Typical Czech country houses: it is quite normal to have a flat in the city and an oftensimple and self-built house in the countryside.
Me and Jan on top of the Hladmorna (starvation fortress). 
View from Hladmorna.
Jan's lunch: Sauerkraut, meat and Bramborak (potato cakes)
My lunch: Bramborak, fried mushrooms (Zampione), and "side salad".
Jan, Eva, Martina, and Pivo, Pivo, Pivo!!!(Staropramen Granat - a type of mixed beer light and dark together-
something for which I was unable to provide Martina a translation of)
Family tree in the castle - Mum, do you want to do this in the dining room?!?
The Castle: Cesky Sternberk: named for the Sternberg family (German for star and mountain).
Eva and Martina on a train, note the sloping walls (triangular shape). Also no lights so it isdark when you go through tunnels - a bit creepy to say the least,
I have also experienced this on a tram, quite bizarre.
Czech trains.
More Czech trains - there are many types.
Waiting at the station, orange on orange - typical.Watch this space for my report on Sunday's excursion to Cesky Sternberk.
Czech trains: we caught 3 types and also a bus because part of the line was having trackwork.
Company: those in the party were: me, Jan, Martina, Oliver (from Germany) and Eva (another Czech).
The Castle: See photos. Highlights: smoking room - a collection of pipes although the owner did not smoke. Hunting room - lots of "dead heads" including an alligator... not really grand like german castles. The owner still lives there in the parts not open to the public. There is a display of owls and birds of prey there too.
Lunch: I pay for beer for the first time on the trip. I don't know why but eating eating the local greasy food does not leave you feeling gross like maccas might. Maybe the beer neutralises it? Anyone got a sound theory on this? Also, on the topic of pivo, Jan says it is healthy, full of B vitamins, a natural product... also it is very cheap here, less than $AUD2 for a six pack at the supermarket.
Hladmorna: This is Czech for starvation tower. A Tower we visited after the castle, don't know the story because it was in Czech.
A 7km walk: Yes, excercise to work off the beer! Through the countryside and back to the train station.
Czech trains: we caught 3 types and also a bus because part of the line was having trackwork.
Company: those in the party were: me, Jan, Martina, Oliver (from Germany) and Eva (another Czech).
The Castle: See photos. Highlights: smoking room - a collection of pipes although the owner did not smoke. Hunting room - lots of "dead heads" including an alligator... not really grand like german castles. The owner still lives there in the parts not open to the public. There is a display of owls and birds of prey there too.
Lunch: I pay for beer for the first time on the trip. I don't know why but eating eating the local greasy food does not leave you feeling gross like maccas might. Maybe the beer neutralises it? Anyone got a sound theory on this? Also, on the topic of pivo, Jan says it is healthy, full of B vitamins, a natural product... also it is very cheap here, less than $AUD2 for a six pack at the supermarket.
Hladmorna: This is Czech for starvation tower. A Tower we visited after the castle, don't know the story because it was in Czech.
A 7km walk: Yes, excercise to work off the beer! Through the countryside and back to the train station.
