Sometimes you’ll get the feeling like you left home ages ago. That’s what I felt when I dragged my suitcase into my bedroom. Within one week we visited many hotels, cities, attractions, countries and a festival. Four people in a Toyota Land cruiser and semi-planned we drove to Czech Republic, with a layover in Poland. We hadn’t thought beforehand to glue extra days to our holiday, turning our short trip into a week.
We’ve started off near the border of Germany, driving all the way to Legnica, Poland. I’ve never heard of this place before googling a handy layover that would be just a couple of hours away from Ostrava. Thanks to booking.com I’ve found an old mansion that disguised itself as a castle. Our drive was easy and without any traffic jams, which is a miracle on the german highway.
This is a city you want to visit, if you’re ever nearby. It’s a hidden pearl in the south of Poland. With beautiful houses, churches, mansions and even Soviet architecture we kept on wandering until the last sunbeam left the streets. Our Hotel “Rezydencja” is a breathtaking hotel. Too bad we couldn’t unravel it’s history.
Legnica
The next day rain fell from the sky which kept on going during the whole festival week. In all of Western Europe the weather was to cry for but thankfully we got a wonderful apartment close to the festival. I’m deeply happy that I didn’t camp on a muddy festival terrain. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of festival weeks and weekends. I guess you start reaching an age in which you don’t care about 15 euro’s extra a day that gets you a cab, a warm shower, a warm bed and a silent night (bonus: and a sauna). Besides, Czech Republic taxi drivers will give you a whole new driving experience. One even had a small tv in its cab so he could drive and watch his favorite series simultaneously. Another one believed we didn’t know our way around town, giving us the grand tourist route until he realized we weren’t one of these easy to fool blokes.
Unfortunately the weather gods weren’t pleasing us, and it seemed the festival hadn’t made precautions regarding mud- and water pools that rose in front of stage entrances. I would’ve loved to say that everybody could keep their Coachella and Sziget festival and “Colors of Ostrava” would be the thing of 2016, but I would be lying.
The location was cool, but not living up to it’s full potential. Some acts were okay, and some just dissapointing (from now on Tame Impala will be called Lame Impala).
These are the only pictures I have of the festival. We only went to the festival in the evening and used the day for sightseeing. We were blessed that the weather favored us evertime we left Ostrava. If you would like to experience culture and history, Ostrava is not your city. It’s an industrial city with many flats and filthy corners, but they do have good sushi.
Should we go to the festival?? Naaaaah…..
Krakow is a must-visit city. (But if you are lactose intolerant please inform the waiter that cheese is also made out of milk).
Even though I didn’t want to visit Auschwitz, my fellow roadtrip members persuaded me. I haven’t made any pictures, because it felt disrespectful. The whole place felt like toxic tar, making your legs freeze and your brain intoxicated, wondering how human beings could do such things to one another.
That said I’m ashamed by tourists answering calls on their cell phones, using flash on their cameras, posing in front of buildings as if it’s a fun attraction, carving their names and hearts into walls next to the names of people who were send to the gass chambers. Hey guys, thumbs up and smile…your in Auschwitz. It’s sickening!
After the festival we decided to extend our journey and chose Jičin as our next stop. Close to Jičin a mountain range called “Bohemian Paradise” is located. This was one of my highlights during the roadtrip.
We stayed at the “Grand Paha Hotel”. A gorgeous hotel which serves people since the days of horse and carriage. The rooms are beautiful with high ceilings, kitsch decoration and did I mention a private sauna, jacuzzi and swimming pool which can be rented for a very cheap price!
We’ve made our last stop in the south-east of germany. Our view turned from small czech republic villages into typical German architecture stuffed with elderly people. We’ve made an halt at Bastei. A gorgeous place where beautiful rock formations climb out of the ground, although the quantity of tourists made the attraction somewhat irritating it’s still a spectacular view.
Our last Hotel Rebschule, located in Freyburg was our least favorite stay. Perhaps we became spoiled, perhaps it was the sterile interior, perhaps because the average age was around 65, perhaps it was the hard bed and the pillow that forgot its purpose of being a pillow! The location however was gorgeous. Our vineyard view was mesmerizing and the restaurant we ate a perfect ending of our trip.
I love roadtrips. the fastness, the adventures and it’s unpredictability. Waking up and not knowing where you will spend your next night. My fellow roadtrip people were and are the best, but I will throw that horrible Andre Hazes CD out of the window if I hear it one more time! We had 3 experienced drivers and a 4×4 car with lots of legroom that turned this trip into one of the most comfortable and fun rides I’ve experienced thus far. Next time I need to keep my large camera near me at all time. Half of the pictures were taken by my phone, which shows a difference in picture quality that annoys me.
Up next: Lisbon!
Note! On the Polish toll road a car signaled us as if we had car problems. However, The guy signaling us looked dodgy. He was very persistent as he signaled us driving on the emergency lane. We kept on going and once the guy noticed we wouldn’t pull over, he stopped signaling and dimmed his light as he slowed down. If you are ever in a similar situation do not stop and keep on driving. 1% chance that this guy might have noticed something (even though we haven’t found anything) 99% chance he has plans with your car and belongings in it.
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Prachtige foto’s! Het boheemse paradijs ziet er zo mooi uit, wij waren hier ook ooit, twee uur voor gereden, maar bleken in het verkeerde deel te zijn, wat helaas een stuk minder boeiend was. Reden om weer eens terug te gaan. Krakau staat ook heel hoog op mijn lijstje
Gorgeous!!
Wow, zitten echt héle mooie foto’s tussen!
♥