Thursday 18th September 2008 – Trebon, Czech Republic

Bad news – the thermometer shows the outside temperature as 1.9°C. Good news – the sun is shining! We woke at 07:30 this morning and it felt cold. We have discovered an Austrian radio station called FM4 that broadcasts a music show with an English-speaking presenter in the mornings. Although the music is fairly awful, it does mean that we get the news and weather in English on the hour. They confirmed that the weather is unseasonable cold but didn't mention when it was going to get warmer.
We had a good walk around the town, enjoying that rare commodity, warm sunshine. After a session on the Internet, we took the opportunity to visit the brewery tap for the last time and enjoyed some of their excellent beer. We called in at the fishery on the way back and bought some carp fillets – we had at last found somewhere to buy fresh fish, something that had defeated us on our previous visits.
I got inspired by the lovely weather and decided to go for a bike ride. The whole of the area is virtually flat and is riddled with marked cycle trails. I chose a loop south of Trebon and headed out of the campsite. The first section was on a road with a few cars on it, after that I hardly saw a car. What I did see was about 10 more fishing lakes that I hadn't seen before, a watermill that had had a mill on the site since before the 13th century and a racing stables and racecourse. The route brought me back along the side of the lake with a lovely view across to the campsite and Henrietta. It was an excellent ride and I saw lots of other cyclists, as we did yesterday. This is a very popular cycling area and, given good weather and a longer stay, I would definitely like to take some more excursions.
Photos: The Svet ('The World') Lake with the sluice gates in the foreground; The Trebon Chateau complex is one of the largest in the Czech Republic; The Opatovicky Rybnik Lake in the evening sun, as seen from the campsite.

Wednesday 17th September 2008 – Trebon, Czech Republic

We really wanted to walk and were hoping that the weather would improve today. There was no overnight rain and, although the sky was still totally overcast, it was brighter than it had been.
We drove to the nearby village of Chlum u Trebon by a circuitous route in order to enjoy the countryside and parked up on the edge. We followed a series of cycle routes (of which there are very many in the area) and circled one of the fish lakes to arrive in Chlum u Trebon for lunch just after 13:00. The restaurant was bust with locals, walkers, cyclists and fireman(!) and, once again, we had to move into the 'no smoking' room to find a table. The meal was good and excellent value but we had to take pot luck as there was no English or German translations. Choosing this way is good fun unless your choice turns out to be tripe!
We continued our walk around the edge of the lake and then on a side road back to Henrietta. Although it is very quiet now, it must be very busy in season as, on a local map posted by the side of the lake, we counted 20 campsites around that lake and its neighbour. We saw many of these, varying from ones capable of taking only a few campers to very large ones occupying long stretches of the lake shore and having large numbers of chalets. The lakes offer good fishing and bathing facilities although with the temperature at about 12°C, there wasn't anyone swimming when we were there. When we returned to Henrietta we decided to drive the very short distance to the Austrian border in the middle of the forest. There is no natural border here and it is difficult to understand how they managed to police the border during the communist era.
We thoroughly enjoyed our 5 mile walk and managed to do it all in the dry. We drove on another circuitous route back to Trebor. The roads on the outward journey had been bad, very rough and inexpertly patched but these roads were better and the route was very pretty. We passed many fishing lakes and in quite a few cases drove on narrow causeways between two lakes.
We stopped near the brewery in Trebon and bought some small kegs of beer to take home with us – we decided that our friends should have the opportunity to taste some excellent regional Czech beer.
Photos: One of the many village ponds in this area of Bohemia – this Cep pond (the small village has at least two) is a particularly fine example with a promontory complete with benches, a lovely place to sit on warmer days; This chateau at Chlum u Trebon was once owned by the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand d'Este and it was from here that he left for his fateful journey to Sarajevo in 1914; The village and church of Chlum u Trebon across the Hejtman lake; Walking into Austria – we were amused by the speed limit of 100 km/h given that, on the Austrian side, the road was a dirt track; One of the causeway roads between fish ponds.

Tuesday 16th September 2008 – Trebon, Czech Republic

We were woken this morning by the ducks who were sheltering under Henrietta and suddenly decided to have a communal quacking session. It could be described as “good weather for ducks” but even they were fed up with the continual rain.
The weather improved slightly and we decided to walk into Trebon. We walked passed the Regent Brewery (the best brewery in the Czech Republic in my humble opinion) and inspected the menus on a number of restaurants, of which that are a large number in Trebon. We selected a restaurant close to the brewery and had an excellent meal. Jane had pork cooked in Regent beer and I had a selection of fish fillets (3 different fish) served in a piquant sauce. I only found one bone in all of the fillets but Jane managed to find one in the small sample that I gave her. Fish bones always seem to be greatly attracted to Jane.
We then did a tour of Trebon and its shops – Trebon is a lovely town but its shops aren't very interesting. It was then time to call in at what we English would call the 'brewery tap' the pub, or in this case beer cellar, attached to the brewery. We had been there once before (see entry for 28th September 2007) when we met a cycling couple. It was busy then and it was busy now – we had problems finding a free table but found one in the 'no smoking' area. I tried the 13° brew but that was a little too sweet for me but the 12° was excellent. The total bill (68kc, less than £2) for 2 x 0.5l + 2 x 0.3l came to less than a single pint would cost in an English pub. We resisted the temptation to stay to watch the musicians who were just setting up (free music as well!) and walked back past one fishing lake to Henrietta on the shores of another.
Photos: Typical architecture in Trebon; The Regent obviously enjoyed his beer – a painting in the Regent Brewery Tap.

Monday 15th September 2008 – Trebon, Czech Republic

It continued to rain all night, not pouring down, just steady, continuous rain. It rained all day today, which made out short journey to Trebon a very grey one. I always associate the Czech Republic with fish ponds and we had seen these in most of the villages over the last few days. However, during the last half an hour of our journey to Trebon, we came across the huge fish lakes that this area is famous for. They produce a vast quantity of fish mainly carp but also trout, pike and other fresh-water fish. The Trebon campsite is on the shores of one of these lakes and we chose a pitch with a wonderful view over the lake. However is was still raining and the view did not look as good as it did when we first camped here almost exactly a year ago.
Despite the rain, we went for a walk into our favourite town in the Czech Republic. The tourist information office was open and we were able to establish the location of the only WiFi Internet café. After updating the blog and checking emails we continued our walk but Trebon doesn't look quite as attractive in the rain, one reason being that it is difficult to look up at the buildings when you are huddled under a large umbrella. Unfortunately, according to the forecast on the Internet, the weather tomorrow is unlikely to be much better – it showed 100% chance of rain and a maximum temperature of 10°C.
Photos: This was the most exciting thing that happened today – a freight train crosses in front of Henrietta.

Sunday 14th September 2008 – Tabor, Czech Republic

It had been cool yesterday when we weren't in the sun but today was really cold. At 4°C when we woke up at 07:15, we decide to have breakfast inside and were wearing shirts, jumpers and coats when we set off for the 09:06 bus into Tabor. We didn't take any layers off all day – it was really cold and, unlike yesterday, there was very little sunshine.
We started by following part of the town tour detailed on a leaflet from the tourist office and stopped off at the Dvorak Hotel at 10:00. Dvorak, a large construction company, bought the old brewery and have renovated it, converting part of it into a luxury hotel. They have given other parts over to the community to be used as a museum and concert venue. The buildings are very significant as they are on the site of the old castle. Most of the castle was demolished over the years as the brewery expanded, so much harm was done but the renovation has left a very attractive complex. We sat in the courtyard, selecting seats in the sun (if only briefly) but it was very cold and the two jazz guitarists looked very cold. As Jane noted, it was strange to be listening to gentle jazz at 10 am, it was really more suited to 10 pm but it really was very good and I would like to have heard some more, preferably in a warm jazz bar with a pint of Czech beer in front of me.
We then moved on to the only to visit the only part of the castle that is still extant – the Kotnov Lookout Tower. Today was a special 'Open Sight Day', which meant that many of the tourist sites, museums etc. were open without charge. The Tower was one such site and, although the accompanying museum was not very satisfying due to the lack of English texts, the view from the tower was very good. We could see how the Old Town was well protected by the river valley and fortifications – it was easy to understand why the Hussites had chosen the site for their stronghold. We went on to learn more about the Hussites in the excellent Hussite Museum where the English text told the story of the Hussites and their connection to Tabor. The Hussites believed in sharing all of their worldly goods and when new followers arrived in Tabor they put all of their possessions into casks and these were then shared out amongst all of the people. This, together with revolutionary ideas such as the congregation receiving communion bread and wine during mass, upset the Roman Catholic church. Within the museum is the entrance to 10-12km of tunnels that interlink the cellars of the buildings around two thirds of the square. These were originally separate cellars but were linked in order to provide shelter for the inhabitants in time of attack or fire. They were used during three very serious fires that destroyed a large part of the town. The cellars, sometimes going down two levels were also used for maturing beer but we only saw empty casks on our tour.
Back in the main square we witnessed the arrival of the bikers' parade. They were all wearing crash helmets or, more accurately, helmets that matched the rest of their Mediaeval outfits. They were quite an impressive sight, smoking large cigars on their huge gleaming motorbikes, flying Tabor pennants. As Jane pointed out, she wouldn't want to meet them on a dark night!
We had lunch from stalls in the square – Jane had a spicy sausage wrapped in a pancake and I had a chunk of hot smoked ham with a thick potato pancake that tasted just like bubble and squeak.
At 3 pm we went to a mill just below the town walls to see a mock battle between the Hussites and the Catholic forces. We were treated to a display of impressive Italian-style flag twirling and throwing with one performer being particularly talented, juggling and throwing two, three and then four large flags at the same time. Then it was time for the battle and a large number of children volunteered, having the option to join one of the two forces. Needless to say the Hussites were by far the most popular but this problem was solved by getting them all to attack the bikers. Everyone was issued with large foam weapons and the children took great delight in hitting the bikers around the head, or any other part they they could reach. Soon the bikers were forced back to the pile of coffins and were severely defeated – perhaps the bikers weren't as nasty as they first appeared!
We returned to the main square to see a band on the main stage only to discover that it was Country and Western – definitely not our scene.
It was time to return to Henrietta and put the fan heater on. Shortly after we got back it started to rain and we were glad that we had not decided to stay on into the evening.
Photos: The Brewery chimney in the Dvorak Hotel; View of Tabor old town from the Kotnov Lookout Tower; The bikers pose for photographs – I took this just before the biker on the right was beheaded!; Dust flies as the children battle against the bikers.

Saturday 13th September 2008 – Tabor, Czech Republic

I had spotted two castles roughly on our route today and therefore programmed the Garmin satellite navigation to take us on roads past them. The first one, a castle called Rzkovy Lhotice, we passed without any signs to it or of it but we did manage to spot the second one, a defensive tower called Selmberk. This added interest to the journey, although, being a ruin, it wasn't worth diverting off the road for a closer look. The route took us on many more on the byways than yesterday, which meant that we went through villages and small towns with very pretty architecture. There were also more hills than yesterday, giving lovely views over the countryside.
We parked in the large car park of the InterSpar in Tabor and walked into the town. Our old guidebook said that there was a festival here on the second weekend of September – this weekend – and as we approached the centre it was obvious that something was about to happen. We had timed our visit perfectly as a parade was gathering and we were able to watch it set off through the town.
Tabor was established as a military garrison by the Hussites, a Christian sect that broke away from the Roman Catholic church. Jan Hus, the founder of the Hussite movement, was tricked by the Roman Catholic authorities into attending a meeting in Constance in Germany where he was arrested and, after a summary trial, was burnt at the stake as a heretic. His movement however continued to grow and between 1419 and 1434 it swept Bohemia. Tabor was the base from which the Hussite army set out for many significant victories over the Roman Catholic forces.
The parade celebrates the Hussite past of town and many of the participants dress in costumes of the Hussite period. Some of the participants were rather surprising – a group from Sighisoara in Romania (we were close to there in July) and even two people from the Lake District in the UK. As the parade halted briefly in front of us, I managed to get a photograph of the Lake District couple but didn't have time to find out what they were doing there – I am sure that they weren't Hussites! We followed the parade into the main Zizka Square, within the old town walls. Here we obtained a programme of events for the 'Tabor Meetings Festival' and were impressed at how much was going on and the fact that they actually had programmes in English. We watched a series of musicians, dancers and singers on the main stage in the square and then moved on to another square where there was a large number of craft stalls. Here there was more music – a jazz band when we arrived, followed by a folk music band complete with bagpipes, although these were somewhat muted when compared to the Scottish Highland bagpipes.
We had to leave in order to find the campsite and obtain a pitch but at least we had been able to establish where the campsite was with the help of the tourist office. The campsite was well hidden and poorly signed but we found it and had no problems in finding a pitch. There were a couple of tents pitched and quite a few people in the chalets, most of whom were wearing camouflage outfits. It was definitely a 'huntin-shootin-fishin' area with the sound of gunfire in the distance and a fishing lake on the edge of the campsite. I have noticed that fishermen in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland often wear camouflage gear – is this in order to hide from the fish?
Photos: An elegant Hussite man; Equally elegant Hussite ladies – definitely not camp followers; Now these could be camp followers or possibly leaders and they were very good drummers – much better than that angel in St. Barbara's Cathedral (see yesterday's entry); There were some excellent matching bands in the parade, these were from Germany.

Friday 12th September 2008 – Kutna Hora, Czech Republic

Time to move on again and today we were heading south to Kutna Hora. We travelled through gently undulating countryside with fields and patches of forest. We were on main roads, although they weren't busy, and we past villages laying off to both sides of the road identified by church towers and spires of many different designs.
We had chosen a ACSI listed campsite outside of the town but arrived in it to find another site signposted. We followed the signs to the site that was within the town and decided that it would be much more convenient. After a quick lunch we walked into the town to investigate.
Kutna Hora is a very pretty town with lots of interesting architecture. Even on our walk into the centre we passed many historic buildings with wonderfully ornate plasterwork, many of which were in need of restoration, some of which are obviously about to be restored. In the centre all of the buildings had been tastefully restored and were very attractive. We followed a town trail from a leaflet supplied by the campsite and managed to see all of the sites except the silver museum and mine – we had seen the mine in Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia and this one was unlikely to be as interesting.
The highlight of the tour was the huge St. Barbara's cathedral. Building work on this Goltic masterpiece was started in 1388 but it took over 500 years to complete it. The town owes its wealth to silver mining and the presence of the mint, producing silver Prague Groschen. Both miners and minting are represented in statues and paintings within the church and St. Barbara is the patron saint of miners. The wall paintings and painted glass (rather than stained glass) were beautiful and I was particularly impressed by the totally 'over the top' baroque organ with statues of podgy angels playing musical instruments on the top.
Photos: Beautiful house in Kutna Hora but on close inspection it is in serious need of restoration; The front elevation of St. Barbara's Cathedral – the scaffolding is for renovation, they aren't still building it!; A statue of a miner in the cathedral; The Baroque organ – I especially like the drum-playing angel on the right.