Royal Treatment in the Royal Spa Towns Part 1: Mariánské Lázně

With only 3 more week-ends left, we are packing a full programme of activities while the folks are here. This week-end, we headed off to the Royal Spa Towns of the Czech Republic, close to the northern German border.

Mariánské Lázně was the chosen destination, not only because it is motherdux's namesake (Marion's Spa - or something like that), but also because it is the Spa town that we had not yet visited and it has received rave reviews. We booked apartments in the town for the Saturday night and planned an early start on Saturday morning.

The route planned, being only an hour from Plzen, allowed time for exploration. We had a castle earmarked to explore near Mariánské Lázně, although I was poorly prepared and had not written down either it's name or location, but had hoped to see signs once near enough to ML to trigger my memory. Well, the signs did appear, but it triggered a very wrong memory and we found our way half way to Karlovy Vary chasing a very different castle, before I halted the operation and decided to check my laptop.

Course reset, and an additional 50km added to the journey, we found ourselves winding through some incredible country roads. If the detour took us back home without even the sighting of the royal spas let alone the castle, the country roads were well worth the drive.

Including a very picturesque tree-lined lake:

Our accommodation in ML was just perfect (Apartment Barbara). We had 2 studio apartments with kitchen on the top landing - and the only 2 units on the floor. It was definitely the best private accommodation we have stayed in thus far in the CZ. This is the garden:

After dropping our gear and checking in, we set off immediately to explore the town. The first sight to greet us, was immaculate and lush gardens; fountains; and the very typical 19th century styled buildings of the period.

We didn't waste any time venturing into the garden and were almost immediately drawn to the sound of Mozart wafting down from somewhere higher up. It turned out to be the musical fountain just finishing it's grand finale and so we vowed to return in the evening for one of the later performances.

Inside the colonnade, behind the fountain, is an info centre which gave us details of the various spas as well as the musical programme for the fountain. The inside of the colonnade was really impressive, with beautiful arches and frescoed ceiling.

Next stop, the 2nd colonnade near the fountain:

Here, the first sampling of spa water took place - the first expression is always priceless!

While strolling back to the main street through the gardens, we spied some horses & carriages.

Now, we usually don't give in to demands of horse rides, but these ones were surprisingly cheap, so I had secretly decided to treat the girls to a ride after lunch, but first stop, was definitely lunch! Pretty much directly opposite the horses, was a charming cafe.

The photo below had us recovering from near hysterics as the first attempt at a timed photo took the prize shot of a lady's behind as she squeezed past the camera at the precise count of 10, silhouetted by the perfectly timed flash.

Horsie Carriage rides were then promised and the expedition set off led by 2 very eager horsie fanatics, whose long-time dreams were about to come true.

For the rest of the afternoon, we strolled the gardens and tasted the water from the springs, and then found our way back to the musical fountain to await the 7pm performance

Last stop: Pizzas for Supper!!

Sunday's first order of events was a lazy Sunday swim in the hot mineral springs at a traditional spa bath. The spa is complete with massage beds, still pools, whirl pools, Jacuzzis, saunas, steam rooms, Scottish showers, you name it! Well, things were going well (even though the only costume I could lend my mother was my skimpy blue bikini), until we put our big toe into the pool.... and discovered it was cold!

Mom & I decided that the money we had paid was way more than we would like for a cold swim, so decked in bikinis and all we marched into the main info reception and exclaimed that it was just not on! Well, don't ever say that it doesn't pay to complain, because we received apologies and all our money back - and then on top of it we went back into the pool and still enjoyed our swim.

2nd stop: BRUNCH!!!! We had all worked up quite significant appetites, and it was nearly lunch already, after all! We had seen on the local map, that there was a building at the top of the hill overlooking the town, called Panorama. This seemed like the perfect ending to our stay in ML and the ideal location for brunch. Unfortunately though, it became apparent very quickly that it was not to be, when we arrived at the said location and found a very ruined and dilapidated chateaux. Fortunately though, about a km down the road we found another hotel where we had a slap-up meal and called it Lunch. Next to our hotel/restaurant was another dilapidated chateaux... we were seeing a trend...

After lunch, Karlovy Vary!

(Part 2: Karlovy Vary)

Week-end in Plzeň

The first week-end of the folks stay with us, turned out by chance, to be a very social week-end with a dinner invitation on the Saturday night; and an afternoon tea invitation for Sunday.

My Boss, George, was celebrating his birthday, and so invited a number of people around for a Saturday afternoon braai, and had his new HD TV shipped in just in time for us to watch SA beat Wales. George in true South African fashion laid on a feast of a braai, with boerewors, sosaties and even the grilled tomato/onion sandwiches.

One of the other couples, a Czech colleague, has daughters about the same age as Amber and Sarah, so they took to the garden instantly and played games all afternoon, and the lack of common language was no problem at all.

Motherdux enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the Czech couple and plied them with questions the whole afternoon about life growing up in the CZ, under communism and out of it. Mom was in her element!

On Sunday, Granny spent some time playing games with the girls:

while the boys spent time discussing important matters downstairs:

After I got back from my run, we headed out to the local parks to let the girls ride their bicycles and get out of the house for a while.

We first went to the park a couple of hundred metres from our apartment, but when I saw Grannie on the distant horizon, eager for a walk, I suggested that we take a walk further and go to the "witches hat park", that has a nice forest as well for the folks to enjoy.

Even though it was a 2km slog uphill, it turned out to be a successful outing: Motherduck propping up a tree






On Sunday afternoon, we were invited to Michal & Štěpánka's house for afternoon tea. They have a huge mansion on the outskirts of Plzeň with a swimming pool and all.

Michal has built his house right next door to his parents, whose garden is a little bit more established than theirs. Michal is also building a pool, but the whole garden is a building site still, so the parent' pool is it.


Mom & Dad surveying the scene:

While Dad works up a sweat:


After swimming, Michal's mom invited M&D to join her for some coffee, so the old folks enjoyed a good chit chat on her patio - while she could speak no English and they could speak no Czech. Needless to say, the conversation was short lived and they soon came strolling back over bearing cakes.

Back home again, and the family enjoying supper in our kitchen.

What to do when the TV no longer inspires...

Greetings from the Grand People (Chapter 1)

Dear Family,
It's nearly two weeks since we left South Africa so it's about time we brought you up to date on our travels so far.     Our flight from CT via Dubai to Zurich, although tyring, was very interesting.   Dubai airport was an eye opener in that it is huge and very spread out.  It felt as if we had walked over a kilometer from where we entered the airport building to gate no 29 where we were to board the Zurich flight, all in one direction, and all along the way there were indigenous bodies lying on the floor fast asleep waiting for their onward flights.    As we flew out of Dubai, we could see below tall buildings all sand colour rising out of sand.     Not a vestige of green anywhere, no trees, grass etc.   Definitely not an inviting place to live.      We were able to see something of the countryside, clouds permitting, as we flew over the Syrian coast, over Yougoslavia, Istanbul and the  Black sea which stretched out as far as we could see.     Then, as we flew over Austria and Switzerland on our approach to Zurich, it was exciting looking down and seeing the snow capped peaks all along the Alps and Austrian and Swiss mountains.   What a sight!     It was also marvellous watching the approach to the Zurich airport.     Looking down on the countryside was beautiful with areas of green fields all neatly arranged like a patchwork quilt in between forests with a lot of little clusters of houses with white walls and red tiled roofs.     Delightful!    Mom had the window seat and I was next to her, so we had a good view down below the aircraft.
We were met by the family in a seven seater VW Touran and drove to Scuol through some magnificent snow clad mountain scenery,  which we had seen as we flew over, through many tunnels of varying lengths up to over 8kms long and over some fantastic mountain passes.  

You can imagine our excitement.   Scuol is a very old village ringed by high mountains and Nigel Killeen's home is over 400 years old.  It was great catching up with all Nigel's news and exploring the town with him.  

After arriving there on Thursday late afternoon we spent until about 11h00 on Saturday with Nigel before continuing our journey to Plzen in Czech Republic via Austria and Germany.  We spent Saturday night in Augsburg at an Ibis Hotel and Hayley did a 32km training run in preparation for her "Midnight Sun Marathon" early on Sunday morning.  We had a late breakfast and continued the journey stopping at various towns along the way.  One of the stops was at Nabberg which is a very quaint little German town where we took many photos and had  delicious ice creams.  

We arrived "home" here in the late afternoon.
Monday saw Hayley up very early to fly to London for meetings and unfortunately her return flight was horribly delayed so she only got home well after midnight!.  Mom and I went with Colin into town in the afternoon to see something of the town centre and then fetched the girls from school, so we were able to see the school and meet the teachers.  One of the highlights of the town is to climb up the cathedral tower, over 100 meters high, and I was able to see just about the whole town from there and take some pics. 

We also did a tour of the Brewery one morning and had lunch in the brewery restaurant afterwards.  It is the largest restaurant in the town (Hayley:  In the whole of South Bavaria actually..).  Mom and I  had a traditional dish which is a goulash soup served in a loaf of bread.  It is a round loaf which is hollowed out and filled with this delicious goulash soup and is a very tasty meal.

Last Saturday afternoon we were all in Prague to visit Hayley's boss, George, who is also a South African, for a good old South African braai.   The first Springbok rugby test against Wales was on in the afternoon so we were able to watch the Boks beat Wales in Bloemfontein.   A lovely day and a lekker braai was enjoyed and we only got home very late, the little ones were put to sleep there and slept all the way home.
On Sunday we took the girls on their bikes to the park in the forest in the morning and after lunch went to visit their Czech friend, Mike, who owns the flats in Prague,  We had a super afternoon at their home on the outskirts of Plzen and the girls had a swim in their pool.

Yesterday Mom and I  were up early to go to Prague with Hayley and then we caught the underground Metro into the city centre where we did "The Superior Tour Of Prague"   It was advertised as a full day in Prague on foot, by river boat and a tram ride, which includes lunch, drinks, a boat cruise, a tram ride and a "walks of Prague" CD.  We both thoroughly enjoyed the tour and Mom's health is so good that she was able to keep up the whole time and not get out of breath.  We did the Old Town, the New Town, the Jewish Town, the Little Town and the Prague Castle.  

We met our English speaking Guide, Hannah at 10h00 in the town square holding an open red umbrella so we could recognise her, and it transpired that there was only one other couple on the tour with us.  They were of the same vintage as us and are spending five days in Prague before returning to London to go on a sea cruise on the QE2 for a couple of weeks. With just the four of us on the tour it was so nice as we could all hear what  Hannah was telling us.  We thoroughly enjoyed a traditional meal in a traditional Czech cellar restaurant.     Needless to say, we took hundreds of photographs and will now have to sort them into batches and label them all.   The tour only finished well after four pm and we then had to negotiate the rush hour traffic on the underground Metro to get back to where we were to meet Hayley.  A  pleasantly tiring,  exciting day!     It was awesome walking along streets dating back to 900 to 1400 and going into churches and buildings that old too.     Prague never had any disasters hit it like fires and bombs in later years so it is still authentic and /or restored beautifully.      Renaissance, Classic, Baroque etc.     The barogue buildings are very ornate with statues all over the place and frilly extra bits adorning them.
Well, that about sums up our holiday so far.  Mom will now read through this epistle, correct my mistakes and add in the details I have missed.                                                                 
  Hello - the descriptive bits are my contribution!!      I just want you to "feel" what we have been experiencing.      As we arrived at the point under an old bridge where we boarded the cruise boat, we could hear the lovely music of a piano accordian being played below.     As we went down the steps, a bloke in sailor suit was lost in his art of playing his instrument.      I could not stop watching this brilliantly talented musician.      He was still playing when we came back!       Another memory I shan't forget.
In the Old Town Namesti (square) a very grey bearded bloke was playing a saxaphone with an orchestral backing of fifties music.      Man did he make that instrument pull at your heart strings.     Then he picked up a trombone for the next sentimental number.   Early in the morning,  when we hit the old town square,  Dad and I were nearly fighting over who could have the camera as, with every corner or vantage point, there was a wonderful picture waiting to be taken.      It was so frustrating seeing a marvellous picture then not having a camera to click.

Time to dish up supper.   6.30 pm    Time to send this.
We are so thankful to the Lord for blessing us so abundantly -   Praise Him.     Lots of love to you all.     Mom.  

(Greetings Chapter 2)

Schhhhweiz!!

The casual observer might think that a word like this might pass the lips of a son-in-law on the eve of a 6 week visit by his mother and father in-law...

It may also be fair game for burning ones fingers while stealing a hot piece of borewors off the grill, or when the boks knock-on in the oppositions 22.

 

Far from being expletive this expressive little word is better considered superlative for all things scenic and beautiful. I am, of course referring to Switzerland, who is known to her (German) own by this name.

As it happens, our second trip to Schweiz in 6 months was occasioned by the arrival of the in-laws for a 6 week visit! No expleting necessary on this occasion though, far from it in fact, the date has been counted down to for a good month or more by an eager wife, eager babies and, yes, me too.

We collected the weary travellers at Zurich airport, after the necessary howdoyoudos, and without any great further ado made for an old friend (of Geoffs) in the Swiss countryside.

The car was filled with a pleasant natter punctuated by the occasional yelled sentence whenever trying to communicate with the mother of all ducks in the back seat...

 

Happiness all round, we stopped in the Alps, not sure where, and if I think of it, not really important at all, could be anywhere in the region and it would look as grand. Motherduck was spouting superlatives of her own at the passing scenery.

 

We were amazed by the amount of snow still on the ground... we are only a few weeks away from the summer solstice and there's just snow everywhere.

You might say "Duh... you're in the Swiss Alps dude, what would you expect??" and you'd be partially right - but what one does expect is snow capped mountains, maybe a glacier or two, like you'd see on a postcard or a box of Swiss Chocs, but what one (at least this one...) does not expect to see is 9 feet of snow standing on the road side far from the top of anything...

With frozen lakes to match (behind the girls is a very frozen lake)!

I got a shoe-full of the powder while doing this shot... it was, well... lets settle for "refreshing"

 

And, no matter which way you turn, there is something stunning to look at - enlarge this one - its lovely

 

In the mountain pass, the temperature was in the low 20's, the masses of snow and ice melting at a heck of a pace and the rivers, big and flowing fast.

On the way to Nigel's place in Scuol (say school - sort of), coming down from the pass.

Out and about in Scuol with Nigel and the family, taking in the quaint village. Many of the houses here are old farm houses, in the neighbourhood of 4 to 5 centuries old, and are a lesson in how good we have it in the 21st century.

While the houses are built as solid as you can imagine, and surprisingly big too, and as pretty as they look, (not sure if they looked this great in the early days) they might not have been as comfy on the inside as the outsides belie. Back in the day, these were essential shelter, but not only for people...

The front door is typically set in a large domed wooden board like in the house above. Nothing too far out of the ordinary right? That feeling goes away fast enough when Nigel, our capable guide, tells of how the entire arch can be opened and a hay wagon wheeled into the now gaping doorway of the house to offload nosh for the beasites. "Well...", you may ask, "why the heck would you have feed delivered into your house...?" one would think that leaving it in a pile, or store outside would be service enough wouldn't one, whereas bringing it into the actual house is taking it a bit too far, and driving a wagon through the front door into your living room of all places really is just the last straw... (I'm ashamed to admit that there is a pun intended here...) Imagine how the carpets must have looked!

As it happens, there is perfectly good reasoning behind all of this oddness. You see, the farmers used to keep the animals in the house with them during the winters. Pause for dramatic effect
That's right, in the house. Not in the living room itself you understand, that would have been impractical, what with trying to watch the telly and Bessie chewing her cud in the line of vision.

European winters are exciting enough with central heating and all the other mod cons I've spoken about in previous blogs, but for those of African origin such as we, there are still a few things to get used to...

One example I will mention briefly here is the need for space and fresh air... On any given day one would prefer not to live on top of (literally) your own livestock, one would prefer them out in the kraal, yes it is a drag having to get up and shoot the lion, leopard, hyena and jackals that pester the animals at night, but you'd get used to it. And after a few of their cohorts get shot, the other predators would probably get the message that oubaas means business when he gets up with his rifle and would leave the herd alone.
Ok, in Europe, generally space is not something you commonly get, as in this case where your livestock spends the winter mooing in the basement. Secondly, during an African winter, when it's cold you put on a jersey or a coat, throw an extra blanket on the cot and stoke the fire. In Europe, you dress up in everything you own, sleep under very warm bedclothes and, because you don't have distributed heating systems yet, you make one fire and make the most of it. The other thing you do is make use of the body heat of the animals a foot below your feet in the basement. Through the gaps in the wooden floor boards a steady flow of warmth would rise up into the house, the living room in this case and ease, ever so slightly, the terrible cold of winter. But this blessing, as I'm sure you're guessing comes as a package deal with some other stuff. Cows, pigs and sheep don't save up a big poo or pee, dash out of the house like fido or fluffy, go to potty by the tree, and zoom back into the house. They unceremoniously dump the whole lot right where the location and mood happens to find them. When that location is a foot under your living room floorboards, then you can bet that body heat is not the only thing that's going to be rising up through the gaps in the floor.

I'm not sure if I mentioned that it gets really cold in winter... when it's cold like that, and you open the window, it gets even colder, so you know what happens? You don't open the windows! Ever! Well, it's not exactly "ever" but you certainly don't get to open them from November to March - that's a long time to hold your breath... Now, I think I shall change the subject and remind you about how pretty these places actually are and how wonderful and civilized Switzerland is...

Nigel and the 'duck walking along an old wooden bridge built in 1819, it still carries cars daily and is rock solid, not bad huh?

There are small troughs throughout all the villages, fed by spring water, originally used to water the animals, wash clothes and get drinking water. I am happy to report that, by a simple but clever series of compartments, the people could get to drinking water before Bessie and the washing.

There's a knight of some kind watching over this one - I think he's from the "Dark Side"

 

Not far up the road from Nigel's is another small village called Tschlin, where they brew a unique local beer, we had to go get some after we made some decent headway into Nigel's stock. From the car park, this one tiny part of the view

The same view with us blotting it out, but good, just for the record...

Sarah taking a drink from another of those fountain / trough thingies, like a well-bred princess

I love the way Europeans in general take care to decorate their buildings, everything is adorned, painted and decorated

Another snippet of view out over the mountains as seen from the other side of Tschlin, one would have to have something this wonderful to look at to make enduring a winter worth while.

When you stand on Nigel's doorstep, this is what you see...

You'll need to forgive the perspective distortions here, the photo stitching (or was it the taking) didn't go so well.

If you walk into the aforementioned door, this is what greets you...

Floor sloping upward toward the back, very rustic, very wooden very old and not a single hint of cow gas to be had anywhere.

Our time here ended too soon, bidding farewell, I felt like it was my old friends I was leaving behind. Thanks to Nigel and Valerie for their amazing hospitality and personality quirks.

There is apparently good skiing just up the mountain - see you in a winter coming soon I hope!