Lady Bug, Lady Bug, fly away home

Bug at the airport
Sew Diva at McDonalds

We have finished the 1st part of our trip and have dropped Bug at the airport in Prague for her trip home. It was a sad/happy event. For her sad because her vacation is over and she has to go to work (but someone has to work to pay for our Social Security checks), happy because she will get to see her roommate, her cat and her own bed. For us sad because we are losing her and happy because we are off on another adventure. In order to make her plane we got up at 4 a.m. so after dropping her Bear and I were more than ready for some coffee. You know how it is when you are on the outskirts of a big city, once you find the freeway (not technically free here, however) you are loath to get off. The food service on the freeways here is franchised to McDonalds so I broke my rule about never entering another McDonalds and we went there for coffee and I even had some food. It was just as I remember it: fair food, moderately priced – nothing to write home about. And, yet, here I am doing just that! To be honest, the latte was very good - and even served in a glass rather than a paper cup. It was one of Bug’s goals for this trip to get me into a fast food so she will again be happy/sad. Happy it happened, sad she wasn’t here to witness it. So Bear and I are in our little Fiat driving across the rolling farmlands in the rain on our way to Zagreb.
Things we noticed today that would be good to bring to the USA:
1. A vending machine at the airport which sells quart size ziplocks for 50¢.
2. You pay for a sticker you put onto the window of your car. It is good for a specified period of time. Along the highways there are sensors that check for the stickers, if no sticker a camera takes a photo of the windshield and license plate. The holder of the plate then gets a bill in the mail for the fine of driving without paying the toll.
3. Marzipan Potatoes! What you might say. Little marzipan (almond paste) balls rolled in cocoa so they look like potatoes with dirt on them.