Schmidt's Adventures

On our final day in Prague, we had a slow-paced morning and breakfast. Headed out around 10:30 to do some final exploring. Our first stop was the Convent of St Agnes of Bohemia. Art work from 1200-1550was displayed in the gardens. We walked along the river and crossed a bridge that was the third from the Charles Bridge. We saw steps leading up, but not sure to where, but we climbed them anyway. At the top was a very large park and wall with perfect views of the city. We walked along the upper level taking in the sights. The higher we climbed, the greater the view of the multiple bridges that cross the river. We ended up at the bottom of the castle area. Back across the bridge and into the town square. Did a little shopping and found the ultimate sorbet shop. Wish we had found this sooner. Thru the square one last time and then back to the hotel. Enjoyed the pool, whirlpool and spa area for a couple hours. Great dinner at the bistro, then it was time to re-pack and get ready to leave ...

Prague-days 3 Another free day. Our friends had signed up for a wine tasting excursion, so they did not join us. We crossed the Charles Bridge  to the Lennon Wall. In 1980, the people of Czechoslovakia were inspired by the songs, "Imagine" and " Give Peace a Chance". They painted John Lennon's face and various quotes from the songs on the wall. The Communist Regime did not like this at all and would paint over it daily. Every morning there was new words of inspiration. This went on until 1989 when Czechoslovakia was free. Now it is a huge graffiti wall. We headed to the Castle Square which is the area just outside the castle gates. We followed the river to a Charles Bridges and had more great viewpoints of the bridge and castle. Once we reached the Castle Square, we saw small palaces, churches, shops and cafe's that are in this area. We visited the monastery as well. Vineyards and fruit trees line the area below the monastery. Great views of the city from ...

Day 1- We spent the morning traveling from Nuremberg to Prague via coach bus. They only put 27-28 people per bus even though they hold much more, so Marty and I took the entire back row of the bus. We could stretch out and relax. No other passengers were near us, so we had a nap. We arrived in a Prague just a little after noon and were told our rooms would be ready early at 1. Headed to the bistro for lunch until we could check in. On the third day of being on the ship, we met a couple from Calgary. We liked the same things, were all in good shape and we just clicked. The four of us hung out together for the rest of the trip. We had a great time. Once checked in , we decided to go out and explore. Now that we were off the ship, no timetables to follow. We roamed thru the narrow cobblestone streets which are found throughout most of downtown Prague. We walked for hours. Crossed the Charles Bridge and climbed the 152 steps up in the tower. We had rain off and on, but we were all prepar...

We started the day with a visit to a very old iron works shop. It has been there for hundreds of years. Water power turns turbines that move a series of belts on pull-ups that run the large machinery. It was like a modernized blacksmith shop. We watched a demonstration from heating the metal to pounding out the final product. It was fascinating how these machines hammered the red hot metal.Boarded the bus and headed to Roth. Roth is a larger city and one with industry. Wire and weaving is their claim to fame. The woven products they produce is intricate woven decorative trim. The detailed lacy trim has a fine wire inside to help maintain and create the delicate designs. We toured the Castle Rathburn which looks like a castle but was built as a hunting lodge. The woodwork in the building was amazing. Italian red marble was used in the fireplace surround and mantle. The main staircase was a beautiful pink and red marble. Animal mounts were also on display. Elaborate wood floors and ce...