Prague Untour, Fall of 2001
by Tom and Shirley Bekey, Phoenix, AZ
We left home on Tuesday, the 18” of September, just a week after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. We were scared to death that something might happen. However, after seeing the level of security in operation at the airport, we felt a whole lot better. We had a direct flight from Phoenix to Frankfurt, Germany, with Lufthansa. Their service was smooth, polished and very good. However, 12 hours in the air is quite a long time. Needless to say, by the time we reached Prague and were met by Ms Alena Peslova at the airport, we were ready to collapse. Her wonderful smile and charming manner, made things a whole lot better, right away. Also the cash machine at the airport was most convenient. Better than trying to change money at home.
At our apartment, we were met by another gracious and smiling Untours staff member, as well as the apartment owner, Doctor Cervenik. To help us get oriented, Dr. Cervenik personally escorted us from the apartment to the Staromestska namesti, providing some personal observations about the area, Prague and life in the Czech Republic in general. A delightful start to a wonderful stay. A brief stroll around the area and supper, however, were all that we could manage, before returning to the apartment and sleep. The apartment couldn’t have been better. Convenient to Stare Mesto area and public transportation, as well as stores and restaurants.
Early Thursday morning we strolled across the Charles Bridge and down the stairs onto Kampa Island, heading for the Kampa Hotel and Alena’s briefing. It really was quite complete. My main suggestion for the future, would be to add information on intercity bus travel, for any visitors who plan to travel around the Czech Republic on their own. Once we figured out how to locate a bus schedule at the depot, and also how to read the individual schedules, travel around the country became quite easy.
On Friday morning several of us met at the Opera House, to take a bus tour around the city. Just the thing to get an overview of the historic portions of Prague. Now the maps and photo. of the area began to make sense. The only change might be either a slightly earlier start, to get us back in time for a midday meal, or else the suggestion that we bring some food, to tide us over. Dinner that evening, followed by music at Villa Amenka, Dvorak’s home, capped a wonderful day. Your crew did a magnificent job putting it all together for us. Neither Shirley, nor I, imagined that things would simply get better and better.
One early and important stop for me, was a visit to where my grandfather had his store, on both the ground and first floor, front corner of the Koruna Building. Would he have gotten a kick to see that a portion of his store area is now occupied by Dunkin Donuts! He would have loved it. I also found, on Narodni Tridena where my dad’s store, Tailor Bekey, English Clothes, had been located till 1938. Also, a block away I found the apartment building where I lived as an infant, although I don’t remember it at all, being just one year old when we left.
It was devasting to read the names of my grandparents and uncles on the walls of the Pinkas Synagogue, among so many others. However my gloom and sadness was replaced by incredible joy, at the Maisel Synagogue. There, in a case, on the south wall, among various home ritual items, is a pair of silver candlesticks. Several years ago, my parents gave me and my wife, an identical set of candlesticks that they had purchased, as newlyweds, in Prague, in 1928. Today, my daughter and her husband have those special candlesticks in their home in New York.
For me, Prague means wonderful music and wonderful music means Prague. For our visit it was concert after concert; one better than the other. One night we listened to a string group in St George’s Basilica, at the castle. Another night it was a horn and organ recital in a church. A special surprise was hearing a group of children’s voices coming from another church, late one afternoon. When we stepped inside we discovered a children’s choir, practicing for an upcoming event. Their voices were so delicate and lovely. Still another night was a piano recital in the Hall of Mirrors at the Klementinum. However the absolute high point, musically, was to sit in the third row center of the Rudolfinum, and hear the Prague Philharmonic led by Vladimir Ashkenazi, play Strauss and Shastakovich. Wow!!
Prague also means food. What could be better than sitting in a sidewalk café on Parizska, watching the city go by. How about roast pork and dumplings, like I grew up on. Also there was some wonderful fish at the U Golem, vegetarian food at Country Life, for next to nothing and bagels at the Internet Café. When restaurant food began to be too much, we stopped at the corner store, the open air market and even downstairs at Tesco. In addition, there were “parkie” (hot sausages), goulash, game, and more. Also wonderful baked goods, rolls filled with poppy seeds, fruit covered pastries, and stuff slathered with whipped cream and chocolate.
Then there was the sunny afternoon that we spent doing almost nothing. Nothing that is, except for sitting at an outdoor café, on the banks of the Vltava, enjoying Sacher Torte and Viennese Coffee, full of ‘schlag’. So good. At five that afternoon, I just had to phone my parents, in Southern California. Caught them at breakfast. They laughed and cried and we had a wonderful conversation. They also gave us instructions, in no uncertain terms, to have a snack and coffee for them, at what was their favorite hangout, Slavia, opposite the opera house. Of course we complied the next day with strudel, wine and more Viennese coffee. We also took photos for them to see how the place looks today.
Two days weren’t enough time to see all of the castle and its grounds. Then there was the funicular up Petrin to the tower. Of course we had to climb to the top, after going through the maze. Mom had a story to share about the tower. When she was young she had a suitor that her parents liked, but she didn’t. Apparently he was sort of fat. So, Mom went with him to the top of the tower, climbing all of those stairs. I guess that it nearly killed him and ended the ‘romance’. Mom said that she and her girl friends thought that was a wonderful way to deal with a guy that they didn’t like.
Beyond Prague, we took the bus to Kutna Hora to visit the old mines and the mint. My grandmother had a dry goods store there, on the central square, before she married my grandfather. Then we took busses to Karlovy Vary, where dad had his second store, in the same building as Mr. Moser’s glass business, next to the Hotel Pupp. Then it was on to Ceske Krumlov and the castle with its poor, sad looking bears. Finally it was back to Prague to spend our last night in a Pension close to the airport, because we had an early flight home. Alena located the place for us and it was really great. The location was perfect, across the street from the bus stop. Our hostess told us about a nearby restaurant that had wonderful food. She also arranged for a taxi to pick us up in time to be at the airport by 5:00 AM, as requested by the airline. Unfortunately, because of flight schedule changes that were out of everybody’s control, it took us some extra time to get home. In Frankfurt, the ever helpful Lufthansa staff provided us with coupons for lunch, took care of all of our needs, and redirected our bags to the right airplane. I’ve heard people say that Lufthansa isn’t accommodating, when things don’t go according to plan. That was not the case for us. We couldn’t have been treated better. Everything was taken care of and we had nothing to worry about.
Rather than flying directly from Frankfurt to Phoenix, we were put on a later plane to Denver. Not a good place to transfer from a foreign to a domestic airline. First it was about half a mile from the gate to Customs and Immigration, without the availability of trains. It was walk, walk, walk, with some moving slidewalks and an inadequate number of carts for the incapacitated. Fortunately for us, our gate was located close to the central spine of the airport which reduced the distance we had to hike by about 50%. Then we went to the area where we were supposed to set up connections for the domestic legs of our journey. No signs letting us know what was happening, where to place our bags, or anything. Also, no staff to assist us or let us know where to go or what to do. Just a long line of worried people and bank of arrival and departure monitors. Fortunately a Sky Cap brought some bags in and told us that we needed to put our luggage in a certain place and that they would be sent out to the appropriate planes. Fortunately almost all of us spoke English. I wonder about foreign travelers who only speak other languages. The Denver airport is not at all hospitable for them. The final leg of our trip was on a Shuttle by United, back to Phoenix, arriving home some 24 1/2 hours after leaving the Pension in Prague.
It was a fantastic trip. The Untours staff, both here and in Prague, were wonderful. Now we have to decide where we want to go with Untours, next year.