May 21 - 2nd (and last) day of tour 2.

We did a mad rush around town to pay for and collect yesterdays purchases, before going back to our favorite gypsy warehouse to finish up shopping. Amanda kept adding to her new pile while even we found new stuff to heap on our boxes. The owner Zlendi said on Saturday he will be adding new stock to the mix. Aaagh!

Lizards anyone? I think Stefany got one on the last trip.

And adding more…..

 You never know what you mind find here. 

Then off to a bead factory so Amanda could see production of beads on a small bead press and tumbler before hitting the stock room.
 Some of the glass rods used to make the pressed beads.

 Watch our video of machine pressing bead shapes by small cottage industry with one machine. The other machine is under repair right now.

 Watch this video showing the tumbling of the beads. This helps get off the excess pieces of glass and makes the beads smooth.

Then a small antik shop where we all loaded up on good stuff - Amanda for the first time and us to add to our growing pile. Amanda also loved this store.

Before we even enter the store, Guy finds a pile of old beads and stuff dumped out by the drain pipe.

 Vintage cookie or jello molds.

  A pretty good stash of unusual goodies!

 Amanda & J-ME enjoying the shop.

One tool J-Me was very excited about was the old bead spinner in good working condition. Our bus driver Petr from the first tour said his Oma, Grandmother used to string beads for a factory years ago with one of these tools. Everyone would sit around the front room (the room with the fire place) and socialize while she strung beads to supplement her income. So maybe J-ME will be using hers on day in our front room or her bead room.


Finally a small cottage industry lampwork factory to see production of figurines and purchase of beads and flowers. The owner said his biggest customer of lampwork beads is in China where they create jewelry to sell to the Arab Emirates.

Before ending the 2nd tour so Amanda could drive on to Warsaw and a cruise of the Baltic Sea we attempted to shop at a small antik shop in town that was open for business but no one would open the door. Oh well. Amanda was shopped out, as were we, so we dropped off Amanda at her hotel and we went to our hotel and took a nap.

Our tours are over for the year - until Hong Kong in October.

Now we go to explore Austria and more of…… You never know where we might end up in a few days.