End of Prague visit

I signed up for a wine tour today to try some wines from the Czech Republic. I enjoy trying local wines when I can. The tour ends up being more of a walking tour with a little wine and snacks at the end. It is me and one family of four from the USA on this tour.

Our guide points out some Art Nouveau architecture, the famous upside horse in a mall, and a hidden park (Frantiskanska) – most of it I had already found on my own earlier in the day but its nice to learn the history behind it all. The upside down horse, Statue of King Wenceslas riding an upside-down dead horse by David Černý, is in the same shopping center where I attended a movie the other night. In the same complex is the former Paternoster Lift, an elevator that doesn’t stop or slow down. To ride this elevator one would have to time it just right to jump on. Unfortunately they are all closed to the public now because of safety.

Owl traffic signal. If the owl is upright there is vacancy for horses, no vacancy if turned down.

Prague Free walking tour

In the morning I have another walking tour, this time the free one. It is on this tour I see the rotating Kafka for the third time. He isn’t rotating this time but I think I’ve seen it enough. I do see another Kafka though; another Cerny work.

Astronomical clock and old town hall, only building partially destroyed in war

Rococo facades

Our guide also takes through the Jewish quarter and tells us the terrible history of the Jews in Prague. There are very few Jewish people left in town to this day due to the atrocities during WWII. This town was not spared in the horrors except it is one of few places that wasn’t bombed, rumor is Hitler had a soft spot for Czech Republic or had it in mind as his retirement country. Who knows.

Guide hates this building’s architecture

After the tour I rush down to Náplavka park for their Saturday market. I’ve been to so many markets now that things rarely impress me anymore but it is still a nice market. Some of the booths are on boats on the water. I note the cafes right on the river. It’s just a very hot day so I grab a wrap and a strudel and desperately try to find a shaded spot to eat.

I commute up the hill to the Strahov monastery and associated brewery. The original plan is to tour the monastery and then try some of their beers. The heat has zapped all my energy. All I have in me is to try one beer. I later regret cutting my visit short when I realize I miss out on seeing a historical library – I love old libraries. I run back to my hotel to rest until dinner, hoping going back out later will be cooler.

My plan for the evening is to get dinner and then see the town lit up. I choose pizza for the night because I am tired of Czech food. The restaurant has no AC so it is a very uncomfortable meal. I am actually excited to go back outside since the sun is setting. I don’t stay out too late but I do see the city awaken for the evening.

The next day is a mostly work day. I have to go across town to do laundry but the laundry place is probably the nicest I have seen in a while. I order fancy coffee nearby while I wait. I love this coffee house.

Later I try some open face sandwiches and get a cocktail at an Anonymous themed bar. I had tried to book a massage at the Czech beer spa attached to my hotel where I would soak in a beer tub but they cancel on me because they are having equipment malfunction. The experience wasn’t high on my list but I regret a little that I didn’t try the spa earlier.

I leave early tomorrow to visit another city in the Czech Republic.

I like Prague but I’d come back during a shoulder season for less crowds and cooler temps. And while my hotel was generally clean and had AC, the moisture in the room messed with my sinuses so I felt like I was sick for two days-even taking cold medicine. I do worry at times that I will get sick but 9 times out of 10 as soon as I change hotels I am miraculously better. It becomes more and more apparent that I need to start staying in nicer hotels unless I want to feel terrible during my travels.

Next up Český Krumlov.

Berlin Happenings

Even though I have tickets to other museums on museum island I decide to take the tram to visit MarktHalle Neun instead eat my way around the market. I wander around admiring the market and trying some food and drink.

After walking across the historic Oberbaum Bridge I end up at East Side Gallery, known for its large outdoor art exhibit on the east side pieces of the Berlin Wall that are designated for art. The exhibit stretches far and is quite busy. I don’t snap pictures of the most famous pieces because the crowds are too thick around them. You can google East Side Galllery to see the famous wall pieces.

The next morning my allergies are pretty bad and I want to just stay in for the day but I realize this is my last chance to see one of the museums I’ve wanted to visit – Hamburger Bahnhof, a modern art museum in an old train station. I can’t actually show a picture of the piece of the museum that looks like a train station because there is a modern art installation there with many “no photo” signs.

One exhibit is from an Algerian woman who describes her highly curated activist life during the 60’s and 70’s in Algeria, France and Italy. There are film canisters, a film set, a bar room where you can watch live tango, and an actual short film you can watch. It is highly immersive and quite interesting.

It’s Sunday so I head over to the flea market at Mauerpark. The market is huge with many kiosks selling pretty much everything. I almost get some food but the food concessions are so crowded I decide to wait for dinner instead. As I leave the market the nearby park area is bustling with street performers. I soak up the energy and watch a few acts as well as a drum group.

I also walk through the nearby neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg. It’s a nice area I’d like to come back to.

Too tired to walk to the original restaurant I had picked for dinner I visit the famous Prater Garden instead. I am once again disappointed; I do not think beer garden food is my cup of tea.

One the way back I stop at a David Hasselhoff museum (more like a wall than a museum) and an eclectic cafe where I enjoy a wine outdoors on this Sunday evening.

The next morning my goal is to have döner kebab. I’ve been told there is nothing like the döner you can get in Berlin. Of Turkish origin, German puts its own spin on the sandwich. I will not forget this and the bread its served on.

Earlier in my Berlin visit I visited the Pergamon Panorama. Today I visit another one by the same artist that shows the Berlin Wall. Yadegar Asisi’s art is projected on a 360° screen (Die Mauer). The wall shows life on both sides of the wall during the time that it existed. The exhibit uses sounds and light to take you through day and night.

I wandered the shopping street of Friedrichstraße where there are protesters, some have demonstrations and some are glued to the ground. I believe they are protesting about climate change. They are definitely disrupting business but the police seem to act calm in their presence.

I discover a cute part of town I wish I visited earlier because most things are closed. Nikolaiviertel has colorful buildings and some shops and restaurants. I enjoy some asparagus soup and an apple strudel near the water. I soon head back toward my hotel. Tomorrow I travel to Dresden.

Miscellaneous images from around town.

Part 2: Ljubljana

In the morning I set off for coffee again and decide to visit the Metrolicko art center, a very funky art area. The area seems lively at night from all the beer cans around and bars nearby. I must return in the evening sometime.

I take a quick stop into Ljubljana Cathedral while it is open.

I have a restaurant picked out when I am reminded about the Friday food market very close to my apartment. There are so many food choices to purchase as well as wine and beer. The market is crowded making it hard to find a seat initially. Do people here work on Fridays?

I stop by a popular cafe to try the local dessert called prekmurska gibanica. Made with poppy seeds, walnuts, and cheese among other things this semi-sweet dessert should be something I like but I don’t really care for it too much. I guess I have finally developed a sweet tooth due to eating so many goodies while I am out traveling.

I end my day with visiting a rooftop bar. There is a nice view at Neboticnik but I am actually a little chilly outside and have to move indoors when a table opens up. I am chilly today but not complaining because I like the cold when I can get it. I know it won’t last long.

Back to my room to get ready to leave tomorrow. I am heading to the Ljubljana airport to pick up a rental car. I will explore more of Slovenia on the road. Luckily I’ll be back in town in about a week.

Split, Croatia

We returned the rental car to Split with relatively little drama except a little traffic jam. Again we are happy we purchased the insurance because they are very chill about the car return – they only want to remove it from the paid lot we have parked before they get charged for the time there. We give them the list of things that need fixed on the car but they don’t really make any notes or anything. It isn’t cheap for the rental but at least we aren’t stressed about extra charges and getting transport to and from the airport from old town.

We grab our luggage and the grocery bag of snacks and head to our apartment right in the middle of old town Split. There is some confusion but we eventually see the keys on top of a box at the building door. As the first door unlocks we start our two day locking and unlocking three levels of doors adventure. We are on the third floor and every floor has a locked door. The apartment has two bedrooms again. We are both pretty chill about sharing a room but its nice to spread out in your own space for a night or two. I see a washing machine so excited I don’t have to waste a few hours at a laundromat when my friend leaves. I proceed to do a load of laundry. It has to air dry so I want to get this done asap. After the load is finished some items don’t smell clean enough for me. I take some of the cleaner items out and do the load again with more soap and very hot water this time. Granted I have washed these clothes together before, some multiple times since 2019 when I did a long term trip like this before. Never have I had any of my travel clothes bleed onto any of my items. Well this time I guess the water was so hot that it caused my old pink travel underwear to change my white tank to this lilac color. It is almost comical. At least it matches exactly to one of the colors on one of the shirts I wear it under. I might just keep wearing my lilac tank or at some point buy another white one.

We head out to wander around Split and get a proper meal. You still get the tour groups here and it does it get busy but it seems easier to hide from the groups here with all the winding pathways unlike the grid layout of Dubrovnik. I am already liking the vibe here more. We pick a nicer restaurant to eat and I splurge for the leg of lamb. It is very good. We watch people line up outside an ice cream shop outside. We make plans to visit that later.

We thought about doing a sunset pirate cruise but decide to put that off until tomorrow night (mistake since it is cancelled the next night). We instead get a drink by the water and people watch for a while. There are lots of groups of women and hen parties in town from other parts of Europe for the weekend. It must be nice to have this a quick flight away.

We get drinks for walking and do some shopping and end up in the main square of Diocletian’s palace where there is a musical group singing mostly covers in the square. Everyone sits around in steps in the perimeter and the waiters from the Luxor come around to take drink orders. An occasional party of drunk women and sometimes men will stop in the center of the square to have a dance party. Everyone is enjoying themselves tonight. We have an inquisitive Croatian kid and his grandma next to us. My friend initially gets in an uncomfortable staring match with him but we soon learn he is just curious about us and he speaks English very well. He shows us his shoes that light up when we jumps. We cheer him on and tell him to show others. Soon the whole courtyard is cheering him on as he jumps. His grandmother eventually takes him away, perhaps he is getting a little too much attention for her taste.

We attempt a couple late night bars as we wanted to try to stay out late for once but every place is already very loud and crowded. We decide to take back a couple of burgers and chill back at our apartment instead. We have some sightseeing to do tomorrow but plans may get rained out. We make tentative plans to get up very early to beat the crowds coming back to take a nap if needed in the afternoon.

Fortunately we wake up relatively early the next day and wander around. We stop at the green market and admire all the fresh produce. We do some shopping and I buy a cheesy Croatian hat. We also try to feed our not-so-great cheese to some local cats and only one cat is enjoying it; I’d say at least twenty other cats flat out refused to eat the questionable cheese. These cats must get some high class food to turn down free cheese.

We stop for some pizza and more cheese – for us of course.

After lunch we visit the Etnomuseum that has an exhibit of traditional dress, jewelry and other items of the region. The exhibit includes a climb up an observation tower. Down below I can hear singing in the cylinder. I guess it has good acoustics.

Not hungry for a meal we stop for olive oil sample and tapenade at a nearby restaurant. We try their homemade olive oil bread and associated oils. Soon after we visit that popular ice cream place where I try some pistachio combination. Loving the view from yesterday we go back to the bar along the water and this time sit on the balcony to people watch. We had hope that the sunset cruise would happen today but we stare at the boat below as it rains. We finally hear from the booking lady by WhatsApp that the cruise is not happening tonight. We are both disappointed and regretting not going the night before.

We grab a snack and head back to catch the finals of Eurovision. The musical acts are real crazy. We don’t stay awake for the results though since my friend has an early flight in the morning. I’m going to miss her when she’s gone.

Last Day in Sarajevo

Today is my last day in Sarajevo. My check out is 10:00 am so I am getting a later start this morning while I pack up. I snack on my leftover cheese and bread. Last night I remembered to carry my ziplock with me so I can have what I call purse cheese – a term I coined because I love ordering cheese plates but as a solo traveler it is too much dang cheese for one person. So I am not wasting I try to save some it to enjoy later if the temperature allows or I have a refrigerator in my room. I pack up and put my bags in the lobby to explore what I may have missed.

I had potato burek yesterday and today I try the one with meat. I realize it is a mistake because not being hungry since I already had morning cheese. They give me way too much burek even though I stress I want the small portion. Also it is very greasy. I throw a big amount of it away because I don’t think it will keep well while I explore town due to the excessive grease.

I wander around and see some things I missed previously.

I stop by the market. It doesn’t seem to be a busy day today. Also I don’t see booths available to sample local cheeses like I’ve read online. I wonder if COVID took this industry out?

I walk by the eternal flame of Sarajevo for the victims of the Second World War.

I visit a highly recommended Gallery 11/07/95 and I dont regret it. The museum is a display of photographs from mostly one photographer of the time of the war in the 1990’s. The first exhibit is the photographs of those brutally murdered in the massacre of Srebrenica in July 1995. These photos and the photos of the aftermath paint a clear picture of the horrors that happened. The audio guide is essential for this tour. After there is some Sarajevo advertisements and finally a film at the end called Miss Sarajevo. I took the 30 minutes to watch the documentary. It is a very powerful documentary that focuses mostly on the school kids and students during the war of the early 1990’s in Sarajevo, set to powerful music of U2. It made me emotional because I was finishing high school and starting college at the time of this conflict. I couldn’t imagine having to dodge bullets from snipers while trying to attend college classes. We see students doing just that in this movie. If you have a chance to watch it online then do so.

This is hard to see. Basically the UN failed this town.

Miss Sarajevo, only partially based on a beauty pageant.

The museum is so emotional I don’t have it in me to visit another museum today and learn about more atrocities. I go have an afternoon wine instead. I am still not hungry but I know with my train ride it will be a while before I can eat later so I stop to get cevapi once more. Again it is very good but very filling.

I pick up my bags and head to the train station. I assume the train station was a very nice place for the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics but unfortunately it has not seemed to be renovated since. The government has a hard time with infrastructure projects post war. While waiting for my train I get in trouble for taking a picture inside. I joke that the reason no photos are allowed because they don’t want the world to know they haven’t updated the train station since the Yugoslavian era.

Despite the shaky infrastructure I am sad to leave Sarajevo. I am certain I could have spent another 3 days here with just exploring local museums and other day trips. I must return some day.

Now I head off on the scenic ride to Konjic. The train ride from Sarajevo to Mostar is supposed to be one of the top train rides in Europe. (I stop half way in Konjic). Unfortunately I choose the wrong side of the train. The sun is setting on my side and between the sun blocking and the reflecting on the dirty window I don’t see as much. It is very beautiful on the other side of the train. So I say if you take the ride in the morning sit on the right and for afternoon sit on the left (facing the direction of travel).

I arrive in Konjic to my apartment rental. I can tell already I should not have done an overnight here (I almost eliminated this as an overnight and changed my mind when hotel alterations were challenging). It is slow season here and many things seem to be closed. It is cold out and no one wants to be out I guess. Thank goodness I am still full from earlier because I cannot find any restaurants that are catching my eye.