Saturday in Prague with more photos

 

Where was I?  Oh yes, we set off early Saturday morning after a very hearty breakfast ( the Czechs certainly know how to look after their guests!( We asked directions from the hotel receptionist and we headed off to see the sights. We made our way to Wenceslas Square where all the tourist guides waited for their charges to arrive. Jim and I always prefer to find our way around on our own, we find following a tour guide can be very restrictive and after all, we had all day. We wandered around the square  and noticed that they had many of the same shops as here in the UK, Marks&Spencer, H&M, Debenhams and believe it or not...Tesco, though that was outside the main city.

After walking for some 30 mins we stopped for a cappuchino and some hot apple strudel served with ice cream and whipped fresh cream...it was divine and they make the nicest coffee I`ve ever tasted. While we sat under the awning surrounded by patio heaters and covered with blankets we watched the world go by. We heard so many languages being spoken, English with Australian, American, Canadian and British accents, Czech of course, German and lots of it, French, Italian, Russian and some other eastern European languages that I didn`t recognise. It seemed everyone wanted to visit this beautiful city that is reputed to be the most haunted in Europe.

Eventually we reached the famous Charles bridge with its many statues of it`s saints. There were artists selling sketches and oil paintings of the sights of the city and there was a beggar unlike any we had ever seen before. This man was kneeling down and bending over with his cupped hands stretched out in front of him. His head was bent forwards so you couldn`t see his face and he was completely still....just like the statues. He was still there hours later when we crossed back to the new town. Even though it was frezzing cold the poor man wore a thin jacket and an old hat. Normally I have no time for beggars but this time was very different, I couldn`t help feeling that the man was demeaning himself and must have been in dire need.

On the other side of the bridge was old Prague with it`s windy roads that climbed steeply up the hillside. I must admit that we had to stop to catch our breath more than once and my hip joints felt decidedly creaky...lol!  Eventually we reached the castle but decided against going in because we were so tired...wrong move, we had no idea then what we were missing and had to come all the way back the next day!

Anyway, I`ll tell you all about that tomorrow. For now I`ll say goodbye and leave you with this thought. What would you do if you got lost in the back streets of Prague? It happened to us...and it was dark!

To be continued.

 

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What a Wonderful City! photos inc.

Well I`m back after a fantastic weekend in Prague. It`s a wonderful city and I`m so glad I had the chance to go there. We only had four days but ot was enough to realise that it is a city of culture and beauty, the architecture alone is a sight to behold.

We arrived two hours late because our plane couldn`t take off because there was fog at Prague airport but luckily we had been upgraded to business class and we were given champagne to wile away the time...lol! The flight was excellent even though I was feeling a bit queasy and was worried that I was sickening for something, luckily it came to nothing and didn`t spoil my trip. Our hotel was really luxurious with every mod cons. The windows were double glazed twice over just so we didn`t get cold...no chance of that, the hotel was as warm as toast. Once we`d unpacked we put on our warm coats, hats, scarves and gloves and went exploring.  We found a Christmas Market close by and had a good look around. We bought a cup of hot red wine after seeing so many people buying it...it tasted really good and it certainly kept us warm.  We also bought what looked like a sweet bread, shaped into a tube shape and rolled in cinnamon and served piping hot...it was delicious, so far we really liked Czech food and drink, something that didn`t change all the time we were there.

We didn`t really know where we were going and it was starting to get dark so we made our way back to the hotel. We planned to set out Saturday morning after breakfast and find the way to Wenceslas Square and Charles bridge where all the tourists go. For the moment we were going to have a meal and relax and watch some Czech TV, or German, Dutch or Italian. There was no English TV but who cared, we were on holiday.

To be continued.

 

 

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Prague Here We Come!

Just a short note to say we`re off to Prague tomorrow morning and I`m so excited! We have to get up at 4am and be ready for 5.15 when a friend of ours takes us to Heathrow airport. I can`t imagine getting up that early but it`ll be worth it I`m sure. I`ve turned off my alerts and will read as many journals as I can this evening. I`ve been told there is a Christmas market there so I`m  ready to spend my hard earned but easily parted from, cash...lol! My camera battery is fully charged and ready for action ( it will certainly get a lot that`s for sure!). Everything else is packed and there`s nothing else to do apart from say goodbye for now and have a great weekend. :o)

 

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Robins Galore

Well what a horrible day it`s been. Nothing but rain all day and it`s been very dark since 11am too. Typical November but not very nice regardless. Work was very quiet with not as many customers as we`d like. The ones I did get were quite awkward too, I seem to get days of really nice ones and then problem ones. It would be lovely to be able to let my `customer friendly` face slip....what fun I would have telling some of the more demanding of them not to speak to me like that...I could elaborate but best not...lol! Talking of work, we have a resident family of robins that were born and bred at the centre.They are a delight and we all feed them daily. As they are very territorial each one has it`s own area that he patrols. The one in the shop usually sits just feet away from me or whoever else is there at the time; one day when the shop manager was putting bird food on the shelves, he followed her around all day. He also like the wind chimes and if the breeze catches them he sings his little heart out along with them. Another robin lives in the houseplant dept. and likes to have a bath in the water features, customers are amazed by his antics as he frolics about. Another one who lives outside has taken to sitting on top of a Christmas tree...I just hope nobody takes him for a genuine decoration...lol! Because of our location I see all kinds of birds though I haven`t seen a red kite since early summer...I do hope they will be back soon, they are such beautiful birds and have a six foot wingspan, quite a sight to behold on a bright day.

On Saturday Jim and I went to Kerry and Slava`s to help out. We all managed to get a lot done while we were there. kerry and I were outside in the garden where we dug up roots of some very woody plants, (we have no idea what they were) we dug up some tree roots that have come through the garden at the back of the house. One of them came right under the garden shed and up to the decking area. In all it was nearly 18 feet long! We cleared away all the leaves that had fallen and put them in sacks, dug up the bark chopped pathway and discovered a slabbed pavement underneath, cut back yeards of ivy from the back fence.....phew, we were exhausted and very muddy. Roman was `helping` us and was filthy dirty and enjoying every minute like little boys should. I couldn`t believe how good he was out there, he wasn`t bored at all. His toys were inside as they garden is just to messy for them yet but he had a great time. Jim plumbed in the new washing machine, a moving in present from us both. They put up some curtain poles in the living room and Kerry and I hung the curtains and took up the hems. THEN...Jim and Slava had to shorten a door which didn`t close properly and that was about it. Work done for one day and then we had a fish and chip supper...it tasted wonderful after a long day.  When it came to going home Jim and I were both really tired but agreed that it had been an enjoyable day. We`re both really active and aren`t good at sitting around so it was a satisfying day...I just wish my back didn`t ache so much...bah!

On Friday this week Jim and I are off to Prague for the weekend. I`m really excited and though it`ll be really cold we will wrap up against it. It`s not the same as being cold here, we can pop into cafes for coffee and some of their wonderful cakes, a colleague at work told me that they are out of this world so I`d better try as many as I can to make sure...lol! I`ve started packing today even though it`s only for a few days I like to make sure I`m ready, I`ll be taking several jumpers, jeans and trousers, and hats, gloves and scarves. Not forgetting my trusty digi camera that has just been charged, I want as many photos as I can so I can show you all. We`re leaving the house at 5.15am as we have a very early flight, at least that way we`ll have a bit more time there.  Anyway my friends, I`ll say goodbye because I`m about to make something for my dinner, have a lovely evening. :o)

 

 

 

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All Cleaned out!

It`s nice to be back after an exhausting week of cleaning, work and travelling back and forth. Kerry is moved into the new house and they are setting in well, the house is really clean and fresh and they have started decorating Roman`s bedroom already. Kerry has been out and about sorting out this and that and I have to congratulate her on her efficiency. She sorted out all the utility bills, changes of address etc. she didn`t forget a single thing, I don`t know how she managed it what with changing her hours at work, driving all the way to work and back picking me up and driving to Tadley, cleaning the new house and cleaning the flat for the inspection before they moved out. All that and looking after Roman and sometimes Slava when she got a chance to see him...lol!

I still haven`t taken any photos of the house, we were just so busy that I didn`t think to do it. The friday before last we spent the whole day there. Kerry staarted upstairs washing the bedroom walls and paintwork while I put cleaner in the oven and in the dishwasher, both of which were filthy. Then I went upstairs to tackle the bathroom...it took me a whole hour to make it look shiny and new...an hour...for a bathroom, mine takes 15 minutes. The shower screen had so much limescale on it that you couldn`t see through it...I`m pleased to say you can now. The dull tiles now shine as do the basin, bath and loo, which, I will say nothing about! We were there for 6 hours by which time we`d had enough and decided to go home. Kerry was staying for the weekend as Slava was away so when we got home we had a hot shower and a nice cuppa...and went to bed early. Monday it was back to the house with a carpet cleaner which made it several shades lighter than before. I washed the woodwork in the hall and down the stairs while Kerry finished the bedrooms and started on the living room and hall. Tuesday afternoon we cleaned the downstairs windows and I started on the kitchen, cleaning the insides of the cupboards and then the doors, my goodness they were thick with grease....now they are white again. Finally we were back again on friday when we finished the windows upstairs, cleaned all the floors and then realised that we`d done it all. We joked thatwe should go into business as Sandra and Kerry, House Cleaners Extraordinaire. We`ll soon whip your tatty house into shape again! But we`ve decided to give it a miss as one house was more than enough....lol!

Jim and I are going there again on Saturday, Jim to plumb in the new washing machine and me to tackle the garden and of course see Roman who I miss already, despite having had him to stay all last weekend. We took him to Black Park on Sunday as you will see in the photos above. Also there are some that we took there last weekend too. He was really good when he was here but I forgot just how tiring it is to look after a lively two year old all the time, no wonder motherhood is for the young. On Sunday after we had taken him home, Kerry and Slava bought us a lovely meal and by the time we got home we were both exhausted. I slept like a log that night....pure bliss!

I had intended to talk about other things but I`ve gone on long enough I think. Have a lovely evening and I hope to post again tomorrow.

 

 

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Autumn in the Park

I`ve just popped in to put some photos in my journal. Jim took them this morning in Black Park whilst walking Jake. The Foot and Mouth restrictions have been lifted there so it`s business as usual for off-lead walks. I`ll be back soon with the low down on the house clean up....yawn!  Me and Kerry are both exhausted and will be glad when we get finished tomorrow. Saturday is moving day and they are so excited.  Enjoy the photos. :o)

 

 

Apologies

Hello my friends,

Just a few lines to say that I`ll not be online very much over the next week. I`m helping Kerry clean the new house at the moment so I`ll be very busy until after next weekend when she will have moved in. I`m turning off all alerts as I`m sure you`ll understand that I just won`t be able to read them all. If I get time I`ll try to visit some journals when I can. Bye for now and enjoy the weekend. :o)