Photo Tour - Cesky Krumlov

As a final installment to the posts on my Czech Republic adventures, i thought i would share with you something quite beautiful - Cesky Krumlov.

Purely by accident, it turned out to be another town that had received a UNESCO World Heritage listing (if you read my post on Bath, UK you'll know what i mean). Cesky Krumlov is a very well preserved Medieval Town on the Vltava river and it is a gorgeous place. It is a few hours outside Prague but well worth a visit. By joining a tour i got to sit back, relax, enjoy the views of the country go by and meet a few people.

Below are some photos from the grounds of the Castle and around town. Unfortunately no photos were allowed inside the castle (you should have seen our guide go nuts at one tourist who tried to take photos - scary!) But the Castle is well preserved and they have gone to a lot of effort to keep it in a state as you would have seen it many moons ago. One of my favourite sites is the Masquerade Hall.

Anyway - without further ado, enjoy the photos!

A view of Cesky Krumlov, The Castle Tower and The Town

The interesting thing is that all those bricks you see are actually painted on.

Castle Tower and the 2nd Courtyard

A view of the castle, Vltava and town.

The other side of the river - the town and riverside pub

A view of the town and the Castle Tower

A very yummy sweet pastry...

Wait for it...

There it is! Mmmm...YUM!

A view of the Castle Tower from the Vltava

Cesky Krumolv Town Square

Maybe I'm not worldly enough but Ive never seen a cone this shape before...oh and the ice-cream was delicious too!

A cute pub overlooking the Vltava river

People canoeing on the Vltava

And that rounds out my Prague/Czech Republic trip. I hope you enjoyed my posts.

Till next time - keep travelling!

VP

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3 days in Paris

Hearing: Sister Act 2 on TV.

I figure its about time i gave a rundown of our trip to Paris along with the promised photos.

After our problem with the hotel was settled our first day was spent seeing the sights of Paris. We started with the Arc De Triomphe and then walked from there along the Champs Elysees all the way to the Louvre. And trust me when i say it isn't a short walk. But the weather was good, Paris busy and we enjoyed ourselves stopping now and then to take photos. I had to take one of my mum in front of the fountains featured in the movie "Devil wears Prada". Up next was the Eiffel Tower and the view from the top was worth the wait in line. An unobstructed 360 degree view of the city and very, very high (i kinda underestimated it).
























We did want to see the tower light up at night especially with the blinking lights but it doesn't get dark in Paris till late in the evening - around 10pm! So we made a quick trip to Notre Dame Cathedral which actually was perfect timing. The light of the sun setting on the cathedral transformed the colours and it was beautiful. Back at the Eiffel Tower we perched on the steps of the Trocadero Gardens along with lots of other tourists to watch when the lights would transform the tower into a Paris moment. And when it lit up, a gasp of awe and surprise rose from everyone there and no, I'm not exaggerating.



































































Day 2 found us at Versailles.



We spent the whole day there. The place is massive! Apparently the Palace and grounds used to occupy the size roughly the same as that of Paris - now its not so but still its huge. The Palace itself is a marvel with paintings covering the walls and ceilings, delicate and ornate designs around mirrors and doors, statues and all sorts of antiquities. The recent movie "Marie-Antoinette" starring Kirsten Dunst is shot entirely on location there and i did see a lot of the places that featured in the movie like Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette's room, the chapel they were married in (check out the ceiling in the photo) and of course the Petit Trianon. My favourite place of all has to be Marie-Antoinette's Estate, more specifically, the little Hamlet built for her. Its as though you've stepped back in time.








































































































































Day 3 post our Louvre excursion.

Mum and i climbed the steps to Sacre Coeur in Montmartre and took a peek inside the church and at the area around it. The cafes, painters and sketch artists were all at the ready anticipating the next tourists. And though i realise its quite put on, i still like seeing it. Before quitting the Montmartre quartier i just had to stop by the Moulin Rouge and see the red windmill for myself. Its not as impressive in the day as it would be at night but still it is an infamous icon of Paris. Our day ended with coffee (naturally) in a market street called Rue Montorgueil. Its filled with cafes, grocers, bakeries and the sort and i actually think the whole trip would have ended on a good note was it not for an altercation i had with some idiot.


Mum and i were walking to a metro stop, arms linked talking away when some french idiot steps in my way and on my foot! I was about to apologise when i realised it wasn't my fault and i stood there a few seconds expecting an apology from him but he didn't say a thing! No "Pardon" no nothing AND he didn't even move! As i waited i realised he wasn't going to move, HE was expecting an apology from ME! I lost my cool and did something that i normally wouldn't have done - i pushed him out of my way and continued walking. He did not like that and started yelling in french which i can only imagine to be profanity and insults and yet again most unlike me i stopped walking and turned around and yelled back that he could "Bite Me!" and that he was an "A$$hole". I was so mad! Honestly, the nerve! After that (I'm sorry to say) i was very happy to be heading for the airport and out of Paris. I guess i cant let little things like that spoil an otherwise pleasant trip but they do get to me. I guess as time wears on I'll only remember the good and hopefully forget the bad.

Anyways, that's enough from me, there is more in this post to try even the most attentive reader. I'm off to plan a little surprise for mums birthday tomorrow, she doesn't want anything just a cup of coffee with me (aren't mums sweet? they all say that) but I'm sure i can do more than that.

VP

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Lunch at the Louvre

Hearing: Chatter from cafe behind me, kids and people in front of the Louvre.

In front of me i can see the other side of the Louvre and the glass pyramids that serves as one of the entrances to the museum. The grounds are full of people, kids, tour groups, families and tourists of all shapes and sizes. To my right the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and a faded Eiffel Tower. You see, its not the best of weather, its overcast and looks foggy but at least its not raining.
Mum and i have just come out of the Louvre to have a bite to eat and relax before heading for Sacre Coeur in Montmartre. Ginormous might begin to describe the vastness that is the Louvre Museum, we cut our visit short and we're in there for over 3 hours! HA! It is a maze of paintings, sculpture, artifacts, frescoes and people. As to be expected, the main spots were crowded and the more out of the way - special interest places less so. All in all, worth the trip - yes i did see the Mona Lisa - yes it is small considering all the fuss and yes there is something about the eyes and smile. I have to say though, this visit has made me realise how much i like sculptures. I think its amazing to get a piece of stone so smooth and to show such human and life like expression and movement.





























Our flight back home is tonight so we'll head out to the airport after Montmartre. I'll have to update the rest of the trip when i get home and upload all the photos too. Till then, take care,

VP

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Glu wine, antlers and red hats.

Hearing: German Music (MTV)

7.18am Munich.

Morning. Thought I'd drop in and say hello before my flight back to the sandpit today. This layover has been short but fun. The whole crew - every last one - which is unusual went out together. Yesterday, after meeting for drinks at the CMs room, we walked around the village of Landshut. We checked out the Christmas markets, had dinner, (they) drank loads of Glu Wine and froze our butts off!!!



Did i mention we did all of it wearing silly Christmas hats? No? Well allow me to put it this way...while we were taking photos of the village/markets/each other, the locals were taking photos of US!!! LMAO!!!



It was great fun. For once we were the loud bunch having people stare as we walked by or look out their windows wondering what was going on instead of it usually being the other way round! Anyways, enjoy the photos, I'm off to get ready.

VP



How cool is this? They have outdoor heaters, and blankets to keep you warm!

















Yes ladies and gents, thats was me wearing a dorky red hat - have your laugh, go on.

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Frankfurt anyone?

Well imitation frankfurt that is, as I don't eat pork I tried the closest thing to it. It was a trade between my friend D and I, I got her to come out and explore Frankfurt with me instead of staying in her hotel room and she got to me to try one of the sausages Frankfurt is known for. I had a great time exploring the city and I daresay she was glad I dragged her along.

I wish I knew German, the people were so friendly and helpful, trying to communicate with what little English they know that I was ashamed of myself for not knowing even a word or two in German. They are thoroughly proud of their city and are happy to help a few tourist find their way or offer a smile when they see you taking photos.

This is D infront of Cafe Hauptwache where we had our brunch and couldn't stop being surprised at how much beer was loved here. It was a beautiful start to our day and we had great fun just chatting and just soaking in the atmosphere.

Just opposite the cafe there was this church whose chimes rang out during our brunch.


After brunch we headed into central Frankfurt (I needed to find a place to exchange money because I hadn't brought enough Euros with me) and we had a wander around the streets and parks.

The old and the new...


This is one of the more amusing buildings in central Frankfurt...

One of the many statues in Frankfurt, but unlike the others, this one really caught my attention and I simply could not stop looking at it. I later translated the engraving on it "Den Opfern", it means Sacrifice.

Euros in hand we returned to the pedestrian and shopping district (same place we had brunch) which was crowded with people. There were stalls selling all sorts of things everywhere; food stalls selling all sorts of food, from hot dogs to crepes, stalls selling handicrafts from dreamcatchers to wood carved garden dwarfs and there was also fresh produce stalls selling fruit & veg, cheese, meat and wine in an outdoor market. The bustle of the crowds in the markets, the sound of chinking glasses the chatter of friends and the delicious smells was truly a lovely experience.

We continued walking towards the Main river and met with 2 guys and a girl (no pizza place) who were enjoying the sun and skating around. At least the guys were trying to teach the girl to roller blade. They were friendly and fun and even requested to have their picture taken with D after which their grins stretched from ear to ear. It was a picturesque walk along the river with St. Leonhardskirche church across from us and the Eiserner Steg bridge in the distance. We crossed over to the other side and walked on past all these older style houses which were home to some mix of galleries and museums...there must have been 4 or 5 of them in a row. We then said good bye, stopped in at a bar/cafe for a bite to eat before heading back to the hotel. It was truly a lovely day out.

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