Hello to all after what has seemed like an eternity of absence. I must say that my classes have now come to a conclusion with the end of "Finals Week" last week. It was difficult to say goodbye to my Czech professors, knowing I will never see them again, but, at the same time, it is, also, a great feeling to be done with the academic portion of this trip. One final was consisted, entirely, of essay questions, so naturally, the entire thing had to be hand-written. It took two-and-a-half hours and five-and-a-half pages to complete that final, and I received an 'A' for it, so it is nice to know that all of that work actually paid for something. I was one of two people to get a 102% on the Czech Language Final, so, needless to say, I scored a shocking, yet well-earned win. It is just nice to lean my head back and not have to worry about remembering dates, people, events, and what certain words are in Czech. Anyway, I apologize for getting off topic; we have, officially, embarked upon our last quest together as a group. The itinerary says, "Bohemia" for four days, but we, really, are visiting multiple places throughout Bohemia. (Bohemia is the entire west side of the Czech Republic. The East side is Moravia, where Olomouc is located.) Today, our destination was Kutna Hora in Bohemia. But, before we arrived there, we made a stop off at a World War II memorial in Lezaky ('z' pronounced like second 'g' in 'garage'). We trekked up the hill and entered a symmetrically square, stone structure. Inside, we seated ourselves in pews to watch a short documentary-type film covering the story of Lezaky. Basically, the entire population, of the town, was exterminated by the Nazis in June of 1942. A Nazi general by the name of Reinhard Heydrich was a leading figure in the "Final Solution" to exterminate Jews in Nazi-occupied areas of Europe--in this case, the Czech Lands. The Czech Government, which was in exile, and some other associated groups, sought to assassinate Heydrich. Heydrich was not, merely, a key player in the "Final Solution;" he was one of Hitler's right-hand men, a personal favorite, and a high ranking official in the Nazi regime. The resistance fighters flew in from London and made a base in Lezaky. Their attempt upon Heydrich's life was successful after bombing his car. Heydrich died of his injuries several days after the event. When Hitler received news, he was shocked and, needless to say, very angry with the Czechs. Martial Law was put into place, and that, alone, claimed many Czech lives. The Nazis began to hunt down the conspirators responsible for the assassination. A couple of them committed suicide to protect their family and friends. However, the Nazis broke a man and got him to divulge all secrets. Thus, with this information and with information from other sources, they were able to trace it back to Lezaky, the base. As a result, the men, women, and children were removed from the premises and shot. The buildings were burnt, and mines were deserted, and the village became completely vacant. The youngest person killed was aged 16, a young woman. After the film, we walked around outside, and I, instantly, saw it in a whole new perspective. The lake that sat out front no longer reflected the joy of nature; it reflected the sorrows of what once was. The trees no longer seemed to exude life and vitality; instead, they seemed to droop low in anguish over past sins. Dotted here and there was stone structures with a cross carved into them. I am unsure as to whether they are the sites of a pit, or if they are just memorials. Since they were all moved away, I am inclined to believe the latter. Myself and a few others climbed the nearby hill to look out over the land. Mostly, it consisted of a flat, grassy areas, with some trees lining the back. I really had to like this place, despite its horrific past. Walking along the road, I had to try and imagine the Nazi vehicles rolling up and what that meant for the people of this village. Not all of them were in on the plan; many of them were innocent and ignorant. It did not spare their lives, however. After we saw our fill, we continued traveling, and we stopped off at Kostnice Ossuary. This building was a church/chapel with bones. Actual human bones. A blind monk, way back when, decided to take all of the bones and form pyramids out of them. Then, it was the idea to line the walls with the bones, make chandeliers and huge structures with the bones, and put them on display for all to see. While it was certainly interesting and a new experience, I can't say I liked that. I mean, those bones were once a human being. How would you like it if your bones were put on display upon your death? Some of you may like that idea, I suppose, but I sure don't. After that, we finally arrived in Kutna Hora, our original destination. We checked in to our five-star hotel, and we decided to visit a silver mine after that. By the way, I, honestly, think this hotel could be close to a five-star. At the least, it has to be a three-star. We have a private shower, a toilet (both are kept separate in separate rooms, for some reason). We have our own fridge, a double bed, and two couches with two chairs in the corner. It is pretty cool. Unfortunately, we move out to a different location tomorrow, so we are only here for one night. This would have been a great place to end our adventures. The silver mine was completely different from the salt mines we visited in Poland. The decent down hundreds of stairs into the pit was the same, but after that, the experience took a different spin. The tunnels were small and narrow, not wide like the salt mines. There was, practically, no lighting, so we had to bring flashlights down with us. We were given a white lab-like coat and a hard hat. We learned all too soon what they were needed for. The low ceiling and narrow funnel-like passages made those pieces of equipment very special. Not many people liked the silver mine as much due to the fact that it was so cramped and crowded. In fact, there were a few members of the group that couldn't go down into the mine due to their being claustrophobic. No pictures were allowed to be taken in the mine, not that it would have done any good anyhow. After the mine, we were dismissed for the day, and here I am, picking up the ol' keyboard once again to write to my aspiring fans. I can't believe that I am looking at the light at the end of the tunnel. Within two weeks, I will be stateside, and I will be able to resume my life as a poor college kid. Until then, I hope that you have a fantastic rest of your day, and, as always, "May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor!"
                                                                                   -Anthony-

Lake out front of the memorial in Lezaky.

The road in Lezaky where the Nazis came in on.

The stream ate the road.

Lezaky memorial.

Bone pyramid.

Coat of Arms made from bones.

Bones from people who suffered injuries related to the head.