Random Snapshots From A Moving Train

Bohemian Rhapsody

On our last day in Praha, we planned on visiting the Jewish Quarter to view the Old Jewish Cemetery but due to the long lines, we decided to pass up on it and headed over to Mala Strana instead. With only a few hours left, we just didn't have enough time to spend standing around waiting in lines.

Mala Strana was just too picturesque for words. The cobblestone side streets, quaint burgher houses, boutique shops, churches, Czech pubs and restaurants all contributed to its charm and history. It's one place that we would definitely like to revisit again soon. In an attempt to aptly describe the place , here's another slide show for you to view.

 

As recommended by Kenny's brother, we decided to go back to Mala Strana late that night. Most of the shops were already closed and the crowd have trickled to a few night time revelers and tourists. Some cafes were still open so we ventured into one of them and dined on Beef Goulash again (my third one in 3 days!) I think I might have been born Czech in a past life, don't you think so? ;-)

While strolling through the Nerudova Street and climbing up to the Prague Castle, we can't help but acknowledge why this place is a favorite setting for films. In fact, actress Angelina Jolie is presently in Prague filming the movie Wanted. I was secretly hoping that I'll run into her or Brad Pitt. Hey, I'm available for adoption too. Yeah, I am such a dork ;-)

Lit only by a few streetlights, one can easily imagine being transported back in time to the 17th to 19th century. The buildings, churches and palaces took on a sinister aura that was almost tangible. I let my imagination run wild and thought about the movies I've seen that were probably filmed there. I almost half expected Jack the Ripper, Dracula or some ghoulish creatures to jump out from the shadowy alleys and suck the life out of us. Booo! 

When we got back to the hotel, I did a little research and found quite a long list of films shot in various locations of Czech Republic. Had I known this, I would have paid more attention to the backgrounds and settings. Anyway, here's just a few examples:

The Brothers Grimm (2005)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (2005)                                                 
Oliver Twist (2005)                               
Shanghai Knights (2003)                                    
Blade II (2002)
The Bourne Identity (2002)                                     
A Knight's Tale (2001)
Spy Game (2001)
Mission: Impossible (1996)

Well, there you go. I hope you enjoyed this trip as much as we did. Thanks for coming along ;-)

Czech Me Out!

Prague, finally! As I've mentioned previously, I've tried to visit this place twice before and didn't make it due to visa requirements. You can just imagine my relief when the border officer stamped my passport with nary a question. Having a US passport truly made it a breeze to get in and out of countries when traveling. Well, there was a little glitch during our transport to Prague from Vienna. We already had our train tickets but didn't think to verify what station the train will be leaving from. We just assumed it would be the same one we arrived at in Vienna. Big mistake! We got to the train station with plenty of time but we didn't check out the board for the departures so we found out too late that we had to take a tram to another train station about 10 stops away. We missed our train by minutes but had to wait for more than 3 hours for the next one. Grrr!!! Anyway, we whiled the time away surfing the net and hanging out at the lounge for 1st class ticket holders. That made the wait a bit tolerable but I was just itching to get going.

I have to admit that I had a rather disappointed reaction to Prague on our arrival. It can be mostly attributed to the rather unimpressive surrounding at the train station and the unpleasant experience of dealing with the taxi drivers who seemed out to take advantage of our need for transportation. We were already forewarned about this so we tried to figure out the map for train routes but after much confusion and exhaustion, we gave up and coughed up $50.00 plus for the 20 minute drive to our hotel. The short drive didn't make me feel any better either as we passed by a lot of buildings with graffiti and streets littered with garbage. In my mind, I couldn't believe how so many people can be so wrong when they raved about how beautiful the city is. I know I should not have been too quick to judge. First impressions can't always be right.

After a much needed sleep and hearty breakfast, we were ready to explore Prague. Luckily, our hotel was just less than a block away from the Metro A station which could take us to the places we wanted to visit. We bought a whole day train pass and made our first stop at the area where my brother-in-law used to live to take some pictures for him. On our way out of the station, we ran into a sticky situation with the transportation police when they asked to inspect our tickets. It turned out that we failed to get it stamped before we got on the train. Kenny was already cautioned by his brother about this but he just didn't see or know where the stamping machines were located. Although it was an honest oversight, the officer proceeded to penalize us for the violation and we paid an extra 500 czk ($25.00). So, for those who are planning to visit Prague in the future, keep this in mind. They don't take these things very lightly at all.

Refusing to let the incident spoil our day, we started our sightseeing on foot at the New Town. It is the more modernized part of Prague but still has a lot of impressive structures to impress tourists like me. After what seemed like hours of walking, we stumbled unto Old Town and were even more amazed at how well preserved the buildings are and the intricacy of their details. As soon as I thought I saw the most magnificent architecture of them all, we turned a corner and another one easily took the words out of our mouths. I was practically reeling from everything that I saw in a matter of 4 hours.

With legs aching and growling stomachs competing for attention, we decided to take a lunch break at a restaurant that serves Czech cuisine. I opted for Beef Goulash with Dumplings and it was definitely one of the best meals I've had so far during this trip. Kenny was equally satisfied with his Roast Pork with Dumplings. I mentally promised myself to request my mother-in-law to prepare the same meal when we get back to the US.

We spent the rest of the day walking down the famed St. Charles Bridge. It was already very crowded by then but we still had an awesome time viewing the sights and the many statues lining the bridge. There were also souvenir stands and street musicians. Being at the bridge also provided a great view of the Prague Castle. At the end of bridge was Mala Strana which we planned to visit the next day since we were already quickly running out of steam.

We headed back to our hotel but not without a hitch. Kenny almost had his wallet pick pocketed in the train. Apparently, pickpockets are quite notorious in Prague. That's one more thing to watch out for. I was just glad that the episode didn't get out of hand. It could have turned ugly if the culprits didn't get off the train at the next stop after Kenny signaled them to leave.

Yep, the day was really full of adventure and it totally sapped out a lot of whatever energy we have left. We decided to have an early night as we anticipated another hectic day. I wish you were all with me to actually experience the sights. Anyway, here's another slide show to share. Enjoy!

The Viennese Waltz

Our two days in Vienna was sort of a letdown. Our hotel room was a bit too small than we expected and there was apparently no air conditioning system. What a disaster since the temperature happened to be in the 80s and Kenny's temper wasn't dealing so well with the heat. We ventured out to the center of the city to purchase some shorts for him, anticipating that it will still be warm the next day. We should have checked the weather forecast since it turned out to be a chilly and rainy day.  Anyway, we still managed to squeeze in some sightseeing and decided to make it a priority to visit the Schonbrunn Palace.

The vast complex of Schonbrunn Palace, together with its park, covers 176 hectares (435 acres). The palace itself is one of the city's most imposing sights and we practically spent at least half a day to explore the buildings and the grounds. Having said that, Kenny and I agreed that after having visited the Chateau de Versailles in Paris last year, Vienna's Schonbrunn Palace paled in comparison. We appreciate its history and unique features especially the gardens but we have to pick a favorite. That's just our humble opinion. We surely are no experts on history and architecture. Anyway, we had a great time taking pictures and exploring the vast area. Midway through our tour, the skies darkened and rain came pouring down but we didn't let it deter us from going through the Maze Gardens and we had fun finding our way out of it. We pretended we were competing in the Amazing Race and that was our detour challenge ;-)

Despite being cold and wet, we decided to push our endurance and find other places of interest and we came upon the St. Stephen's Cathedral. It is situated in the city center and for centuries has been the heart of Vienna. Built in 1147, Stephansdom is one of the city's famous landmarks and its most important German Gothic religious monument. Its dark and gloomy features were oddly appealing to us. Unfortunately, our camera doesn't seem to work as good when it comes to interior shots. Although the Duomo Cathedral in Milan, Italy was magnificent with its spires and intricate details, the St. Stephen's cathedral is a force to be reckoned with and was surely worth seeing.

Next, we strolled down the shopping hub of Vienna centered on Karntnerstrasse, the Hofburg, Kohlmarkt and Graben. The theme is upmarket, with a plethora of art and antique shops. This is also a prime area to sample the city's famous coffee houses. After some negotiation, we stopped at the Fratelli il gelato to sample their wide selection of high-caloric goodies. Well, after having logged a lot of hours and miles of walking for the past few days, I deserved a big bowl of ice cream while Kenny settled for a little caffeine pick-me-up.

Tired and worn out from the day's adventures, we finally headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap (yeah, we seemed to be doing that a lot on this trip). We woke up hungry late at night so we braved to try the Yellow restaurant a block away. Feeling sated and rejuvenated, we got ready for our train trip for the last leg of our vacation (Prague, Czech Republic). Even with the stress of travel, I couldn't deny the excitement and anticipation of finally seeing the place I attempted to visit twice before but was unsuccessful due to visa issues. The third time's the charm, I hope.

As we prepared to leave Austria behind, Kenny and I discussed a few things that we liked and disliked so far during this trip. Firstly, we liked our stay in Salzburg a whole lot better than in Vienna (no offense meant to people living in Vienna). I suppose we preferred the relaxed vibe and the countryside feel of Salzburg compared to the hectic hustle and bustle of a big city. With due respect, Vienna felt like any other city in the US despite the language difference. Sure, it has some interesting architecture and points of interests but it seemed to lack a distinct character to set it apart from the other places we've visited. Maybe there's more to it than what we saw but we felt like we could have omitted it in our itinerary and we wouldn't miss it at all. It just didn't have that "awe factor" that we had with other places such as Venice and Rome.

The one thing we did like was their transportation system. The constant presence of trams, buses and trains made it a breeze to get around. We had an easy access to amenities since our hotel was situated in a very busy district of the city. It also seemed to have a diverse population. I've come across a few Filipinos in stores and on the streets. It was almost like in Milan, come to think of it.

One more thing that we noted was the prevalent use of a wireless system in restaurants. The wait staff has a hand held device on which they just punch in the orders. Very cool! Also, you can directly pay for your meal to the wait staff who carries around a folder wallet, ready with the appropriate change if needed. It's apparently popular and widely used in Europe. I wish the US food establishments will start doing the same. That would really be neat and efficient. Hmmm, what else? I think I've chattered enough for this entry. I hope I haven't bored you to tears yet ;-) Anyway, here are more photos to share.

So Long, Farewell Salzburg

As we boarded the train bound for Vienna, Austria, I couldn't help feeling a bit forlorn that we're leaving Salzburg behind. The last 3 days had been a great start to our journey and I was anxious that anything else from here on will be a letdown. Yeah, that's just me being a romantic pessimist. I surely don't expect every place we visit to be magnificently gorgeous or scenic. Every country or city usually have their share of seedy or boring areas so it's unrealistic to believe that every place will be impressive. That's one of the things I like about traveling. It's an adventure as well as an education in itself.

Aside from the tours that we took, Kenny and I spent most of our evenings exploring the city of Salzburg, most particularly the Getreidegasse. It's about a 15 to 20 minutes walk from our hotel. The charm of the Getreidegasse, probably Salzburg's most famous shopping lane, is not only generated by the high, narrow houses tightly nestled together, the enticing shops and the wrought iron guild signs, but also the romantic passageways and courtyards. Since most stores are closed by 6:30 pm, we just contented ourselves with looking at their display windows and be blown away by their tag prices. An umbrella can cost 120.00E (about $140.00) at one of the high end stores. I wasn't really motivated to indulge in retail therapy since that wasn't what we came to Europe for. I was more than happy just being in a place I've dreamed of visiting. Alas, we can't stay there forever.

Since it's only been more than a year since our last trip to Europe, a lot of the things I find different and peculiar were still fresh in my mind. The first time I requested for water in a restaurant, I quickly remembered to ask for water with no gas. The other kind will be one that has fizz in it and tastes like a very watered down Sprite. We also had to acquaint ourselves with their train and bus lines so we can easily get around to places. We did notice that bikes were predominantly used by the locals and tourists. I can't blame them. Cab fares can take a huge dent in one's budget if you rely heavily on taxis. Anyway, most places were accessible enough on foot. It was a fun way to workout and burn those extra calories from pizzas, ice cream, pastries and beer. We can't help but wish that our dogs were with us. They'd surely enjoy the walks as well. Oh, we do miss them terribly!

Those who have read my travel blogs from last year know that I have the penchant for taking photos of garbage cans or bins. I don't know where this interest came from but I just find it fascinating to collect these images. I guess it helps remind me of each places and their similarities and differences. Aside from that, I also like to snap pictures of things, places and people that caught my fancy for some reason or another. Needless to say, we were almost always with a camera (with lots of extra batteries) and a videocam (fully charged) so nothing gets missed. Here's another slideshow for you to view.

Climb Every Bavarian Mountain

As if the Sound of Music tour was not enough, we signed up for another guided tour last Sunday. This time, it was an excursion to the Bavarian Alps including a visit to the Salt Mines. We opted to take the afternoon schedule to give us time to catch up on our sleep and relaxation. By the time our bus left the Mirabell Square at 2 pm, the temperature has risen to the high 70s and for some questionable reason, the a/c wasn’t turned on. Thankfully, a strong breeze wafted through the opened sunroof and kept us from being extremely warm and uncomfortable.

We crossed the Salzach using the main city bridge and passed alongside the baroque old city. We went along the Alpenstrasse to the old Austrian-Bavarian border crossing (to Germany) at Marktschellenberg. We followed along the King’s Lake river through the picturesque Bavarian Alpine valley. Through the scenic farm villages and past romantic farm-houses, we arrived at the Obersalzberg (approx. 3000ft or 1000m above sea-level). This was where the rulers of the Third Reich once resided and was where the road leading up to the Eagle’s Nest (Hitler’s former Conference Centre) starts. The Eagle’s Nest can be reached by means of a coach and elevator. Anyway, that’s a separate tour altogether and I don’t think I can handle the high altitude at all.

The highlight of our tour was the over 450-year-old Salt Mines. Wearing the traditional miners’ clothes, we entered the mines on a special train. Throughout the tour, we heard historical as well as legendary tales of the fascinating underground world. Using the same slides as hundreds of miners before, we descended to the grottos, the magical world beneath the surface of the earth. There was also the romantic raft sail on the salt lake, a truly amazing experience. On the train trip back to the exit, a group of people in our tour harmoniously sang like a choir and their beautiful voices echoed through the narrow walls of the mine. It almost seemed like the music was played in a surround-sound system. What a treat!

After the Salt Mines tour, there was a short visit to the town of Berchtesgaden where I enjoyed the most sinfully delicious slice of Apple Strudel, coupled with a tall glass of iced coffee. I never thought an apple strudel could taste that good! The rest of the trip back to Salzburg was mostly spent gazing at the breathtaking scenery while listening to classical music. I can’t help but wish I live in a place like this. Anyway, the daydreaming came to an end soon enough. We trudged back to our hotel and took a much-needed nap. After all, we just climbed a lot of mountains ;-)

Somewhere in My Childhood

As I've mentioned from the last entry, I am such a long-time and huge fan of the movie "Sound of Music" that I know almost every scene and songs by heart. Yes, it was indeed a dream come true when I actually saw and visited some of the locations where the movie was filmed or based on. It was a wonderful tour with breathtaking views of the countryside while listening to the original movie soundtrack which made it even more exciting and poignant. Here are the key points of the tour:

Mirabell Gardens. Maria and the children were seen dancing around the statue of the Pegasus, the winged horse, and throughout the gardens singing "Do-re-mi". If I wasn't too bashful of a person, I would have run around the gardens and belt out a few notes myself ;-)          

Leopoldskron Palace. The front exterior of the palace was used as the Trapp family home, the children were boating on the lake and fell into the water. The Venetian room was copied from this palace and used as the ballroom. I wouldn't have minded if we can also cross the lake and fall into it. Hmmm... maybe not. I'm sure the water is still cold at this time of the year.    

Hellbrunn Palace. The glass pavilion in the gardens was reconstructed here for the pleasure of those fans still returning after more than 40 years. "I am 16, going on 17"...  

Mondsee Cathedral. The wedding scene was filmed here. Maria, led by Liesl, walked down the aisle to meet the baron in front of the main altar. "How do you solve a problem like Maria...". Gosh, I must have dreamed of that scene so many times. I tried to have that song played for my wedding march but the church won't allow it because it was apparently a nonsecular song. I was crushed! Anyway, the main altar was undergoing renovation at this time so I was unable to take a better photo.     

St. Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang. Scenery shown at the beginning of the movie was filmed at Lake Fuschl on the way to St. Gilgen. The tour also took us through the most beautiful part of Salzburg, the Sazkammergut, with its lakes and mountains, villages with century old churches and houses profusely decorated with flowers on their balconies. I took quite a lot of photos so feel free to view the slide show for more.

Due to time limitations, we weren't able to visit the Nonnberg Abbey where Maria was a novice. The Baron and Maria were actually married here in 1927. The scenes from the movie included the opening with the nuns going to mass and Maria arriving too late. I would have love to visit the abbey and perhaps listen to the nuns singing. Oh, well.. maybe next time, right?

A Few Favorites

Just want to share a few photos from our Sound of Music tour this morning. It took almost 4 hours and at the end of it, Kenny and I definitely saw more of Salzburg than the movie showed us. It was easy to see that the place has inspired the film and the music. It was amazing how famous the film really was as evidenced by the variety of nationalities of the people in the tour bus. They have probably seen the movie numerous times before like me. I swear I can most likely play the whole movie in my mind. Anyway, here are a few scenes to refresh your memory. Enjoy!

The Hills Are Alive!

Guten Morgen, my friends! After almost 12 hours of uncomfortable plane travel and sleep deprivation, Kenny and I finally reached the first leg of our trip, Salzburg, Austria. As what I have posted in my new year's resolution entry, I resolved to make another pilgrimage to Europe this year. We originally planned to travel with my mother-in-law and brother-in-law but due to some circumstances, they couldn't make it this time. I suppose it worked out for us since Luke (bro-in-law) agreed to watch our dogs for us while we're away. I definitely feel better now that I know they will be looked after by somebody familiar.

There are so many places in Europe that we would like to visit and explore but we picked Austria (Salzburg and Vienna) and Prague for the simple reason that Kenny's ancestors originally hailed from there. For myself, I've always dreamed of being in the place where my favorite movie "Sound of Music" was filmed. Kenny saw the movie DVD for the first time last January which is a great thing so he'll at least know why I might belt out a tune or two (ex: " The hills are alive with the sound of music..." and "How do you solve a problem like Maria?...") during this trip.

When we were about to land on Salzburg, we caught a glimpse of the mountains that seemed to surround the city below us. The lush greenery was quite a huge contrast to the cityscape one usually see when approaching Chicago's O'hare Airport. We knew right away that we made the right decision in coming to this beautifully scenic place. We were even more convinced when we reached our hotel and viewed the mountain outside our balcony's windows. We could literally hear the birds chirping outside. We woke up to the same sound at 4 am and spent the early morning hours watching the sun brighten the horizon. The environment has definitely invigorated us to be ready for the day's activities. Even Kenny, who's not such a morning person, was up and ready to go for breakfast downstairs.

We booked ourselves for the Sound of Music tour today. We definitely looked forward to this since we started planning for this trip. It might not be as interesting to some but I would be glad to share our trip and photos to you guys in the next few days. As long as I have Internet access, you know I can't stay away from Friendster for too long ;-) Till next post... Auf Wiedersehen!

Naissance

I am humbled and moved by the influx of birthday greetings that I received today from my Friendster friends and readers. I want you to know that I am deeply appreciative of your thoughtfulness and for taking a few minutes out of your busy lives to send me your best wishes. In fact, I've never received these many greetings ever in my entire life! What's more amazing is that they mostly came from people I have not personally met or talked to before. I've gotten to know some of you from your blogs, comments and messages but I wish I'll have the opportunity to meet all of you someday. Not too impossible of a notion anymore. After all, we're becoming more of a global community linked by the Internet superhighway... and Friendster, of course. ;-)

I worked my shift last night and my coworkers surprised me with a little powwow ( they brought pizza, salad, sandwiches, cake, etc). I was touched by this unexpectedly sweet gesture as well. When Kenny came home from work, he got me a beautiful bouquet of red roses and took me out to dinner. The rest of the day had been pretty low key but every time I opened my email and read more messages, it became more significant and exciting. You guys truly made me feel special today and made my 37th birthday exceptionally fun ;-)

Anyway, here's just a little proof of my birth. I'm not just a pigment of my imagination or a product of my delusion ;-) My mother could certainly vouch for that as she nearly lost her life during my nativity (breech delivery). It hasn't been a bump-free ride since but I'd like to think that I was worth it. I sure hope so.