Golf Club Konopiště

I'm just killing time before I'd head to the school where a bus will pick us up for the camp. Oh the camp... I'm dreading it and can't wait to be done with it.

Anywho...

I've agonized for a while thinking the right gift for A as it was his birthday last Sunday. Then I remembered he wanted to try driving. He's been translating this monthly golf magazine for CZ subscribers that he knows all about golf theories than you could ever imagine. So it wasn't a surprise when he wanted to put the theories in action.

Golf is "for the rich" here. The golf clubs are mostly for members only but we (my co-teacher helped me) were able to find a few that welcome beginners. Among them is Golf Club Konopiště. It's about 50 km away from Prague and is very near Konopiště Castle.

To learn about Golf Club Konopiště, visit http://www.gcko.cz/. You can set for an appointment with a trainer if you want to play it right from the start. That's what I did. I called them and they gave me the mobile number of one of their trainers. The fee is 600 kč/ 30 minutes. The first lesson usually lasts for an hour. The fee already covers for a club, balls and of course, the use of the driving range.

A liked it. I think he'll be good at it. He was already hitting between 70- 100 m when it was just his first time. Me? I think I'll pass. I tried it back in Cebu but I was terrible, a consequence for not really having the heart for it.

Out of Prague

I'll be out of the city for a week starting tomorrow. It's the school's annual Spring camp again, which means I'll be tortured for a week being around with pumped up kids. It's just for a week, it's just for a week... this I'm chanting in my head over and over again.

One more month, not counting the camp, and the schoolyear will be over. Can't wait, certainly counting down the days....

What gets your goat?

Here's my quick list today:

1. Rudeness. There's always a nice way to say things or to stress your point. Yelling, calling names, and making faces go back to the stone age.

2. People whining at and about work all the time. Quit your job then. No one is forcing you on it.

3. Backbiting. Either you have the courage to spit it out in my face or forever hold your peace.

4. People who react strongly to being corrected. I'm sometimes guilty of this, I have to admit, but at least I don't take it personally. Everyone's flawed-- yourself included.

5. Temporary amnesia. If we're going Dutch, don't hide behind the convenience of temporary amnesia when the bill arrives. And if you're supposed to chip in, don't wait till I smack you in the head to remember.

St. Wolfgang

When we were driving towards Salzburg, we saw a huge lake with houses around it. I looked at the map and thought it was Wolfgangsee (Lake Wolfgang). It was so picturesque that we decided to drop by before driving back to CZ. We did just that except that I was wrong. It wasn't Lake Wolfgang. It was actually Lake Mond. A quick browse on our guide book made us decide to head for the real Lake Wolfgang. It was said to be a place worth visiting for.

Here's a video taken from St. Wolfgang, a town at the far end of the lake and which is 50 km from Salzburg. It's quite dark because I took it at twilight. The whole place just swept us off our feet. I can't think of an adjective to describe it, it would be like an understatement. You have to go and experience the place, breathe its crisp air, feel the warmth of its people, and maybe, just maybe you can find the right word to describe it.


We would like to go back asap. There are hundreds of pension houses, B and B's, and hotels. If you'd like to visit in summer, you have to make a reservation at least five months in advance.

We stayed at Haus Zimmermann. The view from our room was breathtaking. It was for 27 euros/person which comes with free breakfast. The owner spoke very good English. Room was very clean with TV, hot/cold shower, a telephone, hairdryer and of course, the amazing view of the lake from the terrace. She said if you'll stay more than one night, the price will be only for 24 euros/person.

Here's how to contact them:

5360 ST. WOLFGANG Ried 110
Austria
Tel: +43 (0)6138/2461
Email: haus.zimmermann@gmx.at
www.tiscover.com/zimmermann

Salzburg, Austria (part 2)

The best thing about Salzburg is its alpine setting. The closest peak is only a few kilometers from the center. When we were nearing the city we were all oohs and aahhs at the breathtaking view of the mountains.

This photo was taken from "Festung Hohensalzburg." The view gets better and better as you climb higher and higher. Prague also has a magnificent view of the city from the castle. If you take away the Alps and put red color on the roofs, the view would be more or less the same. But Salzburg does have the Alps and this alone gives it an edge from other beautiful European cities.

To quote A, "Mozart is so omnipresent here." From chocolates to magnets, he is indeed everywhere in Salzburg. The house where he was born is well preserved and was swarmed by tourists when we passed by. We also passed by his monument (in pic) on our way to the fortress. There were benches in this square and lots of flowers in their full glory.

For Christmas addicts like me, this city is the place to shop for ornaments. Yes, they have a shop called "Christmas in Salzburg" and it's open all year round. It has everything you could ever imagine buying-- angels, stars, wreaths, they've got it all. They also ship your orders if you want them to. A few meters from "Christmas in Salzburg" is "Easter in Salzburg." Eggs with intricate designs, bunnies, anything you want for Easter, they have it there as well.

The old town has stores where you could shop till you drop. I didn't shop because everything was drop-dead expensive for me. I just bought a magnet for our fridge, which is a current hobby-- adorning it with magnets from our trips abroad.

Now you know where to shop. But where to stay?

There are lots of hotels, hostels or pension houses in the city depending on your budget. We ended up at this pension house right smack in the center, just a few minutes walk from the old town. I forgot its name but it doesn't matter. I wont recommend it anyway. The price was only 46 euros for two people and we thought ok, that's affordable considering its location. But dang, in our room the floorboard creaked on each step, the bed squeaked loudly each time we moved even just a teeny tiny bit, and since we were very near the cathedral, we were at the mercy of its churchbells. They rang every 15 minutes ending at 10pm and waking us up at 5am.

So what's my verdict? With its beauty and charming people, it's hard not to heart Salzburg.

Salzburg, Austria (part 1)

Salzburg is the fourth largest city in Austria. It is very close to the German border, only 150 km away from Munich. From Prague, it is a gruelling five-hour drive, but the beautiful Austrian landscape, uncompromised by irritating billboards, makes the aches and pains worth it all.

The city is noted for its Alpine setting. The old town reminds me that of Prague's, dominated by baroque buildings. The huge "Festung Hohensalzburg" or "High Salzburg Fortress" sits imposingly on a hill. It is massive. It's the biggest castle I've seen, and I live in CZ where castles are almost everywhere.

Like anywhere else in Austria, the city is very clean. I hate to admit it but it's starkly different from CZ where you can see a plastic bottle here and there, graffiti hurting your eyes and ruining the view, garbage disposed where it shouldn't be. Austria is first world at its best.

Here are some pics from our trip:

The Mirabell Palace and Gardens. It was a delight to find this place when we were actually looking for a WC right after arriving in Salzburg. We were like, "Oh, this is pretty! Wonder what this place is called?" It was only later when I remembered it from a scene in the movie. (The Sound of Music, of course.) I rummaged for the travel guide inside my bag, and there it was, written as one of the must-see places in the city.

The massive Salzburg Fortress sits imposingly on Festungberg Hill. It's easy to find because the city is quite small and the tourist attractions are mainly in the center. You can climb the fortress on foot or you can use the funicular railway available with a fee, of course. We chose to climb it on foot but didn't enter the castle. We aren't great fans of castles' interiors so we just marvelled at the view below. I have no doubt the view is even better from the tower. Maybe next time, if there will be a next time, we'll enter it. Entrance fee is 7 euros/adult.

The streets of Salzburg are narrow, like in Prague. The locals go on a bike to get around. Bikes are parked everywhere. It's a healthy choice or is it a choice at all since driving in Salzburg is a challenge? Parking is another story. It took us almost half an hour circling the city just to look for a parking space. You can park along the streets for 1 euro/hour. We were lucky because it was a holiday on our first day there so parking was for free.

Each place has a charm but what makes it more charming and your visit memorable is of course the people. I loved it there. The locals are friendly, very polite--- and customer service is everywhere! This is something I really missed, something that is sorely lacking in Prague.

In a pizzeria there, the waiter/owner asked me if I didn't like my pasta because I didn't eat everything. I said it was good but the serving was just too big for me. He then good-naturedly reprimanded me for not telling him earlier to give me only half of the serving. He said he didn't want me to waste money on food I couldn't finish eating. It was amusing. First time in Europe someone made a fuss about me wasting money, hehe. What's more, he actually charged us only half of the price for my food! Now that's what I call customer service.

More to come about Salzburg and St. Wolfgang, another place in Austria we visited. Till then.

Prelude to Salzburg

I took Friday off from work so I could have a long break since Thursday was a holiday. We drove to Austria and spent three days there. The original plan was to drive to Munich in Germany, then head to Salzburg in Austria before driving back home to Prague. I wasn't really sold out in going to Munich because I've never been crazy about big cities. Count me in only for off the beaten tracks.

A had been so keen on visiting Salzburg. I was kinda lukewarm about it at first but a click on wikipedia changed the whole temperature. I was suddenly burning with excitement!

Some facts about Salzburg, courtesy of Wikipedia, which really tickled my pickle:

1. The composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born and raised in Salzburg, for whose archbishops he worked from 1769 to 1781. His house of birth and residence are tourist attractions. His family is buried in a small church graveyard in the old town, and there are many monuments to "Wolferl" in the city.

2. Josef Mohr was born in Salzburg. Together with Franz Gruber, he composed and wrote the text for "Silent Night". As a priest in neighbouring Oberndorf he performed the song for the first time in 1818.

3. Maria Von Trapp (later Maria Trapp) and her family lived in Salzburg until they fled to America following the Nazi takeover.

4. " The Sound of Music," The phenomenally successful Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was shot on lots of real locations around Salzburg.

Number four sealed the deal for me. The movie was a huge part of my childhood. I watched it numerous times, memorized the songs by heart. "Edelweiss" was my most favorite and of course, the immortal "Do Re Mi." So we totally scrapped Munich off from the itinerary. We were set to visit the place which unknowingly contributed so much among the best memories of my childhood.

Here's the video of "Do Re Mi" from the movie. You betcha we've visited and seen those places for real. :)


Will post pics and write about Salzburg soon. Ta-ta for now.