Vintage Luggage Tags
Found these vintage luggage tags link through my sister. Brings back lots of happy memories! If only I didn’t throw everything away when I moved to Europe.
Vintage luggage tags are my new obsession!
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Prague Castle area
If you’ve just got one whole day in Prague, it’s best to be guided by an expert. The weather wasn’t cooperating, what with its wind and showers, but we still managed to enjoy our short stay in this wonderful city.
It’s a must see to visit the Prague Castle, the largest castle in Europe today. It was so huge and impressive, that our companions weren’t aware that they were entering the Office of the President (No, that isn’t the toilet)!
St. Vitus Cathedral and its beautiful rose window
Our first stop was the St. Vitus Cathedral. We weren’t familiar with St. Vitus and were told that he was a martyr who died by being thrown to a boiling pot of… oil! He has then been the patron saint of epileptics, due probably from the way he wriggled while going through his painful death. His movements were called the St. Vitus Dance. Oh, he isn’t only the patron saint for epileptics. Count in actors, comedians and dancers (go figure).
The tomb of St. John of Nepomuk (Nepomuceno) is housed in the cathedral. Hehappens to be the most loved saint in the country! Stars and bright lights were present on the day he was born and on the day he died. He was ordered killed by King Wenceslas for not revealing the confessions of the King’s wife. (Wow, he sure knew how to keep a secret!)
St. John’s feet were cast and he was thrown off the Charles Bridge into the Moldau River. From that moment, five stars rose from the river and King Wenceslas regretted what he did. His body was recovered in 1719 — still intact! The amazing thing is his tongue remained to be incorrupt even after the shrine was built to honor him.
Nuremberg was part of A Taste of the East itinerary.
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All smiles at Nuremberg Castle
Nuremberg Castle was home to the German kings and kaisers from 1050 to 1571. It was heavily damaged in the Second World War but all parts were restored to its historical form.
Albrecht Dürer is one of the famous citizens of Nuremberg. His most memorable is that of his brother’s hands. Read about the love of two brothers – Albert and Albrecht Durer and its connection to The Praying Hands (currently located at the Albertina in Vienna).
At Nuremberg, we went straight for the Hauptmarkt (main market) where the Schoner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) greets its visitors. Legend has it that those who rub the golden ring is blessed with good luck or fertility. Watch Gina as she demonstrates! Just a few steps away is the Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady, where we had some time to enter and pray.
Movie with today’s destinations:
Nuremberg was part of A Taste of the East itinerary.
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First stop was the Olympic Stadium. Honestly speaking, I would have preferred spending more time at the old town rather than the Olympic area. The rest of the group enjoyed the various locations of the Olympics. We reached the Marienplatz just in time to view the ringing of the bells of the Glockenspiel. I didn’t get to catch the entire melody but here it is anyway. It’s on the video on the right side of this page.
Lunch at the Hofbrauhaus – an array of German sausages, pretzels and no beer. LOL The group had to stay sharp for some serious shopping of designer bags. Did you know that Adolf Hitler proclaimed the twenty-five theses of the National Socialist program at the Hofbräuhaus?
Munich was part of A Taste of the East itinerary.
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Meeting up with Mabel was one of the highlights of my trip to Munich!
Doing a tour at last minute’s notice can be very exciting. I begin a tour in Munich and got in touch with Mabel to meet up and catch up with each other’s lives in the flesh. We’ve kept in touch through Facebook and it was high time to meet her — it’s been 36 years since we saw each other!
I was wondering what it would be like to see her again after all this time. Would it be awkward? We’re not 10 anymore. Sometimes best friends drift apart, not due to distance but due to a million other things. I was nervous.
A knock at the door. Was she really here? I opened the door and screamed with delight! No awkwardness whatsoever. That was a good sign! From the hotel, we just walked a block and found an old and musty bar open. We didn’t care. We were pressed for time so this bar was perfect. We talked non-stop and had time to have our picture taken by the old man behind the bar. Meeting up with Mabel was one of the highlights of my trip to Munich!
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Ocean Vegetables
