Stramberk... not Stromboli

Ah, such a lovely little mountain town. And not a damn thing to do but drink. Or swim in the creepy basement swimming pool. Ive been doing a lot of drinking. And I still havent found that damned apostrophe. The Czech people have spices other than salt. I know this. Ive seen pepper on the table and tons of spices at the market and in the soups. However, Im still quite sure that every Czech recipe begins with "2 cups of salt" and ends with "add more salt."

Did any of you know that Brno and Dallas are sister cities? I didn't. THERE'S THAT APOSTROPHE!!!!!! Well they are. And we went and met the mayor yesterday morning. It was all very impressive. He gave us hats and pens.

This morning we went to a factory where they make the most gorgeous Christmas ornaments. They are very cheap to buy there, but I don't think I could get them home without shattering them into a million pieces. My aunt says she has a catalog where they are only a little more expensive, though.

We went to a tractor factory the other day. The one place where I would have loved to have a t-shirt from, and they didn't have a gift shop. If anyone sees a Zetor tractor shirt, let me know.

One more day in Stramberk, then we head for Vienna. Maybe I can find a laundromat there. Socks washed in sinks don't really get all that clean, plus they are a little crunchy when they dry. Anyone know the Czech word for laundromat??

Off to dinner... salt meat and starch discs, I'm sure! I'm ready for Italy where I can get tired of pasta. Dobre mata.