Prague and Cesky Krumlov
The Czech Republic is the European Laos for me: I had heard of it but couldn't be sure which country it was on a world map. Upon arrival and discovery, it becomes one of the most beautiful and memorable parts of our trip. It goes without saying that the culture here is quite different from Laos'! But it's nice to be pleasantly surprised from a wild-card country.
Craigslist is an ingenious website and I am sure many of you would agree. But did you know that you can search for vacation rentals in foreign cities like Prague and negotiate prices lower fairly successfully during the off season? Try it. We found a beautiful apartment with cathedral ceilings in the city center for 4 nights and my favorite part - a big kitchen to cook in. Yes, this is Stacy writing if you couldn't tell. Andy is sleeping now so he can get up at 2:30am and listen online to MNF. Seriously!
Prague, the "city of 100 spires" is a setting directly out of a fairy tale. A giant castle (the largest and most ancient in the world) sits on top of a hill lit up in all its glory at night. The Charles Bridge suspended over the River Vltava is magical with its dozens of blackened statues lining the sides. Enough with the verbal imagery. Check out the photo album.
A highlight for us was watching a live orchestra play Mozart, Vivaldi and Bach (for 300 Czech Crowns, or about $15) in a beautiful old church in Old Town Square called St. Nicholas. The acoustics were just perfect inside, and we were delighted by the fresco paintings and giant crystal chandelier while listening to the music in the ancient setting. A quintessential Eastern European woman about the size of a linebacker sang opera during the 20 minutes of Vivaldi with her dark black hair in a low chignon and bright red cheeks and lips. Her voice was magic!
Now, we are in Cesky Krumlov in the south toward the Austrian border. We were recommended to visit this medieval town off the beaten path by Mr. Tightie Whitie himself (see Andy's last blog entry) and glad we followed his advice. This "pocket sized Prague" has a small fraction of the tourists and is surrounded by mountains and trees yet has the same elements of Prague on a smaller level. Tonight we had out first traditional Czech meal - beef goulash, cabbage and bread dumplings for me. Sounds like crap, but surprisingly delicious! We ducked inside a local's place for half the price and sure glad we did. Local beer (Pilsner Urquell, Eggenberg, Bernard Pivo) is the equivalent of $1 for 0.5 L! One liter at Oktoberfest was about 9 Euro, or $12. Europe doesn't have to be expensive - just go east.
Visiting cities, dodging tourists and seeing old buildings. More cities, more tourists and more old buildings. I have been inside more churches in the last 6 weeks in Europe than in my entire life. That has been the story of our lives and we are ready for a CHANGE. So a change we will have...tomorrow we leave to the Bohemian forest to spend 5-6 days in a cabin in the woods without contact with the outside world near a village near a city I still can't locate on a map. Time to hike, read books, cook and sit by the fire! The forecast calls for snow. Good thing I have my eskimo coat.
Craigslist is an ingenious website and I am sure many of you would agree. But did you know that you can search for vacation rentals in foreign cities like Prague and negotiate prices lower fairly successfully during the off season? Try it. We found a beautiful apartment with cathedral ceilings in the city center for 4 nights and my favorite part - a big kitchen to cook in. Yes, this is Stacy writing if you couldn't tell. Andy is sleeping now so he can get up at 2:30am and listen online to MNF. Seriously!
Prague, the "city of 100 spires" is a setting directly out of a fairy tale. A giant castle (the largest and most ancient in the world) sits on top of a hill lit up in all its glory at night. The Charles Bridge suspended over the River Vltava is magical with its dozens of blackened statues lining the sides. Enough with the verbal imagery. Check out the photo album.
A highlight for us was watching a live orchestra play Mozart, Vivaldi and Bach (for 300 Czech Crowns, or about $15) in a beautiful old church in Old Town Square called St. Nicholas. The acoustics were just perfect inside, and we were delighted by the fresco paintings and giant crystal chandelier while listening to the music in the ancient setting. A quintessential Eastern European woman about the size of a linebacker sang opera during the 20 minutes of Vivaldi with her dark black hair in a low chignon and bright red cheeks and lips. Her voice was magic!
Now, we are in Cesky Krumlov in the south toward the Austrian border. We were recommended to visit this medieval town off the beaten path by Mr. Tightie Whitie himself (see Andy's last blog entry) and glad we followed his advice. This "pocket sized Prague" has a small fraction of the tourists and is surrounded by mountains and trees yet has the same elements of Prague on a smaller level. Tonight we had out first traditional Czech meal - beef goulash, cabbage and bread dumplings for me. Sounds like crap, but surprisingly delicious! We ducked inside a local's place for half the price and sure glad we did. Local beer (Pilsner Urquell, Eggenberg, Bernard Pivo) is the equivalent of $1 for 0.5 L! One liter at Oktoberfest was about 9 Euro, or $12. Europe doesn't have to be expensive - just go east.
Visiting cities, dodging tourists and seeing old buildings. More cities, more tourists and more old buildings. I have been inside more churches in the last 6 weeks in Europe than in my entire life. That has been the story of our lives and we are ready for a CHANGE. So a change we will have...tomorrow we leave to the Bohemian forest to spend 5-6 days in a cabin in the woods without contact with the outside world near a village near a city I still can't locate on a map. Time to hike, read books, cook and sit by the fire! The forecast calls for snow. Good thing I have my eskimo coat.
posted by Stacy @TheZenGirl at
3:55 PM
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