A building in Ceske Krumlov (a town in south Bohemia)
Our free sample of Budweiser Budwar at the brewery (it is located in Ceske Budejovice)...apparently they passed out more than one round of it
Hluboka Castle in Hluboka nad Vitavou
The glass that magically turned from water to beer with the addition of a coaster (not really...but that would be pretty awesome)
A church in the same town as the castle...but way further down the hill.
I kid you not...fried cheese described with Wayne Gretzky's name. I guess that is what happens when you go to a hockey-themed restaurant in the Czech Republic
As I was posting these pictures... it dawned on me that this mightbe a tower from the church that I took a picture of. Who knew?
God I hate how blogger puts pictures up out of order. it disrupts the flow of my story telling!
So this past weekend I went on a trip to south Bohemia...which is in the western part of the country (?)
But...the night before, my friend Lindsay and I decided to go wandering around Prague to take pictures (and maybe go shopping too...I do not remember.) Well...because I have such an awesome sense of direction...I made us get off the stop before we should have because I thought I knew where we were going. It turns out...I am very good at having us go in a circle. She was not upset at all about the ordeal; I could not understand how I walked in an f'in circle and didn't notice.
The south Bohemia trip went more smoothly than the Moravia, which was a good thing. The first thing we did was walk up a hill to the Hluboka castle and were told that was where we were supposed to meet for tours of the castle...and then released for lunch. Of course all the eateries were halfway down the hill. So I somehow followed some people to a hockey-themed restaurant (it was hardcore enough to have skate blades be door handles for the bathrooms...dull of course). It was an experience. I had chicken with potato pancakes. After trying potato pancakes twice now, I have decided they have too much going on; they almost have a grayish color to them somehow...and have too many flavors going on.
After lunch...I wandered with someone back up to the castle...and wandered through the park in front of the castle...and proceeded to soak my shoes and socks. You see, it had warmed up a great deal over the past week in the Czech Republic, so the temperature had to have been in the low 40s. But...this meant that there was a lot of slush around because the snow hadn't completely melted yet. I was not happy. The castle we visited had been renovated 3 times...and its most recent residents had to leave right around WWII. The private rooms of the castle that we saw were filled with antique rifles...and I believe about 2000 taxidermied animals, and quite possibly about that many hooves and antlers decorating the walls. It was...interesting.
After that...we headed to the Budweiser Budvar brewery. did you know that Budweiser Budvar is a pale lager? It was well...a brewery. I've been to a few before so I didn't see anything all that exciting. BUT...this is the first time I've been to a brewery of age...so I got to try some beer. They gave it to us in like a 7 ounce glass. The brewery did not cheap out on us.
Then we wandered the town of Ceske Budejovice...a town that apparently has the largest town square in the Czech Republic. At this point in the day...I was tired of taking pictures (and walking at this point) after a while I followed some people to a pub...where we chilled...and had chips and salsa.
The we headed to our hostel in Ceske Krumlov...which was...an experience. I have no idea how it happened...but the table I was sitting at got shortchanged on bread, our beer last, and I was the last person in the room to get food. We had soup first..which was ok....and then we had goulash...and mine had a shit ton of gravy...and like 5 pieces of meat. After we ate...my table played a drinking game called "Bitches" I am going to go into detail about it here...but it is very entertaining...and doesn't involve any cards, so its very portable. We wound up having cake because one of my friends turned 22 that day. It was a traditional Czech (or Slovakian) cake called honey cake...f'in delicious. The cake was gone by the end of the night.
The next day we went on a walking tour of Ceske Krumlov....which was f'in cold. And i wasn't in a very good mood...so I decided to not take any pictures. That...and I was not in the mood to accidentally drop my camera and break it. We ate lunch at an italian restaurant (sidebar: I've eaten a lot of italian food in the Czech Republic...im not really sure why; maybe it is just a little more familiar than Czech food right now). Then we wandered around for the next 3 hours. I wound up finding some moldovite for my mom (it was one of my missions while in the country). Moldovite is a stone that is mainly found in the area around Ceske Krumlov that if from a meteor that crashed millions of years ago. it's a greenish stone that kind of looks like an avacado. You should look it up. I didn't even know it was mainly found in the area I was in til I got back to my dorm and read the little brochure I got...Good thing I stopped and picked some up!
FIRST WEEK OF CLASS!!
Yes...I finally started class. I am taking CAD ll class....which is learning the 3d aspects of autocad, an interiors themed architecture studio, monument preservation, history of the interior, and contemporary architecture. The only problem that I forsee with any of the classes is the fact that I can pick up about 80% of what the professors are saying.
I also went to dinner with some of my roommates on tuesday. One of my roommates found a mexican restaurant in her guidebook, so some of us decided to check it out. It was AMAZING. i had chicken with corn and tomatoes and jalapenos in a creme sauce with a quesdilla and rice. And 5 of us split 2 pitchers of margaritas. That was probably some of the most flavorful mexican food I had had in a long time.
And then yesterday we had our first roommate dinner. I live with 6 other girls...so we thought it would nice to all eat together before we left for a Czech Presentation at a bar. We had spaghetti and meatballs and wine. And then I volunteered to wash the dishes...because while everyone was out shopping for food or cooking, I was pretty much where I am now- sitting on my bed.
Today I tried to get hockey tickets because I've never been to a game and was instantly excited when it came to my attention that there were a few games added to the schedule because of playoffs (the season was supposed to be pretty much over by the time I got to Prague). But alas, my friend looked at the wrong website and led us to a football (soccer) stadium on the opposite side of Prague. if the team stays in the playoffs...I think we are going to try and get tickets again.
It's amazing how much I have walked through the Czech Republic so far. I think this week I have walked atleast 2 miles every day. I walk almost everywhere...with the exception of taking the metro...but then I just get off the train and walk some more.
I really need to be taking more pictures...but my camera eats through batteries...and it likes to die sometimes with little warning. Its quite annoying.
I can hardly fathom the fact that i've been here almost 21 days, and have already done so much! and the next few weekends are going to be filled with taking trips around europe (hopefully...I still need to sign up for them). I'm slowly realizing that its going to be much harder to leave this place than I thought.
Tomorrow...homework and a party with my czech buddy!!
legen....wait for it...dary
So this past weekend I went on a trip to south Bohemia...which is in the western part of the country (?)
But...the night before, my friend Lindsay and I decided to go wandering around Prague to take pictures (and maybe go shopping too...I do not remember.) Well...because I have such an awesome sense of direction...I made us get off the stop before we should have because I thought I knew where we were going. It turns out...I am very good at having us go in a circle. She was not upset at all about the ordeal; I could not understand how I walked in an f'in circle and didn't notice.
The south Bohemia trip went more smoothly than the Moravia, which was a good thing. The first thing we did was walk up a hill to the Hluboka castle and were told that was where we were supposed to meet for tours of the castle...and then released for lunch. Of course all the eateries were halfway down the hill. So I somehow followed some people to a hockey-themed restaurant (it was hardcore enough to have skate blades be door handles for the bathrooms...dull of course). It was an experience. I had chicken with potato pancakes. After trying potato pancakes twice now, I have decided they have too much going on; they almost have a grayish color to them somehow...and have too many flavors going on.
After lunch...I wandered with someone back up to the castle...and wandered through the park in front of the castle...and proceeded to soak my shoes and socks. You see, it had warmed up a great deal over the past week in the Czech Republic, so the temperature had to have been in the low 40s. But...this meant that there was a lot of slush around because the snow hadn't completely melted yet. I was not happy. The castle we visited had been renovated 3 times...and its most recent residents had to leave right around WWII. The private rooms of the castle that we saw were filled with antique rifles...and I believe about 2000 taxidermied animals, and quite possibly about that many hooves and antlers decorating the walls. It was...interesting.
After that...we headed to the Budweiser Budvar brewery. did you know that Budweiser Budvar is a pale lager? It was well...a brewery. I've been to a few before so I didn't see anything all that exciting. BUT...this is the first time I've been to a brewery of age...so I got to try some beer. They gave it to us in like a 7 ounce glass. The brewery did not cheap out on us.
Then we wandered the town of Ceske Budejovice...a town that apparently has the largest town square in the Czech Republic. At this point in the day...I was tired of taking pictures (and walking at this point) after a while I followed some people to a pub...where we chilled...and had chips and salsa.
The we headed to our hostel in Ceske Krumlov...which was...an experience. I have no idea how it happened...but the table I was sitting at got shortchanged on bread, our beer last, and I was the last person in the room to get food. We had soup first..which was ok....and then we had goulash...and mine had a shit ton of gravy...and like 5 pieces of meat. After we ate...my table played a drinking game called "Bitches" I am going to go into detail about it here...but it is very entertaining...and doesn't involve any cards, so its very portable. We wound up having cake because one of my friends turned 22 that day. It was a traditional Czech (or Slovakian) cake called honey cake...f'in delicious. The cake was gone by the end of the night.
The next day we went on a walking tour of Ceske Krumlov....which was f'in cold. And i wasn't in a very good mood...so I decided to not take any pictures. That...and I was not in the mood to accidentally drop my camera and break it. We ate lunch at an italian restaurant (sidebar: I've eaten a lot of italian food in the Czech Republic...im not really sure why; maybe it is just a little more familiar than Czech food right now). Then we wandered around for the next 3 hours. I wound up finding some moldovite for my mom (it was one of my missions while in the country). Moldovite is a stone that is mainly found in the area around Ceske Krumlov that if from a meteor that crashed millions of years ago. it's a greenish stone that kind of looks like an avacado. You should look it up. I didn't even know it was mainly found in the area I was in til I got back to my dorm and read the little brochure I got...Good thing I stopped and picked some up!
FIRST WEEK OF CLASS!!
Yes...I finally started class. I am taking CAD ll class....which is learning the 3d aspects of autocad, an interiors themed architecture studio, monument preservation, history of the interior, and contemporary architecture. The only problem that I forsee with any of the classes is the fact that I can pick up about 80% of what the professors are saying.
I also went to dinner with some of my roommates on tuesday. One of my roommates found a mexican restaurant in her guidebook, so some of us decided to check it out. It was AMAZING. i had chicken with corn and tomatoes and jalapenos in a creme sauce with a quesdilla and rice. And 5 of us split 2 pitchers of margaritas. That was probably some of the most flavorful mexican food I had had in a long time.
And then yesterday we had our first roommate dinner. I live with 6 other girls...so we thought it would nice to all eat together before we left for a Czech Presentation at a bar. We had spaghetti and meatballs and wine. And then I volunteered to wash the dishes...because while everyone was out shopping for food or cooking, I was pretty much where I am now- sitting on my bed.
Today I tried to get hockey tickets because I've never been to a game and was instantly excited when it came to my attention that there were a few games added to the schedule because of playoffs (the season was supposed to be pretty much over by the time I got to Prague). But alas, my friend looked at the wrong website and led us to a football (soccer) stadium on the opposite side of Prague. if the team stays in the playoffs...I think we are going to try and get tickets again.
It's amazing how much I have walked through the Czech Republic so far. I think this week I have walked atleast 2 miles every day. I walk almost everywhere...with the exception of taking the metro...but then I just get off the train and walk some more.
I really need to be taking more pictures...but my camera eats through batteries...and it likes to die sometimes with little warning. Its quite annoying.
I can hardly fathom the fact that i've been here almost 21 days, and have already done so much! and the next few weekends are going to be filled with taking trips around europe (hopefully...I still need to sign up for them). I'm slowly realizing that its going to be much harder to leave this place than I thought.
Tomorrow...homework and a party with my czech buddy!!
legen....wait for it...dary
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