Ceský Krumlov, June 2005
On Friday afternoon one of our sales reps took me to beautiful Ceský Krumlov. The whole town center is UNESCO World Heritage Site and if you have been there you immediately understand why. We walked through the alleys. I admired the architecture and the enticing scents of food coming from the restaurants. The Moldova is winding around the old town and up on a hill the Krumlov castle is overtowering the mellow Bohamian countryside. A brown bear is hold prisoner in the castle ditch. Inside you can visit the castle theater and walk up on the tower to enjoy the view.

On Saturday evening I was lucky enough to return to the castle park to watch the opera "Rusalka" of Antonín Dvorák. The tickets were sold out. But one of my collegue's friends had a mother working for Budweis theatre. She asked her boss if she might invite me. So lucky me sat minutes later in the buss together with the ballet company, seamstresses and make-up artists. While everybody was preparing for the show, someone organized a sunchair, a sandwich, beverage, pillow and jacket for me. Those who had finished their preparations joined the table and though no one spoke German or English and I could hardly say "thank you", "cheers" and "good day" we had a fun communication with hands and feet.

The performance was unforgettable. I set on my pillow onthe stairs of the revolvable auditorium wrapped in a warm jacket and a blanket for Bohemian June nights can be very fresh. The stars were blinking. The music floating through the air. The entire castle park with lake and orangery was the stage for Rusalka, which is the Czech version of Hans Christian Andersen's "Little Mermaid". A great compagny of soloist, choir and ballet was turning the fairytale to life. I remember most of all the end, when a torchlight procession wound its way from the lake through the park. It was a moment of pure magic.
Dreaming Bohemian