Český Krumlov, Bohemia love

A look ahead

My last evening in Český Krumlov is perfect for me. It is humid and overcast but is cool in temperature most of the day. I am on the back patio of my hotel room and reflecting on my visit before I leave for Austria tomorrow. I could spend the evening trying a local beer at at nearby tavern, but for now I am enjoying the cheap bottle of Vetliner I bought at the puppet & wine store a couple doors down (There is a puppet museum that sells wine bottles. Skipped the puppets but bought some wine).

Arrival in Český Krumlov

The train ride to Cesky Krumlov isn’t too bad at a couple hours from Prague. The train station seems to be far from town but fortunately the walk is all downhill into town. I leave in a few day by bus and it seems like the bus station isn’t as far of a climb uphill.

I walk through an arch that has a walkway above that belongs to the castle above. I plan to visit in a couple days from now but I admire the architecture on the way in.

This town is a must see on the Czech Republic checklist since it represents closely how things looked during the Bohemian kingdom. The town still has a sort of Bohemia feel to it. Bohemia was a kingdom in the Holy Roman Empire and eventually part of Austrian Empire and then the complicated things of the 20th century. Due to the country being aligned with Germany during WWII the city suffered virtually no damage in the wars.

In the past the major industry of the region was mining and then the land and castles passed hands many times. During the communism era the town fell into disrepair but now with its UNESCO designation and boost in tourism it has turned into its charming look into the past as it is today.

I go on a walking tour, eat some meals and wander aimlessly during my time here.

Castle area

I see the revolving theater I really want to visit within the castle garden. UNESCO is trying to make them remove it because it is not historical but within a protected area. Unfortunately all the shows were sold out during my time in town.

Braised beef in cream sauce with dumplings

Had fun watching the action on the water

Next day

This morning I have a ticket for the number one sight in town, the Baroque Theater. There are only two theaters like this left in the world, the other being in Sweden, but this is the oldest and best preserved. This unesco protected theater is is in such great condition because it has actually only been used a handful of times in the past (with the exception of the now once a year show). Apparently common with the times were pyrotechnics at the end and thus many of these theaters simply burned down. The ruler who built it was the black sheep of the family and definitely influenced by Italian arts. We tour the theater in a small group in the morning. Granted I booked only a day or two before but I see only one English tour a day. It is pretty limited to get in so I feel lucky. At tour start we initially walk in and snap photos because it is amazing and unique. When our guide enters and starts her history she tells us that no photos are allowed and to hope the photos we got so far were good. Many museums lately are “no photo” plastered everywhere so I appreciate that we are given a grace period. The lights remain dim inside but the stage is lit. Our guide describes the pieces of the set and how perspective is used as well as how the candle lighting caused the effect of movement. She tells us about the parties of the day and how these shows were attended by very drunk viewers who often participated in the show by cheering or booing as needed.

We then walk down underneath to see all the “bells and whistles”. She talks about how talented the men where who worked underneath since they had to be musicians (to know their cues), engineers to operate the pieces, and men of strength to lift performers and their heavy costumes through the trap doors.

We aren’t allowed on stage because it is fragile and all the parts above are original and quite frankly they don’t trust tourists to mess it all up. I don’t blame them even when we were there some in the group were wandering in places they shouldn’t.

I am very happy I booked the tour.

Afterwards I decide to get a ticket to tour the castle. Most of it isn’t exciting, especially compared to the theatre but I really like the masquerade ballroom at the end. The masquerade party in the ball room consists of paintings of costumes, different cultures, fun, mirrors, and symmetry. We learn the ballroom connects to the walkway to the Baroque theater.

One thing that is disturbing is the bears. There are kept bears on the premises as there has been for 100’s of years. One of the past inhabitants had some strange tendencies and holding bears on the premises were one of them. The bears are still there today due to tradition. According to the guide yesterday this current group are all rescues and they have a better life now – but not sure I believe that. I don’t talk about it much but I am not a big fan of contained animals, for that reason you’ll rarely see me talking about visiting a zoo. If I do have animal encounters its usually with some sort of rescue organization. So lets just say I am not a fan of this bear situation.

Lunch is at a vegetarian restaurant Laibon where I have a view of the water. One family at the restaurant docks in front of the terrace to come grab lunch then resume their paddle. I try a Czech specialty Bryndzové halušky, a sheep cheese and cabbage dish. I am finally enjoying a Czech meal.

I later enjoy ice cream coffee and chocolates, then wine (as mentioned earlier) to finish my visit. Český Krumlov has charmed me. I’d definitely come back here one day.

Czechia or Czech Republic

I arrive pretty early in Prague. I am lucky, once again my room is available right away. I am not a big fan of this hotel choice. The hotel has AC, is in a good location – but my only window is small and doesn’t let much light in. The room is musty. I can expect to have sinus issues in a day or two like I tend to get in rooms like this.

Czech Republic, or Czechia, has been on my travel radar for a while. Once known as Bohemia it used to be part of a larger country called Czechoslovakia that was under communist rule.

I rest a little bit and then go out to get lunch. I end up at a very touristy but traditional Czech restaurant. There is a person playing the accordion while we eat. I try the goulash and the recommended dark beer. The meat and sauce of the goulash is good but not sure I am a fan of the bread dumplings. Their purpose is more so to soak up the sauce but alone they are too much bread and not tons of flavor. They seem to be quite popular here though.

After lunch I walk around trying to make the most of the day. I come to a square where I see a rotating head of Franz Kafka for the first of three times during my stay in Prague (other two times on guided tours). This time I am actually able to see it in action since it only runs once a hour. This monument built by David Černý was actually commissioned by the shopping center next door. They wanted a complimentary statue of the famous local author to attract attention to their shopping center. And it worked. There are also some hanging men (and women) hanging about town. One popular one is by Černý and is supposed to be Sigmund Freud.

Next I try the famous trdelnik dessert, very similar to other deserts in the region (aka chimney cake). I am not impressed. It is a dry doughy vessel but the inside custard, strawberries and light whipped topping are not bad. I am told later by a guide that you need to order it fresh and without anything inserted. Apparently they use the stale bread because it is a better vessel for ice cream and such. Overall the dessert is not my cup of tea so I’ll just skip it for now on.

I walk across the Charles Bridge to the other side of Prague. The bridge is crowded and hot. I am looking forward to reaching the other side and the park that is my destination. I first stop to see a mill troll and a John Lennon tribute wall. The wall at one time may have been nice but I see tour guides encouraging graffiti on this wall that is pretty much a scribble wall. I am sure the writings have meaning but its not attractive to look at.

I head to the nearby park to enjoy some shade and get a look at some creepy baby statues with barcode heads. Another David Černý work of course.

I head back toward the other side again and while I cross the bridge I watch paddle boats paddling around and boats waiting to travel through canal locks to higher level.

I walk down to the famous dancing house. There is a cocktail bar at top that I’d like to visit sometime.

I happen upon a hidden park (first of a couple times during my visit). It is a beautiful green space in the middle of a busy city.

I decide to go see a movie in an art house theater, Cinema Svetozor. The theater shows movies in the original language so I see the Wes Andersen’s Asteroid City.

Luckily I don’t have to wake up early tomorrow because my scheduled day trip doesn’t begin until after noon. I have a tour to the town of Kutna Hora booked for tomorrow.

Images from around town at night.

More Copenhagen

It’s supposed to storm today so I am heading out early to the gloriously historic theme park of Copenhagen, Tivoli Gardens.

First I stop at the nearby food hall to try smorrebord and some fresh strawberries. We grow many strawberries where I live and I am embarrassed at what we call a strawberry; I believed I didn’t care for them much because ours are usually tasteless and a large size. This market’s strawberries are the opposite – bite size and full of sweet flavor. I am a fan. I buy a box of them to carry with me today.

Tivoli Gardens, the 19th century amusement park, feels like a walk in a Time Machine with all the splendor of times past. Although most rides and exhibits are actually high tech now, it gives you the feel like you are experiencing something from 150 years ago.

I buy a ticket to just enter the garden, which you can do, but there are also options for passes for rides. There is even an app to buy passes for individual rides if you wish to do so. It is probably more cost effective to buy a ride package but I didn’t really come to do all the rides so I just buy one ticket for one ride I want to try. I spend the rest of my time admiring the decor and eating all the things. I even do a little shopping. I stop at a restaurant on site for a beer and some white asparagus, one of my favorites lately. Not long after my lunch the clouds get thicker and I decide to start heading back to my hotel to wait out the storm.

Before I go back to my room I buy some snacks and gin cocktails to hunker down with. I am being warned about this upcoming storm by locals. I am from Florida and we know how to prepare for a storm (aka Land of Hurricanes) but turns out the storm is actually just a large amount of rain. My local friend tells me a storm like this is a big deal here because they aren’t a car centric city. Everyone has to try to get to their buses or trains or ride their bikes to places in this terrible weather. It is very disruptive. I use it as an excuse to call it a night early and try to see if I now like gin.

The next morning I finally get laundry done. The place close by doesn’t take credit cards but the one ten minutes away does. I start my load and then go out to enjoy a coffee and croissant. The lady who served me asked why I am out so early when it is obvious I am not a local. Yes I get up early no matter what time zone I am in; its my curse: sun is up and so am I. This will explain why I try really hard to go to bed early when I can. My wake time will not change no matter what time I go to bed.

After laundry I go back to Nyhavn to catch one of those canal boat tours, sitting in the back in the open even though it might rain again.. and it does. Luckily I remembered my jacket and it is only a light sprinkle. I get to see other parts of town I have yet to see and probably won’t due to time like Freetown Christiana (an independent hippie squatter part of the city). Today will be another short sightseeing day because I have bought tickets for a concert tonight.

After the boat tour I decide to eat all the foods I’ve had on my list. This leads inevitably to a tummy ache. I go back to my room to briefly recover when I get a message from friends of friends to meet them at a bar before the concert.

I am going to see one of my all time favorite bands tonight – Depeche Mode. When I am traveling I do check to see if any good bands will be in town while I am there and I always just miss bands. This time I am lucky and there are tickets available. After I purchase my seat though I notice I have a warning of it being a possible partially obstructed vision. Darn it! My local friend is going with some other friends. They have tickets in general admission. I avoid floor seats and general admission these days because I’m short and my views are usually very obstructed. It might have been fun to be down below with the crowd and dancing; no one but me is really dancing my section.

I never find the people I am supposed to meet at the Depeche Mode pre-party. I have never met them in person and it is hard to locate them based on the photos I see in the group chat. I decide to go ahead and head down toward the stadium because I have no idea how long it will take me to get there.

I eventually find my seat and the obstruction isn’t the best but I should still be able to enjoy the concert with it. Only unfortunate thing is I am in the center of the row so I need to monitor my fluid consumption. It will be a pain getting past all those people to go to the bathroom.

The show is everything I wanted it to be, the perfect mix of cool new stuff and fan favorites (the last time I saw DM they played majority new music). I am very happy I bought tickets to the show.

Depeche Mode

As expected it takes a while to get back with the crowds thick. However they have non-stop trains arriving to move the crowds out. Copenhagen knows how to plan! I end up sitting in the front and there is a cool view of the tunnels I never noticed before.

Time for bed since I am heading to Berlin tomorrow morning.

Denmark, land of Danes

I’ve left Norway after a nice long visit. There is still so much to see there but my bank account can’t handle an extended visit in that country. Now I head to Denmark which is almost as pricey.

My plan for Denmark is to start north and then eventually end up in Copenhagen. My itinerary started busy with many city changes but I do eliminate at least one overnight location because I very much need to start scheduling more downtime. After my friend who never sleeps left me in Norway I joke that I took at least four naps the next day (two of them were on flights but I never nap like that back home). Not getting a full night sleep for multiple days hits me hard….but I did have fun.

Now I’m in Aalborg, a quiet town in northern Denmark. Right before I get off the airport bus I slam my leg into something. I am always smashing into things but this pain is so bad it debilitates me for a second, luckily the driver doesn’t take off right away because it takes me a second to get my composure and bags. As I hop off the bus a bike almost runs into me. Apparently part of the sidewalk is a bike lane. I am loving the bike friendliness but I just am not prepared. I drop my bags and take a couple more seconds to breathe through the pain. This is going to be a huge bruise later (note: the bruise resulting from this injury stays with me months later – no exaggeration).

I find my hotel on this unseasonably HOT day and there is no AC but they do include a fan in the room. Bonus points for them. I have no real plans within the town only a day trip tomorrow but the front desk is very helpful with suggestions.

After my bag drop at hotel I go out to explore and eat lunch. All the places I had picked to eat at are either empty or not open yet. I settle on a place that has smørrebrød, a thick heavy dark bread topped with any number of ingredients. I order the eel because someone says eel is good in some online review. There is bread, some sort of aioli, cold eel and topped with tomatoes, chives and dill. It is good but I find myself eyeing my neighbors plates instead. Smørrebrød is popular throughout Denmark so I am sure I’ll try it again.

I walk down to the water to admire the action down there. It is Saturday and beautiful and many are out enjoying it. A DJ plays techno music in a park while people sip on beers they can purchase from a trailer.

Also nearby is a very large USA coast guard ship. It is available for touring but I have missed the visting hours. After chatting with my cousin he tells me that it was docked in London years ago and he learned it used to be a German ship that USA acquired in WW2.

I walk down the party street Jomfru Ane Gade. I am not in the mood for partying but I do come across this interesting tapas chain on the corner of the street. My smorrebrod from earlier didn’t quite fill me up so I head in for a snack and a drink. The food isn’t too exciting but I am able to get some vegetable tapas to fill my veggie quota for the day (although the asparagus is swimming in bacon, not quite as healthy).

The next morning after breakfast I take the train to Skagen. Google somehow had the times wrong and I had to wait an additional half hour – perhaps I was looking at Saturday times and today is Sunday. Anyway the train runs every hour most days and is about a slow 2 hour ride to Skagen. It is slow because there are a few stops where it just sits and waits for about ten minutes. Without those waits I believe the route could be faster.

After I get off the train I head first to a bakery. I walk down a shopping street and am tempted by all the adorable sundresses on the racks outside. At the bakery I try a very large danish (but it is technically a half serving). I can tell you what we get in the USA should be embarrassed be called a danish. It is nothing like what I’ve been getting in the Nordic countries.

I head over to the bike rental place closer to the water. I realize later there is one right outside the train station but because I didn’t walk by it I never realized it was there until I caught the afternoon train back. The bikes are rented for the day which is fine because I have no idea how long I will need the bike anyway. I head in the direction of Grenen. I stop to admire the ocean views along the way.

When I get to the parking lot for Grenen there is a large area for parking bikes. Luckily these bikes have locks built in. I make sure the bike is locked and take the key with me.

It is a 3km walk to and back to the tip of the beach that contains the point where the two oceans collide into each other: North Sea and Baltic Sea. You walk past old German bunkers used by the nazi’s in WWII when they occupied Denmark. I then walk along the beach where dozens of jellyfish are pushed onto shore by the waves. I try to avoid them but do end up stepping on one when I am on my phone and not paying attention. Luckily there are no stingers involved since I am barefoot and enjoying the cold water. We are told no swimming is allowed because of the strong currents but I do occasionally let the water cover my feet.

I get to the tip of the peninsula where the oceans meet. You can see the waves occasionally head toward each other. I think the effect is more pronounced at low tide but now it is closer to high tide. There is a crowd at the tip as well as unclothed children running around. It is my understanding that Denmark is pretty liberal with its stance on nudity but I am struggling to get pictures without these kids in it. Thankfully they soon get clothed and leave.

I enjoy the view for a bit and then walk back to my bike. Except for the high tide I timed my visit correctly because it seems like it is going to start to rain soon. I get on the bike and head back to Skagen. I ride around a bit and get a seafood lunch. I order a plate of peel and eat shrimp and Norwegian lobsters (similar to langostinos).

It does start to rain a bit while I eat but I decided to ride around town a bit anyway. I return the bike and head to the train station to take the 2 hour ride back. When I arrive in Aalborg I take a quick stop at the singing trees. There is a park behind the train station that has boxes in front of rows of trees. Each box represents a musical artist that has visited the city. You can push a button and listen to samples of their music. It is a very unique art installation. The park seems safe enough but toward the edge of this exhibit there are some people sitting at a picnic table acting erratically (drugs maybe). Every place I’ve been in my recent travels has been very safe but I also have good instinct so I get far away from the group…..no need to chase trouble.

I fortunately bought snacks this time and decided I wasn’t hungry enough to go eat dinner somewhere tonight. This might be a good time to catch up on some much needed rest again.

Tomorrow I head to another city in Denmark.

Olso and train to Flam

I have an early morning flight this morning from Alesund to Oslo to meet up with some friends for a fjord adventure. I book a flight too early – I am disappointed with myself because now I have to take a $60 cab ride to the airport because my flight time is too early for me to take the airport bus. I find myself not getting enough sleep last night and it is imperative I rest up so I have energy to hang out with my friends. Not much downtime is expected in this upcoming week.

I arrive in Oslo contemplating waiting two hours or so to meet up with my friend “A” at the airport who will be coming in on her international flight. I decide to wait and find a cafe open at arrivals. I order breakfast and take advantage of WiFi to get some planning done.

Eventually A arrives and we take the airport train into central Oslo. It takes a couple minutes longer than it should to find our hotel that is very close to the train station. It seems that google doesn’t give us the best directions in this area.

Our room is ready early so we are able to check in. We drop our bags and head out to lunch. We eat at a cool street food area called barcode. “A” enjoys a vegan burger while I try a mix of street tacos. After lunch we walk around by the water. One might consider this mild weather back home where I live but here they are experiencing a heatwave and everyone is out sunning along the piers near the water. It is Sunday and everyone seems to be enjoying the day. We admire the modern architecture and nicer cafes in the area. We still have some time to kill before our other friend arrives so we visit the Munch Museum.

The Munch Museum (Munchmuseet), named for the famous Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, has exhibits that displays his famous artworks as well as interactive exhibits about his life. I am impressed with this smaller museum. We enjoy our time here. Apparently the museum has multiple Scream paintings and they rotate them in and out from time to time.

We head back to the hotel to briefly rest until our other friend D arrives. She has an even harder time finding the hotel so we go on a rescue mission to find her. She unloads her bags and we meet up with one of her friends T; T lives locally and met D many years ago while she was on an exchange program in the USA. We walk down the popular Karl Johans Gate and have a nice Italian dinner at an outdoor cafe. We watch seagulls bang their big beaks on the plates of the non-bussed table next to us while others shoo the birds away. We have a good conservation getting to know the new friend. Being all jet lagged (me not really but I woke up too early this morning) we head back to our hotel. We are meeting up early in the morning to go on our two day tour of the fjords.

The next morning

The plan is to meet in the train station about 45 minutes before our train is to leave. We all have assigned seats but 2 of the group booked later and have individual seats elsewhere. We want to try to move all together. When we get on the train we realize this just isn’t possible because the train is very full. The first train is about 4 1/2 hours. We spend the time talking, visiting the cafeteria car and looking at some of the views. Our next train is supposed the be the best scenic train but there is still plenty to see out our windows.

The next train we have from Myrdal to Flam is the old style train where there are no assigned seats. We rush onto the train to try to get seats together. Jury is still out whether there is a good side or bad side to sit. We feel like there is a good view and you’ll feel like you are missing stuff no matter what side you sit on. The only bad thing is the train gets a little stuffy and you are not able to leave the windows open due to the train being really loud, especially in the tunnels. The breaks have to work hard on this steep train.

We do cool down at our stop at a large waterfall. We feel the water and the mist on us while we take photos. All of sudden music plays and a woman comes out to do a siren dance. It is a show of Huldra, a siren who lures men into the mountains. It is quite unexpected and entertaining.

Huldra

We eventually get to the town of Flam and check into our charming hotel. We grab a quick meal because we are all heading out to excursions this afternoon. We eat at the local brewery in town.

Two of us ride an RIB boat around the fjord. Our enthusiastic guide stops the boat frequently to point out sights along the way. It was expecting a rough ride but it ends up being calming. I am toasty and cozy in my suit that is provided to protect again cold and possible capsizing. I find the boat at times almost putting me to sleep.

At the end we stop at Undredal a town famous in real life for its brown goat cheese and in the fantasy world it is said to inspire the movie Frozen. The goats free roam along the mountains and come in at set times to get milked. A couple different common cheeses are made but one local cheese stands out because it is cooked and caramelized to make a distinct brown cheese. Many say it tastes nutty to them. I think it does taste nutty a little but still seems like a cheese to me. The only difference is the texture is vastly different from any other cheese you’ve had. We got to try these local cheeses as well as one sausage.

We head back from our cruise and our entire group meets up again. We decide another meal is in order. It seems like the places that still serve food at this time is extremely limited so we end up back at our trusty brewery. I share a hummus platter with my friend. It is very good.