Left Prague this morning on the train, which much to everyone's consternation stopped 45min out of Prague and chucked us off on to transfer buses to the next station. They were doing maintenance on the line. Such is life. I wish I'd had time to take a photo as we all scrambled to get onto the replacement train. I had a strong feeling that I was a bit player in a WWII movie. The station we reloaded at was a very small rural siding with no platform and 300 people with all their luggage, children, pets, etc had to run along the side of the line down the train and climb up into the carriages, which were all old and filthy (as they are here). Old ladies with overcoats and head scarves, mums humping kids and prams, backpackers like me with their house on their back, travellers with suitcases, old men with walking sticks, businessmen with briefcases, fashionable ladies in high heels.
Got off at a little Hussite town called Tabor expecting a village from 1200's nestled in the hills along side a river. Mmm... not quite... definitely a scenic river and a small old town, but surrounded by an industrial city in one direction and agricultural farms in the other. A good couple of k's walk to the old centre and everything was as quiet as a Sunday in Mareeba. I kept thinking I must have got the days muddled, but I was sure it was Wednesday. By the time I found the town square and visitor centre I had worked out it was a public holiday. Ahh, relief. VERY quiet after Prague, although the last day or so in Prague had been much quieter visitor numbers-wise. I think the end of October is like Cairns and the tourist tap turns off.
Good way to keep colour on the garden - these are cabbages in a public garden - I guess they don't frost so easily...
Pretty lanes surround the old town
Czech version of "No junk mail"
The river and lake (created in 1200's to provide the town with reticulated water - remember to ask me more about this one dad)
Anyway, found my Penzion which is above a pub called The Tommahawk and while I am being spoiled with a single room with ensuite, bugger it, the place reaks of smoke. Note to self - down side of getting away from tourists - there is no international recognition of non-smoking areas. Brings back memories of Egypt. Everyone smokes everywhere. Flung open the windows of my room and headed out to 'do' the town. Stuff it - rather be cold than smoked out.
It is a very old town and the centre of the original settlement of the Hussites or 'Bohemians' which in the true sense were the first communists - that is they ran their society as a commune. And very successfully til 1600's when the Hapsburgs (sp?) seiged the town and finally defeated them. Most of the buildings have foundations from between 12-1400's although there seems to be a lot of internal renovations and I got a few interesting photos of tradesmen working.
Roofers on a 3 story building balancing on 2be1s laid across the snow hooks
I've seen these 'blocks' on lots of construction sites. They are clay blocks rather than concrete like we use but they are a honeycomb of clay that can be cut to shape - means the block is large but uses less actual clay. Everything is rendered so it doesn't matter how rough the finish is.
I tried to capture the various layers of age and construction on this wall. You can see the original brick work, then an early arch and decorative render that has been covered by later owners, then the rough render which is then covered by the finshing paster (which obviously peels off and is replastered by subsequent decorators and painted)
Climbed the church clock tower and in that 1/2 hour used more adrenalin than I had in the previous 1 1/2 hiking up and down the lanes. 50m up rickity stairs and ladders with just rope handrails in places. No such thing as 'duty of care', 'public liability' or 'work, health and safety' in this part of CR... Great view off the top though. And the guy taking the money works at the top of the tower, which is a bit different - he has to climb up there every morning.
View from the tower of surrounding forest turning from green to gold
View of Tabor from the Clock Tower
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