Greetings readers of my travels.
I'm finally here!!!!
As I was waiting for my final train to take me to Prague I kept thinking of the movie, Trains, Planes and Automobiles. That's the kind of day it was.
My friend A, picked me up from The Mother's house to take me to the Airport. There I checked in at one of the kiosks as I have an E-ticket. I'm not the swiftest at those things so it took me a while to figure it all out. Then I realized I wasn't in the Executive Class waiting area and headed to the right place. Everyone was and has been so nice in my adventures.
First Class really does have it's advantages. There was a lovely lounge to hang out it before the flight boarded with free everything. I guess I've already paid for it really but it was lovely. Comfy chairs, lots of nibblies and beverages. I really enjoyed watching the families and business people prepare for their flights, some seemed excited (like me) and others just going about their daily business.
The seats in the plane for first class aren't really seats at all. They're BEDS! There were 7 controls to figure out that would make the seat/bed move in any direction you wanted. It was really something. There was a nice blanket, pillow, bottle of water and 'care kit' (toothbrush, paste, lip balm etc) waiting for me.
The staff was amazing, the flight uneventful except for a couple of turbulence times and I watched Black Swan, True Grit and a bit of Kung Fu Panda (okay, I watched a cartoon when I woke up from a couple of hours of rest/sleep). I even caught some XM Satellite radio too. Didn't really get time to read my book. We were in the air for 6 1/2 hours. Descending into Germany was beautiful. The sun was coming up over the clouds, as we were above the clouds for a bit then there was the green fields and forests of central Germany. There were many wind farms visible from the air.
Once I finally got to the passport review place and my luggage (tons of walking but well signed) I found my train waiting area and settled in Frankfurt terminal for 2 hour wait for my train to Dresden. Frankfurt is a European hub and there was everyone imaginable there, from every country it seemed. I loved it!
The trains are all electric in Germany and Czech republic as far as I could tell and very, very quiet. I put my iPod on just to kill the silence! I'm so used to Via clicking and clacking along but here, nothing! First class is very nice in the German ICE (intercity express) and all done in light wood panelling and glass. Very comfortable and the trains FLEW! No wasting time here. I reached Dresden 5 hours later.
Travelling through Germany I saw so many homes with solar panels on the roofs. The roofs, by the way, are all red clay tiles as there are very few homes with asphalt shingles on them and thus all the same colour. There were many homes that were just abandoned and left to ruin. My cousins tell me this is because if there is no money to fix it up it is just left. Very sad to see but I guess that's what some European countries are coming out of.
Many fields had deer in them and there were lots of swans grazing in the new wheat fields. It was very neat to see. We don't see swans as much but here they're very plentiful.
I changed trains in Dresden and couldn't resist buying a warm pretzel to snack on. My time was all mixed up as we are 6 hours ahead here. So right now, as I type it is 7 am in Ontario. Weird!
Anyway the train to Dresden was a little more down scale in fanciness but still went very fast and travelled along a beautiful track that was beside what would become the Moldau (Vltava) river in Prague. I took pictures out the train window as best I could, it was raining so it wasn't the perfect venue for it but I captured some memories. Beautiful little chalets (and not so little) were built into the side of the mountains. Then, as we approached the Czech Republic, things flattened out and it became more farm like again.
Though the train announcements were a little difficult to catch, even in English, I got off at the right station with Vlasta, Tomas (cousins) and Milena (my aunt) to greet me with flowers and the traditional bread and salt, which I was to eat immediately! I was wonderful to see them and I had finally finished my journey. In total I had been travelling 15 hours! Wow!!
Tomas and Vlasta both have SUV type vehicles and we flew through the streets of Prague. Tomas suggested that we go through the old town so I would see that first. It was a wonderful idea because it was a spectacular way to see it first. The streets are SOOOO narrow and all cobble stoned and these guys fly down the roads! It was fun. Vlasta and Milena showed me all the places and streets that I will be able to investigate but we had to make one stop. The apartment building that Dad left when he escaped. It is on a street that stops at the river and the building used to be a walk up and they were on the 4th floor. Milena said it was 90 steps to the top! Yikes! There is an elevator in there now and the new owners of the building have refurbished it so it is clean and very nice looking. Not all buildings in Prague are as some have not been renovated yet.
Once home in Vlasta and (husband) Mirek's apartment I began to feel settled in. I unpacked and we all looked at maps and tourist information that they had found for me. A nice dinner Vlasta had prepared was lovely (schnitzel and soup and salad!) after a long trip and Mirek and I enjoyed my first Czech beer! After dinner we intently watched the weather report as we are heading to the north Bohemian area and they have had 10 cm of snow there. I brought my snow gear so I am ready.
Mirek makes his own recipe of a type of European sherry. We all enjoyed a taste of that (think port with cinnamon and cherry! Really good)
Then for me it was to bed. It was only 9 pm Czech time but I was just spent. My eyes hurt from looking at so many things and trying to figure things out. A nice comfy bed awaited me.
So there ends day 1!
I will have pictures attached when I figure out the Czech instructions on this computer! (I'm using Mirek's right now.)
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