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How's That!
Views from the Castle We made a decision on the day we arrived that we would make an overnight stay of our visit to Cesky Krumlov. Hotel was booked and bus times known, but just one problem....... when we got to the bus depot we were unprepared to be turned away because we had not pre-booked bus tickets, they sold out rather quickly and there were no seats left. So our first and only real Prague drama began. No accomodation in Prague and a room booked 3 hours away, How were we going to get there? I must say the the czech people do not come across as the friendliest bunch and when we spoke to the bookings office about our dilemma initially they were unhelpful and said there was no way of getting to Cesky. As determined as I can sometimes be, I went back a second time and suddenly the women could offer us 2 tickets and she even booked a return one. Funny that! Only problem was it wasn't until 3pm and it left on the other side of Prague.
So Catherine and I made our way on the metro (which we did not buy a ticket for the whole time we
were there) and ended up in the middle of nowhere, waiting for 3pm to come. We were soooooo hungry and could only rely on a few snacks from the tiny shop. It was freezing so we seeked refuge underground on the platform of the metro where it was freezing anyway. We sat around for ages and when it was close to 3 took ourselves out of the metro and to the bus station. When we got there we could not believe our eyes at the sight of a warm coffee shop and I ran like never before to get some liquid gold! As we boarded the bus I was shocked to encounter a really really rude czech bus driver who told us to get off the bus with our coffees and then demanded that we pay him extra money for having baggage. He rubbed his fingers together as he made his demands and I was soooooooo mad. I didn't dare tell him that within 10 minutes of starting the journey I spilt my hot chocolate that I had stashed in my hand bag all over the floor!!!! SUCKED IN!
Well enough about getting there.... we arrived in the quiet town
of Cesky Krumlov in the evening. We stayed in a lovely hotel and it was really nice to have comfy beds and fluffy pillows. Český Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, best known for it's fine architecture and Castle. Old Český Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is clear to see why they want to preserve this untouched wonder. During the Communist era of Czechoslovakia, Krumlov fell into disrepair, but since the Velvet Revolution of 1989 much of the town's former beauty has been restored.
Once we settled into our lovely hotel we went and explored which lasted about 15 minutes. The town was desolate and dark and not a sole could be seen. We walked into a restaurant at 8pm and asked for a table and they said the kitchen had closed. Obviously our faces said it all and they were nice enough to make us food. Feeling exhausted I downed my czech beer and made it an early night. The town in the morning came alive, almost like another world. The snow on all the roofs gave it a magical feel and we began our exploration again
discovering in new light. Although you can only walk around the outside of the castle at this time of the year it had fantastic views of the town. I was amused by the moat that had become a bear pit and laughed at Catherine when she was determine to see if she could spot one. I did mention a few times that they were probably in hibernation but she really thought they would come out in honour of her visit. Apparently the castle has always kept a family of european brown bears and it implied a long and noble family lineage. From that moment on I was hooked on the hunt for bears and the more I looked, the more I could see.
I felt like I was in a fairytale as we spent most of the day walking around. The main square is lined with baroque style homes of which have held the same shops since the 1600s. I read that Mc Donalds has tried unsuccessfully to open here 3 times and I am glad this little town has not fallen to western pressures. It does have some very dodgy looking wax museums. I kind of felt compelled to
enter just to give them some coin for their sad attempts and creating celebraties but the smell of food sent us on a detour for more beer, meat and cabbage. The bridge that separates the castle from the rest of the town is known as the Barbers Bridge and it to has the protector of floods watching over it, St John of Nepomuk. Sadly he has not done a very good job of protecting because they have had to rebuild the the bridge a number of times. I particularly enjoyed the the hot cholocolate laced with rum that could be purchased at the foot of the bridge and the sweet bread in the shape of a rolling bin with its crispy sugar coating. YES! FOOD AGAIN! Even though there was not so much to do in the sleepy cold town the day moved by quickly. Afew silly photos dressed as royalty and a number of snowmen later and we were soon on a bus and on our way back to Prague to catch the plane back to london and that was another interesting little saga in itself. Not too bad, just a delayed bus and us cutting it too close
to boarding time for our own good. Then again, I am generally known for doing that and could say it's all part of maximising my time!
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yani
non-member comment
hi
You are very cute and have an awesome smile :)