I find it a little confusing as to why this country is still celebrating an anniversary of the creation of a state that actually no longer exsits. This federation of the Czech and Slovak republics lasted for 75 years until the two nations peacefully split in 1993. Today is officially known as Independence Day. Oh well, any excuse for having a day off, I suppose.
Today, I went with my companion, Alice, together with her one year-old granddaughter Elisa and my best friend, Aisha the boxer, to visit the cemetry of her granparents in the Bohemian town of Mlada Boleslav. The last time I visited a cemetry with Aisha, which was where Alice's parents ashes were laid to rest, she produced two perfectly-formed peices of steaming pooh, right on top of the grave of someone who was too-long gone to know about it. So this time, I held her on a tight leash, and I am pleased to report that there was no repeat performance.
Mlada Boleslav is the home to the famous Skoda car plant, which now belongs to Volkwagen. During communism, the Skoda was a subject of many jokes as it was far from the best car in the world. But it is now a fine brand, and the cars have earned an excellent reputation. The production facility is enormous and dominates this 50,000 population town in the region of Bohemia, situated just 50 kilometers north-east of Prague.
I read afterwards that Mlada Boleslav had an important Jewish community which was at its height in 17th and 18th centuries when it was known as "Jerusalem on Jizera". Of the 1,041 recorded Jews who were deported from this town to Theresienstadt in January 1943, only 40 were still alive in November 1944. After World War II a tiny congregation was reestablished, but like Jewish communities throughout this country, they are a mere shadow of their significant pasts.
We then went to have lunch in Průhonice which is on the outskirts of Prague. Apart from Aisha vomiting under the table -- which was my fault for secretly feeding her something she shouldn't have been eating -- we had a lovely lunch. We then went for a walk in the glorious Průhonice horticultural garden which looked magnficient with all of its breathtaking autumn colours gleaming in the brilliant sunshine.
It's sometimes so good to do ordinary things, enjoying the company of a friend, practicing being a grandparent with someone else's grandchild and walking with a crazily energetic dog. I got covered in mud from playing with Aisha, who also decided to have a bath in the lake. But what the heck. It was a lovely day, a really lovely day.
Grandpa Jonathan
Prague, Czech Republic.
