Rita and I made a couple of new friends in Prague while we were on one of the free walking tours. They asked us if we were interested in buying their one-way ticket to Budapest because they accidentally booked twice. We haven't gotten our tickets yet so they were quite lucky they asked the right persons. ;)
The price? 8 euros each. 15 for both. We can hop on and off the train too, as long as it's on the way.
Done deal.
It's a win-win situation for both parties. :)
And that's how we ended up in the little town of Brno.
We came at a wrong time, I think. It was a cold Sunday. Most of the shops were closed. I guess people preferred to stay inside their homes and snuggle in the warmth of their families - unlike us, lone travelers, seeking heat instead from the thrill travel brings.
We were two of the very few people that walked the streets and braved the cold weather. In our 4 hours there, we circled the town 3 times, hoping some shop would open, an unlikely scene to happen, or maybe just thinking we might have missed out seeing special things and places on our first (or second) time to pass by.
There were random graffitis, statues, posters, and odd displays, but the one we loved the most was their talking map. It entertained us for a few good minutes. :)
Like in most european cities I've been to, there was a church at the centre. It looked modern but not as majestic as the others in the region Quite simple for central european standards. It resembles the ones we have back home.
As I've been told, you should make a wish at every new church you visit. Not really superstitious but it wouldn't cost me to whisper some words of hope, right? And so, I did - like in all the other churches I had visited in Europe, as every single one was new to me. haha! I've got quite a long list of wishes now, and some I've reused, thinking repetition would strengthen its likelihood to happen. We'll have to see about that. ;)
Mulling over my wish and talking about how funny the circumstances were that brought us here, we continued our walk through the empty streets. At one point, we saw from a distance a medieval church perched up the hill. Filled with excitement at this new sight, we didn't hesitate to take the small hike to get a closer look.
The church was made of bricks and had gothic parapets. This resembled the other structures in Prague, and it was just as stunning.
We came to see it twice.
And in our third round the town, we took a small detour to change course and found this hidden sanctuary at the backyard of this church. It was the perfect autumn setting! Everything was in different shades of orange and it was beautiful. <3
It deserves another post, to be honest, so here are just two photos:
It gave us a breathtaking view of the town. I could have stayed half of our time in Brno there if we saw this earlier . I believe this garden was made for poets, dreamers, artists, and those who have deep souls.
I faintly hoped to see them in rumination, sitting on these benches, but then again I didn't mind having it all to ourselves.
We spent the rest of our remaining time there.
After our short but lovely afternoon in Brno, we headed back to the train station for our ride home to Budapest. :)
In retrospect, the emptiness of Brno that particular day was what made it more memorable to me. European cities are usually flocked with people, both tourists and locals, and they are the life of the city. I would have loved to visit the museums, shops and markets, and interact with the locals to see how people live there, but the lack of this usual encounter with people and instead faced with deserted streets and closed doors gave us an experience of its basic and raw existence - the town's bare bones. Its flesh and soul I have yet to experience.
Believe it or not, we were laughing our hearts out during this trip! Initially, it was because everything was closed and we thought what a ridiculous decision to stay there. Eventually, humour came in our effort to ameliorate the situation by doing all sorts of things to entertain ourselves in that town - things we wouldn't have probably done had there been people around or other options for activities. haha!
Our trip to Brno is one of those experiences that remind me that it's up to you to make the most of what's given to you.. that silence and desolation aren't always a bore.. and that joy can be found in the simplest of things. :)
So, yes, if you have the chance to visit Brno, hop off the train and take it! ;)
***
November 18, 2011
Brno, CZECH REPUBLIC
The price? 8 euros each. 15 for both. We can hop on and off the train too, as long as it's on the way.
Done deal.
It's a win-win situation for both parties. :)
And that's how we ended up in the little town of Brno.
We came at a wrong time, I think. It was a cold Sunday. Most of the shops were closed. I guess people preferred to stay inside their homes and snuggle in the warmth of their families - unlike us, lone travelers, seeking heat instead from the thrill travel brings.
We were two of the very few people that walked the streets and braved the cold weather. In our 4 hours there, we circled the town 3 times, hoping some shop would open, an unlikely scene to happen, or maybe just thinking we might have missed out seeing special things and places on our first (or second) time to pass by.
There were random graffitis, statues, posters, and odd displays, but the one we loved the most was their talking map. It entertained us for a few good minutes. :)
Like in most european cities I've been to, there was a church at the centre. It looked modern but not as majestic as the others in the region Quite simple for central european standards. It resembles the ones we have back home.
As I've been told, you should make a wish at every new church you visit. Not really superstitious but it wouldn't cost me to whisper some words of hope, right? And so, I did - like in all the other churches I had visited in Europe, as every single one was new to me. haha! I've got quite a long list of wishes now, and some I've reused, thinking repetition would strengthen its likelihood to happen. We'll have to see about that. ;)
Mulling over my wish and talking about how funny the circumstances were that brought us here, we continued our walk through the empty streets. At one point, we saw from a distance a medieval church perched up the hill. Filled with excitement at this new sight, we didn't hesitate to take the small hike to get a closer look.
The church was made of bricks and had gothic parapets. This resembled the other structures in Prague, and it was just as stunning.
We came to see it twice.
And in our third round the town, we took a small detour to change course and found this hidden sanctuary at the backyard of this church. It was the perfect autumn setting! Everything was in different shades of orange and it was beautiful. <3
It deserves another post, to be honest, so here are just two photos:
It gave us a breathtaking view of the town. I could have stayed half of our time in Brno there if we saw this earlier . I believe this garden was made for poets, dreamers, artists, and those who have deep souls.
I faintly hoped to see them in rumination, sitting on these benches, but then again I didn't mind having it all to ourselves.
We spent the rest of our remaining time there.
After our short but lovely afternoon in Brno, we headed back to the train station for our ride home to Budapest. :)
In retrospect, the emptiness of Brno that particular day was what made it more memorable to me. European cities are usually flocked with people, both tourists and locals, and they are the life of the city. I would have loved to visit the museums, shops and markets, and interact with the locals to see how people live there, but the lack of this usual encounter with people and instead faced with deserted streets and closed doors gave us an experience of its basic and raw existence - the town's bare bones. Its flesh and soul I have yet to experience.
Believe it or not, we were laughing our hearts out during this trip! Initially, it was because everything was closed and we thought what a ridiculous decision to stay there. Eventually, humour came in our effort to ameliorate the situation by doing all sorts of things to entertain ourselves in that town - things we wouldn't have probably done had there been people around or other options for activities. haha!
Our trip to Brno is one of those experiences that remind me that it's up to you to make the most of what's given to you.. that silence and desolation aren't always a bore.. and that joy can be found in the simplest of things. :)
So, yes, if you have the chance to visit Brno, hop off the train and take it! ;)
***
November 18, 2011
Brno, CZECH REPUBLIC
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