Vitasková: Czech for hospitality!

I apologize in advance for the length of this post! There is just too much to say about the past four days. For highlights, skip to the bottom! The pictures link to the full gallary from the trip- check it out!

    We left for Ostrava on the 3:25 train, swapped trains 

at Wien Neustadt (Vienna) and then Brno. The second that the conductor announced (in Czech) that we had crossed the border, Petra's face lit up- couldn't stop smiling! When we finally pulled into Ostrava at 11.30, Petra's dad (Papa V)and brother (Tomás) were waiting on the platform. 

A short ride and we were home! Petra's mom had hot tea and home-made Koláče ("Kolasch") pastries waiting for us, and we spent the next few hours swapping introductions and stories. Papa V works for a company which specializes in deap-sea drilling, Mama V draws technical maps (GIS), and Tomás will graduate this spring from Ostrava's tech university with a degree in Mechanical engineering. Petra acted as our interpreter, but it is fantastic what you can get across with sign language and a bit of context! Tomás is a little shy when he's speaking English, but very articulate. Papa V has taken two English courses to help with his business travel- when he does know is spot on with grammar and pronunciation!

    Friday morning was very cold, but not cold enough to 

deter the four of us who did not have to go to work from taking a long walk out through a park, over the river, and out to a hill overlooking Ostrava. It was lovely, but so cold! We arrived at home just a bit before Mama and Papa V, and sat down to a wonderful dinner- followed, of course, by more of the Koláče! The four of us rode the tram into town and were shown around by Tomás and Petra before going to a hole in the wall "Cafeteria" (café), where we met their closest group of friends. It was originally a flat, and now it is a cozy place where they make the best Café au Lait I have ever seen. Rich coffee covered by an inch of froth, dusted with cinnamon and sugar! Wonderful friends, drinks, so much fun listening to the mix of Czech and english moving back and forth across the table! We finally left as Daniel closed and took the tram home. 

    Saturday: Cold and clear again. After another amazing breakfast spread, everyone (less Tomás, who was in a theatre performance) headed out to a coal mining museum. It had been in operation from the middle of the 18th century until 1991, with the majority of the buildings dating from 1918. We took a two part tour: first, on mining rescue teams and training. When Soomie posts the video of the training room, I'll post the link! Second, we went into the mine. That was the coldest my feet have ever been. The technology was fascinating, minor's stories were gut wrenching, and my understanding of what made Ostrava the way it is was filled out. So amazing! I felt a little bad that Petra was put in the position of trying to translate technical information, but she did so well! We stopped by the minor's pub on the way out to take in a little local flavor, and then went to Restaurace Na Skok for lunch. Once again, Petra translated all of Soomie's and my questions and comments. It was so much fun to talk with Petra's parents about the Czech, national identity, history... opportunities like that are few and far between! Fantastic tea and pasta, 

then another Czech specialty called Medovnik- layered honey cake! Then a trip to Bepa's house to visit Petra's grandma. Aaand more food! Bepa served us home-made cake (crust, layer of fruit, layer of crumbly curd) with a Czech cola called Kolfola- no, it doesn't taste like a coke wannabe! Ready for a nap after our gastronomic marathon, the three of us girls took to the local mall for a look around and the Tourist, which was in English with Czech subtitles. 

    Sunday: yet another breakfast spread provided by Mama V and then we took off to the local museum (big tan building in 3rd picture). The feature display was on Johann of Lux., and I found myself surrounded by medieval art,

 books, crowns, iron/woodwork... The permanent display on the natural and anthropological history of Ostrava was just as interesting! We were again treated to lunch out, this time in the rather nice restaurant Pod Museum (under the museum). I had the Ostrava goulash (ham, sausage,

onion garnish in rich dark sauce) with six Czech-stylesliced potato dumplings, washed down with a Kozel dark beer- The vegetarian rule goes out the window when it comes to tasting a new culture! Papa V laughed and said that after six beers and six dumplings I would be Czech. A few hours later Soomie and I were saying our last goodbyes to the Vitásek/Vitáskova family on the Ostrava platform. It was a relatively uneventful trip home- read a lot of der Herr der Ringe, changed trains once in Vienna, took a tram from the Hauptbahnhof home.

    Highlights: 

• Hospitality on a new level! Petra and her family gave Soomie and myself a home away from our home away from home. To the point that Petra took advantage of our lack of language skills and Czech Krona, and would not let us pay for ANYTHING. Dinners (regardless of my pleading), entrance fees, drinks, movie tickets... Soomie and I are scheming on how to get back at Petra and Co. for that! GRRRR! 
• Hanging out with second generation friends at the Café- and learning some new nicknames for Petra! 
• Understanding the history and identity of the Czech people from their point of view. Soomie asked Papa V if there was something that he wishes Americans understood better about the Czech. We tended to see "Czechoslovakia," a country still coming out from behind the iron curtain and catching up. They see themselves as leaders on the international stage in technology, politics, and athletics. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Czech was the 6th most developed nation in the world. Even without its coal mining, Ostrava is a center for heavy industry manufacturing and technology. Madeleine Albright was born near Praha. Do you know how many Czechs are in the NHL?
• Please, Thank You, Good morning: Prosim, Dékuij, Dobré ráno

Hm well it's late and I need a shower before I hit the rack. Love you all, would love to hear from you!