BootsnAll Travel Network



Czech, please!

24 Oct – 27 Oct, 2005

Sometimes you meet those people who you cannot but help go out of your way to see again. We only met Ludek very briefly in Venezuela, but his invitation could not be turned down. Back to Czech. And what we soon ascertained was that there were a lot of things we did not do ten years ago. Before this re-visit, I personally thought that Czech was one of those countries that was “complete”. Pretty much “done” (whatever that means). Now after 4 days in Pilzen and surrounds, we are wondering when we can come back for a third and detailed visit.

And a car. Thanks Ludek. Oooh, choosing to go where we want, when we want. Nebilovy, Rabi, Klatovy, Svihov, Horsovsky Tyn, Kladruby, Loket, and Karlovy Vary. If your Czech geography is as good as ours, then you wouldn’t know where they were (although some people may be able to place Karlovy Vary if referred to by its German name of Karlsbad). Each seemed to have some amazing castle, chateau, monastery, or similar.

Horsovsky Tyn
Horsovsky Tyn

Loket, near Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad)
Loket

Stebanka, Ludek’s girlfriend, who understands a lot more English than she admits, made us schnitzels to take as a picnic lunch. Yum!

Karlovy Vary is an incredibly beautiful city, with only one monstrous concrete blight. We were a tad disappointed in our “hot spring” experience, as it wasn’t particularly hot, or beautiful. Just a pretty uninspiring swimming pool. Lucky the view over the town was nice.

Wandering through town, we munched on our genuine Karlsbad spa wafers, carried our genuine and obligatory Karlsbad spa cup. We gathered with the sick people and the hypochondriacs at many of the fountains and joined them in guzzling the various hot spring waters. Bloody awful, if you ask me, but allegedly good for you. I gave up after only a few mouthfuls, but Jo persisted. Karlsbad also has a geyser, making us question how much of the information we read in Bulgaria is true, as they allege to have Europe’s only mainland geyser. (Czech is very much mainland, or as mainland as Bulgaria is, anyway).

Ludek



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