Home Stretch

Well, here it is... the last day of our vacation. Sadly, I am sitting in the Frankfurt airport killing time by using the FREE internet kiosk, knitting baby booties, eating lots of nasty food and trying to spend the last of our Euro coinage. There was actually some sort of bomb scare earlier!

GRR, the keys on this keyboard SUCK. Like S. SSSSSSSSSssssssssssssss

Anyhow, Jason and I spent a livley 5 nights in Praha, eating, drinking and geerally being merry. When the thermometer regitered 36 degres, we decided to hit the countryside, sans cycles. SSSo we hopped a train to Kutna Hora for a night of quiet and a bit of sightseeing. St. Barbara's Cathedral was amazing, as was the Charles' Bridge lookalike leading to the small castle. Good food too, with an unparalleled view of the valley. We stayed at a pension, serenaded by a bunch of drunk Austrians singing what sounded like ABBA, but newer. The next morning we took off for Karlstejn to see yet another castle. Breathtaking. Another night in a swank 80's decor hotel, and it was back to Prague.

Prague is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but the city is fairly polluted and graffiti'd. We were reminded the minute we arrived, sucking back car exhaust and watching parents let their kids pee on the sidewalk. So strange. We are both ready to return home.

Getting to the train station with our fully-loaded bikes and the boxes we needed to put them in was a nightmare. It might have been easier if we didn't purchase 6 large and extrememly fragile crystal wine glasses, plus asorted liquors and souvenirs from Karlstejn! Anyhow, Jason - strong and muscular as he is - managed to carry both bike boxe on his head!!!! This was truly a feat! While wheeling his bike DOWNHILL and not getting struck by oncoming traffic. Yes folks, this is the man I'm going to marry!

So we got everything dismantled, bike boxes packed and even managed to sneak them on a train that didn't allow bicycles! Sneaky Canadians. We pulled into Frankfurt station, to take another train, then a shuttle, then countless elevators to get to our terminal. 5 hours later we are quite bored... Another 5 to go before we check in. Egad.

But we are both happy to be getting back to Bella-girl, smoke-free restaurants, food that doesn't contain meat or cheese, training, and of course beautiful and sunny Vancouver.

On a training note, we actually did some running and swimming while we were here. I had to talk Jason out of doing a marathon in Prague! Swimming at the YMCA in the Czech Republic was like swimming in human soup. No lanes, old ladies doing breaststroke trying not to get their hair wet, and us sticking out like sore thumbs, trying to dodge everyone! That mission was quickly abandoned.

Only three weeks till the 1/2 Ironman! Ack!!