Week 9–

 

We came as strangers, but left as great friends

            Already had to start saying our goodbyes to the people that have impacted my life for the better and who have become my family. We are driving back to home sweet Olomouc for the last time. This last field trip to Bohemia has been a whirlwind of adventure.

We started off our trip going to Litomysl. We only had one day there, but it was packed with great memories. We stayed at a neat hostel that was also attached to the castle there. We went to a presentation and then got to tour the church and after see the gardens. For the evening we grabbed a few boxes of pizza and hung out before celebrating Jessica’s birthday.

 Next, we ventured to Kutna Hora. Along the way we saw Lezaky, which was once a village before the Nazis came in and had the entire village murdered. We walked along what was once these peoples home, but was now a beautiful memorial.

Once arriving in Kutna Hora we first stopped at the bone church. They said it is estimated to have the bones of about 6,000 people. It was so interesting to see and yet I had a strange feeling walking around looking at these bones because they are real.

On the third day, we packed up and went to the silver mines in the morning. We were given hard hats, white coats, and also told that some of the spaces were going to be very narrow. Throughout the tour we were bending down to crawl through tight spaces, going sideways, and always seeming to have to duck. This mine is the oldest mine in Europe and has definitely been one of my favorite tours we’ve had. After, we got back onto the bus and drove to our last destination, Cesky Krumlov.

Rafting adventure with the crew

 This was a place that looked as though it had been taken right out of a fairy tale. There was a river that ran through the village helping add to that feeling too. After arriving we got our rooms in the hostel and then had the rest of the evening to get a good feel of where we were. We dropped our

Couldn't have asked for a better roomie

stuff off and headed straight out. They have so many cute little shops that line the streets and I can’t forget about the cafes where you can sit right next to the river. For dinner the first evening we hiked all the way up to the castle gardens and had ate at a medieval restaurant. It took us awhile to find it and then when we did it didn’t look like it was open because they didn’t have any lights on. Turns out they wanted to enhance your medieval experience by having you eat by candle light. The eight of us enjoyed each of our meals and walking back down to the hostel was breathtaking because the village was light up and the lights reflected off the water.

 Day two in Cesky Krumlov we went and saw a theater and then had the opportunity to tour the castle. After splitting up for lunch we met back up and then went rafting. There were three boats of six and we all had an absolute blast! Even though it was kind of rainy the sun would come out from behind the clouds. Laughing and enjoying our time floating down the river made for some great memories. The day flew by with all the fun we were having and for the evening we headed dinner with our whole group plus our two professors and even the bus driver.

Current Status:

With bags packed and plans set we are off to make more memories all over the world for the next 3 weeks!