Coming home to Strekov castle, my childhood playground, the cottage that isn't any more, remembering Terezin, and finally! Citizenship results.
Hello my dear friends,I'm about to take you on the emotional ride which was my day.Now you've been with me all along chasing my citizenship papers all over the Czech republic and we've been trying to take calm breaths together while I've been dealing with one department and then another, and then another, well, I may have finally come to the end of this humongous paper trail which is now two folders thick.
It seems that, wile I was born in and we lived in Prague, my mom was registered as a doctor at a hospital 100km away at Usti Nad Labem (Usti above the river Elbe), and this is where we had an apartment and a summer cottage, so this is where I had to go to get my citizenship papers recognised.So with enormous gratitude and thanks to a lady named Ilona, I now have full, but provisional, citizenship for the next year, and have to register that in Ottawa in September, and I get my Czech passport! Get to breeze right thru the nationals line instead of the visitors line.
So with a great, big sigh of relief, I walked out of that office a different girl. I'm Czech again guys. I know it's not a big deal, and I know that I can go where ever I like on my Canadian passport and I know it's more of a personal journey than a practical one, but having my Czech citizenship back also means that my children can request a Czech passport and can live and work in the EU if they like.So that was that for now. The end of my work here in Cz.I drove out of Usti along the Elbe river to retrace my childhood cottage.Now I know it was in a little village called Brno, but that village doesn't exist any more. It has been swallowed up by the expanding township of Usti.
But I remembered the area and I remembered the view, the public swimming pool at the river, and what gave it away was a little grocery store which still held the village name. So this is where my cottage used to be. This is the view of the river we had...except it was a great, big field which we children used to run around in back then.
And this, this modern three story home, is where my cottage used to be. This is the place right here.There is nothing that I recognise except the area and the fact that there were only three cottages here, one of which is still there looking like it used to.My goodness guys, you can never go back home.
So, while I'm a bit heartbroken that I will never see that cottage again...the work of my grandfather's and parents' own hands, I'm happy for whoever now owns this piece of land. May they have good joy of it and many years of happiness.
But here is another place from my childhood.Strekov castle.This ruin of a castle is walking distance form my old cottage and we used to have picnics there and run around the battlements as children.Now it looks like it's being refurbished and saved as a monument.
I drove to it and walked up to the castle.Yup, it's a Hrad and not a Zamek. It's waaay up on the hill castle.
So up we go and again come to the castle door.
From the first battlements, the view down the Elbe is pretty spectacular.
But there's more of the castle to explore.
Here is the soldiers' hall of the castle.
And here is what remains of the great hall. It also shows a couple chimney flues and the guess is this was the only heated room of the castle.
But there's so much more to go, let's go up to the tower.
Here's the observation deck at the bottom of the tower.
From here you can see my cottage area and you can see how close the castle was.Gosh, this was all forest and field and three cottages here.Wow how this county has grown. But I can hardly blame people. This is ideal cottage country.
So come on, up higher we go.
I'm so happy I'm here. I'm so happy I found it.(yes I know I look like a sheepdog and need to trim my fringe)
So I explored the castle and sat in the courtyard cafe and had a drink to celebrate...
...and watched a gyrfalcon fly lazy circles below me.
One more place here which I had to visit. This is my grandparent's street in a town called Terezin, where they used to live for the winters, while summers were always at the cottage.
And this is my grandparent's home.I remember staying here in this golden house. In the interior courtyard there was a small stone castle...about 2 ft tall...like one of those cement garden ornaments, but as a little girl, that was so magical to pretend princesses in.
This red door was the store across the street.
And this, this is the town park where I have photos of being wheeled in in my pram as a baby.
I know Terezin is famous for all sorts of awful WWII horrors, but you'll have to excuse me for not being a very good tour guide on this trip. Today, I want to end my Czech journey here. In the warmth of my family history, with love for my country, and with beautiful, golden memories.Love to you all. Thank you so much for coming along.I've got one more day here in CZ before I fly to England, and it's storming up a storm like no other. The train tracks are flooded for the time being and the trains are stopped. I'm listening to the huge thunder claps and feeling incredibly happy and peaceful.
Vysehrad cemetery, family tomb duties, a small castle called Star, and night at the opera
Hello my dear friends,I'm almost too tired to hit the publish button tonight.Whew, what a day.
Today I went form one end of Prague to the other, taking the tram, the metro, and walking.Happily, public transportation in Prague is a dream with trams and the metro coming by every five minutes, and I made it up to Vysehrad in no time.Do you know Vysehrad?It's the most beautiful place.The name comes form two words: Vyssi-higher and Hrad- that castle type way up high on a hill. This place is up higher than Hradcany - Prague castle, therefore, Vysehrad.
It's an ancient settlement turned into castle, turned into Gothic basilica and cemetery, and has in it, among so many people, Smetana, Dvorak, Neruda and Mucha.
The interior of the basilica is so spectacular it's impossible to show you in photos.Every inch of the space is painted and decorated by various artists, Alphonse Mucha being one of them.
Each column has three saints painted on it. Look at the beautiful expressions on their faces. That's the magic of Mucha.
And the view form the old fortified fort walls over all of Prague is spectacular.
Then I found my family tomb.My family and my future family owns this tomb for life.I'm not sure any other members of my family will ever be buried or interred in the tomb, but my grandparents and my great grandparents plus some other ancient ancestors are here, so it needs taking care of.Every few years we hand over some money for the ground's keeper to keep the site in our absence.
I had a little visit with my grandparents, pulled up a little stray grass, clipped a couple fern leaves which were covering the beautiful black marble and swept the tomb with the little whisk brooms everyone can use.
Then I took the metro and trams over to a little castle. This little castle is more like a villa mixed with a folly, and is at the end of this beautiful park.
It's called Letohradek Hvesda, which translates into summer castle star and it's shaped like a six pointed star.It's relatively new by Prague standards and dated back to 1555.
These days it serves as a space for rotating art exhibits and bits of cultural interest.
So then back to the hotel, and with about an hour to go before this evening's performance, I slipped into an evening dress and hopped back on the tram to the National Opera House for Rusalka.
Oh my lord it was lovely. Cameras we not allowed during the performance, sorry.
But I did take this photo of the sunset over the Vltava and Hradcany.
So tired tonight.I might try to take it a bit easier tomorrow.
Salzburg and aunt Vera
A little continuation from yesterday.Like I said, I've driven all over Austria searching for the perfect place for my aunt Vera to rest.I've never had a responsibility like this before. I've never laid anyone to rest anywhere before.This has been really hard.I considered the family crypt in Prague but felt my aunt wouldn't ever want to be underground.I considered a lot of beautiful sites and beautiful places I know, but nothing felt right. Except Austria.This is the place where my aunt spent the happiest years of her life and so I decided she had to be here for eternity.I looked at Vienna, didn't feel right, then I thought Linz, but no. Linz is too industrial and too dirty. So I drove the extra 100K down here to Salzburg and suddenly everything felt right.
On a whim, I got a room at the Hotel Sachre; a beautiful old world hotel.Julie Andrews stayed here so I feel I'm on the right path...lol
Coming without reservations meant there was a little fuss about getting a room ready for me....lol. Three people to make a bed!
And then, early evening I walked into the town.
Hello Fraulein dirndl.I love dirndls, don't you? So cute.
The Salzberg shops were all closed but the restaurants were busy.
I just walked all over the town all afternoon.
I walked past the river and noticed the beautiful wildflowers.
Then I looked up and saw the alpine meadows.Then I knew. That's where I needed to take my aunt's ashes.
So, feeling much better about everything, I stopped at the Lidls store for a little something to eat and went to the room, had a bit of supper...
... had a bath, and lights out.
This morning, Sunday morning, I walked out of the hotel...
...and walked on beautifully empty streets!
I walked over to the nearest, (and probably only) Sbux...
And got myself a nice, hot tea, got directions for the meadows, checked out of the hotel, and headed for the hills.
And I found it guys!
The perfect meadow.Yes I dressed in a dirndl!When in Austria!
Here is a 360 view of my aunt's meadow:
I said my goodbyes to my aunt.
I opened the urn and scattered her ashes on this perfect meadow, in the gentle breeze, under the warm, European sky.And then I placed a single white rose in the center.
There you are auntie Vera.You're where you belong on this lush meadow overlooking Salzburg.You will have the sound of birds and children's laughter near by. You will have people walking past. Happy people wandering on these hills and in the winter, you will have crisp white days and crystal snowflakes, and at night you will have twinkling stars.
This has not been the easiest, most relaxing trip so far, but the big emotional decisions are done.I'm heading out of Austria now and back towards Prague.
Found family Bratislava and Budmerice, and took a couple days for myself
Hello my darling friends.I'm in Salzburg Austria tonight catching up on life.Life has been so fast these last two days that I really had to stop a minute and take a breath.It's been so emotional for me that's it's very hard to write this post...to keep going on...You see this next photo? It's of the tiny Budmerice village flower shop where I stopped to buy some flowers for my cousin Kveta who I have't seen for 47 years. I came to visit her with my cousin Zdenka, who so very graciously invited me to come stay with her.
I have two cousins in Slovakia who I knew about and had vague glimpses of memories of but haven't seen since my very young childhood. You see, we escaped the occupied Czechoslovakia without being to tell anyone when I was very young, then we were banned from coming back until communism fell apart, then life and children and deaths...and there you have it. A life time passed.Anyway, to make this incredibly emotional story short, I found my girls. Both of them.And I love them and their families, and am so happy I have them in my life again.Oh long story, long story. A life time story.I am retracing my roots here.Kveta still lives in my grandparent's home, where she and Zdenka grew up with my grandparents after their parents both died (my father's sister and her husband).This home.I remember this home; which the girls inherited.
I can't explain the feeling of walking thru the gates.You'll have to pardon my tears.The feeling of a loss in childhood regained, a feeling of family found, a feeling of belonging. I'm loosing all words. Anyone who has lost family and found them might understand, so I'll just describe and let you feel with me.Those hydrangeas.Those hydrangeas were there when I was a tot walking down the garden.
That attic space.That attic space is where we played dress up and dug thru trunks of old dresses.
These kittens.These kittens are new but there were always kittens here.
This stall area.This is where the Christmas pig was which was meant to be slaughtered.I have a glimpse of some men being here with grandfather and one of them fell in and there was panic for his safety.I remember that.
The garden where we used to run around and play.
My girls.Kveta on the left and Zdenka on the right.Pardon our red eyes.We were very weepy.
There you have it guys.What a couple of emotional days.I can't believe I found my cousins and finally have a chance to connect in person.I'm so happy.
This gate!This is the very gate which leads form the courtyard to the orchard and garden.This is the same walnut tree.
Some Polaroid photos for my journal.
This path behind the village.I have glimpses of us running thru the field.There is the most amazing field here edged with poplars and cherry trees.We ate cherries till we couldn't eat any more.
And then this! The girls prepared some photos for me.Would you like me to describe?I could but I can't explain what I feel in my heart.That large photo of that handsome man in the middle. That's my father who I never knew. Wasn't he handsome? Just like a movie star.That photo on the right hand side of the babe and the old lady. That's me and my grandmother, and it's a copy of the only photo I have of her.That photo of the young child, bottom right. That's me at about the time that we left the old Czechoslovakia knowing we would quite probably never be able to return.My cousins carefully kept and preserved all these photos never knowing if they'd ever see me again or even if I was even alive!
And here: a family tree of sorts.From the left: Family portrait with an aunt, both of my grandmothers (dad's on the left and mom's on the right), and my grandfather, my father, my grandfather, my grandmother and me.
That's one half of where I come from.One half is the grand and noble von Alemann family; who started the whole German race in 1218, and one half is the Miscovic family, who lived their own stormy lives I never knew about. Till now.
So there you have it guys.I've left Slovakia now and had to leave my family for a while, (I will so be back).And now for another emotional and personal journey.I've driven all over the place. Thru Vienna and thru Linz, and now am in Salzburg.I'm searching Austria for the perfect spot for my aunt's ashes.I think I found the right spot.In the mean time, much love to all of us who search and strive to connect.And even if you don't, hug your family a little tighter for me tonight.Whew emotional roller coaster.Those of you who like the merry-go-round, this ride is a little too turbulent!
It's been a high and low day; from the mountain top Perstejn Castle to the 460ft underground Macocha abyss. It's a long post!
OMG I just realised that this is a hell of a long post!It's been another beautiful day here at home guys, but I woke up at 5am with a migraine hallucination.How unfair is that!!!I mean I could totally understand if I drank wine or ate chocolate all day long, but I don't!Thanks a lot universe.There was nothing else to do for it but go under ground.
Underground for me was the Macocha abyss at over 460ft under the warm, summer surface of the Earth.A most fantastic more than 21,000 ft of caverns, cool 8 degrees, see my breath, migraine busting morning.
Look at this amazing sight.On the left is a stalagmite, stalactite formation which took millions of years to get to this point, and now, it is said, that they will never meet because the Earth has gently shifted stopping the drip, drip, dripping which feeds the process.The one on the left though is the curtain stalactite which is about 50ft high and continuing to grow.
Behind the curtain stalactite is the angel. Do you see him?
Here is some detail so you can see the beauty of it all.It's breathtaking.
Walking from the 10,000 ft of underground trails, we come out to a gorge.This is about 400ft deep.It has two pools on either side.One pool leads to an amethyst cave, OMG!!! Which you can only see if you're a spelunker and a diver. The entrance is down the gorge and 100ft underground thru one of the pools.
After the cavern crawl, the way out is by water.
The way out is via a 20 minute boat ride where the whole tour group had to duck left and right as the river narrowed and the walls closed it.
Oh my gosh, I was actually cold in this hot summer here in Europe.What an amazing way to get rid of a migraine.So, feeling much better, I decided to get inside that castle I couldn't visit yesterday because of the 3 hour road blocks/detours/crazy traffic.
And guess what! Approaching the other way, there was still an hour long out of my way detour because of a road block!!!
But finally I made it.
Hooray, here it finally is, the 13C Perstejn Castle.
You know what I love? I love those wooden fly-over bridges from tower to tower. So practical because if an invasion happens, you just hold down in the tower and burn the bridge down! No one can get to you!There used to be two bridges, one above the other, and with the 30 year war, the bridges were burned and only one was rebuilt.
This is the entrance thru the gates.
And here is the family Meldov crest.
Here are the kitchen rooms.
And one of the dining rooms with a typical dress of the day.
This is the ghost of the castle, Elishka. It's said that she was a vain girl and wouldn't come away from her mirror to pray. One day the priest cursed her for her vanity and the Earth opened up underneath her feet and she was swallowed up and no one ever saw her again...except as the white lady, the ghost of the castle.
There is 14C graffiti all over the back stairs of the castle. I wonder what it says.
Here is one of the towers.
It has four alcoves each with a coloured glass windows.Here is a photo showing you the reflection from the blue window.
And these are photos of the view thru the windows.they're meant to give you the feeling of spring, summer, autumn and winter.Kind of cool...huh?
The view from the tower.
Then, back inside and to the grand hall where important feasts were held.This family was a very rich family and they had chairs made with the names of all the important noble people of the day.The men's names were written as is, and the women's names were written married, as in belonging to (married family) name, followed by maiden family name.
Guess who I found!!!One of my family ancestors.Yes, that's an ancient ancestor Anna, born to the family Von Alemann (Spelled Allemagne at that time)Hi great, great, great....grandma.
We did get around since 1218!
This is the portrait room. Wonder if Anna was ever here.When I get back to Van I'll look her up in my family book.
Anyway, I may never find out what Anna looked like, but this is a portrait of the family who last held the castle; the Lobkovicz family.
One more photo; and unexpected visit to the grand library. Unexpected because this tour wasn't supposed to include the library, but it was a very small group and so the lovely tour guide included this amazing space.
On the way down from the castle I picked some wildflowers and, as I write this, they are fragrant and beautiful on my hotel bedside table.If you're not completely fed up to the teeth with my castle overload and humongously long posts, stay tuned. I plan to hit up another one or two castle tomorrow on my way out of Brno and into Slovakia for a few glorious days at a mineral spa. :)
Drawing challenge: Coat, the von Alemann coat
I was so happy when Patrice called this week's drawing challenge: coat, and, for me, this started with a book.
Not just any book, THE BOOK. One of the most precious books I have, the book of my family, the von Alemann family.The book used to belong to my grandfather, and has study notes written in his handwriting. There are also study notes in the handwriting of others.The book is written in high German, and begins in 1281. Somehow, over the years, there grew a small collection of odd things in the book, like a pressed edelweiss and beech leaf between the halves of a Czech receipt for bread, along with the usually kept death and birth certificates.
There are property documents, and locks of hair, and names. Loads and loads of names; centuries of names.
A few names keep repeating. Here, the death certificate for my grandfather's father Lord Emilian Karl von Alemann; before him his father, Lord Wilhelm Johan Karl, and after him my grandfather Lord Karl Emilian Maria, and my son is also named in a fashion after this tradition of repeating names: Jonathan Karl (he has the full right to use the Lord title).
It's funny how it goes. So comfortable for me, like a warm coat. My coat of arms. The image passed down thru centuries. The family which started the entire Alemannic world. My world.I started this DC on a sheet of music with the title Prelude. It felt like homage to all those who came before me.
I drew my Germanic von Alemann family crest, I drew the Czech lion, the lion of my childhood.
I gilded the Czech lion with copper leaf; that warm golden pink light of Prague.
And there we are. I think this little piece of art might end up collected in the book for future generations to puzzle out.
Later, Chloe and I put on our family crest rings. We looked thru the book for a while longer, and then I closed the book and put it back in the safe.
Thank you for a lovely and touching DC theme dearest. xBut the fun is only starting. Pop over to Patrice's for links to everyone who is clever enough to slip their coats on in this weather. :D