For a bit of architecture and a bit of landscape we like to taste one culture at a time and explore it in depth. This year we chose Czech Republic, in the heart of Europe, because of a mesmerizing little town, Český Krumlov that I had heard about on a travel show.
“I want to sit in a plane !” Arhaant was super excited even at 11.00pm that night as we geared up, all packed, to go to Abu Dhabi International airport to catch a flight to Praha(Prague) via Istanbul. “Let’s go in two-two planes”, clapped Arhaant. We held hands and sang “Kum bay ya, my Lord, kum bay ya,
O Lord, kum bay ya” --- Ary has learnt this song at the nursery and I have learnt it from him. It’s a spiritual song from the 1930s… (I googled later ;) It’s our family trip song from now onwards!
O Lord, kum bay ya” --- Ary has learnt this song at the nursery and I have learnt it from him. It’s a spiritual song from the 1930s… (I googled later ;) It’s our family trip song from now onwards!
8 July
11.30 pm
Abu Dhabi Airport
Ramadan spirit was in the hot sultry air as we got into a taxi to the airport. Old Hindi songs played and made my heart heavy. At odd hours of night, suddenly Abu Dhabi feels so dear to me. The lit roads are lively and parks ready for night time use. Everyone prepared to wake up for Suhoor prayers. All shops are still open. This is my eighth Ramadaan in this city and I have come to learn the true essence of the holy month---to be humble and look inwards towards being a better human.I have decided to take this opportunity to shun negative thoughts and keep a wider open perspective to life. Travelling with kids is certainly not easy. Managing a three year old seems more difficult than managing a baby even though many aspects have been simplified. The green and blue mosaics of the airport domed roof bring in a meditative mood. Al Hamdulillah, I said to myself.
9 July
Praha
My boys are totally exhausted after a long day that started in Abu Dhabi and ended in Praha after a brief halt at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport. Ary is already asleep next to me as Kris and I unwind with some beer and kebabs. I recall the orange horizon of early dawn seen from the clouds. Its scenes like these that I want to keep an account of.
We reached Praha at 2.00pm Abu Dhabi time, which was around 12.00pm Czech time (so two hours to relive!) We took the airport Express bus that dropped us to the main railway station of Praha. (Praha hlavní nádraží ) My habit of quickly memorizing important words of a new language really helped us in this non English speaking country. Hotel Sovereign, was very conveniently located just a five minute walk away from the station. The weather was bright and sunny and couldn’t let us be indoors. After a quick recharge with a warm shower, we were ready to paint the red roofed city even redder!
The cobbled carpet gave a rugged texture to the public realm of the city alongside ornate tree grates on shared path systems. Praha feels like a nice combination of Salzburg, at times Innsbruck and bits of London. The Vltava river flows like a life line, greening and reviving the paved banks, marking important nodes, juxtaposed against the old stone cut silhouettes of the Charles Bridge.
That evening we strolled to the Altstadt(old town) to see the famous astronomical clock in the medieval square (namesti) Every hour, it shows a “walk of the Apostles” which is a high point for the cheering crowds gathered there.
Later that day we took an afternoon river cruise on the Vltava. Beers for us and apple juice for Ary was the best solution as he thought we were all having the same juice! It was a relaxed fun family time, going under the bridges, looking at the swans on the banks, trams passing by at a distance and freedom in the air. The best part, I realized about holidays is this unaccounted free time that we get to play with Ary and answer his many questions creatively.
On this trip Ary seemed to have made a bargain offer with his architect parents --- to patiently take interest in viewing all the architectural wonders only in return of an occasional tantrum , and extra ice cream or of course, another toy car! We know that we cannot force our architectural itinerary on a three year old, so at times one of us has to sacrifice going inside a cathedral or a museum and take a stroll in the park instead. This is the only way our over ambitious itineraries function.
We had a coffee and bread rolls and headed downwards capturing the changing aerial views of Praha---rightly called, the city of a hundred spires! It was 9.30pm and still not dark. We took the tram to the main railway station, our most reliable landmark from the hotel. We packed some kebabs and pizza for the night as Ary fell asleep in the stroller.
I see the Istanbul kebab house bursting with activity at this hour as I slowly creep into the comforter. It has been a good day.
10 July
Praha
After a hurried breakfast we walked, all dressed up, to go and see the famous Dancing House of Praha. Ary never lets us have a peaceful relaxed breakfast as he is always upto some tricks for not eating properly or playing with the food or spilling it on his shirt. I really have to be fully alert especially now that he knows how to voice his opinion on each and every thing/person around him! I gobbled up the sweet treats and fed Ary a sausage and corn flakes --- energy for us to survive the next two hours.
The Dancing House was extraordinary. Architect Frank Gehry, design partner to the Czech architect, referred to the built masses as Fred and Ginger – two famous dancers of that time. The glass ‘skirt’ of the woman seems to fly as the couple holds the waltz pose. Though the building seems like a misfit in the Gothic and Baroque surroundings of Praha, it gives a nice twist of modern architecture to the river front setting. I especially liked the grooves in the building façade that follow the curves and neat box windows that create a beautiful ensemble. We took plenty of pictures from all possible sides, immersed in our love for architecture until Ary started getting a bit cranky. We immediately took the tram to the Prague castle. Ary love trams. He calls it the “Dinasaur train”. An apple in the dinosaur train, and Ary was back to his cheerful self. I always make it a point to pick up some fruits and biscuits/cakes at breakfast, as quick hunger fixers for in between times, until we sit down at a decent place to have proper food.
At the castle, the weather was perfectly sunny. Everyone was in super tiny shorts and vests. We strolled on the shaded stone pavements to the main cathedral. The variety in patterns and colours using the same 50x50 stone cobbles for the impressive tree lined walkways is indeed worth mentioning .The interiors were adorned with the groin vaults and stained glass windows. But of course, we need to take turns at being architecture students, photography enthusiasts and hassled parents!
It was time to have lunch after roaming aimlessly in the courtyards. We sat down at an outdoor café, and ordered a roast chicken and some noodle soup. The highlight was when Ary spilt some soup on his pants; he promptly took them off and kept them on the grass for drying!! He finished the soup wearing only undies and then wore the pants again…all by himself! We were enjoying the show.
By noon, we walked by the Charles Bridge that connects the old town to the Praha Castle, spanning across the river Vltava. The real charm of Charles Bridge is the fact that it is a complete pedestrian zone and many local artists and Bohemian craftsmen sit along the bridge to sell their art. I found a woman making artistic Bohemian hand crafted accessories, her face hidden under her huge hat. She was a piece of art herself! About 30 rockcut Baroque statues line the bridge on either side, beyond which the silhouette of the castle can be seen, crisp against dramatic skies. Ary had a good time walking and running around on the bridge, looking at what the artists drew.
Further down the bridge, we stopped at a square where a street girl was making large soap bubbles for kids to play with. She mixed coke with soap water to achieve the desired effect. It was remarkable.
Ary wanted to have another boat ride enjoying his favourite apple juice. So we went along with the idea. Sometimes we have to keep the itinerary flexible and take Ary’s likings into consideration. We had another very relaxed cruise by late noon with ducks and swans floating past deep green-grey waters.
Three year olds are better in this aspect than two year olds --- they stay at one place at times when told to.
We decided to spend the rest of the evening again at the altstadt square near the astronomical clock as there was a live jazz band playing. In one of the souvenir shops, Ary found a nice eye mask that suited him perfectly! I had to buy it along with another mask I found for my collection. Ary is a good negotiator I must say. He wore the blue eye mask throughout the evening and totally became the show stopper. I found many old ladies lovingly taking pictures of him dancing around! He seemed to enjoy every bit of the attention.
11 July
8.30 pm
Zelená Hora , Kutná Hora
Early morning, we took the 9.20 train from Praha main railway station to Zelená Hora ("Green Mountain") The pilgrimage church at Zelená Hora built in honour of St John of Nepomuk, not far from Ždár nad Sázavou in Moravia has a very interesting star-shaped plan. It is the most unusual work by the great architect Jan Blazej Santini, whose highly original style falls between neo-Gothic and Baroque(from my googled travel guide ;)
The day was perfectly dramatic with grey-blue smudged skies and a chill in the wind. It was an artistic, but eerie backdrop for this beautiful church atop the green grassy hill. Ary was in full form. “Let’s go and see a big castle” we kept telling him. The way to the church was full of soft green grass sprinkled with poppies and dandelions. The bus dropped us at a stone bridge over a pond full of ducks. We walked along another big lake that mirrored the grey sky adding to the melancholic mood in the air. The red roof against the dull moss green grasses was a good combination. I could sit here and paint for hours.
We looked at the church from inside but of course the star shaped plan view as seen in books is not possible to view. We took a chance at lazing around and taking many varied photographic angles of the church as possible. We walked through the flower beds and barley fields. It was a rejuvenating experience.
I must thank Kris for researching about the transport possibilities to each place on the itinerary. He knew exactly when the next bus or train would appear. Our division of work is already agreed upon. I actually draft the itinerary of all the dreamy plans and Kris makes them functional ;)
We took a bus from Zelená Hora to Sázavou station and then the next train to Kutná Hora , reconfirming with fellow passengers about the platform numbers in no-response english and bits of german(which helped) (nástupišti is the Czech word for platform, I learnt later)
We reached Kutná Hora by 4.00-4.30. It was a deserted station with nobody at the information desk. We just got into a bus standing outside the train station with a tiny map in our hands. The bus driver shook his head in affirmation and so we went along where the bus took us.
There were many grannies in the bus that got off at their home stops and then it was just us and one tourist-looking lady. We all got off at the last stop. As we asked the few odd people on the streets about the church, they kept saying “it’s just around the corner” and we were wandering round and round untill we got really hungry. Ary wanted to pee too. So we stepped into a Mexican (lucky) restaurant and had the most satisfying meal of chicken quesadillas with kidney beans and awesome rice after long. My boys are always happy to eat rice!
The town square (náměstí ) was empty. We finally asked the waitress about St. Barbara’s church, showing her a picture of it from the tourist map. Again she gestured meaning its just down the lane …and then it really was! In fact it was much closer from the bus stop we got off at.
The sky was almost wrapping the spires of the Gothic church in cloudy twirls, with the gracefully flying buttresses literally diving down. It was a nice cobbled path slightly uphill with rock cut statues lining the bridge. I could see a green valley down below with little red roofed houses. We caught a glimpse of the museum and another cathedral at a distance, vanishing into the dimming evening light.
I noticed the drain covers and the water line covers neatly embedded into the cobbles. Each town had a specifically designed ornate drain cover with the name of the town written one it. The sparse crowds, mostly residents roaming about with their dogs thought I was crazy when I took a quick photo of the drain cover!
Ary wore his XXL size ‘Thomas tee’, that he made his baba buy at the Praha train station that morning. Amidst the hustle bustle, poor baba had to give in. The air was chilly. I was wearing a thin sweater all the time, but Ary refused to wear a jacket as he wanted to’ look at Thomas’…whatever! I sighed.At least young Ary was taking interest in looking at the castles and churches without being cranky or sleepy was more than enough for us! He is a spirited boy. Like his father I must say!Its these “in between times” that I realize, are so precious. Walking around together and exploring new places makes me appreciate the importance of this togetherness. In times like these, we love each other more.In the book ‘The God of small things’, the girl was told, if you say something wrong, people love you less. I tell the same to Ary. I like these ‘loving more and loving less’ concepts.
We are waiting now for the last train back to Praha from this beautiful but creepy town of Kutná Hora. The town was almost empty and nobody could speak even one word of english. We had heard only about the famous Saint Barbara’s church of Kutná Hora, but we found many more beautiful buildings in turn!We befriended a lebanese couple who had been waiting on the station for three hours! They heard Ary say “dubai” and so they came to talk to us. They were very disappointed with the ‘no english ‘attitude of this place. At 9.45pm, the train finally arrived and took us to Praha in an hour and a half. We bid them goodbye, as Ary slept in his stroller as we walked back to the hotel. I always think, there is some reason why we meet strangers and establish a dialogue with them instantly. I guess it was a last life connection.
12 July
Karlštejn,Plzeň
I always got up early to get into my Boho avtaar as I am well aware of Ary’s breakfast time circus.
We took the 9.35 train from our daily visited Praha main station to Karlštejn. It was a comfortable fast train and at every station, Ary would say “ting tong”. It kept all the fellow old passengers entertained.
Karlštejn is a lovely hill station much like Manali,in north India, with winding roads going uphill, leading only to the castle, lined by small souvenir shops and cafes. We could see the beautiful Gothic castle as we walked up, catching its changing views. The mountain air was crisp and the sun nudged our backs through the light knit of our sweaters. The castle walls wore a shawl of creepers and graceful trees stood elegantly against the robustness of the structure. We reached up in no time. Ary kept running about talking to strangers and they in turn returned a smile. I got some time to sit down and write while Kris was busy with photography and Ary with his lollypop.
A peek into a souvenir shop only means we have to buy something for Ary too. While I bought a beautiful bell and some Bohemian liqueur glasses, Ary got his ‘fighter boy on a horse’--- named ‘(k)nightingale’ by baba jaan ;)
I have no problem in buying something fairly priced as long as it is unique. After a quick lunch of chicken strips and salad and of course the routine of beer and apple juice, we almost ran back to the station, with Kris complaining about missing the earlier train because of my shopping ;)
We luckily got into the next train to Beroun and then immediately the next one at 2.55 to Plzen from Beroun, each one juggling a dripping ice cream in one hand!
We reached just in time and walked to the Pilzner brewery for the famous beer tasting tour. I was worried about Ary, but he seemed to enjoy it with his baba. We saw the green - bottling process, boiling process in huge copper kettles, mixing of the barley and hops with water and a brief history of how the brewery was formed collectively by the licensed residents of the town. The best part was the eerie walk through the extremely cold cellars with ground water oozing out from the cold floors and dimly lit vaults. We got a chance to taste the unfiltered beer, directly poured out from the barrel. There was no apple juice here, so we had no choice but to let Ary take a sip of what he thought was juice! So there. Ary tasted the first beer of his life at the famous Pilzen brewery with his baba! He will certainly be happy to know this when he grows up!
We later wandered around the town looking for a place to eat. Everyone was starving. I had to leave my hunger aside and make sure Ary ate the full piece of chicken and mashed potato only to satisfy my motherly instinct, which fathers will never understand! Only after that did I allow further exploration of the town, where we caught a glimpse of the Bohemian Jazz festival. We sat along with the crowd, enjoying beer, admiring the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew at the Plzeň town square, its spires and buttresses gleaming in the evening sun. It was a memorable moment. We took the last fast train – Franz Kafka express that goes from Munich to Praha. We caught the train at Plzen hlavní nádraží (main train station) and reached really late, dead tired, carrying sleeping Ary in my arms, as he wouldn’t let go.
13 July
Český Krumlov
We woke up late in the morning, recovering from yesterday’s tiring expedition. After a laid back breakfast, we were all packed and ready to leave Hotel Sovereign and take a train to go to Český Krumlov. After much coaxing, Ary wore some good clothes of my choice.
The train was from Praha to České Budějovice/Budweis --- of the Budweiser beer fame. It is the largest city of south Bohemia. Kris had emailed the hotel people and they were more than happy to pick us up from the station. George and Martina drove us to the town of Český Krumlov, about 30 minutes from there. They spoke a lot better English and seemed very friendly and helpful.
First look of the town was refreshing as we drove past endless poppy fields. There was excitement and energy in the air. We saw people biking and jogging. Ary was super excited to see bikes tied upright on top of cars! The cobbled cuteness of the streets continued even more on these all pedestrian paths with occasional cars passing by, whereby irritated people had to move and make way.
Ary made a game of walking in the middle of the path and then run aside saying “gaadi gaadi”.
Hotel Krčínův dům had unique interiors with wooden furniture, intricate carpets and ornate lamps in Baroque style. We instantly fell in love with the antique charm of the place. I tried the traditional Bohemian dish of veal and herb dumplings in cranberry sauce. The ingredients were similar to the schnitzel but very different in taste. I like to try out new cuisines.
The hotel opened out onto a very active square bursting with tourists from all over the world. I noticed many shuttle bus services to Vienna and Salzburg. The Vltava River flows in an S shape around this quaint little romantic town that had art in every corner. We walked over the wooden bridges, tasting the cinnamon and almond bread rolls, along nice parks by the river through flea markets selling unique hand crafted artefacts and art galleries. It was a treat for the eyes. We packed a freshly made pizza for the night and wrapped up the day snuggled in the comforters, watching TV in the warm cosiness of the hotel room.
What a day! I hear distant church bells at this hour marking the end of the day. The umbrellas at the cafes are being closed, awnings, rolled in. Dreams of fun filled tomorrows float in my sleepy eyes.
Ary has picked up a lot more words in these few days of constant togetherness. I am surprised and entertained by his talks and minute observations. He is always keen on discovering newness around him and does not mind when sleeping and eating patterns are disturbed during travel. I am happy that he enjoys what we want him to appreciate.
14 July
Český Krumlov
We went to the castle in the morning at our own relaxed pace alongside the lazy river and awesome sunshine. We climbed all the way up the tower to get some breath taking aerial shots of the red roofed prettiness of the town. The church with its green spire spread its watchfulness over the impish scattered rooftops as the river weaved a shiny hem around them. I like the lazy dreamy pace of these days. I got a chance to catch up with my travel diaries. I explored the flea market in detail later and bought some handmade Bohemian accessories. We grabbed a nap in the hotel room that noon and continued our exploration on foot by evening, sipping on cocktails, capturing the art in every façade, as we walked by the riverside. There was a neat playground with interesting play equipment and Ary had a great time trying all of them. In turn, I got some catalogue pictures of each. We met a family that had come from another Czech place, Karlovy Vary, to spend the weekend at Český Krumlov. People get intrigued to know that we came all the way from India to see this place. We had awesome pasta and potato soup served in a bread bowl (another Bohemian delicacy) and ended the marvelous day with arty images in our minds. It’s our last day here tomorrow. A slight sadness lingers. But I want to live it fully, leaving no stone unturned.
15 July
Lipno - Šumava
The Bohemian Forest, known in Czech as Šumava is a low mountain range in Central Europe. Geographically, the mountains extend from South Bohemia in the Czech Republic to Austria and Bavaria in Germany. They create a natural border between the Czech Republic on one side and Germany and Austria on the other. Lipno is a lakeside town in the forest near the Austrian border of Czech Republic. We took the morning bus from the Český Krumlov main bus station to reach this action packed activity town. A lot of tourists from the neighbouring countries had come there for some fun and adventure. I was glad to recall many more of the German words I learnt in college. We were able to converse with the waitresses only because of that.
We reached the tree house by a cable car ride. Down below, we could see adventure enthusiasts, dirt biking on the slopes. Ary was excited to try those stunts on his little bike at home. The tree house was a spiral boardwalk that went upto 4-5 floor height. The way down was a spiral slide, which was the most fun part! The winding walkway had some balancing activity and interactive play nodes at regular intervals making the walk up all the more interesting. The entire structure seemed to be made out of the tall barks of the coniferous trees from the Šumava forest. We caught an aerial glimpse of the forest from the top.On our way back we stopped for some roast chicken and pasta. Kris tried a hand at archery as Ary enjoyed the nicely designed play areas as I watched over him.
We were supposed to take the 4.40 bus from Lipno, back to Český Krumlov. We waited for a while at the bus stop, entertaining ourselves with some music and chips. But the bus never showed up. We encountered a German couple at the bus stop. They had come all the way up cycling and were very tired. They wanted to take the bus for the way back. But the bus was just not arriving! We decided to hitchhike our way back, sharing the ride with the German couple. It was an exciting way to end the last day.
We still had some more of the orange evening left to absorb all the artistic charm of the place at sunset. The golden lined silhouettes of the massive castle, church, tower and bridges captivated every gaze as the soothing waters of the river hummed a lullaby. We could take some night views of the town in black and gold. I packed. Ary played with his toy cars and Kris relaxed with a beer. Music and light played hide and seek in the room as we opened out the windows into the busy square as memories drifted down the mind roads.
16 July
Václav Havel Airport Prague via Istanbul to Abu Dhabi
George and Martina gave us a convenient ride all the way to the Praha airport early morning. It was a two hour drive past poppy fields and some towns that we visited earlier. Ary seemed happy to sit in a plane again and go home. I was excited to compile my travel diaries and browse through all the photos, reliving the amazing times together.
We met the same Lebanese couple again at Istanbul airport, from where we took another flight back to Abu Dhabi. I guess we were destined to meet more than once. The way back is more relaxed but melancholic. I tried to watch a movie to hide my disappointment of going back to routine life.
Journeys never end. They keep playing musical memories in our minds forever. Life is the journey. Life is the destination. It’s’ this togetherness’ that keeps us going for more --- to be vacant so as to be filled again.
‘Czech’ on your list ::
· For those who like a romantic lazy paced trip, Český Krumlov is your dream destination. Two to three full days are needed to do justice to the art in each corner.
· Three full days are required to appreciate the city of Praha. Dancing House, Astronomical clock square and Charles Bridge are a must-see. Noon cruise on the Vltava should be a part of every itinerary!
· Plzeň brewery tour is a no miss for the guys. My personal favourite has been the church at Zelená Hora with its picture perfect hill top setting amid daisies, poppies and dandelions.
· Czech Republic is a refreshing and budget friendly option for a Europe trip especially when travelling with children. All transport and entry tickets are free for children.
· Brush up on some German or learn up a few important words from the Czech language for reasonably comfortable conversations. Maps, drawings and gestures are also essential. People seem to be a bit unfriendly, but it could be just because they do not speak any english.
· Be prepared to eat sausages and more sausages at breakfast. Pizzas and pastas are a huge savior for vegans. Mexican is the all-time reliable option.
· Trains are convenient means of transport and car hire is not really required if you have done a bit of research about the stations and stops in advance. Let the husband take care of ‘these easy’ things while you take care of your ‘Boho' look, shopping, kids etc ;)
It’s really great of you to capture the little moments we had in the whole trip, feels good to read and relate the happenings as mentioned …..
ReplyDeleteThe images at the bottom gives it a good impression and one can relate to them as the writing , awesome stuff ;-)
Keep it going !
K