to the Tesco round the corner to get some pork and chicken and broccoli. We brought 3 packets of curry mixes from Perth, and Grace made a delicious curry. I mistook flour for rice in our cupboard, so it was curry on pasta for dinner. A very nice combination, when you're travelling.

    Distance walked 5.3km    Read more

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    1
    1Valdštejn CastleValdštejn CastleBilliard Room below the turretHrubá Skála with the rock climbers

    Turnov Day 2

    September 17, 2023 in Czech Republic 🌩️ 24 °C

    We woke early and after a hearty breakfast, we set off on our 18km Loop hike from Turnov on the Green track, then to Red and finally Blue track to Hubra Skala. Green and Red tracks aren't as challenging as the Blue ones.

    The walk took us through Turnov town and some quaint houses with beautiful gardens and fruit trees. We also passed a big supermarket where we got water for the hike. There were also some apple tree branches hanging out of the fence which we decided should be public property and so we helped ourselves to 4 tiny but crisp and tasty apples, a good hiking snack. It seems that we were fuelling up on snacks and water as we went along. Did not pack lunch though because there were places kiosks at the castles for lunch.

    Once we left the houses and the town, we entered beautifully cool and quiet pine forest, and some native mixed forests.

    Got to Valdsteijn Castle where a sweet young 16 year old boy did a guided tour of the grounds in Czech. We had a folder in English to follow the tour. At the end of the tour, a couple that I asked about the rock formations told us that the tour guide was their son! Proud parents they be as he did really well. He even regularly asked us if we had any questions, and Ruby always found a question for him.

    At lunch, we shared a table with a young Czech couple who camped overnight in the forest. They gave us suggestions of places to go in Prague when we are next there and where to find good food. Before they left, he even offered us a sip from his hip flask. He told us it was Czech traditional homemade palachek, sherry. Nothing like the sherry I know. Packed a much bigger punch, but was extremely yummy. Never expected friendly to that extent.

    We then continued our hike to Hubra Skala. The sandstone rock formations were quite unusually scupltured by rain, wind and fires. We even came across rock climbers perched on top of these huge rocks, my guess is approximately 10 storey high.

    Poor Ruby's knees were getting more and more unstable and uncomfortable
    By the end of the hike we decided to stop at Hubra Skala and catch a taxi back to the accommodation.
    Total of 18 km today.    Read more

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    Vranov Castle
    Vranov CastleVranov Castle GateChapel at the castleRooms of the castleHall with dedication to Russia, Prussia and Bohemia in the Napoleon warsTired after a gruelling endless climb

    Turnov Day 3

    September 18, 2023 in Czech Republic ☁️ 25 °C

    Today was our second hiking day. We almost piked out because we couldn't quite navigate the public bus and train system here in Turnov. However after a good night's sleep, Ruby had a great idea to use the bus app called IDOS. Found a bus at 745am and we had a connecting bus at the terminus to take us to Mala Skala. We waited and waited and waited, but 302 bus never turned up and we had missed the connecting bus. So we checked the app again and found another bus that took us to the train which took us to Mala Skala that way. Asked a shop keeper and he wanted us to walk 3km to the train station. Forget that! We are planning to do a 10km hike already and did not need another 3km on top.
    So we patiently waited at another bus stop and this time it was more promising as others were also gathering for the same bus. Got to Mala Skala finally.
    Mala Skala is a quaint little town with folk houses, the longest rock castle ruin Vranov-Pantheon in Europe, the Jizera river, beautiful rock formation around Cievertes and a fault that stretches all the way to Dresden.

    This hike is the most gruelling so far. We had to climb up to max 522m elevation, with lots of rises and falls on steep terrain.

    First stop was the Mala Skala Castle ruin. We got asked if were seniors and got in on seniors tickets, maybe because we hobbled in like geriatrics or my white hair gave it away.

    The castle ruin had lots of sectioned rooms, caves and halls, each with a dedicated use. We were given a laminated folder with numbers corresponding to the numbers on the ruins. Very well organised and informed. I got views of the Frýdštejn castle from the highest point of the castle that you got to via a very narrow stairs. It was only about 30cm wide. I had to climb up like climbing the rungs of a ladder and come down backwards. Ruby's knees were too unstable to attempt it.

    The castle was long and narrow as it sat on a long and narrow ridge that had one end at the Jizera river and the other end spanning across the ridge.

    We continued our hike towards the Sokol Mt. On the way we found some trees in the field without fences so we gladly got some sustenance from the trees. No wonder Adam got into trouble all those years ago. The apples are very inviting and I believe Adam only had one to choose from.

    The sandstone sculptures and lookouts were well placed and looked over beautiful views.

    I don't know what it is with buses in Turnov but on our return journey, we got the time right for the bus but was waiting at the wrong stop. Fortunately a nice man waved frantically at us to catch the bus from the other stop and kept the bus waiting for us. At our second bus change we were at the bus stop only to find that the bus picks up from another bus stop, 50m down the road. This time, the nice but grumpy bus driver stopped to pick us up whilst we were running towards the bus. If he hadn't there were no other buses left for the night!
    Total walk was 14 km.    Read more

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    Grace's Garden of Eden
    Grace's Garden of EdenBohemian ParadiseThe fault that stretches all the way to Dresden

    Turnov Day 3 Extra Story and Photos

    September 18, 2023 in Czech Republic ☁️ 21 °C

    Walking back from the bus stop to our accommodation at the end of the day, a young boy charged down the hill to town, breaking into a run as he saw a bus coming up behind him. We stepped aside for him thinking he was racing to catch the bus but he was too late. When we got to the bus stop another bus pulled up and instead of boarding the bus, he had come to meet his mum to help her carry shopping. It was such a heart warming scene for both of us. His mummy was the lady at the second bus stop we waited at in the morning who assured us that we were at the correct bus stop.

    Distance walked 14km    Read more

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    Church of St Nicholas
    Church of St Nicholas1St Nicholas on the doorMonastery Church of St Francis of Assisi where we attended Mass this eveningTurnov Town HallTurnov town squareCemetery behind Church of the Birth of Virgin MaryA sculpture on one of the tombs2Church of the Birth of Virgin MaryThe church as seen from the door to our apartment

    Turnov Day 4

    September 19, 2023 in Czech Republic ☁️ 22 °C

    Today is a rest day, looking only at Turnov's little town. Turnov is renown for garnet, and moravite stone mining. Turnov is also a very blessed town with 5 churches, but only 1 open at 6pm today.

    We visited the Museum of Bohemia and learnt much about jewellery and gem cutting. Extensive exhibits on minerals, rocks and fossils but the descriptions were mostly in Czech. So it was a target quick visit as we did not linger to read.

    There was a special tribute exhibition of an adventure photographer Vilem Heckel 1918-1970 who was a mountaineer capturing photos of Everest, Alpine and Peruvian, and climbs in Bohemian Paradise.

    Yet another exhibition was held for a clever artist Pavel Hlavaty 1943- who did somewhat surrealism work capturing famous individuals, like Bottecelli, Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, Beatles and many more.

    After lunch, we went to an information session on garnet mining and jewellery making. The demonstrator found 2 small garnets from a box to demonstrate how garnets were separated from other rocks and gave them to us.

    We are now eagerly awaiting 6pm when we can visit the church.
    We attended a Czech Mass in the Monastery church of St Francis of Assisi when the church opened.
    Total walking distance was 4.4km.    Read more

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    Grace with her hand in the basket, taken from accommodation window
    Grace with her hand in the basket, taken from accommodation windowLiberac town hallSchool vocational fairLiberac State Theatre

    Travelling to Decin via Liberac

    September 20, 2023 in Czech Republic ☀️ 21 °C

    Just before we checked out, there was a man outside our apartment handing out apples. We thought he was a politician canvassing votes. It turns out that he was promoting active day and giving apples to those walking. I was given an apple.

    We caught a bus to Liberac and this time without a hitch. Parked our luggage at the train station for 100czk (aud$7) and did a little wander in the old and new town of Liberac.
    Ruby found a coffee roaster, Nordbeanz, for us to have breakfast at. It was quite a find. The waiter recommended cinnamon scrolls that he purported was the best in all of Czech republic. It was indeed, the cinnamon scroll did not come with icing on top but with cream cheese. A small macchiato is known here as expresso macchiato. We also bought their famous bread for tomorrow's meals.

    We also found a food truck that roasted pork neck and whole chickens. We bought half a chicken and 300g of pork for the meals in Decin.

    At Husa, traditional Czech restaurant, we had beef cheeks and the Czech reknown roast duck.
    Sounds like all we did at Liberac was eat or buy food.
    Now we are on the train to Decin in Bohemian Switzerland for our next hiking adventure.

    Distance walked 11.3km    Read more

  • AwesomesEpic EuropeTraveler
    Pravčická bránaCaptain of Wild Gorge CruiseU Forta restaurant in Mezni LoukaTypical Czech Folk Architecture

    Decin Day 2

    September 21, 2023 in Czech Republic 🌙 19 °C

    We were not at all taken to Decin the first evening. We missed the turn from the railway station shown on the walking map our host sent us and ended up walking on the main road past a long row of stinky bins. We also went to what we thought was the budget bigger supermarket, Lindl, for our groceries, amongst a dreary bunch of tired people. Did not help that we stayed in a budget Airbnb apartment near the train station for ease of transfers to and from hikes. You really get what you pay for.

    The sun rose on everything this morning. We enjoyed a nice bath last night, slept well, walked to the train station via the correct route, amongst rowdy happy school kids, and pretty colourful buildings. No stinky bins. The day was looking much better. We even waited at the correct bus stop and caught the correct bus, after Grace asked about 5 people, just to be sure, to be sure, to be really really sure.

    The first hike up to Pravčická brána passed the burnt area from the fires of 2022. We passed one man clearing the logs from a steep face, and another taking the cut logs down in a small tractor. It looked like moving a beach, cup by cup. We met a young Indian couple who had just finished their Masters in Germany and are celebrating with this trip. They are planning to work in Germany for a few years before returning to India. People return home after being away for various reasons. Our waiter yesterday worked in the UK for 2 years as a barmaid (what he said) and returned home as he missed his mummy's cooking.

    Lunch was 1.5km off track at U Fořta Mezní Louka, a restaurant that had been in the same family for 4 generations. We had to purchase water whilst dining in the restaurant, but they happily refilled our water bottle. We had Moravian Sparrow, a pork stew with pickled cabbage and dumplings, and boar cutlet on a bed of mash. I had to confirm the the former dish was really not from the feathered boney species as I was really not in the mood for lunch with effort. Picking my way through rocks and uneven paths up steep inclines and declines was enough for me to want to be able to just shovel food into my mouth, least effort. Dessert was chocolate cake with as much ganache as cake. Surprisingly, Czech desserts are not sweet nor rich.

    There is a significant Vietnamese presence in Czech Republic. They own most of the small grocery shops, bitsy sundry shops and Vietnamese restaurants. We overheard a tour guide explain to her group that they were invited here by the Czechoslovakia communist regime to fulfil a need for cheap labour. However, with their value on hard work and emphasis on education, the second generation Vietnamese are mostly university graduates with professional careers.

    Afternoon hike included a 15 minute boat ride along the Kamenice River at Wild Gorge. We reached a sign that said 1.5km to the boat ride. It was a steep 1km descent and 0.5 km flat along the river banks to the boat. Our boat man missed his calling as an entertainer. The boat was his stage. He was animated in his Czech tour of the gorge with English words interspersed. It was czech blah blah czech czech, Albert Einstein, ..... River..... Gorge czech blah blah czech czech I speaka no English czech blah blah czech czech Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio as he pointed out the sculpture of a boy helping a girl up from the river. Then he swooned the Titanic theme song on his harmonica. I laughed for the whole 15 minutes scenic boat ride.

    Grace very graciously took a long time looking at the map at the bottom of the ascent so we were the last to leave the gorge. I think she wanted to save me the embarrassment of being overtaken by everyone. I pufff like an emphysematous smoker on ascent and had to take it slowly. This ascent was so steep I felt my heels trying to break from the heel of my boots despite tightening the laces at the mid foot and ankle. Finishing the last of our snack halfway up gave us a nice quiet break as everyone else was probably on their second beer at the pub. We even saw a squirrel scampering across a few fallen trees. It's my first sighting of a European squirrel, and it's much smaller than I'd imagined, and a very bushy tail almost bigger than its body.

    It was rather busy in the track today, but not noisy. Even the kids were well behaved. Grace and I are finding that Czech kids are really lovely. We sat amongst teenage school boys for the an hour on the train to Decin yesterday, and it was a very pleasant experience. They chatted quietly amongst each other, and happily helped us open our window.

    Blistering 23.2 km today.    Read more

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    On the road to Königstein
    On the road to KönigsteinKaffehaus

    Decin Day 3

    September 22, 2023 in Czech Republic ☁️ 15 °C

    We had set out to have an easy day visiting the Museum and Castle and sitting for a long lunch as it was forecasted to rain.

    What we ended up with was quite the contrary.

    When we got to the museum it wasn't open yet so we decided to head to the castle. On the way, we chanced on a bike rental place. We had a change of plan and decided to cycle instead.

    We ended up cycling all the way to Königstein in Germany and back. A total of 54 km. We had lunch at Kaffehaus, the first food place we came upon as we were ravenous. The portions were a quarter the size of what we're used to this side of the Czech border, and it costs 3 times more. Ruby was so hungry and depleted she pushed her bike up the last 2 tiny hills. When we returned our bikes, the young lady there recommended a local Czech pub for our dinner. 300g grilled pork neck and deep fried gouda cheese with potatoes made us much happier. Interestingly, the menus here have weight beside each menu item. As the menu was only in Czech, I just looked down the weight column and ordered the dish that gave the most.

    At one of our many rest stops on the way back, we met 2 young boys who are cycling and camping from Dresden to Prague. One of them also does mountain climbing. He says that most of the climbing accidents do not occur whilst climbing, but in the rest periods. Many have fallen off after climbing up a tall column of rock, sitting at the top unsecured, just relaxing.

    Our legs weren't accustomed to cycling, though the terrain was flat it was exhausting not to mention the pain from the bike seat. The scenery, the views and cake from Kaffehaus compensated for it.

    We reckon that Right to Adequate Suspension on Bicycle Seat has to be in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. After Right to Equality, Right to Freedom of Belief and Religion, Right to Education, etc, we need to protect the delicate areas of our body.

    Cycled 54,3km    Read more

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    Tiska sterny
    Tiska sterny

    Decin Day 4

    September 23, 2023 in Czech Republic ☁️ 12 °C

    Having not quite recovered from cycling legs, we went for a much shorter hike under the recommendation of the tourist information guide.

    We caught the bus without a hitch except for the bus that had the right number but wrong route. Some other hiker looking people told us to follow them because they were heading to Tiske too.

    Tiske is a town flanked on one side by rock formations. We saw two groups of rock climbers, one man doing bouldering and lots of walkers. At a tricky descent from a boulder, a nice young Czech guy at the bottom asked if he could help us down and proceeded to stretch his arms wide open as if expecting us to jump into his arms.

    An observation on this hike is, German speaking people were very loud and boisterous while the Czechs were quietly spoken. This was contradicted on our bus ride back to Decin where, a group of 6 Czech ladies and gentlemen talked and laughed loudly. I think Czech beer had some influence there.

    We came straight back to the accommodation after Tiske, without venturing out to see more sights. It was nice to be back at the accommodation for a rest and relax.

    Total distance walked 8.2km    Read more

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    Central image of Dionysus
    Central image of DionysusModel of the southern gable of the first Court TheatreThe War by Otto Dix with John the Baptist pointing to the crucifixionJulie Mehrutu's Manifestation: Ruby's dreamsInterreligion concert at the Church of the Holy Cross

    Dresden Day 1

    September 25, 2023 in Germany 🌙 7 °C

    The train journey from Decin to Dresden was very picturesque. We passed farms, orchards, vineyards, small towns with towering church spires and more rock formations.

    Albertinum was our first gallery visit.
    We had an excellent guided tour by a lovely man who said that there were no English tours, only German but because there were only us and one other also very nice lady who could understand English, he did the tour in English.

    The Albertinum was an artillery storage that is now an art gallery for the works from late 1800 till now. It maps the change in styles from the early romanticism, impressionism expressionism, new objectivity to contemporary.

    The guide pointed out some poignant parts of history that explained some of the works and made me aware that what I thought was blurred photos hanging as art were actually paintings done by Gerhard Richter. He also pointed out a tryptic done be Otto Dix titled The War that was symbolised the crucifixion without the resurrection. Very interesting gallery.

    Next stop was a free concert at the Church of the Holy Cross. It was a concert that was both moving and professional. It was the 9 th interfaith peace concert.
    There was an orchestra, a large choir and some soloist with mandolin, erhu, violin and clarinet.
    There was some classical pieces, some Hebrew, Sufi, and a medley at the end with what sounded like a call to prayer, then finishing with Hebrew and Christian lyrics.

    It was moving because it was lovely to see the religious tolerance displayed when a Jewish man conducted the Sufi and both Jewish and Muslim were the presenters. We think the concert was to promote religious harmony across all faith.

    Our last stop was a lovely candlelit pub just a little away from aldsatdt that served really good marinated local fish in cream sauce and garlic pasta.

    Total walk for the day was 14.2 km    Read more

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    Picture taken off postcards of the Green Vault in the Ivory Room
    Picture taken off postcards of the Green Vault in the Ivory Room

    Dresden Day 2

    September 25, 2023 in Germany ⛅ 13 °C

    Today we joined a walking tour that gave a little history in the time of Augustus the Strong, through to the GDR until current day restoration. The guide also elaborated on the destructions caused by the allied forces bombing of Dresden and what and how the buildings have been restored.

    After the tour, we visited the Historical Green Vault to look at Augustus the Strong's collection of jewellery, furniture, and what he had on exhibition in the 1700.

    We came back to the accommodation after being bedazzled by the exhibition and amazed at the historical sights around Dresden.

    Total walking distance 13.1 km    Read more

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    Too hungry to wait for photos. I tucked in instead.Local Trout soupLocal PerchLocal roast beef

    Dresden Day 3 Old Masters

    September 26, 2023 in Germany 🌙 15 °C

    Today we started the day at the Zwinger art gallery of the Old Masters. We were there for 4 hours and could have been even longer if not for the organ recital that we had planned to go at 3pm. It was just a free 15 minute church pipe organ recital, and the beautiful sounds lulled Ruby and I to a restful nap.
    The gallery was well laid out in sequences of periods of painters with an audio guide. Despite the 4 hours there, we had to still rush through the Flemish and Dutch Masters.

    Included in our ticket was the visit to the porcelain and mathematics galleries. King Augustus the Strong was a great collector, he loved art, porcelain and clocks, globes, instruments and machines. We came back to the porcelain and mathematics galleries after the organ recital. The porcelain collection was interesting but the clocks and time pieces were truly beautiful.

    The day was finished with a meal at Schmidt's, a Michelin star restaurant deep in the suburbs of Dresden, a half hour tram ride away. The food was divine, exquisite and most of all filling. As we had to do laundry, we were already late for our reservation when we got off the tram. We still had a 950m walk to the restaurant. We weren't sure if where Google was taking us so we asked a lady standing at the front of her house saying goodbye to someone. She seemed so helpful and welcomed us straight away into her home. This we thought to mean a short cut out the back of her house. Instead, she enthusiastically beckoned us to come in to see her Chinese antiques, which we gleaned was a collection that her father left her. Then we got the story of how her father went to China and became a professor of music there during GDR, whilst China was under Mao, and Dresden was part of East Germany. She then proceeded to take us down her street with her front door still slightly ajar, to show us the directions to Schmidt's. On the way she wanted us to see her "drawing" gallery and gestured pointing to her watch. We said sorry, but we were late for our reservation already pointing back to our watches. It was really opportune meeting her because she lead us to a short cut. We were almost half an hour late, but it table was still waiting for us. We call people like her our travel angels.

    Total distance walked 10.2km.    Read more

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    2 in 2 out jazz group from Prague.
    2 in 2 out jazz group from Prague.Parade of the KingsKing Augustus the StrongNeustadt tree lined boulevardStreet mural

    Dresden Day 4 -Neustadt&Jazz

    September 27, 2023 in Germany ☀️ 26 °C

    We are exploring Neustadt or New Town today. We walked down tree lined boulevards, visited the Markethall, 2 churches and a beautifully decorated Dairy Cafe.
    We took a tram back to the accommodation because it got very warm to walk and we were weary.

    Having a rest now, and if we have the energy, we will venture out for dinner and perhaps even a jazz performance.

    We did go to the jazz performance. The group of 4 musicians called 2in2 out from Prague were very talented and they were going to debit their album next year of their own compositions.

    Total distance walked is 14.3km    Read more

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    Convent of St Agnes building started in 13th century
    Convent of St Agnes building started in 13th centurySculptures in the garden of Convent1Model of huts built in the monasteryThe MetronomeViews from the MetronomeRoyal palace

    Return to Prague for Rusalka Opera

    September 28, 2023 in Czech Republic 🌙 15 °C

    We made our way back to Prague by train from Dresden. The trip took 2½hrs and it was a smooth and quiet ride. Although we didn't book first class seats, when we boarded the train near the front, we found a cabin seat with only one man in it and asked if we could share the cabin. He agreed happily, then we realised that we can sit in the 1st class seats if the reservation hasn't been made for it, indicated by a light outside the cabin if reserved.

    Our train cabin passenger was from Jordan and now living in Virginia, USA. He has lived in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and other parts of the world. He's in finance, and is now running a company with his brother. They are trialing working from Europe as all their work is done on the internet, and they can work wherever there's internet connectivity. He said that in his opinion, Germany is underachieving globally as the population lack English proficiency. He was unable to hire some very talented Germans solely due to the lack of adequate English.

    It's lovely to be back in Prague again. We spent the afternoon walking around the Jewish quarter and chanced on a lovely St Agnes Monastery where you could wander right through the huge monastery free of charge. We looked in every nook and cranny of the monastery, and the gardens too.

    After 2 late nights, we are turning in early tonight.

    Total distant walked, 15km.    Read more

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    Spiral staircase without the middle poleSt Barbara's Basilica. St Barbara's the patron saint of miners.Old silver mine covered upRoast goose at Husinec Restaurant

    Return to Prague Day 2 - Kutna Hora & Op

    September 29, 2023 in Czech Republic ☁️ 18 °C

    We went on a guided day trip to Kutna Hora with Sandeman's Tour. Description taken from Sandeman's website.

    ABOUT THE DAY TRIP TO KUTNÁ HORA
    Only an hour away from the crowded pubs of Prague lies Kutná Hora. Seemingly frozen in time, the town of 20,000 is almost like an open-air museum, showcasing some of Central Europe’s most stunning architectural treasures in perfectly-preserved condition. With a compact, UNESCO-listed historical center, this tour offers a smooth and secure transfer by train from the capital, before taking to the cobbled streets by foot.
    The day trip begins with a train journey to Kutná Hora accompanied by your expert local guide. You’ll then set out to explore the nooks and crannies of this charming Bohemian city on foot - wandering through the UNESCO-listed center at a completely flexible pace.

    You'll visit the Sedlec Ossuary (also known as the 'Bone Chapel') which draws visitors from all over the world who come to see the tens of thousands of human skeletons that decorate it. However, there is much more to see in Kutná Hora than just the Bone Chapel, as this tour takes you to one of the Czech Republic's oldest monasteries, to the gothic masterpiece Saint Barbara's Church.

    The historical town center of Kutná Hora is so impressive that it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. During your walking tour in Kutná Hora, you'll see the splendour of the Italian Court (the Royal Mint), some of the most impressive gothic buildings in the Czech Republic and you'll understand why several Bohemian kings made the town their home.

    In our group of 10, we had a couple from Geraldton, WA and a young couple from Manning, Perth. That's a suburb just 20 minutes away from us in Perth. Another member was young Chinese guy from California who was doing his first solo travel holiday for a fortnight in Europe. It was a lovely group, and much chatting was done.

    The day ended with Dvorak's Rusalka Opera at the State Opera House. A beautifully ornate Opera House with frescoes and baroque architecture. The staging and set were state of the art and the orchestra and cast were outstanding.

    Distance walked 21.9km    Read more