APRIL 10 - Cesky Krumlov

We have all heard that variety is the spice of life, and the small town of Cesky Krumlov provided the perfect seasoning after a hearty spread of big city travels (Tallinn was supposed to provide a similar change-of-pace earlier in the trip, but you may recall that Mother Nature felt it wise to keep us snowed in). Tucked into a hilly valley about 2.5 hours south of Prague by bus, Krumlov is a picturesque village straight out of a fairy tale. Perched above the town, a castle and lookout tower sit atop a rocky crag, while the streets below weave along an 'S' shaped bend in the Vlatva River. Just stepping foot in Krumlov will take you back a few centuries. A tour of the castle and a climb up the tower are pretty much obligatory on any visit to Krumlov, while the other 'sights' are largely limited to the cathedral and a few various museums. But the real draw in Krumlov is the village itself. Just walking the streets will transport you back to a time centuries ago. Three pedestrian bridges cross the river, and by foot, the entire town is walkable in an afternoon. In fact, you are likely to run into the same groups of tourists over and over again, since the small number of streets eventually will wind you back to one another. The streets are lined with shops, tea houses, bars, and restaurants, many with seating on the banks of the Vlatva. The shop owners and waiters were largely friendly (though I'm sure their patience can understandably run thin during the summer months, when the town is famously over-run by tour groups). In contrast to our frenetically-paced previous stops, Krumlov was simply a great place for a leisurely stroll. Adding to the relaxation was our stay at Krumlov House. Carolyn, who runs the hostel with her husband, is an ex-pat who fell in love with Krumlov on a backpacking trip.... and she couldn't bring herself to leave. Her hospitality and insight were very comforting, and it is obvious that she genuinely cares about her guests and her town. She took time to show us her favorite restaurants on the map, and she walked us to our cottage, which was complete with a private backyard and patio on the river and our own kitchen. Not only was this the nicest room of our trip, it was also the cheapest. Speaking of cheap, the value of the US Dollar still goes a long way in the Czech Republic, especially outside of Prague. Shopping, eating, drinking, accommodations, transportation, everything was well-priced (here is to hoping the Czech Republic does not convert over to the Euro anytime soon).


And after our eating binge in Prague, you would think we would need a detox, but the food and drink in Krumlov wouldn't allow for it. Everything we ate and drank was fantastic. Krumlov's local brewery, Eggenberg, provided fantastic beer, and the cocktails at Apotheke were unique, innovative, and delicious. We tried a Czech twist on the mojito, made with honey, lime, mint, balsamic vinegar, Italian liqieur, and stout beer. It may sound odd, but we ordered a second round and took careful note of the ingredients and process so we can try to make this drink when we get home. We also had a run-in with absinthe, which can only be described as highly combustable with a strong taste of ethanol and a hint of lighter fluid. If you like rubbing alcohol or headaches, this drink is for you. 



We ate dinner at Krcma v Satlavske, another medieval style restaurant, where massive portions of pork knee are cooked over a firepit in the center of the restaurant. Squeemish vegetarians beware.


    


And then there were the blueberry stuffed dumplings. Forget what I said about the orange tart in St. Petersburg. This dumpling, served at Na Louizi - a tiny Czech bistro, is unequivocally the most amazing dessert we have ever had. The dumplings were perfectly doughy and moist, and the blueberries were juicy and sweet. When we cut into the first dumpling, it let out a decadent sound (which I didn't even know existed)... a moist, suctioned, squish of the juicy blueberries gasping for oxygen, being released from the air-tight dumpling. In 24 hours, we went to Na Louzi twice, and someday, I vow to make another pilgrimage to Krumov... if only for the blueberry dumpling.


First trip to Na Louzi (lunch - including the dumpling above):

Second trip to Na Louzi (breakfast before leaving Krumlov: two fist-sized dumplings and a pork/kraut omelet.... all for an outrageous $6.00):


     If you are ever in Bohemia, I strongly urge you to go to Krumlov, stay with Carolyn at Krumlov House, and please please please bring back a blueberry dumpling for me. Krumlov recharged our batteries, and we followed it up with an impressive travel day: Breakfast (blueberry dumplings, of course) in Cesky Krumlov... Bus ride ($7)... Lunch (Easter street market, again) in Prague... Metro ($1) to airport.... Flight ($27) on Easyjet... Bus ($12)... Metro ($2)... In time for dinner (Shawarma) in Paris. Gotta love cheap European transportation. So we are ready to tackle Paris and London before we head home. It is sad to see our Easy Go backpacks getting empty, but our light packs have left us with loads of memories. And here are the latest mileage figures: April 10 Walked - 8.15 miles Total walked - 152.48 miles April 11 Walked - 8.50 miles Total walked - 160.98 miles