On Tuesday afternoon, June 03, I left Toronto's Pearson International Airport on Czech Airlines for Prague.
The flight from Toronto was not full so I had the seat all to myself. The eight hours went by very easily and soon enough we landed at Prague's International Airport, Ruzyne. Going through customs was fast and before long I found myself outside the terminal.
Karel called to say he was on his way to meet me and in a short time he was there. He got us on the airport bus that would connect with the subway, for the trip to the Prague Train Station.
From the subway, it was one stop to the train station, where we were just in time for the next train to Podebrady, (A to J on the maps below).
Prague through to Krakow (overview):
Detail of Beskdy Mountains and surroundings:
On the train from Prague to Podebrady:Podebrady
Podebrady Station:
When we got off the train in Podebrady, we went right over to the Aqua Centre where Adriana was helping KK with his swimming lesson.
http://www.aquabella.cz/
We left our luggage at the center and took a quick walk around the block to a facility called Dr. Filip, where Adriana's mother practises medicine. Karel had her paged, and she came down to say hello. It was good to see her again.
Then we dragged our luggage over to Adriana's new condo. It was the first time I saw it since they moved in, and she and Karel have done an amazing job with the interior.
http://www.bydleniprokazdeho.cz/clanek.php?id_clanky=1086
Adriana and Karel had already prepared and packed for the trip to Celadna, so it was just a matter of packing the car once she and KK got back from the Aqua Centre.
In the parking garage at Adriana's condo:
Somebody LOVES autos....
Krystof Kai drives out of the garage with his dad:
On the road to Celadna:
Stopping for gas:
The Beskydy Mountains
Just outside of the resort where we were heading, Krystof saw some horses in a field, and Adriana pulled the car over so he could get a closer look.
KK makes some new friends
HORSKÝ HOTEL ČELADENKA
Late in the afternoon we made it to Celadna and pulled up to the resort. Right away KK spotted the playground they had a little further up the road, which was really well outfitted. After we pried the little guy away from the swings, we found our rooms on the 3rd floor and got settled in. The area is very beautiful, and the air is crisp and clear, (and apparently very good for you). The rooms were more than adequate, with a sink, a comfortable bed, clean sheets, and shared shower and bathroom facilities for each floor, (though the toilet posed a bit of a challenge as the toilet paper was in a different room! Karel came up with an ingenious method of routing the paper through and over the door, like a conveyor belt.... ;).
The resort dates from communist times and during that era was used almost exclusively by the Party Brass. It was considered very luxurious for the time and was outfitted with many amenities that weren't commonly available to the Czech people. The whole complex is heated by diesel fuel, including the swimming pool, and there is apparently a monstrous underground tank that supplies the complex. According to the staff this has now become prohibitively expensive, (which was the reason the pool was closed).....but they did have some good stories about the old days, and the parties and shenanigans that went on.
Now the hotel caters mainly to groups of students who come to hike and explore the area. A school class will come, with one or two teachers supervising them, and stay for one to two weeks. We saw kids as young as five years old and some as old as seventeen. They all love it! One room of the resort is a dedicated classroom where the kids can keep up with their lessons. The little five year olds were hilarious, (and their teachers deserve a medal - getting 20 little kids dressed, washed, fed, and taught every day for a week!).
Then we went down and checked out the restaurant and, after meeting Milan, the head waiter, we had the first of many enjoyable pints of Czech beer. Because we still wanted to go out and do a bit of exploring, Milan kept the kitchen open late for us. After a ramble around the area in the car we had a great dinner at 7PM.
The building behind the car is used as a classroom:
http://www.tuzemska-dovolena.cz/ubytovani/beskydy/horsky-hotel-celadenka/
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