Camp Zizkov

That same evening, we invite Jozka (and Helena, but she had blister) Jana, Paul, and Jirka for a little BBQ at our campsite location, and surprised everyone with what a nice little oasis there was in the middle of the park. The bar was well stocked and we spent a most pleasant evening entertaining our guests to a snapshot of our holiday.

Olympia Lunch

Next day we meet with Jana, Paul and Kath for a nice lunch before they all rush off, Paul and Jana to go the Zlenice where Paul is roped in with some building work, and Katherine to go and copy more order’s of service (which later change anyway). We head to the play ground, fall out over nothing because everyone is tired before trying to get back to the campsite. Well, not so simple. We try for the tram, but I realise that I have misread the map, and the have to take the 22 up to the castle to have a short walk to get the no 1 back. We make it up the hill, walk down to the no 1 to find it has been re routed as the roads are all dug up. Eventually we walk back up the hill, and do find the no 1 on it’s new route and head home.

Hamrak

We take the 136 bus to Sporilov and with a short walk past the sledging hill and the empty Hamrak Lake we meet up with Jozka, Helena, Mum, Anna, the video man, the video woman (both for the wedding), kuba, jirka, and later Katherine, Chris and the band/entourage. A few pleasant drinks and as we approach 11ish , we head up in the pitch black to try and find the bus stop. It takes a bit (lot) longer than expected, but eventually we find it, the bus arrives and we head back to our camper home for sleeps.

Railway lunch

We break for lunch, and make the kids day by parking next to the main railway station (little things!). This is the great thing about the camper, you can stop anywhere, have lunch, somewhere to sit and watch the world go by. Toilet and fridge at the ready and a place to wash up before we move on. We drive into Prague with no incident, only one U turn and arrive a Camp Zizkov to settle in for 3 nights.
As we did not have a picture of lunch, I chose the coins thrown into the altar area in the kostnice.

Kostnice

We stopped at Kutna Hora Kostnice (Bone Church) a couple of years ago, but because it was on the way, and because Elena could not remember it, we took a small detour and visited again. It is always an eye-opener to see the sheer number of skulls and bones and how it is all put together. The centre piece, the chandelier, is made up using every bone in the human body. Strangely it does not feel at all eerie, but actually quite a friendly and cheerful place as all the skulls smile at you from their various positions, smug in the knowledge that they are celebrated and not slowly rotting under the ground.

Velké Dářko

As for campsites we thought we had turned up to a dodgy commune. The place was unkempt, toilets disgusting the forest littered with toilet paper (presumably because the forest was a better alternative to the toilets!) and the lake had a strange green slime skin. It was interesting to see that when people went swimming, they brushed/splashed the slime aside to make a clean path to the better water deeper out. Still, we were only there for the night.
Morning came and transformation!
A heron was feeding on the other bank, the boats on the lake glistened in the early sun, and as we went for a walk, the view opened up into a rather nice large lake (slime was still there, but not so bad). We went mushroom picking with some success and the kids enjoyed the off roading on the bikes. Our opinion altered, we packed up and headed north.

Telč

After Třebič we are treated to Telč. We park up on the outskirts of town, and a five minute walk took us past the fish lakes (completely squirming with fish) into the amazing central square. The whole town is a Unesco protected heritage place and is picture postcard perfect. A very pleasant lunch and walk around (after a quick look up the clock tower) make for a very nice visit before we jump back in the van and continue to head north as we track towards Prague.

Wasps

Why are there so many wasps in the Czech Republic? Since we crossed the border, we have been plagued with wasps. Someone needs to undertake a research paper, is it loss of predator habitat, or is it particularly good wasp conditions. Either way, it is a pain in the backside.

Třebič

We pop into Třebič for a look around, and there are a few nice things of interest, but the main thing to remember is the cool little guitar that we bought. It is usually bought by motorbikers because it fits into panniers, but it is also great for kids. The guitars are great and much cheaper than in England. (although according to Jozka, they are even cheaper in America!) Town is soon explored and we head off for Telc which is meant to be better.

Trebic campsite

On the way to Trebic we see a Velorex 3 wheeler. Brilliant. We park up at the campsite in the hook of the river (eaten alive by mosquitoes – this seems a common theme since Graz, but in combination with wasps a particular Czech speciality). The place is nearly empty when we arrive, and is filled with weeping willows and surrounded by the cute little huts to rent. We are joined by a few other travellers (for some strange reason a dutch couple decide to park right next to us) and with a bit of guitar serenading from a travelling builder, we have our loaded cheese (nakladanej hermelin – delicious) and pickled herring (disgusting). The morning is spent starting my speech – nightmare – and preparing to move on.

Bitov Castle

The local castle is a 10 min bike ride, followed by a 30 minute walk up through the woods, and we are treated to a castle complex with the palace, the chapel, and more interestingly the dungeons. The torture chair is an especial hit with everyone, as is the russian ice cream, which is delicious between two wafers. Place is strange and has a mixture of old and fake old, but is a nice end to a pleasant (if steep) walk through the woods.