It was an adventure...

Joel & I arrived safely in Missoula yesterday evening after an exciting biking trip from Vienna, Austria to Prague, Czech Repulic. We just got the blog up & running while we were gone so I will try my best to post highlights from our adventure. I kept a journal while overseas so I will use excerpts from its contents & will try not to bore you with the details. This was a trip through REI...we highly recommend them. They organize trips all over the world...you can choose from biking, cycling, hiking, climbing, etc. or a combination of outdoor sports. 

www.rei.com/adventures






J & I really enjoyed this trip specifically because it combined two of our favorite activities: exercise & good food!! No, we didn't feel bad for eating that apple strudel or two (apfelstrudel to the Viennese) after biking 30 miles uphill! J loved the wiener schnitzel which is basically breaded veal cutlets (sometimes with pork or turkey). 

Beef goulash, wiener schnitzel & LOTS of potatoes at Cafe Diglas

As many of you know, my husband loves to shop & can find atleast one "awesome" item everywhere we go. So, I must share this story...first, I would have to recommend Rick Steves. If you have limited time in an unfamiliar European destination...his travel books assist you in hitting all the top sites in a straightforward format without overwhelming you with all the details. We took advantage of Ricks version of the Vienna city walk. The walk connected the top three sights in Vienna's old center: the Opera, St. Stephens Cathedral, & the Hofburg Palace. We shopped Karntner Strasse which is basically a crass commercial outdoor pedestrian mall. Did I mention that my husband can just about out shop any woman I know??...o.k. we venture in to J & L Lobmeyr Crystal & Joel almost immediately discovers an "awesome" item. A small, intricately decorated piece of crystal that could just about fit in the palm of your hand...98 euros carefully inscribed on the bottom, or so we thought...
J: "We'll take two."
J & L Lobmeyr saleswoman: "Oh, yes. This is fine piece. One of a kind. Only one."
Price check: 980 euros
(fyi: conversion rate at the time of our trip was 1 euro = 1.31 US dollars)
If you do the math, I'm sure you've figured out why we decided we could live without this lovely piece. Joel & I got several laughs out of that situation.

J & L Lobmeyr Crystal. I guess we should have paid closer attention when Rick said if you're in the market for some $400 napkin rings, Lobmeyr's your place!

The majority of our biking took place on the Austrian/Czech border. We made our way through the Czech regions of Moravia & Bohemia before reaching our endpoint, Prague (or Praha in Czech). 

Needless to say road biking in a third world country has its share of surprises. Cycling & sharing the road that is the size of a golf cart path with locals who choose to drive at a minimum of 50 mph was a challenge at times. There were a few instances where J & I were grateful that all our limbs were intact. 


J & I enjoyed the UNESCO town of Cesky Krumlov. We found a little restaurant called Bolero on the Vltava river & discovered a delicacy, blueberry dumplings! 

Cesky Krumlov

Czech blueberry dumplings

I think one of the more challenging components to blogging is trying to figure out where to end...so, to avoid starting a long winded trend...& the to-do list...I must end this entry.


Blessings to you all across the miles...