Antalya Hotel, OMG WIERD WHITE WILLIES

I was sad to leave Prague, of course, I was just learning my way around the neighborhood. It always takes me a few days before i feel comfortable. And I was learning to walk diagonal on the cobbles, a little easier. :) It was SLEETING as we got to the airport.


Flew into Istanbul and our flight to Antalya was 1.5 hrs delayed, so we sat around (with Pavel,40, a Czech and Soon Seng, Chinese,from Malaysia, only 28 years old but already an expert in something they need.). I had my first turkish coffee, MEDIUM, they call it, pre-sugared and stil very strong. Macho man ordered it full bore and it was DENSE!

Got to Antalya late, were met at the airport by the hotel bus and the white willies began. White bus, white lobby, desk clerks, etc. all in white, I'd read about the silver disco balls hanging in the lobby and the beautifl people lounging and kanoodling on the many, many white chaises in the lobby. Steve thinks they may be models hired to lounge. Room is all, EVERY bit stark white, a goldfish swims in a bowl. It's 12:45, I'll put this and me to bed and write more tomorrow.

I have never seen a bathroom mini-bar before. The toothbrush is $11:


Dark picture of me lounging in room:

Just a quickie before we take off to Antalya

Here they are actually building NEW cobblestone walkways EEK but tamping them down with yellow machine and adding sand to level




Reading last post, I see I left off saying why I see so few gimpy people. It's definitely because of the cobblestones...:-)

I forgot to send these pretty pics of that new mall - I know it seems like I'm not sending the tourist pics but I've seen all that last trip and this trip I've just been trekking towards that new mall and back, for exercise, enjoying seeing the locals, old an young, and laughing at juxtaposition of the old, old statuary adorning every building and then the ads for bottled water or lingerie! I love hearing the sound of czech spoken.

Offline and loving it (and hating it!)

These are the cobbles in the lobby

Well, I've been off line since my Wednesday morning. I have been almost apoplectic but, really, why?!!! I am so used to being instantly connected to news, email, and now, when he is away in his Prague office, to Steve on IM in his office!!! But I've been doing much more reading than ever!!! And there's always CNN, which shows the same news over and over and over and over :-) . I walked out this morning to explore a bit more and found a gorgeous crisp day, the best we've had in 4 days here, tho I barely got back, as I got weak-legged (my knee buckles) after only 1 1/2 hours out. But proud that I got back, as I took a slightly different route and felt lost for a minute! And I have to add that in my 4 days of walking around I have seen one wheelchair, one elderly man with a cane and one young man with forearm crutches for an apparent broken leg. I think the reason I have so rarely seen "crips" in Europe

The cobbles on the street that eat my shoes

Steve came back to the hotel at lunchtime and finally figured out that it was NOT the hotel's wireless fault but my damn computer's wireless card!! And he has now bought me a wireless hub that can be plugged into my USB port, which should have m up and running for our whole Antalya trip. I'll post this my Thursday evening, when he gets back.

Speaking of CNN, I don't have CNN at home but it's not as international in the states as it is in Europe/Asia, is it? Because I get all of my news normally from Google, I'm not used to all these "in-depth" stories about e.g. Pakistan/Bush's (ex?) best friend Musharaf's state of emergency, the school shooting in Finland, news of Japan, and even the fabulous ads for Greece, Montenegro, Tunisia and even Turkish airlines. They all seem so exotic and culturally diverse. I just watched an interesting piece about "gat," a drug-like leaf chewed in Lebanon, (story was in Beirut) , for at least 8 centuries and is seen by many as the cause of umm, ongoing malaise in the general population.

Here's a funny note and you'll be glad you read to the end: I could get no email at all yesterday so couldn't respond but at lunch today when Steve brought home his computer so I could check my gmail account, I found a mail from our Boy from aBroad, Mark Harfenist! He was letting me know that he was taking a train to Prague today (from where, Mark?) to catch a plane to Stockholm and would have ONE hour, could we try to meet up!? Now, had I actually gotten his email in time, I doubt I could have figured out how to get to him anyway, but wouldn't that have been a fabulous picture!!??

Off to Turkey tomorrow.

Prague, the good, the bad and the ugly

First, I want to make a disclaimer: While it may appear from words I may write that I'm a grumpy curmudgeon about my lot in life, I'm realistic about my physical limitations and not upset about any tourista restrictions I face. I can't walk far, I have to miss lots unless Steve and I rent a tandem AND I DON'T CARE! I came with Steve to be with him when he is not at work. And I WILL have many new and great adventures and experiences.


So, after a wonderful time with our 18 month old in Pittsburgh and a rockin' 42nd mini-h.s. reunion, we arrived in Prague yesterday afternoon. All went very well on flights from NY (LGA) to Atlanta and then on our non-stop from there to Prague we had to go straight back up thru NY to get over the ocean to Prague! Seems like a silly waste of time but we were on Delta and Atlanta is their hub. Got to our hotel, , Steve took a nap for 2 hours and then took off for the office. I tottered out for a look-see. This hotel is in a different location than last spring's hotel (near Fred and Ginger, remember?) so I'm trying to get my bearings. The hotel entrance, inside, is all jagged cobblestone s, my nemesis! Steve thinks it must originally have been a driveway? Outside, more nemmies. I must befriend them, so will call them nemmies instead of nemesis. The sidewalks are smaller, walkable cobblestones. The cobbles on the streets, where you have to cross, are all just about the size of my feet, so unless I step very carefully, I slip in between the cracks, arrrgh. This makes for too cautious crossings, looking down the whole while. Mind you, I am not complaining, just trying to give you a picture of my time. I walked along a street, tried out a few shops and promptly fell off a step I didn't see. Two very nice young couples came to my rescue, picked up my cane and were very sweet, making sure i was on my feet before leaving. I was mortified.

Came back to the hotel, where I spent the rest of the day until Steve came home after work. We went across the street to a resturacea/bar with good reviews online. ICK! It was small and the hostess LITERALLY chain-smoked the whole the time. But the duck was FABULOUS!!! And made up for our ashtray aromas.

Then we walked to a brand new HUGE mall with many, many $$$$$ boutiques (I recognize the names but haven't had the chance to be in most of them!), trendy and less costly C&A and H&M, and Marks and Spencer, a Brit institution like Macys. We were mainly looking for a toilet and Steve's not more than a window shoppper, if that. Came back for a game of snooker on the telly.

Today I again walked out, decided NOT to look down at my damn feet and promptly tripped into a "chasm!" I decided to watch where I walk and enjoy the beautiful and OLD stones. I am fortunate that my hotel has wireless in the rooms and I can write and Google myself senseless.