Day Thirteen - Monday 20 October 2014 - Prague, Czech Republic to Krakow, Poland

Our route from Prague, Czech Republic to Krakow, Poland

 By 8:00 am -- eighteen of us are on the bus to Krakow with Radke, as our guide and two drivers.  Others are either extending in Prague or going home.   Our ETA in Krakow is late afternoon.  Our first comfort stop at 9:45 am is McDonalds along the highway -- just before passing through Moravia -- the Czech Republic's 2nd largest city which expressed an interest in seceding to become their own country -- it did not work out.  This road is very bumpy -- Radke mentions it was built by the Communists.   

Lunch Spot along the Route

Radke points out various cities and points of interest as our journey continues through the Czech countryside.  At 11:30 am we stop for lunch at "Motorest Podkova" -- looks like a Best Western.  The food was good and hearty -- we all enjoyed our meals and the lovely dessert pastries.  During lunch I noticed our guide and the two drivers having lunch just across the dining room.   The two drivers had at least one beer each with their meals, Radke had a coke.   This was not very comforting since we are just half-way to Krakow -- but we are in the Czech Republic where beer was invented.

My view while having Lunch.

 At 1:50 pm -- we have another comfort stop at a KFC in a roadside rest area and by 2:21 pm we enter Poland.

Poland is a country with 40 million people --the 6th most populous country in the European Union which they entered in 2004 --- 97% of the people are native to Poland and  87% are Roman Catholic.  The currency is the Zlotsky which is worth about 30 cents.   At 4:00 pm we approach Krakow and by 4:30 pm we pull up in front of the Sheraton Krakow.  It is on the Wisla River, a ten minute walk to Krakow's Main Market Square and from which we can see Wawel Castle.

The rooms are nice -- the hotel is well located -- free wifi in the lobby -- I think we're going to like it here.

Dinner -- 1st night in Krakow.

Our group is now eight:  Beth, Jack, Anne, Bob, Patte, Dave, Phil and me.  We meet in the lobby at 5:45 for dinner at "Miod Molina" --- and then to a concert at St. Peter and Paul Church. Everyone's meals are good as is the service --  and a marching bagpipe band parades by as we are dining --- this is a lively place.   Thank you, Phil, for finding yet another good place to dine.

Musicians at St. Peter and Paul Church in Krakow.

 Many of the churches have one-hour concerts in the evenings -- admission is about $20.  Thanks to Bob for finding this concert which was most enjoyable.

We have a pleasant walk back to the Sheraton -- our home for the next three days.

Thanks for Reading

Pat

Day Twelve - Sunday 19 October 2014 - Melnik and Prague, Czech Republic

At 9:30 am -- after breakfast we bid "adieu" to the Clara Schumann and board the bus for Prague.  Alexandra, our guide, educates us about Prague and the country it resides in:   40% of the Czech Republic's Gross Domestic Product comes from three areas:   Manufacturing cars, trains, and scooters,  Beer production (more beer is consumed here than any other country in the world) and Glass -- from fine crystal made into glassware and jewelry to inexpensive Christmas decorations.    Prague is a city of 1.3 million people with 25% of their income generated by tourism.   The Vltava River runs through the middle of Prague, which escaped major bombing during World War II leaving most of its beautiful architecture in tact.    On arrival, we stop at our hotel for a comfort stop and to drop off  luggage.

Phil on Old Town Square, Prague.

Our city tour begins about 10:45 am -- first to old town where we see the Vyscherad Castle dating to the founding of the city in the 9th century -- it sits high on a hill with good visibility along the Vltava -- inside is St. Peter and Paul Church.   Alexandra takes us to Prague's Old Town Square -- a large plaza with lovely buildings around its perimeter housing restaurants and shops.   

Prague's Astronomical Clock

Vltava River with Charles Bridge in background.

 Also on this square is the Prague Astronomical Clock -- installed on the southern wall of Old Town's City Hall in 1410.  It is the third oldest astronomical clock in the world -- and the only one still working.  The clock has three main components:  the astronomical dial representing the position of the Sun and the Moon, the "Walk of the Apostles" representing the 12 apostles and other figures which parade on the hour, and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.    As the noon hour approaches -- the crowd gathers to watch as the clock does what it was made to do more than 600 years ago. Here is a link to my video to see the clock in motion:   http://youtu.be/9NvhvCmxunU.

 

We leave old town walking across the Charles Bridge.   This pedestrian bridge, commissioned by Charles IV in 1357 and completed more than 50 years later,  spans sixteen arches and is lined on either side with thirty baroque statues of religious figures.   It is packed with tourists, street artists and vendors selling wares from food to jewelry.  It does give one the best view of the Vltava River as well as both sides of the city.

Once over the bridge -- we stop for lunch on our own.   Dave decided to go back to the hotel so Patte, Phil and I find a nice quiet place called "Jo's" --- we had goulash with boiled bread, a Czech traditional dish, it was okay and filled the void.   Patte and I pop into a few shops on our way back to the meeting place -- and of course we bump into Beth who is way ahead of us on the shopping front.

Creepy!

Patte and Beth at the Baby's Behind!

After lunch -- as we stroll through a park to meet our bus, we pass David Cerny's   sculpture called "Babies" -- these are huge crawling babies without faces -- apparently there are ten of these throughout the city -- some are crawling up a TV tower.   You should google him -- a Czech, he's famous for his controversial public sculptures -- which offend and amuse at the same time.  I must admit I found these sculptures to be somewhat creepy.

Spires of St Vitus Cathedral loom over Prague Castle.

Our next stop is Prague Castle  -- the largest ancient castle in the world.  The size of seven football fields this complex has been built and renovated over the course of thirteen centuries.   The President of the Czech Republic and the Archbishop of Prague both have residences here -- as well as numerous government and church offices.    The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert but called St. Vitus Cathedral is smack dab in the middle of this complex on a very large plaza.  Founded in 1344 and the third religious building on the site -- it took 600 years to be completed just in time for the St. Wenceslas Jubilee in 1929.   Upon exiting the castle complex, we come to another plaza  and a  great view of the city --- it seems like you really can see forever.

Dinner at Billy Konecek's in Prague!

 Back at the hotel about 5:00 pm -- there is no rest for the weary -- we are on the 6:00 pm shuttle bus back to Prague's Old Town Square for dinner reservations at Billy Konecek's housed in a building on the square which dates to the 12th century.

There are fourteen of us (Jim and Jeanne from California join for dinner).  Phil has done it again -- all of our meals are good -- and the ambiance is medieval as we are down about three stories in the cellar section of the building.

Back on the square -- we are fortunate to catch the last night of the 2014 Prague Light Show.  Similar to Berlin --- a medley of colorful shapes and forms are projected onto buildings throughout the city.    As we wait for the shuttle bus back to the hotel we enjoy this magnificent show.

Our room at the Corinthia Hotel is quite nice -- too bad we're only here for one night.  Tomorrow we are off to Krakow, Poland.

Thanks for Reading.

Pat

One more thing -- during our walking tour in Prague we stopped at the Lennon Wall in Grand Priory Square.   Since the 1980's it has been filled with graffiti inspired by lyrics from Beatles songs.   It was, at best, an irritation to the Communists since young Czech's used the wall to write their grievances in the late 1980's.    The wall is owned by the Knights of Malta who have allowed the writings on the wall to continue.  It is now a place where global ideas are expressed.

Pat by the tree at the Lennon Wall in Prague.

Day Eleven - Saturday 18 October 2014 - Litomerice, Czech Republic

At 5:00 am while we are sleeping the Clara Schumann leaves Decin for Litomerice.  After breakfast Stefanie holds a disembarkation briefing for tomorrow when we leave the boat in Melnick -- then board a bus to Prague for one night.

Litomerice, Czech Republic

Our options today are the walking tour of Litomerice which includes a visit to the Labut Brewery to taste the beers of the Bohemian region of the Czech Republic,  or a visit to Terezin , a former concentration camp.    Some of us opt for the beer tasting since we will be visiting Auschwitz when we are in Krakow and that is enough.

The Clara Schumann arrives in Litomerice about 1:00 pm.    The town is nice enough but everything closes Saturday afternoon through Sunday -- so there is not much to see except for the exteriors of the buildings and the central market square.  

From Mark, our guide, we learn that the Czech Republic is a landlocked country --about the size of Scotland -- with a population of 10.2 million people -- 10% of whom live in Prague. It is bordered by Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland.   

Litomerice is at the confluence of the Elbe and Ohre Rivers in an area known as the Garden of Bohemia -- it is thought to be one of the prettiest areas of the Czech Republic.  Emerging as a town in the 11th Century, Litomerice came into its own during the Renaissance in the 16th Century when the Italian architect, Ambrose Balli built the town hall with its chalice-like dome and the Black Eagle House.

A street in Litomerice.

Czech's love their beer -- consuming more than any other country in the world at 320 pints per person annually.  The first Czech brewery was established in the 12th Century.   The town of Pilsen is where  pilsner-style pale lager was originally produced in 1842 -- it is now a brewing mecca.    Every year in May a seventeen-day beer festival is held in Prague -- I can just imagine.

We move on to the Labut Brewery --- we are served three healthy mugs of different beers to taste with platters of meats, cheeses and breads. These people are most welcoming and do a very nice job -- all the beers are good.

At the Labut Brewery.

Back on board the Clara Schumann -- it is time to pack and make our preparations for disembarkation -- paying the bill and deciding on the tipping.  At 6:30 the Captain's Cocktail Party takes place -- where all thirty-five members of the crew are brought into the lounge so we can say good bye.  This is followed by a dinner with lots of food and merry-making.

Officers of the Clara Schumann!

 We have had a very good last day on the Elbe River.

Thanks for Reading

Pat

Phil and Dave Solving the Problems of the World!

Day Ten - Friday 17 October 2014 - Bad Schandau, Germany and Decin, Czech Republic

Today our morning is spent at leisure -- I try to organize our photos which are way too many while half listening to Stephanie's lecture on the Czech Republic -- our destination for this evening.

Lovely Town along the Elbe River

After lunch we dock in Bad Shandau, Germany -- this is a spa town with iron-rich springs discovered in the late-18th Century.  Visitors came in droves launching the development of hotels, parks, a "spa-house" and even an early tram system.   This picturesque town has been the back  drop for a number of movies.  

View from Up High by Rock Castle.

However -- we are heading out of town to visit the Bastei Plateau in Saxon Switzerland located in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.   On our forty minute  drive we pass through several small towns including Hohnstein and Rathwalde--where a tunnel under the road is being built so frogs can cross safely.  I kid you not -- that is what our guide, Sylvia, told us.

Bride and Groom Sawing Wood.

Upon arriving in the National Park we have a short walk to an area with a hotel and tourists shops --- we see a crowd gathered around a bride and groom sawing a log.   This is an old German wedding tradition representing the first obstacle the couple must overcome in their marriage.  

The view from the overlook here is stunning -- you can see the Elbe River snaking its way to the Czech Republic border.   For those more adventurous -- a climb to the remnants of a 13th Century Rock Castle is in order.    Here we find the remains of a chapel, a cistern, and indents in the rocks where a floor or a roof once made this rock formation a place to live.    The inhabitants must have felt quite safe here since they could see for miles in all directions for approaching visitors -- friendly or not.

Patte Climbing Around Rock Castle.

Rendition of what the Rock Castle would have looked like.

Pat and Dave with Organ Grinder.

We have quite the Welcoming Committee on our return to the Clara Schumann -- including Phil who stayed on board because of his phobia of heights.

Shortly after we're back on board -- the Clara Schumann pulls away from the dock in Bad Schandau at 5:00 pm for Decin in the Czech Republic.

Bob, Anne, Phil and I attend the reception for previous cruisers -- a bit ridiculous since it was in the same lounge where everyone else was sitting -- except our tables had cloths on them.     After dinner there was a musical trivia game -- we split into two groups of six each.  Coming in first and second, I'm afraid we might have been a bit obnoxious about our wins.

It was a wonderful day on the Elbe River.

Thanks for Reading.

Pat

Welcoming Committee - Phil on the Right!

Evening Arrival in Decin in the Czech Republic

Day Nine - Thursday 16 October 2014 - Dresden Germany

Paddle Boat docked on the Elbe River in Dresden.

 Alarm woke me at 7am -- raining pretty hard  -- think we'll be taking the city tour on a bus today -- Phil and I signed up for the walking tour since we are docked close to the town center.

After breakfast -- still drizzling -- Phil decides on the walking tour with about 20 other guests -- I'm on the bus.   Dresden in daylight is lovely --- paddle steamers line the banks of the Elbe -- where races take place three times a year.   

Augustus the Strong!

The Elbe River runs through the middle of Dresden --- founded on the site of a Slavic fishing village sometime before 1206.  The city thrived under the reign of George the Bearded from 1500 to 1539.   However it was in 1694 when Augustus the Strong (1670- 1733) came to power that construction really took off as Dresden was on its way to becoming a European center for culture and technology.   Augustus traveled throughout Europe getting ideas and implementing them in Dresden.  He was a patron of the arts and architecture introducing the first public museums.   He was enamored with the Palace of Versailles in France using it as a model for many of Dresden's palaces.    

Our tour bus with Christina, as guide, crosses the river to Newtown -- the oldest section of Dresden  which is the site of Germany's first chocolate factory founded in 1804.   She also tells us that the 1st toothpaste, mouthwash and shoe polish were all  discovered in Dresden. 

Crossing back over the Elbe on the Carola Bridge we go by the Volkswagon Factory where their Phaeton model is assembled -- the building is all glass with the assembly line visible to onlookers.     Tours are available but we decided there were other things we'd rather see.  Our first stop is the Zwinger Palace which now holds  several museums but it is the vast courtyard that is stunning  -- we are about to hear the collection of Meissen bells which gently ring at various time during the day.  You can see the white bells surrounding the clock on the video accessed by clicking the link below:

 

 Meissen Bells at the Zwinger Palace

We walk over to see the Church of Our Lady -- a Lutheran Church (originally Catholic) -- destroyed in World War II -- left in ruins by the Communists but after reunification in the 1990's it was completely rebuilt -- absolutely stunning.

Altar in Church of Our Lady

 Our next stop is the Green Vault -- the oldest museum in the world founded in 1723 by our good friend Augustus the Strong.  The treasures here are vast, varied and emphasize the opulence of the royal class in the 18th Century.   Gold and precious gems have a big presence in this collection which includes painting, sculptures, jewelry and models of palaces and other structures.   For two centuries the rooms of the Green Vault remained unchanged but in 1938 when war was imminent these priceless pieces were moved to Dresden's Konigstein Fortress.   At the end of World War II the treasures were confiscated by the Red Army and moved to the Soviet Union  --- in 1958 they returned to Dresden.   After a couple of temporary "homes" the part of the collection centering on works of art was moved to the New Green Vault  on the second floor of the rebuilt Dresden Castle in 2004.   Two years later the Historic Green Vault with it's 3,000 pieces of jewelry and goldsmith's art opened in a suite of rooms on the first floor of the castle looking just as it had in 1733 -- the year of its founder's death. (Unfortunately the Green Vault does not allow photographs).

Dave, Patte, Phil in Dresden's Market Square.

After our tour of the Green Vault,  Patte, Dave and I met Phil who had finished a little earlier and meandered over to the market square to have lunch at another of Phil's finds --  Kurfurstenschanke -- can you pronunce that?  neither can I.      The important thing is that the food was good and there was plenty of it --- I even veered off my "plant-strong" diet and had a wonderful veal dish.

After lunch -- Phil went for a walk --- Patte, Dave and I headed to the "Old Masters Gallery" at the Zwinger Museum complex ---- very enjoyable and just enough --- we were able to see it all.     

The Opera House in Dresden.

 At 2:45 pm we are ready for our tour of the Opera House --- several folks from the boat are also on this tour.   Thomas is our guide --- he's a bit dramatic.  The tour was mediocre -- lots of background noise from other groups and vacuuming going on so it was difficult to hear Thomas.    We spent a lot of time in the hallways when we expected to see "behind the scenes" stuff like backstage and dressing rooms -- that didn't happen.  All in all it was okay --  this is a beautiful facility which has, of course, like everything else been rebuilt -- reopening in 1985 after total destruction during World War II.

Food Hall in Newtown section of Dresden.

After the tour we split up --- Phil and I walk across the river to Newtown since he had not seen it on his walk this morning -- we stopped at the pharmacy and the food hall.  We boarded the Clara Schumann just in time for Stephanie's next day briefing.

Half of group had an early dinner since they were going to a concert. The rest of us ate at 7:00 pm and met a new couple -- Vince and Jean.  Later in the lounge a local combo -- two guys and a girl -- entertain with some beautiful chamber music.

It was a good long day in Dresden, Germany.

Thanks for Reading.

Pat

Day Eight - Wednesday 15 October 2014 - Meissen and Dresden Germany

The Clara Schumann left Torgau at 1:00 am this morning en route to Meissen

Meissen Porcelain Furnace

Breakfast is leisurely -- we are able to linger and chat.  At 10:30 am there is a wine tasting --- at 11:00 am there is a review of upcoming Viking Cruises.   This is not coincidental --- even Stephanie could not keep a straight face when she gave us this schedule last night.   Lunch is at noon just as we arrive in Meissen.    Our city tour  begins at 1:15 pm  at the Meissen Museum and Factory.   Meissen can make anything out of porcelain -- from figurines to furnaces.

Meissen Lady -- cost is 5400 Euros or $7,000

 The town of Meissen is over a 1,000 years old --- it became world famous with the invention of porcelain by Johann Friedrich Bottger and the founding of the porcelain factory under the rule of August the Strong.   Bottger claimed he could produce gold and as he was trying he discovered the raw material for making first reddish-brown then white porcelain.   In 1710 August the Strong turned his Albrechtsburg Castle into a porcelain factory where it remained until 1861 when it moved to the current location.

Our tour  (with classical music playing in the background) takes us along the creative route of Meissen porcelain -- every piece is crafted by hand from forming to glazing to painting and glazing again.    Today almost all of the 175,000 objects ever created are still in production with molds dating back three centuries. 

Street in Meissen from the Castle.

Of course there is a gift shop --- and also an outlet -- we could afford neither. Settling for the simple admiration of  the beauty of these pieces is in itself a treat.  Meissen's mark is "crossed blue swords" -- I'll be keeping my eye out as I troll the yard sales on Cape Cod this summer.

About 3:15 pm we leave the Meissen Factory and go by bus up to Albrechtsburg Castle -- its construction began in 1471.   Sitting on a rocky projection high over the Elbe River, it is considered a high achievement of German architecture.     It is lovely to walk through the old and narrow cobblestone streets --- and see the medieval houses fitting together like a puzzle.  

Patte and Dave in Meissen's Market Square.

 Beth and I walk down before the group for a bit of shopping time --- we find a lovely "antik" store and purchase a couple of miniature nativity scenes made locally from quartz for about $15.   Arriving in the Market Square we find some of our group having a beer in one of the outdoor cafes -- it is a lovely area.  In fact -- as we drive  back -- a rainbow appears over the Clara Schumann.  Shortly after boarding we leave for Dresden.

Anne, Frank, Joyce, Beth & Jack on Deck .

 Dinner tonight is in the Dining Room and in the Lounge where stations with a variety of German Food is being offered --- it is festive  --- the crew are all dressed

in German costume.  After dinner -- everyone gathers on the sun deck to enjoy the lights of Dresden as we arrive about 9:00 pm.

Thanks for Reading!

Pat

     

Dresden from the Clara Schumann!

  

Day Seven-Tuesday 14 October 2014 - Dessau, Worlitz and Torgau Germany

Today we visit Wittenberg -- home to Martin Luther from 1508 until his death in 1546.   It is here in 1517 that he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church thus setting in motion the Protestant Reformation.    Basically Luther objected to the Catholic Church's corrupt practice of selling indulgences to absolve the faithful of their sins.  This practice had been banned in Germany but continued unabated.  What may have set Luther into motion (since this was not a new issue) was when Friar Johann Tetzel began selling indulgences in Germany to fund the renovation of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  It was well known at the time that the Church was quite wealthy.   From the 95 Theses:    "Why does not the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?" (Note: Crassus was a wealthy Roman family)

Monastery where the Luther Family Lived in Wittenberg!

Luther's Living Room with Furnace.

Pat with statue of Katharina von Bora!

 The 95 Theses were distributed throughout Germany ultimately making their way to Rome.  After Luther refused to recant his beliefs, Pope Leo X  excommunicated him in early  1521 --- later that year Holy Roman Emperor Charles V issued the Edict of Worms which ordered Martin Luther's writings  be burned.   Martin Luther then began his ten-year project of translating the New Testament into German.  After hiding in the town of Eisenach for a year, he returned to Wittenberg where he lived for the rest of his life teaching at the old Augustinian Monastery.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Katharina von Bora, Martin Luther's wife.   Katharina, a former nun and Martin, a former priest were married in 1525 -- she was 26 -- he was 42 .   They lived at the monastery where Martin taught and had six children.   In addition to raising her family, Katharina managed all the holdings of the monastery including a cattle farm and a brewery, as well as dealing with the steady stream of students who lived with them.  Martin died in 1846 being in ill health for more than ten years.  After Martin's death Katharina was forced to live in poverty.  In 1552 she was fleeing Wittenberg to avoid the Black Plague when she was seriously injured in a cart accident entering the city gates of  Torgau -- she died from her injuries three months later.  She was a fascinating person for her time -- and well matched to Martin Luther.  

Our visit to the monastery -- which is now a museum -- gives a good sense of how the Luther family and their students lived in this 16th century center for culture and learning.  

Pat on Wittenberg Street

 From the monastery it is a short walk to Wittenberg's Market Square -- quaint with lots of shops --- many selling chocolate.  In the hour we have to browse around,  Beth and I come across a clothing store where we picked up a few bargains.   In Germany bargains are few and far between --- things are expensive.

Our bus takes us to the Clara Schumann which has moved down the river -- just in time for lunch.   We have the afternoon at leisure as we cruise along the Elbe to Torgau where we will spend the night.

After dinner Stephanie takes us on a walking tour of Torgau.  Our first stop is the memorial to the "Torgau Handshake".   On 26 April 1945 Russian and American troops -- each coming from a different side of the river --  joined hands at this spot in  Torgau.  It was the first step to ending World War II.   By May 1st, Hitler was dead and on May 7th, Germany signed an unconditional surrender.

Hartenfels Castle looking over the Moat

Moving on we visit Hartenfels Castle -- with five brown bears living in the dry moat. Unfortunately the bears must have gone to bed since we don't see them but their habitat is not too shabby.    Also at this castle is the first Protestant Church consecrated by Martin Luther in 1544.

We continue to wander through Torgau into the Market Square.  These small towns are really something at night -- nobody is around --- it feels like a movie set.   Just off the market square sits The Loebner Company, Germany's oldest  toy shop. 

 

Pat in Torgau's Market Square

 Back on board the Clara Schumann they are serving Goulash --- we are never very far from a meal.   I socialize for a few minutes but my bed is calling.  

We have had a very good day on the River Elbe.

Thanks for Reading.

Pat