Day 15: Telc, Trebic, and arrival in Brno
My birthday started off with a very fast paced three hour lecture of Europe from the beginning of the 20th century to the end of the Second World War. It was our last day in Telc and class was followed by a quick homemade lunch (tuna sandwiches) and packing. We had about half an hour free before departure time, so Julie and I went out for a walk -- my favourite part of the day.
She bought me a Magnum Crème Brûlée ice cream as a birthday treat, and we sat by the pond for a bit, then went to the Telc park, which was the most beautiful, quiet, natural place I'd ever been to.
There was no one there for a good part of it and the only big building near the park was the castle. It was the most picturesque scene -- yellow and white flowers dotting the green grass with clumps of bushes and trees all around.
I could totally imagine the trees as nymphs and gnomes hiding in the bushes and tree stumps. It looked like the perfect setting for a fairytale, and it was too easy to see magic coming out of a scene like this.
Unfortunately, we had to rush back to catch the bus to Brno, and I left fairyland Telc behind.
On the way, we stopped by Trebic and visited the Basilica, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We got a guided tour inside the Basilica and crypts, then went into the gardens where we got a view of Telc from high up.
The bus ride across the Czech countryside isn't the smoothest, but the view makes up for it every time. I don't think I could ever get tired of looking at the rolling patchwork hills of sunlight-doused flowers. Their brightness across the landscape catches me every time.
We arrived in Brno ahead of schedule, and again, I was very pleasantly surprised by the state of our dormitories. There were only two people per room, and it was like a small apartment to share -- certainly bigger than our B&B apartment in Paris. In addition to being newly renovated and spotlessly clean, we have a private kitchen and full washroom to ourselves. The only downside is the lack of Internet.
After unpacking, a group of us went down to a local restaurant for dinner. In typical Czech fashion, the food took two hours to arrive (even the salad). We were able to get groceries while waiting and the food still hadn't arrived by the time we got back. It was cheap, and satisfying, when it finally did arrive, but the wait time is quite frustrating.
Another highlight of my day came just as I was about to leave after dinner. Since we'd only just been in the program for a few days, I hadn't told anyone it was my birthday and I was pretty certain no one knew. However, one person had added me on Facebook and noticed, and organized a surprise dessert for me with a large group there to sing me Happy Birthday as I blew out an imaginary candle. It was very much a thoughtful, low-key gesture that I really appreciated so far from home.
Photos by Julie Zhang and Linh Nguyen.