Pisek

We arrived in Pisek shortly before dark. It's a lovely town known for its schools, one of the first things we noticed were all the kids in the old part of town. Checked into a room above a pub and set out to explore the town of the Safranecs.

The main square.









More vepřo-knedlo-zelo (pork-dumplings-cabbage). Joe also enjoyed a lovely soup that he is eager to remake at home--a clear beef boullion with a raw egg yolk lightly poached.









We found a little underground pub called Pi featuring two local bands. The first was a geek garage techno rock trio. The second was three guys--bass, guitar, drummer, all singers--that were tight. They rocked it.


















Always say yes. We shared a table with two women, we later learned that one was a violin player and English teacher, the other was a wild bohemian hippie-chick. As the night progressed, Eloina, the bohemian, introduced herself by offering Les a shot of a clear liquor. It tasted like blueberries, and turned out to be a famous Czech sweet plum brandy Slivovice. One thing led to another, and we spent the whole evening communicating through drinking and dancing. At one point, Eloina took a sandwich out of her bad, we all took bites and continued partying.









Video of the second band. After the bands ended, they played a killer mix of dance favorites. It was true bohemia--dancing on the tables, guys with their shirts off, singing and yelling, all happy and loving. The vibe was like a house party, towards the end of the night when just your close friends remain and the music's cranking and you can't stop telling everyone how much you love them.


The starý most, Pisek's Old Bridge. It is the oldest bridge in the Czech Republic, built in the 1300's. On this trip, locations like these create a sense of crossing paths with our ancestors. For all there is unknown, we can be certain that Joseph and Agnes Safranec crossed this bridge and admired the view of the river, largely unchanged today.









The bridge.









View of new apartments north of the bridge, across the river from the old town.









A view of the old town south of the bridge.









Christ and Holy Trinity church. Joe's family church in Connecticut shares the same name.












On the road again, heading southeast to Cesky Krumlov.









We drove through farming village after farming village. Unlike the midwest US, the farmers put their houses and their barns in the village and travel to their fields. You can imagine what this does to foster community.


















This was a breathtaking moment on our drive. In the misty pre-twilight, a woman with blond braids, wrapped in knit sweaters, came trotting on her horse across the field. We could feel the rush of fresh air and the union of woman, beast, and nature.









This would be a nice place to picnic, or nap, or pick mushrooms. Or hang with Totoro.