Style and comfort

Before we move on, I should share a bit about the beautiful hotel we chose in Linz.  Hotel am Domplatz  wasn't actually finished when we booked our stay but promised to be special, even then.  We have the corner room on the first floor, overlooking the Mariendom - the one with the blinds drawn when this photo was taken.

Our room is almost all glass.  Behind the bed, there's the bathroom - with separate, closed in loo!

 

From the bathroom, you can see where I sit and blog...or curl up and read on a rather comfy sofa.

There is no real room for art, but on the one solid wall, there hangs a (very reflective, sorry) panel with some braille script.  I'd like to think it describes, in some way, the view that is revealed to those of us lucky enough to be able to enjoy it.

Pretty good, eh?

Though yes, it is a bit like living in a goldfish bowl, so the net curtains remain closed.  Shame.

Oh, nearly forgot.  The view from the loo. Densely frosted glass with one small clear strip at eye level.  Works well.

European Capital of Culture 2009

With this magnificent cathedral outside our door, it was clear where to begin our exploration of the city.

 

For me, it was the beautiful, modern stained glass which made it so special.  I loved the picture panels, the richness of colour and the lovely, realistic portraits of the people depicted.

I also rather liked the pixel-like patterns on the very modern windows towards the altar, which replaced some damaged during WW2. 

Our next stop was the Postlingberg, from where we could see a grand view of the city - so much larger and more industrial than our short walk had suggested.  We reached the summit via the tram, said to be the steepest track railway in Europe - and very popular too.

We hopped off the tram at the ARS Electronica Centre - a rather fascinating mix of science, art and technology.  The 3D journey through the universe was rather mind-boggling (for me at least) but the more creative exhibits were fascinating, particularly the small, quiet machines which didn't attract the attention of every ten year old in the building! 

This structure, made from a network of plastic tags and feathers wafted gently in a man-made breeze, lit from several points against a black background.  So effective and so gentle.  Other small machines were equally fascinating and somewhat captivating; Edward in particular, loved Theo Jansen's Strandbeest films.

The attractions of this city of culture are quite tiring, even for us, the most enthusiastic of visitors, so we returned to the Hauptplatz for ice-coffee and a little light window shopping - well, I had seen a wool shop on the way out this morning!

This evening, we've enjoyed a second night at the Klosterhof, this time out in the beer garden where the sun shone until well after eight and the leberkaese was as tasty as ever.  We were "welcomed back" and felt rather at home there.

Oh dear...time to move on!  Salzburg tomorrow.

Honey pot

We left Karlovy Vary this morning, heading south towards Linz but planning to stop in Cesky Krumlov , world heritage site and according to the Lonely Planet guide, the most beautiful town in Central Europe.

So I guess we shouldn't have been surprised to find it crowded.

Of course, the buildings were as beautiful, the square as attractive - but the crowds, coupled with the showery weather meant that we didn't feel as enthusiastic as we might have done.

Whilst there I kept an eye open for Magic Armchair Traveller Sue, on holiday nearby, yet hoping at the same time that she visited on a quieter, more sunshiney day than today.

As we walked back to the car, we couldn't resist joining the queue for some trdelnik which were delicious!

We drove along the Vltava river for many miles, following the progress of families canoeing down the river and camping alongside.  More of an adventure than usual for the river is so high right now.

We arrived here in Linz late afternoon and checked into our almost-new hotel in the shadow of the Mariendom.  It's a beautiful place, stunning design and so very comfortable.  A glass bathroom is an interesting feature, though, especially considering those large glass windows! 

Another day, another spa...or two

Our guidebook suggested that Marianske Lazne was worth a visit and so it turned out to be

Altogether different to Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne was quieter, less flashy and set amongst lovely gardens with a more open feel to it.  The primary language on the street was German rather than Russian and the average age rather more than sixty!  We imagined our grandparents enjoying a week here, promenading and sitting in the gardens watching the world go by.  They would have remembered to be by the fountain on the dot of every other hour, to hear it "sing" (ie play a recording of some piece or other) and they'd have taken tea at one of the charming cafes along the Colonnade.

They may have been braver than us and "taken the waters", paying 5kp to leave their cup in this repository rather than carry it to and fro all day.

We simply enjoyed being there, watching people and admiring the fine architecture.  From time to time we gazed upward and spotted an oddity or two

What would our Grandparents have made of that cosmonaut in the painting on the ceiling?

This afternoon's spa was Frantiskovny Lazne, which made Marianske Lazne seem like a riot.  The central promenade was reminiscent of a Disney Main Street, perfectly manicured and primped with matching yellow buildings and red geraniums.

We couldn't stand the pace and headed back to Karlovy Vary, for an afternoon watching people go by from behind a glass or two.  We were entertained by a few players from the local orchestra who played a few light classics to the crowds in the Colonnade. 

and a small conductor joined in the fun whilst us oldies cooed at his charm.

Time to move on, perhaps!

Somewhere else

At least when the crowds descend on Karlovy Vary, we have the option of going somewhere else and that's what we did today.

The Somewhere Else today was Loket , a really attractive town situated in the bend of a river (hence the German name Elbogen) with a castle high on a hill, centre stage.

We spent a happy afternoon looking around the castle, the nearby church and then into the square and the town itself.  Because everyone else was in Karlovy Vary, we had Loket almost to ourselves.

You can guess what we did then, I imagine.

 We think it's so important to support the local economy, don't you?