The Best Weekend Ever!

Alright!

I finally have some time to sit down and write a blog for everyone to see. Class started on Monday, and we have already been assigned work and whatnot, we've actually been very busy. I was able to finish my Studio project early, so now I have 2.5 hours until the studio closes to get some internet stuff done.

Well, it's been awhile since I was able to update, so I will fill everyone in on the spectacular details:

This past weekend I went on the best weekend trip I have ever experienced in my life. After only 3 days in Prague, we left via train for the weekend to a few tiny towns in the Czech countryside. First up, it was a train through the snowy countryside to the city (town?) of Cesky Budejovice. The train ride left from Prague at 7am, arriving in the town at 930am. Let it be known that if we got to the town and immediately turned around and rode the train right back, it would have been a weekend fufilled. The Czech countryside is even more beautiful than any book could ever describe, especially when fresh snow litters the landscape. It's amazing how even though we were riding through the middle of what seemed like the absolute middle of nowhere in the sub-zero arctic like conditions, towns could be seen dotted along the land. People really do live all over the globe.

Here is a picture of the Czech countryside. Beautiful!

When we arrived at the town of Cesky Budejovice, we got a surprise from our professor, Art, that we were in the town of the ORIGINAL Budweiser Budvar Brewery Company, and we would be taking a tour of this original brewery! What a great surprise. It smelled definantly like a brewery, I have never even thought about being inside of a brewery before. The best part was absolutely towards the end of the tour before we arrived in the bottling area of the brewery. When the young beer is being stored before it gets bottled, it is stored in huge pressureized vessels. We got poured fresh Budvar Beer into little sample cups straight out of these storage tanks. Never again will I EVER be able to taste beer that fresh. It was so good. And quite strong, too! Definantly an awesome tour, a real treat!

Here is a picture of me inside of the brewery.

So already it was a fascinating day and it was only 1130am! Feeling adrenaline from the tour (and a buzz from the multiple taste cups!) we headed to explore the city for 3 hours before our train left for our final destination, Ceske Krumlov, at 3pm. Knowing that lunch could turn into a Czech speaking adventure that took several hours all on its own, we decided to do lunch first, then pictures. We found a chinese restaurant (we just felt like Chinese, alright!) that was on the fourth floor of a building that overlooked the town square, it was too cool! The lunch was delicious, needless to say, and even in English! Haha, that was a treat. So then we were off to explore the beautiful little city! And I do mean beautiful. We just walked around admiring for the whole time.

Here is a picture of the town square from our window in the restaurant. They don't have squares like this back home...

After we had explored the town for a few hours, we walked back to the train station and hopped on another train for our weekend destination, Ceske Krumlov. It was about an hour, and took us even more into the middle of nowhere than I have ever been. Make a note that it was snowing (rather, there was perfect fluffy dry snow that seemed to be floating in the air, not falling) for the entirety of our time there. When we arrived, we had about a 20 minute walk (we've had our weekend packs on our backs this whole trip so far, with the exception of during the Budvar tour, they held them in a room for us) to the hostel. Our first view of the town was breathtaking, unlike anything I've ever seen. Mainly it had to do with the humungous castle that guarded the town. Incredible. There is no way that I can even possibly begin to think about describing all that we did and saw in our time here.

The whole town can be crossed in under 15 minutes by foot, so we definitely explored the whole thing. We ate at restraunts that were underground, built into former catacombs, danced and drank at international traveller's bars, and stayed at a homely, cabin like hostel that had an amazing view out my window. We hiked the castle multiple times, giving us an unforgettable view of the town, both during the daytime and nighttime. We hiked a mountain on the opposite side of the town, giving us yet another unforgettable view of the town. We went sledding down a mountain for two hours in the dark. We must have walked a total of 15 miles in this town, constantly zigging and zagging our way through the streets, exploring and exploring the neverending charm of the town. What I most appreciated was the intamacy of the town. It was so quiet, slow paced, and every street was more breathtaking than the next. I walked around one night and took some amazing night shots of the town with a tripod. The food was amazing, the beer was cheap, and the people were fantastic. I have left so many little details and personal memories out. It just has to be experienced. It is the most amazing little town I have ever been in, no questions asked, 100%, without a doubt. Everyone that hasn't been married or gone on a honeymoon yet, I would definantly definantly definantly suggest the town of Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic to mark that special occasion. You will never ever forget it, I certainly won't. I took over 1,100 pictures there. Yes, 1,100. And every single one is a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my time on this great earth.

Sadly, though, every great memory ends sometime, and ours did at 3pm on Sunday. This is when we boarded a bus for (the much less scenic) road back to the bustling, big city of Prague. When we got back to Prague, it was loud, fast paced, in your face, and everything that Cesky Krumlov wasn't. I was sad until I woke up on Monday morning, when I realized that I was still in Prague for three more months. I love it!

Here are a few of my absolute favorite pictures from the town of Cesky Krumlov (oh, how to choose!).

This is a picture of the castle. The castle wraps around to the left of the picture for about three times longer than you can see in the picture. Incredible!

This is the view out of the window in my hostel overlooking the River that the town is built along. Incredible!

Here is a photo looking through one of the streets up at the Castle Tower. The Castle rises up from the banks of the river, looming over the town, keeping watch over the night. Incredible!

It has only been a week and a half in Prague for me so far, but it feels like years almost! I can't believe I have three whole more months. There are many streets yet to be explored, and many pictures yet to be taken! This weekend most of the crew is planning on going skiing, but I am going to enjoy my first weekend in Prague, take it easy, and rest from the crazy work week I am having. I can't wait to just explore the city with no worries or time constraints because of class, etc. Wish me luck!

Oh, I have updated my photography on the Picassa website, available via link on the right side of this blog. I have only chosen the best of the best for those albums, enjoy! More to come, keep an eye out!

I want to thank all of you for reading this, I am doing my best to convey just how amazing this journey of mine is becoming!

Until next time,

-Terry-