A streetcar on Pekarska Street in Olomouc in the eastern province of Moravia in the Czech Republic. Photo by David Griggs/ladailypost.com
A thought provoking fountain in Olomouc. Photo by David Griggs/ladailypost.com
By DAVID GRIGGSForeign Correspondent
Los Alamos Daily Post
I was originally scheduled to stay at The Poets’ Corner Hostel for seven nights in Olomouc, and I enjoyed it so much that I stayed four more.
I had been in Prague and was feeling overwhelmed by the number of tourists. Olomouc is a delightful smaller, much more relaxed city in the eastern province of Moravia in the Czech Republic, with plenty of historic buildings, museums, parks, beautiful fountains and restaurants.
There is a great farmers’ market on Wednesday and Saturday morning, and you can bring back your treasures and feast in the hostel kitchen (from which there is a great view of Saint Wenceslas Cathedral). About half the market was fresh produce, the other half was fresh flowers and live plants. Cherries, apricots, blueberries (tiny, but delicious!), apples, overflowing baskets of succulent strawberries, potatoes, onions, garlic (big, fragrant), different varieties of tomatoes, different colors of cherry tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, walnuts, cabbage, kohlrabi, and a small trailer selling fresh slabs and pieces of beef.
Virtually everything is within easy walking distance. Poets’ Corner Hostel is clean, well kept, and seems to attract interesting travelers. The only drawback for me was the climb: the hostel was on the fourth floor of a building.
Tomorrow morning, I take a train (actually three trains) to Cesky Krumlov in the southern part of the Czech Republic on the advice of my friends Louise and Petr Jandacek of Los Alamos.
Editor’s Note: Since retiring from Los Alamos County in September 2013, David Griggs has been traveling the world. He submits columns and photographs of his travels to the Los Alamos Daily Post for publication.
The Farmers Market in Olomouc. Photo by David Griggs/ladailypost.com