Oh, it´s hot, it´s Granny´s summer!

Arriving at Prague Ruzyne Airport after mere two hours of flight one would expect the weather wouldn´t be that much different from the Finnish fall we left behind. But it sure was. I certainly thought for a moment that we had come to a totally wrong country, Spain or Cyprus or something. Come to think of it, it wouldn´t be too surprising, given that Juri was in the cockpit during the descent of the flight...

In Žďár nad Africa the temperatures were even higher than in Prague, but the air was much clearer and fresher. Sometimes the wind carries an earthly scent of countryside into the lively town. Overlooking the town and it´s surroundings stands the Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk. The church can be seen from quite far away, and from the windows of our hotelrooms in U Labutě -hotel. I think it´s a beautiful sight especially in the evening when it´s lit by the light of the sundown. It looks like some fairytale castle or a space ship ready to fly.

Of course it´s amazing that in Žďár alone with it´s c. 25 000 inhabitants there are about 70 different restaurants or bars. As a teacher of mother tongue and literature I´m even more amazed and very glad to see how Czech people seem to be reading books everywhere, in bus stations, in railway stations, in cafés and bars, even while walking in traffic lights! There seems to be a bookstore in every other corner of both Prague and Brno. In Žďár I found a little catholic bookstore from where I bought a nice rose-scented rosary for my wife. The shopkeeper was an elderly lady who spoke neither English nor German. Yet we managed to do business.

Czech people are friendly and eager to help a foreigner even when they don´t share a common language. The young people are exemplary polite and well mannered. The streets are clean, and especially the thousands of culturally valuable buildings and sites are seemingly high respected and well taken care of.

A true sign of an old Central European civilization in my mind is the condition of WCs. In this respect Czech republic hasn´t failed me once: restrooms for men have been very clean and fully equipped. If one gets locked inside a house while visiting a restroom, it´s quite comforting that it isn´t like a scene from Dante´s Hell and smell like a Norwegian fishfactory.

I´ve enjoyed my stay and hope to come back some time soon!

Jari Juutinen