Florida Coalcracker Chronicles: Prague Airport Outlet Mall - Our Last Day Behind the Old Iron Curtain

Friday, July 30, 2021

Prague Airport Outlet Mall - Our Last Day Behind the Old Iron Curtain

This beautiful new mall was nearly empty

I found a collection of rare old cars

After 12 days behind the old Iron Curtain - it was time for us to fly to Paris - west of the wall. We got up Thursday morning in Karlovy Vary - in the Czech Republic. We had breakfast at our Olympia Palace Hotel and by 11 AM we were motoring in our Skoda rental car east across the countryside of hop fields and breweries. Lulu always likes to sneak in a little adventure side trip.

We got to the Prague Airport quite early for our flight - but there just happened to be a brand new outlet mall just next to this countryside airport. Since Czechia joined the EU - a lot of money had been flowing their way for infrastructure. As I parked our car in the covered parking lot - I felt comfortable being able to see the airport within easy reach. We took the escalator upstairs - and she was off - shopping for gifts for the kids. I started walking and looking maybe for an ice cream cone. The place was beautiful - although malls may be a thing of the past with Internet shopping - I was surprised at how nice this was. What was pretty obvious - although all the stores were open - there were virtually no shoppers. We had the place to ourselves. Covid or no covid - this place was empty.

Then - all of a sudden up ahead I saw something strange - cars in a mall. On one of the wings - the store fronts were completed - but no stores were there yet. They were filled with exotic cars! I saw two guys that looked like salesmen sitting at a desk - but I did not pester them nor vice versa. I just started taking pictures of the cars - squeezing between rows and ropes. Some of the cars had window sales stickers. They were all polished so spotlessly - and every car was on a trickle battery charger. I did not ask questions - I assume these cars were consignment sales. Many of them had window stickers over $200,000. A few were in the $10,000 to $30,000 range.

We stayed there an hour or so - and it was soon time to go to the airport. We wanted to have plenty of time for security checks. On the way over from Paris - that airport was packed. We almost missed our plane. This time - we were the only people going through security. We each had two carry-on bags. Lulu was stuffing little bags into bigger bags. We ended up at our gate two hours early. We had a nice lunch - and got on the plane. As I typed this we are winging it over Germany - the plane looks only about 20% full. As we flew over Germany that looked like Nuremberg down there. Prague airport did check our Covid card. In Paris we walked off our plane and right into the street - no checks.

In Paris - we took an uber car to my son's apartment. It is nice to be coming home - even though it is Paris. It was announced yesterday that England is letting Americans in now. If we can go there without being quarantined for 5 days - we will probably do it. Lulu has spent 10 summers teaching a course in London at the FSU campus there. We love going back there.

Traveling in these former communist countries was very interesting. You realize that people all over the world have the same hopes and dreams. They care for their families. They like to eat and drink out. They like to shop for clothes and trinkets. They see a lot of America on TV and Internet. They love to wear clothes with American words on them. They want to have a good time. They could not care less about politics.