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settembre - dicembre 2023
Un’avventura di 92 giorni di Awesomes Leggi altro
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  • 92giorni
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  • ViaggiatoreEpic Europe
    Giorno 15

    Dresden Day 2

    25 settembre 2023, Germania ⋅ ⛅ 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    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreEpic Europe
    Giorno 16

    Dresden Day 3 Old Masters

    26 settembre 2023, Germania ⋅ 🌙 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.    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreEpic Europe
    Giorno 17

    Dresden Day 4 -Neustadt&Jazz

    27 settembre 2023, Germania ⋅ ☀️ 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    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreEpic Europe
    1
    Giorno 18

    Return to Prague for Rusalka Opera

    28 settembre 2023, Repubblica Ceca ⋅ 🌙 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.    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreEpic Europe
    Giorno 19

    Return to Prague Day 2 - Kutna Hora & Op

    29 settembre 2023, Repubblica Ceca ⋅ ☁️ 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    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreEpic Europe
    Giorno 20

    Olomouc Day 1 Rest Day

    30 settembre 2023, Repubblica Ceca ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Of all the different challenges that travelling can bring, this has to be one of the more hilarious ones. Grace has decided to have a proper afternoon rest in our lovely apartment in Olomouc today. After arriving in Olomouc and admiring our new abode for the next 2 nights, we walked to the nearest supermarket Lidl for supplies to cook our dinner. I decided that as we're having a night in I'd get a bottle of beer from the supermarket. The 500ml bottle costs AUD $1.08, actually cheaper than a bottle of water. After an early dinner as we did not have lunch, it was beer time. In this very fancy fully equipped kitchen, I could not find a bottle opener. We are in Czech Republic, largest consumers of beer in the world. They serve beer at breakfast cafes, sell beer at newsagencies, and everywhere. We thought we'd just ask the host who lives downstairs to borrow his opener. He replied that he does not have one. So, Grace has just returned to the apartment from the street, my beer bottle in hand, looking for someone with a bottle opener in their pocket. It took only about a minute and the third person had the requisite tool. She even got a lesson on the various ways to open a beer bottle without an opener.

    We went for a walk early this morning to check out the route and tram stop for the main train station in Prague before we hauled suitcases along cobblestones. An official looking car stopped and told us, "tram crash. No tram. 3 hours. No tram." As it was drizzling quite heavily, we decided to just call a Bolt (like Uber). A tram recovery vehicle carrying a crane passed us, and it would have been interesting to see that at work. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to, and we did not know how far down the road the tram crash was. We did tell a guy who was waiting at the tram stop that the trams were not running, and found out that he was from India, studying in Prague. I refrained from asking any questions, like what he was studying, and how one from India actually ended up studying in Prague. Is his course in English, or did he have to learn Czech as it is a very difficult language. Grace might have needed a rest for 2 days if I asked anything.

    No photos taken today.

    Distance walked 7.4km    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreEpic Europe
    Giorno 21

    Olomouc Day 2 Up, Low Squares, Kopecek C

    1 ottobre 2023, Repubblica Ceca ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    We set out today to explore Olomouc. Olomouc used to be a walled town but not all the wall still stands. There is still remnants of the fortification on one side of the town. For a small town, it has 5 churches in about a 1 km radius.

    Upper Square has the Astronomical Clock, the Town Hall, fountains, and the Trinity column. 3 of the 5 churches are here. St Wencheslus Cathedral, St Maurice and Our Lady of the Snow.

    While the Lower Square has 2 fountains and the Maria column. St Michael and Church of the Annunciation.

    Most of the churches are baroque with beautiful frescoes, sculptures and ornate altars and pulpits except The Church of the Annunciation. While we were there we couldn't go in because mass was on but we found a Musica Viva performance of sacred music for tonight so we will return later.

    The Astronomical Clock only chimes at 12pm once a day. Unlike the one in Prague, the decorations reflect the socialist past not the apostolic biblical theme. Crowds gather to watch a very uneventful affair and even applaud at the end.

    After exploring the town we caught a bus out to Kopecek Monastery, which took about half an hour.
    The church was set on a hill overlooking Olomouc, with baroque architecture. Beautiful church and surrounds. Great elevation to see Olomouc town.

    A very helpful Czech lady offered to help translate the Czech menu at lunch. We made her job easy by choosing exactly what she was eating.

    The Sacred music performance was very uplifting. Performance was by 2 sopranos, a tenor and a bass. Between the hymns was a recital by an ensemble of violin, organ and an old wooden wind instrument that sounded like a clarinet without a reed.

    Total distance walked 21.3 km    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreEpic Europe
    Giorno 22

    Thoughts about Czech Republic

    2 ottobre 2023, Repubblica Ceca ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    When I first got to Czech Republic, I thought everyone was either shocked, horrified or extremely happy to see me. They would all say, "I'll be damn!" whenever they saw me. Then we went hiking in Turnov, and I thought they were all very concerned in some morbid way as everyone would say, "Don't be dead". Not till more than a week in this country that I realised the greeting is "dobry den".

    Not only is beer cheaper than water, it is cheaper than one's body getting rid of that water. Even tap water to have with a meal costs 30-50CZK for 500ml. A beer costs 35CZK. Use of toilet cost 20CZK per person, unless you eat (or consume beer) at a venue. So, it's cheaper to go to a pub to have a small beer between both of us and use their toilet. Then you'd need another toilet to deposit that last beer. Now I understand why Czechs are the largest beer drinkers in the world. The wait staff look at Grace and I with great sympathy when we order a small beer to share. I have not figured out whether they feel sorry with our genetic lack of requisite enzyme to efficiently process alcohol, or our lack of funds to purchase a beer each. The latter thought is not helped by us also ordering one entree and one main meal to share. The serves here usually come in 2 sizes, large or huge.

    Czechs generally speak very good English, although most of them are not confident to use it. They are usually friendly, helpful, and the younger ones can be very well travelled. Being a land locked country, they are very much outdoors people. We see a lot of young local Czechs hiking, camping or cycling round the countryside. The younger pre teens Czech children are not glued to devices, and are usually well behaved in restaurants and on public transport. We have witnessed many instances of youths giving way to and helping older people.

    Many public toilets and toilets at the eateries here provide sanitary napkins. They have a packet or more, perhaps a variety, just lying on the counter. How considerate and most practical.

    Surprisingly, there is quite a bit of spitting here. The practice is not confined to a gender nor an age group. One upside is that unlike China, there is not the prolonged loud gutteral clearing of throat that preempts these expulsions. Il    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreEpic Europe
    Giorno 22

    Brno Day 1

    2 ottobre 2023, Repubblica Ceca ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We thought we were so prepared for this journey from Olomouc to Brno. We were at the Olomouc main train station, hlavi nadrazi (means main train station in Czech) yesterday, and took bus number 364 back to accommodation. So this morning, just cross the road and repeat. Nope. The travel goblins were up to their mischief again. Overnight, they changed the name hlavi nadrazi to something else. So when we got into the bus and looked at the fancy electronic board in the bus that lists all the stops, hlavi nadrazi was not to be seen. We did not have time to be on the wrong bus! We had to catch our bus to Brno. Grace walked to the front of the bus to speak to the driver who spoke no English, I stayed with our bags in the middle of the bus. Then the old ladies on the bus started to get all excited and had a very loud discussion of our plight, shouting from one end of the bus to the other. The 2 old ladies sitting in front of where I was standing told me in Czech what I was to do. All I heard was blahblah blahblah hlavi nadrazi, shaking of head, blahblah blahblah hlavi nadrazi, more shaking of head and much gesticulation. Fortunately, hlavi nadrazi was not far from our accommodation, I recognised the approach, and so did Grace and she started walking towards me. The old ladies just about shoved us out the bus with much hlavi nadrazi-ing. In all our travels around Czech Republic, the main train station was name-of-town hlavi nadrazi. How did that change for Olomouc overnight? Who was to know that same bus number, called one name one way one afternoon, changed name in another direction the next morning.

    Fortunately, check in at Brno was uneventful. We have a tiny little apartment here. Grace remarked she could reach most things from standing in the middle of the room. We explored soon after arrival as Grace was hungry. We went to the Cabbage Market for lunch as there was a much acclaimed hot dog van there. We were not disappointed. On the way, we stopped at the Visitor Information. When we were walking around Olomouc yesterday, we google translated a blackboard menu outside an eatery. It translated to ..... pepper..... doll. Unfortunately, we were not able to go there for lunch, and by the time dinner came, the doll special disappeared from their board. We asked the lady at the information desk about this dish of doll, and apparently, the Czech word for doll is also the word for pork tenderloin. One mystery solved.

    We walked up to the Spilberk Castle as it was supposed to be open, which it was. However, only the grounds were opened. Entry to the castle, except for the infamous Spilberk Prison and Armoury of which we were too sqimish to visit. We walked around the grounds and marveled at the battlements and formidable double walls.

    Dinner was at a Chinese eatery as Grace had enough rich heavy czech food.

    Distance walked 13km    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreEpic Europe
    Giorno 23

    Brno Day 2 Spilberk Castle

    3 ottobre 2023, Repubblica Ceca ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Eversince a suggestion was made after lunch at the Kutna Hora tour, I have been on a quest for good ice cream. Firstly we don't come across many ice-cream vendors, when we do, either they don't have the flavours I like or they are brightly coloured, with multi flavours, which we have learnt in the past, is not genuine gelato. Today will be another day, in search of ice-cream.

    We started our morning looking at which art gallery to visit so the first stop was to find the Information Centre. There are 5 galleries in Brno, and we settled for the Spilberk Castle Museum because it housed, some 18 century paintings and sculptures through to 1920s, an armory, archeological sites and historic documents of the prison, prison torture and political prisoners that were once held there. On the way to the Castle we found a bronze sculpture of Mozart with one wing with a child's body on a piano. This was to commemorate his performance at the Reduta Concert Hall when he was 11 years old and the one wing was to signify his tragic death.

    Whilst winding through the streets we ended up at the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul. A beautiful Gothic church with spires that seemed to touch the sky. A little boy was so taken to Ruby, invited her to dance with him and his grandma. We got free use of the toilet after the dance. A Brno quirk is that the longest church bell chime is at 11am, because Brno shortened the seige by the Swedish army by an hour, by moving the clock forward and since then it has become a tradition here to ring the noon bells at 11am.

    After the Castle, we were famished. We headed straight for a local Czech pub that served "the best pork knuckle". There were 3 men in three next table tucking into one knuckle each. The serve was humungous. Even though we were famished, we decided to share one knuckle and still had to take a third of the knuckle to take back to the accomadation. Too full even for dinner, we will have to have it with scrambled eggs for breakfast tomorrow.

    The quest for icecream is still to no avail.

    Distance walked 13.5km    Leggi altro

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