July 15 & 16: Southern Moravia (more pictures coming)

After our weekend in Southern Bohemia, we went to the other region of the Czech Republic I mentioned. Moravia. Before I begin, I think I need to vent. I didn't want to, but it has been nagging on me for a while now.

Sometimes, people really bother me.

The people who, the moment we leave Prague, ask when we will be returning before we even find out our itinerary. The people who refuse to go to a bar outside of a two block radius. The people who don't even consider the opportunity to explore and find out new things. The people who 95 percent of the time completely refuse to listen or appreciate learning about what is around them. The people who sleep all day, and never really see the city. The people who disrespectfully talk over teachers or guides who are doing their job to tell us something. The people who refuse to travel in groups smaller than 10---It really bothers me. And, unfortunately, happens a bit too frequently. Everybody has lapses of laziness or daziness --but come on.

Anywho. I guess that just happened a few times on this trip--whew.

Southern Moravia was a highly anticipated weekend. Its main attraction? Wine tasting. But first, we had a few lazy towns to explore. My friend, Elizabeth Goossen (aka: Goose, Goosey, Tatty Goose) who is studying in Krakow came to visit and ended up taking the trip with us. She was lucky to be able to see Prague and the countryside and I was lucky to spend time with her.

The Goose.


First, we stopped in Telc to explore its gorgeous castle. The only time we were able to enjoy a royal interior--it was quite an experience. Ball rooms, armor rooms, large game rooms (gross), dining rooms, sanctuaries, sitting rooms...they just went on and on down winding staircases and through stone hallways. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take any pictures. But the opulence was enough to last in memory form. It really makes me wonder what it must have been like not only to live in such wealth, but what it was like to live among such wealth. Such prosperity always makes me think of what is on the other side of the coin--of the backs and sweat those riches rest upon. Though I enjoyed the castle and its interior...I found myself drifting to the mines, farms, and markets which made it all possible.

Next, we made our way to something I had been looking forward to since I found out the name behind those beautiful art nouveau posters. Alofons Mucha (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucha), a Czech born artist, made his name as a stand-in poster artist for a play with Sarah Bernhardt. Enamored with his style (and his portrayal of her), his posters of her shows became a foundation for his style. Well, anyway....we stopped in a town called Moravsky Krumlov to see his magnum opus--the Slav Epic. A project he was determined to finish to honor the Slavic and Czech people.
When Robin and I went to the Mucha museum, we learned all about the piece only to find that it was nowhere in Prague. But then again, how could it? Comprised of twenty 15-18 feet canvases, it is nearly impossible to find a venue suitable for its magnitude....and believe me, the museum was nowhere near adequate. So the canvases were sent to the forgotten town of Moravsky Krumlov, where they stand magnificently in too-tight quarters to be vaguely understood by their visitors. Mucha had a way of interpreting and collaging together many times, places, people, and events that comes across as very dense--however, they are simply awe inspiring.
Taking it all in can be overwheming, but with Mucha, what is so entrancing to me is the way he paints human eyes. In the crowds of people filling the space, the eyes of his subjects are piercing. They seem to reach out to you without raising a finger, and say everything they need to without a word. In some of the more desolate scenes, they cry out through shrouds of clothing, through the snow, through the darkness--it really is the most powerful aspect of this work on a whole. He does a unique job of conveying the collective Slav feeling, but it is the emotion of each individual Slav that captivated me most.

A busy day, our third stop was Mikulov to visit a veryyyyyyyy sleepy town just moments from the Austrian border. Offered to either eat a dinner or to climb to the top of a beautiful hill--I was a part of the small faction that took door number two. We spent plenty of times in small no-name restaurants in plenty of small no-name towns, why not try something new? It was a beautiful view. You could nearly through a stone into Austria and we were able to see a storm brew over a mountain--getting nicked a little by the rain on our way down.

Goose and Me, so happy together.


Strolling down the hill.


A storm brewing in the distance.


Our professor, Petr...nearly falling off.


And finally...the wine cellar. Girls immediately put on sundresses and boys...well, boys will be boys. We trooped down the dirt road to the cellar past the hen and chicks in the front yard of our hotel. The tables were laid out with cheeses, breads, meats and veggies to munch on as the first bottle was opened. We consumed several pitchers of house wine and then retreated to the lower cellar for nuts, cheeses, and...of course...vino.

Girls all prettied up.


Sunset walking to tasting.


Baby chicks huddling under their momma.


I welcomed the fact that this winery specialized in white...because...yes, delicious. We took several rounds of tasting, yet the names of the wines flew by too quickly to remember. My favorite was near the end, and had a hint of something vaguely tropical. Though I am really not sure how they manage that in the Czech "realllllllllly freakin landlocked" Republic. After we nibbled on our cheese and nuts and sipped our wine with some semblance of class, we went back upstairs to find fresh food platters and lots...of pitchers. Let's just say, everybody enjoyed themselves.
My favorite part of the evening was the wine-induced conversations with professors. A group of us hung out with the film professor as she reflected on communism and her views as a student during the time. It was amazing to get a face to put on the history and poli sci lectures---to know the events so well and finally put something behind them. I have gone to faculty cocktail parties before, but add more wine and communism and the fun really never stops.
In the we hours of the night, we stumbled, sauntered, or skipped home according to our vino levels and enjoyed a good night's sleep.

History boys and Petr.


The tasting.




When we woke up, we drove to the Lednice-Valtice area and saw the fairy-tale castle and took a boat ride around the grounds. We climbed yet another thigh burning tower, and stared at the still-beautiful vistas. We were looking forward to our lunch in Brno, when the bus broke down. Even those hours weren't enough to allow for the time necessary to get service at the local pub. The hour hand went around nearly twice before I got my paltry salad. Pissed, I ate bitterly, wishing I knew a few choice words in Czech. At that moment, the film teacher came in to be my voice. Ripping the waiter apart in Czech, she hurried things up a bit at the end and may or may not of said the service was what it was like in communist times. That is not a compliment.

We boarded our rickety coach, resigning to skip Brno and head straight to Prague. It was nice to leave the country side with few towns and even more vino under my belt. It made me happy and exhausted enough to sleep through the rocky ride that was punctuated by countless, unexplained pulling over. In a bus--that is more than a little unnerving.