Grand Zvon Ceske Budejovice

... it was definitely cheaper (only about 8 euro vs. 25 euro) and shaved 2 hours off the trip, but it was a rather interesting trip. We bought our tickets at the bus station and thankfully had assigned seats, because the other option was to buy them directly from the driver. Apparently this is cheaper, but you don't get a seat. When we pulled out of the bus station in one of those big tour buses the seats were full and there were people ...

... and it was so yummy! We then jumped next door to the restaurant from the day before for a quick mug of mead seeing as the vego place didn’t have any and then went to go rafting!

They picked us up in a van and took us to the rafting spot after a quick stop to pick up the raft. It was really more like a big kayak but whatever.

When we got to the departure spot he dropped us off with the raft, a paddle and a waterproof container to put our belongings in, then ...

From Prague we headed back down to Austria. It route was really the only way we could fit Prague in. A little out of the way but 100% worth it. Before we left the Czech Republic we stopped in a town called Ceske Budejovice for 4 nights. At first we were just going to be there for one night but it turned out to be a good base for day trips. The region is Bohemia and it has a lot to offer the traveler.
We had a bit of a hard time finding a place to stay ...

... the train pulled into a depot we both climbed down and I was brought to a control room where a guy was sitting by a huge set of computer panels all with flashing lights. I was standing at the door of the office while the train driver, conductor, and signal controller were deep in conversation about what I presumed was my predicament. After a time they all nodded in agreement of something and one with a hand on my elbow the conductor led me outside. He was smiling and talking away to me and ...

... you see. A-hoy! is Hello here. We saw a sign for our hostel along the river and pulled ashore to change out of our jeans into shorts and let them dry. I also switched my hiking boots for sandals (We were still dressed for horseback riding). Then off we went again leaving town. The river runs through massive sections of nothing at all, just you the river and tall ancient forests that serve witness to the fact that you were there. Then you round ...

... se fier a l'anglais pour demander quelque chose. La Tcheque est tres belle, historique et presque mythique. On peut facilement associer ce pays avec guerre et misere mais le pays parait s'etre remi de tout cela et profite grace a l'engouement des touristes qui la visite.

... fort on the train station floor. Refreshed, and a little less sweltery from the heat, we went to board our train. Turned out the 'train' was a small collection of old, rickety, tiny cars strung together by whatever they scrounged up from the scrap heap. We stuff ourselves in the sauna boxes and headed out for what we hoped was Cesky Krumlov with mostly locals packed in beside us. The train headed off at a massive speed of 5 km an hour, stopping every few feet ...

... across the water. It got chilly, and we moved on, up to the castle quarters to check out some Baroque festival that was on there tonight. Not only was it exhorbitantly expensive, but it was just about to finish anyway, so we'd missed our window. Sat by the castle gates, talked a little more, then walked back through the hazy night streets, past ajar wooden doors and momentary scenes of bearded Krumlovians enjoying pints and debauchery with their fellow villagers. The medieval ...

... a few nights at Travellers Bar http://www.travellers.cz/en/hostel-apar tments-cesky-krumlov. php.....I had my first taste of Absinth ...

... 19 (Monday) Up early - breakfast served in our room at 8. Very nice - juice, coffee, rolls, cheese, ham, jam. Then we gathered up our heavy bunch of dirty clothes and went to the one laundromat in town called Lobo. Everything is so arty and cute here - even the laundromat has a charming painting hanging over the dryers. During the wash cycle, we explored the castle (chateau) a little more. We saw a bear in the moat and then went to the Royal gardens. We saw some actors rehearsing a play ...