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Published: April 10th 2006
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Like Sheep to the Slaughter
Spring Breakers at the Bell Tower of Wawel Cathedral in Krakow When we first arrived in Krakow, we took a quick walk around the Old Town, simply trying to find the
Cubs ESPN game on a television. When predictably rebuffed, we planned on finishing our Guinness, heading to a supermarket, and making it an early evening. We swear. But then the bar filled up, and a group of Brits sat at our table, eagerly anticipating the Arsenal / Juvantus playoff match. Next thing we knew, we were at a really bad Polish dance club, sipping vodka and apple juice, discussing writing and debating whether Britain or America was more multi-cultural. So much for good intentions.
The next day, Chris got hit with a pretty bad case of the sniffles. Eastern Europe is the place where smoking went after it got drummed out of the U.S., and every bar is a cavarnous haze. This, combined with the weather, finally caused her unprecedented string of good health to waver a bit. After moving from our twin to our first dorm due to space issues at the hostel (more on this later), we headed out to spend the afternoon at Auschwitz. 90 minutes from the city, it's a relaxing and uplifting experience. Seriously, it's
Astronomical Clock
The crowd gathers at noon in Oulomoc a punch in the gut, but experiencing the place was worth the trip. Although many of the crematoriums were destroyed in the last days of the war by Nazis trying to cover their tracks, the grounds remain, with the buildings converted into museums to various aspects of the War and Holocaust. The past week or so, we've been heavily exposed to the spiritual and physical massacres that the Nazis and Soviets inflicted on Eastern Europe. The scary part is the improbability of the Allies succeeding if Hitler hadn't foolishly decided to betray and attack Russia.
After the 90 km trip back to Krakow, we spotted a sign in Nathan's Villa hostel that Wednesday is Quiz Night. After a quick dinner (this time actually cooked in the hostel), we headed downstairs to the bar. Nathan's has the best bar we've seen in a hostel - a cavarnous basement with a big-screen movie room, pool room and a thick haze of smoke. We managed second place - not too bad considering it was the two of us versus teams of four (we're such social butterflies). Our finish won us eight free beers, which we spread around a bit, since Chris was
Czech Fondue
Us with Karen, Sam, Chris and Camille in a basement in Oulomoc in little position to help.
Since our time in Krakow was drawing nigh, and we hadn't gotten the requisite beauty shots, we took our last opportunity the next morning to see the Castle (overrated, but the State Rooms were closed, so those might be better), and Old Town. Grabbing one of the hundreds of versions of grilled pork from a booth, we ran to catch our train to Oulmouc, Czech Republic.
For the most part, the timing on this trip has worked out better than if we'd left when scheduled (except maybe NZ in January). However, this has changed as we've found ourselves in the midst of European Spring Break. Since we hit Krakow, rooms have tightened up, and the crowds have exploded. Every sight and square is awash in tour groups, weaving between each other as they're rushed from sight to sight. Prices have moved to the high-season bracket, and nothing can be assumed to be available. This crush, along with Chris' sister's recommendation, caused us to move out of the cities a bit to Oulmouc. Not even mentioned in our Lonely Planet (yay!), it sells itself as the what Prague used to be - relaxed and
Mission Possible
Chris bundles up on the Charles' Bridge quiet. It is an extremely charming city, with plenty of cathedrals and cobblestones, and the requisite astronomical clock and raft of fountains. Most importantly, we were able to wander the streets nearly alone. It also features
the Poet's Corner , a really cool hostel. The first night, we went out with our fellow travellers and the staff, to a bar where the owner Greg treated us to some fondue. After an afternoon of walking and heavy Morovian food, we laid low the second night.
A week later than expected, we finally boarded the train for Prague. Justin has wanted to come here forever, to get to know that "stop shaving your armpits, read the Unbearable Lightness of Being, date a sculptor, now I know how bad American coffee is thing" (see
Kicking and Screaming - no, not that damn Will Ferrell movie). As his gift for making it to 30, Chris planned an incredible splurge day in the city. Since it also came at the midway point, it really hit the spot in a variety of ways. We spent the evening in the
Hotel UPrince , in a suite (she got an internet deal) featuring two rooms of beautiful leather furniture, a computer, a TV, and
Rainy Day in Prague
Justin, before the hotel security guard dragged him out by his fingernails a balcony that looked over the Old Town Square. We headed to a box at the Prague State Opera House to see Carmen (Justin's first opera) - a beautiful performance. Then we had a great dinner at
Palffy Palac , a French-Czech restaurant that seems to be a place locals go to celebrate special occasions. Finally, we ambled back through the streets and alleys, crossing the fairly quiet Charles Bridge around midnight. It was an incredible evening, and a great break from the backpacker/hostel grind. By the end of night, Chris had decided to go to business school.
From what we've seen from our balcony of the hoi polloi, Prague is just as overrun with tourists as described. Regardless, it's by far the most beautiful and charming city we've seen so far (no small praise). We'll sadly have to trudge to our bare-bones accomidations across town for the remaining three days, but look forward to exploring further, before heading to southern Czech.
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