clock – Growing With Leala

Last night ended up being a bit of a late night so we are grateful we have no early morning is planned today. We finally take advantage of the breakfast offered by the hotel.

It is a rainy day, one of many of our time in Georgia, but we plan to visit markets today and some are luckily indoors. I am not usually a big shopper but during the last couple of trips I seem to buy more souvenirs than usual. Today it is earings – I buy an unspecified number of unique pairs today. I also discover some artwork I may want to purchase on my return trip to Tbilisi. We visit the Median Bazar, a smaller underground store where all the different local tourist items can be purchased.

We finally try the wine ice cream. It is quite lovely.

The rain has halted and we walk down to dry bridge market to see what is being sold there. Dry Bridge Market is an expansive market of local art, antiques, and jewelry.

We shop until we literally drop into a cafe where we order a khachapuri and a bottle of wine that gives us a free local cheese board. We use this time to plan our evening. We attempt to see the special seven o’clock show at the clock tower but our walk takes longer than we anticipated. We catch the shortened bell at another hour instead.

We stop at the famous Caravanserai Bakery for bread for an early morning breakfast tomorrow; we have a long day scheduled in Armenia tomorrow and no time for breakfast.

Dinner is at a casual restaurant where we have to choose our seat based on where the resident dog is not sleeping. In between his naps he wakes up periodically to guard the place. Dog would occasionally run off barking at random people or cars. During outr meal a guy walks on the terrace wearing a knockoff Louis Vuitton jumpsuit asking each table for money. The dog senses bad energy and chases the man off barking. My meal is lackluster and unfortunately I think is the cause for my gastrointestinal distress for the next few days.

We have a charming walk back to our hotel to rest up for tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a very long day.

Some more pictures from the day around town.

One of the things I really wanted to do upon my trip to Czech Republic is take a trip out to the town of Kutna Hora and see their creepy bone decorated church. I did research on the logistics of getting there and decided to opt for a pre-planned coach tour instead. Sometimes taking group trips is more simple and gives me an opportunity to be around other travelers.

For the most part the tour is a good idea; I have nice conversations with people on the tour but I do feel rushed at times and something about the sound system on the van has me missing much of the guide’s commentary anyway even though I am sitting close to him.

We stop first at the bone church or the Sedlec Ossuary. The actual church is called All Saints. The story behind the bone decor is that it was quite common to move old graves to make room for church expansions. In this case nearby bones are literally thrown in the basement to make room for whatever development comes next. At some point a sculptor is hired by the ruling family, Schwarzenberg, to do something with all the bones. The end result is what is seen today: Bone chandeliers, bone buildings, and ornamental bone decor. No pictures are allowed inside but I do snap some from the church above at one angle only. The photos here are the ones I purchased from postcards in the gift store. I don’t send many postcards but I have a feeling these might be useful.

After the bone church we head into the town of Kutna Hora to look at another gothic church, St. Barbara’s Cathedral. One thing to note is that the area was rich in silver and very prosperous. This grand church reflects that since St Barbara was the patron saint of miners.

Our guide takes us further into town and then gives us some free time to wander around or eat. It is late in the afternoon and I dont want to eat a full meal this close to dinner so I decide on an ice cream instead. I try the sea buckthorn flavor, an orange flavor I’ve never seen before. It’s a type of berry and its sour. Funky just enough for me.

We return back to Prague and I decide to try the highly recommended ham in old town. You buy by weight at an outdoor stand. In advance I have read the warnings about asking for a smaller portion but I am still upsold on the ham. I also try the potato dumpling pork sauerkraut dish called Vepřo knedlo zelo(also recommended). Both my orders are very disappointing to me. All the food is too salty and I cannot eat it. The ham is also very fatty and tough. It sits here half eaten before a homeless person asks me for my leftovers. I am glad that someone else will at least enjoy it. I am starting to think Czech food is not my thing. I thought since it is close to German food I’d be into it but it sits too heavy on my stomach.