Czechia, St. Martin, the Goose and the lost key.
November 2021
The covid curtain closing Europe has opened to some extent. As a result I am missing a couple of gadgie walks and heading off to the town of Bilina in Bohemia in Czechia, not having visited friends and the school there since 2019.
Unable to fly from Newcastle I was driven to Leeds Bradford airport by my chauffeuse, took off and landed in Prague two hours later. Met by Helena and Peter I was soon in the Lion Hotel in the town square of Bilina, fed at the Patkoves home and returned to my bed.
This is the "car park" shot for Bilina. In the distance is the power station which burns lignite from the local mine which is a huge open cast site. It is hazy this year, not because of pollution but fog, which seems to have covered much of the area.
For the next three days I visited the local Gymnasium (Grammar school), an ideally sized establishment of about 250 children aged from 12 to 18. They all speak English to a good standard and mostly understand what I tell them. This year's chat for older ones is a potted history of people who have ruled England and Britain. From Iron Age folk up to Queen Elizabeth II, but only the ones who interest me like Romans, Saxons, William I, Charles I , George III . With a map of the British Empire thrown in. I have no shame.
I had lunch in the school canteen, usually soup, dumplings Czech style and meat, with a glass of juice too. Healthy meals, not a chip in sight.
My hotel room key was quite small and attached to a small fob. Somehow I lost it. I sought help from Helena who contacted the hotel. Not a problem they said.
When I returned to the Lion a man was removing the whole lock from my room and replacing it with another. There was no spare key! The embarrassment.
The town square, Bilina with 17th century chateau which replaced a medieval castle. The Lion hotel is on the far right, the entrance to the Patkove flat is through one of the central arches.
Not having a class in the afternoon I walked along the river to Kyselka:
Top; 19th century bottling plant for the famous Bilina Kyselka mineral water. Still bottled and still exported.Bottom: 19th century Kyselka Spa. Famous as a health resort with cures based on the mineral waters. Sadly at the moment it is unused and in a state of minor disrepair.
After school the next day I enjoyed the canteen lunch of battered fish and potatoes before going to the town of Most about ten miles away with one of the teachers from Bilina and her husband.
An interesting and ancient town, the name means "bridge" and was originally called Brucker, the German word for bridge as this region of present day Czechia was part of the Austro Hungarian Empire.
Most sat on a vast coal field. In the mid 20th century the ancient town was demolished to allow the coal to be removed.It was a vast open cast site but has now closed. The old mine has been flooded to form a recreational lake;
Foggy day in Most, the lake is about two kilometres long and one wide. In summer it is popular with sailors, swimmers, fishers and sun bathers. Today it is cold and slightly foggy.
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Most. Built in the 16th century and part of the old town. The authorities decided to preserve it when the town was demolished. The spire was removed, the whole building was jacked up, put on a train and moved 851 metres. It is in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest building ever moved in one piece. Unfortunately it no longer sits with an East- West axis.
Modern Most on another foggy day. No school on Friday 12th of November. After a lazy morning eight of us took off in a minibus for the village of Nemcice some miles east of Prague. The trip was in part to celebrate St. Martins Day (Martinmass)
St Martin was a fourth century Roman soldier who turned to Christianity. At some point he was saved by cackling geese, as Romans often were you may recall. To celebrate this event much of Eastern Europe eats goose on November the 11th (Also Remembrance Day in Czechia) and drinks the first of the years wine. Leaving our hotel rooms we walked across to theVigVam for our evening meal.
The Vigvam, outside and in. Quiet in the photo it was full later; The menu consisted of goose, served in four m different ways. No place for vegetarians.
Next day we went to the town of Podebrady. In the 15th century this town was home to King George, one of the first Czech monarchs. Like other King Georges he could not speak the language of the people he ruled. He was a Hussite (Protestant) but quite kindly towards Catholics.
King George outside his castle in Podebrady.A busy town with a bustling market and a very wide main street with a long park down the centre Podebrady also has a museum of the cinema:
Me and friends. Masks are obligatory in shops, trains, school corridors.
After a light lunch we walked along the banks of the Elbe which is called the Laben in Czechia before we returned to Nemcice and went to the Vigvam for dinner. On the menu was goose, four varieties.
Next day on our way home we stopped for coffee and cake in a town called Kolin, famous for a beautiful cathedral and a factory for assembling Toyota cars.
Kolin and a lady's hair
For the next two days I was back in the classroom. One lesson was disrupted when all pupils and staff had to be tested for Covid. Room full of giggling kids with sticks up their noses!
One of my classes. No uniform! Nobody asleep!
And on Wednesday we went to Prague for the day. Compared to other occasions the city. particularly round the castle, was deserted; Covid keeps tourists away. We walked round part of the castle and visited the part of the Czech National Gallery is housed there. Several rooms of Renaissance and baroque masterpieces, mostly of a religious nature. Trams and the underground are free to pensioners, I could have ridden all day, wearing a mask of course.
We walked down to the river but chose not to cross the Charles Bridge. Using another crossing we passed the National Theatre and walked down a very busy street. It was a National Holiday, celebrating on this street an uprising of students against the authorities in November 1989.
Remembering the struggle for freedom. something we take for granted. Different view of the Charles Bridge.
Back in school again the next day for a lesson or two before starting the long process to get home. First the Passenger Locator Form telling the UK authorities I had been vaccinated months ago and that when I got to my house in England I was staying there, nor had I been to any Czech islands or other neighboring countries. Then I had to take a Lateral Flow Test which proved negative. The accompanying form was demanding. What was my National Number? We don't have one. Try my NHS number, try my National Insurance number . Make one up. To no avail. After a long phone call they accepted my home and mobile numbers, gave me a certificate and promised me I could go home.
Next day a very kind lady took me and Helena to the airport. The lady works for Tchibo. As a parting gift she gave me a calendar and 100 ball point pens!
Back in Leeds I was met by my chauffeuse again and we went home.
Another very enjoyable trip to Czechia, I love going there and hope to return next year. Friendly people, great kids and beautiful country.
Boden, the local basalt mountain
Bilina church Boden and churchThis Bilina citizen was an ethnographer specially interested in Native Americans (First Nations). He was made an honorary chief of the Kickapoo tribe
Coypus in River Bilina and on the bank, hoping to be fed. Bilina Gymnasium The hall of the original Prague main station Castle and Cathedral
