Czech Republic

Next stop: Germany


Germans are strange people, and Germany is a strange country. It is a very regimented and efficient country. Imagine a place where people refuse to jaywalk (even at 6pm on a Sunday afternoon!), line up for buses and trains (what the?), and even give you the right change (time and time again) even when you obviously overpay because you have no idea of the new currency you're encountering. All this comes from people who drink like fish and have very liberal attitudes towards just about any taboo. Weird. But cool. That's Germany.


We spent a hectic 5 days in Berlin. Dennis wanted culture, Andrea wanted German food and soccer. We got both. We visited many museums and saw many beautiful paintings and sculptures, some from as early as the 10th century. We also attempted to visit more modern attractions too, like the World Cup stadium. Some hours of walking and a tiny navigational glitch from Dennis (ie, going to the wrong stadium!) saw us arrive at a tiny little concrete complex covered in graffitti and surrounded by a shabby, old park. Needless to say that our adventure was not fruitful, but gave us a good laugh anyway. In our five days, we walked so much that we ached. We also visited Sachsenhausen Concentration camp. It was the first German concencentration camp built in 1936 and was used as a model for all the rest that were to follow. It gave us an insight into the attrocities of WWII. It's a chilling reminder that this only happened 50 years ago.

Who woulda thunk it? But we are now in the Czech Republic! We started out in the capital city of Prague. It's a relaxed, old city with magnificent architecture. It was a beautiful experience to wander along the river and through the warren of medieval laneways. Apart from the multitudes of tour groups, the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. We spent a few days just roaming the streets and soaking up the atmosphere. It was in the town square in Prague that we watched Germany win their first world cup match. Go the Aussies!!!



From there, we went to a tiny little town (you can walk from one side to the other in 10 minutes) called Cesky Krumlov. What an amazing place. So far in our travels, this place is the pick of the lot. This is pure Europe, with a real princess castle, tiny cobbled streets, a stream that loops around the town, tiny little stone bridges and plenty of good eating and drinking. Even though there are tour groups here too, the atmosphere is not spoiled. This is the place to come when you don't want to have much to do except soak in the sun, relax and fall in love again. We are sadly leaving Cesky Krumlov tomorrow, back into the frantic life of backpacking - unsure of our next destination and where we'll be sleeping tomorrow night.