It’s been raining since early morning. That’s the price we pay for having had nice weather all month long. We think about how to deal with today’s farewell BBQ. But in the end, it all turned out better than we could’ve hoped. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did.
And that’s that: Just one more night in our temporary home…
UNES-COing was hard work. You’ve got to be in good shape for this job. One downside of the project was the sparrow who did his business all over our things. Our heads hurt from the noisy street, our hearts are heavy, but we leave feeling good. Thank you everyone who has been with us during Krumlov’s event of the year.
As participants in this revolutionary project, we can say:
The town of Český Krumlov is one of the most beautiful towns in Europe. It is magical. You can find busy streets, and just a block away are small alleyways where you won’t run into a living soul. The city’s hidden corners are great for children’s games and for endless strolls through town. Everything is at hand – preschool, school, after-school activities. There are parks and publicly accessible gardens. The city has a medical enter, a hospital, a pharmacy, a swimming pool, an ice arena, and sports fields. There are more than enough supermarkets, but unfortunately they are all in one place and their large number and low prices make it hard for mom-and-pop shops to compete. The city center lacks a butcher, a greengrocer, a bakery, and similar shops. Some people criticize the lack of such shops, but let’s be honest: if you can choose where to shop, how many of you would walk from one store to the next, dragging your bags with you? When locals need to buy things like shoes or children’s needs, they drive to České Budějovice.
There’s a lot of cultural life in Český Krumlov, but it costs a lot of money. Yes, Český Krumlov is a city of culture, but only if you can afford it. Another problem can be that you don’t even get into an event because it is full – often full of Asian tourists who have no idea of our culture and history. Some don’t even know what town they’re in. They arrive, pass through, take pictures, throw their trash away, and move on.
The problem is that the city itself has a lot of expenses associated with tourists. The castle – one of the most-visited in the country – belongs to the state, and the shops and restaurants belong to private individuals. Walking down the main road through town, Latrán, is an adrenaline sport. There’s inconsiderate tourists and drivers who drive much too fast for a pedestrian zone. And there’s not enough trash cans and benches.
There are few people in town who don’t own a business. As a true Krumlovite, I am glad that I can remember what Rybářská Street was like thirty years ago, when my brother Jirka and I would run to the window whenever a car passed, where we played hide-and-seek and other games, and rang each others’ doorbells on the way to school: first the Jurčíks (now the U Matesa pub), then the Čermáka (a private home), the Louls (Restaurant Babylon), the Hofbauers (Restaurant Rožmberská Bašta), the Barana (Pension U Galerie), and the Salons (the U Draka sweetshop).
Once again, thank you for living our normal life with us. This concludes our daily updates for your morning coffee or while you’re sitting on the throne.
Good-bye, spit cakes and ice cream. Hasta la vista, insect bites, elderflower cordial, coffee and cake served through the window. Ciao, Ondra Hájek and Marcela from the café next door. Arrivederci, fountain across the street which leaks and thus has no water in it. Buona sera, unexpected rain, burning sun. So long, Braník, Pilsner, Kozel. Vale, kids in the basin. Good-bye, gutters contaminated from the street’s nighttime parties. Addio, peas, coriander, field lettuce, beans, and spinach on the windowsill. Auf Wiedersehen, little sparrow who came for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Tschüss, football and the bicycle on which little Josef raced down the street. Salam aleykum, ball kicked over the wall of the building, さようならto all you Japs, who for the most part know where Republica Checa is located, that its capital is Praga but who still confuse Prague and Krumlov.
May peace reign in this land and Jupiter join with Mars. One day, we’ll be far away. May the sun shine on us.
We cross nor mountains, just one river, and three bridges to reach home sweet home, our prefab panel building. Where to next time?