Czech Republic Trip 2014

Our first and last full day in Cesky Krumlov has gone as quickly as it came. The time in foreign lands always seems to fly by with a fleeting glance. This morning, we visited the Cesky Krumlov castle, which is the second largest castle in the Czech Republic, the biggest one being the Prague Castle. We hiked the hill, passing over the stone bridge to get into the castle grounds. In the moat, underneath the bridge, were two bears catching some 'z's in the scorching sun. It was disappointing that they weren't moving around, but they were cool nonetheless. They were both brown with a fuzzy, dark stripe running the length of their back. They slept facing each other, as if to signify that they had the other's back covered. We continued into the interior of the castle, met our tour guide, and we proceeded into the depths of mysterious wonder. As we went deeper and deeper, we ran from one generation to the next. Not only was this castle controlled by many different families throughout the years, but there were rooms consisting of Renaissance-themed furniture and items, and, later, we found Baroque-style rooms with furniture included. I found four different bear-skin rugs as we made our way. The bears-in-the-moat tradition has been in place four about 4 to 5 hundred years. Thus, those bears had to have died and gone somewhere. I counted only four, but I am sure there were more elsewhere. There were plenty of areas in the castle that we did not cover. I saw a bunch of doors leading to tunnels and other parts of the castle that remained unexplored to us. We saw waiting rooms, food preparation areas, lounge areas with games, bedrooms, work stations, and more The ovens were the same as what we have seen elsewhere--always in the corner with the doors being fed through the wall so the fire could be stoked from a different room. We saw a bunch of Coat-of-Arms symbols throughout the castle walls and ceilings. These symbolized the exchange of possession the castle went through. I, even, saw a carriage (horse-drawn carriage) covered in gold. About 2.5 pounds of gold was used to cover the entire carriage. In another room, we saw an ornate table made of four rare items--turtle shell, ivory, ebony wooden bark, and mother of pearl. Wow, I cannot believe I remembered that! I am impressed with myself. (Patting self on the back). Our last stop in the castle was the dance floor. The room was, by far, the largest room we came across, and the walls/ceiling was completely covered with paintings, murals, etc. They depicted the lives of nobles, kings, and royalty, in general. In one corner, there was a painting of peasants looking through a window to see what was inside the castle. Looks of jealousy, envy, pain, and anger were portrayed upon their scrunched faces. Due to the fact that the acoustics are still quite remarkable, the room is still used for events to this day. After the castle, we found ourselves in that same stone archway that marked the entry-way into the city that I talked about yesterday. It did present a truly spectacular view. A couple of the group members wanted to drop water on unsuspecting tourists and civilians. I wasn't going to be a part of it in case some of them wanted to come up and kick their asses. After that, at 11, we visited the Castle theatre. This theatre is one of only two fully functioning theatres of this type with all items, props, etc. in Europe. The other one is either in Sweden, or it is a Swedish theatre somewhere else. That, I do not remember. We were able to go underneath the stage to see the equipment they used to change scenery, add props, and utilize the flying machines. There were a bunch of wheels with ropes that would shift the scenery. All scenery changes and prop alterations could, usually, be accomplished in 10 to 12 seconds. Pretty impressive considering most of us thought it took about 4 minutes. We watched a short documentary that showed how the theatre looked in full operation. All of those men below stage could make so much happen above stage in so short of time. The orchestra pit was situated to the left of the stage, behind a set of stairs. All in all, the fact that the interior of the theatre was a good 15 degrees colder, and the fact that the main source of lighting was candle light made it pretty impressive. (The candle lighting was actually electronic meant to give the appearance of what candle light would look like). Being interested in Theatre, I found this to be quite something. The fact that they could do what we do today without all of the technological aid makes it clear that they were far better than we could ever hope to be. They had the creativity, the ingenuity, and the sight to make whatever was in their head a reality. They had promise, whereas we seem to be riding on the backs of great men. After a lunch break, we went river rafting, a most unforgettable experience. Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera for fear of getting it wet. That is going to be the biggest regret of this entire trip. We glided down that river for 6 hours, and I can only say that what I saw came out of some national geographic magazine. I have never seen something quite like that before. In some areas, the water was so calm, it looked like a glass floor that you could walk on. In other areas, it would pick up and be like the rapids in the wilds. We got caught on the rocks, and we beached a couple of times, but we got out of those situations by the other members in the boat getting out and digging us out. I would have contributed, but I wore jean pants and tennis shoes. I had nothing else with me to use! I am pleased to report that I finished rafting with minimal damage. We reached certain areas with trees that were so tall, they could almost be taller than some mountains. The rock formations jutting out from the cliffs were rather impressive, as well. My words, alone, can do what I saw today no justice, none in the least. I just wish I had captured the moment. I sincerely apologize for that. After an entire day of a busy schedule, we are now retiring to our quarters. Tomorrow, we head back to Olomouc, and I can't wait to get back. Cesky Krumlov was cool, but I need to do laundry desperately, I need to buy more supplies, and I am running out of money. So, I think I will be posting one more post, and I will be done, perhaps for good. Since this was the last trip, I do not know what I would be posting about. Perhaps, during my last week here, I will have found something worthy to post about. I will be home in about a week and half, so look out! "May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor!"
-Anthony-