On the home stretch

This is it, dear friends and loyal readers, the last few days of our (current) trip have come. And as always, they came rather quickly and suddenly.

We started the last week with a rainy day at the Lipno water reservoir. Built in 1959, itˋs main purpose is to protect the cities down river from floods, namely Budweis and Prague. 

With a surface area of 4650ha, it is the largest lake in the Czech Republic. 

By the time we made it to Cesky Krumlov the weather had improved dramatically and so this picturesque little town showed itself from itˋs best side.

To a horde of tourists, unsurprisingly.

Nevertheless, it really is worth a visit. 
The historic old town is part of the UNESCO World Heritage and you can easily see why.

The castle is a charming mix of Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic and looks down on the city from is perch on a hill and has done so since the 13th Century.
It offers a spectacular entrance into the old town, with the river Moldau running right through it.

After a quiet night next to a little river (this seems to be a recurring theme), my human went on a hike the next day under a blue, cloudless sky. 

Up to the point where a chairlift suddenly appeared out of the trees, she was pretty much alone with Mother Nature. 

The last stop in the Czech Republic was Budweis.

After having been to Pilsen early on in the trip, it was now time to have a taste of the second world-renown Czech beer in itˋs hometown.

Although Pilsener is by far the largest brewery in the country, Budweis has been in the business a lot longer. Since the 13th Century monks have been brewing beer here.

The city itself is framed by the Moldau river and has a walkable center.

Main feature on the large city square are the Samson fountain, the town hall and the 80-something arcade houses.

The Black Tower

Not sure about this one

Hotel Budweis sponsored by Pilsner Urquell

Following a recommendation, my human went for lunch in a local institution, Masne Kramy. The restaurant found itˋs home in a former butchery and is very cozy with lots of little alcoves.

The beer, Budweis, of course, is cold and very tasty. So is the food. Unfortunately, though, when ordering a goulash, my human expects a little bit more than four small pieces of meat on her plate. 

She inquired with the waitress if maybe they had forgotten something. But no, this was 120 grams of meat (or so she claimed), and thatˋs the normal portion size. 
Now, we all know that "normal" is a very elastic term...

Before winding things down, my human went on one last hike. This one led her to the three-country-border of the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany, past Plesne Jesero, a pretty mountain lake.

Carmelo in three counries

Last but not least, we stopped for a quick look-see in Passau, Germany. After having stood in three countries in ten seconds, here you can watch the confluence of three rivers: Inn, Danube and Ilz.

The Stephenˋs Cathedral is the focus point in the center. Itˋs organ has almost 18.000 pipes. The instrument is currently being dismantled, though, for restoration, which will take three years by current estimates.

The fortress Veste Oberhause sits on the other side of the Danube, high up on a cliff, overlooking the city. Itˋs been around since the 13th Century.

Fun fact: almost a quarter of Passauˋs citizens are students.

And here our journey ends, folks!

It was a short one this time, not even three months. They were very good months, though, and we had a lot of fun. 
If I had to name a favorite place, and thatˋs a question we get a lot, I would have a really hard time to do so.
Vienna would be in the top three for sure and so would be the Tatra mountains. As for the third - all the other places! Well, maybe not all of them...

We will have a little break now, at least I will. My human has a bit of work coming at her, the Oktoberfest is just around the corner.

By mid-October we will get on the road again for a few weeks before hunkering down for the winter in Munich. 
So, if you wish, we see each other again in six weeks or so.