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Published: August 10th 2013
We travelled by local bus from C.Krumlov to C.Budejovice, paying a minimal amount for our suitcases. The Czech driver reminded me of the wonderful actor in 'Kolya'. He had a Czech radio station playing a mixture of Czech crooners, bluegrass and rock and roll. We sat back and enjoyed the 40 minute journey. Our first bus journey on this trip.
We didn't book accommodation and were able to get into a self-contained modern apartment which was located at the top of an old renovated building, hence no lift! This meant going up 3 flights of stone steps (60 in fact!). The apartment is on 2 levels with a modern 15 step staircase where our bed is located. We open the windows in the roof and stare out at the rooftops and church steeples. We get lovely fresh breezes and hear the chimes of the town clocks. The location is good, within the old city. We stayed in C.Budejovice 3 years ago on the other side of the immense square of the old town. We have spent a relaxing 2 nights here. We have wandered the square; drunk the wonderful Budweiser Budvar by the banks of the Malse river and enjoyed
a delicious lunch of grilled meat.
The Czechs are excellent grillers of meat and our restaurant had a huge brick wood fire barbecue and we watched the waiter, cum chief griller, expertly grill our meat to perfection. The meat was succulent and tender. We enjoyed the ambience and the Czech folk songs that were playing as we enjoyed our meal. The chief griller had a wonderful smile which does not always come naturally to many of the people employed in the hospitality industry in the Czech Republic. People we have dealt with will offer the barest information - only what you ask for! They appear matter of fact and unpretentious. They are flexible and expect you to be flexible too. In Germany you expect to see, for example, the breakfast laid out the same way every morning - in the Czech Republic, there will be subtle changes in the placement of foods on the buffet breakfast table. Small example, I know, but I think it is telling about the somewhat anarchic, innovative and free spirit of the Czech.
Tomorrow we are travelling by train to Vienna. The ticket we bought was a special ticket price apparently. If you
Grim-faced workers sculpture
Reminding workers not to take themselves too seriously perhaps? More to life than work? Who knows!buy a return ticket, it is cheaper than if you buy a one-way ticket! So we have a return ticket to Ceske Budejovice! I have learned to not question the logic about special, cheaper tickets - but there are a lot of different types of tickets. A tip: go to the counter and deal with a person rather than getting a ticket from a machine, you will invariably get a cheaper rail ticket!
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