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I got nothing. There are no clever puns that apply to Croatia or
Dubrovnik. I was working with something like, "A Crow-Ate-cha?", but
decided that it was beyond lame. Anyway...

We got to Croatia via a straight up Wright Brother aircraft. I was
expecting to see the pilot stroll up in a leather cap and goggles; but
alas, no goggles. No cap. But seriously, prop planes are ridiculous.
I feel like technology has progressed past the prop plane. What's
next: a hot air balloon to commute? Riding lawnmower for a joy ride?

We got picked up at the Dubrovnik airport by Pero, a friend of our
hotelier, who is also named Pero. He drove us to the hotel in his
"brand new, 4 month old Audi". Pero was quite the fan of his car, and
I must say, I was too. After 4 days of riding around in a 7-passenger
van with a Jackson Pollack windshield and no shocks to speak of, it
was heaven. Did I say, drove us to the hotel? Oh, no no no. There are
no streets in the Old Town of Dubrovnik; you have to walk everywhere.
This quirk is delightful when going downhill; significantly less so
when traversing back up. While scraping the Euros from the bottom of
our bags to pay Audi Pero, we were met at the car by the son of hotel
Pero [who is also named Pero] who led us down the hill to the hotel.
We dragged our bags up the stairs to the top floor and flung the
shutters open for some air. What a view!! We could see all of Old Town
and even the Adriatic in the distance. The warm air was blowing in the
window and the sun shined on the sill.

While walking to the hotel, I had noticed that there was laundry
drying on lines outside every window. "How delightfully quaint!" I
thought. Not so much. I desperately needed to do laundry, so I washed
out a few things in the sink and started to hang them up on the line
outside the window. I take my first pair of undies and try to pin them
to the line. Unfortunately, I do not seem to possess the skill set
needed to properly fasten undies to a clothesline. Down they go. Onto
the red tile roof of the next building, seven feet below my window. I
stare at the wet plopped heap, willing them to fly up and reattach
themselves to the clothesline. When my mind control fails to work, the
hysterical giggling begins. What are the owners of the building next
door going to make of a pair of pink undies if/when they find them?
But then, I get an idea! [/ Laura suggests]: get the umbrella from
downstairs and try to snag them. I stealthily pad down the stairs,
grab the umbrella and race back to the top floor. I lean halfway out
the window holding the pointy end, and fish for my undies with the
hook. After a minute or two of epic failure [plus some odd looks from
the neighbors], success! I do not try to reattach. I know my
limitations.

After that traumatic event, Laura and I explored in Old Town. The Old
Town is quite lovely, all built with the same pale stone that has
bleached pure white over the centuries. The main drag is called
Stradun, filled with lots of touristy shops and a truly excellent
bookstore. We grabbed dinner and headed to bed at 9:30.

The next morning, we walked outside the city walls to a park located
where the town moat once was. After reading for a while, we looked
into going to Mostar in Bosnia or Kotor in Montenegro for a day trip.
We decided that we had been in the car too much in the past week…and
I'll own up to it. The only reason that I wanted to go to Montenegro
was because Casino Royale was set there. I am a bit of James Bond
dork.

That afternoon, we discovered what was to be our base for the rest of
out stay. It is a tiny little bar that is located outside the walls of
the city on a tiny bluff overlooking the sea. You have an unobstructed
180 degree view of the Adriatic. The sea gently laps at the rocky
coast as you sit under umbrellas soaking up the sun and reading. Life
doesn't get much better. [Speaking of, I read four books during the
five days I spent there. Man, I can get stuff DONE on vacation!]

The next day, Laura and I took a boat tour of the Elaphite Islands.
These tiny islands make up a chain that lines the coast of southern
Croatia. While there is not a lot happening on the islands, the boat
ride was beautiful. This coastline is unlike anything I have ever
seen: no sand, just bleached white cliffs that fall into the clear
cerulean sea [yes, I did just use the word cerulean]. On every island,
there is a tiny chapel built of white stone on the highest peak of the
island. One wonders, how did the builders get up there?

On Tuesday morning, I decided to go back out to the café outside the
city wall with the amazing view of the Adriatic. I was the first one
there [or so I thought…] so I lumbered down the stairs to the furthest
point from the entry to I could read in peace. Little did I know that
this peace did not last for long.

I'm reading my book when I hear some splashes. Thinking nothing of it,
I casually glance in the direction of the water. I see the top of an
older man's head just as he spots me. He had obviously just come from
swimming since his hair was wet and he said to me, "the water is quite
cold!" as he walks up to the stairs. I am mid-polite reply when he
comes into full view.

Let me back up. While reading up on Dubrovnik, I ran across a mention
of some nude beaches on a few of the islands near Dubrovnik. I noted
where to steer clear so that I could remain in nudist free zone at all
times. The best laid plans…

Yep, he is nekkid. Ne-kkid. No clothes on. While every muscle in my
body locks into a catatonic state, I sharply jerk my head to look at
the sky, the cliff, my book, anything but him. He, on the other hand,
seems perfectly at ease with situation, not even reaching for the
towel draped on a rock nearby. He does not seem menacing or
threatening…he is not even near me, but I can't run away because he is
in my direct path to the exit. He looks for his belongings, bending
over, turning around, standing with hands on hips…I unwillingly see
this through my peripheral vision, even though I am trying my hardest
not to see ANY part of him. I quickly solve this problem my shutting
my right eye. Ha! No peripheral vision on that side!

I am vaguely hysterical trying to figure out what to do. He is still
trying to make casual conversation, despite my best efforts to ignore
him. Do I mention my large, tall, jealous boyfriend who will be here
any second? Do I pull out my iPod and pretend to have a "phone" call
spoken in loud Spanish? Do I jump off the cliff and take my chances?

As luck would have it, I am saved by an old Croatian lady who appears
to know Mr. Nekkid. She peers over the edge, sees him, then sees me,
and then proceeds to [I am assuming] tell him off in very angry
sounding Croatian. He grabs a towel and slinks off up the stairs as I
silently [and Puritanically] thank God that there are no nude beaches
in America.

The rest of the day was spent trying to get the Mr. Nekkid visual out
of my head.

On Wednesday, we took another boat trip, this time to Lokrum, an
island right off the coast of Dubrovnik. As soon as we got off the
boat, we ran into a peacock. Several peacocks in fact. Apparently they
were brought here a long time ago and have no natural predators. I
found a male and tried to startle him into spreading his plumage, but
no such luck. He just looked at me condescendingly, seeming to be
thinking, "Really? 'Boo' is the best you've got?" I was thoroughly
belittled by a peacock.

We walked through the centuries old botanical gardens that are still
recovering from being bombed during the war almost twenty years ago.
Who bombs a botanical garden? On the island, there are ruins of a
monastery that was founded a thousand years ago. It seems like an odd
place to found a monastery, out in the middle of nowhere on some
island in the Adriatic.

As we were walking along the path, we saw signs warning of a nude
beach up ahead. Still wary from the day before, I slowly backed away
and ran off.

Before leaving in Thursday, we popped by the bar outside the walls to
read for a bit. I had Laura to protect me from Mr. Nekkid…thank God,
we didn't see him. We lumbered back to the hotel [70 steps!!!] and had
Audi Pero take us back to the airport. Unfortunately, we forgot that
the rest of the world is not like Dubrovnik. When we got to Vienna, it
was freezing and we were in our resort clothes, looking slightly
ridiculous.

Today I didn't do much. Of course my last day in Prague was dreary and
overcast. That is…so Prague. I was too sad about leaving to try and be
a tourist, so I did some much needed repacking.

I am coming home tomorrow!! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. My
next email will also be my last [unless I think of more really clever
titles]. I hope to see all of you very soon!

Hungry for Hungary! [OK, that was just too easy]

I'm quite the fan of that title. I thought of it even before we left.

Anyway, Harris, Laura, and I hung out in Prague for a few days before
heading off on Tuesday for Budapest. [One fun story: while we were
still in Prague, Laura and I went to a string quartet concert near the
Charles Bridge. We sat down in the pews and waited for the concert to
begin. Someone had been in the seat before me, so it was a little
warm. I was chilly so I didn't mind. But I just kept getting warmer
and warmer. I thought that I was having some sort of episode, thinking
I was going crazy. My bum was really HOT!...Turns out there were seat
warmers. Not crazy. Good to know.]

Anyway, we had hired a Rick Steves recommended chauffeur company to
drive us all the way around Europe, so Jan picked us up to head to
Cesky Krumlov. Laura and Harris had wanted to go there since I wrote
my first email about it and even though it was my third trip, I was
glad to go. We just had time to wander around the little town and grab
a bite to eat before we headed back to the car. We switched drivers
[to Mike] and switched cars [to a ridiculously large van...for 3
people]. Mike is adorable. He is a small guy who taught himself
English by reading thrillers, therefore he uses the funniest phrases.
He says things like "he wet his beak", which is apparently a mafia
term. Also, he loved using the car microphone whenever he wanted to
say something. To three people. It was awesome.

We got to Budapest about dinner time. Our hotel, also a Rick Steves
recommendation [well, sort of], was quite interesting. It hasn't
changed much since Communism...Rick Steves called it [and I quote] "a
dump" and I am inclined to agree. However, it served its purpose. I
can do anything for one night. We went to dinner [where Rick Steves
told us to go] and went to bed early. We had hired a guide [another
Rick Steves pick] and he picked us up at the hotel the next morning
for a quick tour.

[OK, here's the scoop. We are like heartsick thirteen year old girls
when it comes to Rick Steves. We love him. Love him. We are always
saying, Rick likes this restaurant. This is what Rick thinks. What
does Ricky say about it? It's a little weird. It turns out that our
guide, Peter, had met Rick Steves, even led tours with him. Needless
to say, we pestered him with questions about our heartthrob.
Apparently, he is just awesome as we hoped. Yes!]

Anyway...Peter took us to the top sights of Budapest since we only had
a few hours to see it all. Our first stop was St. Stephan's Basilica.
Hands down my favorite church that I have seen in Europe. It is a
Baroque church, but nothing like the opulence of St. Nicolas in Prague
or St. Peter's in Rome. It is a very tasteful Baroque church [not a
gold covered baby in sight]. Google it. It is awesome.

Peter was a great guide. He is a native Hungarian, so he could explain
all of the history, especially life under Communism. We stopped at the
Parliament, saw the castle, and all of the different architecture. The
architecture is the best part of Budapest...it spans centuries and
every different style possible. We ended up at the Szesheny Baths, a
historic spa in the center of the city park. It is NOT a nude bath [I
had been concerned]. The thermal waters underneath Budapest feed the
baths. There are several different pools with different temperatures.
It was such a great experience, floating in the natural water
surrounded by a beautiful building. Damp and prune-y, we got in the
van and headed to Krakow. The drive was beautiful. We drove through
Slovakia, a wild and unspoiled wilderness of a country. Driving
through the Carpathian mountains, it is easy to see why Rick Steves
[sigh] loves it so much.

I got sick in Krakow, so I am not the person to talk about it. I spent
most of the time in the hotel. I did make it to the salt mines. These
salt mines are famous in Krakow. They are the oldest operating salt
mines in Europe. The miners carved intricate sculptures into the rock
salt to create several chapels [Poland is the most religious country
in Europe], along with statues of national heros. They LOVE Pope John
Paul II. There is a huge salt statue of him in the biggest chapel.
They conduct weddings in there, so if you have a hankering to get
married 120 meters below the surface, this is your place.

We left Krakow the next morning to come back to Prague, but we stopped
in Auschwitz. It is an incredibly moving place and very difficult to
see. You actually stand in the gas chambers. You actually see the sign
that says Arbeit Macht Frei. It is hard to get your mind around such a
place. Even though it was so hard to see, it was definitely worth
going.

After a 5 hour bus ride [blerg], we got back to Prague. Harris is
flying back home this morning through Frankfurt. I am writing from the
Vienna airport. Laura and I are on a layover to Dubrovnik, where we'll
be for 5 days. I am super excited about Croatia. I am finally feeling
somewhat better, so I hope to make the most of this trip.

I'll be home in a week! I am so excited. For the past two weeks, I
have been craving a cobb salad from Charley's. Definitely on my list
of things to do list.

See you all soon!!

Prague-nosis: not quiiiiiite ready to come home.

But close.

Mom and Dad have just touched down back to Charlotte. We had a great
week. I went to the airport to pick them...they arrived with only 2
suitcases and two carry-ons...I was so impressed!!! The Parnells are
not light packers.

I haven't done a lot of the touristy things since the first month or
so, so I was great to rediscover Prague. We did some fun things that I
had done, like the Jewish Quarter, the Castle, Old Town Square, and
some new things that I hadn't done, like take an old car on a drive
through the city, go to two different concerts [strings + organ and
classical guitar duets], and took a lunch cruise on the Vltava. One
day, we took a day trip to Cesky Krumlov, a tiny city in southern
Bohemia that I had visited my first weekend in the CZ. It was very
different without the subzero temperatures, long underwear, and 6
inches of snow. It was a gorgeous day and the town wasn't overrun with
tourists. There is something magical about Cesky Krumlov...like living
in a fairy tale or a postcard. [I'm headed back there on Tuesday, and
I'm not complaining].

Harris and Laura arrived on Wednesday and we had a great dinner at
Kampa Park, one of the best restaurants in Prague. It was tres
awesome, right on the Vltava with an amazing view of the Charles
Bridge. The next morning, bright and early to catch the bus to Vienna.
I had already been to Vienna on Spring Break, but it is such a great
city that I didn't mind. We got to the hotel [which was right across
the street from the U...excellent!] and decided to do a quick bus tour
in the afternoon. We got a quick tour of the town. That night, we went
to a concert at the Kursalon, a famous concert hall in Vienna. It is a
classical music concert, plus dancing and fun costumes! Man, it
delivered like Dominos. They knew their niche, and they found it.
Super touristy, but totally awesome.

The next day, it was the National Labor Day in Vienna [read: lots of
protests and the like]. Mom and I headed to the Imperial Palace [I do
love me a good palace] while Laura, Harris, and Dad went to the
National Art Museum. We met them for lunch at a lovely little outdoor
cafe near the art museum. I had my first [and last...] wiener
schnitzel...redonkulous. After lunch all of us headed to the art
museum for some culture. This museum is incredible. It was built by
Franz Josef in the late 19th century near the end of the Hapsburg
Empire. It is amazing what you can build when you have unlimited
funds. The museum has a huge collection, from Roman sculpture to
Rubens to Egyptian hieroglyphs to Velasquez to Vermeer. The Vermeer
was my favorite...just incredible. We went to a locals place for
dinner which was a nice change from the generally tourist oriented
places that we had been going. The downside of going somewhere off the
beaten track is that NO ONE speaks English. Our poor waitress was
reduced to exaggerated hand gestures and speaking German really loud.
We eventually got our dinner [almost what we ordered] and headed back
to the hotel.

The next morning, we headed to the Belvedere, another art museum. I
didn't go in [I was feeling weird, plus I had already seen it], but
the grounds and exterior are beautiful. We got on the bus and headed
back to Prague. Mom and Dad left the next day and Harris, Laura, and I
started on our Eastern European adventure. I'll leave that for another
blog.

Czech-cellent.

Sorry I've been such a poor correspondent, but trust me, you haven't
been missing much. The semester wound down, which unfortunately meant
that I actually had to do work. I aced my beekeeping exam, a very
important accomplishment in my life. If you need any info on bees, I'm
your go-to person. Yesss.

I got an A in philosophy, Lit, and Czech as well. There you go Mom, I
know that makes you happy. I ended up really liking Czech. I think
I'll continue with it when I get home. I wonder if Rosetta Stone makes
a Czech version. Must keep up. Even though it is completely useless in
the US, how cool would it be to say that you spoke Czech?

The landscape architects has their open house on Wednesday. It is
really fascinating what they do. Their project was to redesign a
neighborhood in Prague that was designed by the Communists [read:
UGLY]. They all had different designs, incorporating different
landscape techniques [parks, graded green spaces, pedestrian walkways,
ponds, sculpture, etc.]. Very cool. I know that I'll look at "spaces"
differently now.

The fashion students also finished this week. Their assignment was to
make costumes for "Midsummer's Night Dream", stage a 10 minute play
and make a cocktail dress. The girls were starting to work on the play
and I offered my expert opinion and ... ended up
in the play. I was the narrator and had to make my own costume. I
think it turned out really well...I made a long black skirt with a
train that had blue petals [in graded colors and sizes] that looked
like a flower. I also made a headband and necklace. I am quite proud
of my little outfit, seeing that I've never sewed before. Last
Saturday, we had a photo shoot for the costumes. They hired a makeup
artist to make us look fabulous and then had a professional
photographer take our pictures. It was pretty awesome.

We had our fashion open house yesterday where we staged the play and
then the girls had a fashion show for their cocktail dresses. It was
super fun.

After, we all went out for a farewell dinner to the monastery where we
all went out the first night. Wait, let me back up. Earlier in the
day, someone decided that we needed to have a mustache party. See, all
of the boys have been growing out their beards [or trying to...] the
whole semester. So yesterday, they all shaved down to mustaches. Not
to be outdone, the girls constructed our own mustaches. Mine was made
out of blue felt. It was fabulous. Anyway, we all went out to dinner.
With the mustaches. We got some strange looks. The best part was that
someone had brought their eyeliner, so EVERYONE got a mustache,
including our professors, the assistant, and they head of the program.
It was AWESOME. Probably the weirdest thing I have ever done [and I do
theatre], but so awesome.

Mom and Dad are arriving tomorrow! I am so excited to see them. Harris
and Laura arrive next week and then we all take off for Vienna. After
we get back, Laura, Harris, and I are heading to Budapest and Krakow,
and then Laura and I are flying to Dubrovnik for almost a week. Life
is not too bad.

I'll be home on May 16th. It seems very close and very far away at the
same time. Three weeks!! However, you may not see me for a while even
after I return. See, I was crazy and booked my flight to Frankfurt at
6:00 AM. Which means I have to be at the airport at 4:30 AM. Which
means I have to leave the hotel at 3:30 AM. Which means I have to get
up at...oh I don't even want to think about it. Blerg.