Waking Up
I was alone sleeping upstairs and slept a little later than the rest. I think I got up around 9am, the sleep was nice. After 3 years of living there, Tim and Norah were turning the house in, so an inspector was there to confirm everything was in the same condition as it was when his lease began. The inspection went smoothly and Tim was very satisfied. I didn't want to say anything, but I think my master spackling job pulled the wool over her eyes. The next stop was the hotel on the Army base they would be staying at. I inconvenienced them a little bit here - they had a tiny car and everyone wouldn't fit. I offered to walk, but the nearest guest entrance was over 2 miles away. The nearest general entrance was somewhere between 1/2 - 1 mile. Tim met us at the hotel.
To the Base
Getting into a visitors pass to the base was quick this time around - there was no line. Also getting checked in to the base hotel was fairly straightforward and easy. Tim, Norah and family got a nice 1 bedroom apartment they'd use over the next night or two. Tim had to depart for a short meeting, he'd join us later. Norah put Patrick down and Moirah watched cartoons. I turned on the computer and started to research lodging options in Prague. As I was looking for lodging, the Ducktails theme song started playing on the television and Moirah was into it. Ducktails was a favorite show amongst me, Tim, and my younger brother Jim. We watched it all the time after school. During Patrick's nap time and Ducktails I was able to square away lodging reservations in Prague via AirBnB. Norah would be most helpful telling me the general area to find lodging. Since AirBnB isn't a hotel, it's always good to work out a checkin time in advance. I figured I'd be in Prague around 8pm and advised the host accordingly. My nightly rate was around 70/night which included a one time $30 cleaning fee. Comparable hotels were probably double - AirBnB can save you money.
Renting a Car
Since Prague was only 2 hours away from the base, it made sense to rent a car and head in that direction. Tim and Norah also suggested visiting Vienna, which was only a couple of hours away from Prague. Norah suggested stopping by the base to see what their rates were. I think she would very much regret suggesting this to me, because it took a very long time to get the car rental straightened out. I was very grateful she was patient with me and the salesman, because it took a long time.
First, the online rate was better, but there was little the salesman could do. Second, the quote was given with unlimited miles. But the contract read differently, the weekly rate only included 1,500 kilometers which I'd easily blow through. Extra miles are very, very expensive at .3 euro each kilometer. He added on two extra days - this almost doubled the rate I would pay. Ouch. Third, taking the car out of the country was a problem - this was disclosed after the contract was signed. I had mentioned to the driver the primary purpose of the trip was visiting Prague and he quickly apologized and made that part right at no cost. Although he quoted a few things incorrectly, the salesman was remarkably patient and nice which made the whole experience more tolerable. It did take about an hour and a half though to get things in line. The kids were remarkably well behaved the entire time, too.
Dinner
Tim and Norah had only one night left, so we head for a late lunch at one of their favorite restaurants. Tim and I again had the Turkey schnitzel. It was fantastic. Moirah very generously offered me one of her fried mashed potato tot sort of things - wasn't my favorite. After a couple of hours at the restaurant I was on my way to Prague. Before leaving Germany I knew I would loose cell service. Most US cell plans work nationwide, with occasional roaming here and there outside big cities. This is not the case in Europe. I felt totally been spoiled in the US, being able to go from state to state with continuous cell coverage. I also noticed I'd be arriving in Prague later than expected, so I sent off a message to the AirBnB host. They quickly wrote back saying all was okay and to write them 30 minutes before arriving. Ends up the apartment is listed by a management company and they had a night manager on call who would meet me with the keys - so the late check in really wouldn't be an issue.
Everyone I've talked to who has been to Prague refers to it by it's local name, Praha. I guess it's a right of passage I can now claim. The drive was fairly uneventful. Instead of tolls, drivers are required to purchase a sticker, also called a vignette, to put on their window. I actually have an Austrian vignette on my car back home. The original owner took delivery of the car in Germany (a free or extremely low cost option for the original owner) and drove the car around for a week before it was shipped stateside. Such a placard is not necessary in Germany, I wonder if it's because the plates indicate the car is German. After crossing the border to Czech Republic I picked up a vignette at a rest stop and got back on the road. I'm sure it was all psychological, but it felt very eerie driving into the former USSR. Memories of the cold war filled my head. I was excited to be there, but it felt very surreal.
Checking In
I got in to Prague even later than expected, probably around 10:30pm. I had the address plugged in to my iPhone GPS program. I found what I thought was legal parking and began my search for free WiFi. I didn't know the area and most shops were closed, it was kinda creepy. I did notice the shops were upscale though, which gave me some level of confidence I was in a nice area. Burberry had open WiFi which I was able to connect to, so I called the host via Skype. Skype did not work well, but since the lady was expecting my call she figured out it was me and asked me to send her an email. We communicated back and forth, she asked me to go to the office that was about 1 kilometer away. Except for my backpack (which had all my valuable electronics) my bags were in the car. Since I was traveling light I hoofed it over. I found the address, but couldn't make out an office. I went into a nearby hotel and confirmed I was at the right place. I also was able to connect via WiFi. At the last minute, she re-directed me to the apartment, not the office. I send her an email letting her know I was hoofing it back to the flat (apartment). After about 10 minutes I found the night manager, Victor. After about 10 minutes, I was checked in. Victor would graciously offer to assist with finding parking. He explained in broken English that there were two types of parking spots, blue and white. I had been parked in a blue spot. I'm still not sure if that meant the space for forbidden at all times, or just when the meter is enforce. In any case he helped me find a legal (white) space and prepaid the first hour for the next day. That covered me until 9ish instead of 8. Victor walked me back to the flat, just to make sure I got there. I'd discover the flat was very central to everything. There were tons of shops, bars, and anything else you can imagine right outside. I could hear a music from a very distant bar, but it wasn't too loud. Overall the unit was very nice, with additional sleep space in a loft above the living room. The unit did not have a television, but that really wasn't a big deal to me. WiFi is what I needed for planning, and the unit had a fine connection. The location of the unit would end up making the stay in Prague so awesome. Before calling it a night I went to a nearby bar for a drink, mostly to checkout the Prague nightlife. It may have been a Monday, but that didn't stop people from gathering at the nearby bar. It was packed. And the beer wasn't expensive, but at $3 it was a far cry from the 13 cent pints I had heard of.
Tomorrow
I got back to the flat around 1am. I'd have to be up by 9ish to put money in the meter or face the wrath of the Czech Republic police.
I was alone sleeping upstairs and slept a little later than the rest. I think I got up around 9am, the sleep was nice. After 3 years of living there, Tim and Norah were turning the house in, so an inspector was there to confirm everything was in the same condition as it was when his lease began. The inspection went smoothly and Tim was very satisfied. I didn't want to say anything, but I think my master spackling job pulled the wool over her eyes. The next stop was the hotel on the Army base they would be staying at. I inconvenienced them a little bit here - they had a tiny car and everyone wouldn't fit. I offered to walk, but the nearest guest entrance was over 2 miles away. The nearest general entrance was somewhere between 1/2 - 1 mile. Tim met us at the hotel.
To the Base
Getting into a visitors pass to the base was quick this time around - there was no line. Also getting checked in to the base hotel was fairly straightforward and easy. Tim, Norah and family got a nice 1 bedroom apartment they'd use over the next night or two. Tim had to depart for a short meeting, he'd join us later. Norah put Patrick down and Moirah watched cartoons. I turned on the computer and started to research lodging options in Prague. As I was looking for lodging, the Ducktails theme song started playing on the television and Moirah was into it. Ducktails was a favorite show amongst me, Tim, and my younger brother Jim. We watched it all the time after school. During Patrick's nap time and Ducktails I was able to square away lodging reservations in Prague via AirBnB. Norah would be most helpful telling me the general area to find lodging. Since AirBnB isn't a hotel, it's always good to work out a checkin time in advance. I figured I'd be in Prague around 8pm and advised the host accordingly. My nightly rate was around 70/night which included a one time $30 cleaning fee. Comparable hotels were probably double - AirBnB can save you money.
Renting a Car
Since Prague was only 2 hours away from the base, it made sense to rent a car and head in that direction. Tim and Norah also suggested visiting Vienna, which was only a couple of hours away from Prague. Norah suggested stopping by the base to see what their rates were. I think she would very much regret suggesting this to me, because it took a very long time to get the car rental straightened out. I was very grateful she was patient with me and the salesman, because it took a long time.
First, the online rate was better, but there was little the salesman could do. Second, the quote was given with unlimited miles. But the contract read differently, the weekly rate only included 1,500 kilometers which I'd easily blow through. Extra miles are very, very expensive at .3 euro each kilometer. He added on two extra days - this almost doubled the rate I would pay. Ouch. Third, taking the car out of the country was a problem - this was disclosed after the contract was signed. I had mentioned to the driver the primary purpose of the trip was visiting Prague and he quickly apologized and made that part right at no cost. Although he quoted a few things incorrectly, the salesman was remarkably patient and nice which made the whole experience more tolerable. It did take about an hour and a half though to get things in line. The kids were remarkably well behaved the entire time, too.
My European rental
Dinner
Tim and Norah had only one night left, so we head for a late lunch at one of their favorite restaurants. Tim and I again had the Turkey schnitzel. It was fantastic. Moirah very generously offered me one of her fried mashed potato tot sort of things - wasn't my favorite. After a couple of hours at the restaurant I was on my way to Prague. Before leaving Germany I knew I would loose cell service. Most US cell plans work nationwide, with occasional roaming here and there outside big cities. This is not the case in Europe. I felt totally been spoiled in the US, being able to go from state to state with continuous cell coverage. I also noticed I'd be arriving in Prague later than expected, so I sent off a message to the AirBnB host. They quickly wrote back saying all was okay and to write them 30 minutes before arriving. Ends up the apartment is listed by a management company and they had a night manager on call who would meet me with the keys - so the late check in really wouldn't be an issue.
Tim, Moirah, Norah, Patrick, and me
Drive to PrahaEveryone I've talked to who has been to Prague refers to it by it's local name, Praha. I guess it's a right of passage I can now claim. The drive was fairly uneventful. Instead of tolls, drivers are required to purchase a sticker, also called a vignette, to put on their window. I actually have an Austrian vignette on my car back home. The original owner took delivery of the car in Germany (a free or extremely low cost option for the original owner) and drove the car around for a week before it was shipped stateside. Such a placard is not necessary in Germany, I wonder if it's because the plates indicate the car is German. After crossing the border to Czech Republic I picked up a vignette at a rest stop and got back on the road. I'm sure it was all psychological, but it felt very eerie driving into the former USSR. Memories of the cold war filled my head. I was excited to be there, but it felt very surreal.
Checking In
I got in to Prague even later than expected, probably around 10:30pm. I had the address plugged in to my iPhone GPS program. I found what I thought was legal parking and began my search for free WiFi. I didn't know the area and most shops were closed, it was kinda creepy. I did notice the shops were upscale though, which gave me some level of confidence I was in a nice area. Burberry had open WiFi which I was able to connect to, so I called the host via Skype. Skype did not work well, but since the lady was expecting my call she figured out it was me and asked me to send her an email. We communicated back and forth, she asked me to go to the office that was about 1 kilometer away. Except for my backpack (which had all my valuable electronics) my bags were in the car. Since I was traveling light I hoofed it over. I found the address, but couldn't make out an office. I went into a nearby hotel and confirmed I was at the right place. I also was able to connect via WiFi. At the last minute, she re-directed me to the apartment, not the office. I send her an email letting her know I was hoofing it back to the flat (apartment). After about 10 minutes I found the night manager, Victor. After about 10 minutes, I was checked in. Victor would graciously offer to assist with finding parking. He explained in broken English that there were two types of parking spots, blue and white. I had been parked in a blue spot. I'm still not sure if that meant the space for forbidden at all times, or just when the meter is enforce. In any case he helped me find a legal (white) space and prepaid the first hour for the next day. That covered me until 9ish instead of 8. Victor walked me back to the flat, just to make sure I got there. I'd discover the flat was very central to everything. There were tons of shops, bars, and anything else you can imagine right outside. I could hear a music from a very distant bar, but it wasn't too loud. Overall the unit was very nice, with additional sleep space in a loft above the living room. The unit did not have a television, but that really wasn't a big deal to me. WiFi is what I needed for planning, and the unit had a fine connection. The location of the unit would end up making the stay in Prague so awesome. Before calling it a night I went to a nearby bar for a drink, mostly to checkout the Prague nightlife. It may have been a Monday, but that didn't stop people from gathering at the nearby bar. It was packed. And the beer wasn't expensive, but at $3 it was a far cry from the 13 cent pints I had heard of.
Entrance to unit is on the rightside building
Tomorrow
I got back to the flat around 1am. I'd have to be up by 9ish to put money in the meter or face the wrath of the Czech Republic police.
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