Toe Magic, Those Aren't Chickens!, and More; or, A Spa Trip to Czech Republic

Františkovy Làzně, Czech Republic

July 25-26, 2016

Frantis. . . wha? That's basically what I said to my friend when she said we were going to the Czech Republic. 

I'll be the first to admit that all I know about the Czech Republic is that it was once part of Czechoslovakia, and Prague is somewhere in there. One day in this little town was not really enough to enjoy what it has to offer, but it is a great (and really cheap) destination for a spa get-away. 

almost all buildings are a buttery-yellow color, 
and the town is charming and easy to walk around

Why visit a small town with a big name?  

F-L is part of the "Bohemian spa triangle" and is a candidate for inclusion as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (I didn't mention this in the last post, but Metz is also on the candidate list). 

Unlike my other adventures, this was a girls-only trip. My host Anna, another Lori (who also is an USM alum AND a Mississippian!) and I drove the couple of hours from her house in Vilseck to the Czech Republic. The drive through Bavaria is always beautiful, and going into the Czech Republic was not a major ordeal. Or even a minor one. 


The Czech Republic is part of the European Union, but unlike most EU countries, it does not use the Euro. Instead, it uses the Czech Koruna. 

That being said, many businesses and restaurants will take the euro (and probably American dollars, if you ask). What I did learn through various signs in the area (and the internet, of course) is this used to be part of the Bohemian province of Austria-Hungary until WWI, and after WWII, the Germans were expelled by the Allies as part of an effort to ethnically cleanse E Europe of Germans. Wow. When you visit today, many people speak fluent German, and many speak English. It is a spa town with a large influx of tourists yearly, although I did not see any other Americans while I was there. The mineral springs there are known for their healing properties, and people have come for hundreds of years to this area for spa treatments and "cures." 

What to do and see

While in Františkovy Láznē, we stayed at the Wellness Hotel Ida. This is a family run hotel and we met 2 Idas there--a mother and daughter. The hotel building is from the early 1800s. The rooms have been recently renovated and are modern and clean, yet with the tall, vaulted ceilings and lovely balcony, I was always aware that we were staying in a historical building. No air conditioning, but the evening breeze made it more than bearable. 

If you are been to a hotel/spa, this one is not fancy by any means, but it as much to offer as many high-dollar spas in the US. When you arrive, you have a "menu" of spa choices----everything from a traditional massage to stone massage to reflexology. I chose a head massage and reflexology. I hadn't had either before. 

The massage area is not like any other I've been to. The windows were wide open and a fresh breeze was blowing in. No whale sounds or sea gulls or any of that other cheesy music---just the sounds of the outdoors. No low lights, either---lots of natural sunlight. I knew this was going to be a little different experience. 

The head massage was. . . interesting. At one point, my masseuse was pulling my hair, which is odd but also oddly relaxing. He did some work on my head and face based on pressure points---at least I think that's what he was doing, because he didn't speak any English, and I don't speak German or Czech. 

I immediately thought, "wow, I should have just opted for a traditional massage." I had a pinched nerve under my shoulder blade that hurt so much, I hadn't been able to lift my arm for a few days. But with that whole language barrier, there was no way I could tell him that, and I didn't even think about it when I was setting up my appointments with one of the English speaking Idas. 

Then came the foot reflexology. I didn't know much about reflexology---I just knew that my tired feet hurt and thought a foot massage would be amazing.

source: http://reflexology-map.com/hands-map/

Holy cow. I don't know what wizardry/voodoo/magic was involved, but I'm telling you---it was amazing. And I will definitely do that again. 

The masseuse worked on each toe and various parts of my feet doing different things, sometimes kneading them and sometimes rubbing his hands together and putting heat to them. Suddenly he stopped on one specific toe and worked a long time.  It was weird, but I knew he was doing it for some purpose. Once my time was up, he pantomimed to my hurt shoulder blade. Again, I had never told him that it hurt, but somehow by working on my feet, he a)knew I had a pinched nerve and b) knew how to make it stop hurting. 

Magic, I tell ya! 


Otherwise, I enjoyed walking around the cute little town. Goethe and Beethoven both came here for the healing waters. (Those waters, incidentally, smell a little too much of sulphur for me to drink them). 


The town has a cute little train that for a small price will take you around. The tour is in Czech (or maybe German---again, that whole language thing)---and it weaved through a pretty little park and by more 19th century beautiful yellow buildings, colonnades, and small fountains. 

Can you find us on the train? 

On the train, we passed a hotel with sculptures on the grounds. What are those? Chickens? They looked so interesting from afar. 

And then close-up, it was a whole other story. Those aren't chickens. . .  

Those aren't chickens. They are nekkid people. Oh my. . . 

Those are some freaky pieces of modern art. It's like everyone has their heads up their. . . posteriors. 

The town is small but charming. There are a few little shops and our hotel had a nice restaurant. I enjoyed walking around and seeing the signs---I'm a little obsessed with signs in other languages. 

And then we sadly missed a local production of Romeo and Juliet: 

and even more sadly, we missed the local drag show: 

We did see this sweet little monument for the American troops who liberated Frantiskovy Lazne during WWII: 

The take away: 

If you are not living or staying in the Bavaria region of Germany (or anywhere else in Eastern Europe), you may not think of this as a destination. As I mentioned with our Macedonian trip, there are really, REALLY reasonable airfares from smaller airlines once you are in Europe. Depending on where you are, you can spend much MUCH less on a round trip ticket to the Czech Republic than on a full tank of gas (and yes, gas is very expensive in Europe). So if you are spending a week in London and get bored (I guess that can happen. . . ), consider taking a 2 day trip to Eastern Europe where hotels and food are SO much more reasonable, and you find unexpected adventures in places you never would have considered visiting. 

When most Americans think of visiting Europe, they first think of France, Germany, and Italy. Those seem to be at the top of people's wish lists. 

I found a rural area of the Czech Republic and the country of Macedonia as both wonderful surprises. The food is inexpensive and good. The accommodations are also inexpensive and modern. People are lovely and very accommodating. When you are one of a few Americans, you don't have to worry about other obnoxious Americans giving your country a horrible reputation (something we run into every time we visit Mexico). You will run into a slower pace of life in many ways, where you are encouraged to sit a while and enjoy a meal. Store clerks don't follow you around. Waiters don't hover over you. People may wait in line patiently like Americans, or may feel the need (as they did MANY times in Germany) to just cut line because they don't want to wait. And you can choose to get angry or realize it's a ridiculous thing to stress about. We'll all get through line eventually. 

I think with Europe I've come back a little more patient about some things, and quiet frankly, more pissed off about others. Getting my son from Europe to the US was easy; getting him from the US to GTMO was an utterly frustrating, exasperating, and expensive process. I miss the fresh and nutritious food we had in Europe. I miss the cost of things---groceries are a LOT more expensive at our commissary than the commissaries we visited in Germany. And it's our only choice. I miss driving in the countryside (and driving over 35 mph). Yes, it's a slower pace of life here, but in a frustrating, bureaucratic sort of way. I can still only dream of getting that magic ticket and FINALLY getting out of here after five years. 

But we'll always have Germany/France/Macedonia/Czech Republic, right?  

NEXT TIME: 

More on travel (as in, how to spend a month overseas for cheap) and "letting" my son spend a couple of months on his own traveling all over Europe (and a little of Africa).