|
Saturday |
|
| The Moravice River is in north Moravia.
One weekend each fall they release water from behind a dam there--an event which triggers a pilgrimage by river riders from all over the Czech Republic. My neighbor Jarda invited us to go but Sarah was in Croatia with Nicole so it was more or less a boys' trip. When his friends found out it was my birthday I was treated to strenuous Moravian hospitality. Starting about 3 pm, bottles were pressed into my hand with alarming speed and diversity--white wine, red wine, beer, homemade slivovice (apple and plum versions of clear Czech moonshine), and whisky. Take a fake little sip and the bottle is put back in your hand; they want to see the level DROP. So, I was pretty much done by 6. But a little nap in the tent and I rallied by 9, just in time to join everyone in the campground pub (there are pubs everywhere, especially where people go to recreate). There, two guitarists took turns playing traditional songs and everyone sang and danced along. I felt surprisingly OK the next day and braced myself first thing with a dip in the river while we waited for them to open the floodgates. When they did, the levels rose and rapids appeared. The river wound through a steep forested valley with only occasional humble summer cottages on banks of the greenest grass I've ever seen. It looked kind of like the Pacific Northwest, but even less developed. |
