Well We are in Vienna now. Very bustling city unrecognized from 1958'when I was here those many years
Ago
We travelled from Krimlov by convoy of vans. I thought of my Island friend The Wheelers There are no highways to speak of in The CzeckbR.  And there are bike trails every where accusation and food is vastly reasonable  and the country side is charming
We arrived in Vienna at one our Leader got us 48 hour bus etc passes
Took us to a market where we grabbed lunch and then a Vienna guide did a fast two walk/talk.

Alone in Budapest.  We said a sad farewell to members of our group many of whom left very early for N America.  We found our new hotel location about three blocks away from our Group hotel
Our new accommodation comes with two bed rooms a complete kitchen
Living room
Etc
We knew we were in Th Opera
District but we're delighted to come across the Opera house which tomorrow. Morning is doing La Traviata. But in the evening they are doing a never performed before called. Shelley. Gino
ByKodaly
It should be challenging
Then we bought a Budapest card which gave us discounts for lots of things including the huge magnicent swimming baths where we spent nearly the entire PM leaving for a bus tour and then go to the night routine do the day we ate in a dark cellar where there was a fabulous Piano Player. And  good meal
B is a city full of old building remnants of WW2, sorrowful stories of the 1956 uprisings. A poignant display of shoes cemented into the concrete where people , mainly Jews, were obligedbtonundress and then were shot and pushed into the river
We saw lit up the largest Parliament buildings in Europe.  365 spires. Absolutely beautiful
Hope I r eating these written on my Iphone

I am on a train from Vienna to Budapest The Two daysin Vienna were too short all the places are vastly interesting The first day wevarrivedvand went to a market for lunch met up with a guide for an orientation walk He could not believe that I had been there in 1958, he said it was bleach and grey which was true
He talked about the change in atmosphere since 1985, there were new statues and new commemorative plaques for people that would never had been allowed be
For  that date
we then walked  through the  haufburg enormous palace in the middle of the city
patti discovered that there was a circus situated in front of the Ratshaus (city hall). Starting at 8 so we gathered a group went out for great cake and fab coffee then walked to the circus
We got a deal for the five of us and clambord into the bleachers.  It was a one ring with comedians and acrobats the audience loved it lots of audience participation
Diane and I Left at half time Patti said the second half had a romantic themeThe next day we got up early to get to the spanish riding school training
Sessions.  These Lipizzaner white horses originally came from Spain hence the nameWe had another beer and went to the national library which is another magnificent building then on to the most amazing set of art galleries
Much more interesting than the Louvre
Then on to the line up for standing room only to theOpera Aida. 3 Euros and they let 600 standing
We joined the nose bleed section where the sound was fabulous
They beamed the opera to outside and there were hordes of folk sitting on the sidewalk there was not a sound the picture seemed clear
Standing when you are a student is different than now so we left after a while and joined our intrepid group to go the the Prater. For what Olga called the best food and beer. I shall be glad to get back to fresh salmon

We did an amazing thing today we rented two inflatable rafts and for four hours we paddled our way down 15 kilometres of this fast moving but shallow river
there are several weirs and to get by them you go down the fish ladders
Because it was so shallow we got stuck on some rocks and water poured in unfortunately flooding the bottom and soaking my iPad
I am hoping it will recover but am writing my blog on my phone
Not very satisfactory
This evening we descended into the catacombs and ate Pig Knuckle !!
off tomorrow forVienna

ceskyKrumlov

the meal came with a choice of chicken, pheasant or rabbit

and then there were all sorts of wheat products and a hunk of smoked ham

This is 

one of the Unesco special places....slightly mountainous and our guide is urging us to, go rafting tomorrow

but this little town is charming,,, BUT.  Mary t has been writing g me to see the country side... so maybe this is the chance

We took a three hour bus ride from. Prague to here and we are now at. Bohemian restaurant with an amazing array 

of food choices...see the photo

there are all sorts of hidden places like this for coffee..they put books on the table and there are couches and arm chairs and as usual everyone many speaks good english.

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i took this photo for lydia and phil, who wwhentravelling have to find a chinese restaurant f and here in this small artsy  Czech town was a chinese restaurant

this colourful tower I think is on top of the castle.  I am to meet the guide in 20 minutes, but meanwhile I am drinking acappuccino

 

from thecastle walls..fairly high above the town

on the river

nthisnwas a free day..so I did  what Mary and I often  did... bought a day pass for the public transportation.  and rode the rails...there are trams here. and I went from one end to another...ASundayyou see  the families getting on and off...the markets selling food items, having . a pass yiu can hop on hop off.  by yourb own design.  I stopped at a glass museum and saw some if the mist amazing sculptures 

I then left here and found my self i the middlemof a demonstration with stink bombs and people on red shirts , riot police oj full gear and miuntee policemen...whenased ..what is happening..the comment was.  Footballers!,,,Ptti and Diane were off to a soccer match and ,my heart quailed.. theynfound themselves i in the middle of fans. shouting, tearing off their shirts. shaking the steel barricades etc.  Theyleft before te end of the game to avoid the exiting crowd...they came out to see mounted police and riot guards agsin, 

second day in Prague

 We went our separate ways this morning, Patti went to a fashion house and I Wandered,  Many of us met up at teo where  we went on A three hour talk , starting in yhe old town squRe,,,

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 is enormous and had the famous astrological clock which was amaster piece  

 in the 1200 and still is..

Our guide explained that the river floods regularly and the buildings have sunk such that many main floors of six hundred years ago  are noe basements or e ven lower,.    the Jewish cemetary was alotted a enabled a certain amount of A certain amount of space and when they went to the king to recoup quest at an increased amount the Marriott skills over the centuries said no as a consequence the burial grounds of the Jewish cemetary in Prague is several layers deep .

Wecwalked to the river where it was a childrens playground.   paddle boats, large ballon like structures which you enter and rolled arounf on the  river 

We all met for supper in a typical czach place and the Patti and i went to the Ballet....Romeo and Julluette    by.  Prokiev.   it wasabsolutely enchanting and wonderfully danced,

We got out late. and grabbed a cab and went a very roundabout way home for the cost of ten dollars

Prague

We left Krakow by Bus and after three hours we continued by train and then subway to our hoy

tel Adler...I presumed named after the famous psychologist.  we are ten minutes walk from Wrncelas square and the old town square.  This a crwded place with a mass of people where ever you go.

It is totally unrecognizable from 1968 when it was empty. people were subdued.  and there were no crowds.

Thearchitecture is exciting...the famous clock still works our dinner for jazzoverlooked the clock.

The jazz was very mild and the dinner a fixed menu was soso

to the salt.mines

this was not the best day for me...we eay a good breakfast,,,E Europeans believe in Breakfast unlike  France. where in some hotels there is indifferent coffee and bread.  Here ans everywhere so far.  breakfast has been. cold meays, hot meays..like frankfurter loking thungs in lotsof onions,  eggs, soft voiled, omelette, potatoes, peas, carrots, cereals, lots of variety ofbreads fruit, roomops, smokec fish, etc et ..coffee

somtoday that is how thw day syarted and thenwe took piblic transportation , leaving KK for a suburb about 40 minutes away ,,,we stood in line and our rnglisg speaking guide mumbled his welcome

and the as we were lead intona hall, the door behind us firnly clsed he anniunces a descent by stairwell of 54 stages of ten stairs at a time,,,then two kilometres walm through various dimly lit  caverns then he anniunces another 170 stairs going down.  and another long walk to a huge cavern where people apparently get married ir come for concerts,,,

 we then descendedanother 100 steps. pass through a chapel. and into the deoarture area where there are cafes and shops.   we then walked 800 meters to the elevator shaft. 

My new knee and the ither knee were very unhappy!

we came home in rain...Patti went with simeone else on a quick walking tohr of the Jewish ghetto

and i sliowky toyredaround the winderful square, did a little shopping, sat outside and watched the passing public.

This evening we went to a woderful piano revital of chopin 

now back in our room ,preparing for our early start, 0650 fir Prague.  We haveg booked a dinner jazz concert.

auschwitz

thinkingTo go or not to go.    one ...or at least.  I felt aN obligation it was part of the trip.  the thing included inour.  fare.  wewoke to heavy rain and the gloomy day setthe tone.  we all ended up going..Auschwitz. 1.  and 2

the first one already existed, and was a prison already.  made of sturdy. bricks it stillstands today.  A. monumnt to Evil and unimaginable cruelty.  they then upped the Final Solution. and Hess was commandeered into finding another spot and about  three miles away developed Auschwitchz 2 or  better known as Birkenau.  with more ovens and  near the RR where without a moment to think they separated  several thousand people an hour into , 1,into the gas chambers. or 2. do a useful job until "into the gas chambers"

this terrible place held 100000 people at any one time

Apparently at one time Himmler said that this history will never be written. down

And testimony to the Guilt. and the knowledge of the Evil,as the Soviets were coming (it was the So iets Soviets who liberated Auschwichtz)

the camp guards blew up the ovens, and destroyed documents, and force. marched 7500. inmates to a place where they could be entrained. etc. many of these died enroute and along this route there are  memorials.  they left thousands behind in such bad conditions they assumed they would die

The Soviets and their red cross nursed people on the spot for months and months,    when another group from the red cross came. inMay.  ( the liberation was mid January).   they found people weighing 2/3 rds less than normal weight ...

The guards knew that retribution. would come

  Hess.  ran and.  hid on a far, in Bavaria, but eventually his iwife revealed where he was hiding ,and he brought to trial and hamged in Aushchwitch, Mengele came  from a rich family escaped to S America lived there until q1979

Many war criminals, responsible for atrocities  were imprisoned for short periods of time 

people were told thar they were being moved tombegina new life   resettled so they brought mundane things with them like simple pots and pans

political prisoners were severely tortured for the most small acts, lik leaving a small square of bread formthose condemned to starve

i could not talkemphotos of the box cars of hair, hichnwas made into thoinngs of coats.  the millions of shoes which were five or sold t,fhe germanpeopl whomwere suffering fromthe cost of the war