BILLandCYNTHIAfromAWAY: CESKY KRUMLOV: a Hidden Gem

We had never heard of this small city in the Czech Republic, near the border with Austria. But Kate Church (Robin's friend and ours) had a small, perfect exhibition in the Castle Krumlov. So we drove there, over dirt roads, through fields, certainly not expecting the delightful town we found with a sparkling river encircling the Castle, where we had arranged to stay in the first courtyard.

Kate and Rick welcomed us, unexpectedly accompanied by Peter Pereira, born in Krumlov, but resident in Canada and teaching theatre in Halifax since 1966. He was our host and was a fount of information: about the town, about the correct way to down an evil drink called Ferocious Dog, about the amazing Baroque theatre in the Castle, where his Foundation has established an equally amazing museum. We marvelled at the workings of the theatre, once the place where the royal family entertained one another in dramatic performances. Perhaps most interesting was the ballroom, the site of masked balls. The walls of this were embellished with painted trompe l'oeil figures of masked revellers, seemingly celebrating here continuously since the 17th century.

The town was lovely; now a World Heritage site, it had its Japanese and Russian tourists, but the beauty and serenity of the place was undisturbed against the gentle sounds of the river, always nearby. We loved being here: the houses, all painted with (again) trompe l'oeil features, the colours, the beautifully decorated towers of the castle and cathedral... our room, all 83 square metres of it. The food! The people! The art! We vowed to return.