Day 29 - Krems to Prague

We had no expectations for our drive back to Prague and took a scenic route sticking to country roads. At one wooded stop (to see a castle ruin) we encountered a huge black snake (unmoving, mouth open) in the middle of the road near the parking lot. Paul is an ophiophilist and had to investigate! It didn’t even flinch as he approached or when he picked it up with a branch and placed it in the bushes (upside down—pale yellow belly facing upwards). Was it dead? There was no sign of injury—so we asked ChatGPT and here’s what we learned: when threatened, the harmless European grass snake doesn’t rely on speed or strength. Instead, it pretends to be dead—this is called thanatosis and involves not moving, hanging out its tongue, and sometimes giving off a foul scent (Sarah was no where near close enough to detect any odor—no photos either!)

When we got back to the car and checked on the snake, it was still in the same spot in the bushes but clearly still in character, but it had decided to right itself for Act II (no belly showing)!

To break up the journey we stopped for lunch in České Budějovice. Prague and České Krumlov might get all the attention, but this small town is now a favorite—we could have easily spent a week here and used this as a base. The town name is hard to pronounce unless you make the connection to a certain US beer. The famous Bohemian lagers made here were in fact inspiration for "Budweiser" made by Anheuser-Busch in the States.

The old town pedestrian zone was charming. The main square, Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II, is colorful and in great condition. Forty-eight Baroque and Renaissance townhouses ring the square and have beautiful facades (see video). The rooflines reminded us of the distinct Dutch gables and left us wondering about this connection. The city’s end-of-summer street festival was just opening with food trucks, crafts, and other interesting stalls—we were sorry we couldn’t stay longer.

By 5:00pm we had said “Auf Wiedersehen” to the Skoda and settled into our last accommodation, a slightly OTT cow-themed apartment just below the Prague Castle.Read more