Wellness Journal - Week II

November 2 - Day X

A DAY IN PRAGUE

Sunday I had no treatments scheduled which will be my last day without treatments until I live on the 13th so I took the opportunity to visit Prague for the day? It was an overcast somewhat foggy day but warm for the month of November so I very much enjoyed the visit. I took the Student Agency bus from Karlovy Vary around 10:00am which makes one stop at the airport and made it into Prague in just over 2 hours. What a fabulous bus, you actually get better service on this bus than on some planes nowadays. First the seats are so comfortable and roomy and then they provide complimentary cappuccino or coffee as well as hand out headsets so you can watch the in-bus movie which turned out to be Sahara with Mathew McConnhey and Penelope Cruz. I just enjoyed the ride and saw all the little towns as we passed and admired all the beauty in the foliage turning.

I got to Prague around 12:15pm and headed directly t o the Galarie Josefa Sudka which I was unable to visit when Melody and I where there as it was closed on Monday and Tuesdays. The gallery is intimate and I only had the opportunity to see a little of Josef Sudka’s work. They were showing another artist, Bohumil Stastny’s work which is in some ways like Josef Sudak’s. The gentlemen attending the gallery was very nice and explained that the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, the sponsor of this gallery, have in their possession around 25,000 of Mr. Sudka’s photographs but keep them very well preserved in one of their storage areas so that there is minimal light or air damage. Josef Sudka is one of the Czech Republic’s most famous photographers and they have worked hard to keep all this art safe so they only display it in large numbers on occasion. The young man did tell me that if I had time I could arrange with the curator at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague to have a private tour by him of the works that are stored. It takes weeks of previous arrangement to make that happen so I guess on my next visit I will have to try and make that happen.

As I was walking down the hill I realized that November 2nd last year I was in Prague as well. I had landed November 1st and on November 2nd we had a tour of this same area with our group from the river cruise. I am not sure if the weather was exactly the same but I kind of remember it being a bit overcast as well but what fun to be here exactly on year later doing pretty much the same thing.

Off next to lunch and seeing that I was only feet away from that wonderful Bosnian restaurant Melody and I had dinner at I thought it best to go there since they had the incredibly healthy and delicious bean and onion dish. It was again perfect and the atmosphere is so pleasant in there that it was a great choice.

I took a long walk through Kampa and past the charming river and over their small bridges and reached the Charles Bridge which always affords some great pictures. Once over the bridge I went across the street to the Klementinum which is a large complex of buildings that were erected in the early 1700’s for use by the Jesuits as a teaching college. There was a Modern sculpture exhibit going on in the garden area and along the path to the Astronomical tower. One area had a life-size tree made out of steel and a little girl sitting high up on a ledge and when you first pass her by you do a double take thinking at first there really is a little girl reading so high up there.

It is an impressive complex and holds in it besides the many classrooms and living spaces a Mirror Chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Baroque Library Hall which holds over 20,000 treasured books one even dating back to around 1,000AD, and the Astronomical Tower which houses mid-18th century astronomical devices and the Prague Meridian which is similar to the Greenwich Meridian in London. I took the tour which was fascinating and well worth the time. The tour did, however, include I climb all the way to the top of the Astronomical Tower which if you are like me and are afraid of heights may be a little daunting. Fortunately when you get to the top there is an enclosed are and you can stay safely away from the sides the balcony outside and just take some pictures from the inside area. I really needed Melody to go out there and get pictures as she seems to enjoy the heights but since it was an overcast day I suppose my pictures are just fine.

For the rest of the day I just walked around and enjoyed the old town square and went into some of the churches hoping to find mass but no one seemed to know exactly when mass was held on Sunday afternoons and where so I just enjoyed the day as a whole.

I walked to through the shopping area and was absolutely shocked when I went past the same Tesco Melody and I had gone in just over a week ago and which is now decorated for Christmas. The front is lit up beautifully and when you walk inside there are Christmas trees and other decorations all around. I am amazed that they have already begun their holiday push but I think since there tourist season ends in about three weeks they make the most of it all as much as they can.

I stopped off at Our Lady of Snow church for a quick rest and a hope that there would be mass but there was not so I headed toward the Florenc train station as I had to catch my bus back to Karlovy Vary. I made it back quickly so I had plenty of time for dinner which I had at the Teatro Restaurant located next to the bus station and in one of the newer theaters in Prague interestingly enough showing Mel Brook’s The Producers. The restaurant was very modern and lovely and the food was great.

The bus ride home was as pleasant as the ride going and this time I did watch the movie Sahara which in Russian still made sense to me. We got home about 15 minutes early so that was perfect and I stopped off for my water cure number 11 and then back to the hotel for some rest.

I love Prague and am glad I had a little more time there but it was nice to come back to Karlovy Vary and know for the next 10 days it was all about health and well being.

November 1 - Day VIIII

Saturday has proved to be beautiful here with sunshine and not too cool temperatures.

I had to say goodbye to Ena today as she left for St. Petersburg at ten this morning. She is such a lovely woman and she made me promise that when I visit St. Petersburg that I will call her the moment I get into my hotel and her and her son will drive right over and get me and take me all around. The city, according to her and many others of course, is suppose to be so gorgeous and wonderful that it is a must visit. She did say, as I am finding most older people do, that I must visit within the next 3 years as she is not sure if she will be alive after that. So crazy since she is so energetic and still working and all but I told her at this point I have not plans to visit Russian put I will try to make it sooner than later.

I took the most fabulous walk this morning up a wooded hill and then back down another way. There are so many entrances and exits to the town center and people are always out and about in them. The town makes it very easy to take a walk and whenever you get tired you either rest on one of the hundreds of benches or simply walk a little further and you will find a path leading right into the center of town.

This town holds so many architectural treasures that you can never get tired of walking around looking for new buildings to see. There are also so many wonderful sculptures I have come across both religious and purely artistic.

I did spend some quality time at the main rotunda where the geyser is as I was told by Tatiana that you should spend a half hour everyday breathing in the mist from the mineral water that is shooting sky high. It helps the whole body apparently.

Even fountain number 13 is gorgeous housed in the ornate wooden colonnade with a fountain spout that is a sculpture of a snake and a vase placed on top. You can even see the carved sculptures on the wooden gazebo sides.

The rest of the day is for swimming, massage treatments, mineral baths, hot and cold water therapy and oxygen therapy. Busy day but truly what a wonderful way to stay busy.

October 31 – Day VIII

I had Lymph drainge, Scottish Shower, aqua aerobics, anti cellullite massage andneumopunkture all before 1.30pm.

Two new woman joined us today in the pool. One woman must have been in her late seventies and she was so wonderful to watch when she got in. The water is very warm and you could see such delight in here that she was here and could enjoy it all. I love seeing people exude such happiness and take such pleasure in the little things in life like a warm pool. One of the other Russian woman who have seen before said I smile all the time so I asked her if that was good thing and she and the other two woman in the pool, with a pretty good attempt to speak English said it was a very good thing. I think would be we hard not to smile around here. Yes, the treatments can be a bit much at times but to have the opportunity to do this and to be in a place so completely different than pretty much anywhere on earth and filled with such beauty I think smiling just comes naturally for many here. Even the staff in my hotel and in the places I have visited in the last week are so much happier than in Prague and I think many people notice it. It may be the air or the water or just that people who live here just like where they are as much as we guests seem to.

I had the pleasure of walking up a new hill which provided lots more gorgeous buildings to admire. I first came across a small old church that is in desperate need of some tender loving care. Saint Lukes does not look like it has been used in a while which is such a shame because from the outside it looks like there are some wonderful stain glass windows and unique architectural features that would make it well worth preserving and from what I have seen of all the construction going on here this past week and specifically the renovation projects on some of the older buildings I believe that the town administrators take great pains to save as much of the history as possible. I am sorry that I won’t have the pleasure of going into Saint Lukes but I do home many others do in the near future.

A little was away from the church is the incredible Bristol resort and spa. It has an envious position in this town as it sits nicely at the top of this small hill only a quick walk to the water cures and standing right in front of it is a wonderful wooded hilly area. I had not heard of this spa which is probably a good thing this is was rated with 5 stars and I am sure beyond my reach.

I came across a small hotel with an adorable private garden behind it with some sculptures. You never know what will be lurking around any given corner or behind any stately fence.

I found this adorable little cottage building that says Telegraph on it and I am going to presume, for lack of having anyone to consult on this, that it was the building years ago where the wealthy guest would come and get messages from loved ones and such. The building is now a home and the inhabitants love plants and flowers as every single window is occupied by a myriad of plants and flowers. It almost looks like he or she is using the space as an odd sort of green house so of course I had to spy in the windows a bit and to my amazement the plants really do occupy much of the living space inside as well.

Coming down the hill was another 5 star property the Savoy which truly does look like a doll house. It has a modern spa building a short walk across its drive way but the hotel itself is just perfect. Everything about it seems elegant and polished.

Much to my surprise my walk brought me to the street right behind Saint Peter and Saint Paul’s Russian Orthodox Church where Melody and I visited a week ago.

I took a turn down one hill and found a lovely park overlooking the town and more beautiful buildings to see.

This is the home of fountain number 11 which I added to my daily water cures as it is said to clean out the system very well. I have been taking it right before bed and yes mornings are a bit brighter from that stand point.

October 30 – Day VII

This morning brought a very beautiful surprise with snow. Just enough to make the town even more magical but not enough to accumulate anywhere and by 8:00am there was no trace of it at all.

I had aqua aerobics which was a lot of fun. The instructor is just so sweet and she did a great job keeping us active. I think my dear Kevin would love to teach a group of woman like this as there were no complaints, comments or sighs throughout and everyone did as they were told happily.

My Scottish Shower got moved to tomorrow so my first treatment was Pneumopunkture. Again, now that I am prepared for the pain it doesn’t seem as bad.

45 minutes of Lymph drainage came next followed by some salt air inhalation therapy for an additional 45 minutes.

A new hilly route through town makes for a great hike today and even the rain does not prevent those of us eager to get some exercise. I saw some lovely hotels and even the parking garage is pretty.

I found out, from Ida at dinner, what that statue, that I mentioned days ago, is all about. It is just down the street from my hotel in front of the restaurant that is connected to the statue in some way, U Sveska. The famous Czech writer, Jaroslav Hasek, a humorist and satirist wrote his most well known book, The Good soldier, Svejk which has been published all around the world. The story is about a World War II soldier and his humorous escapades and clearly there is some connection to this town as he seems very popular here. I love these little bits of trivial information but now I am curious to read the book. Sadly there are no English publications in the town of any books so I will have to wait until I return home and I am sure it will be easily found at the New York Public Library.

October 29 – Day VI

Day three of dampness but still so lovely around here and I had a full day of treatments to keep me busy.

First was Lymph drainage which was not painful at all and consisted of being warped tight from waist all the way down to my feet with fabric that has many points where air comes through small tubes. It basically feels like you are having a blood pressure test done all over the lower part of your body. The pressure is increased when the air inflates the fabric wrapped around you and then deflates when the air is released. It is a 45 minute procedure and is very relaxing in a strange way. After it was over I can honestly say I felt lighter and my skin felt tighter. I won’t question it I will just be happy with the results. I have many more of these to go.

I then went for my second Scottish Shower which now being prepared for the freezing cold water did not seem as bad. 45 minutes of water aerobics and swimming followed and then a quick shower and walk to my water cure number 7.

Lunch was particularly good today with some incredible roasted eggplant salad, fresh beets and carrots. I am enjoying the vegetables very much. Tatiana joined me before she headed out for a tour, in Russian, to Regensburg a wonderful little town in Germany that is not very far from here. I would take the trip as well on one of the afternoons when I don’t have treatments but to do it Russian would be pointless. I was in Regensburg last year for just a few hours and it really is such a charming town and it would be nice to see again during the day as we arrived at night right before our river cruise sailed. There is a train that will get me there from Karlovy Vary so maybe I’ll do that on a Sunday when we have no treatments.

I also met, at lunch, a very nice doctor, Ilana who was originally from Russia but now living and practicing in Dresden, Germany with her husband and two year old son. Her husband dropped her off here for a three day mini vacation. She usually comes a week each year but it seems she just needed a little break and she speaks very highly of the curative powers of the water and air here.

My next treatment, Pneumopunkture is like acupuncture but with compressed air and I believe there was something like a freezing agent coming out at the same time. It can be painful but I only last a moment on each of the points she hits. She did several on my shoulders, neck, and upper and lower back and knees. I have had acupuncture before but which involves littler of no pain but this is something very different. There is an itchy sensation at the points she hit well after the treatment is over and as time goes on there is a little more pain at some of the locations. It’s all good though as I like to say.

The last treatment for the day is Anti Cellulite Massage which I mentioned before is not exactly relaxing but I know the benefits will out way the pain many times over.Of course it is time for a walk and it is desperately needed after all the treatments.

October 28 – Day V

It was another damp day in Karlovy Vary but it did not seem to affect the mood or the spirits of the hundreds of guests who were out walking and enjoying the clean air as I was. It is also a national Czech holiday today celebrating their independence as the Czech Republic and not as Czechoslovakia. There was no fanfare as you would think there would be on such a holiday but I think here in Karlovy Vary where the Russians out number the Czechs perhaps they prefer not to demonstrate too much exuberance for being their own nation separate from Slovakia and, of course, separate from the former Communist Russia. This town makes their money almost exclusively from Russian guests so I can imagine that they do very little here to upset the status quo.

I walked in the direction of the nature park which is only about 10 minutes walk along the river past the Hotel Pupp. It is a lovely place to stroll and many people were doing simply that as others were on a more aggressive hike.

I walked for a while and then stopped of at the Galerie Umeni Karlovy Vary, a small museum housing modern and contemporary Czech art from roughly 1906 – 2006. I did not recognize a single artist but was extremely impressed with so much of what I had the pleasure of viewing. Some stand out pieces were the Jakab Schikander (Nightfall), Antonin Hudecek’s (Bath) with it’s lovely portrayal of a bather in the forest by a creek and waterfall, Antonin Slavisek’s (Holly Hocks) which is one of the large pieces in the collection and Jiri Hilmar’s (The White) which was a mesmerizing working of cut out triangles and black, gold and cream circles. I particularly appreciated Otakar Slavik’s (Nude) for all its bright colors and forms and although it looked nothing what so ever like the human form it was a wonderful work and Vladislav Mirvald’s (Romberg’s Curves) which draws you in with the deep purple, white and black spiral tubes. It was a highly enjoyable hour and well worth the visit.

I walked another hour or so around and almost forgot my water cure number 7 and was heading directly back to the hotel. I did make my way to number 7 in plenty of time to drink, digest it for a half hour and still make it to lunch. You would think it wouldn’t be so hard to remember to drink 200 ml of water three times a day but every once in awhile it slips my mind.

Some inhalations therapy today and then plenty of time for more walking and perhaps I will try a new route this time.

There is always something special to see on each of my normal routes but change is good. I am including some pictures of some of the buildings I find most interesting so far. They vary in design and each have something unique to admire. I love the national theater building here in Karlovy Vary. I haven't been in it but the facade is gorgeous.

This one is my hotel and the balcony above and to the left of the right red flag is mine. I have only spent a little time out on the balcony as it has been too cold. I like to greet the day out there and end it that way as well.
I learned a new Russian word today at dinner from Ena. Lublu which means “I love” and it is a very pretty word to hear and is applied to most anything one can love. Lublu my family, Lublu my friends, Lublu my cat Sooty and yes , I suppose, Lublu Zabo too, see it works for everything.
So now it is off to bed early as the morning will come soon and they have lots of treatments scheduled for me.

October 27 - Day IV

It is a rainy day in Karlovy Vary but the air is still so clean and the water so filled with all its usual health benefits that it remains a lovely place to be and even the ducks in the river think it is pretty special as they play around near the mini waterfalls today.

I had a Scottish shower treatment at 10:3oam this morning which unlike the one I had at the public spa is administered by a spa attendant here at my hotel spa. You first stand in front of a 3 foot high apparatus with what looks like two battle ship guns stuck to the top of it. The young lady working on me turned on one of the guns and out came very warm water. She then proceeded to aim the water at assaulting my body with what I liken to the water pressure from a fire hose. She started at my feet and worked her way up to my torso. She then had me turn to my right side and repeated the process. Next were the left side and then the back. I got used to pretty quickly and although I would never use the words pleasurable it was by no means a miserable experience and as I was thinking just that particular thought it occurred to me that this could be much worse sine the water could be freezing cold. Well much to my surprise when I turned the last time and was now facing front again she turned on the second gun which shot out freezing cold water. It is best to refrain from thinking too much sometimes. She than alternated between assaults of cold water with assaulting me with warm water as I turned from left to right to the back. Fortunately this addition of the cold water lasted much less than the initial only warm water process. Once completed I was quickly back to normal but I did remember that I have many of these Scottish showers over the next few weeks and I think knowing what will becoming will only make the experience stressful. I would love to know where the term Scottish shower came from and does it imply that the Scottish have a masochistic streak in them.

Next came 45 minutes of water aerobics in our hotel pool. The water was equally as warm as the other day and two Russian woman tried very hard to explain all the movements to me. They are so helpful and were determined to see me work hard. They kept point to different parts of the body in an attempt to get me to understand the importance of the move we were doing. Clearly I was working on getting rid of love handles and that turkey neck like part of the upper arm that giggles. Although the aerobics lasted 45 minutes I was not ready to stop so I spent another half hour swimming around the pool. I do love the water.

I had lunch with Tatiana, a Russian woman who moved to Vancouver, British Columbia from Saint Petersburg 16 years ago. She speaks English well and will be joining our table at dinner from now on as the two women she was dining with have left for New York this afternoon. Apparently they live in Brooklyn but didn’t speak much English.

It is so interesting that although this town is occupied almost entirely by Russian guests the cities where they are living are not often in Russian any longer. Interestingly as well it seems many of the guests have been regulars here for years and are in some case the third and fourth generation from their families to come here.

After lunch I had an anti-cellulite massage which was not exactly relaxing but Hanna, the massage therapist, was so nice and worked so hard beating me up that I felt worse for her and all the energy she had exerted. By the end I looked like I had at terrible sun burn and my whole body was overheated. She explained as best she could with the little English she spoke that I was to drink lots of water and not bathe until the morning. Fortunately I had showered after the pool so it all worked out fine. It turns out Hanna and I will be meeting often over the next few weeks for this and several other treatments which I imagine will be just as aggressive.

Of course it is time for another walk and it even looks like the rain may have subsided so it should be rather pleasant for the rest of the day.

Dinner was particularly lovely as we had our whole group together. We have become very much the social table so Tatiana joined us, Rudolph and Ida were there as well as Tamara and Larissa.

Ena, an older woman from Saint Petersburg who traveled here by herself stopped by our table for tea. In the last few days she has appeared very unsocial to me as she sat seemingly in judgment just a table away. She even told me yesterday, through Ida’s interpretation, that certain foods like spaghetti taste awful so avoid them at all times. I had Ida explain to her that I am Italian and spaghetti is pretty much what I grew up on but Ena wanted to hear nothing of that and I am told by Ida that Russian woman mean well when they give advice but they only expect you to take it without any of your own opinions mixed in. She also said never eat the skin of the tomato, for what reason I am not sure, but it seemed best to listen and not question at the time. Russian woman and certainly ones of that age group are very sure they know what is best and you need only listen to them to be happy.

Now it turns out she is very lovely and sociable and she has taken a liking to me and wants to find me a husband but not a Russian one which I think it a pretty good idea. Our little dinner group is becoming quite a sensation and we are looked at by everyone who is sitting quietly at their tables while we laugh and make lots of noise. It just figures I would have gotten in with the rowdy group or maybe it is me who has somehow created it. It was very interesting to hear about Ena’s life as the others interpreted for me and she has been working for the last 40 years or so as a foot nurse of kind of a foot doctor without a degree. She has hoards of clients who refuse to let her retire and even with her hip replacement in March she is still going strong. I think like my grandmother, there is just something about woman who grew up in that certain time period who just can not seem to slow down. They have to go, go, go for as long as their legs, their mind and their spirit will let them.

I was also given some Russian lessons tonight by Rudolph who taught it in California for over 30 years. I have yes (da) and no (nayet – not sure of the spelling) but good and bad are still in the works. It is a hard language but I think Rudolph is determined to teach me something. He is very sweet and each night after dinner, at the table, he reads me one of his poems. Tonight was about success and a very observant piece. I think it makes him very happy to have a willing listener and one who can talk about the writer’s process, although poetry and playwriting are admittedly very different, the creative process in general is pretty much the same.

This is the building where my number 7 water cure is as well as 4 other fountains. It is a beautiful structure and always a very busy place during the day.