Category: Germany-Czech 2026
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Day 21: Germany is done, now for the last day in Czech Republic
Even though our wonderful cruise director was still with us, he was no longer on duty. All the guests left our hotel by about 10 am, so Kieron was found sitting on a bench without his red Viking shirt or suit—just a regular guy after all. We said our thanks and hope to meet again.…
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Day 20: Kutna Hora
Kutna Hora, which translates to “a mining town for silver”, was a place famous for having many very rich churches in a small area. Silver built them, then Plague, famine, and wars came, and so came the bones of the dead. The big thing that the town is famous for now is rather gross, frankly.…
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Day 19: Free day followed by “Prague by Night”
Our goal today was the castle, the great kingdom up on the hill. This is St. Vitus, inside the castle walls. A collection of great art. But first, security. Check out Mr. Yellow Jacket—packing big. This is an Art Deco window by Mucha; the rest of the church is from the 15th century. Then, a…
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Day 18: Jewish Quarter, a lost walk, and Music!
The funniest thing I’ve heard in days was at the end of one of our tour today when an elderly woman (not middle aged like the rest of us) very carefully took her last step from the tour bus and turned to the guide to give her a tip, and said as if to apologize,…
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Day 17: Going to Prague, and Oh how the weather has changed!
Just to be clear, this was not a cruise. It should have been one, but the weather made it impossible for the boats to move because the water was too shallow. We spent a few nights in Wittenberg, busing and walking to daily adventures, and then bused to Dresden where we stayed for a few…
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Day 16: View from the Bastei National Forest
Kieran gave us a talk this morning about the history of the area. Oh no! Not more stories about the Soviets, the Stasis, and all the bad stuff. Oh yes. I won’t ruin your day, but the story stays the same. Kieran did end on a happy note, with the film of Tom Browcha on…
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Day 15: Upclose walking tour of Dresden (instead of the bus tour)
“Good news. At the museum, you will not need to pay to use the toilet. Your ticket to the museum will be your ticket to tinkle for free!” This was a day of exploration and a dramatic change in the weather. In Dresden, even though we’re in East Germany, all the GDR troubles are forgotten.…
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Day 14: Meissen and the story of porcelain
It was a delight not to have to hear more about war, brutality, unfair advantages between the East and West, and the bad news that the Soviets were as bad as the Nazis. None of that. We’re still in the east, but in an area that never noticed the war because they had chin The…
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Day 13: Continued in Torgau, with an East German tour guide
We are now in Saxony, with 20,000 residents, many of whom work in Berlin, Dresden, or Leipzig. The high-speed railway connects Germany beautifully. Of course, we’re doing it the very slow way…no high-speed railways for us. Famous products of the area are: Villeroy & Boch china, glass, and beer. Another big employer is security, and…
