Cesky Krumlov Monday 18 July 2011

We are off to Prague today and the weather has turned. It is gloomy and damp with no hint of the hot sunny weather we enjoyed yesterday.
I have an early breakfast and walk to the coach for 08:00. We are leaving at 09:00 from the coach pick-up/drop off point where I can wait for 30 minutes.
All of the group are happy to walk but a little unsure of the way so Nicola will meet everyone at 08:45 and walk them to the coach.
I look at the route and can't decide whether to go via the E55 or E49. The mileage is about the same with the E55 having more little bits of motorway but the E49 looks a straighter road. The dilemma's I have! Whatever way I go is going to take a while due to the lack of motorway and dual carriageway.
The journey is about 160km and I expect it to take about two and a half hours.
I pay the parking, 800czk (£30.00), and drive to meet the group.

Hollie is on her first day of work experience today at Steep infant school so good luck Dopes!! You'll do a great job.

The passengers arrive at 09:00 a little damp and we are soon away. I only have 14 on today as the other 6 have all been to Prague before and want to spend the time in Cesky Krumlov.
It rains, we queue due to an accident involving a car and lorry, we queue due to a very severe accident to a lorry and we queue due to roadworks and a pedestrian crossing being worked by a policemen! We lose time and this is before we have even tried to drive through Prague!
I still wasn't sure which way to go when we reached Ceske Budejevice (half an hour away) and this is where you choose. The sat nav went blank and turned itself off so I decided to follow the Prague signs taking me via the E55.
We arrive in Prague at 12:10 and thankfully the city was very quiet with traffic.
I managed to park where I wanted by the river and walked the group the 10 minutes to the fabulous old town square.
From here they were on their own but I had provided them with maps and pointed out where the highlights were.
Mrs McQuaid is meeting her cousin and other relatives here and the text I received earlier asked her to meet at Wencelas Statue at 14:00.
I feel a little sorry for her as she seems a little unsure of which way to go and cannot leave her to her own devices so I walk her to Wencelas Square and she recognises where she is.
I have told everybody we are departing at 16:30 and make sure Mrs McQuaid is aware of the time.
I have a walk round but it is very busy. I love Prague but am not in the mood for masses of people (seems to be mainly Japanese!)on what is now a muggy day.
I visit Charles Bridge and then have a nice walk along the embankment back to the coach.
Mrs McQuaid is the first back at 16:00 and has had a lovely day. Her nephew is a chef at the Intercontinental Hotel on the opposite bank to the coach and he cooked them lunch.
We are away at 16:30 and I decide to go back on the other road, the R4/E49, but getting to it proves a little tricky!
I drive around the block to be facing the correct way and then join a traffic jam going my way and then see a sign prohibiting coaches from the road I want. I go around another block where a main road is closed due to the relaying of tram lines and rejoin the traffic queue I was earlier in but from the the other end!
Bum!
I then decide to take the road up to and past the castle and try to find my way that way where there is less traffic.
By hook or by crook I start picking up signs taking me in the correct direction and after a couple of long tunnels we are away from the city and driving on the right road. Phew! I think we have only lost about 20 minutes.
This is a far better road with lots of dual carriageway (more than I expected) and when single lane it is all very straight.
We lose a few minutes going through Ceske Budejevice but are still back before 19:30. I drop off at the end of a downward walk directly back to the hotel and go to park up.
Dinner is at 20:00 tonight but I am going to go out on my own for a nice steak.
After a shower I walk up to a restaurant Wendy and I used and enjoyed but that too is full of Japanese. There are swarms of them!
I go away for half an hour and when I return they have all gone and I can sit down to a very enjoyable dinner. The fillet steak must be three times the size we are served at home and it is joined on the breadboard by a jacket potatoe and some veg. Handsome.
I had a couple of large beers, a starter then my steak followed by a coffee and it all came to less than £16.00. Bargain.