Passage to Eastern Europe - Live report 6/10 - 6/26

[rjscott]

Our next stop is Belgrade, Serbia. In the morning we have a combined walking and bus tour of the city. Belgrade has been thru many nationalities and many wars. We see their fortress, a lovely upscale neighborhood, New Belgrade, and the downtown area. We return to the ship for lunch and the afternoon is free time or optional tours. A shuttle is provived for those wishing to go back to the downtown area. It is raining.

My husband and I have arranged another option. Working with Maira, the ship's concierge, we have engaged a driver/guide to take us to a small village approx. 2hrs north of Belgrade, which is where my grandparents were from. They had emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900's, but it was meaningful to me to see where they came from. Maira has arranged for us to go to the Slovak church and meet with the minister there to look at records. The minister had these very old books with yellowed, cracked pages, and there we found my grandfather's baptismal record. It made me weak in the knees. There was more to it, but I won't go on about it. Our driver was very good and my husband enjoyed talking with hi on the drive up and back. He does tours in and around Belgrade for a living. Such a nice man. Maira did sch a great job for us on this.

 

Becki

[Hydrokitty]

Our next stop is Belgrade, Serbia. In the morning we have a combined walking and bus tour of the city. Belgrade has been thru many nationalities and many wars. We see their fortress, a lovely upscale neighborhood, New Belgrade, and the downtown area. We return to the ship for lunch and the afternoon is free time or optional tours. A shuttle is provived for those wishing to go back to the downtown area. It is raining.

My husband and I have arranged another option. Working with Maira, the ship's concierge, we have engaged a driver/guide to take us to a small village approx. 2hrs north of Belgrade, which is where my grandparents were from. They had emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900's, but it was meaningful to me to see where they came from. Maira has arranged for us to go to the Slovak church and meet with the minister there to look at records. The minister had these very old books with yellowed, cracked pages, and there we found my grandfather's baptismal record. It made me weak in the knees. There was more to it, but I won't go on about it. Our driver was very good and my husband enjoyed talking with hi on the drive up and back. He does tours in and around Belgrade for a living. Such a nice man. Maira did sch a great job for us on this.

 

Becki

 

Wow, Becki.......just wow.....what a wonderful memory for you, thank you for sharing.

 

We're off today for Prague so I'll have to wait till July to finish YOUR trip, and hopefully right one of my own. I've picked up lots of useful stuff from your diary and really appreciate it. We'll have a concierge as well, and since I'm not interested in the optional tour offered for Belgrade, will talk to our concierge about a private guide. Again, thank you for taking time from your trip to fill us in. Safe home.

 

Judy

[rjscott]

Judy, if you are checking the boards while you travel, thanks for your kind words and safe travels to you. Have a wonderful cruise!

 

Becki

[Familygoboston]

Our next stop is Belgrade, Serbia. In the morning we have a combined walking and bus tour of the city. Belgrade has been thru many nationalities and many wars. We see their fortress, a lovely upscale neighborhood, New Belgrade, and the downtown area. We return to the ship for lunch and the afternoon is free time or optional tours. A shuttle is provived for those wishing to go back to the downtown area. It is raining.

My husband and I have arranged another option. Working with Maira, the ship's concierge, we have engaged a driver/guide to take us to a small village approx. 2hrs north of Belgrade, which is where my grandparents were from. They had emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900's, but it was meaningful to me to see where they came from. Maira has arranged for us to go to the Slovak church and meet with the minister there to look at records. The minister had these very old books with yellowed, cracked pages, and there we found my grandfather's baptismal record. It made me weak in the knees. There was more to it, but I won't go on about it. Our driver was very good and my husband enjoyed talking with hi on the drive up and back. He does tours in and around Belgrade for a living. Such a nice man. Maira did sch a great job for us on this.

 

Becki

 

Becki, I just bookmarked this, we are doing this same itinerary in reverse on AMA in Sept. We will end in Bucharest and fly to Istanbul for 3 days afterward. So I am enjoying your details! I'm sure our tours will be different, but the stops are the same;)

 

I thinks it amazing you were able to arrange a visit to your fatherland and find those records! I know you are on your trip now, and you should enjoy that! But when you return would you share more about your visit to the village north of Belgrade? I know I would love to hear about it...that's amazing, to go 1/2 way round the world and find the very place your family is from! The few stories like this I have read, the guides and local people go way out of their way to help! I'm so glad you had this experience! Looking forward to the rest!

[rjscott]

Hi, all! I have not abandoned my report. Our lasr few ports were a whirlwind a nd then we had a couple of busy days in lovely Budapest. Our party of 4 then went onto Prague for 4 days, and we have been so busy, I have just not had the time to write. We fly home tomorrow and I will finishmy report on the ship, the ports and Prague.

 

Becki

[joanne2]

I enjoyed your trip to France and I'm enjoying this one too. Looking forward to the the next days.

[rjscott]

Thanks, Joanne, for such a nice compliment. Sorry to be so long getting back to my report, but I came home with an unexpected and unwelcome souvenir; pneumonia! Only today have I felt up to posting.

 

That is one thing to be aware of in the Eastern European countries; it is not possibe, like it is here in the U.S., to find OTC meds at groceries or mini-marts. You must find a pharmacy, which is a building marked by a green cross. There meds will be dispensed according to a description of your symptoms given to a counter person. And when I say "meds", I mean something as innocuous as aspirin.

 

I do try to plan for simple medical emergencies by carrying a small supply of OTC meds. I always have bismuth chewable tabs, anti-diarrheal, decongestant and antihistamine. To that I add zinc & echinacea lozenges and cough drops.

 

So, when my cough seemed to be morphing into something worse, I headed for the nearest pharmacy in Prague. The young lady behind the counter asked my symptoms, then put a carton of meds on the counter. We asked what it would do. With a little back and forth we discovered it was an expectorant, and she further advised it was like an Alka-seltzer, so needed to be dissolved in water. She even got a glass to show us how much water was needed. She also offered decongestant nose drops, but we declined those, as I already had those.

 

Just an FYI.

[rjscott]

When we returned from our journey to my grandparents' village, it was dinnertime. Tonight was a themed dinner, 'A Taste of the Balkans', featuring specialties from across the region, and served buffet-style throughout the main dining room, the Aquavit Terrace and Lounge as well as the galley.

Next up, Vukovar and Osijek.

[Riversanddale]

We hope you are recovering and beginning to enjoy all the wonderful memories. Take good care of yourself. We both returned from a European trip (fine while there - pneumonia as soon as we were home) and the doctor laughed, "What did you expect with those airplane flights?" DH always travels with an antibiotic because he has long standing respiratory issues.

 

We are so enjoying your descriptions and details. It adds so much to the brief brochure itineraries and brings the trip to life. We hadn't considered this trip but will now. BTW - all the mobility comments are really useful.

 

You have us waiting for more! Thank you.

[rjscott]

Today we docked in Vukovar, where there was plenty of evidence of bombing during conflicts. The most visible was a large, brick tower seen from several miles out, with gaping holes left by bombs and shells. Vukovar was our transit point to Osijek, a short bus ride away. Along the way, we saw many storks' nests on the chimneys of the houses. These nests are huge and are quite a problem for the property owners, as they have to work with local officials to get them removed. A few times we saw chicks in the nests, which was very exciting.

 

In Osijek, we saw a beautiful church and had a performance by a young lady who sang several songs. She had a pure, sweet voice and it was a very moving performance.

 

Becki

[rjscott]

Today we dock in Kalocsa. We have a short time before the tours leave and so my friend and I hit the small store at the top of the hill to shop for paprika. We both score what we hope are good buys and return to the ship. Soon we board our buses, but there is a commotion outside. One of the passengers, while boarding her bus, slipped on the step and gashed her leg quite badly. Ship's crew and passengers with medical experience have mobilized to assist her. Gosh, there is a lot of blood! An ambulance comes for her and our buses leave.

 

In Kalocsa we visit a lovely Archbishop's palace and the local market. We then visit the Horsemen of the Puszta, an entertaining show of horsemanship. This show also included a choice of beverage and a pastry. There were also carriage rides after the show and stable tours, which offered the opportunity to see some other animals, such as curly-coated pigs (think poodle with a snout), and sheep with corkscrew horns.

 

Tonight is the captain's farewell cocktail party and dinner, as we will be in Budapest tomorrow for our 2 day stay at the Marriott.

 

Becki

[rjscott]

We hope you are recovering and beginning to enjoy all the wonderful memories. Take good care of yourself. We both returned from a European trip (fine while there - pneumonia as soon as we were home) and the doctor laughed, "What did you expect with those airplane flights?" DH always travels with an antibiotic because he has long standing respiratory issues.

 

We are so enjoying your descriptions and details. It adds so much to the brief brochure itineraries and brings the trip to life. We hadn't considered this trip but will now. BTW - all the mobility comments are really useful.

 

You have us waiting for more! Thank you.

Thanks so much for your comments. I have only had pneumonia once, and that was following my return to work after cancer treatment. So, not totally unexpected. And that was an unusual form. With this, I feel like I've already coughed up both lungs and my spleen. What's left?! At least we have a guest room my hubby can retreat to.

 

Becki

[rjscott]

Today we depart the ship and board our buses for our included tour of Budapest. I have heard and read such wonderful things about this city, I am ready to get started. I am not disappointed. The buildings are beautiful along the river on both sides and there are several magnificent bridges that add to the glorious views. We go to the Parliamentary Palace, and are lucky enough to be there just as they have a changing of the guard. The chief guard allows for photo op's with the other palace guards, who do their best to be stoic as tourists cozy up to them for photos. It was fun. The palace is a stunning building, and can be toured by appt (fee). It is in a courtyard of other government buildings and monuments that are very interesting to view as well.

We also went to the Central Market, but had limited time there, as we needed to eat lunch and meet back up with our guide all within 40 min., and it was really busy there. Our guide recommended a restaurant that had room, all 4 of us were accommodated and the food was good, if not great. One thing we did find out there was that we were back in the land of pay toilets. Not all charged, and if you had a meal in a restaurant, there was no charge, but in a shopping area, like Central Market, there was a charge of what amounted to $1.

We were then taken to the Marriott and dropped off for check-in. Our room was very nice with a lovely view of the river and the buildings at night. We were very pleased.

The 4 of us had dinner a a restaurant just a stroll from the hotel, along the waterfront. Food was good and very reasonable for the location. It was a bit cool, but the restaurant provided blankets to shield against the chill.

 

Becki

[rjscott]

Budapest, Day 2

Forgot to mention that while on our bus tour yesterday, we also saw St Stephen's Basilica and St Mathias church, both wonderful inside and out. We also saw the Shoes on the Danube memorial as we drove by it.

Our 2nd day in Budapest started with a very bountiful breakfast buffet at the Marriott, a nice start to the day. We then set off to walk about the city,with a return to Central Market in mind. There were many people on the streets, and the shopkeepers and restaurant owners were vying for their dollars. My friend, who has 11 grandchildren, had already purchased so many souvenirs (and we had not yet been to Prague!), decided she needed to purchase an addt'l bag to check. We did find her one at Central Market. Oh, and that paprika we bought at the small shop in Kalocsa? It was indeed a bargain. Yay! And the lady who had gashed her leg that day was ok as well. She did need stitches, but was back on the ship that evening for dinner.

But, I digress. We did go on to Central Market, and although there is a lot of the same stuff there, there are also some nice artisan souvenirs to be found if you want to take the time to look. I usually look for Christmas ornaments for my greatniece when I travel, which her mother loves. I found her a handpainted egg with storks in the nest on it. This was such a find for me. I know that the handpainted eggs are a true Hungarian art form, as, although my grandparents were Yugoslavian Slovak, they had many Hungarian friends. And, since we saw the storks ourselves, I can tell my greatniece about them.

Also, although the food court at the Central Market can be a madhouse, the food there is authentic and cheap and you can choose a plate or a la carte. And, they take a variety of funds.

 

Our friend had a plan to go to one of Budapest's baths in the afternoon, so we headed back to the hotel to drop off our purchases and see him off in a taxi. We also arranged, with Viking's desk in the hotel, to schedule a nighttime cruise of the waterfront buildings. Once our friend returned from his trip to the bath, we went to 'The Eye'. Our friends had ridden the one in London and wanted to ride this one in Budapest. I, however, do not ride ferris wheels of any kind, so I patiently waited while the the 3 of them waited in line and then had their ride on this monstrosity. Afterward, we walked back toward the hotel, and stopped at an Italian restaurant for dinner. My husband and I had a good wood-fired pizza, but our friends weren't happy with their meals.

After dark, we head down to the dock for our evening cruise. This is a fun experience. There is narration thru an individual listening device and visual elaboration of the buildings and the buildings interiors on screens placed around the ship. We were also offered a snack and a beverage of our choice. The buildings were just beautiful to see all lit up as we cruised by from the water.

 

Becki

[purduemom1]

Hi Becki,

 

Even though the river cruise we are looking forward to is not the one you took, I have enjoyed your review. We will be going to Budapest and The Central Market is on our to do list. I will be shopping for mementoes and little gifts for family and friends. You mentioned seeing artisan souvenirs at the market. Would love to know what you found in addition to the hand painted egg. How were the prices of the items you saw?

 

Looking forward to your review of Prague as we will be going there also. Hope you are feeling better.

 

Sharon

[rjscott]

Sharon,

Glad you are enjoying the review, and thank youfor the well wishes.

I bought the egg on the top floor and I believe there were some other nice booths up there as well. Also, on the main floor, there is a lot of paprika, and a lot of misc other junk, there may be that odd booth that has just what you had in mind.

However, if you don't find what you're looking for at Central Market, there is a street of shops just outside the market, where you you may. A lot of the shops are the same, but a few have unique items.

Prague also had some nice shops.

 

Becki

[rjscott]

Our 2nd morning in Budapest was checkout for our transport to Prague. We had considered various means of transport; the train, the bus, and a private car. Since there were 4 of us, we chose the private car, as it would reduce our ride time substantially and we would be able to dictate when and where we stopped. (At the time we booked this transport, Viking was not offering the transfer option w/o the purchase of their postcruise extension. ). We had secured a minivan, to transport 4 adults w/ 4 large suitcases and 4 carryons. However, our friend had added a suitcase of souvenirs in Budapest, and when our driver arrived to load the luggage, the dismay on his face was plain. The minivan was a very nice Mercedes limo-type van, with the inside seating for 5, with 2 bucket seats facing a bench seat to seat 3, with plenty of leg room between the two. My husband helped the driver stack the luggage for best placement and he ended up putting two carryon up front in the passenger seat next to his driver's seat. Disaster averted and we are on the road to Prague! The driver was friendly and professional, but didn't seem to want to talk, so we just let him know when we wanted to stop (twice) and that was it until we got to the hotel. He expected our drive time to be 5 hrs, but it was a bit longer due to some construction. We were very happy we chose the car service, and used the same service for our transport to the arport a few days later.

In Prague, we decided to stay at the Corinthia, the same hotel Viking was using for their extensions. Although this hotel is a bit remote, it has many pluses. The rooms are very nice and have great views of the city. It is right at a metro stop and 2stops from Old Town. It has an indoor pool and spa (accessible to those who book rooms at the appropriate level). Breakfast was included in our room rate as well, and it was a very nice buffet. Viking had a shuttle bus into town for their extension passengers, so we asked if the shuttle was not full, would it be ok for us to use it as well? They very generously said 'yes'. That saved us quite a bit over the next few days. So, having checked in, gotten some info from the Viking desk, we jumped on the next shuttle for Old Town.

Our friends had been to Prague before, about 5 yrs ago. So, there were some highlights they wanted us to see and others that were new to all of us. Today, we just headed for the Astronomical clock. Even tho' I anticipated a throng of people, you really can't imagine the number of people and cameras that start arriving about 1/2 hr before the hour and increase in number like a time release photo until the hour arrives and the clock show is on. It is really an event.

So, after the clock show, we look for a place to eat and find a place off the square. By now, I am mostly interested in soup, and there are good soups here. In fact, I grew up on very good Slavic cooking, and Prague has the best food out of all the places where we've eaten out (although Bucharest was very good, and maybe we just didn't hit the right restaurants in Budapest). Also, the breads were very good as well. If you requested a basket of bread/rolls, it would not be just plain sliced bread; it would be a variety of sliced rye bread, some seeded rolls and a couple of mini baguettes, for example. Again, you would want to check your bill to see if you were charged a service charge, charged for bread/butter (the menu often is specific about the charges for bread, and, yes, even butter!). We ate at one restaurant where a basket of bread was placed on the table, not ordered, and yet we were charged for it. (Sigh)

Fortunately, those occurences were not the norm.

 

Becki

[rjscott]

Today is our second day in Prague, but our first full day. Our friends want to go to Prague castle. We're good for that, so we fuel up at the bountiful breakfast buffet. Now, the Viking shuttle only goes to Old Town and back, so we have to take alternative transportation today. We can either take the Metro, or one of the hotels private cars, for which Viking has a special rate. Our friends aren't keen on the Metro, so we take the private car. It's a very nice car and a pleasant ride and we are there very quickly. We tour the castle, St Vitus Cathedral, and the Golden Lane, all gorgeous. My hubby gets the audio tour, so at the end, he has to go a long way back to return his device and get our deposit back. We have lunch at a café overlooking the city. It is a beautiful day, and the food is good. Refueled and refreshed, we head down the hill toward the Charles Bridge. But first, my friend wants to show us the Lennon Wall, as we, like she and her husband, are Beatles babies. The wall had changed since she had last seen it. She said that prior it just had peace signs and Beatles song fragments, that sort of thing, but now has some very good drawings of John. It's really a work of art and so inspiring, like the Czech Republic's Berkeley. From there, we work our way across the Charles Bridge, checking out the artists' work as we go. Once across, we head for the Four Seasons hotel, as next to it is an antique store my girlfriend wants to visit. When they first visited Prague, they stayed at the Four Seasons and she purchased a garnet bracelet and ring at the antique store. About a year ago, their home was broken into and the ring and bracelet were stolen. So, she was determined to replace them. She did find replacements she was happy with and we worked our way on to Old Town.

We had found a couple of shops off the square in Old Town that had some items we wanted to consider for souvenirs. I did end up getting my nephew a pair of beer mugs for his upcoming birthday (he loves microbrews). The clerk packed them really well in paper and bubble wrap, so they were ready to travel.

The guys were more interested in the food booths on the square. There were these huge hams on a spit that were being sliced off in huge chunks. That's what the guys decided they were having for dinner. That and a cabbage, potato, bacon dish. The ham was really good, the cabbage dish, less so. For dessert there were chimney cakes, those wonderful coils of dough cooked over coals with cinnamon sugar.

We were able to take the Viking shuttle back to the hotel this evening.

 

Becki

[rjscott]

Today we decide to go to the Jewish Quarter. We board the shuttle, but, fr the first time, it is full, and so the 4 of us won't fit. Bummer! So we take on of the hotel's cars again to the Jewish Quarter. We start with a tour of the Old Synagogue, then walk down a few blocks to tour the Spanish synagogue and the Jewish cemetery.

From there, we walked over to OldTown Square. My friend had read that St Wenceslas Square had a nice pedestrian promenade, so we headed off the square in that direction. We found a restaurant for lunch, where we could eat outside and people-watch. They had these benches that were like gliders for seating. So fun. People walking by would look at us swinging as we were eating and drinking. And the food was good as well.

After we were finished with lunch, and ready to head down to Wenceslas Square, our friends decided they'd rather chill at a coffee shop while we strolled down & back. We could see the National museum building at the end of the street, but weren't sure how far it was, but off we went. There were lots of shops and restaurants along the way. When we got nearer to the museum, we could see the statue of King Wenceslas on his horse. And, then, before we got to that statue, there was a memorial to a student who, in 1969, at the age of 19, set himself on fire to protest the communist takeover. So sad. We took some photos and then walked back to rejoin our friends. It amazed me how many people there were on the street during the day.

We had a casual dinner that evening before catching the shuttle back to the hotel.

 

Becki

[purduemom1]

Sharon,

Glad you are enjoying the review, and thank youfor the well wishes.

I bought the egg on the top floor and I believe there were some other nice booths up there as well. Also, on the main floor, there is a lot of paprika, and a lot of misc other junk, there may be that odd booth that has just what you had in mind.

However, if you don't find what you're looking for at Central Market, there is a street of shops just outside the market, where you you may. A lot of the shops are the same, but a few have unique items.

Prague also had some nice shops.

 

Becki

 

Thanks, Becki. I'm enjoying your Prague posts-sounds like you had nice weather and a good time was had by all. I laughed about your friend's need to buy another suitcase to hold her purchases....that sounds like something I could quite easily end up having to do. However, I am determined to keep my shopping under control. Our cruise is in November and I know I will want to shop for Christmas.....guess I'll have to think small and light weight:)

Sharon

[rjscott]

Sharon,

Christmas shopping would be challenging for me, and would probably cause my friend to add yet another suitcase. Lol!

Don't know how many you are shopping for or what ages, but I tried to keep things light and packable. Well, there were the beer mugs. Those were not planned for, but we had a hard-sided carryon and the mugs went in there. Budapest had some nice linens and I did purchase a tablecloth there. You can find round, oval or rectangular. The embroidery is lovely. There are table runners too. I'm sure you'd find some great holiday designs.

If you're looking for an inexpensive "I was thinking of you" kind of souvenir, there was a woman with a booth in Old Town Square in Prague that fits that bill. She sold crystal nail files that had Bohemian crystals on the tips and a case that said 'Praha'. The neat part was that she would etch a name on the file at no addt'l charge. I got my sister one of those, as she always has a nail file on the lamp table near her chair. Also, if you have little girls to buy for, I just remembered that Budapest did have some cute rag-type dollies. You would find some at Central Market and also on the main street of shops as well. Oh, and, how could I forget the hand puppets?! I bought my greatniece a hand puppet at Central Market on the 2nd floor not far from the food court. The woman there had a nice variety; dragon, cow, ladybug, etc, and they were inexpensive. If you are looking for something along that line, but for an older child, there were shops in Prague that sold marionettes.

 

Becki

[rjscott]

Our last day in Prague. Viking has a desk still, but there is no shuttle, as the postcruise ended this morning, with most passengers departing for their flights. There are a couple stragglers that extended for a day or two, which is why Viking is maintaining a desk. We can still take one of the hotel cars into town using Viking's discounted rate, or we can have the hotel call a taxi.

My girlfriend wants to spend some time this morning packing and her hubby wants to spend some time in town at a gym he'd been to before. Viking had given us a map of a walking tour of the area, so we decide to do that. We think this little walking tour across the road, via a footbridge, from the hotel, will take us maybe an hour. Were we wrong! Turns out this is a fortress, Vysehrad, with a beautiful church open to visitors and a cemetery with incredible headstones and veritable gardens in place of plots. I'd never seen anything like it. There were also lovely walking trails leading to beautiful overviews of the city. Additionally, there were a couple of cafes and shops. This was such a gem! We spent nearly 3hrs walking around.

On our way back to the hotel, it started sprinkling, but we made it back w/o getting wet. But later in the day it really started raining and so we reevaluated our plan to go into Old Town one last time. The plan was to meet up with our friend's hubby after his workout and have an early dinner, but her attempts to contact him and have him come back were unsuccessful. So, we decided to go ahead with the plan after all and the 3 of us took a car to Old Town. We found our friend waiting at the coffee shop. We went to dinner at a restuarant right on Old Town Square, underground in kind of a bunker. Decorated with animal pelts and medival weapons on the walls, it seemed like a theme restaurant, but the food was very good and reasonably priced. Also, although I ordered bread to go with my soup, and it showed as a separate charge on the menu, the waiter declined to charge me for it.

We went up on the square for a bit after dinner. Our friends wanted to try one of the crepes they'd been seeing people eating. They got a nutella and strawberry. It was yummy. My hubby got a chimney cake.

When we were getting ready to head back to the hotel, a poor decision was made. While my husband and I favored calling the hotel to send a car for us one last time, our friends thought it would be less expensive and quicker to just grab a taxi there at the square. Since our friend had gotten a taxi ride into the square from the hotel at a reasonable price, he reasoned we could do the same back to the hotel. I was skeptical. We walked up to a taxi and he asked a rate to the Corinthia. He was told 300 czk "about" , due to traffic. I was liking this less, but since we had paid for the ride in, our friend would be paying for this ride back. Still, I don't like getting ripped off. But, he and his wife thought that sounded ok, so off we went. My husband, who is very tall, sat up front with the driver, and I sat in the back middle, with my friends on each door. I could clearly see the meter. As we started driving, it became clear to my girlfriend that we were taking a "scenic" route. So, I began updating her with the meyer rate as it climbed over 400, 500 and 600 czk. By the time we arrived at the hotel, the meter read 670! So, our friend asked the driver, what happened to "about"300? He was quite willing to pay 400 b/c of traffic, but not be ripped off. And then the driver says, no, he never said 300, he said 600. And then the fireworks start. So, I tell my girlfriend to go get the concierge, and she gets out of the car and heads for the lobby. I get out of the car too, and I hear the driver say, "fine, just give me the 300". Just then a young man from the hotel approaches me and asks if we need assistance. I tell him I think we are fine now, but we were having a dispute with the taxi driver. The guys get out, and the driver departs. We thank Michal, the trainee, for offering to assist us. Just a little drama to finish out our day.

In the morning, we have the same transport coming for us that brought us to Prague. While we are waiting, Matthew, the day manager, asks how our stay was. We chat a bit and I tell him of the taxi driver drama. He further tells me that the police will often park at the hotel, hidden from view, but able to view vehicles coming and going. If taxis appear to be there longer than necessary, i.e. a dispute, the police will come over and ask to see the driver's paperwork, safety equipment, etc., usually resulting in a fine. It discourages taxis coming to the Corinthia from ripping off the passengers. Guess our driver didn't get the memo, eh?

Our transport to the airport was on time, quick and efficient. Check-in was quick and we had time for breakfast before going to the gate. Unfortunately our flight from Prague to Amsterdam was delayed almost an hour, but we had enough of a cushion in Amsterdam to cover it. Because I was starting to feel so punk by then, the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit seemed interminable, and I was very glad to be back in my own bed.

 

Thanks for reading along with me.

 

Becki

[purduemom1]

Becki,

Thanks for all the souvenir suggestions. I will keep them in mind, especially the nail files. I hope i can find the stall when we visit Old Town Square. Those will be great, easy to take along gifts.

 

Thank you for telling us about the taxi experience. I have read warnings for both Prague and Budapest. Advice is to call a reputable taxi company to request a cab and a price quote. Problem is that it is not easy for us to do that in a foreign country. You can ask your hotel to call one for you but then what do you do when you want to get back to the hotel? It was good that your party did not accept the requested price. The driver was probably scared off when you wanted to get a hotel employee to help you. Your experience is a good reminder for all of us.

 

I have really enjoyed your review-thank you for taking the time to post.

Sharon

[rjscott]

Sharon,

There was an area around the square with little stalls. That's where the nail file lady was. I'll look at my photos and see if I can be more specific as to the area. The files were 3 euros ea. And she had them in different colors of crystals on the tips.

 

The taxi fiasco was a really a tourist faux pas. I too had read the warnings about taxis in Prague, Budapest and Bucharest. I tried to warn our friends, but then we wouldn't have a story to tell, would we? :rolleyes: :p.

 

I did think of another cute souvenir my girlfriend picked up in Budapest. They had these at Central Market and other shops. Fairly inexpensive and very packable. It's a wine bottle cover that looks like a little apron. In the front is a pocket that holds matching wine coasters. Cute idea, and they may have them in holiday designs when you're there. What I saw were mostly neutral colors.

 

Becki

[purduemom1]

Hi Becki, thanks for the ideas of what I might find when shopping. As you might have guess already, I love to shop and if I can find unique gifts, I'm happy! Last year we did a Panama Canal cruise in Nov. And I found a few gifts along the way. Then we made a quick one night trip to Frankfurt and I shopped at their Christmas Market. Loved that even though I had to be careful to make sure I was buying items that were made in Germany. One stall had pretty candle holders but they were made in Mexico!

 

I'll be sure to look for the stalls on the Square and I've also read that there are vendors on the Charles Bridge.

 

Thanks for the tip on Vysehrad....I did some research yesterday and will add it to our list of sites to see. Still trying to figure out the public transit from our hotel to Vysehrad but I'm sure the concierge can help out with this.

Sharon