Ok, so after a rather lengthy commute (including an slight logistical hiccup right at the end there), I am in my not-so-fancy room at the not-so-fabulous Pension U Kata in what appears to be the so-far-not-very attractive part of Kutna Hora.. but I’m quite sure there’s plenty of goodness awaiting tomorrow.
So, I am pleased to say that today was the first official sunny day of the trip (the previous hint of sun having been a false alarm & gone by time I got outside), so I spent my last few hours in Cesky Krumlov just soaking up the sun and revisiting some spots from yesterday to shoot actual color photos (see below).
This place really is just spectacularly beautiful — the pictures hardly do it justice — although ironically, now that i have seen it in the sunshine, I have to say that there was something extra beautiful about it in the foggy misty winter cold… the empty cobblestone streets all wet and shiny, the air cold & crisp, the smell of woodsmoke coming from across the river — there is something extra-eastern-european, and extra-medieval about how the town looks in that weather (as you can see in yesterday’s pics)… Still, a little sunshine most certainly did not suck.
In general, I am thinking that the off-season really might be the ideal time to come here… ok, so maybe no earlier than I got here, bc any colder would probably kinda detract, whereas so far it’s really been manageable — and only if you are seriously seeking a quiet, reflectively chill vibe, as opposed to what I understand are the crowds of tourists that descend on Plzen, Ceske Budejovice, and Cesky Krumlov in the warmer months…
Oh and when you come you really need to stay at the Dilettante’s Hangout… It was so perfect in so many ways — the right location, just outside of the old town, in this great old house with Matya (who is exactly as you would expect after seeing her website) and her kids — with the fireplace going & candles & incense burning, and the guitars, percussion, and organ set up in the living room, and the old skeleton key to the very comfortable room with the king size canopy bed, exotic furniture, and sweet bathroom with tub and disco beads as a doorway, and Matya’s very, um, intense acrylic paintings of nude women all over the place — the whole scene is WAY more Oregon or Santa Cruz than it is former Soviet Bloc, but that comes as a very welcome change after a week of much more traditional lodging scenarios.
Plus, she only charged me HALF of what we had originally agreed, since it was a double room & I was there alone. Bonus! Seriously, you must stay here if you come to CK — but be sure to book ahead in the high season, since she’s only got the 3 rooms…
Anyway, so after the taxi to the train station (which is basically mandatory as it is a 2km uphill schlep from the town center), it was the 5 1/2 hour trainfest to Kutna Hora, which was made a bit longer by my crucial last-minute error of getting off at the main station instead of the next one (Kutna Hora MESTO), which is closer to town. Oops. Anyway, a taxi was arranged & that was actually fine, as I was really in no mood to find my way here in the dark.
Ok then, I think that’s all for today… On to the photos, and be sure to tune in tomorrow, when I will be posting fresh photos from the sure-to-be-completely-creepy Bone Church!
Tags: beer, Bohemia, brewery, Czech beer, Czech Republic, microbrewery, pivo, Prague
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