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greenbagjosh · 1 year

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13 + 14 June 1998 - HRH the Queen’s 72nd Birthday and the cringeworthy Donald Duck joke

Originally written in June 2018

Hi everyone,

Hope you are having a nice evening.Twenty years ago today and tomorrow, I went on the cheapest path from Munich to Prague. And came back the next day almost 11 PM. Saturday the 13th June 1998, it was a few days before the start of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Widgetmeister International had two paid days off officially, namely Fronleichnam for Thursday the 11th, and Friday the 12th. Neither day counted against my vacation balance. On Thursday I did a bit of exploring on the S-8 line from Englschalking up to the Franz Josef Strauss airport, known also by its airport code "MUC". The Schönes Wochenende ticket would not be valid as it was a Thursday so I bought a ticket for the outer zones of the MVV-München transit area that were otherwise not covered by my month pass. It was raining so there was not much to see. At the time, there was also an expansion project for the S-1 train, instead of all trains going to Neufahrn and Freising, some S-1 trains would also go to the airport. This was called the "Neufahrner Spange".

Friday the 12 June was a shopping day. I bought myself a Czech language guide. Czech is not exactly romanized Russian. For that reason, it is a good idea to have a Czech language book.Saturday the 13 June arrived. I had to be at München Hbf by 7:10 AM to catch the train to Plattling, and it left from the "short-haul" track 25. On the German rail side, this was the only known electrified section. On Saturday *and* Sunday, the Schönes Wochenende Ticket was valid, and for only 35 Mark. The train stopped at Freising, Landshut and Landau on the Isar before arriving at Plattling about 9 AM. About 9:05 AM, a diesel unit went on to the border at Bayerisch Eisenstein. This train really went through the backwoods, made about nine stops about ten minutes from each other. The train did not arrive in Bayerisch Eisenstein until 10:13 AM. So what was at Bayerisch Eisenstein? It was a border town on the German side, and right at the same station was the Czech border, known as Železná Ruda-Alžbětín. You had to have your passport ready for stamping back then as the Czech Republic was neither in the European Union nor a Schengen member. Also, then as now, they did not use the Euro. So changing money was necessary. I think the exchange rate then was 21 Koruna to 1 DM. The smallest coin was the 10 Heller, then the 20 and 50 Heller, then 1 Koruna, 2 Koruna, 5, 10 and so on. Bills were 20, 50, 100, 200, 500. Please refer to XE.com in case I cannot otherwise provide an equivalent in Dollars, Mark or Euro. Back then the Czech Republic was inexpensive compared to Germany. Even the train fare. But somehow you get what you pay for, likely in speed and comfort.I bought a single fare ticket to Prague at the Zelezna Ruda station on the Czech side, paying in Koruna. I think it was 75 Koruna then, as today it costs 110 Koruna.

The train left about 11:08 AM, and arrived in Plzen about 1:10 PM. For a distance of 60 miles, it must have gone an average of 30 mph, unelectrified, windy and slow up to Klatovy, and then fairly straight, medium-fast and electrified the rest of the way. Plzen Hlavní Nádrazí (central station) has an interesting dome. At Plzen, I made a quick shopping journey to a grocery store along Americká called the Maxi Hit. I bought some beer and Slivovitz - the real good plum brandy.

When I arrived back at the Plzen station, I found that the regular train to Prague was delayed. I had my radio with me, and there was a BBC English broadcast on. Apparently it was Queen Elizabeth's birthday and they did a short tribute. Later in the broadcast, one joke that they told was "Why did Donald Duck? Because someone was shooting at him"

I think the train to Prague arrived around 3 PM. It went as far as Prague Smichov. The conductor on the train gestured at me, to take the subway to the town center. I bought a 24 hour subway/bus ticket, I think for 70 Koruna, and stamped it at Smíchovské nádrazí, and went to my hostel at Karlovo námestí and on the street Na Zborencí. Back then it was owned by the Czech chapter of Hostelling International. Google maps still shows the big "Na Zborenci" sign in the alleyway where it remains. The room was cheap but there was no breakfast served on Sundays. And, I would find out later, that the room I was in, was co-ed, something I was not used to in a dorm room in a hostel.

I dropped off my luggage at my bedside in the hostel, then took the subway at Karlovo Namesti to Staromestska, the old part of Prague, changing at Mustek. At Staromestska is the clock tower, the Chram Matky, and next door is the Josefov, the Jewish Quarter. The museums were closed that day so I could only walk around. I returned in 2006 to visit one of the synagogues and I still have the kippa. I took the Metro across the Vlatva river, and took a tram to Malostranské náměstí, the west side of Charles Bridge. It is a strictly pedestrian bridge, apparently a popular tourist attraction in itself. I have a selfie of being on that bridge in a red and white sweater, as Prague was a bit chilly, around the low 60s for temperatures. When I arrived on the east side, I found a store that sold hats, and that is where I bought that red-white-and-green striped hat. I think it is about a foot high, and yes, it is probably the silliest hat I ever owned. On 24th July 1998 I took a selfie of myself, yes, with that hat! I did not know blacklight theater back in 1998, though my next visit February 2006 I went to a show - albeit medicated - at the Image Black Light Theater, was very interesting and in the back rows it was optically amazing.

I was hungry and then looked for a place to have supper. Closer to the clock tower, the offers were a bit out of my price range. So I went to Staromestska. There was an interesting restaurant called the "Studentska Satlava" or "Student Jail". Apparently it was in the same building as where the writer Franz Kafka was born. They had excellent deals for supper, including dark locally produced beer. I had the sausage, chop and dumpling plate. Gosh that was good. Once that was done, I took the metro back to Karlovo Namesti, and went to bed. In the morning I had to check out, take my luggage to Karlovo Namesti and further on to Hlavni Nadrazi. I had a quick breakfast at what is now the CrossCafe. There were lockers in Hlavni Nadrazi to place luggage. Lockers were interesting as you could choose the combination with four dials. You would retrieve your luggage by picking the same dial positions.

I had not been to Vysehrad. There is a canyon between Vysehrad and I P Pavlova and the metro travels along the auto bridge. At Vysehrad there is a good view of Prague, also the Police Museum. I went shopping at the Budejovicka shopping center. It was open on Sunday, bought peanut flips, beer and slivovitz at the store because it was so cheap. I took the metro to I P Pavlova and a tram back to Staromestska, bearing in mind that I had to return to Hlavni Nadrazi by 12:30 to catch the train to Munich through Plzen, Zelezna Ruda, Bayerisch Eisenstein, and Plattling. I bought a ticket to Zelezna Ruda.

At 1 PM, the train left Praha Hlavni Nadrazi. I was in a second class compartment, where there were eight seats to a compartment, four on each side. In Germany, normally the same size would be for just six people in total. The compartment was not air conditioned, and it was okay as the temperatures were not expected to exceed the mid 70s that day. The train ride went without any extraordinary event up to Plzen. I had to find a post office to send a postcard, and I almost missed the connection from Plzen to Klatovy and Zelezna Ruda. At Klatovy I had to change to a very old diesel carriage, class 131, and to open the windows, you had to crank them up or down.

By the time the train reached Zelezna Ruda, about 6:50 PM, the lady at the sales hut was about to close. I made a few last minute purchases before crossing into Germany. The snack bar was crummy on the German side at Bayerisch Eisenstein so I thought I would wait until I arrived at Plattling for some food. Did not work out too well. The German customs stamped my passport and did not look at my bag of slivovitz and beer. The diesel train from Bayerisch Eisenstein arrived at Plattling about 8:45 PM, and there was not much time to get anything of value at the snack bar there.

The train to Munich arrived around 9:30 so I had to take my snack to go. The sun was about to set, and it was raining in the distance. In the sky was an interesting effect. I arrived home in Munich around 11 PM, I entered very quietly. I was not told about any alarm clock issues (see w/e 31 July - 2 August 1998), and the next morning I went to work on time, and at lunch I had some interesting stories to tell my work colleagues and I mentioned the striped hat.

Next adventure, Salzburg and the Berchtesgaden Salzbergwerk, weekend of 20th and 21st June 1998. Servus und Gute Nacht!

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