News from the Czech Center in the Museum District ~ May 30, 2010
From the Heart of Europe to the Heart of Houston, Texas Museum District
The Czech Center Museum Houston
4920 San Jacinto Street, Houston, Texas 77004 — 713-528-2060
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Greetings from South Moravia in the Czech Republic!!! This trip to Europe was somewhat unusual and really long. Leaving Houston Intercontinental Airport May 10th three and one half hours late on Lufthansa (never late) we flew high over the Artic Circle to Iceland seeing the ash below, to Greenland, Scotland finally landing at Frankfurt Airport missing first two connecting flights to Vienna. Our friend Jarek had arrived to meet the second flight, had to return home to Moravia then return to Vienna. We arrived in our wine village of Hlohovec at 8:00 p.m. in time for an incredible dinner of soup, pork cutlets, etc including that delectable famous Moravian wine.
(I write these memoirs here at 8:30 p.m. and an unbelievable huge blazing sunset is sliding behind Palava Hills from our front balcony.) Arrival in Vienna I welcomed the really cold brisk wind which immediately gave me two weeks of Laryngitis and some sore throat. We expected summer which we had left in Houston. It instead was in the 40’s and 50’s, gale force winds and daily rains for 17 or 18 days! The last two days were perfection and really the typical usual for May.
We enjoyed official opening of Tiree Chmelar Herb Garden at Valtice Chateau international gathering, a model project of Czech Greenways and EU program Gardens Without Borders, yesterday morning (May 29th). We met Czech-born Luboš and Irish wife Tiree Chmelar some years ago in their Mikulov summer home at a family friend gathering. New Yorkers, they initiated renovation of several properties in Mikulov after the Velvet Revolution, initiated Vienna, Brno Prague Greenways Cycling Trails and Tours and Tiree, lover of flowers, gardens, family, people envisioned a lovely large Herb Garden on the former Lichtenstein’s Chateau summer palace in Valtice to be outfitted with arbors, seating comfort for families and children exploring the healthy mission of growing and enjoying herbs and flowers.
Sadly, her life was ended in a tragic winter auto accident in New York six years ago but her vision came to fruition with help of World Monument Foundation, private and other resources, partnering with Mendel University School of Horticulture in Brno.
An incredible feat collaboration of several countries, the U.S., Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. Yes, people wherever they are can make a difference. It was nice to visit again with former U.S. Ambassador to Czech Republic, Jenone Walker, the Chmelar family and other friends. Commencing at 11:00 a.m. with the Garden tour, presentations from significant officials, it then continued until 2:00 p.m. at the Château’s Jizdarna (former Horse Equestrian Salon] with a youngsters Cimbal music concert, long tables of small delicious festival Kolaches and pastries of all kind, platters of cold cuts, cheeses, fruits and warm meats, beautiful dark breads and of course the vineyards treasures of red and white wines besides the famous Czech beers and waters.
It was tough duty to then have to enjoy our friend’s 55th birthday party outside the wine cellar starting at 4:00 p.m. A complete surprise (a first) friend Jarek Šlichta’s three children had gotten together to do the traditional piglet roast on a turning spit and all that comes with that including first the Svedske Stul Swedish table buffet and sweets table of beautiful French pastries though they are very Czech or maybe just European. A highlight was the young entertainer wife Annie had hired with accordion and a golden voice who was “non-stop” as they say in Czech from 4:00 until 11:30 p.m. with continued singing of folk songs, love ballads, Czech “Kontry,” American Country and a little classical music thrown in. But the singing didn’t stop after the musician left. (By the way Mr. Rosene and I made it till about 9:30 p.m. but we gave up listening about 2:30 a.m. from our living room above the cellar!
Last weekend we enjoyed a Blues Concert in a private home – friend Viera Krautgartnerova’s in Pavlov overlooking the Lake. Honestly, this man Slovenian born Paul Batti of Tabor was so good, just he and his electrical guitar you would have thought you last heard him in New Orleans and he’s never been there! Last year I bought his CD of Classic American Negro Spirituals – also exceptional so it was great to meet and hear him personally. That group was a cultural association from the Mikulov Brno area – artists, doctors, academicians, vintners. Last night our village people were pretty much the same – intellectually strong, bankers, contractors, high tech, students and large percentage of vintners. All very interested in their hopes of change in politics on the last two days of elections. All had voted enthusiastically even about to be 95 years young Annie’s mother Hermina Drobilicova, the eldest of the party. Annie’s granddaughter Alžbetka, twenty two months young enjoyed the dancing and eating prasatko – the tender pork!
The rains have comeand gone today and will continue we hear with colder temperatures; the really bad news is all the recent flooding in North Moravia. So bottom line, we are so enjoying the many good people we know and this wonderful food they eat. We have rested more in three weeks than we ever thought about resting. We have read two great novels (in English) about what living was really like during the Great Depression of the 30’s in the U.S. (a departure from documentaries, autobiographies and history though it incorporates all three areas).
We discovered you really can make numerous clothing combinations from three wool suits and three wool sweaters when it’s cold and you can’t use all that summer stuff you brought. We have decided to forgo again the trip to Prague we needed to make and even the trip to Northwest Bohemia to explore the Kovarsko Czech American German Military Museum volunteer Ken Breaux helps support. Bill tells me to tell you we just enjoyed our after dinner yogurt with fruit – Ligonberries from Sweden we bought in the Brno IKEA. In fact, to find some sunshine we have booked via Air Berlin a three day trip through friend Bobi (Bohunka Šlichtova) to Stockholm Sweden where it’s even cooler we hear but sunnier. Air Berlin is a Southwest Airlines type firm. Bill has half Swedish heritage. We haven’t been there since 1989 briefly off a ship and will visit with friends Monika and Lennart Loveman who visited us in Houston sixteen years ago.
We need to note we were here to celebrate the great Ice Hockey Czech Swedish win then the Czech Russian win which brought them at least their 10th Gold Medal and World Cup.
The entire country is celebrating still!!
We plan to be back at the Czech Center Museum Houston on return June 8th. There is much to do including our Benefit Gala August 28th. Perhaps we will do a Prague Summer! We so look forward to seeing you there. Our warmest regards to our family, friends, members, Board of Directors, volunteers and staff and thank you gratefully for your help in our absence.
Effie M. Rosene, on behalf of the Board of Directors Czech Center Museum Houston
"Time goes by so fast, people go in and out of your life. You must never miss the opportunity to tell these people how much they mean to you." Anonymous
Questions or comments or to be removed please email first and last name to czech@czechcenter.org
Effie M. Rosene, Chairman/CEO
