Good morning from Sofia, Bulgaria! What a fantastic, comfortable, and easy bus trip that was. There was so much to look at. It was the first time I was in Moravia, Czech Republic. I loved seeing all of this beautiful wine country. The bus drove through Brno, and I remarked to my bus companion "wow, so many panalaks (Communist working housing that looks like an American housing project). It's too bad." "I don't see them that way," she said. "to me, it's normal."
I had always heard that Bratislava was a Communist architecture monstrosity, but it didn't look so bad as we drove through it. My Slovakian companion showed me the historic castle up on the bluff overlooking the Danube. The Danube River was large, filled to the brim, and it looked worth singing about. The bridges in Bratislava were beautifully designed and quite striking.
From Bratislava, we drove on toward Budapest. I loved seeing this crazy Hungarian language on all of the road signs. In both Slovakia and Hungary, it looked like the topsoil had been eroded away (Iowans care deeply about such things - we're topsoil proud). Hungary had beautiful wildflowers, especially fields of wild red poppies. I wonder if Frank Baum, the man who wrote "The Wizard of Oz" had been to Hungary. Remember when Dorothy falls asleep in the field of poppies? I don't think buses go through the pretty parts of a city because I didn't see any historical parts of Budapest, only globalized McDonald's drive-thrus and Aldis. Not so compelling.
A friend of a friend was on the bus and she prepared me that we would have to sit for a long time on the Serbian border because it wasn't a part of the EU. I'm glad she had told me this because it took a good hour.
Most of our journey through Serbia was in the dark. My only real outside contact with anything Serbian was going into two globalized large convenience store/gas stations that could have been anywhere in the world. That hardly counts!
We arrived a half-hour early. I chatted up three Bulgarians the whole way and they were so kind and helpful to me when we arrived in Sofia. They helped me haul all of my luggage to the storage facility and translate with the staff there. Truly, when I have an interaction like that, it makes me vow to look out for foreigners who need help when I'm also traveling. These Bulgarian bus drivers were so nice and helpful too. I was the only American on the bus. Now it's time to connect with my Sofia couchsurfing host.
Showing posts with label couchsurfing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label couchsurfing. Show all posts
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Couchsurfing Hike to Český ráj
Striking rock formations
dominate the forest
Who can resist an invitation to Český ráj (Czech paradise)? Not me. Just the name alone says "visit!" Last Sunday, the Bohemian hiking group on Couchsurfing.org got out town for a day in paradise.
Jan Hus was a Protestant reformer
who lived 100 years before Martin Luther.
He was burned at the stake.
Memorials to him appear everywhere
in the Czech Republic.
Even deep in the forest.
Liability lawyers have not yet
discovered the Czech Republic.
Sssh...keep the secret.
Enrico from Ecuador
enjoys the climb.
A beautiful young woman from Nepal.
Chillin' at the top
of some beautiful rocks.
of some beautiful rocks.
Czech Paradise indeed.
The view from the forest.
Cameron, our hike organizer and leader
He's an Eagle Scout: "always prepared."
Look who else was on the trail:
a German knight.
a German knight.
Coming out of the forest, we crossed this gorgeous field.
I felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz' poppy fields.
It was that magical.
The bright yellow crop is rapeseed.
It gets processed and renamed: canola oil.
Me, amidst the rapeseed.
Ana from Mexico playing.
I think I did a great job
on this photo of Natalia.
She took the majority of these photos,
except for this one.
Our goal - 14th century castle ruins
One view from the top of the tower
Half our group:
we had 22 people from all over the world.
Waiting for the bus to take us to the train
to take us back to Prague 2.5 hours away.
Our round trip tickets costs $7.50 each.
Add in a hearty Czech dinner and beer .
An entire day of hiking for $12.50.
Yep, Paradise!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Hiking the Sázava River in Central Bohemia
I had used Couchsurfing.org several times as I started my empty nest vagabonding adventure for accommodations, but it was while I was back in America, I discovered I wasn't utilizing all of the wonderful parts of the site. So I joined several groups related to where I was living and took part in the events that people organized. What a wonderful way to meet fabulous people immediately in a new location. Each person had an adventure tale to share!
Now back in the Czech Republic, I joined the group on Couchsurfing dedicated to hiking Bohemia and signed up for a hiking adventure organized by a lovely young Muscovite studying for her Ph.D. in the Czech Republic. Natalie, or Tashka to use her Russian diminutive, had gone kayaking along the Sázava River in Central Bohemia the week before and wanted to hike the Posázavská stezka (trail along the Sázava River) this week.
We took a train about an hour south from Prague (24 km) to Kamenný Přívoz; Tashka knew all the tricks for booking at the lowest cost such as group discounts and buying the ticket from the last station out of Prague rather than from the center (a Prague metro pass covers everything in the city). For our tickets, we spent 51 kc each (about $2.50 for a round trip) and the price would have gone down to 30 kc if were five. Amazing value! Regular readers of the my blog know how in love I am with Czech trains.
The train followed the Vltava and the tributary we were heading to, the Sázava River, the whole way allowing us to enjoy the gorgeous, sparkling view from the window. The one cultural difference I discovered on the train is that Czech dads don't make silly fake-scary sounds whenever the train went through dark tunnels thereby fake-embarrassing their families. Pity.
Tashka,
my hiking companion
Just off the train in Kamenný Přívoz at the start of our hike
Our first view of the river is below.
We started our hike the way Czechs start their hikes:
with beer. This Czech brew was new to me: Svijany.
We laughed: This house sign translates as
"Such a normal family"
A relaxing view of the river rafters
from one of the many beautiful little cottages
One of the railway bridges our train used
to drop us off at Kamenný Přívoz
It was highly entertaining to watch the rafters and kayakers
decide what was the best way down the river
One of the many beautiful cottages along the river.
I love the humbleness of these cottages.
It's all about relaxing, not impressing the neighbors.
Most of these cottages had their own privy.
This cabin was under construction so you could
see their future river view through the back window.
Magificent, isn't it?
And the sound of the river was so refreshing.
This area was known for the cherished Czech tradition
known as "tramping." During Communist times, people would
come out to the forest for the weekend. They could do and say
what they wished. They built makeshift camps or slept on the ground.
Is your stress lessening just a little?
Any I had, melted away.
The view looking away from the river.
Peaceful, towering forest on the mountain of Melnik.
This cottage owner created his greeting for the rafters.
"Ahoj" is Czech for hello!
A sleeping platform or treehouse close to the water.
The trampers were in love with Wild West themes from America.
Often the camps were "cowboy" or "Indian."
We saw cabins with names like Oregon and Ogden.
Tramping is dying out with each ensuing year of capitalism.
I don't think the land is owned by the State anymore either.
A Czech cottage owner
getting his place ready for the season.
The sign says something like:
"Be patient hikers, in 280 steps you will find a restaurant."
I liked Taska's subtitle for this photo best:
"It's impossible to die in the Czech forest."
Don't look now but we have an unexpected guest.
She maybe here for an old Czech tradition.
I don't know. I hope she's here just to delight us.
The wind catches her skirt.
Can't get enough of her, can you?
Ok, one more picture.
Look, she's drinking and flying.
How would you like to carry your groceries
up these steps?
"Drinkable water" was available at this spring
along the trail.
War memorials are everywhere in the Czech Republic.
On our 10 km hike we saw about eight different ones.
Notice that the little village we finished our hike in, Pikovice,
had lost what looks like three members of the same family
in the first World War.
This is the map Tashka used to plan our trip.
It shows all of the hiking and biking trails within that
white square of territory in the Czech Republic.
All of the trails are marked by volunteers
so you never have to worry about getting lost.
A last look at the Sázava River
as we cross over to the Pikovice train station.
This is where many of the kayakers
and rafters end their journey too.
Our train was perfect for this route.
Older and not the fanciest carriage in the fleet,
it welcomed wet kayakers, rafters, dogs,
tired and aching hikers, and bicyclists
who were in that back compartment
beyond the seats with their bikes.
On the trip back to Prague, we watched people
rollerblading along the river stoking ideas
of new adventures to be had.
Now back in the Czech Republic, I joined the group on Couchsurfing dedicated to hiking Bohemia and signed up for a hiking adventure organized by a lovely young Muscovite studying for her Ph.D. in the Czech Republic. Natalie, or Tashka to use her Russian diminutive, had gone kayaking along the Sázava River in Central Bohemia the week before and wanted to hike the Posázavská stezka (trail along the Sázava River) this week.
We took a train about an hour south from Prague (24 km) to Kamenný Přívoz; Tashka knew all the tricks for booking at the lowest cost such as group discounts and buying the ticket from the last station out of Prague rather than from the center (a Prague metro pass covers everything in the city). For our tickets, we spent 51 kc each (about $2.50 for a round trip) and the price would have gone down to 30 kc if were five. Amazing value! Regular readers of the my blog know how in love I am with Czech trains.
The train followed the Vltava and the tributary we were heading to, the Sázava River, the whole way allowing us to enjoy the gorgeous, sparkling view from the window. The one cultural difference I discovered on the train is that Czech dads don't make silly fake-scary sounds whenever the train went through dark tunnels thereby fake-embarrassing their families. Pity.
Tashka,
my hiking companion
Just off the train in Kamenný Přívoz at the start of our hike
Our first view of the river is below.
We started our hike the way Czechs start their hikes:
with beer. This Czech brew was new to me: Svijany.
We laughed: This house sign translates as
"Such a normal family"
A relaxing view of the river rafters
from one of the many beautiful little cottages
One of the railway bridges our train used
to drop us off at Kamenný Přívoz
It was highly entertaining to watch the rafters and kayakers
decide what was the best way down the river
One of the many beautiful cottages along the river.
I love the humbleness of these cottages.
It's all about relaxing, not impressing the neighbors.
Most of these cottages had their own privy.
This cabin was under construction so you could
see their future river view through the back window.
Magificent, isn't it?
And the sound of the river was so refreshing.
This area was known for the cherished Czech tradition
known as "tramping." During Communist times, people would
come out to the forest for the weekend. They could do and say
what they wished. They built makeshift camps or slept on the ground.
Is your stress lessening just a little?
Any I had, melted away.
The view looking away from the river.
Peaceful, towering forest on the mountain of Melnik.
This cottage owner created his greeting for the rafters.
"Ahoj" is Czech for hello!
A sleeping platform or treehouse close to the water.
The trampers were in love with Wild West themes from America.
Often the camps were "cowboy" or "Indian."
We saw cabins with names like Oregon and Ogden.
Tramping is dying out with each ensuing year of capitalism.
I don't think the land is owned by the State anymore either.
A Czech cottage owner
getting his place ready for the season.
The sign says something like:
"Be patient hikers, in 280 steps you will find a restaurant."
I liked Taska's subtitle for this photo best:
"It's impossible to die in the Czech forest."
Don't look now but we have an unexpected guest.
She maybe here for an old Czech tradition.
I don't know. I hope she's here just to delight us.
The wind catches her skirt.
Can't get enough of her, can you?
Ok, one more picture.
Look, she's drinking and flying.
How would you like to carry your groceries
up these steps?
"Drinkable water" was available at this spring
along the trail.
War memorials are everywhere in the Czech Republic.
On our 10 km hike we saw about eight different ones.
Notice that the little village we finished our hike in, Pikovice,
had lost what looks like three members of the same family
in the first World War.
This is the map Tashka used to plan our trip.
It shows all of the hiking and biking trails within that
white square of territory in the Czech Republic.
All of the trails are marked by volunteers
so you never have to worry about getting lost.
A last look at the Sázava River
as we cross over to the Pikovice train station.
This is where many of the kayakers
and rafters end their journey too.
Our train was perfect for this route.
Older and not the fanciest carriage in the fleet,
it welcomed wet kayakers, rafters, dogs,
tired and aching hikers, and bicyclists
who were in that back compartment
beyond the seats with their bikes.
On the trip back to Prague, we watched people
rollerblading along the river stoking ideas
of new adventures to be had.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
"An Iron Curtain has descended"
Driving through Missouri is a pleasure because the glaciers did not make it down this far from the North to flatten the earth. All the county roads are hilly and curvy. Walt, my Couchsurfing host, told me about a terrific one, Road WW, that I should use to arrive at my next destination. I felt like I was in a car commercial, such was the pleasure of the drive!
Just 30 miles from Columbia, Missouri, where daughter #2 goes to university, is the charming small town of Fulton, Missouri. It looks like the kind of community that would be terrific for raising children. It's small enough to be safe for riding bikes all over town but with intellectual stimulation for the community from the local college.
The Winston Churchill Memorial
It was here that the local institution of higher learning, Westminster College, took advantage of having a Missouri native son in the White House, to see if they could finagle Winston Churchill as a speaker for their annual address on international relations. President Harry Truman wrote a handwritten note on the bottom of the invitation telling Mr. Churchill that he would introduce him. Winston promptly accepted.
In 1946, in this small town in Fulton, Missouri, Winston Churchill named and described what was happening to Eastern and Central Europe after WWII. It was forever to be known as the "Iron Curtain" speech.
This is the actual hard copy of Winston Churchill's speech describing "the iron curtain" that had descended over the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe. It's impossible for me to look at the page without reading it mentally in my best Winston Churchill imitation. How about you?
Winston Churchill's life experience is shared through the exhibits. A recurring theme is the ability to foresee what would happen before others could.
The exhibit makes the point again and again that no Czech was present
when the Munich agreement was negotiated
between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.
Which immediately begs the question: what if one had been?
Would the outcome have been different?
Or would that poor Czech and his descendants have had to live with that?
What do you think?
It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway --
this was not the West's finest hour.
To commemorate this important speech, Westminster College administration and trustees, pursued importing and reassembling an English church designed by the great Christopher Wren to memorialize the wisdom of Winston Churchill. There were so many churches damaged in the Blitz that the English could not restore them all and were happy to let this one go.
The stones, while marked, became all jumbled when they were used as ballast in the ship's hold coming over (using them as ballast lowered the shipping cost). Then they were jumbled a second time when they were transported across country. Walt's uncle was the lead stone mason on the project. He had the job of puzzling which stone went where.
Just 30 miles from Columbia, Missouri, where daughter #2 goes to university, is the charming small town of Fulton, Missouri. It looks like the kind of community that would be terrific for raising children. It's small enough to be safe for riding bikes all over town but with intellectual stimulation for the community from the local college.
The Winston Churchill MemorialIt was here that the local institution of higher learning, Westminster College, took advantage of having a Missouri native son in the White House, to see if they could finagle Winston Churchill as a speaker for their annual address on international relations. President Harry Truman wrote a handwritten note on the bottom of the invitation telling Mr. Churchill that he would introduce him. Winston promptly accepted.
In 1946, in this small town in Fulton, Missouri, Winston Churchill named and described what was happening to Eastern and Central Europe after WWII. It was forever to be known as the "Iron Curtain" speech.
This is the actual hard copy of Winston Churchill's speech describing "the iron curtain" that had descended over the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe. It's impossible for me to look at the page without reading it mentally in my best Winston Churchill imitation. How about you?
Winston Churchill's life experience is shared through the exhibits. A recurring theme is the ability to foresee what would happen before others could.
The exhibit makes the point again and again that no Czech was present
when the Munich agreement was negotiated
between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.
Which immediately begs the question: what if one had been?
Would the outcome have been different?
Or would that poor Czech and his descendants have had to live with that?
What do you think?
It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway --
this was not the West's finest hour.
What is that quotation?
"Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it."
The museum described that when Churchill assumed leadership of his country,
it was exhausted by war and broke.
He had to decide if he could afford troops on the ground in Iraq
or mere influence. He accepted reality and chose influence.
"Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it."
The museum described that when Churchill assumed leadership of his country,
it was exhausted by war and broke.
He had to decide if he could afford troops on the ground in Iraq
or mere influence. He accepted reality and chose influence.
To commemorate this important speech, Westminster College administration and trustees, pursued importing and reassembling an English church designed by the great Christopher Wren to memorialize the wisdom of Winston Churchill. There were so many churches damaged in the Blitz that the English could not restore them all and were happy to let this one go.
The stones, while marked, became all jumbled when they were used as ballast in the ship's hold coming over (using them as ballast lowered the shipping cost). Then they were jumbled a second time when they were transported across country. Walt's uncle was the lead stone mason on the project. He had the job of puzzling which stone went where.
Winston Churchill's granddaughter created an additional commemoration entitled "Breakthrough" utilizing a segment of the Berlin Wall.
The West German side
The East German side lacking any individual expression
Winston Churchill is my hero so I can't recommend this visit enough. I'm excited to know that I haven't read everything he has published. His writing gives me strength and inspires me.
Great leaders who have followed Winston Churchill to this site include Presidents Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, British Prime Ministers Edward Heath, Margaret Thatcher, and Sir John Major, Polish President Lech Walesa, and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
Touring this site takes about three hours. Admission is $6. I would like to recommend a lively restaurant downtown with great value. A local told me about it. It's called Bek's.
Touring this site takes about three hours. Admission is $6. I would like to recommend a lively restaurant downtown with great value. A local told me about it. It's called Bek's.
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