Saturday, October 21stOn Saturday, we had an API trip to Karlovy Vary, a spa town an hour and forty minutes from Prague. I went into the trip knowing only that one of the hotels in the town was the inspiration for the Grand Budapest Hotel in The Grand Budapest Hotel.
We met up with our tour guide who would be leading us on our journey to the healing waters. Jana stopped us at a shop to try spa wafers, which you can learn about here. There are different flavors and you can get them warm; I got a warm vanilla wafer because that's the traditional flavor. I really liked it; it was like two big communion wafers with a frosting in the middle.
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| Trying spa wafers |
Karlovy Vary is known for its hot springs that people go to drink from. The water is full of minerals and is (allegedly) good for your digestive system. Most people have a porcelain spa cup to drink the water from and you can't walk ten feet without bumping into a shop or stand that sells them (so of course I bought one). Katelyn and I promised to drink from every spring, and that was a mistake. The water from each spring tastes a little different, but there's usually a hint of warm dirt, sulfur, salt, and the taste you get when you bite your tongue. Each spring also has a different temperature -- the hottest was 164 degrees Fahrenheit. While I did not love the taste of the water, it was a fun experience.
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Spa cups
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Katelyn getting some healing waters
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| Trying the healing waters |
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Becherovka, a popular Czech herbal bitters, is made in Karlovy Vary
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Indoor hot spring
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Indoor hot spring fountain
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Minerals from the water solidify (which is why you're not supposed to drink too much at once)
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Our last stop on the tour was the Grand Hotel Pupp, which was the inspiration for the hotel in The Grand Budapest Hotel. It has been a filming location for a few movies and hosted a lot of famous people. There are plaques on the ground outside of the main entrance with the names of famous people who have stayed there. Some of my idols -- Ludwig van Beethoven and Steve Buscemi -- had plaques.
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Grand Hotel Pupp
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After the tour, we got lunch and went up the funicular to see the view from a lookout tour.
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| At lunch |
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Soup
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| View of Karlovy Vary |
I spent the remainder of the afternoon frolicking around the town (purchasing a spa cup and wafers) before meeting for the bus back to Prague.
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My spa cup
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Spa wafer stand
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| Interesting architectural contrast |
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Sunset from my bus window
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More pictures!
Sunday, October 22nd
Sadie, Aislinn, and I went to a fall festival for some pumpkin food, but it was mostly little kids and we got scared, so we went to the Mexican restaurant from a few posts back instead. I got the exact same thing and it was exactly as good as last time.
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Someone doesn't like goulash
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That night, I went to an HC Sparta hockey game with some friends. We were right next to the fan section and were able to join in the parts of the chants we understood.
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Pre-hockey game
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Go team!
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