Linz (Austria) – Ceske Budejovice(Czech Republic)

We had a plan in advance today – well, the startings of one anyway. Off to the ARS Electronica Museum in Linz this morning, and then off to CZ after that.

It all started well – the first peek out of the van showed that the sun was shining and the sky was blue, and it was warm inside the van – which was also promising. We got packed up and headed into Linz – getting a bit lost on the way (nothing new there then) we did find the car park we had been in yesterday – which happened to be right next to the museum – another good sign.

The museum was good fun – and only half price to get in. The best thing they had was a kind of artificial, electronic world that you could interact with. One very cool thing was these cubes that you used with a videoing thing (difficult to explain) which you then put on the world and you were then electronically inserted into it. So there we were – me & Jon – dancing around on this world, with all manner of other things, including computer generated 'people' and also plasticine models that you could have scanned in (picture of our snake/apple creation attached). Of course the only reason we figured out what to do (well, I say figured out) was because this little Austrian kid – speaking sickeningly perfect English – took pity on us and showed us what to do! Good job we're not embarrassed easily.

So that was good fun.

Also there was free wi-fi in the cafe – so I got some good blogging updates done – and there were laptops with internet available elsewhere in the building, so Jon had something to amuse him while I did that!

Great.

And it was still sunny when we left the building.

So, we headed out of Linz and off to Czech Republic – stopping at a supermarket for lunch supplies on the way. That was a bit embarrassing – I got to the check out (Jon had gone in search of a pharmacy for some contact lense solution) only to find that they only took Maestro cards – which meant that my credit card was not good, and my 'new' switch card (which is now visa) wouldn't work either. Hm. So, with a bit of hopeless German and a bit of arm waving the lady took my shopping back and told me where to find a cash point. Of course I couldn't find the cash point, and Jon still wasn't back, so I stood around like a lemon waiting for him. When he finally turned up we managed to cobble together the €22 that I needed and retrieved the food!

Lunch in the car park over (we get all the best locations) we headed back on our way, passing through endless pretty towns and over rolling hills covered with crops and pine trees – very nice.

The border appeared pretty suddenly – as these things do – seemingly across the middle of a town. We passed through one side and thought we were home free – in front of us was what looked like a derelict building with a raised barrier on it and Jon was accelerating away when I suddenly noticed the “Stop” and “Polizei” signs on the building and the man sat in the window. I shouted “STOP” as Jon flew past the window at about 40mph, which he did (although he did ask “why?”). And we backed up to the window. Of course I was left to do the sheepish looking as I handed the passports over, and the bloke looked VERY unimpressed and took ages typing things into his computer and looking at me sternly. Still, we got through eventually – and it could have been worse – we could have been shot at! :)

So. The Czech Republic (must stop calling it Czechoslovakia) – immediately different from where we were in Austria. Definitely a poorer looking country, but still very lovely sceneries.

The most interesting scenery in the first few miles after the border were the prostitutes – wasn't really expecting that – but there they were, at each of maybe 15 road junctions on this main road into the country was one prostitute selling their wares! Just like where I used to live in Nottingham really :)

Our first port of call in CZ was Cesky Krumlov – a famously attractive town that apparently hasn't changed all that much in the last 300 years or so. First impressions were good – only marred by my smacking my toe on a massive rock on the walk into town. Jon was typically sympathetic, even when I showed evidence of blood spilling from the top of the nail – hopeless really. It was only later when my toe turned black that I got anything like a bit of sympathy.

Anyway, I limped on – bravely – and we had a good walk around the town. The most interesting thing is that all the houses look amazing, but the decoration of them (the bricks and things) are all painted on! How unusual is that? Very interesting looking place though – but totally touristy, all the shops and bars and everything – all for tourists – not a bank or grocers or anything in that part of town, so pretty, but not very realistic – if you see what I mean.

Anyway, that done we got back to the van and made a plan – heading to Ceske Budejovice – the place where they make Budvar (or the original Budweiser) beer, camping, maybe going out for dinner and a couple of cheeky pints (well it seemed rude not to).

We got to the campsite after a bit of a drive around the town and eventually a stop to buy a map – we had no chance otherwise. The site is – well – interesting. Cheap, you have to say that - £9 for the night, but a little bit basic I think is how you would describe it. Also, I was a bit peturbed to see this sign – not something you would think that a campsite would advertise really! Still, it was fine – we had electricity, the toilet block was clean and the showers hot and free. No problem.

We took the bikes and headed into town. The old Top Bike is a real treat on the cobbled streets I can tell you (painful). We locked them up in the market square (the bikes that is) which is apparently one of the largest in Europe. Certainly a nice looking place – more of the crazy painted buildings, definitely large – plenty of bars and things around the edge, lovely. We were headed for the most famous place to eat and drink in the town – as listed in both the Rough Guide and the map that we bought earlier. We did find it. Looked like it had been closed for years!!

So, we ended up in the “Original Budvar Bar” which was great. We liked it in there. We had a couple of pints of Budvar, Jon ordered what we thought was sausage but turned out to be a roasted leg of pork and I had the barman's recommendation of steak in Pilsner sauce – which was lovely. The best bit though – the bill. I know that CZ is supposed to be cheap – but I didn't really believe it. Beer really is 50p a pint, and 2 huge meals with 2 beers each was a measly £12 in total! Bonza.

We stopped in on another hostelry before going home – just to get the full experience you understand – and it wasn't so good in terms of service – they seemed in a bit of a hurry to get us out of there (?), but the beer was still excellent and cheap – so no real complaints here.

After a bit of photography messing about in the square, there was a quick cycle home and that was our day done.

It was a good one today :)