i was so glad to be done with the mountains and get to just look at them from a distance.
little did i know that i would indeed be climbing them ...a typical road
a "shortcut" that took me through a stream and past 2 tractors
from a bridge
looking back at the path i just rode, cutting across farmland
cows were so rare that i did actually take a picture of them
and the first sign for my last city:
what a striking city! i wish i'd taken a picture of it here, a steep long descent down into the river valley, but i was so excited to be going downhill that i didn't. this picture gives a good feeling for it, but i think it's taken from the opposite side of town (i came down those green hills).
still, the castle's bell tower is iconic:
and the inner courtyards were neat
the city (like prague) is located on an S-curve in the river. here's a view looking down from the castle
and like prague, too, the tourists like to laze in rafts with beers. here they are going down a little chute (for you, noah!)
a view of the tower from the bridge
and the view of the hills from the bridge. you can't even imagine how lucky i was to get this shot without people in the way - the place was PACKED.
more views from up high
cesky krumlov was super touristy. lots of english spoken here, and the translated signs were usually effective in getting their message across
this was the first true hostel i stayed in, filled with 22 year old aussies on "busabout" for a year.
i managed to snap a picture when no one was napping/recovering.
i did get in a castle tour, which i'll post separately. i had dinner on the river in a neat vegetarian restaurant with this view. they had a couscous dish with plums, ginger, tofu, nuts, olives, cumin, and raisins that was awesome (yes, i copied this from the menu). they also had a nice unpasteurized beer called Bernard.
another translation. i've been there too, you know.
i had a drink with the aussies before turning in at the hostel. their main response to my biking: "how do you have time to drink?" oh, and they told me about drop bears: don't say you weren't warned.
