(I apologize for a bit of a scattered trip report. I usually format these better with my laptop, but I’m still in Europe.)
I was able to fly standby on a full flight for an earlier flight out of Spokane to Seattle. Our forecast was gusty winds picking up during the day, so I was happy to get on the way two hours earlier since the smaller planes feel it more. It ends up that a few ladies and their manager had a conference in Seattle, and their manager decided to drive which opened up this one seat for me. This was one of my worst turbulence flights, and the lady next to me was scared. She thanked me when we landed, recognizing I had been calmly talking her through the worst of it. The rest of the flights were uneventful. I did have a wonderful seat mate on the Amsterdam-to-Prague flight who grew up in Czech Republic and has lived near Minneapolis for the past five years. She comes back each year to visit, and her eyes lit up when I mentioned I was staying in Cesky Krumlov for a couple of days before the tour began.
While I was waiting at the Amsterdam airport, I went ahead and just reserved a private ride from the Prague airport. The notes in Rick’s guidebook warned of taxi gouging, and I wanted something stress-free after 24 hours of travel. It was my first experience of my name written on a hand-held board at an airport as I walked by baggage claim. The ride gave me a nice view of my neighborhood area since the traffic was heavy.
My initial hotel 1-night stop in Prague was The Charles Hotel, chosen from the reviews & location map on Booking. It was 1 block from the start of the Charles Bridge on the left bank. Wow, perfect location! I walked in the opposite direction first to the gorgeous St. Nicolas Church, explored a few blocks in each direction, & picked up some deep red cherry tomatoes at one of the market stands on the square as I returned. I walked towards the Charles Bridge, thoroughly enjoyed photographing and savoring my first looks of the city. Wow, amazingly beautiful!
The young man at the hotel reception told me he had good & bad news when I checked in. My room had been upgraded - good! But it was on the 4th floor now, and the elevator only goes up to the 3rd floor. He said he would carry my suitcase for me, but I smiled as I pivoted and showed him I just had the Cotopaxi so it was all good. The attic room was huge with my own internal hall. Lots of exposed wood trusses, a large nicely-painted scene of the beautiful street buildings in this neighborhood on one wall, three upholstered chairs and two sets of windows with views of the illuminated castle at night, …and a coffee maker in the room - perfect! It had that homey feel of history where I could picture old treasures stored up here or someone like the March girls of “Little Women” spinning their next story aloud for a play.
Since I can pick my time zone, I like to get up early. I had a shower, an excellent breakfast and was out on the bridge while there were only a few others walking or jogging. I’m not a fan of large crowds, and this was perfect to enjoy the city without them - great first impression! Walking into the central spot with the astronomical clock and gorgeous architecture, it was easy to take photos without people in them. The buildings are stunning! Many cities use Trompe l'oeil for window facades, but all of these were the real thing! I walked up the steep hill to the govenor buildings before returning to my hotel.
My CKShuttle ride to Cesky Krumlov arrived at 12:30pm. The trip took three hours, including a 5-minute stop at a combo gas station/Burger King halfway there. This shuttle was so convenient picking up & dropping off at my hotels.