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Jun. 12th, 2001 12:38 pmLet me just say, Moravia is the most beautiful place on earth. So many shades of green, trees into the sky, fields of scarlet and purple poppies, mountains full of mist and castles and tiny villages with gardens. I think my mother would love this place. Maybe I can talk her into moving there, buying a little farm with a horse and dogs and cats...
Very fun trip, despite certain things which I will have to write about later. Though I absolutely hate driving on those winding roads in the bus. We got lost in the mountains in the fog Sunday night, trying to get to Hotel Havel.
Chateau Kuks was one of my favorite stops, a beautiful place with gardens lined with statues of vice and virtue. Otto says the restoration work proceeds slowly, but it is being attempted. The Communists used it to store vegetables.
Anyways, one of our first stops was a church dedicated to St Jan Nepomuk. His statues are all over the countryside. (Jan was the queen's confessor and was thrown off the Charles Bridge when he wouldn't divulge her secrets) The church's architect was Santini, and it's a fantastic place. Everything is shaped like a star, the chapel itself a six-pointed one. The surrounding was is ten-pointed. The star motif continues throughout the building, and the windows are so cleverly placed that not a single corner remains unlit. Inside the wall is a cemetary. Oddly enough, a war memorial to six Soviet soldiers is well kept and has a red star atop the monolith. The inscription reads "A monument to the Soviet soldiers who died defending our homeland against facism." Konstantin Simeon Andreivich died May 27, 1945.
We stayed in Kromeriz, and visited Charles IV's winery. They make Mass wine there, and a half dozen others. Some of their barrels are ancient, including one that provided 14,000 liters of wine to the French Army under Napolean. Bought six bottles of wine that I'm hoping will make it back safely to Texas. In the castle is a gallery with one of Titian's last paintings, the skinning of a demi-god who lost a bet with Apollo. Otto went along with us to provide commentary on all the art & architecture.
Visited a little village with a museum about Texas! Hope has a name Texas is a small place that documents the Moravian families who left for Texas and has extensive genealogical records. Lisa found her name, and pictures of her family in one. Outside they had bluebonnets! Real bluebonnets!
Sovinec, the impenetrable castle in the mountains, with ghosts and tunnels and nymphs & St Hilarius. The view was incredible even in the grey weather. I stood on the ramparts and watched the fog crawl down the mountains, through the pine trees. Randomly, inside the castle was a modern surrealist art exhibit. I really like Martin Stejskal's paintings. Pavel Surma's Madonna was also interesting. Otto and Debra were quited thrilled to discover this. Hana told us scary stories about witches and things living in the trees. Had nightmares.
On the way home, everyone was drinking. It was mad and loud and strange. We stopped at Otto and Hana's high schools, and Hana gave us a very special tour of the places we've heard about in her stories. (She hasn't been back to that place in 11 years) She and Otto danced on the side of the road to Abba's "Fernando" in the twilight, in Prague 14. I have not seen anything more strange or beautiful or romantic than that moment. Her first real kiss was to that song, dancing with a boy in the mountains in 1975.
There is really too much to write about, but if anyone has questions, fire away. I need to go home and get some lunch before I go wandering the streets again.
Very fun trip, despite certain things which I will have to write about later. Though I absolutely hate driving on those winding roads in the bus. We got lost in the mountains in the fog Sunday night, trying to get to Hotel Havel.
Chateau Kuks was one of my favorite stops, a beautiful place with gardens lined with statues of vice and virtue. Otto says the restoration work proceeds slowly, but it is being attempted. The Communists used it to store vegetables.
Anyways, one of our first stops was a church dedicated to St Jan Nepomuk. His statues are all over the countryside. (Jan was the queen's confessor and was thrown off the Charles Bridge when he wouldn't divulge her secrets) The church's architect was Santini, and it's a fantastic place. Everything is shaped like a star, the chapel itself a six-pointed one. The surrounding was is ten-pointed. The star motif continues throughout the building, and the windows are so cleverly placed that not a single corner remains unlit. Inside the wall is a cemetary. Oddly enough, a war memorial to six Soviet soldiers is well kept and has a red star atop the monolith. The inscription reads "A monument to the Soviet soldiers who died defending our homeland against facism." Konstantin Simeon Andreivich died May 27, 1945.
We stayed in Kromeriz, and visited Charles IV's winery. They make Mass wine there, and a half dozen others. Some of their barrels are ancient, including one that provided 14,000 liters of wine to the French Army under Napolean. Bought six bottles of wine that I'm hoping will make it back safely to Texas. In the castle is a gallery with one of Titian's last paintings, the skinning of a demi-god who lost a bet with Apollo. Otto went along with us to provide commentary on all the art & architecture.
Visited a little village with a museum about Texas! Hope has a name Texas is a small place that documents the Moravian families who left for Texas and has extensive genealogical records. Lisa found her name, and pictures of her family in one. Outside they had bluebonnets! Real bluebonnets!
Sovinec, the impenetrable castle in the mountains, with ghosts and tunnels and nymphs & St Hilarius. The view was incredible even in the grey weather. I stood on the ramparts and watched the fog crawl down the mountains, through the pine trees. Randomly, inside the castle was a modern surrealist art exhibit. I really like Martin Stejskal's paintings. Pavel Surma's Madonna was also interesting. Otto and Debra were quited thrilled to discover this. Hana told us scary stories about witches and things living in the trees. Had nightmares.
On the way home, everyone was drinking. It was mad and loud and strange. We stopped at Otto and Hana's high schools, and Hana gave us a very special tour of the places we've heard about in her stories. (She hasn't been back to that place in 11 years) She and Otto danced on the side of the road to Abba's "Fernando" in the twilight, in Prague 14. I have not seen anything more strange or beautiful or romantic than that moment. Her first real kiss was to that song, dancing with a boy in the mountains in 1975.
There is really too much to write about, but if anyone has questions, fire away. I need to go home and get some lunch before I go wandering the streets again.
