Friday we went freelance and revisited some of the places we’d earmarked on the tour yesterday. Naturally, this required getting lost. We found Wenceslas Square easy. We found Old Town Square easy. Charles Bridge was totally unfindable for at least an hour, though in that hour we found tons of lovely places and tasted some amazing honey wine.
Yes, this enormous stone bridge. We couldn’t find it. Worse, after studying the map later, we realized we had been within three blocks the entire time and just kept turning the wrong way.
This was a shopping and walking day. About four we headed back to the hotel for a rest period then went out for diner.
We had decided early in the day to have dinner in the neighborhood of our hotel because it’s a little less touristy. Naturally, the staff spoke decent English. I had goulash with Czech dumplings, which appear to have a lot in common with American stuffing though unflavored. The dumplings I had on the tour yesterday had the consistency of potatoes so much so that I though I was eating really weird potatoes for half the meal. These dumplings were much better though not at all what I call dumplings. They were cubed, toasted bread mushed together with something into a tube shape and steamed, then sliced. Looks like bread, tastes like bread, not quite bread. My travel companion had pork ribs. Believe me, that order was a struggle. I wanted those pork ribs, but I’d had goulash on my mind since I arrived in the country.
Tomorrow we’re going to Terezin, a “model Jewish community” from World War II. Apparently it involves some walking. That will be a nice change. I haven’t been navigating enough cobblestones this trip.
Charlotte McClain 