We had a fairly shittxy nights sleep owing to a very echoey hostel where every footstep and door opening etc echoes to about three times its usual volume.
We headed into Alexandraplatz assumign that might be a place to buy a tourist map and start out. We havenät done much research this trip and really had no idea where to go or what to do. With tourist map in hand we walked the two kms to Checkpoint Charlie- which with fake American soldior re enactments etc was fairly lame. The museum was incredibly interesting but not laid out well. Lots of writing and photos etc crammed into a small space and it didnät unfold in a very logical way. Hard to get a chronological idea of the Berlin and its wall and would be particularlz confusing if yzou had no previous knowledge about it. I suppose most people know a bit about it all though. We spent a good 2 hours wandering around it though- lots of incredible stories of escape.
From there we walked to Potsdamer Platz and to the Holocaust memorial. The Memorial is a colloection of probablz 100 or more cement rectangular pillars of varying height. The ground they are on is not even but waving hills and burrows so when you look at the memorical from the outside you donät realise how tall some of the pillars actually are and you can#t see all the people wandering through them.
From there we walked to the Brandenburg Gate- the only surviving gate of 4 to berlin built in the 1700s.
We are now at the internet in a big mall across from where the German Premiere of Star Trek the movie is happening. Lots of excitement earlier on but we couldnät be bothered waiting to see a couple of famous people walk by.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Berlin
Spent the morning bumming around Dresden before getting the train to Berlin. One thing we have realised about Eruope travel is that booking trains ahead etc is kind of pointless and excessive- but that the internet does not help zou at all. Get buses not trains. We booked a train in advance because we have limited time and didnät want to get stuck. We then realised that we booked the super slow train that we had to change at some random German village. But not a complete loss the views were gorgeous. Spring trulz has sprung in Europe. When we arrived in Prague the trees were all still basicallz bare from Winter and over the first week we saw them starting to bloom and now at the end fo two weeks things are reallz green. Its amayzing.
Arrived at Berlin central station- which is quite incredible in itself. I know this is going to sound incredibly dodgy but Berlin is the kind of place that can reallz take advantage of the fact that it was destroyed by war and build some super cool new stuff and not be bogged down by old buildings forever. Ok yes old buildings are amazing and wonderful etc but seriouslz some of Europe has got to go people! Ok old building rant aside - we checked into our hostel which is about 15 minutes train trip out (everywhere central is ridiculouslz expensive). Then we went back into town. We wandered along a street headed towards Alexandraplatz where the huge tv ariel thingy is (created by the Soviets to make the East look impressive). Along this street we came to this old derelict looking archway and building but there appeared to be some life within. So we walked through to find an area covered in sand with outdoor lounges, benches etc. Not classy pretentious fake beach stuff but just like someone dragged an old couch off the street. Tehre were some art studios with people working in them and stuff to look at. So we had a look around and then sat back amongst the sand etc to ahve a beer and listen to some cool music. The place had a really great vibe and I can now see whz everzone is wanting to move to Berlin and become an artist. There were a couple of rat sightings however but I suppose that just added to the crazyness of it all.
Along this road were some other curiosities. Many many prostitutes. All wearing bum bags. Very strange. I don#t know whether its legal along this particular strip or what but there thez were plain as day with their pimps wandering around behind them. At first I thought the first two were just a couple of slappers out for the night until we kept walking adn the same theme continued.
Arrived at Berlin central station- which is quite incredible in itself. I know this is going to sound incredibly dodgy but Berlin is the kind of place that can reallz take advantage of the fact that it was destroyed by war and build some super cool new stuff and not be bogged down by old buildings forever. Ok yes old buildings are amazing and wonderful etc but seriouslz some of Europe has got to go people! Ok old building rant aside - we checked into our hostel which is about 15 minutes train trip out (everywhere central is ridiculouslz expensive). Then we went back into town. We wandered along a street headed towards Alexandraplatz where the huge tv ariel thingy is (created by the Soviets to make the East look impressive). Along this street we came to this old derelict looking archway and building but there appeared to be some life within. So we walked through to find an area covered in sand with outdoor lounges, benches etc. Not classy pretentious fake beach stuff but just like someone dragged an old couch off the street. Tehre were some art studios with people working in them and stuff to look at. So we had a look around and then sat back amongst the sand etc to ahve a beer and listen to some cool music. The place had a really great vibe and I can now see whz everzone is wanting to move to Berlin and become an artist. There were a couple of rat sightings however but I suppose that just added to the crazyness of it all.
Along this road were some other curiosities. Many many prostitutes. All wearing bum bags. Very strange. I don#t know whether its legal along this particular strip or what but there thez were plain as day with their pimps wandering around behind them. At first I thought the first two were just a couple of slappers out for the night until we kept walking adn the same theme continued.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Dresden
Spent the day exploring Dresden by foot.
Very nice city.
Went to an art exhibition bz this modern German artist called Martin Eder- running out of net credit so not much time to write about it. Google Martin Eder to have a look at his stuff. Some of it is quite interesting, perhaps a little pretentious. Will write more later.
Found a cool part of Dresden that reminded me of Newtown or Enmore, lots of similar shops etc.
Sat in the sun on the River Elbe watching people and whatnot.
Tomorrow to Berlin.
Very nice city.
Went to an art exhibition bz this modern German artist called Martin Eder- running out of net credit so not much time to write about it. Google Martin Eder to have a look at his stuff. Some of it is quite interesting, perhaps a little pretentious. Will write more later.
Found a cool part of Dresden that reminded me of Newtown or Enmore, lots of similar shops etc.
Sat in the sun on the River Elbe watching people and whatnot.
Tomorrow to Berlin.
Goodbye Prague Hello Dresden (plus third tragedy)
So we spent the morning wandering about saying our goodbyes to Prague and spending the last few Czeck krones we had. Tim wanted to trz a langos- these depp fried pastry bases that they paint with garlic oil, tomato sauve and then pile with cheese- which he did and enjoyed until I decided to get into this incredible looking chicken kebab on a stick stuck in a baguette. I lined up and got one (the line was huge so I assumed it would taste good) reallz I have no idea how good it was because I basicallz accidentallz swallowed the first piece too earlz and spent the next twentz minutes half choking half trzing to digest this piece of meat. It had no idea whether it wanted to go down or come back up and I suspect it maz have been in the wrong tube altogether, so I was coughing, spewing up stomach bile etc in the middle of the old Centre of Prague before eventuallz vomiting, coughing up this piece of chicken. I probablz didn#t reallz need to describe this in such detail but it was trulz a horrific experience and I (being a drama Queen) thought I was going to die in a verz embarrassing way in a foreign countrz without travel insurance. For about 2 hours I thought it was revenge of the chickens and I decided to go vego once and for all- then when we arrived in Dresden I had a chicke burger at Hungrz Jacks and that was the end of it all. I suppose once yzou fall off that horse zou jsut need to get back on there!
Ok so we made it to Dresden- after what nearlz could have been an Asia stzle bus trip. It was onlz 2 and a half hours but after about an hour thez stopped the bus, started running around as though something was wrong and then declared a ten minute break. We all waited around until whatever was the problem was fixed and were off again. Phew- nightmare flashbacks to 15 hour trips in Vietnam with numerous bus problems! The views were lovely especially as we went through some mountains and along a river passing little Czeck villages and a prettz cool castle on the edge of a cliff overlooking the river below.
Arrived in Dresden about 5pm and spent the evening wandering through the town centre. Its interesting as so much of it was destrozed in WW2 that there is a lot of new development and as such the roads are much wider etc and it feels more like and Aussie citz than anz other we have zet been to.
Ok so we made it to Dresden- after what nearlz could have been an Asia stzle bus trip. It was onlz 2 and a half hours but after about an hour thez stopped the bus, started running around as though something was wrong and then declared a ten minute break. We all waited around until whatever was the problem was fixed and were off again. Phew- nightmare flashbacks to 15 hour trips in Vietnam with numerous bus problems! The views were lovely especially as we went through some mountains and along a river passing little Czeck villages and a prettz cool castle on the edge of a cliff overlooking the river below.
Arrived in Dresden about 5pm and spent the evening wandering through the town centre. Its interesting as so much of it was destrozed in WW2 that there is a lot of new development and as such the roads are much wider etc and it feels more like and Aussie citz than anz other we have zet been to.
Botanical Gardens etc
Today we went to the Botanical Gardens in Prague which was quite cool because its on top of a hill on the edge of town. Very nice to get out of the way of buildings buildings and more old buildings... do I sound a little sick of old buildings? well I am. I am starting to realise that makes up a large portion of what europe has to offer- I am now understanding why people can go on a 3 week 7 country Euro drinking spree and feel thez have seen it all. I think (even though reallz enjoyed Prague) we stazed a little too long. Anywaz I will let Tim elaborate on botanical garden escapades as he was very excited bz the green house vegetation.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Kutna Hora escapades
So today we decided to get out of Prague and jumped on the train to Kutna Hora- about an hour and a half away. Basically used to have a silver mine there, lots of churches etc but we were going for the 'Ossuary'- and we got much more than that!
Ok so first of all the ossuary- back in about 990 some dude did a pilgramige to Jerusalem and got some dirt from Galgotha and brought i back dumped it near the monastry and Kutna Hora and then a bunch of wealthy guys decided they wanted to b burieed there and it started out as a burial site for the rich and famous. Then in about 1300 there was a massive plague, followed by a big war (Husseit wars- not exactly sure who with... I think the Turks? Anyway a ton of people got corpsed and laid to rest at the Ossuary. Then in the 1500's his half blind monk thought it would be really cool to get all their bones (some 40 000 dead bodies worth) and turn them into decorative art - which he did and it is in fact cool. There was a big coat of arms made out of every single bone in the human body, a chandelier and oher stuff that photos will depict better than me describing it whilst half asleep.
The Ossuary didn't have as much atmosphere as the catacombs in Paris but the designs were pretty impressive.
Ok so the other unexpected delight was the fact that they were having some kind of Easter fair. It was almost exactly like the Dubbo show or equivalent except for a few differences:
* You could buy beer and walk around with it (not confined to a no kids alcohol area)
* Every second stand wanted to sell either colour co ordinated pegs (yes clothes pegs sorted into olours) or dodgy (used looking) underwear!
*
We had decided to bring our own lunch to save money and found a nice spot on the other side of the cemetary to eat our bread and cheese and it was quite lovely.
Tim succumed to the call of the waffle and experienced the waffle on the stick- whih Tim approved of completely. I will let him review in his own time.
It was kind of cool to be in a random Czeck town that had minimal tourist traps- and to see that not all f Europe is quaint cobblestone alleys and colourful castles... there are shitty carnie shows here too!
Ok so first of all the ossuary- back in about 990 some dude did a pilgramige to Jerusalem and got some dirt from Galgotha and brought i back dumped it near the monastry and Kutna Hora and then a bunch of wealthy guys decided they wanted to b burieed there and it started out as a burial site for the rich and famous. Then in about 1300 there was a massive plague, followed by a big war (Husseit wars- not exactly sure who with... I think the Turks? Anyway a ton of people got corpsed and laid to rest at the Ossuary. Then in the 1500's his half blind monk thought it would be really cool to get all their bones (some 40 000 dead bodies worth) and turn them into decorative art - which he did and it is in fact cool. There was a big coat of arms made out of every single bone in the human body, a chandelier and oher stuff that photos will depict better than me describing it whilst half asleep.
The Ossuary didn't have as much atmosphere as the catacombs in Paris but the designs were pretty impressive.
Ok so the other unexpected delight was the fact that they were having some kind of Easter fair. It was almost exactly like the Dubbo show or equivalent except for a few differences:
* You could buy beer and walk around with it (not confined to a no kids alcohol area)
* Every second stand wanted to sell either colour co ordinated pegs (yes clothes pegs sorted into olours) or dodgy (used looking) underwear!
*
We had decided to bring our own lunch to save money and found a nice spot on the other side of the cemetary to eat our bread and cheese and it was quite lovely.
Tim succumed to the call of the waffle and experienced the waffle on the stick- whih Tim approved of completely. I will let him review in his own time.
It was kind of cool to be in a random Czeck town that had minimal tourist traps- and to see that not all f Europe is quaint cobblestone alleys and colourful castles... there are shitty carnie shows here too!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Czeck adventures continued
So we spent the rest of our time in eating our way around Cesky Kumlov. WE took a walk up to the top of this hill called 'Krizak' and amazingly it was so hot we had to be bare armed! Very enjoyable. The views from the top were pretty cool and our camera is drying out slowly but surely.
After saying goodbye to the bears and taking a walk through the park and castle gardens we were bound for a bus back to Prague.
When we arrived at the hotel we had booked the woman looked at our reservation email wth puzzlement- which is unnerving when you arrive in a city that everyone is leaving because its booked out for Easter long weekend. BAsically Wotif or the hotel had screwed up and double booked so the receptionist rang around and then told us someone was comign to take us to an apartment- kind of strange and considering I have seen one too many 'Hostel' films a bit unnerving. I pictured our corpses being tortured in some dngy apartment in Prague. But it all turned out ok and we were given an apartment to stay in for the night- it had a very 'Bohemian' feel and so we got ourselves some absinthe and tucked in. One shot and I was done- that stuff burns- I suppose 70 % alcohol will do that to you.
So this morning they came and picked us up and took us back to the original hotel and we checked in for the rest of our stay in Prague.
The weather is soooooo beautiful here- must be mid twenties and sunshine everywhere! good outdoor beer weather and we are making the most of it. Today we wandered from our hotel to the Castle and had a wander about. Bit over castles really and so didn't bother paying to go inside- the views from the top of the hill were free and pretty fantastic. Also watching middle aged European tourist couples who dress alike is equally enjoyable.
Just figuring out how to avoid a tour and get ourselves to this bone ossury about an hour from twn by public transport... then we are back out into the square for some sunshine and again more FOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately because of Easter weekend we could either get to Germany yesterday or not until Monday- we opted for Monday because its cheaper here - but it means we only get about 5 full days in Germany- so the highlights of Berlin is all we will manage and a day in Dresden. I suppose if we like it we can come back.
After saying goodbye to the bears and taking a walk through the park and castle gardens we were bound for a bus back to Prague.
When we arrived at the hotel we had booked the woman looked at our reservation email wth puzzlement- which is unnerving when you arrive in a city that everyone is leaving because its booked out for Easter long weekend. BAsically Wotif or the hotel had screwed up and double booked so the receptionist rang around and then told us someone was comign to take us to an apartment- kind of strange and considering I have seen one too many 'Hostel' films a bit unnerving. I pictured our corpses being tortured in some dngy apartment in Prague. But it all turned out ok and we were given an apartment to stay in for the night- it had a very 'Bohemian' feel and so we got ourselves some absinthe and tucked in. One shot and I was done- that stuff burns- I suppose 70 % alcohol will do that to you.
So this morning they came and picked us up and took us back to the original hotel and we checked in for the rest of our stay in Prague.
The weather is soooooo beautiful here- must be mid twenties and sunshine everywhere! good outdoor beer weather and we are making the most of it. Today we wandered from our hotel to the Castle and had a wander about. Bit over castles really and so didn't bother paying to go inside- the views from the top of the hill were free and pretty fantastic. Also watching middle aged European tourist couples who dress alike is equally enjoyable.
Just figuring out how to avoid a tour and get ourselves to this bone ossury about an hour from twn by public transport... then we are back out into the square for some sunshine and again more FOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately because of Easter weekend we could either get to Germany yesterday or not until Monday- we opted for Monday because its cheaper here - but it means we only get about 5 full days in Germany- so the highlights of Berlin is all we will manage and a day in Dresden. I suppose if we like it we can come back.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Another day of Cesky Krumlov eating and adventure
So we are taking today easy- more food more drink- I plan to be a size bigger when we return to England- like a camel I am saving my food so I don't have to eat for a month when we return. no more jacket potatos full of beans for me!
So we are headed to Prague again tomorrow and we might do a day trip to Vienna Austria if our budget allows. As it turned out that we couldn't get a train to Dresdent until Monday so we have longer in Czeck Republic thahn germany and thought a day trip might be good. If not there is still plenty in Prague we want to Czeck out! Yes the puns are a plenty!
So we are headed to Prague again tomorrow and we might do a day trip to Vienna Austria if our budget allows. As it turned out that we couldn't get a train to Dresdent until Monday so we have longer in Czeck Republic thahn germany and thought a day trip might be good. If not there is still plenty in Prague we want to Czeck out! Yes the puns are a plenty!
Second Disaster of what must be a slightly doomed but fun trip
So we slept in and woke up to a delicious breakfast that would rival our odl favourite Martinis in Newtown and the good thing about Czeck Republic is that without the Euro it rivals Aussie prices too! I kinow I keep blogging about food but truly we are having a good time stuffing our faces with things that actually have flavour after surviving for 4 months in the land that flavour forgot. I had almost forgotten I have tastebuds.
We then climbed the main tower that overlooks the town. it resembles a wedding cake in my opinion- each tier being a different colour and painted with a different design. Ceszky Krumlov is a bit like Disneyland really which might explain my love for it. There were some great views overlooking the town. We wandered about the castle and watched the bears who live in the moat playing in their pond and eating honey. Well not really honey but that would have been funny. They were eating apples and carrots and chocolate croissants instead. Yes there are 3 real bears living in the moat! Pretty cool. Although we are not really sure how ethical their environment is - btu they have a fair bit of space- more than most zoos.
Then came the part of the day that spelled our doom. We decided to take a canoe trip aroudn the river which we had seen others doing the day before. The river has a system of little rapids that you need to go down because the river is on a mountain- anyway they looked tame enough to us. The sky was overcast and we heard a few cracks of thunder just to add ot the atmosphere. The guy drove us and a German couple out of town where we were to start our boat trip. We had been given a quick briefing on the rapids by some dude who gave us a map and told us which rapids to go down and which ones to avoid. Naturally Tim was excited and I was slightly concerned. But not concerned enough to really think anythign could go wrong. I mean they didn't even offer us helmets!
So we started sailing and I couldn't particularly enjoy it as I suddenly realised I was busting to go to the toilet- the kind of thing that happens when you are surrounded by the sound of rushing water. Tim looked on our little map and said- 'Oh there is a camp site up ehre we will stop and you can go to the toilet'- so we pulled over and I popped up the hill in search of what looked like a campsite but was really some industrial place with a fence all the way around. Such is the life of someone whose bladder is made small to leave room for a uterus I couldn't contian it and decided to hide behind a wall and do a quick wee! Ashamed I came back to boat and swore never to blog of this incident.
We continued on our way to find that the campsite was in fact just around the bend!
After this we went down one rapid and had a pretty enjoyable time- I didn't die and even managed to get a quick photo of Tim's triumphant paddling. Put at ease by our first rapid encounter I relaxed and started to enjoy my newly emptied bladder and the scenery.
Second rapid came and went with no more than a 'woot' of excitement and a subtle splash.
Then came the third rapid- I think I sensed impending danger and panicked- basically when I panic my brains shuts down and I start flailing- in the case I was flailing with an oar and trying to do who knows what to avoid the rapid. But we went down the rapid regardless and just as we thought we had conquered it our boat got turned around and I saw Tim's end flip and next thing we were under. I think the greatest shock was the freezing nature of the water. It hit my chest and I (again panicked) and started screaming for help. I couldn't touch the bottom and luckily Tim grabbed me and I realsied (briefly) it wasn't too scary and we swam for the shore. Freezing cold and not a happy camper started cursing the world and swearing never to get back into any boat again! Then we turned and saw that the Germans had caught up with us- we watched them go down the rapid much as we had fairly calmly only to be sucked under at the last minute as well. So Tim jumpled back in to help them as the german girl looked to be getting carried away. All freezing cold and a bit shocked (the German girl had lost her shoes) we stood around wondeirng where the nearest bar was. The only solution was to get back in and keep going. Naturally my fear had turned me into the most annoying person alive and I panicked the whole way back- even getting out before the last rapid and walking teh rest of the way dripping wet. Along the way we did manage to find the girls shoes which we thought was pretty impressive. Oh but later I realised the pair of sunglasses I ahd bought that morning were long gone! The other concern was 9and still is ) that our camera may never work again. We have salvaged the memory card and the photos we ahd taken are ok but we haven't had the guts to try the camera yet! Still drying it out! Fingers crossed- I think we are doomed with cameras!
Anyway we then spent a couple fo hours blowdrying our shoes (we only brought one pair with us not thinking we would end up submerged in a river) before heading back to our favourite vego restaraunt for a well earned meal and beer.
We then climbed the main tower that overlooks the town. it resembles a wedding cake in my opinion- each tier being a different colour and painted with a different design. Ceszky Krumlov is a bit like Disneyland really which might explain my love for it. There were some great views overlooking the town. We wandered about the castle and watched the bears who live in the moat playing in their pond and eating honey. Well not really honey but that would have been funny. They were eating apples and carrots and chocolate croissants instead. Yes there are 3 real bears living in the moat! Pretty cool. Although we are not really sure how ethical their environment is - btu they have a fair bit of space- more than most zoos.
Then came the part of the day that spelled our doom. We decided to take a canoe trip aroudn the river which we had seen others doing the day before. The river has a system of little rapids that you need to go down because the river is on a mountain- anyway they looked tame enough to us. The sky was overcast and we heard a few cracks of thunder just to add ot the atmosphere. The guy drove us and a German couple out of town where we were to start our boat trip. We had been given a quick briefing on the rapids by some dude who gave us a map and told us which rapids to go down and which ones to avoid. Naturally Tim was excited and I was slightly concerned. But not concerned enough to really think anythign could go wrong. I mean they didn't even offer us helmets!
So we started sailing and I couldn't particularly enjoy it as I suddenly realised I was busting to go to the toilet- the kind of thing that happens when you are surrounded by the sound of rushing water. Tim looked on our little map and said- 'Oh there is a camp site up ehre we will stop and you can go to the toilet'- so we pulled over and I popped up the hill in search of what looked like a campsite but was really some industrial place with a fence all the way around. Such is the life of someone whose bladder is made small to leave room for a uterus I couldn't contian it and decided to hide behind a wall and do a quick wee! Ashamed I came back to boat and swore never to blog of this incident.
We continued on our way to find that the campsite was in fact just around the bend!
After this we went down one rapid and had a pretty enjoyable time- I didn't die and even managed to get a quick photo of Tim's triumphant paddling. Put at ease by our first rapid encounter I relaxed and started to enjoy my newly emptied bladder and the scenery.
Second rapid came and went with no more than a 'woot' of excitement and a subtle splash.
Then came the third rapid- I think I sensed impending danger and panicked- basically when I panic my brains shuts down and I start flailing- in the case I was flailing with an oar and trying to do who knows what to avoid the rapid. But we went down the rapid regardless and just as we thought we had conquered it our boat got turned around and I saw Tim's end flip and next thing we were under. I think the greatest shock was the freezing nature of the water. It hit my chest and I (again panicked) and started screaming for help. I couldn't touch the bottom and luckily Tim grabbed me and I realsied (briefly) it wasn't too scary and we swam for the shore. Freezing cold and not a happy camper started cursing the world and swearing never to get back into any boat again! Then we turned and saw that the Germans had caught up with us- we watched them go down the rapid much as we had fairly calmly only to be sucked under at the last minute as well. So Tim jumpled back in to help them as the german girl looked to be getting carried away. All freezing cold and a bit shocked (the German girl had lost her shoes) we stood around wondeirng where the nearest bar was. The only solution was to get back in and keep going. Naturally my fear had turned me into the most annoying person alive and I panicked the whole way back- even getting out before the last rapid and walking teh rest of the way dripping wet. Along the way we did manage to find the girls shoes which we thought was pretty impressive. Oh but later I realised the pair of sunglasses I ahd bought that morning were long gone! The other concern was 9and still is ) that our camera may never work again. We have salvaged the memory card and the photos we ahd taken are ok but we haven't had the guts to try the camera yet! Still drying it out! Fingers crossed- I think we are doomed with cameras!
Anyway we then spent a couple fo hours blowdrying our shoes (we only brought one pair with us not thinking we would end up submerged in a river) before heading back to our favourite vego restaraunt for a well earned meal and beer.
Cesky Krumlov- yahoo
So we awoke early and wandered down to the bus stop (which we had spent a fair bit of time the night before looking for only to realise we had been walking past it every time!) and caught the bus to Cesky Krumlov in the South of the country. It took nearly 3 hours drive and mostly the views weren't that exciting. The landscape is fairly non descript- green grass, leafless trees etc. A few towns here and there that look mostly like anywhere else apart from the Czek writing on the signs.
Cesky Krumlov is absolutely beautiful! Tim and I both agreed that we were feeling a little aprehensive about Europe after our Paris trip. Basically Paris was interesting but neither of us absolutely loved it and it cost a fortune and we were both worried that maybe the rest of Europe would be a bit ho hum as well- yes some of you reading will think we are complete philistines for not loving Paris but there you have it we didn't and we don't and the truth is finally out there!
Cesky Krumlov is an old town- with the River Vlatva running through it. The centre of the town (you could say is touristy) but charmingly so. Every building is a different colour- theya re all cement buildings but with amazing designs all over them. Some are just basic so it looks like they have been made out of brick work or whatever but its all painted- so it gives a 3d effect. And again gorgeous cobblestone alleys that twist and turn around each other over bridges etc. and what Tim and I really enjoy the most fabulous places to eat and drink! We had lunch at a vegetarian restaraunt that was amazing- the waiter was so funny he reminded me of Gerard Deparduie- always smiling and laughing and seemingly simple but obviously not. The food here is very hearty- served on big thick earthenware plates and big portions that warm you up. It all feels very medieval. We sat eating along the river and for the first time since being in Europe basked in the SUN! Yes the sun! I could feel the vitamin D soaking in and taking all my sadness away. I never want to go back to stupid England! The weather here is fabulous- its been about 19 degrees which after the UK winter feels so nice!.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the alleyways and exploring. That night we went to a restaraunt serving traditional Czeck food- and drank hot mead- Tim had South Bohemian Mead and I had Maravian- who really knows what was in either but it was yummy and sitting right next to a beautiful castle and colourful tower it was very atmospheric.
Cesky Krumlov is absolutely beautiful! Tim and I both agreed that we were feeling a little aprehensive about Europe after our Paris trip. Basically Paris was interesting but neither of us absolutely loved it and it cost a fortune and we were both worried that maybe the rest of Europe would be a bit ho hum as well- yes some of you reading will think we are complete philistines for not loving Paris but there you have it we didn't and we don't and the truth is finally out there!
Cesky Krumlov is an old town- with the River Vlatva running through it. The centre of the town (you could say is touristy) but charmingly so. Every building is a different colour- theya re all cement buildings but with amazing designs all over them. Some are just basic so it looks like they have been made out of brick work or whatever but its all painted- so it gives a 3d effect. And again gorgeous cobblestone alleys that twist and turn around each other over bridges etc. and what Tim and I really enjoy the most fabulous places to eat and drink! We had lunch at a vegetarian restaraunt that was amazing- the waiter was so funny he reminded me of Gerard Deparduie- always smiling and laughing and seemingly simple but obviously not. The food here is very hearty- served on big thick earthenware plates and big portions that warm you up. It all feels very medieval. We sat eating along the river and for the first time since being in Europe basked in the SUN! Yes the sun! I could feel the vitamin D soaking in and taking all my sadness away. I never want to go back to stupid England! The weather here is fabulous- its been about 19 degrees which after the UK winter feels so nice!.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the alleyways and exploring. That night we went to a restaraunt serving traditional Czeck food- and drank hot mead- Tim had South Bohemian Mead and I had Maravian- who really knows what was in either but it was yummy and sitting right next to a beautiful castle and colourful tower it was very atmospheric.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Prague - some thoughts
So we have spent the morning walking about taking in the sights. We are now only at an internet cafe to book our bus to Czesky Krumlov tomorrow.
A few strange things first
* Men here love to double denim- don't know who told them this was ok.
* The toilets have a weird extra shelf in the bowl so you do your business and it sits on this shelf (maybe so you can inspect it?) before you flush it away!
* There are a lot of Police wandering around- I mean a lot! Makes you feel safe though
*When we were on the train headed to our hotel there was a family all wearing blue jumpers that said LUBE
A few delightful things
* The people are very friendly
* The buildings are colourful
*The food is cheap
* The food is good!
Anyway we went to a Jewish Synagogue this morning- just wandering past and were so captivatd by its beautiful colourful, detailed front that we wandered in. It is one of the mot beutiful interiors I have ever seen. Amazing details and colours and amazingly it survived German occupation. Apparently they used it as a storage space which is why it wasn't destroyed.
Sat in a lovely cafe and drank coffee and ate 'little czeck cakes' - gorgeous.
Tonight we are oing on a dinner cruise along the river as an anniversary celebrations. Tim and I have been together for 3 years.
Anyway will update when we have the time.
Ok so after we finally figured out how to book a bus to Cesky Krumlov we wandered down (pretty much by accident) into the old Town Centre- which was abuzz with much excitement. We were later to find out that there was a big volleyball tournament on in Prague! Which also explained the family wearing the LUBE T Shirts- perhaps the name of their team?
The Old Town Centre is rather amazing. All the buildings are brightly coloured and painted with either scenery or fake decorations that would usually take the form of sculpted gargoyles and the like. Really lovely. There was some sort of fair happening with singing and revelry and msot excitingly lots of food and beer options. So We stood at a tall table and tucked into some Czeck goods- a couple of massive (and cheap!) beers and Tim had these potato pancakes that were pretty much leaking lard (they like oil and fat in this country) with a side of cabbage and I had what was labelled 'Old Prague ham' and should better have been described as nearly a whole baby pig. They just carve off a hunk from the spit and give it to you on a plate with two bits of bread. It feels incredibly medievel and it tasted pretty bloody good.
After this we both felt a bit ridiculously full and slightly drunk so we just wandered about the old centre which is an amazing maze of little cobblestone streets, lovely shops and cafes etc. There is no time to try and head anywhere specific because you get so easily distracted by one alley or another and again you are off track. We checked out the 'astronomical clock' which is one of the meeting points for a billion tours.
We ended up in a coffee shop which specialised in hot chocolates- you could get hot chocolate with pretty much anything your heat desired- so Tim had hot chocolat4e and coconut milk and I had hot chocolate with ginger. It was a traditional sludgy cup of liquid chocolate with your additional flavours in a little dish next to it! Neither of us could finish and felt slightly ill after. But we just rolled on out and around the streets again until we realised we had been wandering for about 12 hours and our feet hurt and we wanted to go home to bed.
A few strange things first
* Men here love to double denim- don't know who told them this was ok.
* The toilets have a weird extra shelf in the bowl so you do your business and it sits on this shelf (maybe so you can inspect it?) before you flush it away!
* There are a lot of Police wandering around- I mean a lot! Makes you feel safe though
*When we were on the train headed to our hotel there was a family all wearing blue jumpers that said LUBE
A few delightful things
* The people are very friendly
* The buildings are colourful
*The food is cheap
* The food is good!
Anyway we went to a Jewish Synagogue this morning- just wandering past and were so captivatd by its beautiful colourful, detailed front that we wandered in. It is one of the mot beutiful interiors I have ever seen. Amazing details and colours and amazingly it survived German occupation. Apparently they used it as a storage space which is why it wasn't destroyed.
Sat in a lovely cafe and drank coffee and ate 'little czeck cakes' - gorgeous.
Tonight we are oing on a dinner cruise along the river as an anniversary celebrations. Tim and I have been together for 3 years.
Anyway will update when we have the time.
Ok so after we finally figured out how to book a bus to Cesky Krumlov we wandered down (pretty much by accident) into the old Town Centre- which was abuzz with much excitement. We were later to find out that there was a big volleyball tournament on in Prague! Which also explained the family wearing the LUBE T Shirts- perhaps the name of their team?
The Old Town Centre is rather amazing. All the buildings are brightly coloured and painted with either scenery or fake decorations that would usually take the form of sculpted gargoyles and the like. Really lovely. There was some sort of fair happening with singing and revelry and msot excitingly lots of food and beer options. So We stood at a tall table and tucked into some Czeck goods- a couple of massive (and cheap!) beers and Tim had these potato pancakes that were pretty much leaking lard (they like oil and fat in this country) with a side of cabbage and I had what was labelled 'Old Prague ham' and should better have been described as nearly a whole baby pig. They just carve off a hunk from the spit and give it to you on a plate with two bits of bread. It feels incredibly medievel and it tasted pretty bloody good.
After this we both felt a bit ridiculously full and slightly drunk so we just wandered about the old centre which is an amazing maze of little cobblestone streets, lovely shops and cafes etc. There is no time to try and head anywhere specific because you get so easily distracted by one alley or another and again you are off track. We checked out the 'astronomical clock' which is one of the meeting points for a billion tours.
We ended up in a coffee shop which specialised in hot chocolates- you could get hot chocolate with pretty much anything your heat desired- so Tim had hot chocolat4e and coconut milk and I had hot chocolate with ginger. It was a traditional sludgy cup of liquid chocolate with your additional flavours in a little dish next to it! Neither of us could finish and felt slightly ill after. But we just rolled on out and around the streets again until we realised we had been wandering for about 12 hours and our feet hurt and we wanted to go home to bed.
We nearly didn't make it!
Ok -so we just made the most embarrassing mistake a traveler could possibly make. We went out on Friday night for drinks with workmates- got a bit tipsy and came home all orried because we had no clean clothes. So we thrwe stuff in the wash and wnt to sleep- woke up o wet clothes and spent the morning tryng to dry them with the hair dryer! In such a state of confusion and last minute packing we rushed out the door headed to the train station and felt very proud of ourselves tha we had made it. Settled onto the train and read the newspaper. On arrival at London Bridge for no apparent reason I suddenly remembered we had left our passports at home! Of course I burst into panic accompanied by tears, tantrums, foot stamping and nearly throwing myself in front of the next train all while Tim remained perfectly calm. We racked our brains- if Tim went back would we still get to the airport in time? Answer no. Could we get a taxi- not enough time to get there and back! Long story short we rang our mate Martin (another school teache from South Africa) and asked if he would be so kind as to jump in a taxi and bring us our passports! And thank God he is an awesome guy and did simply that. Our housemate let him in grabbed the passports and a 70 pound taxi fare later he met us at heathrow with only minutes to spare and we got checked in! Amazing! Then I started to panic thinking that maybe there was a supernatural reason we forgot our passports and started imagining the plane crashing etc. But thankfully we made it to Prague and got to our hotel at abou midnight last night!
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