Grand Hotel Spa Marienbad Karlovy Vary

we finally arrive, after twisting jules arm relentlessly, but too late for the bus, cannot wait for two more hours, so we jump in a taxi only to find we have booked ourselves into the gulag, no i mean it. we are staying in prisoner cell block F. we think of crying, but dont want to show fear to the locals.

we do manage to find a ...

We stop for the day in this small town. We look at hotels on the local information board and pick out a hotel. It is just around the corner. We go to the front door and it is locked, so I try a side door and ring the bell. A woman comes and says to go to the hotel door. We go back and she lets us in! She has a room ...

Back in Canada in the Province of Saskatchewan there is Lake Manitou. The water in this lake has lots of minerals, similar to the Dead Sea properties. You float in it. We have been to the Manitou Spa several times and enjoyed the uniqueness of free floating. At the spa they advertise there are only three places of water in the world with the same properties, one being Manitou, the Dead Sea and the waters at Karlovy Vary, Czech ...

... sausages for lunch. Was half cut - half a litre of beer with jetlagg...interesting combination.

Flew from Prague on the dodgiest little plane, Jarrad was pulling sticky tape off the cabin and announcing outloud that we might not make it alive. Hmmmmm they also made the mistake of asking him to complete the customer survey...

Went out on the bikes yesterday to explore town. Amazing - bus loads of tourists arrive here daily. Photos don't do it justice.

... then enjoyed a lunch of duck,dumplings and sweet and sour cabbage. I swear Greece and Czech Republic have the best food in the world. I am going to miss it. We will return tomorrow to Amsterdam to connect with our flight home. We are hoping to make the Anne Frank museum if the lines are not too long.

... goods everywhere along with cheap Vietnamese electronics etc. The fun was walking and looking but we did get a few treasures also. At the end we had a nice cold yummy Czech beer while the vendors packed up. The stuff they don't feel like packing uo is left behind and it's a free for all so you just rummage thru and take what you want-if you can beat the Gypsies to it! We actually got some of the best stuff this way! Teta Kvyeta took us to the Moser glass ...

... cool aunt). She lives in an apartment not far from the main promanade in K.V. Karlovy Vary is world renowned for its hot springs and health spas and that is the centre of it's tourist draw. It is also the town that the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is held that draws all the A-list celebs each year. Many of the restaurants attest to that fact by displaying photos of their famous visitors. K.V. is also famous for ...

... cooking a lovely meal. Wild camping again, with no-one around the whole time....until the next morning at 07.00 !!! when I am squatted down with my pants on my heels...this guy drives past, to go fishing I guess, nice timing! Morning all better, ready to cycle again. That morning I stop in this tiny village to take a photo of one of the many Maria statues in this country, when an old woman calls me over. Would I like coffee and homemade pie? Not ...

... calling card from my room it is a lot for 'phone set up'. I can watch CNN and fortunately it has been interesting with gear up and now the results to the US mid term election. Also never any shortage of bombing it appears in Israel and Palestine. Lots of interesting looking Czech and German programs one is an American Idol type which includes the same music lead in as the US American Idol which I found interesting. There also is Family Court. Not too ...

... or two nights there.

It is not a big trip actually, if I am not mistaken it is about 2 hours from Prague, however the whole trips is interesting because you drive throuh huge thick forests and hills with beautiful colorful hills on either side of the road.

A place that mustn't be missed!
We left with the best impressions.