SusanP

Ingo, yes, so far... 😀

Fleur_de_Lis

What a great report! Looking forward to reading more - and so lovely to hear about the kindness of strangers

PegS

Following along! I don't know much about this area, so that alone makes it fascinating, but I'm certainly also intrigued to hear how you got through all your adventures!

SusanP

Sorry for the delay in finishing. Computer problems, and life sometimes intervenes...Cesky Krumlov is another place that a lot of people visit on a day trip, but even though I don’t really like two-night stays, that’s what I had planned. However, after booking the hotel, I find out that I’m leaving on the first day of the St. Wenceslas Festival (he’s the patron saint of the Czech Republic). I like the idea of being there for the festival, so I extended my stay there to three nights. I’m staying at Hotel Ebersbach, Siroka 77. I had originally booked a different hotel, but when checking my paperwork about a month before the trip, I realized that it wasn’t in the location I wanted, so I switched. Hotel Ebersbach is close to the Old Town Square and a lot more convenient to everything. It’s another hotel with old-world décor that I like. And the elevator works!

On the other hand, I tell the clerk about my difficult time getting there, and he changes my room to one that’s slightly larger. But…when I get up the room, there are three large steps to get into the room! OK, there is a railing, which I sort of need with high steps, so that’s not a big problem. It’s on the top floor, so the ceiling is quite steep and has beautiful dark wood beams. Not a problem for me, but if there were someone sleeping on the other side of the bed, they would have to duck to get into the bed. The main issue is that there are three large/high steps, linoleum (and therefore slippery) down into the bathroom! Guess I’ll just be very careful. Later, I notice the tub. It’s one of those modern stand-alone tubs. Have you ever noticed how high the sides on these are? If I had noticed that earlier, I might have asked for another room. With my short legs and inability to kneel, it would probably make a good comedy sketch to see me getting in and out of that tub! And it was one of those showers mounted on the wall where it is impossible to take a shower (which I have to have) without flooding the floor.

Oh well, I shouldn’t be surprised. I actually do like the hotel. There aren’t many around this location, in old buildings, with an elevator. Great location (close to the Old Town Square), nice buffet breakfast (a little better than the previous ones). There is a bar if you want a drink or glass of wine when coming back from dinner, or I guess before you go to dinner. While I have some restaurant notes, the clerk tells me that a good place to go for dinner is Mastal, right on Old Town Square. He says it’s the best place on the Square.

It's very late afternoon by this time, so I rest a bit and then go out to just walk around and get my bearings and check out the Old Town Square, going a short way down a few streets off the square to see where they went (with my map from Rick Steves, he has a good hand-drawn map for Cesky Krumlov). Later I go to Mastal for dinner. When I go in, it’s a rather steep downhill slope into the restaurant. Fortunately, the first table, not far into the restaurant, is free, so I can sit there. The Chicken Soup appetizer is very good, very tasty broth. The Pork Tenderloin Schnitzel has good flavor but is way overcooked. Hope this isn’t the best place on the Square!

My main plan for the next day is, of course, the castle. I know from my research that it’s a lot of steep climbing, so I’m not sure how far I’ll go. I have a ticket for the Baroque Theater, even though I’m not sure I’ll make it that far, because they often sell out (maybe they wouldn’t at this time of year, but I don’t want to take the chance, and if I don’t make it up there, I won’t be out much, I think it was around $10). I know there are a bunch of steps just to get up the entrance. I walk over the bridge and get to those steps, there is a railing, and start up. Up a ways, there is a left-hand turn. When I reach that point and look ahead, I can see there are a lot more steps (which I expected, I just figured I would take my time), but not only is there no railing, there are no buildings to the side of the steps. I don’t really need something to hang on to, but I do appreciate something to get my balance, like the side of a building if there is no railing. This is not good. I realize that I’m not going to see the inside of the castle.

OK, let’s make another plan. I see that I’m not too far from the monasteries. I had read that they’re not open to the public but decide to check it out. Not only are they open to the public, it’s all set up like going to a museum. So I go in. The first thing you are directed to is the monks’ sanctuary. When I walk into the sanctuary, my jaw literally drops! Wow! Along one wall are three huge displays of saints/cherubs/etc., all covered in gold. An even bigger one at the front altar, plus two more, one on each side of the front altar. Really amazing! The monks and sisters here were dedicated to a life of poverty. It’s clear that the money was instead spent on the sanctuary! More neat stuff further on, great frescos and paintings. If you physically can’t do the castle, this is a great alternative!

More later

Ingo

Oh my, all these steps and steep hills ... at least you sort of expected this and had a plan B! The sanctuary sounds amazing.

An overcooked Schnitzel is ... yuck Frankly, that restaurant must be a tourist trap, I have always had excellent Schnitzel in the Czech Republic, even in the smallest and worst looking village pub. Hope your next food experiences are better!

Thanks for this chapter, more to come, I hope!

SusanP

Yes, Ingo, I didn't expect bad schnitzel! Here's some more...I enjoy walking around Cesky Krumlov, so much character, although you have to watch where you’re walking. All the sidewalks and streets are large cobblestones, so lots of crevices to trip you up. So far, not a really great view of the castle, but I know where to go for that thanks to Rick’s map and will do that tomorrow. After the monasteries, I’m wandering around looking for somewhere for lunch that doesn’t involve a steep slope or big stairs to get into the restaurant. A lot of them do have one or the other. I finally come across Travel Hostel, Soukenicka 43, and it’s a flat entrance. Great, although I’m a little unsure of how good the food will be at a hostel. I needn’t have worried. In addition to the usual pork, Cesky Krumlov is known for trout and carp. I order the grilled trout with herbs, it’s two fillets served with a small salad. It’s fantastic! Perfectly cooked, the skin is crispy without the fish being overcooked. So good, one of the best meals of the trip!

After a little more wandering, I head back to the hotel to put my feet up for a while. Later, I go back to the Old Town Square and decide to try one of the other restaurants on the square, Hotel Zlaty Andel. I had lunch so late that I really don’t want a big dinner and decide to have an appetizer and dessert. The Potato Fritters with Crackling & Garlic Dip are very good. The Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Ice Cream & Whipped Cream is delicious! The vendors are setting up in the square for the Art & Craft Fair tomorrow, part of the St. Wenceslas Festival. I’m sure there are a lot more activities on the two following days, but I’m looking forward to this. I had wondered if the town would get crowded due to the Festival, but it wasn’t at all crowded. Maybe other towns have their own celebration and people don’t have to travel to one.

The next morning, I head over there. I had noticed a guy right near where I was sitting last night at dinner who was hanging nice leather belts and I want to get one for my son. Turns out they are all plain, and I would like one with a design of some sort, so I keep looking. There are a couple of other leather vendors and I do find one with a nice design, so I get that as well as a beautiful leather journal with a neat dragon design on the front. I had told myself that I wouldn’t buy any scarves on this trip, since I have plenty, but I couldn’t resist one guy’s hand-woven linen scarves. I usually like bright colors but ended up buying one in gold/ivory/brown shades that I love. I shopped more here than anywhere else on the trip!

It's handy that the hotel is close, so I could go back and drop of my loot and then come back to the Art & Craft Fair for some lunch. There were numerous booths offering food. I had enjoyed some of those great potato chips earlier and now have some sausage that was delicious. After lunch, I head down Horni, which leads off the southeastern corner of the square, to find the viewpoint on Rick’s map. It’s a nice square with benches and the best possible view of the castle, as well as over that part of town. I enjoy sitting there for a while enjoying the view and the people.

A little more wandering and then back to the hotel. Later, I go to Krcma u Dwau Maryi, Parkan 104, for dinner. I had a reservation but didn’t need one. This place did have some big, uneven steps, but the wall was there, so it was OK. I was debating whether to have the trout or the carp, so I asked the young waiter which one he thought was better. His immediate, forceful answer was the trout! Needless to say, I went with that. This time, it was a whole fish cooked with wine and rosemary and served with cabbage slaw and potatoes. Not quite as good as yesterday’s lunch, but still delicious. I end with Czech Cake, a rather dense cake with plums. Very good! On the way out, the waiter offers me his arm going up those big steps. Such a gentleman!

When leaving Cesky Krumlov the next morning, the hotel had arranged for a taxi to take me to the bus station. When we get there, this is when I realized that I got off at the wrong stop when I arrived a few days ago! Not sure how I did that. It was the correct time to get off, and almost everyone on the bus got off, so I thought I was at my destination. So dumb! That’s why I had such a terrible time getting a taxi. Of course, the guy who called the taxi for me told them I was at the bus station (so he, too, thought we were at the station), so if the taxi came, obviously I wasn’t where they thought I would be. I honestly don’t remember the stop where we got off being labeled something else.

Oh well, the bus ride to Prague is direct, no stops, so no chance of missing a connection. This is good! The hotel in Prague had emailed me a couple of days ago to see if I wanted them to arrange a car to pick me up at the train station, which is where the bus drops you off. Yes, please! They tell me he will be waiting in front of the Burger King, holding a paper with my name. When you walk in the main entrance of the station, it’s quite a small area. There is one restaurant, but it’s not Burger King, so I go over and ask where to find it. Turns out that it’s downstairs, so I go there and find it. There’s nobody there with a sign, but even though the bus was a few minutes late, I can’t believe he would leave that quickly. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later he shows up.

I’m staying at Old Prague Hotel, Skorepka 5. As the name implies, it’s another old building with old world décor. There’s a small elevator that will hold two people or one with luggage. The elevator doesn’t go to the third & fourth floors. It stops at a mezzanine half-way between the two. I knew this and figured I could cope with ½ flight of stairs (which turned out to be shallower than most and not a problem) because I liked the location and price ($110 per night including breakfast). The room is nice, and large, and the first one to have a refrigerator and coffee maker (which I won’t use, as I don’t drink coffee). I’ve got plenty of room to move around. The clerk arranges for a car to pick me up to take me to the airport at the end of my stay. I then decide to have car take me to the castle the next day, so he arranges that as well. I pay for these right there (cash only), so it’s nice that I don’t have to worry about that. The trams/buses in Prague are free if you’re over 65, both residents and visitors. They can ask to see your passport to prove your age, but that never happened to me.

I head out to go over to the Old Town Square. I’m following my Streetwise Map but don’t notice when a street veers a bit to the right, so I end up getting there by a round-about route. I come into the square from the opposite side and have a seat on one of the benches in the center. I take a look all around. Hmmm…where is the clock? Nowhere to be seen! Looking at the map, it shows the building with the clock. I just didn’t realize that it doesn’t face the square and is on the side of the building. I realize this when I hear the chimes and see the crowd over in front of the clock. OK, now I see where I thought I was going to come into the square!

That night I have a reservation for dinner at Lehka Hlava, Borsov 280/2, a vegetarian restaurant. Obviously, I’m not a vegetarian, but there were several things on their menu that looked good and it was pretty close to the hotel. The address involves a courtyard and alley. With both my map and other directions, I never find it. Very frustrating! I know I’m close, but after walking around the block a couple of times, I give up and head back toward the hotel. After starting to sit down at an outdoor place, the guy asks me if I’m looking for dinner. When I tell him I am, he says this place is just for drinks and leads me to a nearby place, Svejk Restaurant. It’s a big rather rustic place. I order the Pork Tenderloin sous vide in Mushroom Ragout. The waiter recommends small potato pancakes to go with it, but I see those Potato Chips on the menu and order that instead. Both are great!

Will try to finish this in the next couple days.

Ingo

Susan, once more thanks for another chapter of your trip report. Very nice work. I like it how you describe the old world charm and the kindness of strangers So many helpful people!

The meals sound totally delicious. Trout is a favourite of mine, in all variations possible. The old town of Prague with all those little alleys and backyards can be very confusing, no surprise you could not find that vegetarian restaurant. Your accommodations sound very good also - I am taking notes.

Trophywife007

You have me Google-ing a sous vide pork tenderloin recipe. What a happy mistake... I love it when that happens.

SusanP

Ingo, thanks for your kind words. Yes, I was very happy with all my hotels.
Trophywife, let me know how that turns out.

Here's some more...The next morning, the driver is there right on time to take me to the castle. He is surprised that I’m alone. This is confirmed when, once in the car, he asks me if I’m meeting someone up there. Uh, no. You read about there being a lot more solo travellers these days, but I continually find people who are surprised that I’m by myself. Anyway, I ask him to please drop me off as close as possible to the main entrance to the castle. He says that he can’t drive right up to the door (I’m not surprised) but will definitely take me as close as he can. He does, so it’s not at all far to the entrance. I had originally planned to take the tram to the castle, because there is a stop nearby, but it was a little difficult to figure out just how far it was. I do still plan to take it on the way back.

This is another place where you want to keep track of your ticket. They scan it at each entrance. Of course, lots to see at the castle, starting with St. Vitus Cathedral. Such amazing stained-glass windows. So tall and such bright colors! And so much more. Then on to the Old Royal Palace and St. George’s Basilica. Here, some great frescoes. At the front of the church, there are curved steps on each side so you can go up to get a better look. It’s only about six or eight steps and there is a railing, so no problem. Plus, the Kindness of Strangers is here. When going down the second set of steps, the railing curves, so I just move a bit to the left. Of course, I’m looking down to see where I’m going, and all of a sudden, an arm appears. The young man next to me is offering me his arm to go down the steps. Once again, you do meet the nicest people!

I move on to the Golden Lane. After going through the turnstyle, I look at the rather steep hill and start wondering if I want to do this. However, I then see that you can’t exit the same way where you just came in, so there is really no choice but to follow the street down to the exit. It’s OK, there are the buildings along the street if I need them, so I can do this without much problem (turns out I don’t need them, there are no high steps). I don’t regret it, as they have interesting houses set up as they had been when the well-known people involved had lived there. There is also a shop selling the thin wooden items, many of them Christmas, that are familiar in both the Czech Republic and Germany. I like to buy Christmas ornaments from my travels, so I find one here (I had also bought one in Dresden).

After leaving the Golden Lane, I climb back up the hill. I had seen a restaurant before the entrance to the Golden Lane and need lunch. Ippa Café is in the castle grounds. They had a picture of Avocado Toast on a sign outside that looked good, but then I see a Croque Monsieur on the menu and have that instead. Is there any smell better than that of a grilled cheese sandwich? The taste too, it was delicious.

I walk up the rest of the way to the main part of the castle, Courtyard 3, to find the exit that leads to the tram. I can see it on my map but don’t find it. There’s an information office right there, so an information desk on the castle grounds should be able to tell me exactly where it is, right? Well, you would think so. She just points in the general direction and says it’s right there. Still don’t find it. I walk around but realize I have gone past the part on the map where it’s supposed to be. After asking again, I find out that there is a covered walkway. I think they should have a sign saying this leads to the tram stop! It’s not at all obvious. There are actually two covered walkways right next to each other. As I enter, I hear someone saying “Go back” but don’t realize he’s talking to me. I’m looking down as usual to make sure I don’t trip. All of a sudden, I hear “Go back” again, louder this time, so I look up and realize he IS talking to me! It’s a soldier in camouflage fatigues holding what looks like an automatic rifle. Oops, turns out you can only go out the other walkway, right next to this one. Fortunately, I wasn’t too far into this one. At least I didn’t get arrested!

The tram stop isn’t that far from the exit, so that’s good, because I’ve obviously already walked a lot today! I use the bus in Rome all the time, and this is pretty much the same. Very easy to get around on them. I take the tram back to the stop that’s maybe 2-1/2 or 3 blocks from my hotel and head back there to put my feet up.

That evening, I have a dinner reservation at Deer Restaurant. I had read good things about this place. When I arrive, they don’t have my reservation. The woman goes to check again and I take out my phone to show her the reservation. Here’s where I totally screwed up! I show her my 8:00 reservation, which I had clicked on in the drop-down box when I made the reservation. Forgot about the 24-hour clock. Obviously, I should have chosen 20:00. I had made a reservation for breakfast! It’s crowded, so I don’t know if I’ll get a table. She checks the outdoor section, but there are no free tables there. I’m thinking I’ll have to find another place to eat, but she gives me a table for two. Looking around, I think it was the only free table, so I thank her and apologize for the confusion.

The appetizer sampler is wonderful: Beef Tartare with Truffle Cream Sauce, Rabbit Rilette with Pumpkin Mousse, and Goat Cheese Mousse with Beets. Delicious. Then I have the Wild Boar Leg with Rosehips Sauce served with Brussels Sprouts, a thin potato pancake, and Jerusalem Artichoke Puree. The sides are great, especially the Jerusalem Artichoke Puree. Unfortunately, the Wild Boar is way overcooked. Not good.

The next day, I want to check out the Charles Bridge. I mean, you can’t go to Prague without walking across the bridge! On the other hand, I see no reason to walk across and then back, so I take the tram to the far end of the bridge (castle side of the river) and make my way back. Lovely scenes of the river, lots of neat statues. There are a lot of vendors selling jewelry or paintings and doing portraits or caricatures. I swore I wasn’t going to buy any jewelry on this trip (unless I found silver charms for my charm bracelet, which I did not) because I don’t need more jewelry. I saw some nice earrings but resisted the temptation until I found some that I knew I had to have, especially since they were only around $10. They’re copper, then the guy uses fire to add color to the copper. Beautiful!

After the bridge, I stop for lunch at Peppercorn, Karlova 10, mainly because it’s there. I tend to eat lunch at restaurants that happen to be there when I want to eat. Turned out to be a good choice, the Goulash in a Bread Bowl was very good.

I’m not far from Old Town Square, so I head over there to find the UPrince Hotel, since I didn’t see it before and I’ll be coming back there for dinner. My map shows it’s right on the corner of the square by the clock, although I had thought it was just outside the square. The name is not exactly prominent, but I find it, not outside the square, but at the corner of it right across from the clock. I also happen to be there when it’s almost time for the clock to chime, so naturally I stay for that.

Later I do come back to UPrince for dinner, because I have a reservation for the Rooftop Terrace. This time, I did the reservation correctly! There is an elevator, but in case anyone is wondering, it doesn’t go all the way to the rooftop. There are a couple of flights of stairs to get there. It’s great up there, as the clock is right there and in the other direction, you can see the castle with all the lights. It’s beautiful. The only problem is that there are long baskets holding flowers all along the whole edge of the terrace that really block the view. I actually mention this later to the waiter. He says the owners of the building insist on these, despite the many times they’ve tried to get them removed. Doesn’t make much sense!

I order the Salmon served with a Baked Potato with Crème Fraiche. It’s delicious. Then they have a dessert, Milk Chocolate Mousse with Caramel that has a chocolate disc on top with a picture of a clock imprinted on it. Very good.

The next morning, I walk over through Wenceslas Square on my way to the Mucha Museum. I really like Art Nouveau, so wanted to include this. I really enjoy it. If you’re a fan, definitely make a stop here. Also, there is an art supply next door. I do a lot of mixed media art, so I had to take a look, and naturally found a couple of things I wanted.

I had checked the tram routes and see that I can take a short walk from the museum and catch a tram for most of the way to Café Imperial. I really wanted to go here after seeing pictures. The guy asks if I have a reservation. I don’t, because it would be too difficult to know what time I would get there. It didn’t matter, he just asked if I only wanted coffee or lunch, and when I told him lunch, he led me to a table. So glad I made it here, it’s beautiful. Also, I ordered Salad Nicoise and it was delicious. There was a much bigger portion of tuna on the salad than I expected. I would have liked to try one of their desserts but was too full.

After lunch, I walk a short distance to the next tram stop. The seats for people waiting are full, but a young man immediately gets up and offers me his seat. The Kindness of Strangers again! This tram will shorten my walk to the next thing on my agenda, the St. Agnes Convent with its Medieval Art Collection. I had read that this could be compared to the Cluny in Paris, which I really enjoyed. I have screwed up again! They are closed on Monday. Oh, no! I looked at my notes and see that I did have that information, just didn’t notice it earlier when I checked to see what their hours were. At least I see the outside.

I need a restroom and my water is almost gone, so I stop near the convent at Food Lab, Hastalska 4, and have a Cocoa Tart with Lime Curd and Vanilla Cream. Very good! I continue over to the tram stop by the InterContinental to save quite a bit of walking back to the hotel. It lets me off by the river with a good view back to Charles Bridge. From there, I make my way back to the hotel and do some packing, because tomorrow is my last day.

That night, despite the help from the tram rides, I have done a lot of walking and don’t want to go far for dinner. What better than next door? There is a Chinese restaurant, Pivonkove Zatisi, right next door to the hotel. That’s where I’m going. The Shrimp in Garlic is very good. I had ordered Fried Noodles as well but don’t end up eating very much of it because there were a lot more shrimp than expected.

I think I can finish this tomorrow...

gomiki

SusanP, what a great report with so much detail.Trip reports take a lot of work and I know this took a lot of work. I love your kindness of strangers moments.

SusanP

gomiki, thanks. You're right, trip reports are a lot of work, but in addition to hoping to help others with tips if they're interested in these areas, I enjoy going back to them later myself. The Kindness of Strangers certainly helped on this trip!

Fleur_de_Lis

Really enjoying this report! I used to live in Prague, and this is such a lovely stroll down memory lane. So glad you had such a nice trip!

SusanP

Fleur_de_Lis, thank you, glad you're enjoying it.

Ingo

SusanP, thanks again for posting this report. I enjoy reading this very much - I use to visit Prague quite often, also for day trips as it is not far from my home. I am familiar with most places you visited. Excellent restaurant tips btw Frankly, I don't think St. Agnes convent compares to Cluny museum in Paris. I recall that I enjoyed especially the architecture, but was a bit underwhelmed by the art pieces. But it's been a couple of years that I visited.

SusanP

Ingo, thanks for saying that about St. Agnes, makes me feel better about missing it! 😁

Melnq8

Very much enjoying your report Susan. The fiascos are all part of the adventure (at least that's what I tell myself when things go wrong, lol).

PegS

Continuing to follow eagerly. You make me want to go to a part of Europe I've never considered!

SusanP

Melnq8, yes, that's true, but I could have done with a little less of this type of adventure!
PegS, there's a lot to see!

Here's the rest:The next morning, I finish packing, so get a later start leaving the hotel. On my way out, I ask the clerk if we need to reconfirm the car that is coming at 4:30 am tomorrow to take me to the airport. She checks their book, which shows the reservation, and assures me that they use this company all the time and I don’t need to worry.

I decide that I’m having dessert for lunch! I’ve passed the Old Czech Chimney Cake Shop several times. It’s right outside Old Town Square. It’s dough wrapped around a metal thing and cooked for the “cone” and filled with ice cream and whatever topping you choose. The vanilla ice cream with chocolate is delicious! I go on into Old Town Square to sit down and eat it.

I forgot to mention that there are a lot of cannabis shops in Prague, as well as some for absinthe. I even saw cannabis lollipops in a couple of the shops that sell beverages, snacks and some souvenirs. After I finish eating, I head out behind Tyn Church to the Ungelt Courtyard, which has cafes and shops. There is a neat devil sculpture outside an absinthe shop. In a gift shop, I find a small journal that has a picture of the clock on the front and an interactive circle that you can turn to see the same pictures you would see in the real clock. Love it!

I’m on my way to the Church of St. James. It’s on the corner of Mala Stupartska and Jakubska. This is a gorgeous medieval church, very ornate. Lots to look at. It also has Prague’s biggest pipe organ. Plus, when I enter, someone is playing the organ, not necessarily playing complete numbers, so probably rehearsing for Sunday morning. I enjoy just listening to the organ for a while. Very nice.

Later, I decide to go to Monarch Restaurant for dinner, which I had noticed a few times when leaving the hotel. It’s on Na Perstyne right at the end of Skorepka, so it’s close to the hotel. I had no idea what kind of restaurant it was, but that was OK. It’s mostly steaks, numerous choices, plus lots of wine and beer choices. I don’t think I mentioned that I really liked the Czech wines. I think the white was similar to Sauvignon Blanc. They do have other things besides steak, too. I love steak but don’t really want a big steak. Then I notice an appetizer of Dried Rib Eye Carpaccio with Truffle Mayo. It’s very expensive, but Rib Eye is my favorite, so I decide I have to have it. When the waitress brings it, she sets down a huge plate in front of me that is completely covered with the beef. Another one that is to die for! So good, worth every penny! I also order the Grilled Shrimp with Chili and Mango, which is very good. A wonderful final meal in Prague.

The next morning, I’m downstairs around 4:20 am to wait for the driver to the airport. I’m very happy, not to mention relieved, when he is right on time. I feel like I’m home free! That feeling was definitely too early. I have a day of more fiascos ahead of me.

When I get to the airport and go to check in, they don’t have me in the computer. After some checking, it turns out that when I took the train instead of the flight from Frankfurt to Dresden at the beginning of the trip, it automatically cancelled the first leg of my trip home from Prague to Brussels. Arghh!!! I really feel that the United agent in Frankfurt should have known that would happen and done something to prevent it. This starts a real fiasco of going back and forth between the ticket desk and the information desk, neither of whom are willing or able to help me. The worst part is that they almost seemed happy to be unhelpful. A big part of the problem is that there is no United Desk in the Prague Airport because they don’t fly there (my flight was a code share with Brussels Airline).

After several discussions with both, the woman at the ticket desk handed me a small slip of paper with a phone number for United. When I asked her why she hadn’t given this to me earlier, she said “You never asked me.” I’m not a violent person, but I wanted to punch her! I will add that there apparently is no phone in the airport that can be used to call outside the airport. Did you ever hear of such a thing? I go back to the check-in desk and they tell me the same thing.

So the Kindness of Strangers is still around, and a woman next to me at the check-in desk who has heard the whole conversation says she would be happy to call the number for me. Great! Guess what, the number doesn’t work from outside the US!

I finally realize that the only way I’m going to get on the plane is to buy a new ticket from Prague to Brussels, so that’s what I do. I see the guy leaving the check-in desk while I’m doing this (the ticket desk was right there) and he assures me that the lady will wait for me. I finally get to deal with a helpful person! I was going to check my bag, but she notes that I will have to pick it up in Brussels and recheck it there and I would be better off to carry it on. Fortunately, it’s small enough to do that, but it gives me three items (purse, carry-on bag and the bag that was supposed to be checked). Talk about Kindness of Strangers—she calls the gate to let them know they have to let me on with three things. By this time, I just make it on the plane, but I am extremely happy to be there!

Of course, I have no idea whether they will have me in the computer for the rest of my trip when I get to Brussels. When there, of course it’s a very long walk trying to find the United Desk, asking numerous people, when I finally got a guy who was definite about this. This wasn’t as bad as it could have been, because the walk was in the right direction for the gate I needed. The desk was actually right by the gate. When I got there, of course I didn’t have a boarding pass, so the guy directed me to the counter. Something’s finally going right. The very nice clerk straightens everything out and directs me to a lady who will take my bag and get it checked. I told her that everyone here was so much more helpful than the people at the Prague Airport! So there’s no problem with the connection in Newark and I get back to Albany on time. Miracles do happen!

I have to say, that in all my trips, I have never been happy that the trip was over and I was going home. Until now. Not that I didn’t enjoy the various destinations, but fewer fiascos would certainly have been nice! This might even be the type of trip that makes you question whether or not you want to try this again.

Oh wait, I guess that’s except for the trip to Italy that I already have booked for June…

Ingo

Oh my, that's truly a fiasco! You went through a lot of trouble (I am surprised the transfer from the hotel to the airport worked fine!) and again, the kindness of strangers helped. You must be very happy to be back home. On the other hand - an adventure that will stay forever in your memory. And in that of us readers, LOL.

Wondering how the Italians will handle the inevitable fiascos to come ... but they are champions in improvisation.

Thanks for this trip report!

kleeblatt

Excellent recounting of your adventures! Thank you