Family in Europe

Back to Prague for Move-in Day

We took the train from Vienna to Prague without any problems. The nearly four hour journey was relaxing and scenic. Upon arrival, we headed directly to DD#1s new student housing. She was so excited not only to see her new apartment but more to meet her roommate. Her roomie had become her best friend over social media for the past eight months. They were beyond thrilled to finally meet face to face.

The studio apartment was huge by US dorm standards. The exposed beams, skylights, kitchen, bathroom, and view made this something really special. Her share of the rent is less than $500 per month. Best of all is that it is in a very cute neighborhood that we would really get to know over the next six nights.

After all the excitement of getting checked in to the new apartment, mom and I walked a short five minutes to the Plaza Prague Hotel. This would be home for six nights. We had a great view and loved the quiet character of the neighborhood. It was around 80 Euros a night including breakfast, so quite a deal for Prague!

We walked to a nearby restaurant where we enjoyed dining with local families. The salad and schnitzel were yummy!

I went for a night walk to get a feel for the neighborhood in the dark. It felt safe, quiet, and surprisingly modern.

I discovered some incredible art on one of the new buildings.

We had a great night's sleep and were happy to be back in Prague

Letna Park and the Great IKEA Run

After a morning run, we enjoyed the huge breakfast spread at our hotel.

Today's big accomplishment was hitting IKEA on the outskirts of town to help outfit DD#1's new apartment. We took an uber to the giant IKEA with DD#1 and her roommate where we met up with her mom. We spent between 2-3 hours buying everything from shoe racks, a kitchen cart, to basic kitchen utensils and appliances. We hired an uberXL to take us and all the new gear back to the apartment. This affair took up a huge portion of our day. And I have no pictures to show for it.

Mom and I rewarded ourselves with a trip to Letna Park for happy hour. We found a beer garden that overlooked the river and city.

It was all lovely until a major thunderstorm rolled in. We were trapped under an umbrella with lots of locals for nearly an hour!

We had a simple dinner at the restaurant right next to DD#1's apartment.

After another night walk, I called it a day.

Charles Bridge, a Tower Climb, and a Grocery Run

After another huge breakfast, we took a tram to the old town where we crossed the Charles Bridge. It was such a pretty day!

We walked around Prague's lesser town before coming upon St. Nick's Church. I climbed the tower to the top and loved the history within the tower. There were two apartments in the tower that housed watchmen back in the day. From the top, there were explanations on how the tower was used during WWII for reconnaissance and communications. The views were incredible of the neighborhood below. I could even see the park surrounding the US Embassy.

Here is the church and its tower from the outside.

We took a tram across the river to do a little garnet shopping. Mom bought a couple pretty jewelry items to bring home. We passed a recommended bakery for a traditional kolache. I had a berry one and it was delicious.

It seemed to be happy hour already so we found a brewery on a boat! I had visited this place last summer so we checked it out once again.

We met DD#1 and her roommate at a large supermarket to help them buy groceries and supplies. This was another two+ hours dedicated to getting them set up. It was fun shopping like a local. Again, no pictures from this everyday experience.

After a break in the apartment, Mom and I walked across Prague's newest footbridge to the Karlin neighborhood to a nifty microbrewery/food cart place called Dva Kahouti. Highly recommended! The brews were fabulous and the food cards had some fun ethnic foods. I loved the bao buns.

Meanwhile, DD#1 was adjusting well to college life meeting new people, staying out too late, and getting moved in.

Fast Forward to the Last Three Nights in Prague

I'm skipping ahead past our time in Wroclaw and Dresden to our last three nights in Prague.

Bike Ride and Old Town

I started the day with a bike ride along the river. It was my first time biking in Prague and it was great! The city has lots of dedicated bike lanes and trails.

I even found people surfing on the river!

Mom and I took the tram into the old town and popped in and out of lots of churches. It was busy with tourists so we only lasted a couple of hours.

We took a break along Wenceslas Square where we found a cute balcony to have a coffee and lemonade.

We met DD#1 at a bank so we could help her open an account. It was an easy process but it took over an hour. We did a little shopping on the square and bought DD#1 a few more things for her apartment. We decided to return to the prettiest beer garden in Prague for another beer.

We took a tram to the tallest structure in Prague, the TV tower. We took the elevator to the top and took in the views of the expansive city. It was interesting to see how many apartment buildings were built around a park. You can see the strange crawling babies headed up and down the tower.

The cool hanging chairs were comfortable at the top of the tower.

Mom and I headed back to the apartment and mustered the energy to have a drink before getting takeout doner kebab for dinner. So good!

Last Day in Prague and One Hard Goodbye

Last European run for a long time. Oh how I will miss these views and running in new terrain.

I knew today would be hard. Getting DD#1 settled and ready for her new life in Prague was really the goal of this entire trip. I had to come to terms that we had done all we could to get her set up and ready for success. What an opportunity she has been given!

DD#1 met us for a trip to the Vysehrad Fortress and park. I had visited this area in the winter of 2003 and always wanted to return. The fortress is topped by a famous cemetery and a beautiful church. The grounds are a giant park with cafes, walls to climb, and beautiful views over the river and city. We took tons of pictures.

The interior of the church was stunning. Every surface had been thoughtfully painted. What a work of art!

We found Dvorak in the cemetery.

We stopped for a cold drink at one of the cute cafes. Oh how I'm going to miss this kid!

We used the metro a few times today and Mom was especially impressed with the longest and fastest escalators she'd ever seen!

We did a little last minute shopping for snacks and chocolate before finishing up our day. We found yummy potato croquettes for a snack and headed back to the beer garden for one last dinner with DD#1.

Goodbye to Plaza Prague Hotel. DH will be staying here in October when he visits DD#1. I think he will enjoy it!

But the biggest goodbye is to this girl. I wish her all the success and happiness as she embarks on her own adventure.

Travel to Wroclaw

We left Prague with what we thought was plenty of time to get to the central bus station. We hired an Uber and thought we would have time at a coffee shop near the bus. Not the case. The Uber driver drove by us twice and would not stop! Finally, he drove far away forcing me to cancel the ride. All our spare time was gone. Now we hustled with all our stuff on a tram and a metro and barely made it to the bus in time. It was the first time that Uber had failed us. At least we made it onto the roomy Flixbus. We each had two seats to spread out and the four hour journey went by quickly.

We checked into Old Town Haston and were so impressed with the modern room and comfortable beds. The view was great overlooking nearby churches and the street was nice and quiet.

It was time to explore! We walked a short distance to the old town and were blown away by the giant town square with its colorful buildings and beautiful architecture. Much of Wroclaw was rebuilt after WWII but still, what a lovely town.

No tour of Wroclaw would be complete without mentioning its gnomes. Small statues are scattered about town all busy doing different tasks. There is a tourist shop dedicated to them where families can pick up a scavenger hunt and find them all. It was cute watching kids match stickers and fill up their gnome cards. Here are a few of our favorites.

It was Friday night and locals and tourists were out in force. It was fun watching people dressed up and enjoying the pedestrian-only town.

We found a recommended pierogi restaurant for dinner and ordered a sampler plate for two. It was so much food! Each pierogi had a different filling. They were delicious but what a filling meal!

Mom took a break in the room for the night while I went out for a long night walk. The city was so lively and lit up. I walked around Cathedral Island, several parks, and the old town. There were so many people of all ages taking advantage of the perfect weather and beautiful city. The parks were filled with young people socializing and the cafes were to the brim. The town felt extremely safe, clean, and welcoming. I love this about so much of Europe and wish it was something I could enjoy in my hometown!

Full day in Wroclaw

I got up early and went for another walk to see the town in morning light without the crowds. It was so peaceful and a nice contrast to the busy evening. I found a local coffee shop and pretended I was a local.

I met up with mom and we explored a large indoor market. It is fun to see what produce is in season and what the locals are buying. We had coffee and a pastry before setting out to explore.

We started with Cathedral Island. There were so many churches in such a small area. We popped in one church after the other marveling at the stained glass and monstrosity of the structures.

We were on our feet for a couple of hours and decided to take a short boat tour. Wroclaw has many interconnecting waterways so we sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed a one hour ride down the river and canals. It was a pretty way to see the city from a different angle.

We made it back into the old town and shopped and wandered even more. I stopped at a famous church and climbed to the top where a small bridge connected two towers. it was called the Bridge of Penitents where a young girl was supposedly banished and told to sweep for the rest of her days as punishment for being lazy. The views were beautiful from the top.

Meanwhile, mom had an ice cream and took a break. I stopped for a quick doner box. I'd be in real trouble if doner was this cheap and accessible at home. It's so good!

We met up again and explored the main shopping street before realizing it was happy hour! It was extremely hot today.

Next up was the museum at the University of Wroclaw. I had heard that is wasn't an ordinary museum with its historic rooms and observation spot on top. We were lucky enough to hear a chamber group warming up in a beautiful concert hall.

We climbed to the top and found another beautiful view of Wroclaw.

It was getting late in the day and I wanted to see more than just the center of town. We took a tram many stops away with a brewery as our target. We had a familiar and tasty American IPA while listening to some live music. This part of town had a different vibe and we were surrounded by locals.

We took a short break in our hotel to regroup and decided on pizza for dinner. We found a very busy place just off the main square. Yum!

I ended the day with another night walk and a little gelato. I hope I return to Wroclaw someday!

Travel day to Dresden

I took one final walk around Wroclaw before packing up and heading back to the bus station. We had a nice breakfast at a nearby cafe. This time, we were not pressed for time.

The bus to Dresden was relaxing and we had room to spread out once again.

The first views of Dresden were striking with its giant spires and buildings. Our airbnb was in the new trendy part of town and was on the top floor of a building. It was a cute place but was painfully hot without air conditioning or a fan. The kicker was that the hot water didn't work. Freezing cold showers for two nights! It was a noisy place to sleep with the nearby bars and our open windows but we made the best of it. The place was cute enough but lacked in some basic amenities. You win some, you lose some!

We met up with DD#1 and her sweet British roommate for two nights. They took the train separately.

Dresden was crazy busy on this August Sunday. We started off at a little beer garden in our neighborhood before venturing further. The city had been overtaken by an amusement park complete with market stalls, food vendors, and rides. My mom scored some jewelry and a cute homemade fanny pack. We wandered the hot streets and finally settled on a beer garden for a traditional wurst dinner.

Everyone was dragging so we headed back to the hot apartment and I left again for one of my night walks. The area was trendy and seedy at the same time. There was a lot of street art (graffiti), broken glass, and colorful characters. It kind of reminded me of my home state! I found a jazz quartet and listened for a while before venturing back for some rest. The heat made the day seem harder than it really was.

Full day in Dresden

Mom and I got an early start and left the teenagers to sleep. We found cute places for pastries and coffee before heading to a unique dairy retail store. It was gorgeous! We didn't buy anything but enjoyed looking around and taking pictures.

We wandered down by the river and finally crossed a bridge to the towering old town. The grand buildings were almost intimidating with their dramatic stone facades. Many had been rebuilt during WWII but some did survive.

My favorite stop of the day was at the newly built Lutheran Church, Frauenkirche. The church burned for two days in 1945 before crumbling to the ground. Imagining something so massive falling to the ground must have been something. There's a piece of the old tower displayed next to the new church. The new church was built over the old foundation beginning in 1992. It was finally opened to the public in 2005. It was just beautiful inside.

We also saw the new crypt beneath the church which showcased some of the old foundation.

I bought a ticket to walk nearly 300 steps to the top of the dome. It was a great climb with some amazing views of Dresden! I absolutely loved it.

We took a quick happy hour stop. It was after noon by this point and beer was cheaper than other beverages so when in Germany... Haha! The girls finally met up with us and climbed the dome themselves.

We wandered around the old town seeing an incredibly historic mural, the giant Catholic church, and more beautiful buildings.

It was hot and Mom needed a break so we headed back to the apartment. I met the girls again for some shopping. The malls and shopping streets in Dresden are massive! We didn't really buy much but enjoyed poking around. We finally stopped for another drink and a snack.

Dinner was a highlight! Happy Bowls in Dresden was delicious and provided a familiar and healthy poke bowl. Perfect!

After scoring some German chocolate to take home, we called it a night and actually looked forward to returning to Prague. Dresden had its highlights but I have enjoyed other cities much more. Beautiful hot air balloons above the city. Goodbye Dresden.

The Stunning Architecture of Vienna

The train ride to Vienna was fast and comfortable. I even walked to the restaurant car and ordered myself a beer. Why not?

I'm loving how easy it is to buy transit passes and tickets on apps these days. The days of paper tickets are nearly gone. It's so simple to buy on your phone and not have to scramble at the bus stop or train station. We bought 48 hour Vienna transport passes while on the train and used it right away to grab a tram to our airbnb. And what a nice airbnb we scored! It had two bedrooms with the best beds of the trip. We had so much room to spread out and it even had a washer and dryer for laundry.

Our place was just outside of the city center so we hopped a metro into the center to get our bearings. We saw the giant St. Stephen's Cathedral with its trademark tiled roof. There were tons of people but we walked just a few streets away and things cleared out.

We were all pretty hungry by this point so we found the nearby 1516 Brewery for dinner. (1516 is the year they established the beer purity law.) We were seated outside and enjoyed beef goulash and a cabbage roll. It was a really nice dinner with good atmosphere.

We did a little joy riding on some trams before making a pit-stop at the airbnb. DD#1 and I left my mom to have some quiet time while we headed out to explore. We enjoyed the dark and peaceful streets before finding a delicious gelato spot. Gelateria la Romana was the best of the trip. Amazing! We called it a night ready to dig into Vienna tomorrow.

Vienna in a day

Today was our only full day to explore Vienna so naturally, I got up early for a run! I made it all the way to Schonbrunn Palace and couldn't believe the enormity of the grounds. I took some pictures and decided to take a combo of a bus and metro back to the airbnb.

We grabbed a quick pastry and coffee breakfast and walked through a local market before taking a tram into the center. We used the good old Rick Steves guide and took his recommended tram tour around the center of Vienna. We hopped on and off the tram to see various sights. First up was St. Charles Church. We decided to pay the hefty $10 admission because I thought there was an elevator to the top. Only stairs. Sorry, Mom! Still, it was a gorgeous church with a massive organ and views overlooking the city.

Next up was the Belvedere Palace. Tour groups were taking over the place so we were happy walking around the outside taking pictures of the massive exterior.

We continued around the loop taking a quick break for gelato and more coffee. We took so many pictures of the beautiful buildings that honestly started to blend in together after a while. Sometimes I think of how dramatic it would be to take just one of these magnificent structures and plop it down anywhere in my hometown. People would come from miles to admire such a beautiful building.

Naturally, there was another Mozart statue.

We saw a bit of modern Vienna as well and the little streams that feed into the great Danube.

We stopped at a cafe for a Viennese torte. The Sacher torte was a little disappointing, I'm sad to say.

We took a metro a couple stops away to explore a famous shopping street called Mariahilfer Strasse. We popped in and out of lots of stores. DD#1 and I shared a yummy doner salad. (Tasted better than it looks.)

On a whim, we decided to check out a roof-top bar at the top of a shopping mall. The view was incredible and we had the best time looking over the street below and church just across the way.

We continued down the long pedestrian street and decided it was time to head back to our apartment to regroup. We grabbed a few snacks along the way and Mom got too cozy to leave. DD#1 and I didn't venture much further. We went around the corner to a small Indian restaurant and had a nice meal outdoors. It was a nice end to our time in Vienna. I hope to return to Vienna someday when I can enjoy the city at a more leisurely pace. Still, this was a nice taste of what is often voted the most livable city in the world. I admit, the Viennese people looked like a pretty content bunch!

Back to Prague tomorrow for the big move-in for DD#1.

Arrival, our cute pension, Mirabell Gardens, and one heck of a beer garden

Our bus ride from Cesky Krumlov was incredibly scenic. The hills and alps became more magnificent as we approached Salzburg.

We took an easy Uber to Pension Ballwein just on the outskirts of town. I visited Salzburg 20 years ago with DH and we stayed at another pension on this very same street. It's a peaceful alternative to the very touristy Salzburg center.

A great view from our balcony.

There was a convenient bus stop right in front of the pension so we hopped on and stopped at the famous and huge Augustiner Brewery. The beer garden was massive and incredibly crowded on a Thursday night. We had a picnic-style dinner of sorts and soaked in the festive atmosphere. It was fun ordering beer and having to rinse our own own steins before having them poured directly from giant casks.

After our dinner, we walked into town to see the beautiful Mirabell Gardens. This was one of several places where the Sound of Music was filmed back in the '60s. It was exciting to catch our first glimpse of Salzburg's magnificent skyline.

We walked further than we meant to and had a quick gelato stop before finally finding a bus headed back to our pension. It felt like a very full day and we were all excited to be in Salzburg.

Seeing practically all of Salzburg's center!

We had a delicious breakfast at our pension before heading back to the center with our handy dandy Salzburg Cards. These cards would last us 48 hours and included nearly all the attractions in and around town for just over $40 each. We were on a mission to see as many sights as possible!

We began with the majestic and iconic fortress which stood like a giant crown looming over the city. Luckily, our cards included a funicular pass to whisk us to the top. The views were amazing and it was so fun exploring all the rooms and passageways in and around the fortress.

A view from behind the fortress.

We came down and found the beautiful cemetery along the rock walls below the fortress. We explored the catacombs built into the walls. So interesting!

We popped into several churches and couldn't believe how different they all were. Every one was so dramatic in its own unique way. It's hard to fathom why there are so many amazing churches in such a small area.

We wandered the old town stopping in here and there before finding Mozart's Birthplace. We toured the very busy museum. What an impact he made on the world during his short but prolific life!

Our feet were exhausted so we decided to take advantage of the boat tour that was included with our Salzburg card. It was interesting how this boat pushed against the current to take us just outside of the city on the Salzach River. At the end of the ride, the funny boat driver spun the boat around multiple times in the middle of the river. Everyone applauded at the end of the ride

We found a nearby fish place for a quick lunch of fish and chips and Austrian potato salad.

We took an elevator lift to the top of town just down from the fortress. The Modern Art Museum was housed at the top so we took a quick peek. We were amused with some of the artwork and found another view of the city from the museum's terrasse.

Finally, I drug along DD#1 and my mom to two final museums. We really were getting our moneys worth out of those Salzburg Cards. The DomQuartier Museum was a happy surprise with its grand palace and view overlooking the interior of the Salzburg Cathedral.

Lastly, we popped into the Christmas Museum. The highlight of this was learning about the creepy Krampus legend. He was a monster who was the opposite of St. Nick. If you're a good little child, St. Nick will bring you something nice. If you're naughty, the Krampus will come and get you!

Amazing eggs and other decorations in the Christmas shops.

We were hungry and tired after a busy day of sight-seeing. We took a bus a couple of stops just outside of town to a great beer garden called Die Weiss. We had some tasty beers, yummy dumplings, and weisswurst sausages. We called it a day and took the bus back to our pension to rest our tired feet!

Untersberg Mountain, Hellbrunn Palace, and Steigl Brewery

I started the day with a run along our quiet farm road. We have been so lucky with beautiful weather! It's been sunny and in the mid-80s. The neighborhood church had the most beautiful cemetery with well-tended little gardens.

We took a long bus ride to Untersberg Mountain to ride the gondola to the tippy top. This was the perfect thing to do especially since we had been staring at this massive mountain from the balcony of our pension for two days.

The lift was a little scary but got us up close to 6,000 feet in 9 minutes or so. Once at the top, we had to continue hiking to the actual top. DD#1 and I took the challenge and hiked about 45 minutes to the actual top where she just had to sing "The Hills are Alive". It was perfect!

We headed down and bused to Hellbrunn Palace where we toured the gardens and interior. My mom was especially happy to see the gazebo made famous by the Sound of Music.

Creepy unicorn in the palace.

My favorite part of the the palace was the trick fountains in the garden. There was a lot of thought, ingenuity, and humor put into the clever fountains. Gravity powered the fountains and they were quite the spectacle back in the day. They were quite entertaining even today.

Our last stop of the day was at the enormous Steigl Brewery. We toured the museum, bought a few goodies, and enjoyed dinner and beers in the very entertaining beer garden. There were two bachelor parties going on and poor DD#1 ended up dancing with one of the grooms who was dared to dance with a stranger. So funny! She was a very good sport.

We definitely got the most out of our three nights in Salzburg. Wow! We saw so many things and learned a ton. Next stop, Vienna!

Prague Travel Day

I can hardly believe that I have had two long-haul flights in ten days. Yuck! In case anyone is new around here, I just spent a month in Vietnam and am now with a different crew headed to Central Europe for a different reason. DD#1 is 18 and headed to college in Prague! My mom and I are accompanying her on the journey and have a few destinations planned for this almost three week adventure.

There were some hard good-byes.

Here is DD#1 with her many bags ready for her big move.

DH was kind enough to drive us two hours to the airport to catch our long flight to Frankfurt and then Prague. The flight to Frankfurt was long, cramped, but uneventful. The drama started upon arrival in Frankfurt. We had a tight connection and barely made our connecting flight. The gates were at least a mile apart plus we had to ride a bus between them and clear customs. We ran our tails off and somehow were the last ones aboard the flight. We were traveling with more baggage than usual and naturally, the baggage didn't make it to Prague. We were assured it would be delivered in the middle of the night.

We took a taxi to our very nice hotel (Green Garden Hotel is recommended!) in the New Town in Prague. Despite the jet lag and baggage drama, it felt so good to be in the big city! Our room was perfect with three twin beds.

We resisted the urge to nap and walked about 10 minutes to a cute brewery for happy hour. It was afternoon in Prague and we were determined to stay up until evening even though no one slept on the plane.

We wandered more through the pretty old and new towns enjoying the architecture and atmosphere that only happens in Europe. We settled on a pizza/pasta place that we visited last year. It was still very tasty.

We took a tram home. (Love love love the public transportation here!) Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse just across from our hotel when my mom slipped and fell on an uneven part of the sidewalk. She fell hard hitting her head, knees, and hands. She twisted her ankle. It was so scary! I finally helped her up and she hobbled back to the hotel. Luckily, things were not as bad as they could have been. I was confident she did not have a concussion and was just banged up a bit. Not a great way to end a very long day. Somehow, we all managed to sleep despite waking up at weird hours due to jet lag. I was ready to be done with this day!

First Full Day in Prague

After a fairly decent night of sleep, I was relieved to find three giant suitcases had indeed arrived in the middle of the night. DD#1 was one happy kid! My mom was still banged up but was managing. We had a delicious breakfast at our hotel. The buffet was huge with so many choices. We were all happy and full.

I hired an Uber XL to take the three massive bags to DD#1's student housing. We stored it in a basement and enjoyed spending a little time in her non-touristy neighborhood. We took a tram near her university and visited the lovely Wallenstein Garden. So pretty!

Unfortunately, my mom's foot was not feeling great. She decided it would be best to visit the emergency room to make sure nothing was broken. Our hotel had directed us to a nearby hospital where we finally found the ER after many wrong turns. The building was incredibly old with narrow hallways, stairways, and confusing signage. We got checked in somehow even with the language barrier and waited in the narrow hallway (no waiting room) for a couple of mysterious hours. People were called in and out and there was a numbering system that didn't make much sense. She was finally called back and the nice doctor spoke English. He sent her down for X-rays and things moved more quickly from this point on. Long story short, she did not break anything but had swollen and bruised tendons. Her US insurance will probably reimburse all or part of the experience. The doctor visit, X-rays, and pain medication cost $135 total. That was the full and complete cost. Wow.

To celebrate she wasn't broken, we took a tram to a really cool beer garden wedged between two old church walls. This was probably the neatest beer garden setting I have ever seen. We relaxed after a stressful day and enjoyed a traditional pilsner.

Meanwhile, DD#1 was living it up! We left her to explore the area around her university where she sang an impromptu song on Charles Bridge with a jazz trio and helped some locals haul in some restaurant supplies. You never know what she might find! She had a meeting at her school where she learned a few practical things before meeting up with us.

We did a little shopping before taking a tram up to the castle. My mom was ready for some rest after the long day so DD#1 took her back to the hotel giving me some time to check out the castle and walk around the beautiful city. The castle was closed for the night but the outdoor areas were open for wandering. It was perfect timing for pictures.

After a very long walk, DD#1 met up with me for a drink (she can drink legally in Europe. So weird.) and we grabbed delicious doner kabab for dinner.

What a first day in Prague. Off to Cesky Krumlov tomorrow.

Travel Day to Cesky Krumlov

I set my alarm so I would have time for a glorious run in the city. I was out by 7:30am without realizing it was pouring down rain. Buckets of rain! I persevered and had one of my favorite runs. Czech people must not like the rain because even the packed Charles Bridge was empty.

I ran 6.5 miles without even realizing it! It felt great and I loved seeing the city wet with rain and without the crowds. It's pretty clear I'm an Oregonian!

We enjoyed our hotel breakfast and had a little time to kill before our bus to Cesky Krumlov. We visited the very small Dvorak Museum. It was underwhelming but somewhat interesting.

The bus station was easy to navigate and we rode our comfortable Flixbus over three hours to the glorious Cesky Krumlov.

Our pension was on the top floor in the attic but so cute and rustic.

We wandered the old town and couldn't stop taking pictures.

We found a cute place for afternoon cake and drinks. The berry cheesecake was tasty.

DD#1 and I hiked up some stairs to see the castle. So gorgeous! The town is small and easy to navigate.

We even spotted a rainbow over the castle!

We found some shops and pretty viewpoints. The rainy weather had cleared and we had such a nice late afternoon exploring this charming little town.

We found a nice traditional restaurant for dinner. It was just outside of the town center so prices were good. Tasty and affordable food!

I went for one more walk after dinner to capture some sunset shots and the castle lit up with lights. Today was a good day.

A little more Cesky Krumlov and travel to Salzburg!

We all slept really well and enjoyed a delicious breakfast. I think the thick pancakes with blueberries and cream were the winner.

We walked back up to the castle where DD#1 and I climbed to the top of the colorful tower. Such great views from up there!

We wandered around the castle and the gardens taking more pictures. DD#1 met some dancers from a production in the park's theater. They offered her free tickets for when she hopefully returns this fall!

We checked out the enormous St. Vitus Church before checking out of our pension.

We backtracked to the bus stop and relaxed on a very scenic ride to Salzburg. To be continued soon!