The trip so far...              4 June 2006  Praha, Czech Republic

In the beginning there was a 1/2 hour wait at the Lufthansa counter
at the SFO International terminal until they opened up at 6:30PM.
Somehow my 5:45 cab and the BART connection got me to the airport
in no time at all! I was somewhat concerned over the continous
message displays at each counter station warning that only one
carry-on bag was allowed and the weight limit was 8 kg (17.6 lbs )
Well, I took a couple of items from my backpack, which had weighed
in at 21 lbs at home and slipped them into my bag to be checked...
a lightweight at a mere 45 lbs, 5 lbs under the limit!
Next I took my camera that was in the backpack in it's fannypack 
caseand slipped that around my waist...me gaining 3 lbs and the 
backpackgetting lighter by the minute. I also had my canvas tote 
bag containingthe allowed "reading material for the flight" 
( about 5 lbs of magazines, hell, it was to be an 11-hour flight! ) 
as well as all my prescription drugs, my lunch ( 3 sandwiches + 2 
bottles of water ) and sweater and ball cap.

Well, good thing I lightened the backpack as the person checking me
in weighed it ( came in a 8.6 kg ). She let the 0.6 kilo overweight
slide and attached the "Lufthansa Approved Cabin Baggage" sticker.
These Germans are sticklers for formalities...and stickers!
I mentioned in passing that I also had "my lunch and reading material"
which I kept out of sight but didn't seem to be a problem as many
others had the "one permitted bag" plus a second. I was much relieved
of all my pre-checkin anxiety and went on to the security checkpoint
where I was met by one of the guys I used to work with there! No line,
no problems. Off to the concourse and a well deserved scone and coffee.
As I was sipping my coffee one of the gals I had worked with there at
the airport came by on her break. After the hugs and catching up I went
on to the gate.

Then came the 2 hour wait until we began boarding the Airbus A340-200,
a very large aircraft. So large that the lavatories ( 5 of them ) and 
on the deck below. You go down a fairly wide set of stairs in the galley 
area to a spacious waiting room like space where the lav''s are located
...3 on one side, two on the other. They were also a bit larger than the
usual variety.

My seatmate was a young gal on her way to Krakow to meet her boyfriend
who was there for a conference. We chatted a bit on and off during the
eleven hours and that, plus two movies and my 5 #'s of magazines helped
while away the time. I landing in Munich and around 5:30PM local time
and had 1 1/2 before my 7 PM flight on to Praha. That was uneventfull
and I arrived on time ( 8:35 PM ) and was met by the shuttle service that
I had booked online. My driver was a young gal who of course spoke English
and during the ride into town she helped me a bit with my Czech.

I picked up the key to my "flat" just around the corner at another hotel
since the desk guy at the Avalon ( my place ) is only on until 5 PM.
Well, I found out that the "2nd floor" is really the 3rd floor here and
it's best to slap on the big light switches when you see them since finding
the keyhole(s) in the dark is a hassle. I had 3 keys on the key-ring.
One for the front door, one for the gate on the landing between the 1st 
and 2nd floor and one for the door to my L-shaped flat. I had to discover,
in the dark, which was which and which way to turn each lock!

My flat has a bedroom area that has 3 twin beds, a table and two chairs 
and a fairly large closet. The dining/entrance area has a table, 2 chairs, 
another twin bed and a small refrigerator. This was great as I tend to 
spread out alot. Suitcase with some of the contents layed out on one bed, 
all my myriad cords, chargers, cables and computer on another bed. One 
bed for sleeping and the other for tossing my clothes onto after a long 
day of walking about!

After getting settled at the flat I went out for a late dinner at a 
restaurant on the Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti) that I had
hhad a great dinner at during my 2-day stay in 2002.
Since I had managed to stay awake during most all of the 14+ hours
of travel, I was able to get to sleep without too much trouble...that
is until I found myself wide awake at 5 AM! I looked out the window
which overlooks Havelska street, a pedestrian zone with stalls for 
a daily farmers market running down the middle, and saw that it had
rained and the sky was overcast. So, I took some time to get myself
ready to go out and meet Praha and the morning. Well, I went off at
6 AM in search of breakfast wearing my jacket and ball cap because
it was damned chilly...more or less like San Francisco in the summer,
only to find that Praha is pretty much still asleep and closed at
that hour. Matter of fact, it wasn't until around 8 AM that I found
a small pastry shop just around the corner open. I bought two delicious
pastries and a small cappucino and sat on a damp bench in a little
square in front of the shop while I had my pre-breakfast goodies.
At 9AM the pizzeria/breakfast place under my flat opened and I had
a discount coupon for breakfast there...a choice of 5 menu's. I choose
number 3, a ham and egg scramble, assortment of bread and rolls and
cappucino... 100 Kc... about $5.

Breakfast finally under my belt I was ready to continue my exploration
of Praha...I had already spent two hours walking about in vain during my
search for a cup of coffee! I went around the corner and up the street
to the Mustek Metro station to buy a 7-day tourist pass. I managed to
purchase that, using Czech only, and then noticed a market in the
same underground complex. I went in to buy orange juice, which I did,
but also discovered that they carried Budweiser Budvar, the original
Budweiser beer, in the non-alcholic variety in a 0.5 liter bottle
for 10.90 Kc...somewhere around $0.50-$0.60 a bottle!! I put 3 bottles
in my basket and added a couple of yogurts and checked out.

After depositing my groceries at the flat I headed off in the direction
of the Prazsky hrad ( Prague castle ) that dominates the horizon to the
west. (Note: I'm leaving out all the diacritical marks since even when
I use the Czech keyboard to compose, they often get lost along the way
and what was an "R-hacek" becomes a "theta" symbol. )

Now, back to my walk...I walked from Old Town tthe few blocks to
Karlov most ( Charles bridge ) managing to dodge a few sprinkles along
the way and taking pictures as I went. The farthest I had gone in 2002
was just across the most, never having gotten to the hrad. Well, it's
ALL up hill from the other side of the Vltava! But it's a "pretty"
uphill, even under overcast skies and the temperature in the low 50's.
I don't know what the actual distance is nor do I recall how long it
took me to arrive at the main entrance off a large square where two
guards and standing errect with shouldered rifles at their posts
on either side of the gate. There are similar pairs of guards at alli
the other entrances as well and you see a trio of them marching 
through the grounds every two hours on their way to or from a "changing
of the guard". Two of the three are the guards and the third is the captain
of the guard who marches in front of the other two.

At noon I witnessed the big ceremonial changing of the guard where a
whole company of guards march in the gate to relieve a company of 
guards already in the compound. There is music to accompany this evolution.
The castle grounds are very extensive and the cathedral that dominates
the skyline is pretty impressive, to say the least. Don't go mid-day.
It's freaking CROWDED! I've been back up there four different times
and an 8 AM there is nary a soul...just you and the guards, but then
none of the buildings are open yet...that happens at 9AM, but you can 
take all the unobstructed pictures you want at that hour! I was there
for a concert at 6 PM yesterday (3 June) and arrived at 4:30. It was
pretty sparse at that hour as well, so early morning or late afternoon
are the best times. 

After spending a couple of hours walking about the hrad, I started my
trek back downhill towards the red roofs of old town in the distance.
Well actually, almost ALL of Praha has a red roof! Another thing that
dominates most of Praha that I have walked are COBBLESTONES!
I don't care HOW comfortable those shoes you put on 4-6 hours or more
ago were, on the way home your feet will be KILLING you! 
I started the day ( as I have every day here now ) decked out in
cool weather clothes...jeans, sometimes a sweater, my light San
Francisco weather jacket and running shoes. By days end I have
cahnged out of the running shoes into my lightweight and initially
comfortable black shoes. By the time I return from the evening out
I am so relieved to be able to take off my shoes and socks and lounge
about in my bare feet or shower thongs! I find myself looking for the
flattest possible place to walk now when I'm out in an effort to prolong
my outing before sore feet cause me to curtail my walk!

While walking about, I've been taking lots and lots and lots of pictures.
I've probably gotten a half dozen shots of many of the notable buildings
under different light conditions ( the sun has been out alot the past 
two days ) and from different angles. I've probably taken two dozen
pictuires, maybe more, that feature some part of Prazsky hrad. When you
point your camera towards the west from any higher elevation or along
the banks and bridges of the Vltava the hrad is going to be there!
Not that that's a bad thing.

I've also heard lots of different languages spoken as I trek about.
probably the one most often heard, other than Cesky, is German.
Then there's English, mostly of the American variety but also a fair
amount of the Queens English as well. There are scores of Japanese
but I rarely hear them speaking as they are most often in large groups
being herded about by a tourguide holding an umbrella or flag overhead
for them to follow. Actually, there are ALOT of groups of all flavors
being tourguided about. There have been dozens of school kids in groups
everywhere about town. Most of them look as though they actually want to
be there. A few do have their ears stuffed with their MP3 earpods and
are really somewhere else.

One need now walkabout with an MP3 player as there is plenty of music to 
be had here. Just about every church has a sandwich board out front 
advertising "Concert tonight", "Concert this afternoon", "Concert
tomorrow". I've attended two concerts...one up at the Hrad in 
St. Georges's Basilica featuting short works of Mozart, Grieg, Sibelius,
Tchaikovsky and, of couse, Dvorak. This evening, after visiting
Smetana and Dvorak up at the National Cemetary at Vysehrad, I got to
hear "Die Moldau" while sitting in Dvorak Hall next to "Die Moldau",
the Vltava! I also heard a couple of Dvorak waltzes. Unfortunately
they were not "Prague Waltzes" which are my very favorite.
On that first morning in the square near the entrance to the Hrad
there were three musician playing folk music...darn near wanted
to dance had it not been for my aching feet!

I took a couple of trams today out to the ends of the line to see
what the 'burbs of Praha look like. Lot's of greenery and not as
much "soviet era" concrete housing as I had expected I might see.
In most of Praha, Art Nouveau facades grace many of the buildings
and off course the REALLY old buildings have a gothic character.
The food has been very good although much, much to rich for normal
every day fare but I've been "walking it off". I mean there ARE other
options but I'm pretty sure I'm not going to find a great goulash soup,
or roast pork cutlet covered with Hungarian sausage ( sliced thin like
proscuitto ) and baked with a coating of bleu cheese, at my local 
restaurant now am I?

I've not really suffered what you would call jet lag after my marathon
crossing of North America, Greenland, Scotland, Holand and Germany.
The first morning I did arise at 5AM, 9AM the 2nd, 6 AM the 3rd and
10AM this morning. But it did take 3 days to recover from all that SITTING!
Thank goodness for ibuprofen, baby powder and the Czech equivalent of
preparation-H purchased, using Czech I might add, at the Lekarna (pharmacy)
right across the street!

Well, I'll wrap this commentary up by saying that so far this trip
is turning out well, although the weather could be better. The wind
whipping about the narrow, twisting streets of Old and New Town can
be pretty chilling and raises havoc with your al fresco dining!
So, day after tomorrow I'll be off to Krakow and hope to report
from there.