Roasting in Cesky Krumlov

Finally made it to Prague yesterday via Madrid.  When we got to Prague we rented a car and drove to Cesky Krumlov which is about 2 ½ hours south of Prague almost to Austria.  We have tons of luggage/backpacks/carry –ons between the four of us and our rental car was a small Skoda station wagon about the size of a Pontiac Vibe.  It is poo poo brown and hence named Mr. Hankie.  We stuffed all of our luggage in and found Cesky Krumlov fairly easily given that we could not read any of the signs.

One reason I like to come to Europe in the summer is that it is cooler than Memphis – NOT.  Cesky Krumlov reached one of the highest temperatures today, somewhere in the high 90’s.  We are still living out of our backpacks and I have sweated up everything I have.  Of all day’s to climb up a mountain to the castle!  Our guide kept looking at me as I was trying to get up the hill like he was ready for me to fall out dead and I just kept saying, “How much longer?  Just keep going.  I am OK.”  Bill said my face was blood red but I did survive knowing there was a beer on the other side. 

With this valiant effort to scale the mountain I apparently pulled my groin muscle – I didn’t even know girls had groins.  Charlene “just so happened” to have a pain patch in her purse so I turned around and stuck it down my pants.  I think it might have been very effective if I had hit the right spot. 

We hired a private guide who is friends with Rick Steves.  I read a great historical fiction book about Cesky Krumlov called The Bloodletter’s Daughter.  In the credits the author mentions Jiri (he told us to call him George) who told her the story of the heroine in the story to the author.  I contacted him by e-mail and he agreed to give us a tour and tell the story.  He took us all of the back ways to avoid the avalanche of Chinese tourists and was wonderful.  The 2 hour tour cost us $29 for the four of us.  That was money very well spent.

With a private guide you get to hear stories you don't read about and large tour group guides don't tell you.  For example, when we were in one of the only churches in Cesky Krumlov, he said the Rosenburg family's hearts were entombed there.  He said the rest of their bodies are buried so "they rest in pieces."  Yuk!  When he was telling the story of a girl named Marketa, who became the lover of the mad Hapsburg prince, he described how she was "hacked for 2 1/2 hours" and her body is buried next to the prince in the monastery cemetery.  Great fairy tales for the grandchildren!

I love old churches in Europe.  As I said, there was only one church in Cesky Krumlov, which was built by the Rosenburgs.  The Czech Republic was formerly a communist country and our guide told us that the population in this country is 65% atheist.  He attributed this to the fact that religion was discouraged under communism and this generation had given up hope in religion because they didn't feel it would help their life situation.  Very sad to me.  The primary Christian religion is Catholic. 

Ronnie and I have decided to eat all of the native food.  Last night we ate at a brewery.  Ronnie and Bill got some kind of smoked meat plate and I got dumplings with smoked meat and cabbage with toasted onion.  That and a few beers and now we are Czech.  Charlene wanted a salad with ranch dressing.  She was shocked when I told her they don’t have ranch dressing in the Czech Republic.

Everything is very cheap over here.  We will get a dinner for four with two beers for around $35.  We ate at a restaurant near the castle.  As I said, I am adventurous when eating in another country and had beef cheeks.  It/They were delicious.  Ronnie had a sausage that I shall not describe to you and Bill had a hamburger.  Charlene had desert.  Beer is cheaper than bottled water.  Ronnie really needs to start drinking a little more water.

For supper we ate at a restaurant that Jiri/George had selected.  We got the Bohemian feast and our waiter had to tell us several times what we were eating – chicken, millo, barley cakes, potato dumplings, sauerkraut, smoked pork, and salad.  It was very interesting flavors and we all enjoyed it.

Our hotel is on the town square.  Look it up – it is called Hotel Grand in Cesky Krumlov.  One of the pictures on the website shows a very cool room with wooden beams.  That is Ronnie and Charlene’s room.  It is on the third floor (no elevator) and 74 steep steps up.  Bill and I have a room on the second floor that is 34 very steep steps up.  The rooms are very nice but I wouldn’t call this air conditioner.  I almost packed my fan and I should have. 

Did I mention how hot it was?  I have never sweated this much in my life!  We sleep with no sheets and take several showers a day.  As I said, I have sweated up my shirts and now officially reek.  Charlene and I really went Bohemian today and went braless (sorry to our kids for that visual). 

The internet is very slow here and I am having difficulty uploading so not sure how frequently I will be able  to post.  Today’s post is not too funny because I am burning up and pulled my groin!