Seat Belts and Southern Bohemia

Toward the end of last week I met a friend of one of the Czech girls who lives with us. He asked me from where in the States I came. When I answered "New Hampshire," I was surprised to get an emphatic nod and "Ah, the very liberal state!" Because we don't have to buckle our seat belts. (A stupid law, admittedly, but you can't truly be living free if you are strapped into a car. Come on.)

It was a couple of days later that the whole program rode to Český Krumlov for an overnight stay. The weather was great for a sleepy bus ride -- grey skies and slush falling -- but not ideal for touring the small, medieval town. We arrived in our pensions, then had a tour of the castle. Though it kept us dry, the castle's interior was even more chill than the air outside. It was hard for me to untense my cold, damp shoulders enough to really appreciate the building through which I was walking. But it really was cool -- some (very extravagantly decorated) few hundred rooms, including a private Baroque theater and personal chapels hidden in the walls.

The next day was a little more comfortable walking around. There was actually SUN for a couple of hours. (Very rare in Czech Februaries.) However, there wasn't much of anything to do. I was excited to check out the Egon Schiele Art Center. Apparently he was born in Český Krumlov. Schiele was a German Expressionist who worked roughly around the same time as Klimt. Much grotesque yet compelling self-portraiture. The center is closed until March as they install new exhibitions. Bugger.

Next up was the "Fairy Tale House," which was actually a (very, very creepy) puppet museum. Okay.

Really, it was a day of wandering and killing time. Relieving to wander down small streets, see ducks, not have to dart through crowds in the square, walk to walk, without fear of pickpocketing. On the bus ride home I saw deer and hawks in the Bohemian fields and thought of home and how much I love it. Madbury is certainly without many things -- pubs, museums, sidewalks to name a few -- but I am so glad to have my spot in "the very liberal state." I'm going to soak in all this culture while I can, but it is nice to know that when I am saturated with city and return home it will be to a place where I can traipse through fields and trees and beach sand; where I can walk with my bag swinging loosely from my hand, not clutched tight to my side; where I can drive -- without my seat belt.*



*Friends and family, do not fear. I always wear my seat belt.