Back to Central Europe -- Arriving in Prague

Monday, Msy 11, 2016 -- Our plane from Frankfurt swoops low over the bright yellow fields of rapeseed (canola to Americans) as we approach Prague this afternoon.  It's a smooth, quick flight, but we later realized that the train from the basement of the Frankfurt airport would have gotten us here faster and more cheaply.

 

We've been in Shengan since Frankfurt, so arrival was painless, and the Czechs make a point of welcoming you!

Tauck picked us up from the airport with a van and deposited us with some other travelers at the Intercontinental Hotel.  Formerly the Conmunist Party guesthouse, it has been completely redone inside and is conveniently located on the river and at the edge of the old Jewish quarter. After settling in, we went for a walk down Pařížská Street. Lined with fancy stores such as Versace and Gucci, it is considered the most exclusive – and expensive – street in the whole of Prague.  

It leads through the Jewish quarter to the Old Town Square. The square opens suddenly before you, the spires of the Church of Our Lady Before Týn rises on one side (a Gothic church with a Baroque interior) while the tower of the Old Town Hall dominates the other. 

There's all manner of stuff going on in the square, especially around the statue of of religious reformer  Jan Hus, who for his beliefs was burned at

the stake somewhere else about 600 years ago.  The people making and flying large, graceful soap bubbles -- by waving plastic nets in the light breeze -- seemed to do it for the fun of it -- no money being asked or collected.  There were of course the horse-drawn carriages for hire, as well as brightly decorated roadsters that looked like the 1930's but which were probably built last month on a modern car's chassis just for the tourist trade.

It was sunny and warm, so we wandered around a bit, soaking up the atmosphere and just looking around.  We knew we'd be back here tomorrow or the next day with a guide.  It was just fun to know you're back in Europe, even if there are hordes of tourists everywhere.

We did not want to do too much of the Old Town this first evening because we'd hired a guide for tomorrow.  Besides, it was getting late enough to think about dinner.  Most of the obvious options looked kind of touristy -- and probably expensive for being right on the Old Town Square.

Grady seemed to enjoy it all just fine. We wandered through the archway to the Ungelt area, or Tyn Courtyard.This was founded in the 12 ^th century as a place where merchants from foreign countries paid customs for the goods they brought in to Prague, a major regional trading center even then.  

There was a lady making some kind of artsy glass in one shop, and a window full of the famous Prague marionettes in another.

After some deliberation we settled on an outdoor restaurant in the Ungelt.  It seemed popular, which was as adequate a recommendation as we were likely to get at that hour and in that area.  We enjoyed our first Czech white wine with some pasta dishes.  

As an extra treat, after the sun went down, we noticed the bright sliver of a moon sparkling against a dark blue sky beside the steeples of Týn church. Welcome to the Czech Republic!

Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - Sun N'Fun 2016

Wednesday, April 6, 2016 -- Timing of this year's Sun N'Fun expo and airshow - April 5-10 - worked out for us to attend this year. We departed Naples in N217CE about 7:15 a.m. and arrived Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (KLAL) just an hour later.  There were only a few planes in the pattern for runway 09 after we turned at Lake Parker.  We landed uneventfully despite the sun in our eyes and the difficulty seeing the orange dot.  

It did take about an hour to get the FBO's shuttle around the perimeter road to the ticket office at Lindbergh parking lot. There we got wrist bands.  And then it was a little more time to catch a shuttle to the main transportation hub on the south side of the field. Good thing we started early!



By then we'd missed the AOPA breakfast with Mark Baker. I'd promised Marcia breakfastr, so we went looking.  First, however, we came across a beautiful paint scheme on N104AZ, a Van's RV10.  One side was Army, the other side Marines. 

We found some really good donuts over by the food tents -- they were being deep fried right before your eyes, and then dipped in sugar and hung up to drip.  At $4.00 each they might be the most expensive donuts I've had, but they were really good. And quite filling. Glad we did not take the three for ten dollar deal. 

We went in search of the forums at the Central Florida Aviation Academy (CFAA), lured by an advertised talk on "Flying Your Own Plane to Cuba."  Jim Parker from  Caribbean Flying Adventures has flown all over the Caribbean and Central America, and he made it sound easy. The Cubans are interested in having tourists, and while they charge a lot for everything, they are happy to help pilots and visitors. He suggested taking cash instead of credit cards, but thought two people might need at most $2000 to $2500 for a week's stay with an airplane.

From there we went upstairs for a SRO lecture by Patty Wagstaff on aerobatic flight.  She described her pilot instruction academy at St. Augustine, Florida. She teaches everyone from new pilots to experienced airline ATP's and ex-military in a Super Decathlon and an Extra 300.  Breaking pilots of bad habits is part of the course, and she said one of the hardest things to teach is not to look around.  Aerobatics are flown just by looking left or looking up front for the horizon, and just about nowhere else.   

 As we wandered out among the airplanes on display, of course, one of the first we ran into was American Champion's Xtreme Decathlon.  Basically this is the same airplane I have except that it has a 210 hp engine and a 76-inch propeller.  That's compared to the Super Decathlon's 180 hp engine and 74-inch prop.

There were of course all kinds of vendors and aviation merchandise sellers all over the place.  This one was selling small chrome parts and junk, but you could negotiate for anything from a hangar door to house with a runway, a headset to an air conditioner.  At one point we met a friend and former partner in N9167S who had come all this way to buy some fittings for the RV10 he is building in his garage.

AirCam

There were some great paint schemes, as with the sea life motif on this Air Cam, a light, open cockpit airplane with two props mounted above the wing.  It's designed for low and slow flight in places like Florida, and much appreciated by photographers, hunters and fishermen. 

Another fun aircraft to see is the Sonex jet, the first such experimental aircraft meant to be both built and flown by the owner/pilot.  It was not very big, but had a cute paint scheme.  We wandered through many of the hangars filled with booths for manufacturers and sellers of products and services.  We were looking for the Cirrus display, but the Sun N'Fun maps were surprisingly unhelpful, at least for a newcomer.  Finally we found the Cirrus merchandise display in a hangar, and they pointed us to the airplanes: on the other side of the field, in the Warbird Zone, next to the Whelan truck.

B-29 arrives at Warbird area

Cirrus SR22T

It was worth the walk.  First, there was a strikingly pretty red-white-and-black 2016 Cirrus SR22T.  We talked with the Cirrus folks about paint schemes and how to keep a certified airplane legal when adding a paint job.  Parts of the airplane may not have dark paint, while other may not have light colored paint. And all paints must be FAA certified. 

 I was especially impressed that the avionics are the same as what I have learned to fly in N217CE.  Of course, air conditioning is standard.

The other attraction was the Cirrus Vision jet, with a certified example on the ramp. You could actually get in and sit in it. Which I did.  The salespeople explained that the controls are even more simple and straightforward than on a SR22.  One single handle for the FADEC engine control. But Marcia got the royal treatment, including a Cirrus cap and a cover for her iPhone. Long-awaited deliveries are to begin by summer.   

                                                                                               

Vision cockpit

                                                                                             

By this point feeling a bit peckish, we headed over to the food area.  It was nice to sit in the shade near the Sun N'Fun radio station for a bit, but the airshow had started.  The music in the food tent was so loud it drowned out the airplane noise.

The airshow was excellent, as one might expect. It started about 2:00 p.m., soon after the ForeFlight lecture at the AOPA tent on tips and tricks to using your iPad in flight.

The airshow featured top notch performers including Greg Koontz in a Super Decathlon, some jets, military aircraft, Michael Goulian in his fast blue Extra 330AC, the Lima-Lima flight team in T34's, and the AeroShell flight team at the end in their noisy, smokey AT-6's.

We watched from the shade of a tent along the flight line.  Not only could we sit down, but it gave us a good view of the action and the possibility to walk up closer from time to time for a photo. 

Four AeroShell planes seen from FBO 

About 4:30, while the airshow continued, we started to make our way back to the transportation hub and a shuttle toward Lindbergh lot.  One of the Sun N'Fun volunteers kindly offered to drive us back to Sheltair, so that saved us a lot of time.  We watched the AeroShell flight team from the FBO's lounge.

When the airshow ended, departure was a piece of cake.  The lineman said we could go out taxiway G, and there a GATOR (a small trailer with controllers in orange shirts) cleared us for take-off.  It was three miles straight out and then VFR to Naples.  We skirted some rain showers above Fort Myers, and landed KAPF's runway 14 at 7:15 p.m.  

RexAir aircraft at KAPF at sunset

Saturday, March 5, 2016 -- They say the original swamp buggies originated from the needs of road builders and hunters who wanted a good way to move their equipment and themselves through the boggy Everglades swamps.

In the Everglades, the swamp water is never too deep, but it's usually over mud bottom that is graced with mangrove roots.  This led to rough vehicles sitting high off the ground, with large wheels, and water-proof breathing tubes. 

Of course, if an American can drive something, he will usually want to race it.

By the early 1940s, hunters and others who used the high-wheeled vehicles -- often made from old cars, trucks and converted tractors -- started racing them simply for the fun of it. 

The rules seem to be that anything goes, and the muffler goes first.  The tires are custom made to be thin and speed through the water, although that sometimes seems to be a trade off with traction.

















After a few years, the race turned into an annual event, and, by 1949, an official organization had  formed to run it. By now there are second and third generation drivers who learned from their fathers and uncles.  Swamp buggies have come a long way since the 1940s. Now custom-built for racing, they are too loud and tight for hunting purposes. Divided into three classes, the fastest buggies can complete the course in less than a minute.

Today, there are three swamp buggy racing events every year, each attracting spectators from all over the country to the racetrack, affectionately known as the "Mile O’ Mud."  The real enthusiasts are known as "Mudnecks."  We had seen the ads along the road and decided to go see it.

Neck deep in swamp water

The January race date was rained out (apparently you can have too much of a good thing like water), and the races were rescheduled for today and Sunday. 

Saturday is for qualifying by time trials and minor races.  The real races -- with prize money, bragging rights, and more ceremony -- take place on Sunday.

It was pretty reasonable to get in, just $10 per person. The space behind the stands was filled with food stands, barbecue grills, shirt and hat sellers, and a large truck vending draft beer, including a tasty one called "Swampbuggy Red." There are not many sporting events in America where beer and barbeque both cost only $4 each. Of course, in this case, the players are not getting pro baseball player salaries.

There was even a Ford dealer, offering large, blaack pickup trucks for $78,990.  Given the size of the tires, it looked like it could have competed.  Lots of Harley Davidson motorcycles were parked in the shade of the trees, and many patrons had apparently come prepared to spend the entire weekend with their RV's and tents.

A crew of guys, all wearing shirts saying "Barter Kingz" stood by with tractors and construction equipment. 

A rare flag

Their job was to rescue buggies that became disabled or submerged.  The deal is that the driver has to get out and hook up the tow cable to his vehicle, then remount the buggy and steer during the towing operation.  

The announcer said that sometimes a driver must be freed from a buggy that flips over and traps him under water.  On on occasion, the rescuers simply picked up the buggy and set it down on dry ground. When a buggy became disabled during a race, there was no yellow flag; the other drivers just maneuvered around it.  Then, between races, it was towed to dry ground.

Getting the green "start" flag

And, the drivers did go for it, full throttle as it sounded.  It appeared that they do have gears and even reverse for backing up.  One of the techiques if your buggy gets stuck is to try to rock it forward and backward until you gain traction. One driver even finished the course in reverse. 

A number of buggies did get stuck or broke down. Sometimes a jeep would hit a low spot, sink to the point that the only the driver's head was showing, and simply not be able to proceed.  The jeeps all had air tubes to enable the engine to run submerged.  In other cases it sounded as  though an engine blew a cylinder and suddenly stopped -- and in sudden silence.

Like any good sporting event, there was a flag raising at the beginning (after a prayer) presided over by the Swamp Buggy Queen and her court. On Sunday she will be honored by being swept up off her feet -- in full queen regalia -- by the winning driver and ceremoniously thrown into the water.  

It would make a great photo!

Sunday, February 28, 2016 -- Our last full day here in the Florida Keys.  I planned to go on a snorkeling expedition to Cheeca Rocks, reputed to be some of the best underwater tourism in the area.

But, it was not to be. We drove down to Islamorada to the expedition launch at Islander Watersports, but as soon as we got out of the car, I knew this would not work.  The wind was blowing a good 15 knots and as the guide said, the water would be so roiled up that visibility would be nearly nil.  

Instead we went to the Theater of the Sea, an attraction built on dolphins, sea lions, and other creatures.  The location was originally the site of a pit dug to provide fill dirt for Flagler's railroad from Miami to Key West, an enormous engineering and construction project in the 1910-13 years.  The railroad was damaged in the 1935 hurricane and went out business.  The land was sold for $800 and today is the water basin for the Theater's dolphin and sea lion shows. The artificial lagoons and gardens feature Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions, sea turtles, tropical and game fish, sharks, stingrays, alligators, marine invertebrates, and birds.

This was, to our surprise, a much better show than some

others of this sort we've seen.  They had a series of exhibitions with trained dolphins doing tricks, then sea lions doing tricks, a bottomless boat tour, a well-narrated guided walk through the sea life in various pools, and a demonstration routine with trained parrots.  (Parrots are very smart.)

We finished the day, and our time in the Florida Keys, with one last sunset at Marker 88's outdoor bar and dock where you can watch the golden orb decline over the Florida Bay.

Our stay ended with dinner at Pierre's at Morada Bay, reputed to be one of the best restaurants on the Middle Keys.  (I would not quarrel.) It has the atmosphere of an early Florida two-story plantation mansion with a veranda running around all sides.  The lounge has a classic mahogany bar and deep leather armchairs. The dining room features dark planked wood floors, an eighteenth century Indian arcade, natural textured walls, and teak tables on kilim rugs.  There are Moroccan, Indian, and African artifacts everywhere you look.  And the food was excellent. 

Sunset at Marker 88

 

Saturday, February 27, 2016 -- There's a garden show today, and because it's cool (about 65 degrees) and windy, we decided to go.  

The start point was a garden club just up the road toward Key Largo from us. 

There was a festival of crafts and art objects as well as free coffee, tea, basil lemonade, as well as cookies and brownies. 

Well, after the $25 per person donation, maybe the cookies were not so "free."

The Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center was also on the list of places to be visited, but we've seen enough of that recently.  We moved on to the first garden on the tour, "Zen" fandel at 158 Rushton Lane, a short walk away.

"Zen" fandel

This garden featured a lot of small spots with an Asian flair, and good explanations of the plants and their characteristics.  I liked the way the owner used what came to hand, and seemed to trust Mother Nature to decide.

Next was "Villa Verde" at 603 Burton Drive, also not far away from our marina. I've run by here in the mornings on the way to Harry Harris Park and noticed all the painted crab trap floats hanging in the trees.  It apparently  belongs to a family who have been in Tavernier many years.  They have six lots backing up to a lake.

I kind of liked the cactus garden here (above) as well as the plaque with instructions for how to survive a hurricane (right).  They also had a nice firepit and outdoor grill area built of brick retrieved from a sunken Spanish ship -- the brick had been ballast.





The last garden on the tour was a spectacular one up the road toward Key Largo.  At 106 Point Pleasant Drive, it was a little hard to find, but a spectacular location for a house.

Entrance to Point Pleasant

 The artificial turf made a lot of sense under the tree canopy which the owner admitted made growing grass a challenge.  I was surprised the garden club allow a site with artificial grass on the tour, but it was beautiful, with orchids growing in the water oaks in the front yard.

However, the back garden facing the bay is dramatic.

No Key Deer, and No Fish Either

Friday, February 26, 2016 -- A day to venture down the Keys toward the Seven Mile Bridge, Bahia Honda, and Pine Key.  The last of those is home to the endangered Key Deer, a small species that seemingly thrives in this part of the Middle Keys.

Key Deer (from Internet)

Despite explorations of several parks and reserves on Pine Key, especially including National Key Deer Refuge, we did not see a single deer.  After lunch at Kiki's Sandbar, a server told us for sure we should see some if we went back and drove through the residential areas.  No luck.

So we proceeded over to Bahia Honda and the end of one span of Henry Flagler's railway to Key West.  Until it was destroyed in a 1935 hurricane, the rail line was an engineering and construction accomplishment on the same scale as the Panama Canal.  Today the remains of the railway line, including many old concrete bridges of the Overseas Railroad remain in use as fishing piers and pedestrian paths called the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail along the Keys. 

Fishing Bahia Honda

Before we headed back to Tavernier, I stopped to try my luck with a fishing pole and the strong northerly winds and rollicking currents under the bridge.

It's safe to say, no fish died at my hands this day.

Kayak the Keys (Just A Little Bit of The Keys)

Wednesday, February 24 -- We went down the Overseas Highway to Islamorada Mile 87 to Backcountry Cowboys and rented a couple of kayaks.  They suggested that because of the south wind (about 15 knots) we should paddle the Florida Bay side (north side).  The wind did, by the way, make it cool and comfortable in the 86 degree sunshine.

We  launched from a spot at the end of Blackwood Drive.  It was helpfully located very near a 300-foot tall radio tower, so we could easily find our way back.  The kayaks came with a "dry bag" for cameras, car keys, and cell phones.

We paddled southwest around the bay, looking in on the mangroves, the fish swimming in the clear water, and people relaxing on decks and pools along the water.  We passed marinas, townhouses, repairs places, and restaurants -- not to mention the Islamorada Fish Company (a super place to get fishing equipment, lures, rods, clothing, etc.)  It also features a replica of Hemingway's favorite fishing boat, the Pilar.

We poked around for about two hours, finding it best to paddle close to the mangroves and shore on the south side because of the wind.  In fact, a trip back across the bay required some serious paddling because of the wind.  

After a couple of hours of paddle work, it seemed like lunchtime.  We headed over to Lorelei Beach Club and Restaurant, beached the kayaks and ordered conch fritters and chicken quesadillas. A photo had to be taken to mark the spot.

At the end, we found our way back to the launch spot and called Backcountry to come pick up the kayaks. All worked very smoothly.  Maybe another day we'll go out the ocean side to Indian Key.