5 Things that Krakow Reminded Me about Travel

1. Things Change
You never travel back to the same city that you've been to before. Whether it has been a few months, a few years or a few decades places are alive. The city you remember will grow and change and continue to live while you are away. From shopping centers popping up like mushrooms to a blossoming tourist trade in a once quiet main square, things change....

2. Take is lying down:
Overnight trains are a great way to save time, save money and save sleep! It was so easy to reserve a sleeping compartment with our own little sink with fresh linens and towels. If you have a long journey ahead of you and you can do it overnight, sleeping peacefully to the lull of train tracks, do!

3. Google it:
I don't always read the accommodation reviews on Google Maps, but I did this time and was pleased I did. We stayed in The Secret Garden Hostel , which I chose over a hostel I'd stayed in before based on its overwhelmingly good reviews. The service was friendly, the breakfast was tasty, the location was amazing. Way to go Google!


4. Trust the Locals:
I love you, Lonely Planet. But what I discovered in Krakow is that if you can find a guide that is published locally, it's worth the few bucks it might set you back. We used the "In Your Pocket" guide, which publishes local guides to cities across the world. It is cheap and gives you inside and up-to-date tips on all things local. We found some hidden goodies using our "In Your Pocket: Krakow". (Tasci's tip: If you are scrimping on money, see if your hostel will give you an out-of-date guide for free, as most are published quarterly. It might not have that festival going on down by the river in it, but the basics will all be there.)

5. Weather the weather:
Some say weather makes the trip, that may be true but it doesn't have to be negative. Saturday we had gorgeous weather and I enjoyed the sun, took photos, meandered through parks, ate ice cream. Sunday it drizzled on and off all day. With our handy "In Your Pocket" we discovered that many of the museums are free on Sundays. I wasn't expecting to find a new favorite artist, Stanislaw Wyspianski, nor to see a mummy in a sarcophagus from 2000BC at the Archaeological Museum...but I was lucky enough to have a day of rain to show me both.

West Bohemia Day 2: A look back at history

Saturday was a day full of history. We went from primeval sludge to WW2 monuments.

Soos National Park:

Soos National Park is a wonderful national park that takes the park-goer back to primordial beginnings of our earth. The park sits on top of an ancient volcano that is dormant, aside from creating a bubbling and brewing cauldron of mud. The warm earth creates a micro-climate with lizards and rare species of birds and unique plants.






www.czecot.com/tourist-attraction/3895_soos-national-nature-reserve-national-nature-conservation-area-educational-trail-with-posted-information-museum-treben








Finding 1945:

A few years ago H and I met a man from a small town near my hometown. His name is Virgil and he's in his 90s. He's a friend of my grandmother. He fought in WW2 and we were lucky enough to hear his story during an afternoon of tea and sharing.

Virgil was in the 656th Tank Destroyer Battalion, which arrived in England in December 1944. On February 6, 1945 they set foot on French soil at Le Havre carrying M18s. The troops advanced toward the Rhine River and crossed beginning on March 7. The 656th were attached to the 9th Armored Division and pushed eastward along side them. At the beginning of May they turned south and entered Czechoslovakia on May 6 near Stare Sedlo (Alt Sattl), advancing with the 9th Armor Division on the Sokolov-Karlovy Vary (Falkenau-Carlsbad) roadway. On 7 May they were in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad). Their headquarters was located in the small town of Loket (Elbogen). This boarder region was known as Sudetenland.

H and I went to each of these towns where Virgil had been and took photos for a project we made for him. It was a little glimpse into a personal piece of history. The research into the project led us to tiny villages, beautiful spa towns and castles. It was such a privilege to spend time exploring and delving into the past of a brave soldier and the history of a continent.


www.flickr.com/photos/honza-tasci/sets/72157624774496209/

South of the Border

Last night I met some friends for dinner. Two are from Texas and one from California, so when the idea of Mexican came up for dinner I thought, "This restaurant had better be good!" AND boy, was it!

We headed to a little place in Vinohrady (Prague 2) called Las Adelitas. My first clue of its authenticity was when I asked in Czech for a table for four, the waiter said he could hear the American in my accent and responded in English. He hails from Tijuana, Mexico as does the rest of the staff and cooks. This was a good sign.

We ordered a large plate of nachos to share around. The waiter was more than willing to make the nachos to order, to add and subtract ingredients and bring sauces on the side. Everything was delicious and was authentic enough to get applause from the Texans and Californian alike. We also had the house margarita. That little frozen drink packed a punch. Delicious and certainly had its money's worth of tequila.

Viva Mexico!! Viva Las Adelitas!!

www.lasadelitas.cz (photo courtesy of webpage)

www.milujikavu.cz

I've found a new little piece of the city that I love. It is called Friends Coffee House. It is smack dab in the center, just off Vodickova. The staff is smiley and friendly. The colors are bright. Photos of smiling people cover the wall. There is a fountain bubbling in the center of a glass covered passage. The coffee house also has excellent coffee, good prices and free internet. Sounding too good to be true? Head to Vodickova and see for yourself.

Let me know what you think! Leave a comment about Friends Coffee House!

http://milujikavu.cz/
(All photos courtesy of the website)

West Bohemia Day 1: Hidden Loket

I'm spoiled. I know this. Nearly every time I venture out of my little home I find some bit of adventure. This weekend was another lashing of adventure and being utterly spoiled. H. and I didn't have a big summer holiday so we've been planning long weekends out of Prague exploring edges of the Czech Republic that we haven't been to. We decided to spend this weekend in the western border region. Boy, what a treat!

We stayed in the little town of Loket. Loket is literally translated as "elbow". The name of this town is fitting because it consists of a castle on hill nearly completely surrounded by the Ohre River, this meander of the river reminds one of the sharp bend of the...elbow! We arrived and I was like a kid at Christmas. I didn't even want to unpack, I just wanted to get to the center and see the castle. Walking into the city you feel as if time stops and you are transported back to a place where time moves slower.

Just as I was saying this to H., a group of goats came strolling down the street in the opposite direction. Hmm, that doesn't seem very 2010. And then, some way behind the goats came a policewoman. Her face was red and she was prodding the goats forward with terms of endearment sprinkled with curses. We didn't hide our laughter. I whipped out the camera and snapped photos in between giggles. The policewoman was not nearly as amused. We continued on our way, leaving Miss Police to the herding.

What is delightful about Loket is that there are tiny pockets of cuteness everywhere. The square is surrounded by brightly colored buildings from the 16th century. The streets leading to the castle contain statues of lions and gnomes and saints. The castle makes you believe in fairy tales and happy endings. The river passes quietly along gardens of perfect rows of perfect flowers.