TravelingProf: Olomouc: Our New Home for the Next Six Weeks

We have arrived. Olomouc is about 2 and 1/2 hours east of Prague by Express train. It is the fifth largest city in the Czech Republic and part of the area known as Moravia (as opposed to Bohemia). I get the impression the city is much more reserved than Prague, perhaps downright traditional. For example, we know that Easter is a huge holiday here. But rather than the decorated squares and carnival-like atmosphere of Prague, it's more of a religious observation here. Families spend time visiting one another and attending church services. And there are definitely more churches, monasteries, and nunneries here per square mile than perhaps anyplace on the planet.

Now to our apartment. First, you couldn't ask for a better location. Right on the tram line, walking distance to the main square (like 2 minutes), very close to the university, grocery, anyplace we would need to go, and a tram ride to the train station. Our apartment is modest, to say the least. It has good light, it's on the 5th or 6th floor, so we're above the street noise, and it has laundry facilities. We have to maintain and clean, and it comes equipped with dishes and an Internet connection. The television leaves something to be desired as it has 3-5 stations, depending on the whims of the frequency gods, that may come it at any one time . . . and they're all in Czech. Here are a few pics of our palace! Probably the size of our garage at home!

The lovely kitchen/bar area:

Next to the "living room"

And the very long bedroom/office space combo, complete with two twin beds each with a mattress that is almost thick enough that you barely feel the hard frame underneath!