Out and About Bohemia

Karlovy Vary from the Diana Tower

Prague to Karlovy Vary

The city was beautiful, but it was time to go see a bit of the countryside.  We've planned an excursion through Bohemia, starting in the "Spa Town" of Karlovy Vary in the northwestern part of the country.  We chose public transportation so we could enjoy the drive without worrying about directions (although google maps works great here).

There is a great website for finding train and bus schedules for getting to and from anywhere in the country.  And amazingly enough, the bus and train fairs are amazingly reasonably priced. And the buses are comfortable and come with electronics charging and wifi!

The Teplà River through the spa district of Karlovy Vary

We packed our bags and found them a bit heavier than we wanted to lug around due to the shopping we had done in Prague.  Luckily, I had a great idea to lighten that load.  We had one night that we didn't have a reservation for until we got here, and I made it at the Hilton Old Town Prague not far from the hotel we were staying in, and on the way to the bus station.  We stopped at the Hilton on our way to the bus station, and we checked in a bag to be held until we returned to check in next week.  So, my Hilton Honors Silver membership came in pretty handy here!

So, on the bus, we spent a couple of hours driving through the countryside, past farmland and forests until we arrived in Karlovy Vary.

This is  a "spa town" that has mineral hot springs all over.  Unfortunately, the springs are for

"sipping" not soaking.  There are some pretty tony spa hotels that have different spa treatments, but soaking doesn't seem to be a big thing here.

There are public access springs all over the town, and people fill these ceramic mugs with.  The mugs are built with handles that are straws that they sip the water with.

You see people all over walking around filling mugs from the springs and sipping the water.  The mineral water is said to have medicinal properties, and each spring is for different maladies.

There are several colonnades around town where there are public accessible mineral springs. The Mill Colonnade below was built in 1871

The mill colonnade structure to the left has about seven accessible mineral springs

Diana tower is 35 meters or 114 feet tall

The town is in a valley, with woodlands all around.  Above the town is the Diana Tower, a lookout
with spectacular views of the town and its surrounding forest.

We took a funicular up the side of the valley to the Tower area.  At the top is the tower, and a restaurant that has been catering to visitors since 1914. There's a children's play area and a small "mini zoo" with pigs, goats and small ponies.

We had a light lunch there, then went to the top of the tower to take in the spectacular view.  After, we made our way down through the woods on a "spa walk."

There are several kilometers of hiking trails through the woods that surround the town.  It was so nice to be in the woods after being in Prague for six days.  We were, however puzzled as to why there were no squirrels around.  There were clearly trees that bore nuts and cones around for food.  At Stag's Jump, the half way stop for the funicular we hopped back on to get back to town.




Karlovy Vary to Pilsen

St Bartholomew's Church dominates the public square in Pilsen

Another pleasant and inexpensive bus ride from Karlovy Vary to the beer capital of the world, Pilsen.

The biggest thing here is the Pilsner Urquell brewery as, according to the Lonely Planet Guide, "Pilsen is famed among beer-heads worldwide as the motherlode of all lagers, the fountain of froth..."  Now, if I was that into beer, this might have been higher on my list.  But, since we are focusing on the place of my Grandmother's birth, Bohemia, this was simply a stop on our way around the region.  We stayed at a small pension near the public square, then went for a walk where there didn't seem to be much activity.

I'll need to return to the Moravia side of the country at a later date to explore the land of my Grandfather, and also the country's wine region.

Pilsen to Cesky Krumlov

From Pilsen, we took a train to Český Krumlov. A pleasant journey through the beautiful country side and forests.  As the train station was not within walking distance of the train station, we walked to the street where we expected to find a taxi to take us into town. So did a bunch of other people.  There were none.  About 10 minutes later, a couple showed up, and of course they were swarmed.  After that, I called our hotel, and they kindly called a taxi for us. When it got there, it was a bit of a craziness, as I had to insist, with the driver's help, that he came at the hotel's call for us.  I think that he called his dispatcher to send some more taxis to the train station for the other people still there waiting. We gave a couple from Cypress a ride into town with us. It's an adventure.

The castle & castle tower (left) overlook the old tow of Cesky Krumlov

We explored the castle and climbed the tower. Yes, Linda made it all the way to the top.  The view from the top was worth the climb.

There are a lot of tourists here, and shops that cater to them.  We found a small artisan market where there were glass blowers, jewelry makers, candle makers, weavers and woodworkers.

We've had a wonderful time exploring castles, and walking around.  We've been racking up the steps, well over 10,000 each day.

We are on our way bak to Prague on Sunday.  We will spend Monday touring with a friend of mine from Portland who comes here every year to visit his good friend who also happens to be a tour guide. We will be making a trip to Marianske Lanske with detours to Rejčkova and Tachov.  Rejčkova is where Grandma was born and Tachov is where Linda's second cousin still lives. We've been in touch, but he doesn't speak English.  So, since we have an interpreter with us, we'll see if he's home when we get there.  Should be an adventure.

We'll be on our way back to Portland on Tuesday.

To the Land of My Grandparents

Many months ago, my Uncle Larry emailed me asking me if I would be willing to go with my Aunt Linda to visit the Czech Republic.

Sure, I said.  And so began the planning. That was back in in  March.  Now we are here!

We began our trip in Portland. Ten hours later, we arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, then made a connecting flight to Prague.

I want to give a shout out to Lonely Planet Travel books and websites.  I've been using them since I lived in Ecuador 30 years ago (Wow! That was a long time ago!). They are well researched, and I've never gone wrong using their recommendations.


We arrived in Prague September 5th. We made our way from the airport to the hotel with a pre-arranged driver who took the scenic route and provided some good color commentary about the sights on our way.  The Dominican Hotel is right in the middle of the old town and within walking distance of all of the sights worth seeing here.

After unpacking and cleaning up a bit, we walked out towards the Old Town Square.  We wanted to start getting oriented to the city and get a bit of exercise in since we had been sitting on planes and airports for most of the day.  Even at 8:30pm  there were crowds of people out enjoying the sights.  It was warm, the shops were still all open, selling all kinds of things to to tourists there.

Back in the hotel, maps in hand, we made plans for our outing the next day.

Old Town Square the next morning. 

After a hearty breakfast, we started out on our orientation route.  First, money exchange, then we  headed toward the Charles Bridge over the Vltava river.  What a beautiful sight.

The Charles Bridge. Prague Castle is on the hill to the left.

So we made are way to the bridge and had to pass through the bridge towers. Built in the late 14th century, the bridge was made pedestrian only after WWII.


There are about 20 statues that were erected by Catholic orders over several years after the bridge was built, like "ecclesiastical billboards," according to the Lonely Planet Guide.


On the bridge are artists selling their wares, and musicians busking.  We heard a string quartet playing "I Love Rock & Roll." There are people dressed as statues, standing still (mostly), and making sudden moves to passers by. Paintings and prints of of the local landmarks were available.  It was quite a scene.

On the other side we discovered the John Lennon Wall.  After Lennon's murder, he became a pacifist hero for many young Czechs. This wall became a political focus point for Prague youth, and the owners of the wall have bowed to the inevitable and have ceased whitewashing it, as the graffiti just comes back.

Prague Castle 

The next day is dedicated to exploring this 700,000 square meter area.

We started our day by taking the funicular up to the top of Petrin Hill.  There, we walked around the rose garden next to the Stefanik Observatory where they have three refracting telescopes that they use for scientific research, but also for public education.

At the top of the hill is the Petrin Tower. From the top of the tower we were able to get a stunning view of Prague. The weather was a bit grey. Kind of like Portland in the fall.

We have been walking. About 20,000 step or about 9 miles a day.  We are certainly getting our exercise. Walking is the best way to see things on trips like this.  From the top of Petrin hill, we made our way down toward Prague Castle.  It was a bit confusing, as there was minimal signage, but we finally made our way to the castle gate in time to see the changing of the guards.  I am so grateful that my mobile carrier and plan works here for data and texting at no extra cost. Google maps have been so helpful.

The castle is really a collection of buildings, some of which were clearly being used for government business, as well as historical sites that tourists were visiting.  We again found ourselves amusingly confused about where to purchase tickets and information for touring due to minimal signage, but we finally did after asking several people and then finding the ticket office behind us. After finally getting a detailed map of the castle area, we made our way to view the sights.

The first thing you see upon entering the courtyard is the south tower of St. Vitus Cathetdral  This is a huge structure that pretty much dominates the landscape here.

Inside is impressive with all the stained glass and art filling the building.  That pretty much sums up most cathedrals and other Catholic churches I've been in in other countries, some much poorer than here. As impressive architecturally these kinds of buildings are, they also represent some of the worst qualities of religion for me.  The opulence and wealth that the art display represent what I believe is a darker side of organized religion.  And while the Catholic Church played a big role in the history of the Czech Republic, its influence is less so now.






Down the "golden lane," also within the castle walls, displays the more common folk scenes with small residences and workshops.  Some of them refitted as gift shops.

Makine our way out of the castle, we used our Prague card to hop on the tram back to our hotel.  Great day.  More touring to come. Stay tuned.

Chocolate, Rum, the Na Pali Coast, Luaus, & Snorkeling

It rains here, but it's brief, warm and beautiful.

Chocolate and other tropical delicacies....

We spent a morning on a tour of the Steelgrass Farm chocolate tour which included a tropical fruit tasting! Starting with tahitian lime and shugar cane, we then moved on to the other tropical fruits that were in season: longan, lychee, soursop, and mountain apples. The farm also grows vanilla, and has bee hives.  The honey they produce is really delicious.  After this teaser, we went on to tour their Cacao trees where we were able to see all stages of the chocolate, from flower, to full grown pods.

After the tour, we spent time in the chocolate tasting tent, were we were regaled with a history of chocolate, and the process that it goes through from harvest to product. And during the stories, we had a blind chocolate tasting.  Tasty tour!

The Na Pali Coast

Kauai is not totally accessible by car.  The road only circles about three-quarters of the island, and with the rain washing out the road west of Hanalei, that distance is even less at this time.  So, in order to see the Na Pali (the Cliffs) in the northwest, we took a boat tour that included a short snorkel and lunch.  Lovely trip with a crew that made the trip really fun. Captain Chad, a native Hawaiian, had great stories to tell, and made the long trip back fun with an open bar and karaoke.

On our way out and, a large pod of spinner dolphins followed us. The weather was great, except at the snorkel sight, where the wind picked up, and the clouds obscured the view of the coast, but that is kind of normal for here.  Saw some fish, but there weren't any rocks near enough to see any interesting corals or urchins. We did see, on our way some Hawaiian Humpback Whales.  Several blows and one breach.  Pretty cool!

Farmers Market & Rum Tasting

We spent Saturday at the farmers market, finding and purchasing some of the fruits we tasted at the Steelgrass Farm tour, and to have lunch.  Kalua Pork.  I learned that Kalua is simply the cooking method used to prepare the pork.

We also bought one of the "sugarloaf" pineapple, a white, lower acid pineapple with a creamy color.  I remember pineapples like this from my days in Ecuador.

And since sugar cane was a major agricultural crop on the island (it isn't any more), we had to stop at the Kaloa Rum Company.  The store is located on the Kilohana Plantation.  While they haven't grown the cane here for a while, they have been purchasing cane from the other islands to make their rum.  They have a new cane plantation started and will be harvesting it to continue making rum with local ingredients.  They have really good rum.  They get the color for their dark rum by using island vanilla. So tasty, that I am bringing it home.

A Luau and Snorkeling

We ended up at the Luau at the Hyatt next door.  Glad we could walk as the mai tais were flowing. And, while I know that mai tais are "the" drink here in the islands, I'm not crazy about pineapple juice.  Luckily, Eric, the bartender, was able to make me a mai tai "light." Same amount of rum, a splash of pineapple juice and topped off with seltzer.

As we walked through the lobby, I was taken aback by the view through the restaurant to the ocean.  It was like looking at a picture (see bottom left picture to the right).

The music and dancing was fun.  I loved the story telling.  Unfortunately, it started to rain, and they moved us to cover for the flame dance, so I ended up getting pictures of him from the back.

Snorkeling and Puka Dogs

We spent the morning snorkeling at Poipu Beach park.  It was a little disappointing after the snorkeling I did on Hawaii, but the water was shallower, and there weren't as many rocks for all the corals, urchins and other clingy organisms.  But there were fish here.  Way more variety than on the snorkel trip earlier.  Saw several of the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, Hawaii's state fish, along with the Morish idol, and a puffer fish among others I could identify.  Someone was even feeding the fish, and so I saw a swarm of fish following him.

There was also supposed to be some good snorkeling at the Salt Pond Park, but the tide was coming in, and the waves coming in and going out made it difficult to navigate, and stirred up the water so it wasn't easy to see anything. Even though we were trying to snorkel between the rocks and the shore. So, we tried, but decided it was time for a lunch.

Erin insisted that we have Puka Dogs, only served here on Kauai.  It's a polish sausage that is served in a bun "tube" that is toasted.  The condiments are added and the sausage is then inserted.  Actually quite a neat way to eat them.

The condiments were your choice of mustards and island inspired relishes: coconut, mango, pineapple, papaya, starfruit and banana.  And they had a lilikoi mustard that was really good! Tasty.

We ended the day stopping by Spouting Horn, a blow hole that we caught at just the right time for maximum height.

Just a couple more days, to go.  Going to hike in Waimea Canyon tomorrow.

Hawaii? Again?

So, I had a wonderful adventure on the Big Island of Hawaii in November with my friend Lynn. One more place on my list of places to visit crossed off.  Check!

So when my sister, Erin said, "let's go to Hawaii!" I was less than enthusiastic.  However, she had a place for us to stay in Kauai, I had an Alaska Airlines companion fare available, so I thought, why not?

So here we are, staying at the Point at Poipu on the southern end of the island of Kauai. This is the oldest island in the chain, and claims to have one of the wettest place on earth.

The active volcano on the big island of Hawaii is about 200 miles to our south, and there don't appear to be any issues related to that here.  However, I would like to add that my friend Lynn and I stayed not far from the village of Kalapana and the Leilani Estates that have been evacuated recently (see previous blog posts in November 2017).  It's kind of eerie to know that we were there not too long ago.

We arrived on Monday afternoon.  Nice flight as we were bumped up to first class.  I love being an Alaska MVP, as occasional complimentary upgrades happen.  After gathering our bags, and getting our rental car, off to Costco and Safeway we went to stock up the kitchen.  Unloading and putting things away, we then spent the rest of the evening making our plans for touring the island.

After a leisurely morning, we took off to the west toward Wiamea Canyon, with the intent of stopping wherever we felt we wanted to go, and making a list of places to go that looked interesting on the way that we didn't stop at.  We are on island time, so we didn't make a schedule.

Wiamea Canyon is a ten-mile long 3,000 foot deep gorge that was cut by 6 million years of stream erosion. Known as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific," The canyon is a mere baby at only 4-5 million years compared to the grand canyon in Arizona, which is 200 million years old.

The next day, we drove north toward Hanalei

The island was hit with a torrent of rain in April (49.7 inches of rain in a 24 hour period) that caused flooding and landslides on the north end of the island near Hanalei that closed roads for a while.  They are still cleaning up, and one can now drive to Hanalei, but the road is closed  just west of the town.    We drove to Hanalei to contribute to the economy by buying yarn and enjoying shave ice.  Yes, we did find the only place on the island to purchase yarn, "Strings and Things," which also sells ukuleles!  And, I had no idea that shave ice done the Hawaiian way includes ice cream on the bottom.  I had lilikoi (passionfruit) with macadamia nut icecream, Erin's was a mixture that was called the "blue Hawaiian.

Hanalei bay was lovely, but the road was closed beyond the town.

On our way to Hanalei, we stopped at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. There we saw Red-footed boobies, Red-tailed tropicbirds and Hawaii's state bird, the Nene, or Hawaiian Goose.

There were so many tropic birds nesting in the trees along the cliff, they looked like white flowers.








We have been enjoying the time together.  We are both getting a lot of knitting done, too!

More adventures to go....