| June 25, 2001 For a picnic, we took a tram out to Schloss Pilnitz, until 1918, the summer residence of the Saxon Kings and Queens. It was a nice, lazy day in the sun. Back in Dresden, we went to Martin's home for a party. Five nationalities were represented by the eleven guests. We grilled out and told stories until the wee hours of the morning. Lady and I knew it was time to go when we all sang the Polish version of 'Sweet Home Alabama'. Hotel - $0, Food - $6, Trans - $5 Total - $11 |
| June 26, 2001 Continuing last nights's fun, we ate breakfast with Martin and his girlfriend, Steffi. Then Martin drove us to the train station where he worked out a complicated itinerary of trains to Prague to save us money. The only downside was that our path had us crossing into the Czech Republic without going through immigration. Prague was somewhat rude with touts and scams. And finding budget accommodation in peak season was a challenge. A short tram ride to Old Town revealed why Prague is so popular. It is undeniably beautiful, a picturesque collection of grand Gothic and Baroque architecture. There are large plazas, golden churches, and even a castle on the hillside. Prague's allure hasinspired artists for centuries making it a centre of culture. Hotel - $19, Food - $8, Trans - $35, Random (Phone Card - $5) Total - $67 |
| June 27, 2001 We were off to a late start this morning because the shared bath at the hotel was occupied most of the morning by what we think was the Polish Mafia. Anyway, we stopped by the Foreigner's Police station about our tourist visa (or lack thereof). In broken English, we heard, 'No Problem'. We stopped at a crowded local place for lunch. We ate a hearty meal of beef and potatoes. And like all of our neighbors at the shared table, downed a beer, too. One of the 'must sees' of our visit was the Mozart Museum. In 1787, Mozart stayed here, the Villa Bertamka, to write Don Giovanni, his most famous opera. We also attended a string quarted performance of Mozart's works. Enjoying the late sunset, we walked up to Prague Castle for our last lingering view of the city. Hotel - $19, Food - $12, Trans - $4, Random (Museum - $2, Music Tickets - $18) Total - $55 |
| June 28, 2001 We were up early to travel to Plzen. This area of Bohemia is green with pine forests and quaint with small villages. We liked Plzen, it was a blue-collar town with high aspirations. For lunch, we had Czech potato dumplings filled with roast pork and caramelized onions with a good dose of sauerkraut on the side. We also feasted on bread with roquefort cheese and horseradish. Not wanting to argue whether beer is culture, we decided to take in the opera. Somehow we lucked into front row tickets to a sold out show of Carmen. We loved it. The music, costumes, story - everything was great. Hotel - $25, Food - $12, Trans- $11, Random )Museum - $5, OPera- $10, POstcards - $3) Total - $69 |
| June 29, 2001 More of the same today. Museums and the best food we have ever eaten. The highlight was the 'Mayor's lunch' of roast pork, bratwurst, sauerkraut, and bread dumplings along with Plzen's own finest pilsen. We also went back to the opera house for Romeo and Juliet. Something was lost in the translation though: Romeo was a girl, Juliet looked like Miss Piggy, and all was set in a train station. Appreciating opera might be a little more difficult than we thought. Hotel - $25, Food - $13, Random (Opera- $8, Museum - $3) Total -$49 |
| June 30, 2001 We crossed the border back to Germany this morning in route to Munich. All of our worry about not having proper entry and exit stamps was for naught. The border control guards for both countries didn't even bother opening our passports. Lady says without stamps its as if we were never in the Czech Republic. We found Munich not as cosmopolitan nor as picturesque as the rest, yet remarkably touristy. So much so, that the hotels were booked solid. We took a room in a school teacher's home that we had met on the street. (Who, by the way, had more rules and little signs than Wally did in San Ignacio). After living ike mayors, the sticker shock in Munich was devastating. We now eat at ethnic stands and grocery stores. We did splurge to enjoy a sunny afternoon in one of Munich's famed beer gardens. Hotel -$41, Food - $25, Trans - $31 Total - $97 |
| July 1, 2001 Ready for culture again, we hit the museums today. We have learned to focus on just a few artists, rather than be overwhelmed by all. At the Alte, we celebrated Rubens and Durer, while at the New, it was Van Gogh (including Sunflowers), Gaugin, and Monet. A Sunday afternoon in Munich would not be complete without a visit to the Englischer Garten. One of the most beautiful and largest city parks in Europe, it is famous for its lakeside beer gardens amd nude sunbathing. Hotel - $41, Food - $25, Trans - $6 Total - $72 |
| July 2, 2001 We took the train south to Salzburg, Austria. Famous as the birthplace of Mozart and for the Sound of Music, Salzburg is a pretty place. We found it to be cold and impersonal too, although the 4,000 special forces and police in town could have affected our judgement. There was an European Economic Council meeting and they clearly were expecting protesters. Unfortunately, they closed off many of the important Salzburg sites. To Lady's dismay, this included the Mirabell Gardens where Julie Andrews and the kids sang 'Do-re-mi'. We learned the gazebo was offlimits anyway after an 85-year-old woman broke her hip while singing 'I am sixteen' and leaping from bench to bench. We did make the pilgrimage to the Nonberg Convent where Maria was a nun and later married. Hotel - 38, Food - 26, Trans - 18 Total - 82 |