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kopp's Summertime Fun in Prague, Dresden, Berlin & Switzerland ...or... Escaping the Texas Heat - NOT! July-August 2006

kopp's Summertime Fun in Prague, Dresden, Berlin & Switzerland ...or... Escaping the Texas Heat - NOT! July-August 2006

Old Sep 4th, 2006, 11:47 AM
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kopp's Summertime Fun in Prague, Dresden, Berlin & Switzerland ...or... Escaping the Texas Heat - NOT! July-August 2006

I love to read guest books while traveling. Many seem to revolve around the weather in that particular area. Some entries I’ve seen include:

“The best time to visit Wyoming is between July 4th and July 5th.”
“In Maine, July is four weeks of bad skiing.”

Well, here in Texas, we’re famous for our summer heat. Some might even say it’s so hot, the hens lay hard-boiled eggs; or, it’s hotter than a honeymoon hotel. Truer words have never been spoken. So for the past 10 years since we’ve lived here, we’ve been fortunate to spend our summers high in the cool Alps of Switzerland, hiking to our heart’s content and eating to our stomach’s delight.

This year, we decided to add a couple weeks of city life into the mix. Looking at average temperatures that were within our daytime comfort range of the low 70s, we decided to try Prague, then Dresden and Berlin, before heading high into the Swiss Alps. So in a nutshell, the trip looked like this:

Austin to DFW to Frankfurt – overnight in Frankfurt
Prague (5 nights)
Dresden (3 nights)
Berlin (6 nights)
Engelberg (7 nights)
Zermatt (7 nights)
Grindelwald (7 nights)
Murren (2 nights)
Zurich-Glattbrugg (1 night)
Zurich to DFW to Austin

Pre-trip conversation with friends resulted in tweaking the plans a bit to allow them to join us. Knowing that traveling with friends sometimes results in strained or broken relationships, we carefully spelled out our traveling routine so there would be no surprises. They made it clear we were not to “mother” them, and that there would be days they would just stay put.

So off we went, flying into Frankfurt, a mere 10-plus hours in a cramped, packed airplane. Yes, there was “Chatty Cathy” behind me—really, how can you talk nonstop for 10 hours?—and the babies who cried the whole flight, and the flight attendant who remarked at mealtime, “A prize will be awarded if you can find the meat in here.”

Usually, we would head to our first destination (Prague) upon landing, but we weren’t sure how our friends would be feeling (they’ve only done a couple of these trips). So we decided to stay the night right there in Frankfurt and head to Prague the next day, hopefully refreshed and ready to go. After securing our train passes for the next couple weeks, we checked into our hotel, which was conveniently located adjacent to the airport. (Sheraton Hotel & Towers – Sheraton.com/Frankfurt)

Arriving in Frankfurt around 7:30 am, it would have been easy to head straight to bed. But feeling good and ready to go, DH and I decide to leave our friends behind and begin our touristing (and with specific instructions that they are not to sleep the day away but only take a couple hours’ nap). So we hop a train and head to Cologne to visit the massive Dom. In a train ride that is the best of our entire trip, so smooth and fast, we arrive in Cologne in an hour’s time. Gazing upon the magnificent spires of Germany’s largest cathedral and then stepping inside the enormous nave, it is easy to get lost in the beauty and history. (It was completed in 1880 after 632 years of construction – 632 years! And even after 14 bombing hits during WWII, it miraculously did not collapse.) The Sarcophagus of the Magi, purportedly containing the remains of the 3 Wise Men and elaborately decorated with gilded gold, gives us our first “wow” moment of the trip.

Several hours later, we head back to Frankfurt for some much-needed rest. Tomorrow the magic continues with a seven-hour train trip to Prague.
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Old Sep 4th, 2006, 12:22 PM
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kopp
I've been to Engelberg many times, but I always go as a day trip. Is there anything to do for seven days or do you take day trips. Is there another train other than the one that goes to Lucerne? I love that area. We sometimes have a hard time finding food because most of the town closes the doors at 1:00 or 2:00 P.M. til late afternoon.
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Old Sep 4th, 2006, 12:28 PM
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Yippee, kopp's trip report is underway!!
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Old Sep 4th, 2006, 12:39 PM
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Off to a great start, kopp! Had a good laugh from the Texas heat comments! Hadn't heard the one about hens laying hard boiled eggs, lol. Look forward to reading more!
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Old Sep 4th, 2006, 02:08 PM
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Oh goody...I've been waiting for this. Looking forward to all the rest.
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Old Sep 4th, 2006, 04:15 PM
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Ahhh, you guys are too sweet! It's really difficult getting started on and then completing a report from such a long trip. As AnnMarie knows, I have been known to give up halfway through...

But I'll really try to keep it short and to the point. If your eyes get glazed over, please let me know, and I'll stop.

scatcat - our week in Engelberg was to be our "lake" week as our next 2 weeks were to be hiking the hills. We thought about staying in Lucerne or somewhere on the lakes, but we still wanted to stay higher in altitude. We probably only spent 2 actual days in Engelberg proper. We took daytrips down the hill (1 hr.), then the lovely ferry rides to many little towns along the lake. More detail about those later.

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Old Sep 4th, 2006, 05:43 PM
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Kopp,
I grew up in Houston where "it was so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk". Thanks for the memory. Betsy
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Old Sep 4th, 2006, 06:04 PM
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I saw a woman on TV who baked cookies by leaving them in her hot car. I'll have to try that sometime.
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Old Sep 5th, 2006, 06:58 AM
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Part 2: Five Days in Prague
Hotel Maximilian – maximilianhotel.com

Ahhh, Prague. The city of a hundred spires – and gazillions of cobblestones! Ouch! I read somewhere that if you walk on cobblestones for 15 minutes a day, it’s good therapy for your heart. I don’t know about that, but what I do know is that after 2 days of torture, I had to seek out a remedy. After mildly complaining (okay, non-stop whining), DH and friends were overheard conspiring to leave me behind. Gasp! Well, I’m sure you know that when you least expect it, something catches your eye, calls your name, and voila, problem solved! The very next afternoon, after one of those “We’re not lost; just exploring” moments, a shoe store appeared out of nowhere. It was the cutest little mom-and-pop shop, and they were actually making the shoes right there! No English spoken here, but within 2 minutes they knew exactly what I needed and even had the right size and style for this Russian Viking with size 10 feet. Perfect!

It was about this time that the weather started to resemble something we’d hoped to leave behind in Texas. It seems that this was to be one of “those” summers, where struggling to keep hydrated was a daily ordeal. Refilling our water bottles each morning from the tap would only last a couple hours. It’s amazing how much our daily drink bill totaled. Of course, on the positive side, having cool ice cream sundaes for lunch wasn’t so bad!

While on the subject of food, I will mention very good advice that was given: Stay Away From The Dumplings! One evening at dinner, I did my best (well, half-heartedly) to warn my friend that perhaps she should choose something else to accompany her goulash. No, she’d read about Prague’s “famous” dumplings, and she wasn’t going to pass them up. Of course, she’s a Real Southern Lady who knows her dumplings, but these were no Southern dumplings. Actually, once eaten, they went directly South, if you get my drift, and stayed there for several days!

Enough of shoes and food. Next up: Castles, Churches, and Memories of 1968.
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Old Sep 5th, 2006, 08:34 AM
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Some might even say it’s so hot, the hens lay hard-boiled eggs; or, it’s hotter than a honeymoon hotel.
A trip report that starts out like this can only be great!
Love it so far, kopp!! Thank you
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Old Sep 5th, 2006, 12:01 PM
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Thank you, sweet Scarlett!

continuing...

Each of us has our own gifts. In our case, I tend to be the planner, while DH is definitely the navigator. Putting itineraries together or combing through guidebooks to find that perfect getaway is my niche. Give me a map, and suddenly my palms are sweaty and my eyes have lost their focus. Someone once called it “cartographically-challenged.” Amen.

Well, this particular morning DH awakens to a case of – well, I’m sure y’all have been there. Not fun. And we all know how difficult it can be to find those seemingly-invisible WC’s when nature calls. Deciding it best not to join us, he stays behind (no pun intended). So here I am with map in hand, friends mindlessly following in tow, off to see the wonders of Prague.

It’s actually a very easy town to navigate. Go this way, and you find the bridge to the castle. Go that way and you’re at the Jewish Quarter. Knowing DH wouldn’t want to miss either, we head to the famous Astronomical Clock, where we get a wonderful view from the tower above. It was quite amusing to watch the crowds of people, packed tighter than sardines in a can, pushing and shoving to get just a glimpse of the twirling figures.

Standing in the center of the Old Town Square, deciding which way to go next – what’s that I hear? Coming from The Church of St. Nicholas, it’s the beautiful voices of a choir, their melodious sounds echoing through the square. “Our concert begins in 5 minutes,” shouts the director. “Oh, thank you, Jesus,” I whisper to myself, knowing the rest of our day has just been planned. Inside, the beautiful baroque ornamentation is quite a display, gilded with shiny gold. When the organ played and the choir sung the 7 Amens, there was not a dry eye in the place. Very refreshing, for mind and soul. (And as our luck would have it, this choir was from Dallas, so we had some nice conversations with the members when their singing came to an end.)

We really enjoy visiting churches while traveling, and Prague did not disappoint. One evening, we went to a concert at the spectacular St. Nicholas Church in Mala Strana. This was a concert with organ, trumpet, and a lovely soprano, who sang the different versions of Ave Maria, as well as several other arias. Listening to the music while gazing upon the magnificent sculptures made for a perfect evening.

The first sentence in my guidebook calls Prague “The Magical City.” That seems like such an understatement. Our remaining days were filled with treasures, including the Old Royal Palace with St.Vitus Cathedral and St. George’s Cathedral; the Golden Lane; the Jewish Quarter, including the synagogues and cemetery; Wenceslas Square; National Museum of Archaeology; Tyn Church; Church of St. Francis of Assisi; a wonderful tour of the Obecni Dum; Sternbersky Palace; St. George Cloister; Strahov Monastery and Library; Loreta; and St. Agnes Church. And I can’t leave out the palace gardens and, of course, the Charles Bridge and all its statues!

Of particular note from the above list was visiting Wenceslas Square and the National Museum of Archaeology. This area holds special memories for my DH. His previous visit to Prague was in 1968 during the Russian invasion. Standing on the steps of the museum, he vividly recalls the Russians moving into town with their tanks, then taking aim and shooting directly at the area he was standing. He was but a young college grad at the time, with his only fear being that he wouldn’t get that perfect photograph to send back home. He actually had some pictures published in his local paper, one of which is still under glass at our home.

But sometimes it’s the little things that strike a chord in your memories the most; like wandering (okay, getting lost in) the alleyways; admiring the color and architecture of the buildings; sitting on a bench in the square while eating one of our many daily ice creams; watching the sun set over the bridge; the horse-drawn carts; or the peaceful serenity of eating lunch at a lakeside café on Kampa Island under an old tree. These were the times we enjoyed the most, when we could sit back and relax, enjoy the beauty that surrounded us, the magic of Prague.

Next: Dresden – Happy 800th Birthday!
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Old Sep 5th, 2006, 03:45 PM
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kopp,

DH and I were in the chapel at Kings College in Cambridge during choir practice... it was the most beautiful sound, I had tears in my eyes. Your experience in Prague reminded me of that.

Really enjoying this report! Now where is Rome?!? ;-) No rush...we won't leave until December 10th.
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Old Sep 5th, 2006, 04:06 PM
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Wonderful, kopp. Looking forward to reading about Dresden (my son's favorite city) and, of course, Switzerland!
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Old Sep 5th, 2006, 05:54 PM
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Wonderful report...Prague sounds like a destination I need to put on my list. Looking forward to the next installment. Please don't "run out of gas" LOL
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Old Sep 6th, 2006, 12:11 AM
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Prague was awesome! Never did I dream that I would like it so much. My teenage son, who was 17 at the time, was with me and it's his favorite European city. We went in early November so the crowds weren't bad, and it wasn't hot and humid. I think you will love the city.
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Old Sep 7th, 2006, 05:49 AM
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Part 3: Three Days in Dresden
Hilton an der Frauenkirche - hilton.de/dresden

The heat wave continued. With daily highs now in the 90s, it was absolutely necessary to take long afternoon breaks in the relative coolness of our air conditioned hotel. The Hilton was a lovely modern hotel smack dab in the center of the Old Town. A better location would be hard to find. Our rooms were very spacious, and each day we found fresh fruit, wine, and sparkling water awaiting us on our coffee tables. Breakfast was a splendid display of everything imaginable, including smoked salmon, fresh cooked-to-order eggs, pastries of all kinds, berries to your heart’s content, and those lovely Nurenberg sausages!

I had read about the reconstruction and consecration of the Frauenkirche for so long that my emotions literally exploded upon my first viewing of this magnificent church. There it was, returned to its former glory, calling my name to explore its beauty. Completely destroyed in 1945 (not so much from the bombings, but from the fire storm afterwards), the rebuilding incorporated many of the stones from the original building. Reminding me of a wedding cake in its elegant tier design, it stands in the center of the Old Town Square, towering above the other buildings that surround it. Once inside, the altar is what drew my attention first. Over 2,000 fragments were rescued from the rubble and then painstakingly pieced together to create this spiritual gift. It really touched my heart.

The complex of museums known as The Zwinger is unbelievable. We set aside one full day to see it all, and it was nothing short of a blitz. We bought an all-inclusive ticket, so admission to all the museums was included in one ticket price.

The Old Masters Gallery is a real gem. With paintings by Titian, Raffael, Rembrandt, and Canaletto (okay, so I love Italian art), they even let you take pictures to your heart’s content – which basically meant that DH, aka trip photographer, was not to be seen again for quite sometime. I think it safe to say that our personal collection of photographs from this museum would make a wonderful tabletop catalog.

The Armory is absolutely brilliant! Nestled in just one story of a building, the display they’ve got here is beyond compare. Especially impressive was the dress regalia of the Saxon princes from the 16th Century; the parade armor for horse and rider of the Swedish King Erik XIV; and the coronation regalia of August the Strong, which he wore when he was crowned King of Poland in 1697. If Dresden is in your future, put this place on the top of your list!

And if that’s not enough, also in the Zwinger complex is The Porcelain Collection. Granted, the guys went through this pretty quickly, but Real Southern Lady and I went up and down each row, admiring the exquisite hand-painted Miessen table decorations, as well as the ornate pieces that had previously adorned many palaces. Several very large Nativites were on display, beautifully carved in white, as well as Japanese and Chinese pieces.

There is also a Salon of Mathematics and Physics with 13th Century globes, world maps, and scientific instruments. Outside, we visited the Bath of the Nymphs, a very ornate Baroque water fountain, decorated with dolphins, tritons and nymphs. Were the guards not around, we may have been tempted to take a dip in the coolness of the water as, by this time, it was mid-afternoon and we were melting and dehydrating (where are those drinking fountains when you need them?).

(Oh my. One page full already, and it’s only the first day in Dresden. A very wise friend told me to make it short and sweet. I’m trying, really.)

Up next: Dresden turns 800 – A Faire to Remember!
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Old Sep 7th, 2006, 06:31 AM
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It's so nice to have you back, kopp! I'm enjoying every minute of your report. Keep it coming!
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Old Sep 7th, 2006, 03:24 PM
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Glad you're enjoying it, Statia. It's slowly becoming a novel..

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Old Sep 7th, 2006, 03:27 PM
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(Dresden, continued)

A trip to Dresden would seem incomplete without visiting the State Opera House. As tours were given in German only, we lost a lot that our very talkative tour guide had to say, but we were still able to enjoy the beautifully restored building, with the marble columns, paneled archways, and painted ceilings. The auditorium is very large; however, the way it’s designed in a semi-circular fashion, getting a bad seat would be difficult. I remember hearing something like no seat is more than 23 meters from the stage. I had hoped the tour would include a visit to the backstage area, but it did not.

We were blown away by the treasures found in the Green Vault collection, housed in the Residence Schloss. Located in a temporary room while the palace undergoes restoration, this place is packed with gold, glassware, humongous gemstones, scepters, ivory, and silver. All the items were described in German as well as English, which really allowed us to admire them fully. One particular silver table centerpiece contains 130 figures and almost 5,000 diamonds! That must have been some table!

The Jubilee celebration of Dresden’s 800th birthday was in full swing during our visit. Each day and late into the night, the squares and alleys were filled with a Renaissance-style faire. We enjoyed watching the many artisans ply their wares, from pottery to glassware, furs, paintings, toys, and of course food! That wonderfully delicious bratwurst was everywhere, but also whole pigs were being roasted over open fires, lamb, goat, cheeses of every variety… the list could go on! It was absolutely wonderful to wander amongst the masses, watching the open-air theater with the performers dressed in period costumes and the children being mesmerized by the street musicians. In another section was their Festival of Culture, where countries from around the globe set up booths, selling food and trinkets from their respective countries. It always amazes me to see the Chinese acrobats, twisting and winding in ways that make my bones ache. We especially enjoyed the Russian Cossack dancers, where they fold their arms, squat, and kick their legs straight out, all in time to the fast-paced music. Great stuff!

We felt totally welcome at this city’s birthday celebration. More than once we were met with a friendly greeting and strong handshake. “Here, try this,” and something would be placed in our hands to taste. And they’d wait for you to try it, looking for your reaction. When it was good, they’d pat you on the back and give you more. If you kind of grimaced, we’d hear, “Put more mustard on it. Best in Germany,” or something like that. So fun!

Strolling across the bridge at night, gazing back at the city all aglow in lights, was a wonderful way to end our visit. People were everywhere, enjoying the relative coolness of the evening or just out for a stroll, arm-in-arm with a loved one. Even among the crowds, we found it very peaceful. The rebuilding of this fine city is not yet completed; but the hope of the future is alive and well in the eyes and mouths of its people.

Next: Berlin – Out with the Old; in with the New
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Old Sep 7th, 2006, 03:44 PM
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"Next: Berlin – Out with the Old; in with the New" - will it be a shopping and wardrobe change report? I hope not a new DH
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