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Published: September 11th 2006
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Vysehrad
Overlooking Prague from the fortress Little Mother Prague. That´s what the locals call it. Almost like a magical place. One of Europe´s most picturesque cities. The skyline is incredible. We felt ourselves staring at it for hours. The week began with some real fireworks. No really, it truly sparked the trip. You might even say it almost engulfed us. But we ran. Ran away. Outside. And watched it all unfold only to leave us a bit blackened and crispy. But we and the rest of the travelers were fine. A few days later we escaped to the river at the beautiful Cesky Krumlov, our most beloved little village in Europe.
We hopped on yet another overnight train from Krakow, Poland to Prague, Czech Republic and arrived to incredible weather. What a relief it was. No rain at all. A huge change from Poland. Sunshine greeted us every morning for the past week. We could ditch the pants and sweaters and slide into the sandals and shorts.
Our first night at the hostel was probably the most rushing and exciting. WARNING: The story I am about to tell does not result in any injury, death, or other illnesses. We are fine. Nothing is wrong. Moms
and Dads don´t get upset. We are safe as could be. And remember, it could happen anywhere. We just happened to be in the Czech Republic.
At midnight our first night we awoke to 12 people rushing into our 14 person dorm room screaming GET OUT, GET OUT!! In a daze we both jumped up and realized that there was a fire. The initial report was that there was a fire in the hostel. I could smell the smoke but it was nowhere in sight. We quick grabbed our bags and belongings in the lockers next to our bed and got out of there. The whole place was in panic. Funny, considering we just stayed in a hostel called Don´t Panic (Berlin). Everyone was just getting out of the building as the fire trucks pulled up and got to work. It turns out that the restaurant next to the hostel had a wooden shed in the back and it caught fire. Luckily, someone sleeping in the room closest to the fire smelled the smoke and alerted the staff. So it was an eventful first night in Prague that we will never forget.
We didn´t do a whole lot
in Prague. We wanted to start the vacation part of the vacation and chill out. And what a better place than Prague. We went to the nearby ancient fortress, Vysehrad, perched up on a hill and scoped out the skyline. Jagged with domes, bell towers, and a castle, we sat and relaxed watching the city calm down as the sun began to set.
We also visited and explored the Prague Castle and its surrounding palace grounds, climbed the church tower, and went to the Golden Lane, a 16th century tradesman´s quarter of tiny houses built into the castle walls. It was in one of these miniature houses that I fired my first cross bow and arrow. It was difficult to control. A bit heavy. Made of wood and metal. I could´ve sworn I bulls-eyed them all, but the target only scored one hit. There must´ve been an error somewhere because my shots were straight as an arrow.
Afterwards, we walked the famous Charles Bridge, one of Europe´s oldest, that is lined with 30 statues from the 16th century. And the views of the castle, town, churches, and domes and simply indescribable. My words will not do any justice.
Hopefully the pictures will suffice.
One of the best parts about Prague, and all of the Czech Republic, was exploring the small alleyways and getting lost. We always seemed to find the coolest buildings and cafes. In every country we try to eat out at least once in a restaurant (we normally cook our own meals in the hostel) and here it was so difficult not to eat out. Everything was soo cheap. A beer is cheaper than a soda, or pop for you Westerners. Less than a dollar. In a grocery store I found liter bottles for 2 quarters. Two dinners and a beer was less than ten bucks.
From Prague we arrived to Cesky Krumlov by bus. This little village is located in the south in the Bohemian section of the CR. It is by far our favorite place in all of Europe (up to this date, of course). We stayed at a hostel in a room that overlooked the Vltava River that snaked its way through town. The houses were right on the water only to be separated from the water by rock cliffs. The windows were left open all day and night. The view
from our room was amazing. The small, red-roofed houses dotted the countryside on the mountain on the other side of the river. We awoke to the sound of the river flowing each morning and ate breakfast on the deck under the sun watching people kayak down the river, most of them tipping over going over the small rapids.
The great thing about our travels is that we are creating our itinerary as we go. We have things planned out, but when we saw this place we stayed a little longer than we thought. Why did we love it so much? I´m not so sure. It´s the feeling of the town. The small cobblestone streets and the many small bridges that pass over the river. Or the huge castle and its moat with three live bears. And the massive garden. And tower that looms large over the town and tolls every fifteen minutes. The architecture. The people. The fact that you only see a few cars each day driving through town. Everyone walks everywhere. The scenery is awesome and spectacular. I had to restrain myself from taking a picture every time I turned the corner.
Things are going great
Window Watcher
View from the Castle and the weather is much better. It will be tough to leave Eastern Europe (especially to be back on the Euro), but we´ll be back.
Thanks to all for the comments and we hope you are enjoying the adventures.
Ryan and Tenille
Next Up: Munich, Germany; September 8, 2006
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Joe Neal
non-member comment
Phone call
Ry, Sorry I didnt get to talk to you , but Mom thinks she's only one who wants to chat. What a great way to share your trip as Mom and I, and I'm sure others , are enjoying your trek thru Europe. Be safe and careful. Till the next Blog! Dad