Veselý Kopec

Veselý Kopec is an open air museum like Old World Wisconsin for those who know what that is.  Unfortunately we got there too late to see any of their demonstrations, but it was still nice walking around the grounds and seeing all the old Czech buildings.

After Veselý Kopec we had about an hour and a half drive back to Zamberk.

This one's for you, Logan!
On the way home we saw a car called a Logan.
It's a small family car produced jointly by the French manufacturer
Renault and its subsidiary Dacia of Romania.

Just a cute picture of Katja and her uncle

Klášter Zlatá Koruna (Monastery of the Golden Crown)

We stayed at the Hotel Klor Friday night where we had another amazing Czech dinner and the kids went swimming.  Saturday morning we went to a monastery nearby.

outside our hotel

We stopped for lunch at one of Libor & Martina's favorite restaurants
to eat at when they are traveling.  Gabriella and Karen finally got to eat
their most favorite food...Svíčková...pork tenderloin with a
root vegetable/cream gravy, bread dumplings and garnished with
cranberries.  Yum, yum, yum!!!

Meeting Cousin Robin

As we were walking back from the castle gardens we finally met up with Pavel, 

Andrea and little cousin, Robin...what a cutie pie!

  

Český Krumlov

After our walk through Doudleby Pavel still hadn't arrived so we decided to head on into Český Krumlov about 15 minutes away.  Today is Saint Wenceslas' feast day.  He is the main patron saint of modern-day Czech Republic.  It is also a public holiday - Czech Statehood Day - so there is a big festival in Český Krumlov this weekend to celebrate.

  

After walking around the outdoor market we made our way towards the castle.  This castle has a different kind of a moat...a bear moat...bears have been kept in the moat since 1707.

As we were watching the bears a hot air balloon launched right over the castle, then another and another...a total of 6 balloons went up.

    

Walking through the castle gardens

  

Views from the castle

A beautiful city

Trdelnik
A yummy rolled pastry sold hot with a dusting of
cinnamon and sugar. Sweet and flaky...delicious!

Hotel Klor

Karolina arrived in Zamberk late Thursday evening.  Friday morning we left the house around 8 am to make our way towards Český Krumlov in Southern Bohemia for the Svatý Václav (Saint Wenseslas) festival.  We stopped in the village of Doudleby at Hotel Klor, checked in and ate a wonderful lunch while we waited for Pavel and Andrea to join us.

Smažený sýr (Fried cheese)
One of our favorite meals

After lunch we went for a walk around town and walked
up to the church.

The church was locked up so Petr went to the priest's residence to see if we could get in.  He gave us the keys
in exchange for our hotel room key and Tobiah had the honor of opening the first lock.  It turns out there were four door
we had to unlock before actually getting into the church.

For a town of less than 450 people it was a pretty impressive church.

Petr's night out with classmates

Thursday night Petr went out with some old friends.

A visit to the cemetery

Petr's mother's and father's grave site.  His maternal
grandmother and grandfather are also buried here.

Petr's paternal grandmother, grandfather
and great-grandfather are buried here.

Zmrzlina in Letohrad

After mushroom hunting we ate a nice lunch and then headed out to Letohrad, a neighboring town, for a walk around their square and ice cream.

Tobiah can't wait

50 cents

We've been told that these statues/pillars, which are in
almost every town square, were built to
ward off the plague or in thanksgiving for
the town being spared from the plague.

An intricately carved ceiling in the church at Letohrad.
A write up in the back of the church said that the ceiling is worth
more than everything in the church combined including the
church building and property itself.

Katja buys some new sun glasses

Tobiah tried some on too

Kaštany

Kaštany are chestnuts.  The Czech gather kaštany and then make animals & people out of them using toothpicks.  Another activity that we always do when we are in Czech.

Kaštany still in the shell

Tobiah is pretty happy he found one

Here's what they look like out of their shell

Making the animals

A giraffe, a dog & a lion