Our ship arrived in Linz just as we finished breakfast. Shane went out on his own to explore the castle and wander the streets. We had a big day ahead of us and I wanted to rest before following yet another lollypop on to the bus.
Another beautiful sunny day in this amazing part of the world! Blue skies and high spirits were with us as we headed off to Cesky Krumlov. According to the "Daily Cruiser" newsletter we were about to experience "a small town that is yet to be discovered by many travellers to Europe". The other two choices for the day were Salzburg (been there) and the Austrian Lake District (was there with my sister not long ago). Besides, I just love going to the places off the beaten track. 
If you have ever been to Austria you will understand how difficult it is to describe the rolling farmland. It's as if the farms have been plucked from the pages of a picture book. It is obvious that Austrians take great pride in their property. There are no old car wrecks or piles of unsightly garbage anywhere. Lulled by the lovely views (and the classical music our guide played as we drove along) it came as a surprise when we reached the Czech border. Ugly grey abandoned buildings stand as a silent reminder of the Communist era, a time best forgotten on this beautiful day. As soon as you cross the border the difference is very apparent. Cross border shopping was a big thing before the Czech Republic joined the EU. Ghostly reminders of open air markets, ads for casinos and bars welcome you. The farms are not as well cared for either. It is apparent that, in this part of the Republic anyway, people are not well off.  
Our guide made an interesting comment about the (mostly vacant) market stalls. Apparently they were run by Vietnamese immigrants who were originally invited to work in factories during the Communist regime. Migration was encouraged by the Vietnamese government as they hoped their citizens would return with new skills. However, most of them decided to remain after the collapse of Communism and many of these ran market stalls selling cheap goods. Now, as prices seem to be normalizing across the EU borders, these immigrants are integrating into society with the majority of the ethnic Vietnamese living in Prague. 
With this new information and a slightly altered view of the countryside, we continue towards our destination. The gentle road takes us along the Vitava River. The gold and rust colours of Autumn along this winding river bring their own kind of beauty. As we listen to classical music from this part of Bohemia we see a fly fisherman quietly casting in the distance. It just doesn't get any better than this. We have had a lot of tour guides on this journey.... the gentle man who guides us on this day understands the beauty of music combined with lovely scenery and a lack of chatter. 
Our first view of the charming village of Cesky Krumlov was, of course, the Castle on the hill. This UNESCO World Heritage site was built in the 13th Century at a ford in the Vitava River (an important trading route in Bohemia). Most of the structures in the town are in Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. You enter the town by a bridge after walking under a structure that looks much like a viaduct but is actually part of the castle complex. Across the bridge the quaint village takes you back to medieval times. Many of the unique buildings have been beautifully restored. Designs on the facade indicating the trades that were formerly housed there. Narrow cobblestone streets with hidden passageways going off in all directions. Absolutely the perfect place to get lost in! We followed the tour, listened to the stories then the four of us took off to explore on our own. We climbed up to the castle garden to get pictures of the sunny village below. On our way up we took a picture of two bears who were actually living in the moat (took the picture for Barbara.... she'll understand). There is quite a story behind the keeping of the bears. Krumlov Castle became the residence of the Lords of Rosenberg for three hundred years. The Rosenberg family coat of arms shows two bears as the shield bearers supporting the antiquity of the House of Rosenberg. Apparently there have been bears in this castle (though not in the moat) since the beginning of the 18th century. All through the town you see another symbol of the family as well, a five petalled rose.  
From the castle we wandered through the town trying our best to get lost. Stopped for a tasty Trdelnik which is kind of like a doughnut rolled around and cooked on a metal pole. The smell was better than the real thing but still pretty tasty! Later on we sat by the river while enjoying a local beer (which tasted better than it smelled). Ruth and I spent a little money on scarves while trying to find our way back to the main square where the group was to meet. All in all we had almost three hours on our own.  
 It was interesting to learn that this area was annexed by the Germans (or claimed as their own) during WW II which is probably why there was little or no damage to the town. After the war the town's German speaking population were expelled and it was restored to Czechoslovakia. Now, of course, it is the Czech Republic with Slovakia off on it's own. Sometime the allegiances change so often I don't know how they figure out where to pay their taxes!!  
 Cesky Krumlov is indeed a lovely village though I can't say that tourists have not found it. I can't imagine what the place would be like to wander around in during the busy summer season!  
The bus made it's way back to Linz taking a different route through the countryside and passing by Lake Lipno which is a man made lake popular with locals in the summertime. Again we listened to music which made a perfect ending to a lovely day. 
In the evening we were entertained by a young man and woman who call themselves Sound of Austria. Many of the people who spent the day in Salzburg discretely made an exit out the back. Though the singers did a good job I think you can only listen to so many tunes from the Sound of Music! I, however, quite enjoyed the show!