Had a good night's sleep on Karel and Adriana's new sofa. Got up and showered in their kick-ass bathroom. They made a great breakfast and then Adriana, Krystof, and I took the bikes out for a spin through Podebrady. It was a gorgeous day and we cycled through the park and downtown, stopping at a pharmacy along the way. We also got to see the building where Jana and her boyfriend David have purchased a unit.
Adriana spotted a lady selling strawberries in the park, and got some for home. We then headed back to the condominium, zooming through the underpass at the train station, (you're supposed to dismount!), only to find Karel at the other side carrying home some groceries.
He wasn't happy about the price of milk....After the groceries were put away, Karel took me for a drive in Adriana's car to see a chateau that she was thinking of booking for their wedding in September. On the outskirts of town we stopped at a property that had caught Karel's interest. It is on a deep lot behind the railway tracks, but the house is a ruin, which is a shame, because it once was probably quite grand. It had already been flipped once, and was priced accordingly....
We then drove through Nymburk, the regional capitol, (very cool architecture, from several eras - including an amazing water tower from the 1920's), on our way to Loucen.
Once we got to Loucen, we stopped at the local pub for a quick pint, (1.5L) !
Then we crossed the road to the Chateau Loucen, a magnificently restored mansion that incorporates a hotel and wedding facilities.
elegancechateauweddings.com/loucen.html
At the gatehouse, Karel inquired about the wedding facilities, and the attendant was kind enough to usher us into the directors office, (without having to pay the usual fee for entrance to the grounds). The woman there was very pleasant and gave us an extensive tour of the chateau, grounds, and hotel. I enjoyed it very much. It is owned by one family, who have done a great job restoring the building. The only sticking point is the chapel that is attached, which is still nominally owned by the Catholic Church. The owners offered to pay for it's restoration on the condition that they would have use of it for the wedding functions, but the authorities declined. Karel made the point that, of course, they wouldn't be too comfortable with ecumenical ceremonies taking place in what they would consider a sanctified area.....
Our guide
Finally, we said our good-byes, and headed back to the parking lot. We took a few minutes to try out a remote controlled helicopter I had brought with me from Canada. What a disaster. It was impossible to fly outside because of the wind,(and the fact that the batteries didn't have full charge). We left it charging in the trunk, while Karel drove us back to Podebrady. A great drive, except for the usual hold-up at the railway crossing......
Back in the parking garage we gave the helicopter another try, and this time Karel actually got it to hover! A resident showed up with his young son and laughed at our attempts to fly this toy, which said on the package "Easy To Fly". He really laughed when Adriana called Karel's cell phone to ask him what we were doing....and we agreed it was time to put the helicopter away.
When we got upstairs, She had baked an incredible poppyseed cake, using 2 KILOS of poppyseeds. I wouldn't be losing any weight today! Adriana had also found time to arrange lodging for me at my favourite hotel in Podebrady, the Pension Fontana, and had co-ordinated with Vasek to come and ferry me, and my huge collection of luggage, over to pension, (we had a narrow window of opportunity to get there, as the owner would only be available at 11:30 to let me in. The kindness of these people constantly amazed me! Vasek showed up, and we dragged the luggage down to his car and took off for the Fontana. Of course we got held up for 10 minutes at the railway crossing for a train that never came. Finally we got there, and the proprietor Lubomir was waiting for us. I stayed here a year ago for KK's baptism, and really enjoyed it.
The place is situated at the end of the park with a great view of the new fountains and pavillions.
I really appreciated the fact that I was given a room at such short notice. We were still undecided as to whether it would be for just one night, or two, so Lubomir told me to let Mrs. Sapakova know when I'd made my decision, and I was thinking "Who the hell is Mrs. Sapakova? Then I realized that that was Adriana's name.....duh).
http://www.pension-podebrady.cz/english/
Now Vasek drove me back to the pub near his house, Na Hrazi, where I was to meet Karel, Adriana, and KK. We were going to ride the bikes along the Labe River. There are wonderful trails here that apparently follow the river all the way to Nymburk. Vasek and I sat down on the patio for a pint, and were soon joined by Liba. She brought an additional bike for us to use. Soon Karel and his family cycled up. Unfortunately I had brought a battery-operated water pistol for Krystof from Canada, and he made use of it when he arrived at the pub, clearing the patio. I don't think Karel appreciated the gift too much....
After we finished the beer, we took off down the trail and pedaled to a pub "Na Soutoku" that we went to last year with Deenie. Parking the bikes, Adriana, KK, and I, grabbed a picnic table by the water, while Karel ordered beer and sausages. They were excellent. The place was hopping with people out enjoying the beautiful spring evening. We spent a nice time there, and Krystof had fun with the water pistol, a family of ducks, and a frog in the bullrushes, not to mention exploring the area with his mommy and daddy.
Finally it was time to leave, as KK had to get to bed. We rode along the river right through Podebrady. Adriana passed a friend of her's, who's a policewoman, and then we finally got back to the condominium. After more of the poppyseed cake, Karel walked me back part of the way to the pension. The park was all lit up with lasers, as they were preparing for the 100 year festivities. Very cool! Unfortunately, I'm not very good at night photos...
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