Českyy Krumlov

Česky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Two postcripts re:  WWII and the Austrian National Art Gallery from yesterday:

1.     I mentioned my favorite artist represented in the gallery was Breugel, but my favorite picture was a typical Vermeer painting of the artist painting a young woman at the window.  It was graceful, delicate, and charming—or so I thought—until I heard that it was Hitler’s favorite painting!  Heaven forbid that I should have something in common with that monster.  He “appropriated” it from the Austrians.   After the war, the Rothchilds purchased it and returned it to Vienna.

2.     We were talking to the manager of the museum store where I made a small (ha!) donation toward a silk scarf with a copy of “Hunter’s in the Snow.”  I said, “Vienna is such a beautiful city.”  He replied that so much of it had been destroyed during the war by the American bombs.  I jokingly said, “I hope you don’t hold that against us.”  He responded, “Well, we were responsible for helping to kill six million……”

We asked him where we could get a light lunch and he said that the museum had a good café.  While I was retrieving my coat, he came running out of the museum  store looking for Dan to tell us not to eat in the café because it was a sit-down buffet that day and the waiters were insufferable.

Now for today:  I’m in my cabin while we sail out of Passau, Germany. The pastel houses are reflected in the Danube. 

What a glorious autumn day!  We docked early this AM in Linz, Austria and drove directly to Česky Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Bohemian region of the Czech Republic.   Do not ask me to pronounce it, but it means something like “curve in the river.”  The ride was spectacular.  I feel as if I’m in New England with all the fall foliage combined with gently rolling green hills.  Our guide told that in a week it will probably be all gone, but we are seeing it at a perfect time.

Čexky Krumlov dates from the thirteenth century and has some of the most interesting architecture I’ve ever seen.  The buildings are covered in graffito, etched drawings, and frescos.  A very large castle dominates the town.  It’s a collection of 4-5 buildings with covered walkways between each.  At the end is a huge English style formal garden. 

I continue to be impressed by the elderly travelers on our tour who navigate the typical cobblestone streets.  While we saw many shops, it didn’t feel touristy. We had lunch in a very old restaurant with low stone ceilings and a large fireplace. The chicken was served with a delicious horseradish and mustard.   Out of the 3 other couples at the table, 2 were our age!  One of the couples lost a fireman son in 9/11. 

We drove back through more fall scenery into Germany.  While we were on tour, our ship sailed from Linz to Passau.  Unfortunately we set sail again immediately after boarding the ship and did not get to see Passau, which looks beautiful.  Currently we are in one of 68 locks we’ll pass through on our trip.