Cesky Krumlov

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A day at leisure. David and Sara are out at 7.00am to take photos in the morning light when few others are around, apart from a few forlorn Japanese wheeling their suitcases up the cobbled streets (going where?). The light slants down the narrow streets, the shops are not yet open, and all is peaceful. Attempting to line up a shot on the old bridge across the river to the castle, a drunk with a beer belly and wearing a pink sombrero staggers around. Get out of my shot! Eventually he reels off the bridge. Obviously had a good night.

We go back to the hotel and breakfast early. We cannot sit out on the terrace as it is booked all day for a wedding. After Hannah and James have breakfasted, we head off across the river and up the hill to the castle. We have to take a guided tour, which is in English and with an amusing young guide. It is actually quite a good way to go round as the numbers are controlled and so there is only ever your party of fifteen or so in any particular section of the castle. The castle was founded in the 13^th century and passed through several noble Hapsburg families until it was confiscated by the Czechoslovakian government in 1947. The family who owned it at this time were of course German and so it was easy for the Communists to justify the seizure (if of course they needed to justify it, as they were the ruling party and believed in the common ownership of all property). It was however quite tough on the owners as they had been opposed to the Nazis but this cut little ice with the Communists.



After the tour we decide to have a beer (it is only midday but very hot) and decide we cannot be bothered to wait another hour for the tour of the theatre attached to the castle. So we head back down to town. We have lunch and then go across the river in the other direction to the park. This allows Hannah to sunbathe and the rest of us to read. The afternoon passes pleasantly. In the evening we go into town to an Italian restaurant in the hope of getting some vegetables, but end up eating pasta and pizza. We sit outside on their terrace and watch the river flow by.



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