You Can't Get Lost

OK, forget the Winken, Bl..and N.. joke, these are three cities alone the Main River with incredible histories.  However, they are right in a row, and there is a little mind numbing to go along with them.  They are all quaint, compact and typically what you think of as German small towns.  On the other hand, there is enough gold here to sink the Titanic with references to Charlemagne, lists of Popes, Napoleon and WWII.  Somehow you have to respect the fact that they are here at all.  (Along with a little reconstruction help from the USA).    Seeing how that was a week ago, I'll move on.  I am alive and well and taking sustenance, and on the train from Berlin to Wittenburg.  So, to the next blog.

Look, I'm really sorry.  You would not believe the amount of time I've put in to writing about Prague.  About the only thing I can say is it was an incredible city and in my three days there, I felt like what people talk about falling in love with Paris.  It has taken my heart in ways that I can hardly express, but tried really hard to.   This has been a fantastic trip all around, and I will try to convey more about the cities and sites, fellow passengers, ship's crew and staff, and the Viking experience.  I really have enjoyed it all, and hope that I continue to feel this way.  One evening in the ship's lounge, Anthony, the ship's activities director (and New York city clown), asked the passengers how many Viking cruises have people been on.  The winner had been on 12 (which Anthony had verified before hand).  And you would never guess it by looking at the couple.  Of course, I don't know their story.  But out of 185 passengers, at...

Hey, you know what?  The sun is up at  7:30 !  Who knew?  And the water runs in showers  at 6:00 !   Actually, I did know that, but usually I go back to bed after using certain other facilities in the same location….or I’m Going to bed at that time….  I’m on a tour bus heading to Budapest, you know, like a small jet flying really low and slow, but having more comfortable seats.  I imagine I’ll think the same thing about the Viking ships being lower and slower than the bus.  I hope the bed is more comfortable than these seats! Actually, it’s nice to see the countryside.  One branch of Sally’s maternal grandparents, the Sykora’s, were from an area about 25 miles (40 km) north of about where we are now.  Cousin Meryl was at the house in the 80’s.    I think Sandie’s husband Wilbur Wojahn’s family was from around here also.  (Jaye? Jere? What do you remember?)  It’s very pretty, rolling farm land and forested hi...

 The way my cruise schedule worked, Thursday, Day 1, is the day we arrived in Prague.  Friday, Day 2, is when we had our walking tour of Prague, which I really enjoyed.  Today, Day 3, is the day we had on our own to take other tours, sleep or site-see on our own.  I was planning to do Rick Steve's Jewish Prague walk.  In fact, last night after the opera when I walked back to OldTown, I located the first and last Synagogues on the tour.  Except Day 3 is Saturday, or Shabbot, the Jewish Day of Rest.  And guess what, Jewish Synagogues and Cemeteries are CLOSED on Saturdays.  Kinda changed that decision.   When I realized that, i decided to work on the blog in the morning.  I had all kinds of problems with my cell phone network and loading pictures from my phone to my computer.  To the extent that I ended up losing several hours of writing about the Friday tour.....I will get back to it.   I initially felt good enough to ...

 Wow!  It's been quite a day, so far.  And its not over yet. I'm going to be quick here to start, because I have reservations tonight at The State Opera for performances of I Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana, or as they are better know, Pag and Cav.  They are almost always staged together as they are a little shorter (one act) and composed around the same time.  They aren't Czech, but they are main stays of the repertoire, and I could get tickets back in November.  And I plan to get an "authentic" Czech dinner about two blocks away.  Sadly, that precludes having Czech beer with dinner, as my lack of sleep and walking for about four hours this morning doesn't need to be augmented by sleep inducing spirits.  Maybe I'll come back to the hotel and have one at the Cloud 9 Bar on the top floor overlooking the city.  (And it will be my first beer in a month or two anyway.  Not a big deal, but when in Prague.....)  And my guide this morni...