To Karlovy Vary and back!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Greetings from Prague –

It’s me, Robert, starting this installment to the blog, a step made necessary by a relatively tough day.  It is only 6:30 p.m. and Margaret is already taking a much needed nap.  Later, she will (and, as you read, you will see that she has) go over it and add her own touch.

Getting the bus to Karlovy Vary

On board

To begin at the beginning.  You need to know that, several years ago, Hollywood made a very nice, cute movie called The Last Holiday, starring Queen Latifah, Timothy Hutton and LL Cool J.  Most of the action was set at The Grand Hotel Pupp in the Czech town of Karlovy Vary – about 80 miles west of Prague, near the German border.  The hotel looked so interesting that we just had to see it for ourselves, so off we went this morning – a two-hour bus ride to Karlovy Vary.  (Apparently if you try to get there by train, it takes about 3+ hours each way, while if you go by bus, it’s only 2 hours and a few minutes.  So…we decided to go by bus!) 

Czech countryside on the way to Karlovy Vary

Actually, the bus wasn’t all that bad.  There was a bathroom, and the seats were spacious and comfortable.  They show movies (which we didn’t watch for obvious reasons…) and sell candy, water, and even have an on-board espresso machine for specialty drinks for the customers!  We had to first find the Florenc (yes, this is how it is spelled here) bus station, which really wasn’t so difficult; just two stops along Metro line B.  Easy to get tickets – got there about 9, and the next available bus was 9:30 a.m. – so we got our assigned seats, and climbed on board.  The bus makes a couple of stops before it heads out to Karlovy Vary, but it wasn’t a difficult drive at all.  We had selected “Student Agency” for our trip, as they came very highly recommended.  Well…after a couple of days of slightly warmer weather, it was absolutely FREEZING in Karlovy Vary!  Hopefully we will thaw out in the next day or so.

Masaryka Street in Karlovy Vary

River Tepla in Karlovy Vary

Along the river

Originally the German spa of Karlsbad, the town became Czech after territorial changes following WW I but, with 13 main springs, it is still a spa where one “…goes to take the waters.”  Everything of interest seems to be strung along the river like beads on a string, so we walked along the river from the bus station for about 45 minutes past hotels, spas, shops, restaurants and souvenir stores.  At last, there we were – at The Grand Hotel Pupp! (Yes, that’s how it’s pronounced!)  In we went, seeking lunch.

Having never “taken the waters” it was interesting to see people carrying around small slender drinking cups, which they would fill at the various springs outside on the street.  As Robert says, could some of these springs be radioactive, we ask ourselves.  I wouldn’t mind getting some “treatment” – massage, wraps, whatever, and while I wouldn’t mind soaking in a thermal spring or two, ain’t NO WAY I’m going to drink that stuff!

A colonnade

Taking the waters (!)

The Waters

The Grand Hotel Pupp is a very elegant place.  Thick carpets, liveried staff and wonderful chandeliers. (if you can’t find good crystal chandeliers in the Czech Republic, you won’t find them anywhere!)  Into the dining room (only one other table occupied!).  To begin, after we each ordered a glass of Czech Sauvignon Blanc (which was excellent), we were given an amuse bouche of duck paté – of course, I gave mine to Margaret. (And I ate both of them; it was excellent, served with currants.)   Margaret ordered brown mushroom caps, stuffed with goat cheese and baked, followed by baked scallops on a bed of saffron risotto.  I also had the mushroom caps and, as the main course, baked John Dory with mashed potatoes and baked shallots.  The presentation was very theatrical – plates delivered covered by silver domes, which were removed on cue by the servers – and the food itself was very, very good.  We did skip dessert but not to worry; they gave us cute little packets of chocolate to take back with us.

Entrance to a spa

After lunch, we decided that we wanted to head back to Prague, so walked back through town and to the bus station.  They did charge us a fee to change our tickets – 22 Crowns, which equates to something like $1.50…boy, the airlines should learn from these guys!  

To be frank, Karlovy Vary is not as interesting as Prague (at least, the part of Prague we are in), so after lunch, we walked back to the station and hopped on the first bus back.  This time, we sat in the very back of the bus, probably right over the engine because it was really hot.  We were so glad to finally get off at the station in Prague and get to some fresh air!  (I was definitely feeling like stewed tourist!!)  Got back a bit after 5, and headed to the flat.  

The Grand Hotel Pupp

The Grand Hotel Pupp

Once we were able to locate the right metro line (honestly, signage is a bit wanting here!) we took the Metro back to the center of town and to our apartment, where we are in for the night.  After that lunch, who needs dinner?  And besides, after being braised on the bus, we need to recoup.

Reception room

Tomorrow we’re planning on heading up to Prague Castle; I particularly want to see the Cathedral up there, which looks incredibly impressive from the outside.  I am also debating the merits of doing a load of wash tomorrow, even though we’ll be fine until we get to Vienna…you know how I am!  A Laundromat in the hand is always worthwhile!

More later!

m

xxx

Ready for lunch

Duck pate

Mushroom caps stuffed with goat cheese

Baked scallops with risotto

Baked John Dory with mashed potatoes and shallots

Manhole cover from Karlovy Vary