Czech Republic
For our first post-COVID trip, we decided against air travel, for obvious reasons. Here we wanted to minimize the risk as much as we could, although, on paper at least, the Czech Republic seems to have the pandemic under control, despite a recent spike in numbers.
For the record: the last time I visited the Czech Republic, the place was known as Czechoslovakia and it was still reeling from Communist rule in the early 1990s. Back then, I paid with German marks, which were a welcome addition to somebody's black market account. Today, there would be no such hanky panky, and I would be paying the going rate for each tourist and resident here alike.
The first thing I did was order a vignette or a car sticker via mail. The car sticker enables us to use all motorways in the Czech Republic, whether it's an autobahn or a country road. And there's the little reminder again of why travelers love Germany so much, especially those driving. No tolls...and no speed limit. Not here. You'll pay for the roads and respect them, which is why the max speed limit seemed to be 130 km/h, a rule many Czechs blissfully ignore, as I learn later.
The major reason I decided to travel to Prague at this time was that Liebi had never been there, plain and simple. Our time in Europe is winding down, and while I have enjoyed Europe for years while growing up here in the 1980s, Liebi wasn't so lucky. Add to the fact that Liebi was an art history major and our upcoming trip with Prague batting leadoff for a rather promising travel lineup makes perfect sense.
Coming from Germany, I notice how green and hilly the place is. Simply gorgeous, I'm thinking. Here and there a village, here a ruin, there a hayfield, everywhere lush forest. And all roads lead to Prague, as I already know. Then there's the currency. The Czechs decided to forego the Euro and keep the koruna, or the crown. A minor inconvenience.
The rolling green hills are eventually replaced by rolling trolleys in Prague. On some of the rails, there seem to be trolley jams. Three or four trolleys in a row, waiting for the traffic in downtown Prague to clear up. Between the trolleys are a few cars, but somehow the town makes this work.
One major advantage of Prague is the fact that, while occupied during World War II, it never had to contend with daily bombing raids from the Royal Air Force or the Americans. A lot of old and original buildings, churches, and bridges are still intact, unlike German cities like Munich or Hamburg.
For the first day in Prague, or what remains of it, we rest. There will be plenty of walking to do the next day, for now, it's put your feet up and enjoy a Budweiser...the Czech beer, of course.
For the record: the last time I visited the Czech Republic, the place was known as Czechoslovakia and it was still reeling from Communist rule in the early 1990s. Back then, I paid with German marks, which were a welcome addition to somebody's black market account. Today, there would be no such hanky panky, and I would be paying the going rate for each tourist and resident here alike.
The first thing I did was order a vignette or a car sticker via mail. The car sticker enables us to use all motorways in the Czech Republic, whether it's an autobahn or a country road. And there's the little reminder again of why travelers love Germany so much, especially those driving. No tolls...and no speed limit. Not here. You'll pay for the roads and respect them, which is why the max speed limit seemed to be 130 km/h, a rule many Czechs blissfully ignore, as I learn later.
The major reason I decided to travel to Prague at this time was that Liebi had never been there, plain and simple. Our time in Europe is winding down, and while I have enjoyed Europe for years while growing up here in the 1980s, Liebi wasn't so lucky. Add to the fact that Liebi was an art history major and our upcoming trip with Prague batting leadoff for a rather promising travel lineup makes perfect sense.
Coming from Germany, I notice how green and hilly the place is. Simply gorgeous, I'm thinking. Here and there a village, here a ruin, there a hayfield, everywhere lush forest. And all roads lead to Prague, as I already know. Then there's the currency. The Czechs decided to forego the Euro and keep the koruna, or the crown. A minor inconvenience.
The rolling green hills are eventually replaced by rolling trolleys in Prague. On some of the rails, there seem to be trolley jams. Three or four trolleys in a row, waiting for the traffic in downtown Prague to clear up. Between the trolleys are a few cars, but somehow the town makes this work.
One major advantage of Prague is the fact that, while occupied during World War II, it never had to contend with daily bombing raids from the Royal Air Force or the Americans. A lot of old and original buildings, churches, and bridges are still intact, unlike German cities like Munich or Hamburg.
For the first day in Prague, or what remains of it, we rest. There will be plenty of walking to do the next day, for now, it's put your feet up and enjoy a Budweiser...the Czech beer, of course.
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