Saying goodbye to my Babickas

Day two with my Babickas saw a lot of sightseeing.  And another trip to the jewelry store. 

We went out to a chocolate café that produced its own chocolate (I think we even bought some to bring home??)  It was one of my favorite cafes while staying in Prague.  I decided it would be the perfect place to celebrate late for Mary’s birthday.  On our way home (loaded down with bags and bags of merchandise) we got caught in a thunderstorm!

At the chocolate factory cafe to celebrate a birthday!
THE best chocolate ever! 

Our tram dropped us off across from our hotel, and the wait for traffic and the sprint across the street made sure we were drenched by the time we made it to the front door.  We stumbled into our room giggling and soaking wet.  We took our turns taking hot showers, and had a much better night since there was air conditioning in our room. 

Mary drenched and smiling! 

Grandma Emma and I.

Soaking wet, but the smiles never left their faces :) 

That night was priceless, and brought me even closer to two women who I admire a lot. 

The next couple days were a blur, because we were always on the go!!  We saw soo much!! Did soo much!!  But I think what I will remember most are our conversations.

We talked about everything!  Before they arrived in Prague, I completely underestimated how much closer I would become to my grandmothers.  (Technically one is a great-aunt, but my head keeps calling her my grandmother, heck she took care of me just like I was her own grandchild). 

I learned so much about the history of my family on both sides, and it was things I would have never known otherwise.  Ask me anything about family history – I’ll tell you what I know. 

Thursday morning (Day 4) we boarded a bus and began a 5-hour journey south to Vienna, Austria.  The trip there itself was fun! But once there, we ran into snags.

First snag – I had trouble finding a hotel online, and was so happy when I finally found one that would allow 3 people and was fairly close to the airport they needed to be at on Saturday.  I. Messed. Up.

So our hotel ended up being a 32 Euro taxi trip (roughly $40) and was in the small town of Himburg, Austria about 30 minutes from the airport and another 40 minutes from Vienna itself.  Also…the hotel didn’t have air conditioning, but thankfully it was a cool night and we survived. 

Firday morning (today) we collectively decided that it would be easiest for them if we booked their final night at the hotel inside the airport.  I had to catch a bus back to Prague later that day, because my flight back to the states took off at 6 a.m. Saturday morning). 

We spent the day figuring out which gates they needed to go, and setting up a shuttle service that would give them and their luggage a ride straight to their check in counter from the doorstep of their hotel room.  We ate lunch down in the lobby of the gorgeous hotel, and each enjoyed a Pina Colada, Bahamas Mama, and Blue Hawaii drinks.  We spent our last few hours together reminiscing about our week full of adventures and missteps and I learned even more about my family history. 

To end our crazy week together, they walked me to my bus platform, and proceeded to try and embarrass me- I think.  It didn’t work, because I waved like a fool right back at them from the bus and took their pictures too. 

When my bus pulled away from the platform, my stomach dropped.  My week with my babickas is really over.  And I pray to God they have no troubles boarding their plane at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. 

It was a week I will never forget, and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life – for real.  I am so happy they were brave enough to travel abroad to join my adventure in Central Europe.  It would be a toss up as to who had more fun.  All three of us enjoyed the trip to its fullest.

Here’s to seeing you all back in Nebraska soon!

Best,

Cass