A repeat of last year's successful get together...
Spring in the Czech Republic
April 1, 2015
That's what it says on the calendar, but the reality is quite different. When we arrived in Prague the week previously, the temperatures were very nicely into the 60's with some pale sunshine. Because it is still too cold for gardening let alone wood working where the fingers must be able to feel some sensation, we departed on Sunday the 29th, a pleasant enough afternoon, for distant Moravia–about 100 miles south east of here–ostensibly to celebrate the 73rd birthday of an ex-cousin by marriage.
On Monday March 30 we went to Namest, a few kilometers away from Velke Mezirici, to acquire some bed linen and then on a cross country journey, administered by Waze, to a southern suburb of Znojmo, on the Austrian border and the heart of one of Moravia's wine growing regions. We met up with a couple we had helped, in October at Zurich Airport, to get through the pre-boarding process. Had lunch at a great pub/restaurant across the street from the jewelry business and discovered that his hobby is winemaking, but on a magnificent scale. Later that afternoon we went to his wine cellars–about 15 feet of solid rock above us and going back into the hillside about 100 feet where he must have had about 10,000 bottles of his varietals. I was able to sample just micro sips of three really excellent wines, due the requirement for 0% blood alcohol, but we left with 9 bottles including their gift of three bottles. As we were leaving Znojmo to return to Velke Mezirici, about 50 miles north, the weather turned savage and we had to drive through an intense, black downpour for the first part of the journey before emerging into brilliant sunshine for the rest of the trip.
On returning to our rooms, we checked the weather forecasts, which did not look at all good, with the dreaded s word appearing for Wednesday and Thursday accompanied by extremely high winds. We decided to forego the scheduled trip back to the Skoda dealer to have our Summer wheels fitted and also to forego the pleasure of a Tuesday evening in Prague with our friends Blanka and Ivan. On Tuesday morning, yesterday, we deferred our departure until about 10 am as the snow was really coming down and settling fast. Leaving the place at which we were staying involved a fairly steep and glacial slope up to the road and our all-wheel drive was tested and found sufficient. We discovered that the car has heated front seats including the seat backs, a heated front windshield as well as the rear one, electrically heated mirrors, and rain/snow sensitive wipers. All these features were in full operation as we got on the motorway to Prague. We were running toward the west and the weather was traveling east, so we got out of the worst of it after about an hour; by the time we had traversed the periphery of Prague and were headed up the last 70 kilometers to home, the snow, which had been treacherous earlier, had melted leaving the roads wet and we arrived home safe and sound. Our timing turned out to be brilliant as the motorways were later closed after our transit due to snow, ice, accidents, fallen trees and roadworks. We stopped at the Lidl grocery store on the way here to stock up on provisions for several days and are now bunkered in independent of what Mother N can throw at us...
That's what it says on the calendar, but the reality is quite different. When we arrived in Prague the week previously, the temperatures were very nicely into the 60's with some pale sunshine. Because it is still too cold for gardening let alone wood working where the fingers must be able to feel some sensation, we departed on Sunday the 29th, a pleasant enough afternoon, for distant Moravia–about 100 miles south east of here–ostensibly to celebrate the 73rd birthday of an ex-cousin by marriage.
On Monday March 30 we went to Namest, a few kilometers away from Velke Mezirici, to acquire some bed linen and then on a cross country journey, administered by Waze, to a southern suburb of Znojmo, on the Austrian border and the heart of one of Moravia's wine growing regions. We met up with a couple we had helped, in October at Zurich Airport, to get through the pre-boarding process. Had lunch at a great pub/restaurant across the street from the jewelry business and discovered that his hobby is winemaking, but on a magnificent scale. Later that afternoon we went to his wine cellars–about 15 feet of solid rock above us and going back into the hillside about 100 feet where he must have had about 10,000 bottles of his varietals. I was able to sample just micro sips of three really excellent wines, due the requirement for 0% blood alcohol, but we left with 9 bottles including their gift of three bottles. As we were leaving Znojmo to return to Velke Mezirici, about 50 miles north, the weather turned savage and we had to drive through an intense, black downpour for the first part of the journey before emerging into brilliant sunshine for the rest of the trip.
On returning to our rooms, we checked the weather forecasts, which did not look at all good, with the dreaded s word appearing for Wednesday and Thursday accompanied by extremely high winds. We decided to forego the scheduled trip back to the Skoda dealer to have our Summer wheels fitted and also to forego the pleasure of a Tuesday evening in Prague with our friends Blanka and Ivan. On Tuesday morning, yesterday, we deferred our departure until about 10 am as the snow was really coming down and settling fast. Leaving the place at which we were staying involved a fairly steep and glacial slope up to the road and our all-wheel drive was tested and found sufficient. We discovered that the car has heated front seats including the seat backs, a heated front windshield as well as the rear one, electrically heated mirrors, and rain/snow sensitive wipers. All these features were in full operation as we got on the motorway to Prague. We were running toward the west and the weather was traveling east, so we got out of the worst of it after about an hour; by the time we had traversed the periphery of Prague and were headed up the last 70 kilometers to home, the snow, which had been treacherous earlier, had melted leaving the roads wet and we arrived home safe and sound. Our timing turned out to be brilliant as the motorways were later closed after our transit due to snow, ice, accidents, fallen trees and roadworks. We stopped at the Lidl grocery store on the way here to stock up on provisions for several days and are now bunkered in independent of what Mother N can throw at us...
But Summer did arrive...
But things improved dramatically and, just a few weeks later, Spring sprang, the only white stuff on the grass were the daisies, the pergola was erected, the grill was relocated to the lower patio, a Weber gas grill was acquired and Summer began. Summer turned out to be quite dry and our garden began to make the Sahara look like a swamp; not sure our 'grass' will ever recover from the drought and the liberal application of wood preservative applied during preparations for replacement of the barn roof. Temperatures stayed so high for so long that we finally decided to splurge on an air conditioner for our bedroom only to discover that in the entire country and, probably, in all of Central Europe there was not a machine to be had anywhere. Next year we will anticipate the heat and buy when there's still snow on the ground...
Some of the 'Projects' accomplished in Česky Raj this year
Woodworking
Pergola manufacture completed and erected — Ivan, Blanka and Zdenka
Replace old pergola arch
New 1.5 m pergola — steel angles from Building Supplies in Mašov, drilled by Vašek V
Oak stand for large paper towel roll
Convertible picnic table bench
Bell stand
Refinish memorial table
Refinish memorial bench
Rebuild work table in barn
Design and build 2 x 2m pub table for Ondrej at Tennis Club
Design bird feeder table and stand —not released for manufacture
Investments and Purchases
New Octavia Scout
New kingsize tempapur bed mattress
Weber Spirit gas grill — Bauhaus, assembly by K
Weber Gourmet BBQ accessories — online
Electric rotisserie for Weber — Mountfield
New iRobot Scooba — online
Two 5kg propane tanks — AutoKelly in Jablonec
New DVD player — acquired via Jacalin
Wireless router extender, but useless — online
Change from ADV to ITBusiness— ITBusiness
Install new 2.3Gb WIFI router — ITBusiness
New Phillips boom box — Elektro
New flooring installed in kitchen and pantry hall — Ivan Z
New roof for barn — Lindap and Ivan Z
Maintenance and Repair
Screen door for back door — Bauhaus, assembly and installation by K
Screen for dining room window — Bauhaus, assembly and installation by K
New ceramic inserts and iron grill for charcoal grill — manufacturer
New sand installed in pool filter — Bazenplast
Replaced mixer valve in downstairs shower — Bauhaus warranty and Ivan
New 50l boiler installed in pantry room for kitchen
Replacement heating element installed in downstairs 200l boiler
Plumbing clean out of kitchen sink — Phil
Two new fence sections — Z and K
Tools and Equipment
New B&D cordless trimmer — Bauhaus
New vise grip and electrician's wrench acquired — Bauhaus
Router bits — Jiranek
New pole clipper to replace original — Bauhaus
Glue gun for crafts — Bauhaus
Drying rack — Makro
Garden
Relocate charcoal grill to lower patio — Stefan
Thousand other activities — Z
Pergola manufacture completed and erected — Ivan, Blanka and Zdenka
Replace old pergola arch
New 1.5 m pergola — steel angles from Building Supplies in Mašov, drilled by Vašek V
Oak stand for large paper towel roll
Convertible picnic table bench
Bell stand
Refinish memorial table
Refinish memorial bench
Rebuild work table in barn
Design and build 2 x 2m pub table for Ondrej at Tennis Club
Design bird feeder table and stand —not released for manufacture
Investments and Purchases
New Octavia Scout
New kingsize tempapur bed mattress
Weber Spirit gas grill — Bauhaus, assembly by K
Weber Gourmet BBQ accessories — online
Electric rotisserie for Weber — Mountfield
New iRobot Scooba — online
Two 5kg propane tanks — AutoKelly in Jablonec
New DVD player — acquired via Jacalin
Wireless router extender, but useless — online
Change from ADV to ITBusiness— ITBusiness
Install new 2.3Gb WIFI router — ITBusiness
New Phillips boom box — Elektro
New flooring installed in kitchen and pantry hall — Ivan Z
New roof for barn — Lindap and Ivan Z
Maintenance and Repair
Screen door for back door — Bauhaus, assembly and installation by K
Screen for dining room window — Bauhaus, assembly and installation by K
New ceramic inserts and iron grill for charcoal grill — manufacturer
New sand installed in pool filter — Bazenplast
Replaced mixer valve in downstairs shower — Bauhaus warranty and Ivan
New 50l boiler installed in pantry room for kitchen
Replacement heating element installed in downstairs 200l boiler
Plumbing clean out of kitchen sink — Phil
Two new fence sections — Z and K
Tools and Equipment
New B&D cordless trimmer — Bauhaus
New vise grip and electrician's wrench acquired — Bauhaus
Router bits — Jiranek
New pole clipper to replace original — Bauhaus
Glue gun for crafts — Bauhaus
Drying rack — Makro
Garden
Relocate charcoal grill to lower patio — Stefan
Thousand other activities — Z