HELLO FROM PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC!

Today was a travel day--we left our apartment at 8:15 this morning, arriving at Wein (Vienna) Meidling train station about 8:30.  We had planned on having a light breakfast at the station, but our plans soon changed.  Wein Meidling station is quite small, and has no facilities.  And I mean NO facilities.  No cafes, coffee shops and........no bathrooms.  Yikes! Good thing we only had one cup of coffee this morning!

Our train pulled in right on time, and we settled in to our comfy seats for the 5 1/2 hour ride to Prague.  First order of business (right after finding the WC!) was to have a little breakfast.  Usually we find the trains have a small snack area with vending machines, but this one had a full dining car, complete with tablecloths and real silverware. We each ordered a small breakfast and a cappuccino and enjoyed watching the countryside go by.  A pretty nice view!

Here we are:

Soon we were pulling in to Breclav, Czech Republic, where we sat for a few minutes while our train had a "crew change"--from Austrian to Czech.

I noticed a definite change as we started into the Czech Republic-- the buildings and houses along the way changed from very well kept in Austria and Germany, to mostly neglected, run down and spray painted with graffiti.  Even the small rail stations were a bit "sad" looking.  Interesting!

Here's some scenery along the way:

After 5 hours of relaxing and reading, we pulled into the Prague station, lugged our suitcases and packs off the train, and set off to find an ATM.  The Prague main station is huge, with an large under ground shopping and dining area.  We found an ATM and got some Czech currency--called the Czech koruna, or crown.  It's about 20ck to 1 US dollar, so we ended up with what looked like thousands of dollars, but really wasn't much money.  It will take us a while to learn a new currency, but we figured out a short cut--divide the price by two, and move the decimal point over! 

Next order of business: find a taxi. We wandered around a little until we found a "Fair Place" taxi stand, as I'd read that it was a safer bet to take a cab from one of these stands, rather than just hail one on the street.  I guess there's quite a problem in Prague with "rip off" taxi drivers if one is not careful!  It wasn't a real long ride, and soon we pulled up right in front of our building.   Check in was efficient,  the nice young lady at reception spoke very good English, and gave us maps and local information.  

The entrance hall:

Pretty staircase, but thankfully there is an elevator--we're on the 3rd floor!

We are really happy with our apartment--it's spacious and bright, with tall ceilings and lots of big windows.  All this and daily housekeeping for only $90, what a bargain!  Here's a brief tour.........

Dining room:

Living room:

Small kitchen:

Big bedroom:

But the very best thing--our own little corner balcony overlooking the pretty street.  I LOVE it! 

Here's the pretty building across the street:

After check in we did our usual "quick unpack and hit the street" routine.  We walked around a couple of blocks and found a supermarket to stock up on a few supplies for the week.  After dropping our groceries off at our apartment, we set off again in the direction of a main shopping street, and WOW!

This is another beautiful city--I think we're going to like it here!

A few street scenes:

We walked for several blocks, enjoying the pretty buildings and the big crowds on the streets--this city is really "hopping"!

We looked at menus along the way, and found a small cafe that looked just right.  We had a wonderful dinner.  We each ordered soup; cabbage soup with smoked sausage for me, and wild mushroom for David.  We couldn't choose a favorite,  they were both so delicious!  We shared an entree: roasted pork with sauerkraut and dumplings, t was very good.  We each had a small beer, and the total was just over $20, a bargain!

We walked back "home" slowly, enjoying the pretty streets at dusk.  A few raindrops were falling just as we got to our apartment.

And yes, we'll be trying some Budweiser--the REAL Budweiser, known locally as Budvar.

It's going to be an early to bed night for these two travelers, it's been a long and wonderful "travel" day!

Good night from beautiful Prague!