Memories of Eastern Europe

Some years ago Vicki and I traveled to Budapest, where we met our hiking group. From there we traveled to the High Tatras Mountains of Slovakia for a week of fine hiking. The mountains run along the edge of Poland, and at one point it was possible to have one foot in Poland and one in Slovakia. We had a good group, and there was a lot of laughter and fun.

One day we were driving through rural Slovakia, when a grouping of “out of place” high rise buildings came into sight. Theses ugly structures were built years earlier by the communists, when they took over the country. Later we went to a spa in Poland that had been a favorite of Russian leaders. The building was “grand” in the sense that it was large and ostentatious. It took up too much space. The hallways were oversized as were the different rooms. It was a pompous structure that tried to boast importance. However, my experience of the structure was that it was grim, joyless, and empty.

This building in contrast to the architecture of Krakow was striking. That city was perhaps the most beautiful urban place I had ever seen. A large square was surrounded by beautiful buildings. Music was everywhere, and horse drawn carriages took tourists here and there. A river encircled the town.

Later we spent some days in Prague, another beautiful city. The city was alive with visitors, many of them students. The beer was cheap and tasty. I could buy a glass of Pilsner Urquell for fifty cents.  The food was good and the people friendly.

After some days Vicki and I hired a driver to take us to Karlovy Vary, a spa town about 80 miles from Prague. We stayed in a small, comfortable hotel and hiked for miles through the forests that surrounded this quaint town. We had wonderful meals and were sorry, when our driver picked us up a few days later. We returned to Prague and the next day flew to the United States.