I have arrived.
Olomouc is an unbelievably cool town, THis afternoon there was an antique car show going on in the downtown square, and a wedding party, and a bunch of tourists and a brass band. I love encountering unexpected brass bands. A Czech Louis Armstrong sang When THe Saints Go Marching in, in Czech, while I ate a calzone as big as my head and stared at the gold-painted cannon ball that has been lodged in the Trinity Tower in Olomouc square since sometimeduring the 30-years war.
History! FOod! Alcohol!
This is awesome. EVen the chocolate is awesome.
I'll go rejoin theoud drunks outside now, we're planning on walking down to a bar later, and we're already loud and argumentative, so that should be interesting.
Note, Czech's do not smile. Especially not the waiters and servers in restaurants, which is the biggest culture shock so far. That and cobble stones, OMG, cobblestones and the blase attitude of pedestrians just walking down the streetl, it's great.
So excited, will check back when I am less inebriated and morecoherent. Ciao!

P.S, I want to live where historic artifacts are used as everyday objects, these restaurants are housed by ancient buildings, children climb on the old ruins of the barracks in the green parks, the ancient heavy doors are worn down by hands and fingerprinted by the people who I won't ever meet. end history squee.