Well, we're finally back from our trip and trying to readjust to jetlag...again. It's certainly nice to be back home in our own house, with our own bed and a full closet of fresh clothes. Thanks for following along with our travels, check out our photos that are now posted on-line:
We are at the Vienna airport, ready to start the long journey home,
with a brief stopover in amsterdam. It's been a really fun two weeks, we'll have all the pictures up here in a few days.
Yesterday, we left Salzburg to return to Vienna for a couple of days before we head home. We were pleasantly surprised by the nicest train we've seen yet, we had our own spacious cabin in a brand new car for most of the ride, with soft leather seats, electrical outlets to charge our batteries, and lots of space to stretch out. We're spending our last two nights here at the 5-star Hotel Sacher, an historic landmark in Vienna and reknowned for its world-famous Original Sacher Torte. It's a beautiful hotel and a beautiful room for us to enjoy the perfect ending to our two-week Babymoon through Europe.
Yesterday we spent some time on organized tours going out and around the Salzburg area. Salzburg in German, literally means "salt castle", and was established as an important economic center in the beginning because of its proximity to salt mines. So in the morning, we went and visited a working salt mine and got to see the tunnels, equipment and underground lakes of the mine. In the picture, we're all suited up in our miner outfits, about to board the train into the mine. Later in the afternoon, we got a chance to visit all the lakes around the area and see the quaint little towns next to them on the "Lakes and Mountains" tour. Was a nice day of sightseeing (despite a brief cloudburst of winter storm) and a welcome break from miles of walking everyday.
Today was our first day in Salzburg and we spent the day wandering around and exploring the city. It is as charming as you would imagine it, beautiful mountains, snowy caps, whimsical alleys with boutique shopping... We paid a visit to the fortress which proudly overlooks the city and saw the history of Austrian military and royalty that have stayed and visited the fortress. We grabbed a light lunch at the farmer's market which, inexplicably, had delicious and fresh berries and figs for sale. This evening, we had the opportunity to enjoy dinner with a concert at the oldest restaurant in Europe. Between (delicious) dinner courses, a string quintet and two talented vocalists entertained us with selections from Mozart's operas. It was extra special because of how intimate the setting was, with the singers freely wandering around the dining room to sing right next to our tables. Very fun and entertaining.
This evening, we jumped on a train from Prague to Salzburg and had quite an adventure. This isn't a high traffic route, and it kind of meanders through the mountains, so the only train available to us was a slower, local train. In total the ride was seven hours long, leaving at 5pm, and arriving in Salzburg at midnight. We incorrectly assumed that such a long route would have a dining car, and didn't discover our error until the train had left Prague. Knowing that we wouldn't arrive in Salzburg until very late and that most restaurants would be closed, John took advantage of a 30 minute stop in České Budějovice to try and find some food. Unfortunately, all six food stands and stores in the train station were closed. So was the McDonald's that John found four blocks from the train station. So were the five convenience stores that John ran past. So were the two hot dog stands. John finally found a shopping mall that was still open three blocks away with a snack stand selling nuts and dried fruit, before sprinting back to catch the train just in time. Thankfully that tied us over until we reached Salzburg and found a late night restaurant.
As much fun as it is to travel around Europe, seeing new things and trying new foods, it's always nice to get a small taste of home. We stayed up (really) late to watch the Super Bowl, but wanted to catch it live if it was possible. Was nice to see some American football, but have to admit that it was a little underwhelming to see history not happen. And since we were watching a satellite feed, we didn't get to watch any of the commercials. Had to catch them today on the internet (love the E-trade baby ads, hilarious!) after the fact. Carrie also found a Haagen-Dazs stand to get some familiar ice cream taste. Off to Salzburg later today...
Today we partook in some key traditional Prague experiences. The one pictured is the traditional supper of roast pork, boiled cabbage, potato and bread dumplings. Accompanied by the traditional Czech beer, Pilsner Urquel. The food was surprisingly tasty, despite what it might look like. We spent the day visiting New Town Prague, Old Town Square, and Wenceslas Square. The original city limits of Prague were built up around Old Town and walled in to protect the city. New Town is the area that was built up outside the city as it expanded, and Wenceslas Square is the famous boulevard in central Prague in front of the main museum. Wenceslas Square is famous for being the hub of demonstrations and protests through the years, and gained worldwide notoriety when a protester set himself on fire.
Prague is famous for its extraordinarily well preserved historic buildings, having for the most part been spared significant damage in the major World Wars. Today we visited the Prague Castle, St. Vitus' Cathedral and St. Charles' Bridge. St. Vitus' was definitely the highlight of the day. It is the largest church in Prague, and is the home of the Archdiocese. It's a magnificent example of Gothic architecture that took some 600 years to complete, beginning in the 1344 when the archbishopric was founded. The cathedral is up on the hill in the background of this picture taken from the St. Charles' Bridge.
After a fun train ride through the Eastern European countryside, we have arrived in Prague. We're staying at the Hotel Josef, a very modern, high-design hotel. Our room has a glass bathroom! The train ride was per European expectations, and was very nice. John even had a chance to try the famous European version of Budweiser, a light Czech beer, that has no association with the US version of Budweiser.
