We arrived in Usti yesterday by
walking across the rail bridge over the Labe. There was a very large barge
passing beneath us at the same time and its appearance was accompanied by a
very strange smell. At first we thought it was produced by the barge but it
turned out it was produced by some chemical or animal processing works, as we
could even smell it in the town square before we went to our hotel. We
didn't detect the smell again so either we grew accustomed to it and
didn't notice it or it went away.
Our hotel was one of the few I've
chosen because of its location and not the price (low). [Did I mention I'm a
Yorkshireman?]. It was in the centre of town and nearer to the next town
we are staying in than were the other hotels. It was also more expensive. It
turned out to be our worst hotel so far. The only good thing about it was the
breakfast.
It is currently under renovation. We
had scaffolding (and builders) outside our room. Most of the fittings were old
and tired and the carpet had been ripped up in places, I think to accommodate
new radiators. The lift went up 10 floors and had no doors. Stand well back!
However it is only the second hotel,
out of about 22 we've stayed in in the Czech Republic that I would not choose
to visit again.
We had a very leisurely rest day. We
went to see the church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and took a few
photographs. Bombs fell nearby during WW2 and the vibration caused the building
to shift on its foundations. The top of the spire is shifted 2m sideways.
We took a cable car from the city
centre to a Chateau on a hill nearby. It was only built in the late 1800's.
There is now a cafe in the building. We sat on the terrace, looked at the
views, and had a drink.
In the evening we had a very good
meal at a Mexican restaurant.
There was a Marks & Spencer in
Usti so we just popped in to compare it with the UK version. It seemed much
more 'up market.'
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