Vacation in Spectacular Split, Croatia

Happy Easter everyone! Things are pretty quiet in Olomouc today – at least in the dorms. A lot of students went home for Easter, or are still on trips from the reading week. The town is pretty quiet too, but someone pointed out to me that the Czech Republic is quite an atheist country. So, that might be why there isn’t much going on for the holiday. Vienna was really gearing up for it though… and there were so many tourists there! It’s quite nice to be in low-key Olomouc again.

And I guess that’s where I need to tell about my vacation to Croatia! We had a fantastic time and everything went so smoothly. Flying was a fantastic choice – I have never been so relaxed while traveling. The places we stayed were fantastic and every person we dealt with was very friendly. I would recommend that everyone travel to Croatia!

Marliz (my friend from MSU), two of her roommates Matt and Kitsa, and I left on Saturday evening from Vienna, but I had been there the night before with an American friend from Olomouc and was able to see Bernardo for a bit. The flights were really short and we just had a layover in Zagreb, and we were in Split at 10 pm. We got really lucky and had a great taxi driver to our hotel for the first night and he gave us some tips for what to do during the week. Our hotel was very nice and I slept so well… And the weather was warm and flowers were in bloom! Sunday morning we called our taxi driver again to take us to the campsite we were staying in outside of Split in a town called Stobreč. And wow were we surprised when we saw our mobile home… right next to the beach! It was incredible to see the Adriatic Sea from every window and while sitting on our deck. It was the perfect way to spend a vacation.

Stobreč is a nice little town with just enough to keep us occupied at the campsite. There weren’t many people there because it is the low season, so we were happy to basically have the place to ourselves. It was very nice and quiet. The beach was beautiful – the coast of Croatia is really long and the water is incredibly blue and clear! There are also rocks on most of the beaches instead of sand, and that had its pluses and minuses. Stobreč is about a 20-minute bus ride from Split, which we went to 3 days in a row.

The first day we went into Split was so we could take a bus toward Dubrovnik… but I promised our cab driver Tony that I wouldn’t disclose the city we went to because it’s his family’s secret! But it was about an hour’s bus ride along the coast in the mountains, which was absolutely breathtaking. The city and beach we went to were perfect – surrounded by the ocean, quiet, clean, and the water was even bluer than in Split. We had a great day on the beach and had fantastic fish for dinner when we got back to Split. We turned in pretty early because we planned to take the ferry to the island of Brač the next day!

We spent the day in Supetar, Brač and had a wonderful relaxing day on the beaches – and the water was even bluer and clearer! I didn’t think it was possible, but Croatia proved me wrong. The ferry ride was about an hour long, but it was very comfortable sitting in the sun. The beaches were beautiful with great rocks in the water to climb around on.

There were quite a bit of young people on the island that day because of their Easter holiday, so that was interesting to see. We even had a nice chat with a violinist from Geneva! It’s great talking with people while traveling – so many interesting people to meet. We wanted to see the rock that was used to build part of the White House, but it was in a place on the island that required a bus ride. Our day was well spent on the beach though, and we headed back to Split
around six and explored the city of Split for a while before heading back to the camp.

Kitsa left us the next day to see her family in Greece, but we had a nice day walking around Split during the day.

We found a great place to see the whole city and took lots of pictures. Split is a really old city, and the core of it is actually built into the ruins of Diocletian’s Palace. A lot of it reminded me of Venice with the white marble and old archways. It was absolutely beautiful with something interesting to see around every corner. There were lots of shops and cafes – both inside the city and in the harbor. Split combines two of my favorite things – being on the coast and an old city! Naturally I fell in love with it.

We spent our last day in Stobreč on the beach relaxing and enjoying the sun. My skin of course was not happy with all the sun, but I managed to get a little color and still enjoyed being outside in the shade. We had to be at the airport Friday morning at 5, so we went to be early again on Thursday night. It was worth it to leave that early though, because we landed in Vienna at 9:00! Again, the most relaxed traveling of my life! The whole trip was really fantastic and I’m so glad I got to share it with a good friend from home. I was really happy to go on a vacation to some place warm – although, it wasn’t perfect beach weather yet. It was around 70 degrees all week, but the sun was so nice! I’m happy I got to see another ocean and to be in the Balkans again. I feel really unique in that I was able to take a vacation in Croatia… and like I said – I really recommend going! It is easy to get around and the prices are very reasonable. Even in the low season it is beautiful. I’ll remember this vacation forever.

And now I am back in Olomouc with Bernardo! I’m really excited that I get to show someone around my home for the semester, and to see him! It’s a really fantastic thing that we can see each other again after all these years. He’s really liking the life in the dorms with the other exchange students, and I am definitely happy to be back with them after being gone for a week. For the next couple of days I will try to relax and spend time with Bernardo, but after he leaves I really have to hit the books! There are only about 3 weeks left in the semester and I have multiple papers to write and tests to study for. I think it will all turn out ok, but just like every spring semester it is hard to concentrate with such beautiful weather! So, I don’t think I will be traveling much in the next couple of weeks... but I will be planning my summer travels! I’m definitely getting excited for that ☺.

Our Own Pilgrimage to Holy Hill

Spring has arrived! And boy am I happy ☺. However, it is now even harder to focus on school when all I want to do is walk around outside! I am trying my hardest to be very productive this week because I will be away from Olomouc for 8 days… I’m off to Vienna and then Croatia this weekend! I can’t believe it’s already time for our trip. I am so excited to go on a vacation and be away from school and work for a whole week. It has been since high school since I’ve been able to do that!

This past weekend, however, was well spent in Olomouc. I did quite a bit of schoolwork – mostly researching and settling on topics for a few of my papers. Friday night a few of my girlfriends and I had a “pajamas” party! We made a lot of crepes, ate too many sweets, and watched “Love Actually”. It was a great night in with my best friends here! We also planned our walk to the Basilica Svatý Kopeček that turned out to be one of my favorite places I’ve been to in the Czech Republic.

Svatý Kopeček, also known at Holy Hill, is a famous landmark in Olomouc because it was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1995 and has been a destination for pilgrimages. The Olomouc zoo is also really near the Basilica, and there is a fantastic view of the city from the top. It is a beautiful site to see from far away and up close. We decided to walk to it because the weather was really quite nice, except for the wind! But we were strong and just focused on how great the sunshine was. The Basilica is about 8 kilometers from the main train station in Olomouc, so we decided to take the bus to the next little city and then walk the rest of the way, which ended up being around 4 kilometers.

That walk took us about an hour, and seeing the Basilica up close was a great reward after the steep hill we climbed! When we got to the top, we took a group picture – I should have mentioned! My roommate, two friends of ours, and I organized the group and we had 22 people come all together! We were a bit nervous about having to be “in charge” of that many people, but we got there just fine!

We all brought something to eat for a picnic, so we sat and ate and talked for around an hour. Again, it was so nice to be out in the sun! The wind made it quite chilly though, so I was pretty cold while we were there. After eating we walked into the Basilica… and it was absolutely breathtaking. The inside of the church is so detailed it was incredible.

I could have stood look up to the ceiling for an hour and still missed some things. The colors were so wonderful for me – light blues and purples. And the thought of how important this building has been since the 1600s added to the feeling of being in an amazing place. I really think it is my favorite place I’ve been in the Czech Republic so far, and I am so happy I was able to see it was good friends.

Like I said, I’ve been trying to be productive this week since I will be away for all of next week. Most of my classes have what they call a “reading week” without any classes so students can study for exams. It is also the week before Easter, so it seems like a natural time to have a break from school. Even though it is for studying, I think most students treat the reading week as a vacation – and all of my professors recommended that we travel! I am also really looking forward to this next week because I will see my friend Bernardo! He is from Brazil, and we were exchange students together in Finland four years ago. I saw him when my high school choir traveled to Brazil three years ago, but we didn’t have the chance to spend much time together, so I am very excited to see him here. He will be at an international law simulation in Vienna… it is kind of like Model UN but for international law I think. We always thought it was more likely that we would see each other in Europe than any other place, and it actually happened!

I guess I am signing off now until I return from Croatia Easter weekend… I can’t wait to tell you all about my vacation!
ALSO! I was just notified that I was accepted to be a Peer Assistant for the Office of Study Abroad! I GOT THE JOB! I'm so excited to work for them :-D

I found paradise - in Slovenia!

I decided to go to Slovenia this weekend basically on a whim… but I am so thankful I did. We found a paradise in Maribor, Slovenia! The Balkans is definitely a wonderful place to visit, and I am so excited to see Croatia in a few weeks. But until then, I will tell you about my journey to paradise and back!

Thursday evening my friend Michal (Poland) told me he was going to Slovenia on Friday by car, and there were two empty places if I wanted to join. It only took me five seconds to decide… yes of course I will join! I really wanted to travel last weekend, and my roommate and friends were going to Vienna, so this trip to Slovenia was perfect. And, I really never imagined going to Slovenia, so I was even more excited to go! So we came back to the dorms and he told me he would keep me updated with the details. The next morning things were very unsure… We were to carpool with a guy coming from Krakow to visit his girlfriend in Maribor and he had been quite specific about only 3 empty spaces in his car, and we were now 4 people (me, Michal, Pieter (Belgium), and Kristijan (Croatia, but lives in Maribor, Slovenia)). We also weren’t sure of a place to stay… so it was really up in the air. We ended up bribing the driver with more money to let all of us come, and Kristijan’s girlfriend made a reservation at a hostel outside of the city for us… so we were on our way!

The guy we carpooled with was really cool, but his car was a very small Fiat! I was crushed between two guys in the backseat for 5 hours… but it was actually ok! We had great conversation the whole way, and it went by really fast. We arrived in Maribor before midnight and Michal, Pieter, and I took a taxi to our hostel… which we were thrilled to find out was actually a three star hotel! It was amazing – we had our own room with three beds, a great bathroom, and a TV. It was so luxurious. We brought some food with us (bread, meat, apples), so we made a little dinner and went to bed.

Saturday we needed to find our way to Maribor, which was 10 km away from the hostel. We were told there was a bus or a train we could take, but Michal really wanted to try to hitchhike into the city. My first reaction was, “No way!” but everyone talks about hitchhiking in Europe! And, I was with two guys, so I figured I’d be safe for the short ride. Unfortunately, we did not get a ride, so my first go at hitchhiking was not very impressive. We decided to find the train station because we heard it was cheaper, but when we got there we learned no trains ran on Saturdays. So we hurried back to find the bus stop… and this is where it gets exciting! A bus came our way, but we were on the wrong side of the road. The driver saw that we wanted to get on, so he pulled over to pick us up. We tried to pay, but it was a challenge with the language, so he just waved us back and we figured we would pay when we got off. When we got off the bus we tried to pay, but he just smiled and waved us out of the bus! It was amazing. We were so thankful to save 3 Euros! That was definitely a great start to the day.

Maribor is an absolutely beautiful, clean, and calm city. It is the second biggest city in Slovenia and is very near to the Austrian border. The river Drava runs through it and the city is known for its wine. It’s kind of small, but very easy to get around. The weather was perfect and people were sitting outside at all the cafes… it was just perfect! We walked around the city a bit before meeting up with Kristijan and his girlfriend, Taja. With them we ate the typical fast food of the Balkans called “burok” (fried dough and meat… so good!) sitting on the bank of the river.

We then walked a beautiful path back to Taja’s house and proceeded to have a very relaxing afternoon. She and Kristijan cooked for us and even though we asked to help, they had us sit outside and enjoy the sunshine. I think I got a little color while we were there! We had a great dinner and went for a great walk to the top of a hill overlooking a vineyard. You can see these everywhere in Maribor, and they each have a little church on top of them. That night we hung out at the house, drank wine, and ate cake. It was perfect!

The next day we walked around the city and bought and sent some postcards. We saw a park and went to the top of the cathedral. To thank Kristijan and Taja, we treated them to some delicious ice cream before saying goodbye to them. Our last activity in Maribor was having a little picnic of wine, bread, and cheese sitting next to the river! I just kept thinking how beautiful it was there, and how relaxed and happy I was. It was so nice to be in the sun with good people. We had such great conversation the whole weekend. Coming all different countries and backgrounds made the topics of conversation really interesting, and I learned a lot from my new friends. The weekend really was perfect!

Slovenia is a really wonderful country with quite a difficult past. It was apart of the former Yugoslavia, so it endured a difficult war in the ‘90s. Today it is incredible clean and doing very well. Every person we encountered was incredibly friendly and good to us – we had free rides to the city and were fed! What more could we ask for! Seeing the vineyards everywhere was really something special. Everyone seemed to have a tree/bush that produced grapes for wine. They also have the oldest vine in the world! It’s over 400 years old and still produces grapes! I never did find out how expensive that wine is…

I really recommend that everyone visit the Balkans some day. They unfortunately have a negative stigma attached to them because of the crisis in the ‘90s, and because of the centuries old “othering” the West has done to them. By this I mean that Western countries and cultures have put Southern Europe/the Balkans in a very low category far from being like them. They are different – skin, culture, language – and so they were looked down upon. Today I think we should work to come away from this “othering” of this region of the world. Slovenia is a member of the EU and uses the Euro, and from what I saw it is a very progressive and productive country. I am definitely looking forward to being in Croatia in a week and half to see and experience another Balkan country.

Every day I am thankful to be living in the Czech Republic! I really enjoy being in this country, and having so many other places easily accessible. It has been a great semester so far – and there’s more to come!

5 Czech Cities in 1 day!

This weekend I finally traveled a bit in the Czech Republic! I haven’t made my way to Prague yet… But I will make sure it happens, even if I have to go alone. This Sunday, though, my good friend Radka invited me to stay at her house and to see the beautiful cities surrounding it. I was very excited because this meant I would see a real Czech family in a real Czech house! That’s one of the big things that are different about being on exchange this time – I am not living in a house with Czechs, but in the dorms with students from all over the world. Both are great and have their benefits, but it was still nice to be in a house for a night! So on Sunday I saw 5 cities! Nový Jičín, Kopřivnice, Štramberk, Hulkvaldy and Přibor are all small towns about an hour north east of Olomouc. Radka is from Kopřivnice, but the cities around her town are beautiful, old, an unique.

I arrived in Nový Jičín and then went by car to Radka’s house. She lives kind of in the country in a beautiful house her grandfather built before he left for the US during communism. They told me he actually built the house so the government would let him leave because if he owned something in Czechoslovakia his chances of returning were greater. He didn’t return, but settled in Milford, MI where Radka still has family! (Small world!) She lives with her two brothers and parents when she is home on the weekends. They have two huge, but sweet and gentle dogs! Again, it was so nice to see dogs! At her house we had a big lunch of chicken and potatoes, and then headed out to walk to Štramberk. This city was so beautiful, and the amazing weather just added to it. It was founded in the 1300s and has a great story about defeating the Tartars (that resulted in a yummy gingerbread snack called Štramberk ears!). The city is built on hills and has a castle that is now just a tower you can climb up.

The houses are all beautiful and built so close together. There are cobble stone streets and adorable shops and restaurants. I loved it! I would go there often if I lived close. We went up to the top of the tower and walked to a cave near by that has a beautiful view of the city in front of it.

After visiting Štramberk, we walked home and then drove to see the Hulkvaldy Castle. It was a long walk up a hill to the castle, but it was worth it! There are may castles in the Czech Republic, and this was a beautiful and old one. It had beautiful views of the cities surrounding Hulkvaldy and of the mountains and countryside.

After seeing the castle we drove to Přibor where Radka went to high school and our friend Kristyna is from. There she took me to see the house Freud was born in! There was a great statue of a therapists couch and under it was written, “Sit Down and Meditate – Stand Up and Act“ which I loved!

She also took me to Kopřivnice to see where she grew up. I must say, after this whirl wind tour of 4 cities we were exhausted! So we returned to her house and had a snack and rested. We watched a movie and decided to go to bed early, which was so nice! I can’t do that very much here because of the nature of dorm life, so it was really nice to sleep in a quiet house in the country side.

The next morning we took a bus at 10:15 back to Nový Jičín to walk around and have some coffee before our bus to Olomouc. We were back in Olomouc before 1:00 and I went to the store to get some food and then rested before my class in the afternoon. It was such a wonderful weekend with the weather and being with Radka. I’m so happy to say that I traveled in the country a bit and met a Czech family. I know you’re wondering about some cultural differences... So one of them is when they eat their big meal. Here, Czechs normally have a big and hot lunch around 1:00 and then just have a smaller snack around 6 or 7 – opposite of us in the US! But, I think this is better for your health and digestive system... so maybe I will try to do this too! And, much like it was in Finland, Sundays are days of rest and the family was just sitting at home doing some things around the house. Neighbors visited, but mostly the day was spent enjoying the wonderful weather. Sundays in the US, at least for me, are fully of running errands and finishing homework until late in the night. It is nice to have a relaxing Sunday... and you’re kind of forced to because most places are closed anyway. Radka’s parents didn’t speak English, but she translated a bit and they were really nice people. I’m so thankful they invited me into their home!


Tonight is the American National party for Erasmus! I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this, but every Wednesday there is a national party at a club in town. All the students from that country plan the party, make some food, and put together a “midnight surprise“. The organization picked our theme for us... Cowboys and Indians... hah! It’s something really foreign to me... so it’s like a costume party for me too! My friends are all excited about it, and I’m looking forward to actually getting to know the group of Americans from Nebraska that are here. It should be a fun night! And this weekend I am hoping to travel somewhere... not sure where yet, though! My roommate and friends are going to Vienna, but I’ve already been, and will be there in a few weeks before we go to Croatia. I’m also a little bit sick... I’ve had a bad sore throat all week, so I’m hoping it goes away and I can have a fun weekend! The next two weeks I want to work ahead in my school work because I will be missing classes while I’m in Croatia and I’ll be busy showing Bernardo (my Brazilian friend I met in Finland) around! I hope I can stay focused and get a lot done.
In other news, I interviewed for a job in the Office of Study Abroad at MSU last night over Skype! It was an interesting experience... but I think it went well! I found out that over 80 students applied for 4 positions, so I am really excited that I got an interview. I’ll know if a few weeks how it went... I’ll keep you updated!

Krakow and Auschwitz - a surprise, but amazing trip!

I’m way overdue for an update, and I’m really sorry about that! I went to Krakow, Poland this past weekend and then had a tough week at school. Today I finally have time to relax and get myself together! So, first I think I’ll tell about my weekend in Krakow, and in a few days tell you about some things in the Czech Republic.
Last Friday a large group made up of a few Americans, French, a Hungarian Romanian girl, a Belgian guy, and a Polish guy who would be our host in Krakow made our way to the train station in the early morning. We were able to get really cheap tickets as a group ticket and because we would only go to the border and get on a bus in Český Těšín (Czech side)/Cieszyn (Polish side). There we walked across the city and into Poland to catch a bus to Krakow. The bus we took was quite interesting… they are small busses and if you don’t get there in enough time to have a seat, you have to stand! And it was around a three-hour ride to Krakow – very bumpy and nauseating too! I am very happy that we were able to have seats.
We arrived in Krakow sometime after 1:00… I’m not exactly sure when. But we met up with another friend of hours who would be hosting us and went to Machal’s place where most of us would sleep. We then rallied and went to get food – zapiekanka! They’re these big, cheesy, warm, amazing sandwiches that are sold everywhere. They’re a favorite of drunk people after a night on the town… And I must say that I may like them better than Menna’s Dubs! We then walked around the Jewish Quarter – Kazimierz, to see the synagogues, where the ghetto was, and Schindler’s factory. That night we went to bed kind of early at Michal’s place because our plan for the next day was to see Auschwitz.
To be honest, I had never put Krakow on my list of places I would definitely see this semester. For some reason I just didn’t think it would happen. I am so thankful it did, and part of the reason was the opportunity to see Auschwitz. Before we went, many people told us it was one of the most difficult places to handle as a tourist and that afterword we would be quite depressed. It was hard to express how we felt about going there. It wasn’t excitement, but the feeling that we were going to see something that was necessary to experience as global citizens. The tour was tough, but our guide made is worthwhile. It was so hard to imagine living in those conditions, but to see the rooms, buildings, and cells they were in made it more real. My thoughts the whole time were about how it was possible to do such horrible things to humans – just because they were different. We still discriminate and, in a sense, torture those who are not the “same”. But really, what does it mean to be “normal” or the “same” as everyone else? The group of friends I traveled with helped me to see how a group of very different people can get along and have fun, but learn a lot as well. I am so thankful we saw Auschwitz together. Even though it was a difficult day, and I really don’t want to go into much detail (please ask me if you do! I will talk about it, it is just a lot to explain in a blog post), I am very thankful I was able to experience it.
That night we decided to have a fun night on the town – I mean, we were in Krakow! We started the night in Marion’s flat with some traditional Polish vodka and beer and then went out to meet Michal and go to a bar. We had a really great time! Krakow is full of life at night, especially on a Saturday night. The energy is fantastic and really different from Olomouc and East Lansing! It was really great to see the city both during the day and at night… what a difference! There were always people out – more young people at night, but always people from all over the world. Two days were not enough to see the city, and I really hope to go there again soon.
Sunday we took a quick tour of the Castle and the main square by ourselves. We missed the free tour, unfortunately, but Michal was our guide for a bit and we still had a nice time. We had a nice Italian lunch, and then made our way to the bus station. We ended up having to take a later bus in order to have places to sit… and that began a very exciting time! Our bus arrived in Cieszyn later than we had planned on, so we thought we had missed our train to Olomouc. We got to the train station around 7:20, I think, and Michal was very smart and used his limited Czech skills to find out if there was a train to Olomouc any time soon. And, we were in luck! There was a train that was very late and would be leaving any second, so we could buy tickets and run and hope to make it! He bought the tickets very swiftly and we began to rush – but oh no! Someone was in the bathroom! I ran to get her and we ran after the others, just making it onto the train before it left. What a rush! The train was incredibly crowded, like the one from Bratislava, but we made it on and were back in our dorms before 10:00! It was definitely the most exciting part of our trip.
I am continually so happy I am able to travel as much as I have, and with such great people! However, traveling in such a big group does have its challenges – not to mention language and personality differences! But even through the challenges of paying for meals and finding our way out of malls, we had a fantastic time. Next stop hopefully Budapest! And on Sunday I will go to Štramberk to stay with my Czech friend and her family for a night! I’m very much looking forward to seeing another Czech city and to see a real Czech home.

First full week of school, the zoo, and a dorm fire!

Hello all!

So, it has been a week since I last posted... and nothing too extraordinary has happened. This week was my first full week of school, and now I have a lot of work to do! I really like my classes and my professors, though. Doing the work will be worth it, I just have to find the motivation to do so! It's hard after not being in school for 3 months, and when most people are just having fun here. But all the students were talking today about how much work they have to do, so I think we are all feeling the same way.

In the next couple weeks I will have to give two presentations, but I think it will be ok. While I'm getting into my classes here, I can't help but think about going back to MSU in the fall. I'll have to register for classes at the beginning of April and I'm pretty nervous about doing it without speaking with my advisors. This next year should be my last at MSU, but I am unsure how I will fit everything in and complete it all. That has also made me start thinking about what to do after I graduate... I've gathered that for many of the students here - Czech and other - plan to go right into graduate school to get their masters after they have finished their bachelor degrees. For me, it's hard to say I will go right into graduate school because I still have no idea what I eventually want to do with my life. I have so many options... including coming back here to Palacky for my masters. My professer here told me if I do that, I could do an Erasmus semester at another university in Europe for free, and get some scholarship! So that is something to consider... but then again, I have no idea what I want to do! I think there is time... I just need to get through this semester and see where next year brings me.

Today was an interesting day, however. I had planned to do homework all day, but that of course didn't happen. My friends and I decided to go to the zoo in town because today was such a nice day, but before we left my roommate and I got very lucky! We were sitting and talking, and a 1,000 crown bill literally floated from the sky!! We have no idea where it came from, except for that it was windy and our window was open. It was really crazy! So we think we will use it for our trip to Krakow this weekend... it will be a big help for both of us! So, after that stroke of good luck, my friends and I had a great time at the zoo. It was actually really big, and really busy! There were all sorts of monkeys, birds, cats, snakes, fish, lions, tigers, and bears! Really :) So it was a great afternoon.

Then we did some shopping and I made some fish for dinner, and just as I sat down to eat the fire alarm went off. We first wondered if it was real, or just some smoke or a joke that made it go off. So the Polish guys that hang out with my neighbor went to check it out, and they came running down telling us it was real! So we went outside and called for the fire truck. By the time they got here they had put it out with a fire extinguisher... but it was a fire on the stove in the flat right above mine. I guess some oil spilled over in a pot and the fire started. There was melted plastic too from the vent above the stove. The power went out twice, once while I was Skyping with my step mom (sorry Jodi!). So now it is back, and they are cleaning up the mess upstairs. Now I know to be even more careful when I'm cooking in here! You never know what will happen!

So this week will be full of school, and maybe making real hamburgers for my friends! Friday we plan to go to Krakow, Poland which I am very excited about. I am also officially going to Croatia in April! We'll go from the 16th to the 22nd, and we're flying (which was a bit more expensive, but less travel time than a bus). So things are going well, I'm having fun, but now I must do homework!! Back to real life...

Bratislava - Capital of Slovakia

Wow… travelling two weekends in a row… I love it! Though my wallet probably doesn’t… But today’s trip to Bratislava was wonderful, and quite cheap! Very early this morning (6:15 am) two Americans (including me), two Russian girls, four French girls, and one Belgian guy made our way to the train station in Olomouc to head to Bratislava – the capitol of Slovakia.
Our train ride there went very smoothly. It only costs about $22 for a round trip ticket, so I thought that was pretty great. We got into Bratislava at 10:00, struggled a bit with the change to the Euro and finding out which bus takes us to the center… but figured it out! We then headed to the Bratislava Castle, with my Frommers as our guide, and joined some Asian tourists with the picture taking. It was a big castle… but very modern as far as castles go. We learned on the free tour we took that it burned down because of an Italian dinner, so it was rebuilt and is now being renovated. That’s kind of the case with a lot of places in Bratislava… they were very unlucky and then had to be rebuilt, but the Slovaks always pick themselves up and move forward.
After walking around the castle and seeing an exhibit of goldsmith work we made our way to the center of the Old Town. It was really cute, with lots of cafes and restaurants, and little shops. We all got kebab (because it is cheap and SO good in Europe) to eat and walked around to find where we would meet for the free tour we had planned to take. The tour was really fantastic! Our guide was a student and she had excellent English. She took us to the main sights of the city and gave us enough history for us to know what Bratislava is all about, but not too much to bore us. Some basic background on Slovakia for those of you who don’t know much… Slovakia became an independent nation only recently in 1994 after being apart of Czechoslovakia. They had been their own nation in the past, but always seemed to be controlled by some outside force – like the Soviet Union or the Austro Hungarian Empire. Their succession from Czechoslovakia was very peaceful because they had always felt they were their own country, and they had always done things very peacefully. Like the Czech Republic, they had a very smooth fall of communism with a peaceful, “velvet” revolution. Basically Slovakia seemed to always get a dose of bad luck, but Slovaks are optimistic and very proud of their country.
We were finished with the tour around 3:00 pm so we decided to find a grocery store, and then a café to sit in for a while. We wanted to go to the grocery store so we could buy some fantastic Slovakian beer a friend of ours gave us… The beer in this region is really fantastic! And, best of all, it is incredibly cheap! In Bratislava the beers we bought, which were each ½ liter, only cost 0.70 Euros! In the Czech Republic, it is about 13 crowns with the deposit included. That makes each beer (bought in a supermarket) less than one US dollar! Oh man, I’m going to miss that… Anyway, we bought our beer and found a nice café to relax in for a while and then found our way back to the main train station.
If you have seen the movie Eurotrip (or watched the link to a clip I posted on Facebook) you will remember the really depressing, dirty, and poor way Bratislava is represented. The old town and much of what we saw today proves that representation wrong, but the main train station is definitely a bit depressing. It is very dark and quite dirty, and all you can see around it are the remnants of their communist past. The train ride from Bratislava to Břeclov was also very interesting… There were so many people that crammed onto the train we had to stand in the walkway for our hour ride. It definitely wasn’t pleasant and made me nervous, but all the people around us didn’t seem bothered by it at all and just settled in. We weren’t sure exactly where we needed to change trains to get back to Olomouc, but luckily a Czech girl spoke English and helped us to get off at the right spot. We arrived in Olomouc just before 9:00 pm, and were back in the dorms about a half hour later.
One day in Bratislava was definitely enough, and it was a really great trip. The weather was cold and windy, but the sunshine definitely made up for it. I’m really glad I was able to go there, and with such an eclectic and fun group. Now I can say I have been to Slovakia, and I have made some really great friends! It was definitely a great weekend. This week is my first full week of school because the three courses I haven’t had yet will finally be starting. I am also going to try out a Czech Culture class tomorrow that is taught by an American man. I’m pretty excited about having my full class load and getting really into my classes… I’m a bit behind as far as European history, so a lot is going over my head right now. I think I will be able to catch up quickly, though. So, here’s to a good week at school!