Another Trip of Discovery of Feminine Charm with DW and DD the Younger
Nov 26th, 2014, 02:00 PM
#21
We found some nice restaurants. In terms of location and ambience, that is. The taste, presentation and the variaties of food remind one of starvation in Saharan or Sub-Saharan Africa.
easy to understand how and why the Czechs stay so slim, despite the beer, the absynthe and other 40% alcohol beverages.
Over cooked chicken, goulash sauce pasta, cabbages, some of the most tasteless potato leaves one with decent sausages and strong horse radish sauce to survive on. Cold pork necks are also fine. Soups are without any imagination, almost wobbling in their cups. And we all refused to visit an Indian or a Chinese eatery in our search of something to write home about.
The two hour tour became a private one with no other participants. it did not include any paid entrees into the prestigious parts of the palace cathedral and possibly other places. took photographs, discovered location of an old brewery with a restaurant, got ripped by the taxi which took us there after the tour. Decided to walk back and it took us over one hour. i was all walked in after the palace in the morning and the march of the over-stuffed, so flopped on the bed and slept two solid hours while the ladies went out again to check marionette shops.
Interesting to note that their president resides in a small building, an adjunct to the palace, possibly with no more than 30-40 rooms whereas ours decided he needed a new one and built one of one thousand rooms. In fact the palace seems to have more churches than offices, a strange situation for a secular and not very religious people.
Then it was time to wake up, get dressed nicely for the Czech Philharmonic concert at Rudolphina. ladies had to have the traditional pre-concert bubbly and I had no time to quench my thirst with something more respectable.
SEcond row balcony seats in the middle gave us excellent view of the orchestra, including the tympanist who had his chance about three quarters down the way on the Smetana piece. Good peace, acceptable rendition.
The Borodin started well but fell into a stupor with me. That is when I started feeling claustrophobic, a major issue when seeted with about twenty others on each side.
Rushed out at intermission, refused to go back to own seat but found one on the edge of a row and almost next to an exit door. Could then nod over the clarinet & violin peace to reach full wakefulness and joy with a favorite Bartok.
The auditorium, acourstics, the base and horn sections were good. The conducter was very energetic with a nice, well-shaped back side. This time around, we hasked the reception to call a cab for us to get to the concert because we were getting late. This guy was fine and charged us 10% of what we paid the first one (not that much shorter ride)
We walked back easily in 20 minutes or so, still not finding any restaurants which offered different fare. Ended up eating pasta and chicken and salad in a Middle ages cellar. The pasta and chicken tasted like goulash and the salad was iceberg with a goat cheese slice.
As you can see, I do not complain about food and will usually eat anything that comes my way, but I was getting worried about the delicate constitution of the ladies.
Most buildings in Prague seem to have small windows and many also have tiny useless balconies. Having learned about the art and scince of defenstration, I now understand whay they built those small fenesres and the apparently very necessary balconies. Even the gargoyles may have a second use after they run their water, as handholds or hooks to catch the falling bodies.
We did not witness any induced, voluntary or compulsory defenstration so far during this trip
easy to understand how and why the Czechs stay so slim, despite the beer, the absynthe and other 40% alcohol beverages.
Over cooked chicken, goulash sauce pasta, cabbages, some of the most tasteless potato leaves one with decent sausages and strong horse radish sauce to survive on. Cold pork necks are also fine. Soups are without any imagination, almost wobbling in their cups. And we all refused to visit an Indian or a Chinese eatery in our search of something to write home about.
The two hour tour became a private one with no other participants. it did not include any paid entrees into the prestigious parts of the palace cathedral and possibly other places. took photographs, discovered location of an old brewery with a restaurant, got ripped by the taxi which took us there after the tour. Decided to walk back and it took us over one hour. i was all walked in after the palace in the morning and the march of the over-stuffed, so flopped on the bed and slept two solid hours while the ladies went out again to check marionette shops.
Interesting to note that their president resides in a small building, an adjunct to the palace, possibly with no more than 30-40 rooms whereas ours decided he needed a new one and built one of one thousand rooms. In fact the palace seems to have more churches than offices, a strange situation for a secular and not very religious people.
Then it was time to wake up, get dressed nicely for the Czech Philharmonic concert at Rudolphina. ladies had to have the traditional pre-concert bubbly and I had no time to quench my thirst with something more respectable.
SEcond row balcony seats in the middle gave us excellent view of the orchestra, including the tympanist who had his chance about three quarters down the way on the Smetana piece. Good peace, acceptable rendition.
The Borodin started well but fell into a stupor with me. That is when I started feeling claustrophobic, a major issue when seeted with about twenty others on each side.
Rushed out at intermission, refused to go back to own seat but found one on the edge of a row and almost next to an exit door. Could then nod over the clarinet & violin peace to reach full wakefulness and joy with a favorite Bartok.
The auditorium, acourstics, the base and horn sections were good. The conducter was very energetic with a nice, well-shaped back side. This time around, we hasked the reception to call a cab for us to get to the concert because we were getting late. This guy was fine and charged us 10% of what we paid the first one (not that much shorter ride)
We walked back easily in 20 minutes or so, still not finding any restaurants which offered different fare. Ended up eating pasta and chicken and salad in a Middle ages cellar. The pasta and chicken tasted like goulash and the salad was iceberg with a goat cheese slice.
As you can see, I do not complain about food and will usually eat anything that comes my way, but I was getting worried about the delicate constitution of the ladies.
Most buildings in Prague seem to have small windows and many also have tiny useless balconies. Having learned about the art and scince of defenstration, I now understand whay they built those small fenesres and the apparently very necessary balconies. Even the gargoyles may have a second use after they run their water, as handholds or hooks to catch the falling bodies.
We did not witness any induced, voluntary or compulsory defenstration so far during this trip
Nov 27th, 2014, 12:30 AM
#22
you mean the tour guide did not chatter on about window expulsions?
Taxi overcharge, should have bought a tram ticket.
Only in Prague would the waiter say sorry if they only have "Budvar" to drink. Like Rheims bar with only Krug.
Taxi overcharge, should have bought a tram ticket.
Only in Prague would the waiter say sorry if they only have "Budvar" to drink. Like Rheims bar with only Krug.
Nov 27th, 2014, 03:46 AM
#23
OC - hie thee to the municipal hall [the one with the concert hall upstairs] - the downstairs restaurant was very good when we were there, especially the roast goose. we didn't eat in the ground floor restaurant but that looked very nice, and a bit posher [chandeliers instead of art deco tiles] so it might suit your womenfolk a bit better!
also i can't imagine that you've not come across those czech dumplings yet - we had no fewer than 4 sorts of carbohydrate on one plate, which rather crowded out the rather tasty stew that we had ordered.
also i can't imagine that you've not come across those czech dumplings yet - we had no fewer than 4 sorts of carbohydrate on one plate, which rather crowded out the rather tasty stew that we had ordered.
Nov 27th, 2014, 06:15 AM
#24
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Perhaps you are not recognising the dumplings - some are shaped like a slice of bread and it is hard to avoid them. My favourite meal featured 4 different types of cabbage, hard to imagine but true!
Nov 27th, 2014, 07:51 AM
#25
Dumplings remind me of the ugly mush I was force fed when i was a baby right after the war in 1945-46. I have no idea hy I remember that and nothing else until the age of four.
I also have 2nd degree to yellow and 3rd degree to red cabbage food sensitivity. meaning, i feel miserable in all types of ways everytime I eat them.
their sausages are good except for their skins which chew like worn down ladies' stockings rather than anything edible.
Found a decent noodle restaurant for lunch with fine Thai curries and some good specialties and excellent Jasmine tea.
Fell for the tourist trap Mozart cafe dinner with a quartet in costumes playing tonight and a fixed menu 4 course dinner (no guesses there)
I am quite happy that I found an unabridged translation of The Good Soldier Svejk plus `Lord Mord` by Milos Urban, Umberto Eco's "The Prague Cemetery" and one that has been on my wish list for sometime, "Gottland" by Mariusz Szczygiel, in addition to the Golem and other Jewish Stories with drawings possibly made in the olde days.
DW & DD already packed most of their stuff in view of possible early departure towards Driezden (pronunciation) and then to Halles.
this was too short for Prague but I could see it getting more and more expensive as the glamour of new places to discover wore off and shop windows became more attractive. Today, it was not only marionettes and wooden toys, or cheaper Moser & Bohemian crystal and multiple bottles of different colored absynthe but also a new italian brand of ladies fashions which the two decided could be a recipient of their donations.
DW in huge bathroom whete the tub lacks curtain or glass, making it very uncomfortable to shower without spilling outside and then causing you to pose in indecision on whether to use the towels to mop up the floor to prevent slipping or cover one's magnificence in proper respect of peeping eyes.
I thought of all the blogs I did not make, was on the verge of deciding on a Prague one with photos et al. but then realized that i am already beyond the Alfred J. Pruffrock days. My pant bottoms have been taken in by an inch, and "I dare" but nobody listens and i procrastinate basically for fun and/or to extend the time available for me on this world.
I also have 2nd degree to yellow and 3rd degree to red cabbage food sensitivity. meaning, i feel miserable in all types of ways everytime I eat them.
their sausages are good except for their skins which chew like worn down ladies' stockings rather than anything edible.
Found a decent noodle restaurant for lunch with fine Thai curries and some good specialties and excellent Jasmine tea.
Fell for the tourist trap Mozart cafe dinner with a quartet in costumes playing tonight and a fixed menu 4 course dinner (no guesses there)
I am quite happy that I found an unabridged translation of The Good Soldier Svejk plus `Lord Mord` by Milos Urban, Umberto Eco's "The Prague Cemetery" and one that has been on my wish list for sometime, "Gottland" by Mariusz Szczygiel, in addition to the Golem and other Jewish Stories with drawings possibly made in the olde days.
DW & DD already packed most of their stuff in view of possible early departure towards Driezden (pronunciation) and then to Halles.
this was too short for Prague but I could see it getting more and more expensive as the glamour of new places to discover wore off and shop windows became more attractive. Today, it was not only marionettes and wooden toys, or cheaper Moser & Bohemian crystal and multiple bottles of different colored absynthe but also a new italian brand of ladies fashions which the two decided could be a recipient of their donations.
DW in huge bathroom whete the tub lacks curtain or glass, making it very uncomfortable to shower without spilling outside and then causing you to pose in indecision on whether to use the towels to mop up the floor to prevent slipping or cover one's magnificence in proper respect of peeping eyes.
I thought of all the blogs I did not make, was on the verge of deciding on a Prague one with photos et al. but then realized that i am already beyond the Alfred J. Pruffrock days. My pant bottoms have been taken in by an inch, and "I dare" but nobody listens and i procrastinate basically for fun and/or to extend the time available for me on this world.
Nov 27th, 2014, 12:18 PM
#26
The cafe Mozart with the Mozart Quartet playing in period costumes pleasantly surprised us. the music was good, the food was the best we had in Prague. Fresh salad, tiger prawns with good sauce, salmon with avocados. the dessert was a let down, but we were quite full by then. the Czech white we tried seemed fine to me but not so fine to the ladies who had to be stopped from asking for another bottle.
there was a noisy, possibly British group at next table. I lied to them and told them that what they were saying was quite interesting since I could follow it perfectly while the musician tried their best to blanket them.
It is only a few minute walk to our hotel from the Grand Praha Hotel and cafe Mozart. Just past 10PM, I thought we had had enough for the day but they snuck out in more comfortable shoes. i told them that we should be at breakfast by 8AM if we wanted to see some of the countryside and Driezden.
will try to write from Halle, tomorrow night.
there was a noisy, possibly British group at next table. I lied to them and told them that what they were saying was quite interesting since I could follow it perfectly while the musician tried their best to blanket them.
It is only a few minute walk to our hotel from the Grand Praha Hotel and cafe Mozart. Just past 10PM, I thought we had had enough for the day but they snuck out in more comfortable shoes. i told them that we should be at breakfast by 8AM if we wanted to see some of the countryside and Driezden.
will try to write from Halle, tomorrow night.
Nov 27th, 2014, 01:14 PM
#27
thank goodness you found a decent dinner, though I am sorry about the boorish behaviour of your possibly british neighbours.
Enjoy Dresden [pronounced exactly as it looks, i.e. with a long "E" sound as in "beg"]
Enjoy Dresden [pronounced exactly as it looks, i.e. with a long "E" sound as in "beg"]
Nov 28th, 2014, 07:06 AM
#33
Left Prague later than we wished but managed to get out with only one wrong turn, faced the diversions due to construction which the car Navi refused to acknowledge, and made it to Draeisdaen just in time for lunch, managing to park under the large Christmas market.
We bought Christmas cakes from a very pleasant Turkish lady, hot wine again and took fun photographs, argued about the way to a restaurant and ended in another typical one where the cute waitress, envious of DD, poured her diet pepsi on her bag and hat. Naturally, I allowed DD to pay and calculate the tip.
We ended up with soups and salads although my salad had a large slab of Schnitzel in it.
Took a few photos of interesting looking places on our route, started a contest between our TomTom and the car navi. It seemed that they joined forces and ganged up against us.
Our hotel at Halle is everything that Google told me; clean, reasonably modern, in an industrial zone on the outskirts of the city for ease of access, despised by the ladies who were spoilt by previous selections, but very close to a train or tram stop for the 15 minute ride to city center.
Will now, leave room, ask reception to provide two additional softer pillows and get the trains to see the wonders of downtown Halle, have some gluhe wine and eventually food of the simplest type which will treat us better, we hope.
Tomorrow morning, we drive to the airport for the 160 minute 12:30 flight to Istanbul after finding a decent breakfast joint.
I may report on this evening's experience depending on the outcome since I would hate to depress you.
We bought Christmas cakes from a very pleasant Turkish lady, hot wine again and took fun photographs, argued about the way to a restaurant and ended in another typical one where the cute waitress, envious of DD, poured her diet pepsi on her bag and hat. Naturally, I allowed DD to pay and calculate the tip.
We ended up with soups and salads although my salad had a large slab of Schnitzel in it.
Took a few photos of interesting looking places on our route, started a contest between our TomTom and the car navi. It seemed that they joined forces and ganged up against us.
Our hotel at Halle is everything that Google told me; clean, reasonably modern, in an industrial zone on the outskirts of the city for ease of access, despised by the ladies who were spoilt by previous selections, but very close to a train or tram stop for the 15 minute ride to city center.
Will now, leave room, ask reception to provide two additional softer pillows and get the trains to see the wonders of downtown Halle, have some gluhe wine and eventually food of the simplest type which will treat us better, we hope.
Tomorrow morning, we drive to the airport for the 160 minute 12:30 flight to Istanbul after finding a decent breakfast joint.
I may report on this evening's experience depending on the outcome since I would hate to depress you.
Nov 28th, 2014, 11:41 AM
#36
Thank you all.
Came back to the room from Halle Zentrum half past eight, having wisely decided to drive rather than take a tram.
It should have been a very streightforward drive but for the ease of missing the underpass and continuing on the bridge over the river. Traffic was easy, navi went crazy again, but we found a major square with some interesting churches and other buildings around it like Kaufhoff Galleria.
The square had half of the population of Halle present, eating, bumping into each other and us, standing with dreamy eyes, talking without making much sense (possibly in some foreign language like German)and drinking gluhwein from mugs you pay 2 Euros for. (the ones at dresden were nicer but had 3 Euros deposit.)
We walked around the square, tried the side streets and took the longish pedestrianized street with shops looking for a restaurant, any restaurant. (having forgotten name of restaurant Annhig had gracefully provided) We did not se one restaurant. saw three ugly cafes and no bars. We asked a mother and daughter pair at a stand at the Christmas market for the nearest restaurant they could direct us. They discussed for some time, rolled their eyes, spread their arms and shook their hands to mean that they knew of none within walking distance. there was not even a fast food joint.
So we ended up with some mushrooms with garlic sauce on a tiny paper plate and a bratwurst in a hamburger bun each. The ladies had a crepe and a waffle and some mopre gluhwein. Back in the hotel, writin this at 9:25 PM, I am starving and aware that I would find nothing anywhere unless I drove back to the Christmas market and if the food vendors are closed maybe try some of the Christmas ornaments.
We saw huge variation between leipzig, Dresden, Prague and Halles. the people, their clothing, interests, life styles, eating (or not eating) and drinking habits. And Alexandroupolis was another matter.
We all feel very lucky to have experienced this trip. What we missed most was not having the opportunity to have conversations with the naives, except for our guide and the people at reception at our Prag hotel.
DD was a terrific pilot and new how to handle the fickle navigation device as well a having the kind of photographic memory I used to have upto a few years ago.
I never, ever, in my entire life would have thought I would look forward to the airline food we will be given tomorrow.
Will try to close it with a few more words of timeless 5 dimensional being communication back in istanbul, a la "Interstellar" the science of which, has always interested me long before the film.
By the way, for those interested in the "peach" , you are recommended to reread the T.S. Elliot poem, "Love Song of Alfred G. Pruffrock. I also enjoyed visualizing the song mentioned by Bilbo, but alas!!!!!!
Came back to the room from Halle Zentrum half past eight, having wisely decided to drive rather than take a tram.
It should have been a very streightforward drive but for the ease of missing the underpass and continuing on the bridge over the river. Traffic was easy, navi went crazy again, but we found a major square with some interesting churches and other buildings around it like Kaufhoff Galleria.
The square had half of the population of Halle present, eating, bumping into each other and us, standing with dreamy eyes, talking without making much sense (possibly in some foreign language like German)and drinking gluhwein from mugs you pay 2 Euros for. (the ones at dresden were nicer but had 3 Euros deposit.)
We walked around the square, tried the side streets and took the longish pedestrianized street with shops looking for a restaurant, any restaurant. (having forgotten name of restaurant Annhig had gracefully provided) We did not se one restaurant. saw three ugly cafes and no bars. We asked a mother and daughter pair at a stand at the Christmas market for the nearest restaurant they could direct us. They discussed for some time, rolled their eyes, spread their arms and shook their hands to mean that they knew of none within walking distance. there was not even a fast food joint.
So we ended up with some mushrooms with garlic sauce on a tiny paper plate and a bratwurst in a hamburger bun each. The ladies had a crepe and a waffle and some mopre gluhwein. Back in the hotel, writin this at 9:25 PM, I am starving and aware that I would find nothing anywhere unless I drove back to the Christmas market and if the food vendors are closed maybe try some of the Christmas ornaments.
We saw huge variation between leipzig, Dresden, Prague and Halles. the people, their clothing, interests, life styles, eating (or not eating) and drinking habits. And Alexandroupolis was another matter.
We all feel very lucky to have experienced this trip. What we missed most was not having the opportunity to have conversations with the naives, except for our guide and the people at reception at our Prag hotel.
DD was a terrific pilot and new how to handle the fickle navigation device as well a having the kind of photographic memory I used to have upto a few years ago.
I never, ever, in my entire life would have thought I would look forward to the airline food we will be given tomorrow.
Will try to close it with a few more words of timeless 5 dimensional being communication back in istanbul, a la "Interstellar" the science of which, has always interested me long before the film.
By the way, for those interested in the "peach" , you are recommended to reread the T.S. Elliot poem, "Love Song of Alfred G. Pruffrock. I also enjoyed visualizing the song mentioned by Bilbo, but alas!!!!!!
Nov 28th, 2014, 01:27 PM
#37
I never, ever, in my entire life would have thought I would look forward to the airline food we will be given tomorrow.>>
commiserations on your lack of sustenance, OC. I even googled restaurants in Halle and the map claims that there are several in the centre of town; I am sorry that you didn't find any of them but admire your sang fraud in the face of adversity.
have a good trip home and i hope that the airline food lives up to expectations.
commiserations on your lack of sustenance, OC. I even googled restaurants in Halle and the map claims that there are several in the centre of town; I am sorry that you didn't find any of them but admire your sang fraud in the face of adversity.
have a good trip home and i hope that the airline food lives up to expectations.
Nov 29th, 2014, 07:49 AM
#40
Ann, I blame my ancestors for the sangfraud and the weather for the sang froid.
Cowboy, We more than survived, agreeing that it was a very good trip all in all. I love driving in Germany, but not in search of restaurants in semi deserted streets after 7PM in approaching Winter, with the fear of Stasi who is apparently in a state of hibernation, waking up every now and then to stay in practice. The passport police, entering the country kept on asking for return tickets, hotel reservations, money and checking our Schengen and United States visas over and over again, against some devices as well as the overhead light. We were all dressed properly, I, as much as possible, the ladies in the height of fashion and we had all reservations including the C220D Automatic staring at her.
Leaving Leipzig airport, today, we had just passed the final passport control to the waiting lounge, after walking the compulsory one mile from check-in to security dress-down, when I realized that I needed a drink to gulp down my heart and diabetes medicine. I approached the passport politzei very pleasantly to explain the circumstance, pointing to the cafe only 30 meters away in a totally empty area and he pointed at the sign which wrote Nicht Auchgang or something like that and said a simple `Nein` Unfortunately, i did not have enough German to explain that I supported communism, was not Jewish, that all Turks should be deported immediately and that the former East Germans should receive higher wages than their Western counterparts in view of all the hardships they faced to protect the indulgences of the West.
Cowboy, We more than survived, agreeing that it was a very good trip all in all. I love driving in Germany, but not in search of restaurants in semi deserted streets after 7PM in approaching Winter, with the fear of Stasi who is apparently in a state of hibernation, waking up every now and then to stay in practice. The passport police, entering the country kept on asking for return tickets, hotel reservations, money and checking our Schengen and United States visas over and over again, against some devices as well as the overhead light. We were all dressed properly, I, as much as possible, the ladies in the height of fashion and we had all reservations including the C220D Automatic staring at her.
Leaving Leipzig airport, today, we had just passed the final passport control to the waiting lounge, after walking the compulsory one mile from check-in to security dress-down, when I realized that I needed a drink to gulp down my heart and diabetes medicine. I approached the passport politzei very pleasantly to explain the circumstance, pointing to the cafe only 30 meters away in a totally empty area and he pointed at the sign which wrote Nicht Auchgang or something like that and said a simple `Nein` Unfortunately, i did not have enough German to explain that I supported communism, was not Jewish, that all Turks should be deported immediately and that the former East Germans should receive higher wages than their Western counterparts in view of all the hardships they faced to protect the indulgences of the West.
