Czeching it out - Nove Hrady Travel Journal

Wow. My adventures in the Czech Republic feel like a long time ago now. I'm aware that I returned a mere 2 weeks ago, but somehow the last 2 weeks feel more like months and I'm realizing if I don't hurry up and organise my photos and ramblings sometime soon it's going to become forgotten in a blur.

I read somewhere that our generations memory is getting worse and worse. It makes sense though, If we're not sure about something, we have our phones. No need to remember for ourselves.

Does that make my memory redundant? 

I enjoy having memories. Anyway, i'm rambling, speaking of memories. 

Last week I was all excited by Prague, a big, beautiful, bustling city that throws up something new and exciting around every corner. I was so grateful to get that weekend to explore the city, not only was it a total bonus as part of a conference I was attending but it provided the perfect contrast to my time in Nove Hrady the following week.

Nove Hrady, Czech for new castle, was the perfect host for the Newcastles of the World Conference 2014. The conference held every two years allows councillors, businessmen, young people and professionals from cities of Newcastle around the world to meet and share best practices on a range of issues from youth unemployment and opportunities, to culture and tourism.

So without further ado, lets start on Monday morning outside a hotel in the outskirts of Prague. Myself and the other UK delegates were picked up by a bus full of delegates from cities around the world and were driven the 3 hours to Nove Hrady, South Bohemia (one of two in Czech Republic).

We arrived in the quaint town to banners in the street and the most fabulous welcome gala, complete with classical concert, free mimosas, and a room full of new friends.

Tuesday morning was spent getting to know our work groups and the various Newcastles in attendance. We then had the opportunity to explore the town. I say town, we were told it was a town, but with less than 3000 people I found it hard to believe considering I live in a village of over 1000 people at home in England. 

The town is truly beautiful and our evening was spent at the old castle where we were treated to an amazing medieval evening, complete with band, reenactments and a performance tour of the exhibits by students from a local high school.

Sometimes when you're in a castle you just need to pose and pout!

Wednesday saw us getting down to some real work and discussing the issues most important in our areas. Of course we had to then take a few selfies before heading to the Austrian border and the iron curtain museum. Having studied the cold war from a primrily American perspective at college, getting the opportunity to hear about that period from people who grew up just miles from the border was fascinating and a highlight of my trip.

As Nove Hrady was practically walking distance from Austria we spent Thursday afternoon climbing Mandelstein hill. Given the beautiful sunshine we'd had the day before nobody worried too much about coats for the hike despite the day looking a little over cast. BIG MISTAKE - minutes after reaching the summit we were faced with torrential rain and halestones. 7 umbrellas between 80 people does not work well and pretty soon I'd decided to just suck it up and accept the wet walk back to the coach.

The rain kindly stuck around for Friday, but with a full day planned in Cesky Krumlov - a UNESCO world heritage site - I was not going to let it get me down. Despite the over cast sky the town lived up to its reputation as a page straight out of a fairytale. Gorgeous winding streets and a beautiful castle, surrounded by a softly flowing river and filled with hundreds of tiny toy stores selling hand crafted goods. 

On the final day we were taken to the Nove Hrady in Eastern Bohemia on our return to Prague. If I had found our host town for the week small, this village was tiny. Although perhaps, even more beautiful. The majority of the surrounding land belongs to the castle's owners and they aim to maintain it as a site of natural beauty.

And to top it off, the grounds of the castle had the largest bike museum in the Czech Republic. A random but true fact, so... lets leave it here with a few photos of me and some bikes. 

That's so me..

The other day I was talking to a friend I’d not seen in a fair while and, as usual - Since it would seem you can’t speak to me for more than 10 minutes without it coming up - I was telling him with unabashed excitement about my summer plans. I ranted happily about how I would be working in a school all summer, and before I could even get onto the joy at having a month to travel the states at the end he jumped in and said with total certainty ‘That is SO you. You’ll love it.’

He was right. It is, and I will. Well I hope I will. But I found myself feeling just a little annoyed, how could one thing be quite so instantly recognizably me. Surely there were a thousand different things that could all be equally me and not me all at the same time. I am more excited than I’ve ever been for this summer to arrive, it does feel so me but equally it feels like someone nothing like me is doing, like a Molly from an alternate universe is really the one going to camp. Because, let’s be honest, I don’t feel in anyway together enough to be heading off for 3 months of work on another continent.

I’m 21 and it scares me that people can fit me into neat categories in their heads. I know that to certain people I’m one of many shapes, but still I fit that shape in their head. I’m frequently seen as the trainee teacher, the young carer, the volunteer, the youth worker, the daughter, the friend. They’re all true and correct, but on their own they each feel a little alien. Like it could almost be true, but the shoe doesn’t quite fit.

I’m beginning to realise that I’m more of a collection of pieces, a jigsaw if you will. I’m all those things that people perceive and many more that perhaps don’t shine so obviously in my day to day life. In fact, in my confusion and exploration of all those things people say are so me, and all those that feel very me to me, I began to list all those things that I could say truly were so me.

A traveller. And a home bird.

A girl who wants to learn, anything and everything.

An introvert. Yet still, a little of an extrovert.

A lover of spontaneity, yet a hater of changed plans.

A rule follower. Perhaps to a fault.

A seeker of experiences.

A friend to anyone in need.

A kid at heart. Sometimes just a kid in general.

An artist. On some level at least.

Someone looking to do right.

A 21 year old still discovering what she wants. What she is. And what she could be.

I’m a patchwork of things, all of which could be so very very me, but that me changes daily and I find myself looking at all the other things I could be. Should I know now what is me? I don’t know how to begin to know what is me and what is the person I want to be. How much of what is perceived to be me is merely other people’s expectations? Or perhaps their expectations exist purely because I’m already on my way?

Czeching it out - Prague Photo Essay

So last week I was over the moon to get to spend some time exploring the Czech Republic. I spent a weekend in Prague, eating in beautiful cafes, walking around the castle district and just taking in the beautiful scenery and architecture that is so typically Prague. I then spent a week in the quaint and gorgeous small town of Nove Hrady in South Bohemia just next to the Austrian Border. I doubt I would have ever really explored South Bohemia of my own accord and never would have found Nove Hrady, But I'm so glad I got the chance to.

My trip to the Czech Republic was all part of the Newcastles of the World conference 2014, and was a fantastic opportunity to spend time with old friends and new, as well as discuss issues effecting young people in towns across the world. Every time I've attended the conference I've found myself coming away amazed at the skills I have learnt and developed, and the ideas I've gained from such interesting people. It's definitely a week that makes me proud to not only be a Geordie, but to be part of the Newcastles' family.

I’ve got so much I want to tell you about the trip, both about the conference and the places I’ve visited that I’ve decided to split it between a few posts. Prague was just so beautiful, and I was lucky to visit with some rare April sunshine so here are a few of my favourite photos.