…at
8:30 Sunday morning we were up and out of our hostel in Prague and off to find
a bus station to head to Cesky Krumlov, a small town about 3 hours south….and
after well, all but running around trying to find the station after taking the
wrong exit out of the metro and being scared we would miss our bus, we finally
found it as it was boarding….thankfully…..and man was this a nice bus! It had
pretty comfy seat, wifi, and screens with movies and tv…..not to mention the
scenery was just beautiful J…
…we
arrived at just about 12 and the first stop was off to find our hostel, taking
pictures the whole way….the Krumlov House, rated one of the best hostels in the
entire country, and rightly so!....it was absolutely fantastic!....so so cozy….when
we first walked into this tiny building/house, it was like being in a cabin….we
were immediately told that it was a no shoes hostel and were asked to take off
our shoes at the door (loved that! It felt like being at home J)….then
after we checked in, got out keys, and settled up the fee…we were led into the
kitchen and sat down at the table, while the guy explained a map to us of the
town, asked what we wanted to see, suggested some other things as well….then
suggested restaurants and what to get there…it was so nice and comfortable…the
room was really cozy too, with gorgeous views (which isn’t hard here)….
…after
we got kinda settle, we were starved for some lunch so we were off to find one
of the restaurants suggested to us, to get a good fried cheese…and good it was….deep
fried pieces of cheese with salt potatoes, and a Eggenberg beer which is brewed
there in Cesky Krumlov…man it was so so goodJ we were so happily full by the end….
…after
lunch we wandered our way through the adorable little streets, taking pictures
of course, and found our way to the castle….we got ourselves tickets to go up
the top of the tower (another panorama J)…well when we got in
there we realized that we were climbing….through a winding staircase up most of
the way, then it literally just turned into ladders…when we finally made it to
the top, the views were spectacular but we both agreed that climbing the tower
with bellies just recently full of beer, potatoes, and fried cheese, may not
have been our best idea…but it was fun! And so cool to see literally the entire
town…and see the “new” city, and where we were in the old town, which is right
along the small river (really between a river and a channel) that runs through
it, the main part of the beautiful town really is just the peninsula created by
the intense turns…also we were able to see the bear from the top….in the Czech
Republic apparently they have brown bears in the moats of their castles
(Natalie said she had seen it in 2 other castles there too)…sooo funny but
kinda cool to see….
…we
climbed our way back down and walked through the rest of the walkways of the
castle that we could get through…then went to see the bear…still makes me
chuckle thinking about it….after the castle we were off to just go walk around
some more and do more exploring, when we passed a tea shop that Nat had been to
the last time, so we went in for a cup of tea, and it was really cool…..kinda
funny, we walked in and sat down and the waiter handed us our menus (more like
books they were sooo packed with tons of teas!) and a little bell for us to
ring when we had decided!....there were literally so many types to choose from,
each with a description of the tea and what the best use, or best time to drink
it was….i totally loved it!....so we rang the bell and ordered and the waiter
went and made them, then brought us back our drinks with little pots with
probably 2 more glass fulls….Natalie got a really good spiced tea with cinnamon
and cloves and things in it…and I got a really good fruit and berry tea that
literally tasted like summer….it was awesome J…we just took our time
and sat and enjoyed a cup of tea, it was great…
…we
spent the following hour or so, walking around….partly in the rain,
unfortunately but it stopped after just a bit of pouring….we went in a few
shops, I got my scarf and found my favorite European candy to purchase and
snack on later….so relaxing and wonderful….after we had really walked all over
the town, we went back to the hostel to just hang out for a bit….i was really
close to finishing the 2nd Hunger Games and Natalie was feeling
taking a nap, so we went back and did just that….seriously I felt like I was just
spending a vacation in my cabin, it was so awesome…..
….afterwards
we went off to dinner at another of the recommended restaurants…down a small
little side street…we were able to sit outside right on the river, it was a
little chilly but there were space heaters and blankets, so it was just cozy
and perfect…we had, I kid not, “the bohemian feast” where you literally choose
either chicken, pheasant, or rabbit and how many people are eating and then it
comes to you with (in our case) a piece of chicken, smoked ham, potato
dumplings, and millet (a grain they cook and mix in veggies then its cooked and
presented the consistency of like a frittata) and hot mead J….
It was so good!!! J it was really really fun….we had a great time J…
..when
we were done with dinner, it was stil early-ish and we had heard of this bar
(recommended by the hostel, again, im telling you it was awesome and so
helpful) as a “classy bar”…and it was, we loved it…the bar tender took a lot of
care in all of the drinks he made…. Natalie got Hot Honey Wine, and he
literally heated it, poured it in her glass then in the thing he heated it in
he poured a tiny more in and lit it on fire and then poured it into her glass
on top so it was on fire!!! It was sooooo cool J…we had really good
time just sitting and talking while we enjoyed our drinks…. A perfect way to
end a truly fantastic weekend….
…then
it was home to get some sleep before a full next day of traveling….the next
morning we were up, getting breakfast at the grocery store and then on a bus
back to Prague by 9am….when we got to Prague, we literally just went to the old
town square and just used up the rest of our money making a lunch of all the
things we had found delish, a great hard apple cider, trdlinks (the dough
rolled in sugar and cooked over coals), a potato pancake, eurodog…buying 1 or
each and sharing them all for lunch….it was really fun J….
…then
it was on a 45 minute bus to the airport, to wait an hour or so for our hour
and a half flight from Prague to Milan….then an hour bus from Milan Bergamo
Airport to the Milano Centrale train station for a two hour train ride back to
Torino….it was a very long day of traveling….but the weekend was well worth
every minute….i truly had a blast this weekend and completely loved everywhere
I went….its funny really, Prague and Brussels were NEVER even on my bucket
list, let alone in my plans for this trip, but im so so so thankful I was able
to go, and go with someone who knew the city so well….the opportunities that I
am being given here are unmatchable, I cant believe the blessings….the things
that I have been able to see and still have yet to see…this life seem so
surreal, like im going to wake up one day from this dream and just be back in
Boise….I cant believe that I just visited two new countries this weekend, just because I could…. Its truly so
awesome…..I. Love. Life.
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