Trip to southern Moravia

We just returned from an amazing 4 day trip to the heart of South Moravia - to Mikulov, Lednice and Palava. I promise I will add comments to the photos as soon as I have more time. Sofar, you can come up with your own stories. Is not that actually better?

Mikulov, meeting Misa, beautiful panorama

Last day of our trip we got to see Mikulov. City famous for the Holy Hill at the background with Chapel of the Virgin Mary , the pilgrimage point. Mikulov is a small city close to the border to Austria, only 1.5 hour from Wiena. It may really surprise you with its rennesaince houses at the main square, chateau gardens, and expositions of the graphics, paintings of Dietrichstein, and wine making. All these expositions are located at the main museum at the castle.

Many people may get get the impression that since the Mikulov castle burnt down twice, one can not find here anything interesting. Please, forget this prejudice. Mikulov borrowed many exponats from Brno and also from the last descedant of Dietrichstein and light the beauty of this building (the first picture is btw view from the castle terrace).

After you saw the main part of the exhibition you may also go to the cellar to see the enormous barrel with 1010 hl.

Anyway, enough about history. In the afternoon we found a very nice restaurant U Hroznu with a beautiful view from the terrace. (Highly recommended!!), stayed here during a short storm and then got to see such amazing view on the way home.

I was incredible glad that Cecilia got to see this part of my home country! She is special and she deserve to see special things. So Tourists in Czech, please got to see some of the smaller towns, Prague is beautiful, but you may be surprised how many small cities are out there which would amazed you even more!

Pálava trip, UNESCO Biospherical reserve

Palava is an protected landscape area (chranena krajinna oblast CHKO) on the most southeastern corner of the Czech Republic. I remembered that somebody told me recently about this region this: "..if its raining in the whole Czech republic, you can be sure there will be drought in Palava." I do agree. During our trip we talked on phone with people from Prague, Cheb, Slovenia and Wien.. and it was raining everywhere. And in Palava?.. just check the pictures. No wonder, that Palava, literally translated, means actually "earth burnt by the sun".

The Palava highlands (first picture shows vew on Nove Mlyny from top of Devin, the second picture than offers far view on opposite highland) are dominant feature of this region south of the dam of Nove Mlyny.

At the top of the hills you can see for this region typical, but in the Czech Republic, very untipical step (picture 3 at the background). Its really surprising to see such ecosystem at 500 meters above see level.

Hikes in this mountains are easy level. You will be always awarded by either a beutiful panorama, old castle, or very nice people from neighboring villages who will try to invite you for a glass of slivovice (czech schnaps made at home). When we took a short afternoon walk along the dam, Cecilia got to taste it as well :-)

For people who plan to hike here here is a typ for accomodation, cheap, very nice personal, beautiful views. Really highly recommended!!!

http://www.kempuzapecu.cz/

I would suggest visitors to stay maybe two days and then head on to Mikulov or other area, dont plan to stay for swimming, the water is not the clearest I have seen in my life:-(

Wine testing, no comment

The birds of prayer at the Lednice Castle

Lednice - show "the Brids of prayer". This is a show in Lednice gardens which takes place twice a day at noon and at 3 pm. Is definitely worth visiting, language czech, but you will not mind, because the birds can talk their language, which is international.

My first picture..I think that this picture will become a legendary. I think that we actually did not develop from monkeys, but owls. Do you see the similarities! I am so proud on this picture, these two smart heads ..

Picture number 2....One of the prices you can win is to actually let the predator land on your hand. It was kind of funny when the guid was explaining this to Dirk in czech :-)

Lednice, castle with Unesco heritage, and the Minaret

LifeBall, Wien

Life Ball festival in Wien took place last week. Festival against festival was visited by Bill Clinton and Sharon Stone and graduated with a enormous fashion show. The lights of the townhall enhanced the whole experience.

COMPETITION, What country is it??

Who answers enclosed question wins a free dinner with Marcela in Wien!!!

What is the main language used in the country which's map is in my previous article?

GUESS, GUESS, GUESS

Freytag & Berndt Karten, Wien, Kohlmarkt Strasse, Map Publishing

I sank into the depths of Freytag & Berndt publishing store today afternoon. Just to see what they offer. Although working mostly in Remote Sensing, I am still interested in cartography and to look on the maps was always my hobby. I got few impressions:

1) This store is really popular, people are everywhere and not willing to move (thats for other chapter ..)
2) I have never seen this amount of maps, atlases, and geographic books together
3) Either I got stupid during those 3 years in US, or the Austrian navigation system is pretty complecated.. to find the right map for particular region is like looking for a needle in the stuck of hay



4) THIS IS IMPORTANT for cartographers
I saw maps of Africa made by Freytag $ Berndt before and honestly, got disgusted. I wanted to change my made during this visit. I DID NOT. Not only maps of developing countries but also hiking maps for Austria made by Freytag and Berndt do not fullfill basic cartographic rules.

I just hope that their books are good. Hard to know, most is in german, and my german is not at the stage to critize the stylization. Anyway, I honestly hope to improve my opinion. Anybody is gonna convince me?? I bough a nice map of Alps, though. Made by KOMPASS. With the same price, their maps have considerable better quality!!

WAITING FOR COMMENTS FROM Funs of Freytag and Berndt..

Btw, I did not stay for few minutes, after 1.5 hours of browsing in this store I decided that I really have to go to work..

My Apartment

Few of you have been asking how is the housing market in Wien. I heard various things. You can get very crappy place for 250 Euro and very beutiful for the same price. I am living as a princess:

Bakanja Center, Lubumbashi, Kongo

My best friend Gabina is currently working as a volunteer at the Bakanja Center, Lubumbashi, Kongo. Taking care of aprox. 80 young guys mostly from the street who do not have parents or whose parents just cannot support them. I have been sceptic to this kind of volunteering work. I like the way they handle this center, though. Trying to build new things which are suppose to be managed by local people in the future. Sometimes it may seem as a Sysifof's job, but even a small change which remains should be highly appreciated. Anyway.. I know sh.. about Gabca's work, just from the letters.. let her talk:



"Decka jsou fajn; daji se celkem od sebe royeynat; jenye nepamatuju si
jejich jmena: u nas bwdli 78 kluku a skolu navstevuje jeste vice...

Zatim se roykoukavam; ame n,ejspis budu v ¨reditelne¨ kontrolovat
sesity a yadavat ukoly a po obede doucovat ve skupince a vecer ,si trikrat
v tydnu, s ucitelem procvicovat tak nejak vsechno...
Jsme tu ted 3 dobrovolnice; ale jedna odjede ya tri twdnw; jedna
prijede za tyden a jedna este v lednu na tri mesice.takye nas b ude relativne
dost.minuly skolni rok jen Jitka.

Jinak tu zacina destive obdobi a kdy prsi tak prsi poradne; neni slyset
vlastniho slova.vcera mela naroyeninw Annie,pani y Belgie ydravotnice
toy jsme slavili ale po osme hodine bopurka a konec proudu,takye
pripraena divadla se nemohjla uskutecnit bo bylo prd slyset)ani to asi ne:))
;;;napsala bych vam tedka rada vsechno; ale jaksi nevi kolik casu, net
neni nejrychlejsi.."

Coffee Houses - Portions

Somebody was making fun of me before I left US: "And dont forget to always order the big portion since now". I laughted but did not really think about it. Hope the enclose picture will explain you this note. The keys I put there on purpose: to compare them with a regular size coffee in this cofee house :-)

Coffee Houses

Wien has one specificum: Coffee Houses. Coming here after 3 years in USA, I was surprised by the style, service of these places. Most of Wien Coffee Houses are oldstyled places, usually large, with old-fashioned furniture. The waiters are usually dressed in a suit and serve you coffe on a silver plate along with glass of water. After visiting 4 of these I actually got to miss some comfortable armchair, were I can sit and read my book as I was used to in the Coffee places back in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Yesterday, I found a place like that. Its tiempo café. Really nice place with concerts twice a week and irregular lectures. There is a book store which is conntected with this café. Ideal place. You can check it on www.tiempo.at.

Google Earth is UNGLAUBLICH

I am sure each of you already heard about Google Earth. There are websites, blogs, forums, funclubs.. for google earth. I am a fun as well. With this post I want to encourage more people to grap this tool and use it as a daily routine. Were else can you spend 10 minutes to show your trip to your parents who are 200 to 20 000 km away?

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO PLAY AROUND WITH GOOGLE EARTH please go to:
BIKING BIKING BIKING BIKING BIKING and

to see our whole journey in 3D.

ENJOY

SiSSi

This Sunday I visited the Schönbrun castle, home for Franz Josef and Sissi. I browsed through the gardens and took a Golden Tour through the chateau. It was my first visit at a turistic place since my trip in Mexico. I was nicely surprised by an electronic guide in english. Yes, I know its not a suprise in Austria. Beleive me, its a big surprise in Mexico.

Anyway, on the tour you get to know something more about a private life of both Franc Josef and his beloved Sissi. I was often wondering how is it possible that the ladies in early age were so thin. I got the answer. Though having a 3-5 meal family dinners everyday, Sissi could never join these dinners in order to keep her figure. She exercised every day and was never alone, always surrounded by her maid. Franz Josef was working every day 5 to 9 but never forget to keep some time for his darling.He really loved her and at the end of his life said: "Nobody can know how much I loved this woman". What a love story. Dont you think?

Kahlenberg, Radweg zu Kahlenberg

Great weekend goal: To defeat the Radweg (biking trail) to Kahlenberg. Little workout and beautiful views (i.e. panorama photoes enclosed). Kahlenberg is 484 above see level and as a part of Wien Wald lies in the northeast of Eastern Alps.

There are many different options how to bike up there, from moderate up to very very steep hils, from 2 hour biketrip up to 30 minute intensive climbing. Probably the hardest go from climbing very fast, depending on your condition, maybe done even in 30 minuts.

My friend Cecilia and other friend from Germany Dirk, my collegues and Dirk's friend Jens left the downtown Wien early on saturday morning. We chose the moderate level. Had to suffer a little bit anyway, the hill is long and protracted ... We all made it safe and could enjoy the beautiful views.

Biking in central Wien, Fahrrad in Wien

Have you ever experienced traffic jam on the bike trail? No? Try to bike in Wien around 9am or 6 pm, during the bike rush hour. Though the biking trail system in Wien is excellent, it cannot capture the amount of people biking here during this time of the day. The bikers are tolerant, though, they don't hunk, nor do they scream at other, what would one expect. They just silently obey the rules.

Yesterday, there were a lot of police man downtown. Biking home in late hours, I forgot my light. One would say "and?". And? I was really lucky that there was a little less lucky biker in front of me who has been stopped and charged few Euro, so that I could silently do a big loop around this couple and safely got home. Anyway, next time I will not forget my light. This fee can actually get to your register. And you don't really want to pay some more Euros on your car insurance in few years just because of your laziness few years before.

My new brother in law

WEDDING

I guess I am really oriented at my family last few slides :-) One more, though.
My sister got married last week. Wish her best of luck, stesti, lasku, pohodu. Milujte se a mnozte se ;-)

Family trip

Two weeks before my sisters wedding the family decidd to do a small trip ala when we (me and Dasa) were small. It was very nice. We climbed Lesny, the highest point in the Slavkovsky les. And we were proud, look at us.

Prater, sport&bier

I wonder if thats the right place for Armstrong. During his training he probably doesnt stop for a bier. Anyway, it was a nice break on a sunday bike tour.

Brouzdani Vidni

Wien is a perfect place for biking. The amount of biketrails is enormous! Some of these go through vineyards above Wien. The main destination: Kalenberg.