Waking up in Praha (Prague)

Waking Up

When I checked in the night manager, Victor, helped me find legal parking and prepaid for the first hour or so. The meter was set to expire at 9am. I could have liked to sleep longer, but the 6 hours or so would do. I head out to stuff the meter, hoping I would easily find the car and get an hour or so more sleep.

Finding the Car

I marked the approximate location and an alarm of the car using Honk, one of my favorite iPhone apps. If you have an iPhone and a car, check out Honk. The app looks like a parking meter and a simple gesture sets a reminder to warm you before the meter runs out. The app also has maps and automatically records where you parked the car. It also has a map and a compass, so you can't loose your car. The app is genius for anyone with a car in a bit city like Chicago that aggressively enforces parking restrictions. It's also great just for remembering where you parked your car. However, for reasons unknown (maybe morning haze) I managed to reset the location. I knew I parked reasonably close to the flat that served as my hotel. I walked with my bags may at night and the walk took about 3 minutes. I wasn't clearly oriented though. The only things I knew for sure was I walked by an above ground metro station and that I did not parallel park.I started walking in the direction I suspected I could find the car - no luck. Than I started outlining other streets, still no luck. I was getting extremely frustrated, but taking in the scenery helped calm my nerves. As I walked around I also was checking out the local area, and not just looking for the car. That helped ease my anxiousness a bit.

After about 90 minutes though I gave up. I figured I could call the company behind the rental and they might be able to help. Since I don't have 3G in Czech Republic, that meant a short walk back to my flat. I was hoping the staff could reach Victor, as he likely knew where I parked. I tried calling via Skype, but it doesn't work well on any network I used in these parts. To my surprise Talkatone combined with Google voice (which is completely free) has been more reliable and has worked better than Skype. That solution only works for US calls though, not calls in Europe. After trying to call via Skype the very nice woman asked me to simply send her an email. I sent off what I knew of where I parked - outside metro location. The woman returned with a link to a map of the general area where my car could be found. Within 10 minutes I found it! I was about 90 minutes of the meter...but NO TICKET! In Chicago that would be nothing short of a miracle. Looking for the car was a frustrating experience, but as I walked around and took in the city I was constantly reminded of how beautiful it was.

Finding Parking

I parked near some tour kiosks and picked up some information about what to see. I was tempted to join a long tour that was to start in a few minutes. Since I hadn't eaten and needed to feed the meter, I ended up not doing the tour. Finding coins to stuff the meter was as much a problem in Prague as it was in the UAE. I felt moving the car was a good idea. You can only prepay for 6 hours, so I didn't want to be tethered to the car. Setting alarms to feed the meter over the next 3 days was not something I wanted to do. I wanted to ditch the car and live the city life for the next few days. The flat was centrally located either in Old Town or just a very, very short walk from it. I don't think the flat could be in a better location. 

A few notes about parking in Prague. IT'S A NIGHTMARE. There are 4 cars for every parking space in Prague. Private parking garages do not exist...ANYWHERE. The only parking that can be found is on the street. Street parking is color coded blue or white. Blue requires a permit that can only be acquired by locals. Guess what color most parking is? White parking is pretty hard to find and timed. The parking spot I had was golden and I lost it.

If you plan to travel to Prague by car, check this site out and prepare in advance. Ditching the car at one of the metro stations outside the city and riding the Metro back is the way to go. The 'free parking' areas mentioned in the blog are mostly out of date. The free parking suggested is now all metered and mostly blue. Prague is broken up into a number of sections (e.g., Prague 1, Prague 2), some with more generous parking restrictions than others. I was used to walking around and figured I could ditch the car in the outskirts and walk back. I must have spent at least 2 hours driving around in dense traffic looking for either a private lot (they don't exist) or an open spot like what I had. I eventually stumbled upon one of the only underground garages in the city, but parking was extremely expensive ($40 USD a day, or around $100-$120 for my entire stay). I pulled in and made the impulsive decision to exit. I figured I knew where the garage was and would look for parking just a bit longer. It was almost 1pm and parking is only enforced to 6pm. So for roughly $8 I could ditch the car until the following morning. If I needed, I could than move the car to the private lot. About 20 minutes later I'd find an empty spot by the  post office. Here's where my luck finally starts to turn around! Tomorrow is May 1st, so when I bought a ticket for the night I got the entire following day for free. It took me a while to figure out why the meter skipped a day - I kept thinking I was reading the ticket incorrectly. Parking cost about 10 USD. This meant I didn't have to worry about parking until my day of departure!

Throughout the trip I've thought about things I should have done differently in an effort to improve future stops and just to evolve my ways. I wondered if driving to Prague was a good idea. The rental car was extremely expensive (around $450 for the week) and parking was next to impossible. A rental gave me the flexibility to hit major cities and sites in between. Coordinating a train to Prague from anywhere in Germany would have been possible, probably simple. I could have also coordinated a train from Prague to Austria, which was my next stop after Prague, and than back to Germany. In hindsight, that option may appear to have been a better choice. I'm not sure though. While the train station in Germany was extremely easy to navigate throughout, it hasn't always been the way around the world. Egypt is a good reminder of a chaotic train system. Plus, not everyone speaks English well in Prague. When looking for change I went into no less than 4 or 5 stores and the merchants spoke little if any English. Sometimes making a decision involves choosing the best of several bad options - I'll write this decision down as one without a good option.

Walking Around

I spent a lot of time walking around the waterfront. Charles Bridge and the surrounding area is nothing short of amazing. The town is amazing. Given I had spend the previous 4 hours hitting my head against a wall finding the car and working out parking, I had every reason to be frustrated and irate. I wasn't though, I was in wonder of this incredible city. Prague is probably the one place I've been told to visit most in Europe. Cheap beer, inexpensive living, and the historic sites have made it a backpackers favorite. My expectations were very high...which normally leads to disappointment. I was bound not to let the issues of the morning affect my attitude.

Charles Bridge

A big part of the view form the river is the historic Charles Bridge. The bridge dates back to the 1400s! Walking around Prague (or Praha as locals call it) is nothing short of amazing. My impossibly high expectations were actually met.

 

Charles Bridge

 

One of many monuments on the bridge

After walking around a bit after crossing the bridge I noticed a large American flag waving in the background. I was curious. After snapping a picture I walked up the street and noticed flags of other nationalities. I than noticed police were outside the building with the US flag. It became clear it was the US embassy! US soil was steps away! I hadn't registered since entering the Czech Republic, so I figured stopping by would be an adventure itself. Unfortunately the embassy was closed. As I walked up the street though I noticed a storefront called "KGB Muzeum". I entered and a man told me the next tour would begin in 20 minutes.

American flag in Prague, huh?

KGB Museum

I wasn't sure what to make of the storefront. I would have checked TripAdvisor, but I didn't have 3g and couldn't find a free WiFi hotspot. Having grown up during the cold war, anything pertaining to the USSR is of intense interest. I was a bit concerned this might experience might be a real life example of the Kramer's Peterman Reality Tour but was up for giving it a shot. I would not be disappointed. The museum is run by a man named Andre who hails from Leningrad. The museum is filled of items he has personally collected. One of Andre's grandparents and mother were agents in the KGB and he knows a lot about it. Before I entered he warned that he spoke little English. Andre needs to give himself credit, because I could understand him fine. He was also great with my camera, often suggesting and insisting I pose for pictures. His only request was that the photos be for personal use - easy request. First, everything in the museum is real. It felt weird putting on the KGB hat - almost like I was spitting on my country. I figured it was no different than what I might do in the 80s on Halloween.

Andre knew a lot about the KGB and explained the history of the organization. He had all kinds of crazy stuff, like a pair of the first Soviet night vision goggles, encryption machines, agents coats, information on gulags. Andre was also a character. Take a look at the picture of him popping his head out of his shop

Part of the gun retracts. It's modeled after the AK47 and was standard issue to KGB

Do I look Russian or what?

Love Andre's expression

 

Real antidote for gas to be taken 45 minutes before using weapon

 

Fake passports found on Asian and US spies

 

Cryptography machine

 

Device for using cocaine.

Cocaine became very popular after vodka was outlawed

 

Andre and me

 

Interrogation kit

Petřín Lookout Tower

After touring the KGB museum I made way towards the Petřín Lookout Tower. It was now around 7pm so it was a gamble if it was open. Plus, I didn't know where the entry actually was. I just saw it in the distance and hiked in that general direction. Hike is an understatement. The hills the tower is atop are very, very steep.

After climbing the enormous hill, which was a feat of its own, I made my way to the tower.  From a distance the tower looks similar to the Eiffel tower,  the differences become more apparent up close.
Tickets come in two variants - with and without the elevator. There is a 50 czk difference which I later calculated out to about $3. I opted without and hiked the 299 steps to the top. I had forgotten there was a mid-level and upon reaching it, thought the hike was nothing. The mid level has an outdoor section and is windy. The guide there happily snapped a pic and I than learned there was more to hike. After a longer hike, I was at the top. I walked around a bit, snapped some pics and waited for the guide to finish up conversation with a South American couple. He happily snapped a few pics and I was off. I knew it was a long way down, but at least it was downhill. The climb was exhausting, but bearable.

Hike started all the way down at the street between the green and road. 

 

Tower

 

Outside Tower - mid level

 

View from below

 

View from the top

 

View from top

Victims of Communisim Memorial

As I was walking back I walked by some statues that were very intriguing. The statues were actually a memorial for the fallen victims of communism. It was a remind of just how surreal it was to be walking around in the former USSR. When you stop to consider the history and the meaning of the statues...it's incredibly sad. Tourists were posing with the statues without considering the meaning. I got the fact they were just having fun, but I felt it was very disrespectful. To some degree it reminded me of a visit to WTC memorial with my brother Jim. When we visited, without thinking much of it, I asked a guard to take our picture. Jim politely opted out, telling me later his thoughts about what the memorial meant. I think I get how he was feeling that day, maybe he instilled a little class in me.

 

Memorial to the Victims of Communism

Hemingway Bar

I was hungry, it was getting late, and I decided to head back to the apartment. I looked on TripAdvisor and found a nice place for a drink called Hemingway. Upon entering it reminded me of a cross between two Chicago local favorites (Violet Hour and Hubbard Inn). I gave the bartender a few drinks I normally liked and asked him to surprise me. This little request normally gets me a nice surprise. The bartender made my drink with the same precision a scientist would use making a substance. He had eye droppers, measuring cups, and was exact in everything he did. His worked showed. Even the presentation of the drink was impressive. I was fantastic. Unfortunately the bar had few food options. I'd spend an hour or so at the bar and moved on, eventually heading home.

 

Hemingway Bar

Tomorrow

Since tomorrow was May Day, a holiday throughout Europe, I stayed out to observe the local nightlife. It was pretty interesting and lively. I figured tomorrow I'd wake up late and visit Prague Castle and do a few other things.

USSR or Bust

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.

 

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 Praha

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.

 

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.

Autobahns and Grafenwoehr

Waking Up


When I returned to the hotel room around midnight I almost immediately fell asleep. Around 9am Tim was knocked on the door letting me know Norah and the kids were heading down to the restaurant for the complimentary breakfast. The plan was to attend mass at 10am at the cathedral, come back to the hotel to pack, than head to their home in Grafenwoehr.

About 15 minutes after Tim knocked on my door I was at the restaurant looking for his family. The breakfast at the hotel was complimentary and very impressive. It was buffet style and for the first time in at least a month I saw bacon! I can not put in words how good the thick cut bacon tasted. After about 10 minutes we were off to the lobby to regroup with Norah and the kids

Mass


The walk to the cathedral was very short. Once we crossed the Stone Bridge we were effectively there. We got there right on time. To our dismay, all pews and spillover seats were full. There were signs that said sightseeing was not allowed during services, but there were plenty of people in the back taking pictures and watching. I have no problem with people silently watching what's going on - it's important to allow others the opportunity to learn about Catholicism. That said, it was completely ridiculous. Half the spillover chairs were filled by tourists - a huge group left about 10 minutes after the start.

//Begin Rant

The church did very little to ensure practicing Catholics were accommodated. The Muslims do a wonderful job closing mosques during prayer time - most are open all other times. I get the Church's desire to keep things open and allow everyone the chance to participate, but since attending mass is a critical obligation to Catholics I'm surprised the Church cares very little about accommodating practicing Catholics. Tourists either don't understand or care unless you force them to. I'm not asking for the Vatican to fly me in because I'm sick of the USA...just maybe reserved seating for practicing or somewhat practicing Catholics? I mean, Israel will fly back, at the countries expense, Jews who want to return. They even fly Jewish youth out to Israel, paying all financial costs to ensure it's possible for all.  Is a seat really that much to ask for from my Church?

//End Rant

 

Photo of choir taken after mass ended

Autobahn to Grafenwoehr

After Church we hopped on the autobahn and made our way to Grafenwoehr. There were 5 of us in the tiny Ford Fiesta, but Tim still got the car up to 106 mph. I must say I was disappointed with the autobahn. I thought it would be this glamorous shiny black topped 6 lane road, but in the end it was no different than an ordinary 4 lane (2 in each direction) American highway without speed limits. Since I was planning to drive in Germany and part of Eastern Europe, throughout the drive he'd explain signs and autobahn rules.

 

106 mph in a rental Ford Fiesta 

Cleaning Up & Errands

The first order of business once we returned to the house was to clean it up before the inspector arrived the next day. The movers had already come, so most of the furniture was gone.  Since shipping the furniture takes months, loaner furniture was provided and remained in the house. Their real car was gone too, what we had been using was a rental.

There were a few other odds and ends we had to do. Tim has two dogs, so we had to stop by where they were boarded to coordinate airport pickup. We also had to pickup a few things from the shop on base and drop off recyclables. The military base was huge, the size of a small town with buildings spanning blocks and blocks. I had to be checked in and given a day pass. The military actually held my passport until I returned the day pass. Tim explained that nearly the entire base bombed during WWII. First stop was to dump recyclables at a facility that was once a gas station. Next stop was to the retail shop on the base. Base prices were said to be very good. The base prices were similar to what you'd expect to pay in the states. Currency at the retail shop was US dollar. Next stop was to pickup lunch for the family - we ended up at Burger King. To my surprise, currency there was also US dollar. Shortly thereafter we went back home and had lunch.

Now that we were back at the house there were some final cleaning details we had to work through. Tim and Norah were resistant to let me help. They said they felt guilty having a guest help them clean - I suspect they think I'm incompetent though. In any case I took care of spackling the basement. Although I have no award to show for my contributions, I will say I did an awesome job.

2 Minute Cracker Challenge

Thereafter we ordered some pizza and came across an expired MRE kits. An MRE kit is a meal in a bag that can be prepared anywhere. After some interesting knowledge about MRE swapping etiquette, we told me about the 2 minute cracker challenge. In a nutshell, the challenge is to eat packet of crackers in less than 2 minutes without any water. It didn't look very difficult. The kids wanted some of the crackers so we opened a packet of crackers and peanut-chocolate butter. The crackers and butter were tasty. After having 1/4 of the packet (the kids and Tim had the rest), I was pretty convinced I could consume the entire packet in 2 minutes. Unfortunately, the second MRE he had did not contain crackers so I didn't get to complete the challenge. After watching a few videos on youtube I seriously wonder if I could pull it off.

 

 

Family cracker challenge!

Shortly thereafter, Norah and kids called it a night. Tim and I would stay in and catch up on things. We'd actually start watching the first couple of episodes of the TV show The American's - which so far is excellent. We talked a bit about what to see in Germany. Although I spent some time in Munich, I needed another night or two to see the sites. I also had planned on visiting Berlin and Nuremberg. After remembering Prague was only a couple of hours from where I was I considered extending the Germany trip and vistiting Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia within that time. The show is about Soviet spies living in the US during the cold war. More specifically, the 80s...around the time he and I grew up. We were up until about 3ish chatting and watching the first couple of episodes. It's definitely something I'll binge watch on the flight back or when I return.

During conversation I mentioned I had planned on touring Chernobyl and Pripyat before returning and Tim mentioned Germany was still affected to some degree by the disaster. I found that incredulous, the two towns are over 1,000 miles apart. He insisted that to this day a small percentage of meat from the wild boars that roam the preserve in his back yard is considered unsafe because of radioactivity. He went on to say all boar meat from the preserve in his back yard must be tested for radioactivity before sold and consumed. I figured either the ground was naturally radioactive (think Radon) or sometime long, long ago some meat was found to be unsafe. Certainly nothing could be found in recent time.  As crazy as it sounds, a small percentage of meat from animals raised on the land is found to be too contaminated (by radioactivity) for consumption and destroyed. The meat is still tested for that reason. The root cause is usually mushrooms or vegetation eaten by the animal. The vegetation usually had come come into contact with dust or debris that have remained in place since the disaster decades ago. Another man-created environmental disaster I learned about was the Aral Sea. In 1960 the Aral Sea was larger than Lake Michigan by surface area. Today it's almost dry, although Kazakhstan is working to reverse the trend with encouraging success.

 

Tim and Norah's house

 

Moirah's empty bedroom would be mine tonight.

That's a comforter on the bed...not a body

 

Recycling machine that returns deposits at Aldi 

Machine can take a case of bottles at once or a bottle one by one

 

Tim's old office digs

Tomorrow

Tomorrow Tim, Norah and family would head to the hotel on the Army base after the inspector did the final check out. I hadn't made definitive plans about where to go from here. I still have about 5 days left to check out Germany. I was thinking about extending it out to visit some of the neighboring countries like Czech Republic and Austria. Further, Grafenwoehr is less than an hour away from Czech Republic and about 2 1/2 from Praha (Prague), a city very high on my wish list. We'd explore the rental car options the next day when we went to the base.

Regensburg

Waking Up

Today I would take a trip to Regensburg, Germany. I'd meet up with a longtime friend, Tim,  and his wife, Norah, and two children (Moriah and Patrick). Tim grew up across the street from me. he probably wouldn't argue if I were to say he spent as much time at my house as his own during our early years. Over the years I haven't spent much time with the family, so the few days I'd spend with them was extremely important to me. Tim's family has been living in Germany for 3 years ago, but moves back to the US in just a few days. He insisted Regensburg was a must see. The town has an incredible history of almost 2,000 years and is a classic example of a Bavarian city.

Tim and family live in Grafenwohr, I was in Munich a long ways away. Since I didn't have a car, it made the most sense for me to take an hour train ride to Regensburg and for them to pick me up from there. I hadn't been diligent about taking my allergy pill since I was on a bus the night before and did not fully unpack - so my allergies were killing me. I was coughing, wheezing, and hacking pretty bad and not feeling by best. Since I was catching a train I knew I had to be on time - so I forced myself out of bed. The first thing I did was check on the clothes I had out drying.  I had done laundry the night before and was a bit worried my clothes would not have enough time to dry. The unit had a washer, but, as is common in Europe, no dryer. Fortunately almost everything was dry. I folded the clothes, took a shower, and packed up. I had about 25 minutes to get to the station that was a 15 minute walk so I opted for a cab. I didn't know how much time I'd need at the station to get a ticket and figure out what train I'd need to board.

 

Awesome German train schedule app

Train Ride

I had no problem working the ticket kiosk and getting a ticket. Most people in Germany speak English, so finding the right train was effortless. The ticket did say the train left about 5 minutes earlier than the published time, so I was a bit nervous. I made it on the train with time to spare though. The train was expensive, something like 20 Euros ($26 USD) for the hour journey. The conductors and staff were pleasant and most spoke English well. Although I didn't book a first class ticket, the train was not packed and I got an entire coach compartment to myself. Traveling on this train was much, much nicer than the Turkish coach bus.

 

ICE Train Comparment

 

Club Car

 

Regensburg Hbf Stop 

 

Mall attached to train station at Regensburg

 
Meeting Up w/Tim

Tim said he'd meet me with his family at the train station at 10am, right after the train got in. On the train I got a message from Tim saying he'd be late. Once off the platform a bridge either takes you to an Arcade (indoor shopping mall) or the train station. Since the sign was in German I didn't know what it said, so I randomly ended up in a full sized shopping mall. I noticed an electronics/computer store and figured it might be a good time to get a USB memory stick to backup all my pictures to, just in case the laptop got stolen. The SLR I shoot with creates enormous files, even when not shooting in RAW, so I already have about 32 gigs from this trip alone. I found a card that was reasonably priced (around $60 for a 64 gig USB stick) and head to the coffee shop. After about a half hour I saw Tim - time to head in to town!

 

Greetings at the Train Station

Regensburg

Regensburg is located on the Danube River, The bridge that was originally build to cross the Danube, the Stone Bridge, still stands and is around 900 years old. The bridge is a classic example of medieval architecture. Since he knew the area best, Tim insisted on booking the hotel accommodations.

 

Stone Bridge

Checking In

We arrived in to town around 11am and the hotel (Sorat) had no problems with us checking in early. Everything about the hotel was great! It was literally in the middle of the Danube and next to the Stone Bridge. When we entered the hotel a wedding was taking place in the lobby. We'd continue to see photographers and wedding parties throughout the city.

 

 

  

 Sorat Hotel

Touring Town

We spent several hours walking around Regensburg. The town was largely spared during the WWII bombing, so many of the buildings are very old. The downtown area is very large, with many shops, restaurants, and bars continuing endlessly throughout winding roads. We'd also spend time eating at a couple of different brauhauses, enjoying local beer. Tim got me hooked on the turkey schnitzel - which tastes quite similar to chicken. The first brauhause we went to is one of the oldest, Spitalgarten. We sat in the outdoor beer garden while live music played. Later we'd tour the Regensburg Cathedral, the museum within, and the town in general. The town was incredible. Many of the buildings were several hundreds of years old. The roads have changed little to accommodate cars instead of horse drawn carriages.

 

 Regensburg Cathedral

 

 

Inside the cathedral 

 

Moirah, in back of some gold, at the museum

 

Outside Church

 

Lunchtime at Spitalgarten with Tim

 

Family time outside the Spitalgarten

 

Remains of Porta Praetoria Gate 

 

Dinner Brauhause

 

Night

The kids were getting restless. Since Tim's wife, Norah, hadn't slept well the night before, she returned to the hotel to retire for the night. Tim and I would explore the town. My phone was dead and I didn't want to lug around my big SLR, so I didn't grab any pictures. Since it was a Saturday night and a college town most of the places were packed. We spent considerable time at an underground bar that looked and felt like a cave. German locals chatted with us for a while and we eventually bolted for somewhere else. Around midnight we head back - we were both pretty tired and knew the kids would force us to start the next day early.