Two Museums and Kláštery Český Krumlov Blues: Wednesday, September 25th!

If we listen, the air is heavy with poems, ripe for plucking. -Yahia Lababidi, aphorist (b. 25 Sep 1973) 






Up just before 7:00 am to do my shouldares and was finished by the time Lady Dar was up and reading about world events and catching up on news from home. We were planning on having grilled tomatoes with melted cheese on top, for breakfast, but couldn't get the stove-top element to work! No visible switch so I opened the cupboard under the sink and noticed a cord hanging next to wall socket so I asked Lady Dar to do the downward-facing dog, in the rather cramped space to plug it in! Voila! We had a sizzling element. From a shower in the kitchen to an inelegant way to use the stove, Dear Reader, we've seen just about everything Europe has to throw at us.

Cheese and tomatoes were delish and after a quick shower we will head out on the museum trail. First stop Museum Fotoatelier Seidel, just down the street from us, then a short walk through the centre of town to Kláštery Český Krumlov to learn about the history of the Minorite Order and the construction and development of the Monastery complex. Last stop of the day will be the Regionální Muzeu, perhaps hitting Pivovar Eggenberg, the dominant local brewery with a deep rooted history in the region brewing typical Czech lagers, en route! 

Dinner at Jacub Resturant, where we ate the night before. Lay Dar opted for the the same meal, Chicken Schnitzel breaded with cornflakes and mashed potatoes but I decided upon the Caesar with grilled strips of chicken and bacon. Both were delicious and we both enjoyed a glass of acceptable Meursault. Toddled home to make sandwiches for tomorrow and pack up a few things. Taxi has been arranged, by Alex, our hostess, for tomorrow at 9:30 am so we are in good shape for the morrow.

Dear Pat I live at Neubrückstrasse 3012 Bern. It's not far from the train station. And you can take either Bus nr. 20 or 11 which stop both almost in front of the house (station: Bierhübeli). Wonderful, if you arrive on September 30th. I'll be having a course from 4-6 pm. But before and afterwards I can welcome you at home. If you arrive in this period of time, I'll leave the keys in the letter box  and here is the door code to enter the building and you can just feel like home! We have space for five persons. Just let me know, how much you are, in order for me to be able to prepare the beds accordingly. All the best and see you soon, Fiona

Dear Corinne and Pat, We are sorry to hear of the health problems of Heinz and Eveline. If you want you can of course stay with us. We have enough space and at these days we are at home too. We would be happy to welcome you here in Ortschwaben. With kind regards Rudolf and Annemarie 

Hello Anna Maria Tremonte and Rudi Rudenheimer!

Thank you so much for you kind offer to stay. Certainly much appreciated, of course. At the moment, we have made arrangements to stay with Fiona, E's/H's niece. She lives quite close to the railway station so it will be convenient for us when we arrive from Zurich, on Monday, September 30th. Coincidentally, she leave for holidays on October 1st but we are hoping that she would allow us to 'entertain" as many of our host daughters and sons, as well as their parents, [You two included, it goes without saying!], who might be available, over the course of the following few days/evenings. Since we would dearly love to see you both, [if not earlier in Bern, itself], perhaps towards the end of the week of October 3rd or 4th, we might insist ourselves at Ortschwaben, if that should still be convenient. We depart for Valence, via Geneva, on Saturday, October 5th.

Today was our last full day in Český Krumlov and we started out the morning by visiting the Museum Fotoatelier Seidel, just down the street from us, and which we can see form the lovely back garden of our very comfortable pension, Pension Merlin. The Josef and Frantisek, (son), Seidels' studio, [The house which Josef built and operated his studio and business from, as well as living there with his large family, is simply remarkable. Painstakingly restored to be as authentic to the original as possible, its wealth of unique period images, post-cards and glass-plate negatives, and the well-preserved, functioning cameras, enlargers and darkroom equipment record the history of photographic technology as well as that of the town and surrounding region. This incredible collection is enhanced even further by Seidel's personal notes, diaries, customer records, and the original furniture and fixtures in the house. An absolute must if ever in Český Krumlov.

Then a short walk through the centre of town to Kláštery Český Krumlov to learn about the history of the Minorite Order and the construction and development of the Monastery complex. Last stop of the day was the Regionální Muzeu. Both were most interesting and the exhibits and buildings were extremely well presented but the highlight of the day, [and perhaps the entire trip, to date, as far as cultural activities are concerned], was Fotoatelier Seidel.

Another remarkable gallery was the Egon Schiele Art Centrum which we visited yesterday. It houses an exhibition documenting his life and work. I must admit that I knew very, very little about him before viewing this exhibition: Egon Schiele, (12 June 1890 – 31 October 1918), was an Austrian painter. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, Schiele was a major figurative painter of the early 20th century. His work is noted for its intensity and its raw sexuality, and the many self-portraits the artist produced, including naked self-portraits. The twisted body shapes and the expressive line that characterize Schiele's paintings and drawings mark the artist as an early exponent of Expressionism. Again, nothing short of a magical surprise to be added to the two stunning exhibitions we stumbled across in Prague, the day before we left: Alfons Mucha and Andy Warhol! Both breath-taking in there own individual artistic expression.

At any rate, please let us know what you think and we'll plan accordingly. Thanks again for your more than generous offer of hospitality. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you both. Best wishes and Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Schiele and Seidel.

Hello Patrick how's your travel in Europe so far? Any news about your travel plans this weekend? Just wondering since I haven't heard back. In case you'd like to call me here's my mobile number. We bought a house back in June and it is currently under renovation so on Saturday morning we have to quickly pass by a hardware store and get some stuff. Great to see you very soon!! Cheers,
Stefan