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Prague, Czech Republic
May 29th, Saturday - Prague, Czech Republic, by TD
 After much grumbling, we got AD up to make
an 8 AM train departure for Prague. He's not a morning person,
a trait that has developed on this trip. Hopefully on our
return home, he will revert back to our normal schedule.
Dresden Bahnhof is easy to find and currently undergoing
complete redevelopment. As one German told me "everything the
East did has to be rebuilt". There's some truth to the
statement but it also showed me some of the resentment felt in
the West over the drain rebuilding the East has caused on the
German economy.
 Our plan for the train trip was to try and complete the AD's
remaining workbook pages. For some reason he left a number of
English pages which I have tried to show him how simple the
work is. It requires learning when to use words that are
frequently "misused" like accept, except, lie and lay, etc. We
worked for most of the trip and only have 4 pages left. Which
means other than review, supplementary math, and reading, we
are finished.
 This day trip to Prague required 5 hours of train travel for
an afternoon in the city. No justice can be given to any city
in a few hours but how could we have been this close and not
gone? The first dilemma was getting to the center of the city.
The train station's subway stop was closed for construction so
we had to use a shuttle bus. We've just arrived in a city with
no guidebook or map. There's no tourist information office and
we're taking a detour! It wasn't a problem but added stress
and extra miles of walking.
 The streets of central Prague were chocked full of tourists
and shoppers. English can be heard out of lots of mouths. It
was finally sunny and actually warm enough for shorts when the
sun wasn't hiding behind the few clouds. We walked our way
down the main boulevard toward old town. I knew we needed to
find the Charles Bridge and headed to the river.
Unfortunately, we missed our estimated turn and ended up way
down river. We felt we had wasted valuable time but saw a
neighborhood that most people don't.
 Prague was blessed during WWII with occupation by the Nazis
but no bombing by the Allied forces. It has intact districts
of 500, 400, 200 year old structures. They have completed most
of the improvements needed to main squares and tourist areas
that years of neglect required. Every European city seems to
have some similarity in architecture and designs but also
their own flavor. Prague has a lot of mural paintings and faux
painting on building fronts. The colors are also different.
While some cities used lots of gold, this one used two tones
of beige and a mauve.
 Looming high over the city are the Prague Castle and St. Vitus
Cathedral. Czech presidents have resided in the castle since
the end of the monarchy. Below the bluff is the lesser
quarter, a very touristy area that houses a number of churches
and museums. The shops sell all types of Czech glassware,
puppets and other souvenirs. I have never seen so much glass
for sale. Cut glass, art glass, colored glass and crystal,
even chandeliers are available.
 The historic Charles Bridge is lined with artists easels and
entertainers. There were bagpipes playing in one spot and an
opera singer in another. The bridge connects the Old Town and
the Lesser Quarter. The Old Town Square is the hub for
activity in the district. Cafes and shops line the sides
leaving a large open area for a stage, with 1000's of people
milling around. It was an exciting place to be on a spring
day. Numerous churches dating from the gothic period grace the
skyline.
 Our visit to Prague was too brief. We only walked around, ate
and wrote three post cards. Shopping alone could take days of
your time. There are plenty of museums, palaces, and churches
to visit. We feel that we'll be back another time. A short
subway and bus ride brought us back to the train station. Our
return trip to Dresden left at 5:30. The tracks follow the
Elbe River valley. Small
 villages and farms dotted both sides.
There was a wealth difference visible between the Czech and
German houses. While Prague had a definite cosmopolitan look
to the center of the city, the outer areas still show the
decay from years of "Central Planning". They will soon enjoy
the fruits of the EU but it's a 10 year plan.
 Even though it was a Saturday, we found the roadhouse near our
hotel closed. So we drove to nearby Willsdorf and ate. The
food was delicious but the place smoky. DW had boar goulash
which tasted just like beef stew.
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May 30th - Trip to Vienna
We got on the road at 8:50 am heading
to Vienna, Austria. We made a guess about how long it
would take to get to our hotel, 6-7 hours. In total with
three stops it took six and one half hours. We went to a
park that had rides, games and food. I had a limit of
$24 to spend. I liked the go-karts the best and did very
well. On one of these rides I passed everyone on the
track at least once. I also got hit a few times and now
have a some scratches on my back. I also rode two roller coasters and went in a fun house and a haunted house. I
am getting to like roller coasters a lot better. The day
was really fun except for the drive to Vienna.
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Sightseeing in Vienna...»
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