Blague posts, revisited

And now, a moment to revisit old posts and provide further insight and updates.

Škoda!
Remember our mentioning that Škoda had undergone a transformation in the last decade, following Volkswagen's taking over the company? Karl read an article recently on Škoda's privatization, noting just how far Škoda had come in improving its image and quality. A German car magazine rated one Škoda model favorably against a comparable Volkswagen (possibly the Passat), a source of angst for VW's psyche. And an Austrian car magazine went so far as to choose a Škoda over a Mercedes-Benz! 

Škoda then

Škoda now

Hello, Ogilvy?
Karl and I had lunch at Argument recently, and it's actually a lovely restaurant. We shared mushroom soup, gnocchi with chicken and pesto, and brownie á la mode. Our only complaint was the music. What is it with the '80s soundtrack that's pumped through restaurants? We “enjoyed” Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, Steve Winwood, and Phil Collins, among others.

Look, I went to high school and college in the '80s. I like a trip down memory lane as much as anyone. But the music was just that little bit too loud for a restaurant atmosphere. I didn't just want to have fun. I wanted to have lunch and maybe a little conversation with my husband. But my train of thought kept leaving the station.

I know. I'm old. But, hey, even Cyndi knew when it was time to give up the shtick and tone it down a bit.

Cyndi Lauper then

Cyndi Lauper now

As for the name "Argument?" Our server didn't have any good explanation.

"I don't know. Maybe because it comes at the beginning of the alphabet?" she suggested.

Well, sure. But so do Accordion, Aesthetic, Aubergine and Archipelago, all of which, in my opinion, make better nonsensical names for a restaurant. But what do I know?

Divoká Šárka
We have not gone geocaching since the weather turned colder but look forward to getting back to it with the spring thaw. Friends sent us a travel bug to place in a cache. We're going to give it a destination of Oneonta, New York, and see if it beats us home.  

Company!
Yippee! Today friends arrived from Oneonta for a visit. We were all eager for them to arrive. The boys resisted sleep last night, which may be just as well. Our visitors (which include two kids close to Ben and Garrett's ages) will be on east coast time for at least a few days, so they'll all be up late tonight, I fear. Perhaps the boys will sleep in a bit tomorrow? (HA!)

It may work out just fine, though. Garrett helpfully pointed out that C, the five-year-old boy, shouldn't be affected by the time change, because "he can't tell time yet."

Right.

Get Out the Vote
Karl is working on a post about Czech politics. It's got everything: scandal! corruption! audio tape! Prague sewage treatment plant remodel generates corruption. Environment minister out. Takes good and bad down the drain with him. 

Kuky se vrací
The family enjoyed the cinema experience of Kuky, and we gave the boys the DVD for Christmas. Thankfully it has English subtitles. Not sure if it's available on Netflix yet, but it's delightful and worth a viewing. Just know that Czechs are a little looser in their interpretation of language appropriate for a general audience. Just a touch.

Večerníček
We still enjoy a daily dose of Večerníček when schedules permit. My favorite series thus far has been Karlík Zlata rybka (Karl the Goldfish) about a magical fish who hops out of his pond, walks on his back fins, 

and grants wishes for two frogs, Señor and Amigo, in the local swamp.

Yes, it's a little odd. But it has a great theme song. Though it's no Eye of the Tiger it always got Garrett up and grooving.

December inspires tradition in everyone, and Večerníček is no exception. We enjoyed a week or more of Josef Lada stories, and then claymation Vánoční koledy (Christmas carols). The boys liked the Lada but were pleased to see the end of the carols. Last night we started Krteček (Little Mole), a classic Czech cartoon character.

 

Added bonus: much of Krteček is without words, so our guests this week will be able to follow along without any trouble.

Happy Halloween!
Thanks to all who entered the “What's Ben's pumpkin?” contest. Our budding paleontologist designed his pumpkin in the likeness of a triceratops.

Reality Table Manners
A popular post among parents! Our next reward restaurant has been identified: Vytopna Railway Restaurant. It comes with a personal recommendation and looks like loads of fun, especially for the railway enthusiasts among us. That should get them to straighten up and fly right.

The Final Installment
The boys love Riverside. They got swept right up in school-based Christmas activities (pageant, a mini-Christmas market, parties). Ben had a friend over for a play date right before break. (Which is three weeks long -- yikes!)

Both of them are excited about their winter after-school clubs. Ben is in the computer programming club, in which he will "discover how to create worlds, games, animations, and stories." He'll love that. Garrett will be doing the construction club, which will feature building paper airplanes, race car tracks, and Lego forts. That last bit hooked him. One of his teachers, Mr. Potter, will be a co-leader. When I spoke with Mr. Potter about the club, it was unclear who was more excited about it all, him or Garrett.

Food for thought: my sister-in-law Paula wonders if Mr. Potter, who is from England, has a broomstick and wand stashed behind the bookshelves. Hmm.

Mr. Potter at the Year 1 Christmas party. No obvious lightning bolt, but ...

Garrett the Great White
**Breaking news** One of Garrett's front baby teeth fell out this morning! We'll see what the Czech tooth fairy thinks about that tonight. He doesn't have much of a gap, given the two new ones already growing up behind the front row.



That's it for updates and insights.

One word regarding commenting on the blog. I've heard from a number of folks who've been unable to leave comments after posts. New at this blogging gig, I'd had my instructions set to accept comments only from those with accounts (at Google, I think). I've reset that and am hoping that more people will be able -- and will choose! -- to comment.

I'd love to hear from anyone reading this, whether I know you or not. Given the travel nature of some of the posts, the blog is getting traffic from all over the place. If you're so inclined, please leave a comment and let me know where you're from and what brought you here. Thanks!

Merry Christmas to all

Warm wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy, healthy New Year to our family and friends, and to all folks lurking out there! 

Garrett's birthday and first real snow! The boys on our balcony.

Garrett at Kutna Hora

Ben at Vyšehrad

Kate and Karl

Peace on Earth. May it be so. 

Karl, Garrett, Ben & Kate

München ... meh

In retrospect, we might have reconsidered booking our reservation on the Franz Kafka express to Munich.

"Express" in this case meant three trains, an unscheduled two-hour layover in Schwandorf, and sharing a compartment with a smoker belching his way through his fourth Einbecker. Talk about Kafkaesque.

But at least we got to our destination. A little snowfall wreaked havoc on all manner of travel across Europe last weekend. Maybe you heard about it? The biggest disappointment for us was that our friends Chad and Chantal couldn't meet us as planned as their flight was canceled. And they were our impetus for going to Munich!

Guys -- you did not miss anything. It was cold, then it was slushy, the people were surly, the food expensive. Really. Just as well you stayed in Paris for Chantal's birthday.

I'm not even going to post any pictures, because the whole weekend was so unappealing and forgettable.

You heard it here: Munich. Not worth the effort. May as well sign off now and cut our losses.



Go ahead. Go to another link.



Nothing to see here.



Really.






(pssst. We had a great time in Munich! We really don't want Chad, Chantal, and their girls to know how much fun we had, so don't tell them.

Once we got passed the Kafka Express and figured out what to do in town -- we were banking on Chantal being the cruise director for the excursion -- the weekend went beautifully.

Saturday we bundled up and hit the Christmas Markets. I hate to dis' my home away from home, but the Munich Christmas Markets punt the patootie out of the Prague ones. Those Germans. It helps to have invented the concept, I guess.

The Munich markets have themes. Looking for intricate wooden creche figures and nativity accessories? Visit the Kripperlmarkt.


Simply seeking a traditional market experience surrounded by historic buildings? Look no further than Marienplatz, where the crowd turns to New Town Hall to enjoy the Glockenspiel at 11am and noon each day.


We arrived at Marienplatz at 10:55 on Saturday morning and quickly found our spot for the first show. (I'm loathe to admit this also, but the display of the fabled Glockenspiel trumps the show of Prague's Astronomical Clock.)



We climbed the tower of Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church) for a sweeping view of the city and a different perspective of the noontime Glockenspiel.


Market stalls at Marienplatz had all the usual and gorgeous fare ~

Wooden toys and decorations,


Angel orchestras,


irresistible ornaments,


and sumptuous snacks!


When you are traveling with 8- and 6-year-old boys, however, no Münchener market can hold a candle to the Medieval Market at Wittelsbacher Platz.


And these folks take their theme seriously.


What can you pick up at the Medieval Market? Knives and armor,


distilled spirits,


pelts, for cold nights sleeping on the palliass (look it up, and get your mind out of the gutter!)


Entertainment included pointy-shod jugglers launching medieval bowling pins at each other.


Then came the fire. Because it was cold!


These two buffoons were the Middle Ages' answer to the Three Stooges.



And they delighted the boys to no end.








Can you imagine Ben and Garrett's reactions if they'd actually understood what those guys were saying?

After the show we headed back to the hotel to thaw out at the Roman baths,


and then piled on the layers again to grab some dinner at the markets.

These fine fellows prepared my meal,


pork and bread kebab with a creamy dill sauce.


The boys headed straight to the hot cocoa stall.


One nice touch at the Munich markets was that hot drinks came in actual mugs, not "to-go" cups. You had to plunk down a three- to five-euro deposit, but the ceramic mugs were homier and held in the heat.


Candles radiated warmth and intimacy at tables, creating a convivial atmosphere for folks gathering on an otherwise bitter cold night.


And lively music kept patrons' feet tapping.


When the cocoa mugs were drained and the music died down, we headed to bed, anticipating our big Sunday outing.

Zugspitze

We may not have known exactly what was what in Munich, but Karl worked out an amazing day for us out to the mountains on Sunday. We caught the 8:32 train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen at the foot of the German Alps.


Garmisch is the quintessential Bavarian village, complete with half-timbered houses and onion-domed churches, that every Oom-pah-pah-wannabee town around the world mimics. Often poorly. (And Leavenworth, Washington, I'm looking at you.)

From Garmisch we rode a cogwheel railway to Zugspitzplatt.


Leaving Lake Eibsee, 1,000 m/3,281 ft


Zugspitzplatt, 2,600 m/8,530 ft


We rented sleds.

And then the real fun began.



We also rented goggles for the boys. Garrett wasn't so sure about them, but I told him they would protect his eyes. And make him look cool.

"Like a dude?"


"Yup. Like a dude, Garrett."





After lunch in the restaurant -- with a table at the window -- we boarded our next form of transportation: a cable car to the top of Germany.


Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain, is at 2,962 m/9,718 ft, so it was unsurprising that my heart was racing and I was so short of breath. It had nothing, nothing, to do with the hair-raising cable car ride up to the peak.


The view was spectacular.


Garrett wasn't a fan of the wind driving icy, biting needles into his eyeballs. Too bad we'd had to return the dude googles.




And then, as if the ride up weren't enough, we descended a mile in roughly 10 minutes, crammed into another cable car with about 30 skiers and snowboarders.


Not a lot of shots out of the cable car as I was too busy focused on my mantra to get me down:

Many people have done this and lived,
many people have done this and lived, ...
(again, with feeling)

If you care to see the cable car, you can check out this site which describes the roundtrip adventure. English is available under "language" if you don't link straight to the translation.

The boys and Karl weren't the least anxious about the wind whistling through the car or the precarious heights we traversed.




It was an exhilarating ride. Glad we did it. Glad to be done with it.


Following Sunday's snowy climes, and climb, we opted for something completely different on Monday.

The Botanical Garden

One greenhouse featured plants that thrived during the time of the dinosaurs.

Ben was unsure what fate might await him if he weren't on the alert.


Overall, a lovely serene setting which induced a state of tranquility.


In some of us.


In the afternoon, Karl and the boys had a fantastic time at the Deutsches Museum, one of the oldest and biggest museums of science and technology, and I did some solo Christmas shopping at the Marienplatz market.

Home

While we had a chance to enjoy the snow without too much inconvenience, the weather scrambled many people's holiday travel plans. It turns out that Chantal and Chad's flight out of Munich on Monday evening was also canceled, so ultimately it was just as well they didn't find themselves stranded Christmas week.

We felt quite fortunate on Tuesday, therefore, to board the Albert Einstein express to Prague


and find that it was one train, straight to Prague, with an on-time arrival.


That clever Einstein.


Chad and Chantal -- if you've made it this far -- we missed you. It was fun, but would have been much more so with your family!



Joyeux Anniversaire, Chantal! Merry Christmas everyone!


More pictures, if you like ~


Giant Christmas Pyramid at Kripperlmarkt, Peterskirche tower


New Town Hall from Peterskirchen


What boys do at Christmas markets


Artists await their meal


The monk of Munich

(I didn't realize that "Munich" means, basically, "monktown." Learning this had the unfortunate effect of leaving me humming, "Won't you take me to Monky-town" throughout the weekend.)


Oooo, shiny!


Dragon terrorizing New Town Hall


Cool knives at the Medieval Market


What happens when you're left out in the elements


MadLibs


View from the train home