The Prague (Praha) airport...we have landed!

A picture out our bus window.

At Vitkovec Castle in Cesky Krumlov.

 Every town has a town square...here is Cesky Krumlov

 Cesky Krumlov

 A few locals dancing outside our hotel to our music

Henry, our Czech friend who visited the States last year with the Budvar Quintet, who played at Buttermilk Park .

Ray Wifler, Ernie Broenimann, and Dave Ehrens were the only brave souls to haul out their instruments and "jam."

Our first stay's town square, Ceske Budejovice .

A nice town building in Ceske Budejovice .

This is outside our hotel, looking down one of their narrow streets.

An incredible music festival in Sobeslav.  We could get beer for 80 cents!

A view from the top...we climbed this tower, and this is a picture of all the people at the music festival.

 Sobeslav from the tower.

Another beautiful landscape in Sobeslav

Here are the stone stairs we had to climb up. 

The sign for the tower.  It was open from 9:00-5:00 , and cost 15 Czech Krowns to climb, which is roughly 60 cents

Here's the tower.

More awesome music!

Jack Wifler, Ray Wifler, and Carla Wifler enjoying the music.

The boys drinking their 80 cent beers!!  Steve Speidel, Ernie Broenimann, Ray Wifler, and Dave Ehrens at the music festival.  They also had really great food there, too!

Our side trip to the local brewery, in Plzen .

The boys don't realize that the one on the right is fake!  This was a small scene set up at the brewery, showing what it was like to work back when at the brewery.

An old beer transporting truck.

Our second stay was in Karlovy Vary .  This street is right along the river.

We took a trolley up to the Diana Lookout Tower , overlooking Karlovy Vary .  It was a foggy day.

Karlovy Vary from the lookout tower.

One of the natural hot springs that are all around Karlovy Vary .  It is said that if you drink this water, you can be healed of ailments.

A local restaurant we ate at.  There's Jill Wagner with her wine and Bruce Mach eating his seafood.  The man behind Jill was one of our waiters.

We had the pleasure of playing atop a dinner boat.  As you can tell, there wasn't much room.  Here's our brass section...

...our woodwinds...

...our fearless leader...

...and the percussion.

 More brass.

Other members of our group.

More woodwinds.

Carla Wifler and Ray Wifler enjoying the cruise.

A beautiful building along the river.

Our third stay was in Prague .  Our first stop in Prague was Hradcany Castle and St. Vitus's Church.  They had guards outside of the castle, and Nickole Kawleski is wondering how to make this guy move.  I know... maybe if I give him a "Wet Willy"...

St. Vitus Church on the castle grounds.

They had beautiful artwork on the church building.

A guarding Gargoyle atop the church.

They had the "changing of the guards" at the castle, and had 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, and a tuba playing from the castle.

A view of Prague from the castle.

The entrance to St. Charles ' Bridge.  It is about a mile-long foot bridge expanding over the river.  Local artists had their work for sale all along the bridge.

A back alley off the St. Charles ' Bridge

A tiny street in Prague .

Wenceslas Square in Prague .  You can see the McDonalds sign and the Casino.  Hmmm...feels more like Chicago !

Wenceslas Square

A local dixieland band playing in a square in Prague .

The astrological clock in Prague .

On our way back over St. Charles ' Bridge, a local music group had set up shop.

Our last big event of the trip was going to a "folklore evening" dinner.  Here is the wine pourer.  Red on one side and white on the other, they poured from these glass jars.  They were quite talented at it.

The folklore musicians.

The folklore dancers.

 Folklore musicians.

Ernie Broenimann got hauled up on stage to play the "monkey cymbals."  He did a pretty good job for a tuba player.