Karlovy Vary, Weight Loss Program - Day 3

Restaurant that is closed for winter. It's in the park across from the Richmond Hotel and next to the open air theatre.

Today is Ash Wednesday and the day started out with a little sunshine which gave me just the right amount of inspiration to get out there early for a long hike. I walked past the Grand Hotel Pupp and just as I was walking past one of the  bridges that leads to the Pupp I saw a friend coming off of it. When I was here four years ago I made a few friends and one was Nicola, who worked at the public spa in charge of the salt cave treatments. She was so sweet and we had lots of chats while waiting for the cave guests to finish and for those of us waiting to go in. I had stopped by the spa when I first got here over a week ago but she wasn't working there anymore and the women didn't seem to know a Nicola. I was going to track her down on facebook but then today amazingly we literally crossed paths. It was very excited and as soon as I called her name she turned around and said with so much amazement "Debra!"

Rock Snow Man Happily sitting on the hiking trail high above the river

She is exactly the same four years later only now engaged to be married in August to a nice man from near Karlovy Vary and working at a wonderful company similar to our Walmart and doing very well. She had just bought a new car and was in the town running and errand before having to take the car to be registered. The fact that we actually ran into each other is amazing considering firstly I was going to take a different walking route but for some reason I saw the park across from the Pupp covered in snow and thought it would be nice to take that path and and secondly she doesn't work or live in town so the fact that of all days (she's on her vacation this week) she was walking across that bridge at that moment in time is astounding. It's a very small world and sometimes you're just where you need to be. So Saturday morning we're going to meet at 10:00am near the Pupp and she's going to bring her dog and we'll take him for a long walk and catch up on life. Her fiance has to work so I won't get to meet him but it's so wonderful to see her so happy.

So off she went to the Registrar's office and off I went for my long hike. The sun had gone behind some clouds pretty quickly but the walk was very nice despite that. I was on a different hill I hadn't been before and this one has several spring water falls, little creeks and tiny rivers and the parts where the water had frozen into nature-made ice art were really special. It was a tiny bit chilly but I managed to stay out just under two hours and had my afternoon water cure and then off to a lymph-drainage session, followed by the pnumopuncture procedure and then lunch in my room. I had my usual crackers with cheese and some cabbage salad from the grocery store and then right back to the spa to play in the whirlpool before having my hydroxy bath treatment which is sitting in this spacious tub while air is shot out through holes in a computer programmed sequence of bursts starting with back/neck then torso then legs and then starting at the beginning again. I could have stayed there for hours it was so relaxing. And then a little time relaxing in the pool area and I was off to my final treatment and aloe vera scrub/massage. I felt amazing afterwards and just bounced effortlessly up the 4 flights of stairs especially after the lymph-drainage which just makes you feel so energized.

After my evening water cure drink, a good dinner I went to St. Mary Magdalene's Church for the 6:00pm Ash Wednesday mass and distribution of ashes. The church wasn't packed but it was pretty full and it just amazes me how many elderly women came out alone to go to mass especially since locals mostly don't live near here so they had to take a bus then walk up a steep, ice/snow covered hill to get there. There was one very tiny older women with a pronounced limp and she managed to get there and down to the bus (I watched to make sure she didn't fall) with her cane very slowly and making a few stops, but in plenty of time to get her transportation. It reminds me not to complain when I have to go out hiking in the cold for exercise. I'm lucky I can and very grateful I'm even here to do all of this.

Beautiful Large Tree in the Park Above the Richmond Hotel

So that was my wonderful Karlovy Vary day. It's funny being here during Lent. I realized while I was in church that with the exception of when we lived in Italy when I was little I've never been out of the country on Ash Wednesday or I think Lent for that matter. It is nice to see how other cultures observe the same Catholic holidays as we do because there is always something a little different. They kneel at different times like at the very end although some people continued to stand the locals seem to kneel. And I couldn't help but think as I listened to the priest speak in Czech what all the clergy here or even for that matter anywhere around the world about Pope Benedict resigning. I just happened to see a new article about it when I was going to open the internet. It's strange when I think about how little TV or news I've seen in 5 months. I must admit I'm probably much happier for it but still I wonder what I've missed.

Schiller Monument

The picture above of the Schiller Monument is in memory of Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller who I had to look up because I didn't know him. "He was born 10 November 1759 – 9 May 1805 and was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller struck up a productive, if complicated, friendship with already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. They frequently discussed issues concerning aesthetics, and Schiller encouraged Goethe to finish works he left as sketches. This relationship and these discussions led to a period now referred to as Weimar Classicism. They also worked together on Xenien, a collection of short satirical poems in which both Schiller and Goethe challenge opponents to their philosophical vision." There are several references to Goethe, the famous German writer, artists and politicians here in the name given to hiking paths, hotels and monuments.

Imperial Spa/

Lázně I side view

Imperial Spa/Lázně I - Front view

This is one of my favorite buildings in the city. It was the original known as the Imperial Spa an now  known as Lázně I (Spa I.) "Located across from the Grand Hotel Pupp, the architects of this majestic building with a ground plan in the shape of “U” were Fellnerr and Viennese architects Helmer, who built the Imperial Baths in 1895 in the spirit of the Renaissance with elements of ancient architecture. Impressive architectural design is not only in the building itself but also stucco, painting and sculptures. The Imperial Baths were among the most modern and luxurious facilities in its time. The clients enjoyed all the necessary comforts and modern technical equipment. In addition to modern spa cabins with private dressing areas, bathrooms, showers and special baths for peat and mineral procedures the Imperial baths featured a spacious gym with 64 tělocvičnými devices. Other procedures, operating in the Imperial Spa, included various massages, steam and hot-air baths, bath with cold water, flowing baths on legs, hip-bath, electrotherapy, etc. Since 1918 it’s been known as the Spa I, unfortunately deteriorating for years. The building is rarely open to the public only for various social events. Currently going under a complete renovation which will hopefully make it grand again and useful as a modern, multi-purpose community and cultural center." I was hoping since it's been 4 years since I've been here that it would be open now to the public but it's not quite ready yet sadly.