Final Blog Post

Packing and Traveling
 
As for bringing items from home, I brought a towel and an extra blanket.  I should have left the blanket at home because I never used it.  I really didn't pack anything special.  I stuck to the list provided and it did me well.  The only things that could have stayed at home were extra clothes.  Travel tips to pass on are:  DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE GOING TO A NEW CITY.....do not try and wing it.  Having plans makes for a smooth and enjoyable experience.  Use books such as Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor is great, and Rick Steves' Podcasts are great because it essentially a free tour for that given city or tourist attraction.  Always do what the locals are doing in the particular area, it is the best way to discover a real feel for the city.  My top 3 places in Europe so far have been: Budapest, Malta, and Salzburg, Austria.  Budapest was a beautiful city with enough to keep someone busy for weeks.  Malta was the sameway,  the ocean was perfect and everyone was so friendly there.  Salzburg was a great short trip from the Czech Republic.  Great food and beautiful landscape surrounds the city.  Everyone has their own favorite places and by doing my homework on what to do in these areas made for great memories to be remembered.

Social Life

I always met students from the Czech Republic at the bars during the evenings.  Experiencing the bar life was a great way to meet students from the Czech Republic as well as other countries.  I liked to spend my free time traveling around to make the most of my trip, eating local foods, and spending a good amount of time at the local pubs and bars.  I enjoyed doing this because I received a great sense of the local lifestyle.  I feel like my free time was used very well.  Although being exhausted by it, I did not come to Europe to sleep but to experience as much as I could in my short time and I feel very cultured by my time spent here.  The top activity for experiencing a vast social and cultural events were the Erasmus parties at Belmondo.  Here you could meet anyone from around the world and learn about their culture and lifestyle.  Everyone speaks English too which is a plus!  Best advice for future students is to use the free time to travel around, have a great sense of adventure, for many people this is a once in a lifetime experience so take anything and everything in and enjoy it.

School Work

I feel as if not much differed from back home as in terms of academics.  Some of our lectures were dry and boring but everyone has lectures like that back home.  As for my study habits, I did not really have any study habits.  I was in Europe after all to have a good time so I completed my school work when necessary then put the thought in the background.  Everyday is a learning process so I was not going to allow school to hinder my experience in Europe.  Library?  Whats that? Never went.....was I  supposed to go?  Keeping an open mind was the best strategy for making the most of any situation either academic or personal experience.  No one will ever enjoy every activity but shutting an experience down half way through kills any enjoyment to be had.

Money & Communications

I would say every cent of $4000 to enjoy the trip without having to worry about money.  I planned on going on this trip 2 years ago.  This allowed me to save a large sum of money to enjoy my time in Europe without having to be conscious of my budget.  I was not a foolish spender while in Europe but I was always comfortable with my financial status.  Anyone on this trip could make the trip expensive if they wanted or the trip can be spent in a frugal mindset.  In terms on finances, it is up to the student on how much and what they spend money on.  I managed my money by using an international credit card.  My particular card is the Barclaycard by Mastercard.  This card has zero international transaction fees.  This was by far the smartest decision because I did not need to worry about carrying cash and horrible ATM fees.  I spent maybe $10 on books, $15 on school supplies, $300-$500 on food and alcohol, $1000 on travel, $50 on laundry, and $20 on toiletries.  Again these are all ballpark numbers,  save early and money will not be a main concern while traveling abroad in Europe.  Skype was the main source of communicating with friends and family back home.  I wouldn't use anything else.

Top 10 Activities

1. Go to Budapest,  I have nothing to regret while going there.  Boat parties on the Danube, pub crawls at night, free walking tours, stay at a youth hostel,  go to the Grand Central market, do not worry about sleeping.....that is what the bus ride home is for!
2. Malta, Malta, Malta -- This was a great spring break destination.  Scuba diving, beaches, perfect ocean weather, and relaxing without a care in the world.  Malta was relatively cheap to travel to as well.  Friendly people and everyone speaks English.  
3. Talk with Jan and Martin----These guys are great and will help anyone out with travel plans or what ever someone might need.  They know so much about European cities.  Ask them questions because they know the answers.  Go to lunch/supper with them when given the opportunity.
4. Travel and experience Olomouc-----Just because it is the home base or where the dorms are doesn't mean Olomouc has nothing to offer.  This is a great city to be experienced.  So many great little restaurants, pubs, and hidden churches.
5. Do what the locals do.  I wasn't sent in a wrong direction because of this.

One Visit Is One Too Many

Time only moves one way, away from yesterday, but the memories never change.

I will start off this life changing adventure with my visit to Terezín.  Terezín or Theresienstadt was a concentration camp, ghetto, and a prison in an area north of Prague.  This was my first concentration camp visit and a definitive eye opener.

 The cemetery outside the walls of Terezin where a few of the victims of the camp were given a proper burial.  Some headstones contained a date while many simply contained a name.

 "Arbeit macht frei"  This German slogan meaning "work makes free" was commonly displayed above entrances to concentration camps throughout Europe.  That slogan was rarely if ever accurate.
This long corridor was the location for registration of prisoners, followed by being given a uniform, and finally marched through the gate into the prison cells.  These cells designed to hold 40 people were often crammed with over 100 people.  Poor diet, horrible conditions, and high levels of diseases made survival unrealistic.  Any mail that the prisoners would received from family or friends was opened by SS guards and rarely if ever made it to the rightful owner.  Any food sent was mixed or cooked and fed to the entire camp.  Medicine, cigarettes, and food was all mixed together and served as food. (if you want to call it food)

These barracks were built as an additional living quarters to Terezin by prisoners; over 600 prisoners would remain here at one time.  The temperatures in the summer reached well over 100 degrees inside and unbearably cold in the winter.  No mattresses, one toilet, and no privacy.  



Now for an enjoyable experience?  Definitely!

The trip to Kroměříž will always be a great memory.  This city was relaxing and enjoyable, while keeping its own identity different from any city I have previously visited.  

 The view from the top of the tower in the Kroměříž Palace of the Archbishops, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

The palace garden was a unique experience to encounter.  This palace garden was massive, extending in every direction from the picture above.  This garden contained several lakes, a stream, and its own zoo.....Not a bad place to live.

The next stop in Kroměříž was the highlight of the day and one of my many favorites while visiting Europe.  The wine cellars of the Archbishops of Kroměříž.  Here we enjoyed a guided tour and a tasting of all natural high-quality sacramental wines, whose tradition goes back more than 730 years. Wine vats of various sizes scattered the cellar where the delicious wine matures.

 Private wine lockers available to rent from the cellars.  I'll take 2 please!

 The cellar's temperature and atmosphere are perfect conditions for making and storing this adult grape juice.  The temperature varies only a few degrees.  The temperature is always between 48 and 51 degrees Fahrenheit.  Almost the entire cellar is covered in mold, walls and ceilings included  (picture above).  Not sure how this stands on a health point but if the wine is happy then I'm happy.

 One of the many vats in the cellar.  Can anyone guess the amount of wine stored in this vat?  19, 100 liters of wine or 25, 466 bottles. 

 Above is the wine stored produced in the cellar from the previous year.  Close to 50,000 bottles are stored in this room alone.

 A quick stop in Ostrava to visit Vítkovice Ironworks was interesting.  Over 90 million tons of iron was produced here while the factory was in operation.  This industrial park is now toured daily with people from all over the world.   Even though I am not an expert on iron ore production,  I still enjoyed learning about the aspects and being able to have the opportunity climb the various structures like employees of the factory used to do so.

 

Schlindler's factory in Krakow was a great visit.  Easily the best museum visited thus far in Europe.  The preparation and design of this museum was a near perfect replication of what life was life in Krakow during German occupation. 

 The replication of the Jewish ghetto in Krakow was one of my favorites during the museum visit.  Feeling the rock beneath my feet with a barbwire fence gave me a small sense of how extreme the ghetto was. 

 Walls on walls of Nazi propaganda scattered throughout the museum.

 This simple statement needs no explanation.

Some of the thousands of pieces of metal ware produced by the factory of Oskar Schlindler.

The Wawel Castle in Krakow was another place visited in Poland.  During the visit to the castle, we visited the castle armory, the dragon's den, and the estate rooms of the castle.

The visit in Krakow was great.  This city is in my top 3 cities visited thus far in Europe.  The food was fantastic and the people were extremely friendly.  I would love to make a return visit in the near future.

Auschwitz

Usually when visiting a new place, I can feel excitement for this new and upcoming experience.  My excitement or desire to visit Auschwitz was non-existent.  Upon arrival,  I was shocked by the presence of hotels and restaurants right next to Auschwitz I.  How people sleep so close to a place where obliteration and eradication of human life occurred?  That is one question I may never understand.

The pictures above are the entrance to Auschwitz I. Most people just think of Auschwitz as 1 camp but there were 3 main camps with over 40 smaller satellite camps.  The camps are as follows: Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II (Birkneau/Killing Camp), & Auschwitz III or Monowitz-Buna (Labor Camp/Factories).  The picture of me smiling did not last long once our tour began.  You will see in the upcoming pictures, which are extremely difficult to explain, why a smile is impossible to create.

Locations of people transported to Auschwitz.  Many of these people went straight to Auschwitz II to the gas chambers. Upon entering these buildings, my first impression or feeling was the staircases.  Warped and worn cement staircases and uneasy to walk on, my first thought was how many people had walked upon these stairs.  That was an uneasy experience.

 A picture from inside a block at Auschwitz.  A look out the window still resembled a prison. 

 1 can of Zyklon B claimed the lives of 700 people.

 Names and descriptions of items taken from people arriving to Auschwitz.  They were often told to leave their belongings and they will be able to return later to collect them.  These people were never able to return, most went straight to the gas chambers.

Well over 500,000 pairs of shoes......difficult to talk about and even worse to view in person.

 Block 11.  A prison inside of a prison.  In my opinion, this was one of the worst parts of Auschwitz.  The cement wall was the execution wall where human lives were taken by the squeeze of a trigger from a German SS official.  The slanted posts were a torture methods used when arms were placed behind the back of the particular person and hung by the eye screw by the rope binding the hands.  Germans prevented the inmate from touching the ground while being exposed to this torture method.  This often resulted in the dislocation of the shoulders and/or broken bones.  After this punishment lasting 1 hour, many were sent straight to the gas chamber because if you cannot work you cannot live.

The two pictures above are of Auschwitz II or Birkneau.  It was here where people were unloaded like cattle and by the direction of a finger movement from a German officer the fate of that person was decided.  Right to the gas chamber or left to the work camp.  

The means of transportation for people taken to Auschwitz.

Inside of Auschwitz II.

After visiting Auschwitz, the experience to difficult to speak of, let alone think about.  The memory of Auschwitz will always remain in its own preservation but the interpretation of this place will be forever changing as I continue to learn about my life and the changes the world will experience.  I have no desire to ever return here.  One Visit Is One Too Many.

Until next time....

Thad

--Always do as the locals do--

Vienna, Venice, Rome, & Malta

Hello again,

The 2591 mile trip started off in Vienna, Austria.  The city was far from my expectations.  Vienna felt like being in Chicago or some other big city.  When I visited Salzburg, Austria my expectation for Vienna were similar to the look and feel of Salzburg.  The group visited several museums, but I had little interest in them.  I understand that the Habsburgs are very important to European history but I have little interest in that particular area.  The part of Vienna I enjoyed the most was exploring the city, seeing the different styles of architecture, and visiting the Naschmarkt.  This small market has been a staple of the culture of Vienna by existing since the 16th century. One highlight of being in Vienna was the schnitzel; I can say that I ate my fair share of that wonderful dish. (Pictured below was a great tasting schnitzel!)  St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna was another highlight.  Of all of the churches visited in Europe thus far, it is number 2.  Number one will forever be St. Peter's Basilica but that will come later.  Maria Theresa Square was one of my favorite places in Vienna.  This square had great landscaping, bueatiful massive buildings, and great statues.

Representing the Huskers all the way in Vienna!  Throwing bones.....GO BIG RED!
This was taken at Figlmüller.  Great restaurant known for the schnitzel.

 Great group picture of us visiting St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Picture of Jacob, Molly, and I sitting in the center of the Maria Theresa Square.

As we left Vienna and began traveling to Venice, it was great to see such a variety of landscapes.  Being in the midst of the Alps and then the lush wine country of Italy was great to see in such a short amount time.  That journey alone had several great views.  My favorite was looking back on vineyards with the Alps in the background.

VENICE

My first impression of Italians was extremely negative.  Train stations on strike, rude employees at train stations, and pure laziness.  The time in Venice was great, easily one of my favorite cities I have visited during my adventure in Europe.  Jan was great to have with us as he took on a short tour on Venice explaining the history of the word "ghetto", the Jewish part of Venice, and St. Mark's Square.  After the short tour, Venice was ours to explore.  Our small group immediately found some great gelato and pasta.  We all ate more pasta and pizza than we knew what to do with.

The next day consisted of visiting the museums of Venice at St. Marks Square.  It was great to again see former dungeons and prisons of ancient Venice.  The highlight of the day was visiting St. Marks Basilica.  My third favorite church in Europe.  We were able to visit this after the conclusion of Palm Sunday Mass and during the visit we were allowed to take a small piece of a branch if we desired.  This was unusual because back home I am used to a traditional palm during that particular service.

Great group picture on one of the many bridges scattered throughout Venice.

I would have liked to stay in Venice at least 2 more days, but we had our plans for Spring Break which included Rome and Malta.  Rome was a great choice.  I learned so much about the city as well as my personal faith by having the opportunity to visit Vatican City.

We began the adventure in Rome with an open air bus tour to familiarize ourselves with the city.  Our flat we stayed at was in a great location between Vatican City and the Colosseum.  There were so many buildings and monuments in Rome that I loved by my favorite was by far the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II.  This building is a tribute to King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy.

The pictures above are of the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II during the day and again at night.  Once darkness fell in Rome,  I feel as if it became a new city.

It was great to be back in Olomouc after Spring Break.  I was spent after that much traveling.  With classes resuming,  I attended several classes taught by Dr. Gaudenz Assenza.  This professor had a great way of thinking forcing myself to take a thought/idea and force it into a detailed plan for the future.  He was by far one of the most motivational enthusiast and supported of individual ideas.  Within each class I absorbed so much information to stimulate new ideas on my future, new economic ideas and thoughts,  new political thoughts and insights, and personal motivation.  Dr. Assenza spoke of opinions on several topics, which I found amazing.  He knew so much about each topic and voiced an opinion but never took a side.  He remained neutral to each topic.  I am not sure if this style was for our benefit to choose or side, at least that is how I took it.  I'm thinking not everyone interpreted the material as I did, but I enjoyed these lectures and look forward to communicating to Dr. Assenza in the future.

Until next time....I will keep doing what the locals do

-----Thad


Favorite Parts of Being Abroad

• Everyday is a new experience
• Doing what the locals do
• Although not always enjoyable the different foods
• Beer!
• Meeting new people

What I Miss from Home

• Family & Friends
• Being able to use a restroom without paying for it
• My mom's cooking
• English
• People being able to correctly say my name.

Prague, Brno, and Pivo!

I am back again enjoying a nice pivo as a write my next update of the past weeks adventures.

We started the great trip off by headed to Prague.  Martin and Jan lead us for a quick tour of the St. Wenceslaus Square, an introduction to the New and Old Town of Prague, and finished the tour off at the John Lennon Wall.  After this the day was ours to be lost in the city of Prague.

 I feel this wall needs a nice GO BIG RED!!! tagged somewhere.  Maybe in the near feature....

 Here is a quick picture of Jacob, Kaitlyn and myself by the wall.

The face of Lennon is about the only recognizable part of him or the wall that remains. 

The group stopped by a little pub to enjoy lunch, more Svíčková and pivo.  After the great traditional Czech lunch, my sister met up with us and was our tour guide for the rest of the day.  We quickly took off for the Petřín Lookout Tower which is a replica of the Eiffel Tower but only a third of the size.  We all had a great view of the city of Prague from the top.

 The 2 spires are the cathedral of the Prague Castle. 

 The Charles bridge is hardly visible.  This photo does little justice.

Molly made me do this on the way down in the park of the tower.  Someone can laugh if they want.

After being in Europe for nearly 3 weeks, the group was all craving some American food and I knew of a great place for that thanks to my sister.  By the grace of God, a nice woman from Kentucky moved to Prague and opened The Tavern.  She knew what she was doing as well.  This took care of my fix for the remainder of my trip. 

The Apoka Burger ---For the End of Times
The guys were speechless while eating.  This was much needed but it's back to the local cuisine for the rest of the experience here.

From Prague the entire group day tripped to Dresden, Germany for another new experience.  This city was a definite change from what everyone was accustomed to.  Modern buildings, no graffiti at all, and a another new language.  This city was heavily affected by the war.  All of the buildings were replicas of what the city used to be.  This was a great trip minus running through the city trying to catch our train that I joyfully watching leave the station without us.  Bier break while we waited, it's not pivo anymore.

Pražský hrad (Prague Castle) was the focus of the following day.  This castle is in the top three largest castle's in the world. 

Not the best picture but some idea of the magnitude of the cathedral can be noticed

These windows lined the castle windows, added in the late 19th century

Nothing for justice here, the cathedral is amazing from a personal view.

The final day in Prague was spent visiting the Jewish quarter, it was here that I'd find something I did not expect.  This area holds walls of names of Jewish people who were killed during World War II.  The name in the picture confused me for the remainder of the day....

Very surprised by this...I was always told my last name was German

From here we continued the Jewish cemetery where well over 100,000 bodies are buried on top of each other.  This experience was difficult to explain.  I'm sure everyone has a different interpretation and feelings.  The pictures do little but an idea can be gained.

The return to Olomouc was anticipated by all.  Personally, I was tired of the tourism and busyness of Prague.  Olomouc has its own degree of slowness and a relaxed feeling whereas Prague is far from it.  Classes flew by for the week but we still managed to enjoy Olomouc during the week by going to our favorite brewery, Svatováclavský.  Here is always a great pivo, chocolate, banana, or their original brews are all fantastic. 

Jake and I enjoying our liter pivo!

The middle of the week as usual was broken up by the Erasmus party on Wednesday.  Slovakia was the hosting country, we all enjoyed a different atmosphere while having a great time.

 

After another week of classes, nine of us bought bus tickets for a trip to Brno (city in the Czech Rep.)

The best part of Brno was the Capuchin Crypts. Here monks and wealthy citizens who supported the church were placed in a crypt where their bodies could still be seen.  41 bodies can be seen in this crypt, most of them at least 250 years old.  Several walls of the crypt contained the Latin inscription of "Tu Fui Ego Eris" which means What you are, we were, what we are, you will be.  After reading this and walking throughout, this message was discussed in the group due to its truth.  Seeing this crypt was a great experience for all.

This large open tomb was the place for several monks, some still had a rosary or a cross on or next to them.

 

If I said, "I was excited for our next trip I would be a fool."  Vienna, Venice, Rome, and Malta is the plan for the next two weeks.  Being in Rome for the beginning of Holy Week will be a once in a lifetime experience.  As for Malta, our group is in need of a beach life and some warm weather.  I hope the island doesn't keep us there forever.   The next post should be a great one.

Until then.....

Thad