This morning was quite luxurious! After finally getting a change to sleep in a bit, and lounging around at breakfast for a leisurely amount of time, Mike and I were picked up at the hotel by a shuttle service which I had booked in advance. (Another man holding a sign with my name on it! How pleasing to my eye!) Our chauffeur then drove us for two and half hours (was supposed to be three, but he drove quite fast!) to our hotel in Cesky Krumlov. Door to door service, I'm all of a tither!
Immediately we stashed our belongings and headed out into Cesky Krumlov (translated as "Czech bend in the river), what I will affectionately refer to as Cotton Candy Fairy Tale Land from now on. I mean, just look at this place!
Our hotel, which also had a restaurant attached. The one waitress was also the receptionist!
St. Vitus, CK's main church, built in the 15th century.
The nativity at the Christmas Market in the Main Square.
We saw them finish this neat bear ice sculpture.
Then we headed over to the castle.
The castle is guarded by BEARS! But I guess they were hibernating...
These bear pits normally have European brown bears guarding the castle; a tradition that goes back to the 16th century.
Cotton Candy Fairy Tale Land. Seriously.
A lot of the facades show the restored or replicated Gothic and Renaissance frescoes that colorfully decorated all the buildings.
On Barber's Bridge, you can see the the water mark on the buildings that shows how far up the river swelled in 2002. A 19th century statue of St. John of Nepomuk stands on this bridge to protect against floods.
St. John of Nepomuk, standing guard on Barber's Bridge.
Look at this neat ginger bread!
They were burning cedar wood at the market, it scented the air and made everything seem even more magical!
Česky Krumlov has its own brewery, Eggenberg
At dinner we had cheese (the stuff that looks like potatoes) from Olomouc, the historical capital of Moravia.
The ice sculpture bear all lit up at night. Is this where the castle bears are? They left their pits to go model for ice sculptors?
I had the famous plum filled dumplings, topped with sweet cheese and melted butter!
The Plague Column, another reminder of the plague that rolled through these parts. Cesky Krumlov was actually sparred from the worst of the plague, and this was built in 1715 as thanks to God. In 1938, Hilter stood on this very spot, Nazi banners all around, to celebrate the annexation of the Sudetenland.
While Mike called it an early night, I went a-wandering around town, and heard some very fun music wafting out of a local restaurant! This place was packed, and everyone was enjoying the warmth and the fun.
Texaco?
The moon over the Vltava River. Because this city really needed to be a little more picturesque. Seriously.
I stopped by a little Tabac and couldn't resist purchasing these spectacularly named treats.
Our little reprieve in Cotton Candy Fairy Tale Land was only for one day, and tomorrow we must continue on our journey to the last stop of the trip...Praha!
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