Brno

26 September 2009
We woke up early the next morning (because some of us cannot contain their excitement about being in a new city and find themselves waking up at 5:30 then in their boredom rustle around so much everyone else has to wake up too) and found breakfast. In spite of our early start a few incidents led to a much later arrival in Brno than originally anticipated. We set up a reservation for a hostel at the information center then went in search of dinner.

The city of Brno is very similar Prague. It is the capital of the Moravian region of the Czech Republic and was originally a contender with Prague for the capital of the country. The city is much smaller than Prague (although you wouldn’t know to look at it) with a population of only 400,000 as opposed to Prague’s 1,000,000+. It is similarly blanketed in a spider web of wires that facilitate the operation of the very prominent and easy-to-use tram system. Spires sprout out from the rooftops of the city in every direction, marking the large population of churches and castles in the city of Brno.

Our living quarters in Brno were slightly more difficult to find. After taking the tram to the south western corner of the city we wandered around for a little while before we had to gesture to some older men talking outside if they knew where our hostel was. With their hand motions we eventually managed to find our way up to our hotel on the hill where the receptionist also could not speak English.

The next morning we found the pope at the airport along with about 100,000 other people. Buses line the highway stretching for a least a mile in both directions; waiting for their pope stalking groups to return so they can carry on. The city of Brno has provided extra transportation for this auspicious occasion. A quarter of a mile from where we finally stop walking the pope, in all his glory, smaller than the nail on my pinky, is sitting on a platform. Huge screens with video all fixed on the platform surround the crowd; the only way to get a picture of anything other than crowd is to take photos of the big screen. For this special occasion, mass is supposed to last three hours (four if you also want to listen to the president of the Czech Republic speak). Seeing as I am not a great Catholic in the best of times (never been baptized…) we stay for 45 minutes. Most of the mass is in Latin, the parts that are not are in Czech so we were happy to be there but not for three hours.

For the rest of the day we laze our way around Brno Mesto (town centre). After our long weekend we are all very tired; there was soooo much walking this weekend! We visited the castle at the top of a large hill (castles are always at the top of large hills: easier to defend) and from the top we see an extraordinary view of Brno. The view from the top is how Brno will always remain in my mind.

Have I mentioned how much I love trains? I love trains. I think they are one of the most brilliant means of transportation ever invented. I love planes too but airline tickets are so much more expensive. Everyone tells me that after my first 14 hour train ride I will be over this obsession but I honestly think I could live on a train and travel from place to place forever. Trains are cheap, relatively comfortable, there is almost always amazing countryside scenery, and no one has to drive so everyone can relax and read or watch the scenery go by or sleep. Trains are amazing. Our train ride went down without a hitch, we arrived safely back in Prague (which we all seem to be thinking of as “home” at the moment) and we are all happier for the memories and experiences we have gained.

Kutna Hora

25 September 2009
The train from Prague to Brno (via Kutna Hora…our first stop) was vaguely reminiscent of an older and slightly less magical Hogwarts Express; individual eight-person compartments lined the train, while the occasional food cart stuffed with goodies would push its way past. With the help of Edith, our new Quebecian friend, and her Czech boyfriend Thomas (like thoMAS not like THOmas) we managed to buy to infinitely cheaper group ticket and board the train. The six of us stuffed our way into the Harry-Potter style compartments which we shared with an older couple that was a little less than thrilled to find their compartment bombarded by youthful tourists.

After sleeping on the train for a little less than an hour we arrived in the quaint little Czech village of Kutna Hora. Thomas, with his infinite knowledge of his native language, guided us first to an information centre where the most tourist-friendly man booked us a four person room for $15 person/night. Thomas then led us to Kostnice, which translates to “place of bones” but is better known as the Sedlec Ossuary.

The area began as a cemetery when a Cistercian abbot sprinkled soil from the Holy Land on the area. The land became an incredibly desirable burial place as a result. During the Black Plague so many people were buried in the area that the cemetery had to be greatly enlarged. In the 14th Century a gothic Cistercian church was built on the site. The building was updated to a more modern baroque style in 1710. In 1870 Frantisek Rint was commissioned by the Schwarzenberg family to reorganize the millions of bones left by bodies that had been consumed by the Black Death 300 years before. Rint organized the bones from a predicted 40,000 to 70,000 bodies into and artistic expression “about substance and sense of human life” (back of my ticket).

While somewhat morbid and agreeably disconcerting the art that Rint created from the bones was breathtaking. Bone-decorated archways led down the stairs to a single-roomed chapel. The artist left his signature in bones on the wall at the bottom of the stair case. Two sectioned off rooms to the right and left of the staircase are filled completely with massive piles of bones. In the centre of the room four pillars of skulls and femurs rise up towards an overwhelming and surprisingly beautiful chandelier made from every bone in the human body. Two more fenced off rooms in the back corners of the church are also filled completely with piles of bones. Garlands of bones connect each fenced off room to the other. Rint even included the crest of the Schwarzenberg family also made entirely of bones. The skull having its eyes pecked out by a raven represents the family’s takeover of a Turkish fortress.
After taking a brief tour of the still prestigious cemetery surrounding the church our faithful guide Thomas led us onward to some real Czech food and then the bus stop.

The town of Kutna Hora is very much a ghost town in its off-season. Quaint clothing stores line the streets while pubs and cafes absorb every corner. The stores, though, are never open and the restaurants rarely contain more than a few small groups. I feel like our relatively large group of six stands out immensely in this empty town: all of us with our maps trying to orient ourselves.

We found our hotel smoothly but the receptionist had been expecting us hours earlier (when the helpful man from information booked the reservation) but had given up on us. She arrived a brief ten minutes after we called her though and left again once we had paid. Our room was much better than any of us had expected. The single room came with four individual beds and a bathroom (more than I expected for what we were paying), so in consideration of the price, the service, and ease of access I would certainly encourage anyone visiting Kutna Hora to stay at the Hotel Anna.

After dropping our backpacks off (and resituating all or our valuables) we made our way over to the silver mine that had been the root of Bohemia’s economy throughout its early centuries. The museum that the mine had become dressed us up in white coats and the most amazing helmets you will ever see. A sweet, cross-eyed old Czech man was our tour guide and as he prepared us for the descent down into the mine he explained mining in terms of his own youthful career as a miner. We descended more than 600 steps down into the mine before the ground leveled out into a damp system of caves. White and green film from calcium and copper coated the walls as well as the occasional moss, fed only by the recently installed lighting system. Our tour guide (now a young Czech girl) led us deeper into the cavern on an increasingly narrow tunnel where we had to balance on a plank of wood to avoid getting super muddy. Water trickled down from the ceiling and out of the walls creating a light stream that ran beneath our feet; all of our feet were soaked by the end of the tour. We were led first to bridge over what looked like a small underground pond. We then ventured onwards to the lowest part of the tunnel where almost everyone had to double over to get through; our amazing cantaloupe shell helmets fulfilled their duties. At the widest part of the tunnel our guide sat us down on a stone bench, turned off all of our flashlights and demonstrated with her own severely dimmed flashlight what badly lit conditions miners during the middle ages had to contend with. When she turned off the lights completely it was impossible to see anything; I was so blind I accidentally hit Yisha in the face with my waving hand. For the last half of our journey the lab coat style white jackets came into good use as the tunnel became so narrow we had to squeeze between a rock and a hard place (also known as a rock) to get through. The exit was a great deal more accessible than the entrance; we did not have to wind our way back up the 600+steps, which was a huge relief.

For the last part of our Kutna Horan adventure we made our way over to a structure closely resembling a giant upside-down spider known as St. Barbara’s Church. The church is frequently mistakenly called St. Barbara’s Cathedral (according to Wikipedia). The church is situated in one of the highest points of Kutna Hora and watches over the city like a giant crouching spider. Its gothic architecture and rows of flying buttresses make the church an amazing spectacle. St. Barbara was the patron saint of miners.

Edith and Thomas left us soon after our visit to the church in order to return to Prague for a camping trip. My roommates and I continued to wander around (and exhibit our presence in the small town) the quaint little town of Kutna Hora until we came across a bar-café that by all appearances was open. After enjoying a round of happy hour drinks the sudden realization that the shop had actually been closed when we wandered in drove us back out into the street. We retired to our lovely little room fairly early after dining and desserting at a couple other restaurants.

Prague Castle

Prague Castle is one of the things the city of Prague is best known for. It is the world's biggest medieval castle and after needing two days to see the whole thing I can understand the incredible ingenuity it must have taken people starting in the 9th century to build.

The looming the black and gold gothic spires of St Vitus Cathedral shooting out from a dome of green make Prague Castle an incredible, eye-catching spectacle. The castle can first be seen just before the Charles Bridge. On our first trip to the castle we decided to cross the Charles Bridge in spite of the thousands of tourists that flock there everyday. I am always a little tempted to get my own unusually colored umbrella to hold up as the tour guides do for their groups to see how many silly cows decide to follow it. I should not make fun though; today I am a tourist.

The Charles Bridge, while agreeably a historic marvel as it was the only connection between the Old Town in Prague and other parts of the area, making Prague an important trade route, it is no longer the only bridge that crosses the river and is therefore now merely a bridge. The statues of saints and patron saints of Prague line the bridge creating a unique contrast between the gothic style of the bridge and the more modern style of most of the statues, built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Local artists, artisans, and musicians also gather on the bridge in order to entertain and enthrall all of us tourists.

Prague Castle sits on a high hill: good for defending, bad for fat tourists. The road that leads to the castle is therefore fairly steep; locals have cleverly lined the roads with quaint, expensive cafes and pubs to lure tired tourists. At what seems to be the top of the hill a switchback appears and we continue to climb further. We found a most strategically placed smoothie cart halfway up the second hill and took advantage of the sudden influx of good citrus.

When we finally arrived at the castle we found we were there just in time to watch the hourly changing of the guard. Large groups of people stop what they are doing and rush towards the guards in order to see three men march through the gate and switch with their buddies and march back. It is impressive that the guards do not even crack a smile as they march towards the group of people marvelling and pointing at them.

After making our way through the first and second courtyards we suddenly found ourselves in the enormous loom shadow of one of the most beautiful, gothic pieces of architecture I have seen here in Prague. The cathedral spires that had tempted us from a distance were every bit as beautiful as I had hoped. I immediately regretted not bringing my SLR camera but tried to compensate by taking too many photos on my little digital camera.

We bought full day tickets to see everything there was to see at Prague Castle. (Advise to everyone visiting the castle in the future: the cathedral is by far the most spectacular part of the castle so rather than buying tickets to see any other part of the castle, I would recommend just going to the cathedral (entrance is free) and purchasing a two hour audio tour). Our full day tickets actually included two days of castle touring which was nice because after only getting to the castle around two in the afternoon we never would have been able to get everything else done in time. Naturally we visited the cathedral first (audio tour-less).

The cathedral from the inside is even more breathtaking than from the outside. You first enter on high vaulted ceilings that seem to go on for miles; stained glass murals beam down from every direction; strategically placed windows high on the cathedral walls let in a heavenly light creating an ethereal air within the cathedral. With so many things to look at it would have been difficult to pay attention in church (although I am sure the cathedral was mainly used for ceremonial purposes). In front of the main St Vitus alter sits a massive white marble crypt filled with members of the royal Bohemian family. A stained glass window depiction of the holy trinity sits in the wall behind the alter. From the entryway you move to the left where the chapels begin. Each stained glass window introduces a new chapel that is sectioned off from the public. Included in the sectioned off portion, each chapel seems to have a doorway to a tomb of some sort. Such things are incredibly tempting to the curious cat, but sadly, there will be no grave exploring for us today.


As we walked around the cathedral, each chapel seemed more beautiful than the last; each stained glass window depicting a more beautiful albeit morbid story than the last. As we masses made our way around the cathedral flashing our photographic approval into every corner reverence slowly blankets the crowd; the sheer beauty of the cathedral invoked feelings of veneration. On one side of the cathedral an enormous chapel is sectioned off--more of a room than the other chapels were. It has only two doorways to peer through. Even before arriving at the room the brilliance of it beems out. The tomb of St Wenceslaus lies within. The wells are coated in paintings depicting the life of the beloved patron saint of the Czech Republic. The tomb lies to the left of the room. To the right is a door that leads to a staircase which goes up into the cathedral. It is the location of the Czech Republic's crown jewels; the world's largest ruby employs itself on the front of the crown. Opening the door requires seven keys which have been given to seven different members of the church. St Wenceslaus was a duke during the 10th century, next in line for the throne. Wenceslaus was then murdered by his younger brother Boleslav while he was on his way to church. Boleslav was not a particularly bad ruler by his fratricide has hung over him for the rest of history. And that is your small history lesson for today.

After nearly two hours in the church we painstakingly dragged ourselves away; we were all a little worse for wear from standing for so long. We decided then that in spite of its expense the audio tour might be well worth having and we trekked on to the Old Royal Palace.

Wenceslas Square

Modernization has overwhelmed the 1500 year old city of Prague in the most beautiful of ways, most markedly in Wenceslas Square. The old gothic and baroque style buildings lining the Square are outfitted with brightly glowing neon lights that declare that there is indeed a Starbucks in central Europe, or that the world’s biggest Irish pub is located nearby. Coca-cola sausage carts decorate the plaza, luring tourists to try their “traditional Czech food” with the mouth-watering smell of greasy sausages of varying size and color. The streets and sidewalks are adorned in 500 year old cobblestones, waiting to trip the unwary trekker. The faces of saints and angels loom down at the masses from their high rooftop pedestals. At one end a beautiful 19th Century architectural marvel watches over the Square. Completed in 1890 as a symbol of national pride, the National Museum is by far one of the most exquisite buildings in Prague.

A great deal of Wenceslas Square in Prague has been reconstructed as a result of first the German then the Russian occupations. It has been the home to political rallies, celebrations and demonstrations since 1348 when King Charles IV founded the New Town of Prague — most notably during the Velvet Revolution in 1989 when millions of protestors gathered in the Square to protest Russian occupation.

In spite of Wenceslas Square’s rich and tumultuous history, or perhaps more because of it, tourists flock to the area. It is not unheard of to find smatterings of people from each European nation represented in the Square. And naturally those Asians try their darndest to be just as well represented in the heart of Europe at Wenceslas Square. It is equally common to find a group of tourists from each US state, including those that choose to be a shining beacon of Americanism by sporting their favorite orange and blue football jersey with the name “Plummer” adorning the back (me and my roommate Yisha, who is also a Broncos fan followed him around the Square for a little while trying to get a picture). Oh yes, Broncos fans are everywhere :).

The touristy nature of Wenceslas Square also means that most of the pubs and clubs can be found in that area. Beer in most bars costs around 40 czk, which is a little over $2 American. At Juve, the pub in the dorms, it is a little cheaper and costs 21 czk. The beer in Prague is almost always pilsner, and always very plentiful. This is a little unfortunate because even with such a light beer the calories can quickly overwhelm you. The food in Prague is almost always nothing short of amazing. There have been a few unusual meals but in general I have not been disappointed. Goulash seems to be quite popular as a traditional Czech meal, although most foreigners do not seem to appreciate it. The sausage carts, while alluring, have not tempted me enough to have a taste, although I have no doubt that they are as good as they smell.

Prague is a beautiful city and I am determined not to waste a moment of it.

Moving Day

In Prague. Sept 12?
So I officially moved in to my new country last night. Everything went incredibly smooth, which is a relief because it means I was nervous for absolutely no reason. I met Veronika at the gate exit of the airport. She did have a sign with my name on it for those of you who were wondering. We took a bus, the subway, and a tram to get to my dorm. I was incredibly tired and not much for conversation so Veronika spoke with her friend who she brought along with her a lot of the way.

Czech is a strange language by the way. It sounds like people are constanly arguing with each other. At the front desk to my dorm I was convinced the guy working at the desk was telling my buddy that I could not move in, but then he handed me a key and all was well.

When I went up to my room no one was in yet but my roommate had already unpacked all of her things. Veronika told me she would meet me at 8am on Monday and then left me to unpack. My suitcases were almost completely unharmed with the exception of a bottle of hairspray that exploded out of the plastic bag I put it in. Luckily it pretty much only coated the bottom on the suit cases and only my bag of tampons was harmed.

Hangers unfortunately do not come with the room in spite of a great deal of hanging space in the closet, so at some point today I will have to go in search of those as well as a phone. I was not in the apartment long before my new roommate arrived back from the store.

The suite I am in consists of three separate bedrooms with two beds in each room, a small kitchenette in the hallway and a bathroom. The shower (shown) is by far the nicest thing in the suite because it has not only the detatchable hose common to many European households, but also an option for a ceiling shower or a back-massaging shower (notice the 6 little spots in the picture).

The girl I share a room with also went to CSU. Her name is Lauren and she is originally from Castle Rock. The other girl who has arrived already is named Deb (reminiscent of my summer much?). She is from New Jersey. They both seem incredibly nice. They have been here for 3 days now so they have been figuring stuff out. They left early this morning while I was sleeping off my jet lag but they have promised to show me around Prague…or at least the parts they know. Last night they made rice and veggies because Lauren had been feeling incredibly unhealthy since she had been here. We had a picnic on the floor of our room and drank wine from plastic cups provided to us by the student housing. Later they took me to visit some other friends of theirs also from the States.

Lauren is determined to learn Czech but so far all she can say is dog, which is pes and cat which is kocka (the C should have a hook on it). My computer is going to die soon.

My Flight (cont.)

Sept 11.
My flight to London went quite well. I sat next to the window and no one sat in between me and the woman in the aisle seat so that was nice. I watche a couple of movies and actually managed to sleep for a little while. I had pasta with cheese and tomato sauce for dinner (also known as lasagna but apparently not the the Brits). The lady next to me did not leave her seat once. It was really strange.
I just overheard the older british gentleman behind me talking to someone on the phone about how when he went through security and had to take his belt off his “trousers fell down.” He chuckled at himself when he went on to explain that he “had to bend over to pull his pants back up and everyone behind him saw his bum.” It was hard for me to keep a straight face listening to him.
I am feeling much better about everything now but I am sure part of that is sleep deprivation and schok. On the plane I started feeling incredibly home sick (didn’t take long, did it?). Everyone has been telling me how much fun I am going to have but how often do people just get up and leave everything they know and love behind. Quite a lot I suppose, I mean my parents did it. And at least in the end I know I will be comoing back in December.
This poor couple on my flight hearlier had to stand and walk around for almost the entire flight because their baby refused to sleep and if they set him down he would scream. I am not sure if they slept at all.
The departures board will not tell which gate to go to until the gate is open. It is rather frustrating. My gate opens at 14:05 and it is 13:46 right now.
BBC news is playing a story right now about it being the 8th year since 9/11. How funny that I should be travelling on that date. I am very hungry but I am too lazy to change any of my money to pounds so I can buy a sandwich or something. Besides, I will probably get something on the plane so I should be fine. If not I will just have some of the awesome snacks given to me by Tami.

My Flight

Sept 10.
So here I am, a nine hour flight awaiting me, everything I own reduced to two suitcases that collectively weigh less than 90lbs, about to embark on an adventure that will inevitably change the way I see the world. The Boeing 747 destined to be my home for the next 9 hours or so stares in at me from beyond the ten foot window. Busy worker ants scuttle in and out of her doors and terminals fitting her with food for me and her 300+ passengers. Two security guards weave their way over luggage and people resting on the floor before the flight. It is starting to make me a little nervous, honestly. Are there normally security guards at the gate? I cannot remember from any previous experience. An arabic woman is sitting next to me. Ah! Racial Profiling! Hahaha. Just kidding, I’m not worried. I do hope I do not have to sit next to anyone terrible on the plane though. 9 hours of some old woman chatting away is going to severely stint my ability to enjoy this trip. I am still incredibly nervous. My hands have been shaking since I had dinner with my family, my boyfriend, and his family. There are four security people now. Just at our gate, I do not see any anywhere else. I am really not normally nervous about flying at all. But I guess being by yourself can change that. The sky has been growing ever darker since I arrived at my gate. Almost as if a storm were coming, not just the night. My trepidation is overwhelming my excitement at this point. I have heard amazing things about Prague and I know there is absolutely no reason I could have a bad time, yet still there remains that constant pounding fear of the unknown. The flight crew is boarding, I suppose I should pack up. See you all in London :)