01/02.01.2016 – NEW YEAR & RETURNING HOME …

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WE JUMPED UP FROM OUR BEDS AT DAWN – AT ABOUT 12 PM! ?

OUTSIDE THE WINDOW BEAUTIFUL WEATHER – TIME TO GET SOME FRESH AIR, STRETCH, HAVE SOME TEA AND SOMETHING TO EAT…

WE WALKED AROUND THE NEARBY CITY SQUARE, ALONG OLD CITY WALLS AND AFTER ABOUT 45 MINUTES WE REACHED THE CASTLE ON THE RIVER SIDE; THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO RIVERS, BECAUSE THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE VLTAVA RUNS INTO LABA

THIS TIME WE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO VISIT THE CHATEAU FULL OF WINE CELLARS AND THE FAMOUS BAKERY. BOTH ARE VERY INTERESTING, CAKES AND TORTES IN THE BAKERY LOOKED FANTASTIC AND ARE WORTH A TRY.

WE HAVE HAPPILY SET DOWN FOR A CUP OF TEA BECAUSE THE PLACE WAS NOT TOO CROWDED – IT IS USUALLY VERY FULL BECAUSE EACH GERMAN TOURISTS GROUP STAYING IN PRAGUE HAS THE CASTLE VISIT ON THEIR SCHEDULE.

WE STOPPED BY “NOCNI BAR DIRA” ON OUR WAY BACK TO THE INN TO WARM OURSELVES UP A BIT, HOWEVER TO OUR SURPRISE THE DOORS WERE SHUT, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE A FEW PEOPLE INSIDE. AND WE WERE TOLD THE DAY BEFORE THAT THE BAR WOULD BE OPENED…

WE KNOCKED AND AN OLDER LADY ANSWERED THE DOOR AND TOLD US THERE WAS A PRIVATE FUNCTION AND THE PLACE WAS CLOSED. WE LOOKED MOST LIKELY DUMFOUNDED SO SHE ASSUMED THAT WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND HER. SHE FOUND SOMEONE TO TALK TO US IN ENGLISH. WE EXPLAINED THAT WE UNDERSTAND, BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT THE BAR WOULD BE OPENED AND THE DRINKS WILL BE GEATTABLE. HOWEVER NO PROBLEM, WE ARE DISAPPEARING … ?

BUT THE GUY INVITED US INSIDE AFTER REALISING THAT WE ONLY WANTED A QUICK JAGERMEISTER ?. GREAT! WE ORDERED AND TWO GLASSES ARRIVED THEN AFTER A WHILE TWO PLATES WITH A TRADITIONAL CZECH NEW YEAR DISH – SLICES OF HAM WITH LENTILS – THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT OUR PROTESTS … – WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. ??

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FILLED WITH FOOD BY CHANCE – FOR FREE OF COURSE, AND TOPPED UP WITH ALCOHOL LUBRICATING DIGESTION SYSTEM, WE WENT BACK TO RELAX …

LATE EVENING THAT DAY WE POPPED IN TO A NEARBY PUB “U CISARE” (ONE OF A FEW OPENED ON NEW YEAR DAY FOR DINNER). WOMBAT HAD SAVOIE SCHNITZEL AND I GOT LIVER À LA CZECH. AVERAGE DISHES FOR A PUB REMINDING PUBS IN POLAND IN THE 70-thees. SERVICE WAS OK.

IT WAS TIME GO HOME THE NEXT MORNING…

UNFORTUNATELY THE UNLUCKY TREND OF OUR JOURNEY DID NOT END. IT ALL STARTED WITH LEAVING BEHIND MY DOCUMENTS AND MONEY AND ENDED IN POLAND, WHERE AT A ROUNDABOUT NEAR PRUDNIK OUR CAR SLID AND GENTLY HIT A TOYOTA IN FRONT OF US. TOYOTA WAS ALL RIGHT, US – NOT SO GOOD…

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