Thursday May 28 Prague

We continued to have bath problems before we left this morning. I proceeded to take a shower and because the shower head was not stable I immediately flooded the bathroom….this before Mary ever got out of bed. In order to function we had to sop up 4 towels and wring them out about 5 or 6 times in order to just walk around. Picture this…Mary in her night gown and Joy, well she just got out of the shower…we leave the rest to your imagination.

After a big breakfast at the hotel, and packing our lunch we left immediately for Kehistein. This is a stone building resembling a mountain shelter and is known as the Adlerhorst or Eagle’s Nest. This was given to Hitler as a birthday present in 1939 by one of his close allies and it became his favorite residence. The approach to the building is a true engineering masterpiece: the initial section, the Kehisteinstalle, is a scenic mountain road which passes through five tunnels and offers some breathtaking views up the mountain. The down side was it was misty rain and very cold! But we braved the weather and went right on. The final ascent is an elevator, all brass and mirrored that took us up to the top…124 meters. Today the Eagle’s Nest houses a restaurant that is very popular with tourists, not only because of its history, but also for the spectacular views that it provides over the Alps.

From there we had a 5 ½ hr drive to Prague…stopping only once for gas and potty break, mostly on two lane roads, and through many small villages. We had to stop at the border of the Czech Republic to get a sticker for the car, $10.00 which is good for only a week. But the most interesting amusement, as we crossed the border, were the prostitutes along the highway beckoning the Austrians! We arrived at our lovely apartment in Prague where we will be for three nights. Mary and David have stayed here before and it is one of Mary’s favorites because it has a refrigerator and ice cubes.

We settled in, unpacked and hit the streets in search of favorite restaurants on the square. It was cold so we chose one with outdoor heaters and enjoyed a delicious dinner. The souvenir shops beckoned after dinner and we checked the tour schedule for tomorrow…off to bed as it is now midnight……