Czech Republic (insert check pun here)

---

Whats up friends?

I am sitting in an internet cafe in Vienna, Austria. I got here last night after a long day of travel, but I came to the realization that the train is THE best way to travel. So I don,t mind the hours spent gazing out of the massive windows. Soon I will be heading towards rockier terrain and the trips, I.m sure, will be even more scenic.

The Czechs are friendly people, but unfortunately in a place like Prague, where tourists have taken over the city only recently, its tougher to get a smile from a local there. The people have lived through tough times and anyone over 35 probably has the communist years tatooed to their memories. That being said, I still got a great impression of the city. It gives off a little bit of a darker feel which goes well with its gothic buildings which are lit up from inside its spires at night. An example of the feeling you get walking the streets, I#ll try to paint the picture, Im walking down cobblestone streets, still busy around midnight since 85% of the shops sell tourist junk, young people are looking for the bars and clubs which are all in the same area. I pass the old town square and the gothic looking buildings which surround it have an orange glow at their peaks unlike other buildings Ive seen. There is a team of two puppeteers on the sidewalk. The puppets look like a tim burton creation and one is at a piano and the other on a miniature microphone, they are playing a creepy song which I found out is a cover of tom waits "jockey full of bourbon"...I stood and watched with an aussie friend I met a few hours earlier. At that moment I thought to myself...this city is very cool.

I spent the next few days on a city walking tour and and up near the main castle. Saw the mahjor attractions ofcourse, one being the astronomical clock. For a half day I climbed one of the hills on the outskirts where Stalin had a massive big brother statue erected back in the day, which is a great spot because it offers some good views of the entire city. No worries I took some pictures. I spent 3 nights in Prague and on the last night, since I was in a popular mozart and marienette city, I bought a ticket to Mozarts Don Giovanni put on by puppets with a comedic theme. It was a good idea. A nice way to end the stay in Prague.

I also heard from another traveller of a small town called Cesky Krumlov in the south of Czech Republic, which is also a gothic town and a great place to take a couple of days slower. So I booked a 6€ bus ride and went to the recommended hostel in that town for 2 nights. This place was fantastic and Id even say it is a must see if you are in and around Prague. I toured the village one day and the next day was a sunny day, 20 degrees, so I tried to get a kayak but the guy said the river (which intertwines through and aroung the village) was too rough for a beginner (I didn#t feel like defending my limited kayak skills). So I grabbed a bike rental and went biking to the next town over Zlata Koruna, maybe 15km each way. This ride really gave a good feel for the local lifestyles in the suburbs and it was scenic too. I passed school kids walking home from school and a local wedding, the ride was pretty much uphill (I kid you not) both ways. So obviosuly a better view of the rolling hills and river that make up the landscape in this area. I stopped and had lunch in the small town and headed back to Cesky Krumlov after some time for chilling. I will copy some pics soon.

So now I am in Vienna and stuck on where to go after this....but I.ll let you know. I will be heading to West Austria and Switzerland but there may be one short trip I make first. Ill update soon. Thanks for reading :D.

Take Care!
DS

---

Comments

[Christina]

NICE
Hey Bro, I feel like i'm living your dream by reading all your descriptive blogs. It sounds really nice and i enjoyed looking at your photos, especially the ones of the urinal..ahahah. How are you doing? Do you know where your going next? Switzerland right? If you have time, go to Zurich, Luzern and Interlaken, all nice cities but Interlaken is the active one where the baumers is. Eat lots of chocolate here, the one that is fresh and not packaged, you will see what i mean when you go into the shops. The pure milk chocolate is the best from what i remember. Also their pretzels are good, they are dark and yummy. Anyways that's my input. I can't wait to see pictures of Austria, that must be really nice. I have a friend in Austria, I can send you his number if you want, just let me know. Hope your doing well. Miss ya Love Chris

[the Traceys]

Miss you
Don't know what happened to my last comment so I'll try again. Hope you are enjoying Switzerland and Austria. Your blogs about Berlin and the Czech Republic were so interesting - great writing style too! Feels like you are sitting writing in front of us, telling your stories. Where will you be celebrating your birthday?? We'll definitely be thinking of you. tons of love from all the Traceys xo

[pdella]

Thanks
Hey Aunt Sandie, Thanks for the feedback. It has been a fantastic trip and Im in Zurich waiting to check into my hostel. Im not sure where Ill be celebrating my birthday yet, especially since it is 10-10-10 but I hope to figure out something amazing. Maybe on a peak somewhere in switzerland. But I hope to update the blog very soon. I have been slacking on it... wish everyone all the best for me. And thanks again for coming out the night before my trip. I appreciated it. Ciao Paolo Paolo