Czech Republic Trip 2014

If there is one thing I hate in this world, it is monotony. Committing to the same actions, day after day, literally kills me from the inside. That is why I always try to vary at least one particular aspect of my life, every day. Whether it be taking random walks, talking to random strangers, visiting random stores, or taking up different hobbies, I try my best to ensure that my life is not, simply, following a rut. Being accepted into this program, definitely, helped with my efforts, and today took it to another extreme. Spontaneously, we decided to take a random trip to Kromeriz. Trust me, it is not pronounced in the way that you are probably doing it now, so I will pronounce it correctly upon my return. However, for the moment, let me tell you what we did upon that particular terrain. Thankfully, the trip to get there required only one hour of travel time. Considering we just got back from a five hour trip to Terezin Saturday, and we have, at least, a three hour trip to Poland in a few days, it should be understandable that I am wanting to plant my feet in the ground somewhere. Anyway, upon our arrival, we were greeted by an imposing structure. It was the Archbishop's Summer House. I suppose even the Archbishops need a place to get away from it all, right? Actually, this house didn't just see fun and games between the clergymen and their peers (I realize that can sound a bit odd, bear with me); it saw many professional and official actions. We went through quite a few rooms, and I must admit, they began to look alike and blend together. So, given my poor memory, at the moment, I will do my best to recall all that I remember. Our first order of business was to put slippers over our shoes. It looked and felt ridiculous, but the floor was special, to some degree, and it had to remain unscathed. As I walked, I had to shuffle, or skate along the floor, lest my slippers slide off. I felt like my grandmother. One of the first rooms we entered was, completely, covered with heads. Bwahaha, yes, human heads mounted on pikes! Of course, I am kidding! Why would you think such a thing for an Archbishop's Summer House? Come on, get your heads out of the gutter. It was covered with wild game that had been hunted, plasters of course. Birds, Deer, and other animals were mounted on the wall, those black eyes staring, eternally, into the souls of the occupants of the room. Amongst the game, there were weapons, some dating back to as early as the 1500s. I believe the oldest weapon was a mace of some sort. We got out of there in a hurry because, honestly, it was a bit creepy. Seriously, dead animals with access to mass amounts of weapons. Revenge could not have been served hotter for these dead critters. As we proceeded through the building, room after room, one thing that continued to pop into my mind was that these people sure loved their chandeliers. They were adorned with crystals and jewels that extended their beauty. The craftsmen pulled no stops to make these as grand as possible. There was a small dining room, and then there was a large dining room, and the large dining room could seat up to 400 people, I believe. Also, in the large dining room, there are 22 chandeliers. I guess the Archbishops were afraid of the dark. Another interesting fact is that, supposedly, the movie, "Amadeus," was filmed on the castle grounds. I have never seen, nor heard, of that movie, but that was what was said. We continued to see more rooms, more that looked like the last. While they resembled each other, they all had different purposes, and they each captivated my attention. The furniture was exotic, the chandeliers were grand, and some of the pottery was of Chinese origin, and the oldest dates back to the 1500s as well. That was all there was for us to see at the castle, so we left and took a right to the tower. Yes, we were allowed to climb the tower. It was a workout of a lifetime. Up and up we went, and I was skipping steps most of the way. I underestimated how tall it was, and I learned a very painful lesson. My knee has been hurting lately, so it didn't help that my legs, both of them, suddenly turned to chocolate cake mix (no, I am not being racist). Finally, I got to the top, threw that wooden door open, and I stepped out onto the platform. Again, it was a sight that took my breath away. The cold chill in the air ripped through my body, but my eyes were never ripped away from the fields of flowers in the distance, the spires of the distant buildings, and the people walking about. It is always interesting to watch the people and think about their lives. Where are they going? Where did they come from? What is their story? I try to put myself in their position, as I have said before. That is why it is tough for me to be in the concentration camps, and when Auschwitz rolls around next Monday, that will be, particularly, challenging to cope with. Once I had regained my composure, I descended, and landed on the ground. We broke off to have some lunch, and after that tower excursion, I needed to fuel the tank. I ordered a cheap platter of spaghetti with cheese, and boy, was that good. Believe it or not, cheese makes everything a five-star dish. After lunch, we went to one of the gardens of the Archbishop's estate. One was closed to us, but the other was open and ready for us. As nature wrapped its arms around me, and as I ventured deeper and deeper into the hearth, I forgot the pollution that urbanization can leave in the brain. I forgot about streets, city lights, traffic, and people. All I saw was the grass reclaiming the land, the trees towering over their peers, and the rivers careening through the forest. Human influence was apparent by the bridges, but they complimented the land; they did not degrade it in any way. Further in, we came across a "zoo," more or less. It was one giant cage, filled with different animals. Goats, Yachts, Geese, chicken, Guinea Pigs, and other animals were present. But, what may have been the most fascinating was what hid on the other side of the shed that separated this pen from another. There were a few peacocks, one male and a few females. We happened to come across this scene at, precisely, the right moment. The male began to perform his mating dance, displaying his arsenal at full array. He increased his size by, at least, four times, but the females were just not interested. Sorry man, rejection isn't that tough of a pill to swallow. There were, also, baboons in some cages near the end of the path. I do not like monkeys in the least, so I took little pleasure in this part of the trip. However, many others thought otherwise as they frolicked around the cages, "oo"ing and "ah"ing. Our last stop of the day was at the wine cellar that ran under the castle. Of course, the ancient stereotype of drunk priests must come into the picture, but, nonetheless, it was still cool to see. Right away, from the door, the path ran downhill, and, running parallel to our descent, was a primitive conveyor belt. Once at the bottom, we saw a large number of vats that hold the wine. We were given a brief run-through of how the wine is made, and we were shown multiple rooms with stored wine and large vats. One room, alone, held 2,400 bottles of wine. After the tour, we were allowed to sample a few bottles of wine. We were given four tries, and I can't say I found one that I liked. I tried the first, third, and fourth. The first was so horrible that I skipped the second. The first three were white wines, and the fourth was a red whine, but it was sour. I am now certain that I will never find an alcoholic beverage that I can say I like. After the wine tasting, and after experiencing a dreadful aftertaste, we loaded the bus and continued on our way, back to Olomouc, just in time for an exam in one of our classes. Needless to say that today was pretty eventful, and I am now tired, both physically and mentally. Interesting to note, however, is that, back in Kremeriz, I found a book on a park bench. I was told that it was free, so I took it. It is in Czech, but I think it is an awesome item for memorabilia. So, I saw a cool castle, hiked a tower, walked through a forest, dove deep into the heart of a wine cellar, found a book, and had four different wines. Yes, I would say today was pretty eventful. Anyway, like I said before, we leave for Poland on Friday. We would leave Thursday, but Bank Holidays over here seem to be pretty important, and they have quite a few of them. It is a wonder anything gets done on time, honestly. So, I will be posting again soon, but until then, I need to catch some "z"'s. I thank you all, once again, for continuing to keep track of my whereabouts. Your devotion to my rambling nonsense is inspiring enough for me to continue rambling on about some nonsense. May the stars shine bright where you are, and "May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor!" -Anthony-