Prague Czech Republic 

Returning the month long rental car in Sofia, we spent a few uneventful but enjoyable days there and then headed to Prague for a week. Perfect weather with lows in 50s and highs in low 80. Prague is a beautiful city that has retained many of their old building, as they avoided being destroyed in either WW or the break from communism in the 90s. We took a great all day food tour, an ebike tour, a boat tour on the river the goes through town and a Rick Steves self guided walking tour. We stayed about a 10 minute subway, tram or bus ride from old town and again enjoyed being away from the crowds of tourist. The public transportation was very efficient and easy to use. Found a great TexMex restaurant and got our fix. Went to the zoo in the burbs on a Sunday. Full of kids since it was the weekend. It is a great zoo. Went to a mall out in the burbs to see a movie.  It was in English with Czech subtitles but we didn’t know that part of the movie was in Spanish. What would have been English subtitles in the US were in Czech of course. It appears to me that Prague is a little more affluent and modern compared to what we saw in the Balkans. Talking politics with the guides is interesting as the current Czech president is an old man with no filter that tells everyone what they want to hear and was elected as a non-politician. Sound familiar. We continue to FaceTime with family so the grandkids don’t forget who we are. The kids are using the lake house some in our absence and haven’t burned it down yet so that is a plus. On to Vienna Austria for a few days before we head to England for a month of driving on the wrong side of the road. I have recently found out from my genealogist minded sister that I am blood related to a Cope that was knighted and related by marriage to some English royalty. More on that in future posts.

Another great penthouse balcony to chill. Next 2 pics are views from the balcony.​
Our ebike tour-10 picsSt. Nicholas churchoverlooking city with tour guidewith us on tour- couple from San Diego – Heather and (I can’t remember his name).in old town Two bronze sculptures of two men peeing into a Czech Republic-shaped enclosure. Created by Czech artist David Cerny, this piece of art is appropriately called “Piss”.​
​food tour guide-Misa- next 16 pics

A great group on the food tour- from New Zealand, Australia and England ( a common language that I could hardly understand)St Vitus cathedral at the Prague castle-11 picslooked like s film crew and cast in the churchchanging of the guard at the castle-2 picssteps leading up to castle traditional stew dishes with dumplings St Charles bridgeentrance to st Charles bridgefound a great TexMex restaurant with margaritas, tacos (soft), enchiladas, chips, salsa, great guacamole and pico-4 picsTV antenna was spruced up by same artist (David Cerny) as peeing men by putting on crawling babies- weird. We went to the top and took several pics of the city-6 picssubwayrated the best ice cream in the cityriver cruise-9 picsriver has a small lock (see water line on wall) to assist flooding issuesswans congregatingabout to have a short afternoon thundershowerpassing another party boatsaint Charles bridge from waterprague zoo-8 picspic of me after all the eatingmakes me miss Lake Livingstonreminds me of raising 5 kidsfrom italian restaurant on the river-3 picsanother David Cerny work is a mocking reference to the more famous equestrian statue of King (and later, Saint) Wenceslas riding an upside down dead horsecubist style building ​

The medieval Prague astronomical clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still operating. It shows time, position of sun and moon in sky, and the current astrological sign

​went back for TexMex on our last day