A Clinician in Bohemia

So, here's my wrap-up tips from the trip for those of you thinking about heading to the area, just from my experience.

Places Not to be Missed:

Spice Market, Istanbul: Yes I know it may seem touristy but this is 100% definitely worth it to visit. The smells, the colors, the people watching are all amazing things to experience. Though make sure you don't go too crazy and you know how to barter so you can get a good deal. And bring cash if you can, gives you more barter power.

Haga Sophia & Blue Mosque, Istanbul: They are both right next to each other so you can tour both in one day. They are both exquisite and 100% worth the hype. Make sure to take some time to just sit and listen or mediate while you are in there if you can. And don't forget your head covering if you are female.

Bosporus Boat Ferry, Istanbul: honestly you don't need to waste money on a boat tour if you don't need to, just ride the ferry around the Bosporus. It is such a beautiful vista.

Jewish Quarter, Prague: it is worth it to pay the 25 euros for access to all the synagogues because each has its own history and artwork. Get a tour guide from the main center and give yourself a couple of hours to enjoy it. It's brilliant.

Cesky Krumlov, CZ: The whole town is so lovely. Go during the week if you can so you avoid all the Prague tourists, and get a local hotel. The views are beautiful and the castle is seriously cool.

Parliament Building, Bucharest: It is seriously one of the most impressive buildings I have ever seen, and the eclectic collection of different design styles is something you have to see.

Bran's Castle: Yes, it is 100% worth the hype. Do it. It is AWESOME.

Brasov, Romania: A really lovely mountain town with lots of fun shops, restaurants, hiking trails and some of the nicest people I've met.

Salina Turda, Turda, Romania: This entire place is just incredible and you will be amazed at the sheer vastness of the place.

Okay, so now that I am home & was able to get a good nights sleep and also cuddle the heck out out of Dibley, I am able to do some reflections and also give some insight for those who maybe want to go on their own long Eastern European adventures.

First off, this was seriously one of the best experiences of my life and I will forever be grateful that I got to go on it. I got to see things I would never have gotten to see on my own, and speak to people first-hand about history, culture, art, family, joy & sorrow in so many different realms of life. I also got to speak with people first-hand who are being changed directly by historical events going on right now, as well as those who carry the generational scars & trauma of past injustices. I also got to visit some of the most beautiful architecture & vistas in the world, including some of the most beautiful holy places of the three major world religions. I crossed MULTIPLE things off my life list, and it was some of the best memories I could ever make with my Mom. (And Pat of course too!)

I will say that though there were some issues with each tour, I may possibly consider doing another tour again but it would have to be the right one, and with the right company. I will admit that it was nice that the airline & hotel & transportation restaurants were all taken care of by someone else & I could just relax, and it was also nice to have someone with us at all times that spoke the language. The places we got to stay at on both tours were nice & comfortable, and we did get to try some delicious local cuisine that was defintitly worth writing home about.

However, lack of control does sometimes mean lack of choice, and lack of choice of who you travel with. The problem with going places with a tour group is that outside of who you personally chose to travel with, you don't get to choose who else is in the tour and that means that you sometimes have to spend your vacation with people you wouldn't even invite over for tea. Both tours had one or two people who I wouldn't wish to travel with EVER, but it could not be helped so I just had to deal with it. Also, we did have to go visit places that I wouldn't have included on my trip itinerary if I had the choice, but the choice wasn't mine. For some people, both of those things are deal-breakers so it is important to keep that in mind when you are deciding to do a tour.

But I will say, if you are given the chance to go to Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary or Romania - DO IT. This part of the world is so beautiful and unique and the people are such characters. I loved every city we were in while on this tour and I really enjoyed the people I was able to meet.

Tomorrow, I will add my thoughts/advice for those who want to travel to the area themselves: what was worth it to bring, what you could leave behind, what was worth seeing & what to skip.

Write again tomorrow!

Well the past two days have been the long journey back to the States, leaving behind the beautiful country of Romania and this brilliant adventure the three of us have been on for the past three and half weeks. As I write this, I am chilling in the Houston airport waiting for my final flight back to Louisville

We left Sibiu yesterday morning after a hearty breakfast and saying goodbye to Raz, one of our brilliant tour guides, as he had to get home to Brasov and then get ready to lead a hiking tour in a few days. Mom & I encouraged Raz to please let us know if he ever makes his way to the Blue Ridge Mountains because we’d be happy to show him the trails. It was a long drive back to Bucharest, but we were able to stop along the way to visit the mausoleum of the royal family of Romania, as well as the final resting place of the four kings of Romania. We also had a lovely “farewell lunch” at a local hotel restaurant, and were even treated to a command operatic performance by our brilliant guide John. All in all it took us roughly five hours of driving to get back to Bucharest, and John helped us to get settled in at the airport hotel. We three said goodbye to John, as well as our lovely van driver Aurell. We grabbed a short bite to eat and then tried to get some sleep.

Wake-up was 2:30am because we needed to be at the airport by 3:00a, which as you can guess was a bit of a trying endeavor as none of us tend to be in the best mood in the middle of the night. Mom & Pat had a different flight than me back to the States, so after a quick breakfast and some coffee, I bid goodbye to both of them. A short flight for me to Frankfurt, and then hoping on my longest flight to Houston. (*yay* I have to spend four hours layover in TEXAS ugh).

Unfortunately I had trouble getting comfy and getting sleep while on this flight, partly due to being sad this grand adventure is now over, but mainly due to the fact I may have pulled a small muscle in my neck due to sleeping funky on the bus/van while on this trip. But I did get to watch three movies on the flight (Asteroid City, The Interpreter, & Bullet Train) and listen to some Dateline podcast episodes so not a complete and total waste of time. But the flight just seemed so long as I flew further and further away from Europe. Plus I was hot & stuck next to a snoring guy with BO issues, so not exactly my favorite flight of my travel history.

My flight should be boarding soon so I will end the blog here. Tomorrow once I’m home, showered, cuddled my cat & had a good nights sleep, I will give my review of the whole experience, and my advice for those who want to go on their own Eastern European adventures.

Will write again once I’m home in the Bluegrass!

Hey there, friends, it’s another blog post from your friendly neighborhood social worker clinician traveling through Romania!

So it’s another kind of short post today but that’s mainly just because we only did stuff in the morning and then the afternoon I spent most of the time just resting. But this morning was actually really fun because we got to go and see this brilliant, open air walkable museum outside of Sibiu; the ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization. The museum was established as a "shelter for keeping the past." Wander among windmills, houses, cottages, workshops, and exhibits highlighting historic objects and architecture from all around Transylvania. The grounds included actual homes and buildings from different villages and neighborhoods around Romania & Transylvania that have been transported and restored so that visitors are able to see the types of architecture, living arrangements and art styles across history & from all across the country. Mom and I got to take a lot of photos of some of the different buildings, as well as going to see the unique Romanian style for houses in the smaller villages, as well as the fences, the churches, and even the school houses. After our tour museum, we of course had to stop at the gift shop because well duh!

And then a tour group went and toured this lovely little museum in Sibiel, Zosim Oancea Museum of Icons on Glass, which is dedicated to the ancient practice of painting on glass. This small museum outside of an old orthodox church contained over four dozen different unique pieces of artwork, depicting biblical stories and saints on glass painted with naturally formulated paints from plants and food items. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take any photos because you have to pay an extra 15 lei in order to take photos but I will just tell you to look it up online because it is pretty cool.

After our tour of the glass museum, we then headed to a 100% pure authentic Romanian lunch, which was absolutely delicious. I do have to say on this trip for the past 3 1/2 weeks I’ve been spoiled when it comes to the food that I’ve been able to eat . This lunch included the Romanian specialty dish which involves mincemeat wrapped in cabbage with a side of polenta. Not usually what I’d order, but it was quite delicious. And we also got to taste some freshly made wine made from grapes that are grown right outside the restaurant .

We headed back to Sibiu. Our tour guides told us that we had the rest of the afternoon to do as we wish. Mom and Pat and I all really kind of needed the afternoon to re-organize our bags and to rest a little bit so we all three went to our rooms to take care of our own stuff. Myself I spent the time re-organizing my suitcase since tomorrow we head back to Bucharest to an airport hotel, and then a very very early Monday morning flight back to the states.

That’s the news for today; don’t be surprised if tomorrow’s also kind of a short report as well since I think our plan is just to tour one more orthodox church, and then we head to Bucharest and try to catch a few hours of sleep before we have to head out to our very early morning flights home. But of course, if there is anything to share, you know, I will be happy to include it in my stories.

Till tomorrow my gentle readers

Hey there, Fam-Bam, so here I am again with another update on my crazy adventures here in Romania!

This morning I got to say that I actually woke up in Hotel Transylvania, though, not exactly the same spelling and no there was no Adam Sandler sounding vampires or a Steve Buscemi sounding werewolf at the breakfast table this morning. But nonetheless, it was still a lovely hotel and if you’re wondering if I bought something that has the hotel title on it, well you would be right, because I bought an adorable mug that says Hotel Transylvania on it because of course I did.

Today we went and toured another castle, one of the largest actually in Europe, Hunedoara Castle, also known as Corvinilor or Corvin Castle. Built in 1446 by Ioan de Hunedoara, ruler of Transylvania and Regent of Hungary, the castle is protected by a double wall and features both rectangular and circular towers, some of which (such as the Deserted Tower and the Drummers’ Tower) were once used as prisons. There was also rumored to be a bear pit, though that may have been an exaggeration by the Corvins to try to discourage people from trying to take the castle. The castle was never breached, and it was only at one time under siege, but the siege was very short. We had the most amazing tour guide, a wonderful woman named Delia, who was not only very well versed in the history of the castle, but she also happens to be an archaeologist, so she was able to talk about some of the scientific facets of the reconstruction of the castle , plus she had no problem dropping F bombs or talking about saucy history of the royal family. I love the fact that she gave us a bit of a feminist perspective on the history of the castle, and she told us a lot of great tales about some of the very interesting people that came in and out of the castle. But probably the biggest highlight for me seeing this castle was when I found out that it was the filming location for one of my favorite movies of all time; Dragonheart. If you haven’t seen this brilliant movie with Sean Connery voicing the magical dragon Draco, and Dennis Quaid playing the valiant knight and dragon slayer Bowen, then please go on Amazon prime now and rent it. Is it very high-quality cinema? No, but man is it fun, and you’ll get to see some of the castle.

We then made our way over to a little café near the castle where each of us got to have a bit of a lunch of our own choosing, before we loaded up into the van again, and made our way to Sibiu. We’re staying here for two nights and we each got to get our own rooms which is awesome because though I love my mother dearly, I have kind of miss having a bit of my own space. We did a short walk around the city to do a tour of the surrounding area and then tomorrow we get to see more of the city.

Sorry, there is too much to share today, but that was most of our day was taken up with driving, but I hope to share some more adventures after touring the city of Sibiu and Sibiel tomorrow.

Until then, my friends, I bet you all good night

OK so here’s what happened when we got to Sighișoara; we got to Sighișoara after touring through the villages and when we got to the hotel that evening after dinner that was when Mom discovered that she had accidentally left her passport in the room safe in Brasov. Panic, of course, ensued and there was much wailing but we are able to talk to her a wonderful tour leader John and he was able to help set up us up with a car and driver that would be able to drive me back to Brasov so I could pick up Mom’s passport, since Mom had a personal tour of nearby village already scheduled for that morning, and I really really didn’t want her to have to cancel. To put into perspective as to why I would go and get the passport instead of Mom, the village she was visiting was a central location in one of her all time favorite series of books, The Transylvania Chronicles.. You guys know how excited I was to see Hobbiton in New Zealand; well for Mom, seeing this village was like seeing Hobbiton for her because it was a village from one of her favorite series of books. So the next morning after a short breakfast, I got in the car with a very lovely driver name Grigor who drove quite fast yet safely all the way back to Brasov and I was able to pick up Mom‘s passport and get it safely back to her. There was much for joy and much relief and but I did however give Mom a whole lot of grief for the fact that she left her passport in the safe in the Hotel. But I will give this for the Romanian people, they are lovely human beings, who really like to help others in need and I was so incredibly grateful. Not just to John and to Grigor but also for the people at the hotel, who were graciously found Mom’s passport, locked behind the desk and were willing to work with us so that I could be able to come and pick it up so Mom wouldn’t have to trade her let her once in a lifetime tour. However, because of all the fast driving and the anxiety and the adrenaline, I proceeded to then get a giant migraine, so the rest of the afternoon I was asleep, while the rest of the tour group went around the town. Kind of bummed that I didn’t get to see much of Sighișoara, but I did get to see enough, which included the ancient clock tower in the middle of the city.

The next morning, we loaded up in the van again and this time we made our way towards the salt mines in Turda. Mom didn’t join us for this part because she does not do well with heights and claustrophobia so Pat and I were the intrepid adventures into this ancient and massive salt mine. This mine was SERIOUSLY so cool and there’s even a small amusement/fun park at the bottom. I got to play pool at 120 meters below surface level, with a Ferris wheel in the background. Super surreal and seriously awesome.

I will skip describing our interesting lunch of trout with the HEAD still attached, and just say we ate lunch and then made our way to Alba Iulia, which the location of there the documents of liberty for Romania were signed. We toured a beautiful Roman Catholic Church of St Michael and the ancient Roman grounds. We then had a delicious medieval dinner in the part of the ruins which used to be the armory and gunpowder room, which was very nice & we got to have the traditional Romanian dessert of doughnut with sour cream and jam.

So now Mom and Pat and I are all cuddled up in our rooms at….and I’m literally not kidding here….HOTEL TRANSLYVANIA.

Till tomorrow friends

Hey guys! I know I’ve been a little radio silent for the past couple days and super sorry about that, but things have been busy and then we had a minor emergency and then I wasn’t feeling well so I didn’t feel up for writing my blog. However, my plan is to remedy that today! I’m gonna break this post up into two posts because a lot happened in the past three days and it’ll be a lot easier if I just did it in two posts.

So we started our full day in Brasov with a city walking tour, where we got to go up to this beautiful vista of one of the old towers, which gave us a huge panoramic view of the entire city. Mom, Pat and I of course, had to get a picture together with the beautiful view since the weather was so perfect. We then went to visit a very old synagogue in the city, where the orthodox Jewish population still attend services. There was also memorial outside the synagogue, dedicated to Jewish members from Brasov who were killed during the Holocaust. The inside of the synagogue was very, very beautiful and we got to see how the building has remained in really excellent condition due to the dedication of the small, vibrant Jewish community and Brasov. After touring the synagogue, we went to tour the Black Church, which is the second largest active place of worship in Europe, outside the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Inside the church, there were numerous fresco‘s, as well as tapestries that came from Istanbul, that are hung all around the church. It was hard not to get a sense of peace, as well as a sense of holiness as you walked around the entire location. For lunch we went to this adorable little café that actually used to be a brothel before it was certain restaurant; hence the name of the restaurant means “sweet hole”.

In the afternoon, Pat, Mom and I all went and did our own thing just hanging out and walking around the city. I went and spent some time, just looking in the shops, and I even went into one little candy stores and got myself a big bag of gummy candies so I could have a little sugar for our adventures coming up.

The next day we packed up our stuff and made an early morning start from Brasov towards Sighișoara. Along the way, we stopped and saw a whole bunch of different citadel in old ruins from the Saxon Empire, and learned about the different ways that the Germanic influences as well as Italian and French influences have played depart in development of Romanian culture. It was a heck of a lot of walking, and Lord knows my legs were tired, but it was a beautiful places to visit.

For lunch, we stopped at the little town of Viscri, which is actually a UNESCO heritage site. We went to this little café, where we had a home-cooked meal, which included some of the most delicious chicken noodle soup. I’ve ever eaten in my life, as well as Romanian goulash, which I’m going to admit I really enjoyed more than Hungarian goulash. But I think the highlight of the whole lunch was definitely the adorable Siamese cat that proceeded to walk around and love on all of us during our lunch. Believe me if I could’ve taken this kitten home with me I 100% would’ve.

We toured the church in Viscri and I made the intrepid trek to the top of the clock tower, which Mom did not make because she is terrified of heights, and I don’t blame her, but boy was my legs tired when I was done with that walk. We learned about how the community was very very close and had its own traditions regarding making decisions on changes to policy, laws, as well as getting together for community and religious events. We also learned how the young people grew up and became members of the community through a series of rituals where they were officially entered as members of the community. The church, though in rough condition, still held some of the original pews used by the parishioners of the small village. On the outside of the church were two memorials, dedicated to those who lost their lives in World War I and World War II that originally came from the village, with their house number to the side.

Today we got to tour not one but TWO famous Romanian castles! We left Bucharest behind early this morning, and headed towards the mountains. Along the way, we stopped at the train station & picked up our second tour guide, Raz. The first castle we visited was Peles Castle, located in Sinaia. Completed in 1883, it was the summer home for the Romanian royal family and is an eclectic collection of various architecture styles as well as artwork itself. The Weapons Room was a collection unto itself with the variety of different weaponry used by both members of the Romanian royal family, but also weapons from other countries and weapons won in battle. The grounds were spectacular and it was so nice to be in the cool of the mountains. Mom, Pat and I remarked how much the area around Sinaia reminds us of the Blue Ridge Mountains, so many a picture was taken.

Next we made our way to Bran, where we stopped and had some lunch before heading to the castle I have waited over a year and a half to see: BRAN’S CASTLE 🏰 aka DRACULA’S CASTLE 🧛‍♂️. Yes I had a major nerd-out, yes I took tons and tons of pictures, yes I did a vampire pose outside the castle, and no, I regret nothing. The hike up to the castle was pretty steep so I got a good leg workout but it was worth it when we got up there. The castle has been restored inside and out, and the exhibit was all dedicated to the lives of the persons who lived in the fortress, including the famous Vlad Tepes Draculae. There was also a really cool exhibit about the various myths and supernatural legends in Romania, including strigoi, werewolves, ghosts & goblins. There was even an example of a “vampire killing kit”. I was really proud of Mom for braving the cramped and narrow staircases to make her way up the castle floors, as well as her not getting afraid of being up so high. It was truly SO COOL, and I am going to treasure the memories forever in my little nerdy heart.

The van then made its way to Brasov, stopping along the way for us to try some plum brandy made fresh in the area. I will tell you, that brandy was STRONG and not exactly my liquor of choice, but I am glad I at least gave it a try. We then made it to Brasov and settled into our hotel room. Mom & I decided to just take it easy and have some snackies before settling into bed.

Tomorrow we tour Brasov and see its treasures, so I look forward to telling you all about them tomorrow!

Till then, I bid you all farewell.

We’ve now spent two days in Bucharest, and so far Romania has been lovely. Yesterday was mainly a day for rest and hanging out at the hotel, because the three of us needed just a bit of downtime to just reset. Plus we got into Bucharest so late at night we needed a bit more sleep.

Last night we got to meet with our new travel companions for the Atlas Obscura adventure. There are 11 of us in total and its a group completely of women, which is a nice change. Plus, half the group is around my age (in their 30s) so I have some travel companions in my age range which will be nice as well. Same variety of hometowns and occupations, though all of us 30-something’s tend to either work in IT or public service of some kind, so there is some nice overlap. We had dinner last night at the hotel restaurant which was delicious, and we all introduced ourselves.

This morning we took a tour of the city of Bucharest, & we started our day out in the Romanian Athenaeum, which was right next door to our hotel. The Athenaeum is where the Romanian Philharmonic Orchestra Festival happens every year, which sadly we missed by five days. This is also where the few opera performances occur due to the incredible acoustics of the building. The main concert hall has a gorgeous wrap-around mosaic which shows the various leaders or invaders of the area from the start of history, showing the progression of governance.

Afterwards we saw the Romanian Military Academy building and then spent a some time at a local farmers market next door, getting to see firsthand the types of produce and products local to the area. But then came the next major highlight: getting to see the inside of the Parliament Building. The Parliament Building is the 2nd largest administrative building in the world (with The Pentagon being #1). The building was finished completion in 1989 even after the fall of the communist party, and the architecture includes an eclectic mixture of different styles from all over the world. The rooms were MASSIVE with these huge ornate ceilings, it felt like I was walking through a castle not a place of political business. Mom & I got a picture on the marble steps in the main entrance hall that kings, dignitaries and even Michael Jackson have entered through.

We continued some more of our walk through the Old Town part of the city and ended up a restaurant/brewery, where we had some hearty stew & sausages with potatoes, as well as a lovely blonde ale & some chocolate marble cake with berry compote. The sun was getting a bit hot so as we made our way back to the hotel, Mom & Pat went to take a bit of rest while I walked a bit more around the city just to take it all in. Mom & Pat later headed out for a little exploration and shopping of their own, so I am sitting here enjoying a cocktail at the hotel bar, just enjoying the experience of being on holiday.

Tomorrow we leave the city and visit some brilliant locales outside Bucharest, including the famous home of a certain man with an “impaling” personality & legendary heritage…..🧛‍♂️

Until then my friends, I say good evening & I will share more of my adventures tomorrow.

So in the space of 48 hours I have now set four in four separate countries: Slovakia, Austria, Hungary & Romania! This post concerns those past 48 hours as much has happened in such a short amount of time!

Yesterday morning we left Bratislava early, and made the shorty jaunt across the border into Austria. We then got a chance to visit the location of some partially restored Roman ruins, part of the northernmost outpost of the Roman Empire. We got to tour the ruins, and learn about the inter workings of the outpost, as well as how the Roman Legion lived and trained in this small village. We got to also step into some restored Roman baths as well as see a full reconstruction of the home of a village noble.

After touring the ruins, we hopped on the bus again and made our way across the border into Hungary. Our first stop in this country was Gyor, a small town which is famous for the ancient (and now UNSECO protected) craft of blue-printing on fabrics. The technique involves a wooden stamp print, then the fabric is dipped into the indigo dye, and then treated with acid or vinegar so the white print shows up against the blue. We got to visit a family owned business who still make their crafts by hand and got some handmade blueprinted fabrics.

We made our way then into the busy streets of Budapest, and got to go to the top of the hotel roof where we got a brilliant view of the whole city. We were able to get some photos which some of the tour members who we had grown close to during our travels, which was nice because the three of us would be leaving the tour a day early tomorrow to make our way to Romania for our next tour.

This morning we woke up early and were able to take a tour of the city with a brilliant local tour guide Daniel, who took us to Freedom Square where we got to see the statutes of the seven tribes which “founded” this area. We also learned first hand the brilliant snarky sarcasm of the Hungarians, which Mom, Pat & I got a big kick out of. We got to go up to the top of city to the castle, and Mom and I toured around the cathedral. Lunch we got to try some handmade strudel, before we all bid farewell to the rest of the tour, and Johanka got us to our cab for the airport.

I will say this for the Budapest airport that it was the quickest I have ever been through both security & Border Patrol, with it only taking roughly 5 minutes to get through both (interpret that as you will as not many people appeared to be flying out from Budapest). The three of us picked up a few snackies at Duty Free as it was the only place that would take Euros, so “dinner” consisted of Pringles and bottled water this evening.

When we got through the gate, we took a short bus to the plane which turned out to be a propeller plane; Mom and Pat both remarked that neither of them had been on a prop-plane in 25 years so it did give us three a bit of pause. As you can now surmise, we did survive the flight but I would be lying if a few prayers & requests to The Almighty occurred during take-off and landing. However, I reminded Mom & Pat that they should not fear because as the great Malcom Reynolds from “Firefly” once said; “We are not going to die tonight. You wanna know why? Because we are too damn pretty”. There was another moment of slight panic after we landed as the three of us were concerned if our bags actually made it to Bucharest, but thank the heavens for AirTags as we were able to see they DID make it, it was just that Air Tarom was taking it’s sweet time getting them to the baggage claim. Nevertheless, all four of our checked bags did make it to Romania 😎

Thankfully Atlas Obscura had arranged a car to pick us up at the airport and drive us right to the hotel, because it was 10:00 at night by the time we had all our bags together. Once we got to the hotel and checked in, we were able to grab some food at the bar in the hotel, which put us all in better spirits. It felt like after the day we had had that we had been traveling for days instead of hours, so all three of us looked forward to crawling into bed and sleeping in tomorrow.

Tomorrow our adventure with Atlas Obscura begins so we will have a new tour leader & a new group of fellow travelers.

Until tomorrow then my friends, I bid you farewell.

Today was our only full day in Bratislava but it was a pretty chill day at that. The day started off with a very good breakfast, complete with my new addiction, STRAWBERRY JUICE. Yummmm. Johanka then lead a short lecture/discussion about issues with Freedom of the Press in Slovakia, and how prior administrations have actively controlled the media and harmed those who tried to report on injustices. Probably the most famous case is the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak. Ján Kuciak was a Slovak investigative journalist, who worked as a reporter for the news website Aktuality.sk and focused mainly on investigating tax fraud of several businessmen with connections to top-level Slovak politicians. He and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, were shot dead in February 2018 in their home after receiving threats for Kuciak to stop his investigations into mob connections within the country’s then Prime Minister. A beautiful memorial was created to honor his work and his commitment to free press, which was very moving for me, Mom & Pat as all three of us know how important a free & unbiased press is.

We then got a lovely city tour of the Old Town, including the Primate’s Palace, the Opera House & the Jewish Quarter Memorial. We learned that half the Jewish citizens who lived in Bratislava’s Jewish Quarter were killed during the Holocaust, and the rest of the community left the city due to concerns for their safety when the Communist regime started to take power. This neighborhood used to be a vibrant large community but under the communist regime, many buildings and synagogues were torn down or came to ruin, so much of the Quarter is now gone. But one of the buildings still standing is the oldest pharmacy building in the country, which is under renovations to full restore its interior.

A bit of lunch & then a quick stop by a flea market to buy another suitcase (Mom, Pat & I have been doing a *little* shopping during our travels 😉) and then we three split off to do our own things. I mainly walked around the Old Town Square and people watched, while Mom joined some group members on a walk of their own and seeing the sights. In a slightly surprising turn of events, MOM was the one to find a second wind and do more adventuring while I snuggled down for a nap.

Not many stories to share of today as it was mainly chill, which to be honest was kind of nice. Tomorrow we make the trip to Budapest, and will see some Roman ruins along the way.

Till then my friends, I bid you goodnight.

Hello my friends and readers; another day, another adventure, another story to share.

We left Slavonice this morning after a big breakfast. We came once again face-to-face with the effects of the war in Ukraine as one of our waitresses at breakfast was a Ukrainian refugee who fled with her two children to Czech Republic & found a job & a place to live through the generosity of the hotel owners & the community of Slavonice. Since we would be leaving the Czech Republic to head to Slovakia today, Mom and I gave her the last few of our korunas which she was touched to received. Some of the other group members left money for her and the staff. We loaded up on the bus and made our way to Trebič, stopping along the way to admire a statue dedicated to the creation of the sugar cube!

We made it to Trebič & we given a short tour of the historical Jewish Quarter of the city. This city was the location for a large number of the Jewish population before WWII and we were able to see a model of the layout of quarter before the turn of the 19th century. I have to admit, though the young man who lead the group seemed nice, he wasn’t exactly correct in some of his facts about Jewish holidays & practices, so Mom & I had to give him a few pointers. It could be that he was just nervous but you would hope the tour guide for one of the oldest synagogues in the area would know his facts well. We then went to an adorable cafe for lunch, and then I finished out the lunch hour with a double scoop of salted caramel gelato.

Our next stop was Lednice Palace, the summer home of the Liechtenstein family. The palace is an 1800s palace built on a Renaissance chateau & Gothic fort, with a riding hall & formal gardens, containing over 400 rooms and 31 bathrooms. The gardens are large and contained a whole variety of gorgeous different plants and flowers, and the palace contains a “unicorn head”, origins unknown. The oak staircase in the small library was built in 1838 and has one of the most intricate designs I have seen on a staircase. As someone who has seen Biltmore multiple times and thought Biltmore had the such gorgeous rooms, the Lednice Palace leaves Biltmore in the dust. (Sorry Mr. Vanderbilt).

Now I sit in my really lovely hotel room here in Bratislava, Slovakia, after a very lovely salmon dinner at a nearby restaurant with some most excellent company of my new “fictive kin”, Steve, Donna, Cindy & Pat. Tomorrow we spend the day in Bratislava as well as attend a lecture on some of the history of the area, as well as some time just for pure exploring on our own. So I shall bid you farewell for some sleep, and I look forward to sharing more stories and pictures tomorrow!

Toodaloo for now!

Sorry this post is a day late, but the day got away from me yesterday and I was too tired to write, but I also wanted to give updates on our adventures yesterday and today.

Yesterday we said farewell to the picturesque Cesky Krumlov & made our way to the small village of Holašovice, which has been deemed a UNESCO heritage site due to its unique architecture of connected large homes. We also got to visit a small pottery studio in the village with a lovely cat guarding all the creations.

We then made our way to the city of Trebon, known for its ponds & famous for its carp. We had lunch in a small resturant that was once the jail cell for Edward Kelly (the alchemist con man who fooled the nobility for many years before his con was discovered and then he died from a broken leg infection trying to escape prison). The carp was actually quite delicious, and we also got to try burčák, which is Czech for “early wine”, as it is the beginning fermentation of the grapes harvested in the autumn months, before it is bottled and turned into white wine. It tasted a bit like the mix between apple cider & a Riesling, and was very delicious. We did a quick walk through the Trebon castle grounds and got to see the “goat moat”; the moat area that is now inhabited by goats but has also been inhabited by bears and other creatures. This seems to be a theme in Czechia; filling moats with animals versus water.

We then made our way to Slavonice, past some large fields of sunflowers. In Slavonice, we once again saw examples of the Scrafito style of designs on the buildings, this building more elaborate due to being owned by a Italian family. Inside this building we got to see something may others do not get to see; the Apocalypse House. The inside of the upper floor of the building used to be a religious gathering room for Protestants during the Catholic rule, and the walls contain frescos from 1568 depicting stories from the Book of Revelation. It is a hidden gem of the area that not many people even know exist, and we got to see the frescos up close and observe some of the unique depictions of the time of both the Devil, the angels and archangels, and the City of Babylon. It was utterly fascinating.

Dinner was a delicious meal of roasted lamb with wheat grouts with bear garlic. The old mill next door had a small “zoo” of sorts for the area, with emus, some pigs, donkeys & geese. We also got to have a glass of local wine which though a bit dry for my taste, but still delicious.

Today, we got to experience something truly magical when we spent the morning & part of the afternoon at a goat farm, owned by the lovely Hanna & her friend Susanna. As someone who loved going to the horse farm as a child & also a lover of the farm atmosphere in general, this was truly awesome for me. The farm also has three working herding dogs who were got to see in action with herding the goats in and out of the barn. Myself I was able to help shovel the hay to feed the goats and then even got a chance to milk a goat (another thing crossed off my life list!). We learned about how Hanna’s family lost and then regained the farm, and also the work that has gone into making the farm a fully working and profitable farm. We also got a tour of a saw mill on the property that has been able to be restored due to a grant from the Henry Ford Foundation. I was able to get video of the mill in action; it was so cool to see it working because some of my favorite historical fictional novels describe the workings of such a mill but it is even cooler to see in person. We then split into groups for anyone to help make the lunch for the day, so I got to help building the fire to roast the sausages and brie, while Mom & Pat helped in the kitchen with the salad making. Johanka taught me about the special way Czechs prepare their sausages for roasting, making slits at the ends to when the ends are cooking they curl up like octopus legs. I personally thought that is super fun.

I got the chance to speak with Susanna off and on during the trip as I found out that outside of helping out on the farm, she works as an elementary school teacher. She and I talked about some of the difficulties of working with the younger generation and also some of the issues we run into working alongside parents who either are unengaged or don’t want to make changes for the sake of their children. It was interesting to see how even a world apart, those of us who work to try and help the younger generation are sharing the same problems. It was also nice to talk to someone who understands how tough yet rewarding this job can be.

After the wonderful day at the goat farm, Mom & I and our new friend Steve headed back to the hotel while the others went on to tour a local bunker from the 1960s era, as the three of us were all in a need of short snooze/siesta. A nice siesta later and we all met downstairs to tour the wine cellar in the bottom of the hotel. The hotel has a cave that is thought to be created back in the 1200s as a place to store wine and food, due to its cold & dark climate, and now houses the hotel’s collection of 3,000 different bottles of wine. We got to try some delicious white wines including a Riesling from 1997 that was beyond delightful. When then all made our way up to the hotel restaurant, where we were treated to another couple of glasses of delicious wine from the hotel collection, as well as being serenaded by the Slavonice Band. These two gentlemen entertained us not just with tradition Czech & Hungarian songs, but even some blues & folk, including a rousing sing-along of “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” If you told me a year ago I would be singing that song with a Czech folk rock band in a wine restaurant in a small village in Southern Bohemia, Czechia, I would look at you like you were absolutely bonkers. But I can now add that to my list of incredible stories to share from this trip.

Tomorrow we officially depart from Czech Republic & we make our way to Bratislava, Slovakia 🇸🇰

Until then my dear readers, I bid you all farewell.

It’s a rainy cool evening as I sit here in my hotel in Krumlov, our last night in this magical city. Today’s adventure brought me out of this city to some nearby points of interest, including a Benedictine monastery and a trip through the trees.

But this day started out with a poignant moment between me and one of the lovely waitresses in the hotel breakfast room. A young woman, who later I found out was named Ola, was helping clear Mom’s plates and struck up a few words with Mom. Mom found out that the young woman was from Ukraine so Mom expressed sentiments of support for the Ukrainian people which brought Ola much peace. When Mom told me that Ola was Ukrainian, I went up to her before leaving breakfast & told her quietly “Slava Ukraini”. When she heard that, she immediately teared up and gave me a massive hug. I hugged her back tightly, not letting go until she was ready to let go. She was crying, said she was scared and worried about her country but she is trying to stay strong. I told her “your country is beautiful, your people strong”. I held her hand and gave her another tight hug. I know I cannot help as much as I wish I could but I hope it gave her a little bit of peace.

Our morning started early with a very interesting lecture with Oldriška who spoke about her family’s experiences during World War II and the Soviet occupation. She spoke about how her mother had a half-brother she didn’t get to meet until they were in their teens because Oldriska’s mother lived in Cesky Krumlov & her half-brother and his mother had to flee to Austria when the Germans were forced to leave after the end of the war. Oldriska also spoke of how it was the Americans who were the ones to liberate Cesky Krumlov from the Germans, which is why the city celebrates Victory Day every year. Oldriska spoke of how her parents fought against the Soviet Occupation through peaceful protest & refusing to sacrifice their values for the sake of not causing trouble for others. She was able to draw similarities between the experiences of the Czech people during the Soviet Occupation & the current plight of the Ukrainian people. She also spoke of how the views range between the members of the Ukrainian refugee population in this town, as many bring different viewpoints regarding the actions or inactions of the major players. It was profound for me to recognize that one of the best parts of traveling is you become exposed to different outlooks based on different experiences and lifestyles.

After a brilliant lecture, Mom and I parted ways as she needed to get some more rest (she is still battling her cough) and I wished to join the group to tour the Vyšši Brod Monastary of the Order of Benedictine Brothers. This would involved a lovely 45 minute bus ride through the Czech countryside, complete with herds of sheep. Unfortunately I was unable to take any photos of the chapel or the brilliant library, as both contained relics that needed protection. Our tour guide Francis showed us the various small chapels of the main church, complete with beautiful murals not only of biblical stories but also related to the history of the Rosenberg family, who have had a profound effect on the development of the Czech region. In the library, there were over 70,000 books, stone stemming back all the way to the year 720. There is a manuscript of the gospel of Matthew & a manuscript of the gospel of Luke dating all the way back to the first century, so it is completely understandable why photos are not allowed.

After a lunch at a nearby restaurant, we traveled a short way to Lipon, a ski town that during the spring/summer is a haven for hiking, mountain biking & treetop walks & obstacle courses. We took the ski lift to the top of the mountain, and from there, we did a walk through the trees to a round structure that allowed us to see the entire area above the trees in full 360°. There were also little obstacles along the wooded bridge path, which a lot of the gang took part in for a little bit of fun. I of course had to take a selfie at the top because I literally felt like I was standing on top of the clouds. If you don’t know me well, I am a “mountains girl” versus a “beach girl” so standing on the top of the vista with thousands of rich tall green trees around me was so rejuvenating for my soul.

We made our way back to Cesky Krumlov and I met up with Mom, and we headed to a local Asian fusion restaurant where we got a big bowl of pho which warmed our soul as the rain started to come down. I am sad this is my last night in this beautiful city and I hope one day to come back.

The more I have learned about this country, the more respect I have for it’s people & I can understand why the country is so supportive of their Ukrainian neighbors. It’s funny, as I sit here writing this, I am watching Zelenskyy at the Canadian Parliament on BBC News, and watching Prime Minister Trudeau speaking about the strength and courage of the Ukrainian people. I don’t know if it is because I am so far away from my own home right now, but I can’t even imagine what Ukrainians are going through not knowing if they will ever be able to return home again. Oldriska spoke in her lecture about how many Czechs left their homes not knowing if they ever would or even could return to their homes, and that many had to leave with only a few things just like many in Ukraine had to do. It is very easy for those in the US to say “well that’s a problem over there & its not our problem”, but when you speak to people who have been directly effected and who are suffering generation trauma from occupation, you can’t act as though its not something to try and help. Oldriska spoke of how even though she didn’t live through the German occupation, she feels the trauma of her mother and father & grandparents experiences and it has shaped who she is. It is easy to pretend there is no world outside your own town, but you deprive yourself of the chance of learning both the joys and sorrows of this human life. Luckily, as Oldriska stated about her own 15 year old daughter, my generation and the younger generation have better access to other countries and so we are able to better understand and learn about how others are living.

Now if you will excuse me, I am going to log off and watch Zelensky’s address to Canadian Parliament. 🇺🇦🇨🇦

Till tomorrow my friends.

I woke up with the windows open and the cool morning breeze coming in, which was utterly delightful and so peaceful. The lack of AC in the hotel has not been a problem as the evenings here are cooler because we are at a higher elevation. A big breakfast was had, complete with cappuccino and some delicious pastry with apple in the middle and powdered sugar on top.

Our tour guide this morning was the lovely Šárka, a local of the area, who gave us a lovely morning tour of the area around the castle as well as views from the old church area. The weather was a bit chilly this morning but the sun was out, and we got to hear about how this beautiful city got through the Nazi/German occupation following the Munich Agreement, and then how it fared under Communist control up until 1989. Šárka explained how various members of her family dealt with the changes in politics and culture, and how the people of Cesky Krumlov have dealt with these same changes. After a climb to the viewpoint of the castle, where I got a great photo of me and Mom together overlooking the city, we met back up with Johanka.

Johanka gave us all the option to either make our way to the castle museum & tower, or to use the time as free time. Mom & I joined our new friend Cindy on a little “shopping therapy” where I was able to get a few small gifts for some loved ones back home. (No, I am not going to say what or for who, it will be a surprise!) I also finally got to try one of the Volcano Desserts, which is a domed pastry covered in cinnamon sugar, and filled with ice cream. By that time of the day it had started to get a bit hot so the ice cream was a welcome relief.

A short rest and a quick change of clothes, and our adventures then lead us to the river for a boat journey around the town. I didn’t bring my phone with me because I was worried about it getting wet so I had to rely on Mom for the photos of this journey. Pat chose to spend the afternoon relaxing at the hotel since she didn’t feel up for the rafting adventure. It was very very peaceful on the river, and it was fascinating to see all these old buildings, including the castle, from the river’s edge. Plus at the end, Johanka treated us to a lovely small glass of local Krumlov beer.

A small chance to rest and change clothes, and then we got to attend a home cooked dinner at the home of Šárka, with her husband and 19 year old daughter, Tina. Tina shared with us about her schooling, as well as showing off some clips of her singing in her community choir as well as singing with her school’s jazz band. Tina is a beautiful singer and it was such a joy to see clips of her brilliant work. Dinner was delicious, all made with recipes from Šárka’s family & her husband’s family. They served a delicious potato soup with herbs from their garden, and for dinner was a chicken & mushroom & sun dried tomatoes pasta with a simple salad with tomatoes from the greenhouse. All the food was delicious and I really enjoyed learning about how Šárka’s husband’s family were farmers that lost their farm to the German occupation & communist takeover, and then were able to regain it after the revolution in 1989. A truly magical and fascinating evening.

Tomorrow we get to hear a lecture from a local woman who lived in the town during communist rule, and then tour a nearby monastery and do a little hiking in the local area, so I must bid farewell to you all so I may get some sleep.

Till tomorrow friends.

One last breakfast this morning in Prague, as we said goodbye to the City of Dark Magic and made our journey towards Cesky Krumlov, a gorgeous fairytale-esque town. As I sit here to type this new entry, I sit at an antique desk in a hotel building from the 15th century, the window open to let in the cool evening air, the faint sounds of the town below. It’s blissful, cool and I still can’t believe I am here.

Our bus journey to Cesky Krumlov had a couple of very interesting stops along the way. The first of these stops was at the Vojna Memorial, a former labor camp for at first prisoners of war and then later enemies of the communist party in Czechia. The memorial wasn’t very crowded, which added to the errieness & general sense of unease that still remains on these grounds. The camp was a Uranium mine, which offered little protection for it’s miners, so even if you were able to complete your sentence, it doesn’t mean your life wasn’t cut short in a truly horrible way. The halls of the “education center”, the hospital and other buildings still hold the portraits and busts of Stalin & Lenin, a constant reminder of the ideology that was being forced upon those who were sent there to “be re-educated”. I did not take many photos of the area because I wanted to treat it with the reverence you would any other graveyard; these are places to learn about history so we hopefully not repeat it, not a place for selfies.

We stopped then in the small city of Pisek (which means “sand” in Czech) for a lunch of boar and dumplings, as well as a little cake to celebrate Mom’s birthday and the birthday of one of the other ladies on the trip, Linda. I can now cross boar off my list of interesting meats I have not eaten; it tasted a bit like ground steak patty, so not too bad. We took a short stroll along the river, crossing the oldest bridge in all of Czech Republic as well as seeing some of the fantastic sand sculptures.

Our next stop was somewhere that if you know me personally, you would think I would never step foot in: the Budweiser Budvar brewery. This massive brewery is the home of the first Budweiser brews, though their brews taste much richer than the Budweisers found in the US. I myself have NEVER liked Budweiser beers (I have often told friends when offered a Bud that I would rather drink cat urine) but I did get a chance to taste fresh brewed larger straight from the tap which was actually not that bad. Not the type of beer I would drink regularly but not disgusting. I unfortunately left my phone on our tour bus so I was not able to get photos of the brewery but I did get a pretty handsome and very comfy hoodie from the gift shop. For those of you saying/thinking, “seriously Lowry, ANOTHER hoodie?”, this one is written in Czech and its comfy and cute and I don’t care what you think. 😝

After one last 45 minute bus ride, we arrived in Cesky Krumlov. The city streets are cobblestones and narrow so our bus couldn’t take us directly to our hotel, but it was just a 10 minute walk to our hotel, Hotel Latrán. The history of the building goes all the way back to the 15th century, with each room slightly different or unique due to the nature of the building. No air conditioning, but the windows let in a lovely breeze and I have a little fan by the bed to keep me cool. Tomorrow we get the visit the castle and then take a river boat trip, and then a homemade meal with a local family. A busy day for sure but just another brilliant day of adventures!

I should probably head to bed or at least settle in with my audiobook, so that is where I will leave you tonight my friends. I hope you all have been enjoying my blog & the photos I have been able to post. Unfortunately I’m limited in the number of photos I can post so I try and pick the best ones to share along with my stories.

Love to you all.

Lowrs💜

Another beautiful day in The City of a Thousand Spires! The day started with us traveling up to the other side of the river to visit the Prague Palace and surrounding monastery. We got to see some beautiful vistas and views of the whole city, as well as get to see some of the old areas of the town that have been walked by various politicians & royalty. We also got to see the area known as “The Gate to Hell” where a prince’s mother once allegedly was dragged to hell because she cursed out the Almighty when her driver was trying to pray. This is of course a legend, but it is a GOOD one. We also got to see members of the castle band, on their way to preform.

We then made our way to the castle, and especially the Viritus Cathedral. The castle has its own set of guards, their uniforms designed by Theodore Pištêk, the Oscar winning costume creator for the movie “Amadeus”, and the choreography of the changing of the guard developed by Miloš Forman, who choreographed “Hair”. We did not get to go into the castle but we did get to go inside the cathedral. The stained glass was utterly gorgeous (as to be expected) and it was so cool to see how the cathedral has grown and developed through the ages. The gargoyles were pretty cool to see as well, even more fun than the ones I used to see outside the National Cathedral in DC.

We took the longer way through towards lunch, getting to walk through some beautiful gardens, including one with a koi pond in the middle. There were peacocks walking around the gardens, who were very pleased to be appreciated by passerby’s. After a filling lunch, we made our way towards the Charles Bridge, and in doing so passed by the John Lennon wall. I had only read about this piece of artwork but seeing it in person was seriously really cool. Especially to see all the different messages and artwork from the years layered on top creating a unique mosaic of statements of goodwill and love. Mom of course had to get a picture of me in front of it; its only fair since I’ve loved The Beatles since I was in the womb.

The afternoon saw us on a tour of the Jewish Quarter of the city. I was very excited to see this area of the town because I had read stories of the strength of the Czech people during WWII and I also wanted to see some of the synagogues of the area. My mother & I are not Jewish but some of the people we have loved the best are Jewish & we have been honored to witness some of the Jewish traditions throughout the years. The focus of the tour spoke on the struggles of the Jewish community prior to WWII and during it, and then the effects of the rise of communism in the area. Turns out that due to the collection of interconnected synagogues in the city, along with the memorial stones (called “Stumbling Stones”) along the streets of the quarter, make Prague the location of the largest Jewish museum in the world & the largest Holocaust Memorial in the world. We got to visit some gorgeous synagogues, two which are still active & holding routine prayer services. The highlight was getting to visit the Old-New Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in all of Central Europe. In one of the the non-active synagogues, it was created into a memorial of the all of the names of Jews lost in the Holocaust that lived in the area previously known as Czechoslovakia, which we found out also contained the names of the grandparents of Madeline Albright. Upstairs was a collection of children’s artwork that have been preserved from art therapy sessions given to the children of the Terezin ghetto, as a way for the children to process the changes in the world around them and find hope even in what could be construed as ultimate darkness. As someone who has used art as a way to help her own clients heal and find meaning in their complicated world, seeing all the beautiful pieces of artwork just reminded me how powerful visual media can be for someone so young.

After the tour Mom & I made our way back to the hotel and later out to grab some pizza at a nearby restaurant with our companions on the Jewish Quarter tour. A long day, but so incredibly interesting.

Tomorrow we head to Česky Krumlov, which I hear will be absolutely gorgeous. So I say farewell for now & I will report back again tomorrow evening!