Harrachov and the Glass Factory on Sunday 17 April

On Sunday Vlasta had arranged a tour time at the glass factory in nearby Harrachov which, by the crow flies is probably only a few kilometers away from Paseky but with the winding mountain roads it seemed a little farther. Along the side of the road there was a stream or rather small river that had obviously been flowing for centuries as the rocks were smooth on either side. As spring is a little later arriving in this area you could see for several meters in the woods and it was dense and rocky. I can only imagine that people first settled here because of the water.

The glass factory was started in 1712 and much of the old building still exists. The Germans took it over during the war in the 1940's and then it reverted to the state after that. Now it is owned again by a single person, Frantisek Novosad, from 1993. This factory is the oldest working glass factory in the world. We had a lovely tour of the facility and I had an English interpretaton to follow along with. It was spectacular and so fascinating to see the glass being blown for beer glasses and fancy wine goblets. Of particular interest to me was the gentleman making pigs! They were so intricate and he made them so fast. There was a whole tray of the gleaming crystal piggies! I had fun in the store afterwards let me tell you!

The tour winds it's way to the etching or cutting room. It's not really a room it's more like a tennis court. It's huge! It dates back to 1895! There are 12 etching stations that large grinding wheels are attached to a moving spindle that is powered by water! The factory still uses a Francis water turbine to power each cutting station. Hanging from the ceiling were 3 chandeliers! One of which looked VERY similar to the one that came from the Vejvara family home here in Prague and how hangs in my cousin's home in Shedden, Ontario. It was so weird to see it hanging there. It was covered in glass dust as it is right in the cutting room. I guess they need light there too, but a chandelier??? It was surreal.

Attached to the glass factory is, of course, a brewery and they make "healthy beer". Well, for me any beer is healthy but this is the type that is unfiltered. We call it wheat beer. They call it healthy. Either way is fine with me.
With your admission to the factory there is a free beer! Wahoo! It was so great tasting and cold. Something about fresh beer! The vats are sitting right in the little restaurant area and there are artifacts of the glass making all over the place. The menu is held up by a old mould of a goblet. I always think this is the neatest thing ever. The worker would blow the glass into this mould, which is made of beech wood and it would be cooled ever so slightly then the mould would be opened and the glass removed to another station where the stem would be fashioned. The process took probably a minute to do and these folks worked with precision and grace as they are paid also by the perfection of their pieces.
                                       

I was also very pleased to see that one of my favourite things was also attached to this glass factory. Since they have a brewery, they have a SPA too! Guess what? One of the treatments is a BEER SPA. Get this.... natural spring water (it's everywhere here) then 5 litres of light lager, milled hops and 5 litres of dark lager and you BATHE IN IT. Oh wow! How cool is that.
The brochure describes it as "great for your cardiovascular system and skin. The effects of beer also help to cure acne and cellulite and they reduce tiredness." Right because you're drinking the bath water!!!! Ewww. Really though I think it's something that might fly! Hmmm I wonder if Ste. Anne's would have such a thing?
When I found that this treatment was here I really want to come back! Vlasta and I have figured out that when we retire we will both go on a Czech Spa trip. This will be one visit I'm sure.

We departed the glass factory, my purchases in hand, nicely packed for the journey home so I can't even peak at them until they come back to Canada, to go into Harrachov and check out the last remaining open ski centre. There is one slope open, mind you it goes for over 1 km down the mountain and we could see the ski jumping and ski flying centre there as well. This area is a 3 season resort area. Really in the fall there isn't much to do here except hike but during the summer there are many events to keep anyone occupied! There is kayaking on the river, a slide ride type thing, trail riding on bikes and ATV's and relaxing in the town. I think of it sort of like Collingwood, Ontario.

Our journey for the day wasn't over as we were now heading to the Jizera mountains where there is a cabin (cottage) that my father worked in during his army time. Each member of the army was assigned to a job. My father's was to be a caretaker in a mountain cabin for the winter of 1946. This winter, it is said, was to be one of the hardest ones on history. There was 4 meters of snow and people had to leave out of their homes through the top windows.
We parked at the top of the valley and walked the 2 kilometers down to the cottage. Cars are not allowed on the road except for disabled flagged vehicles and residents of the two inns at the bottom of the valley. There was snow, there was a beautiful clear wind and it was exciting!

Once we reached the bottom of the valley there was a bit more to walk to the cabin. It is currently being refurbished by someone and hopefully in a couple of years it might be open to see inside. Right now there isn't anything to see in there. It's just to know that this is where dad worked was very, very cool. The setting was beautiful but I could see how it would be very desolate in the winter. Dad would have had to be pretty handy to resolve issues with the building in this place. Again, it was wonderful to see part of history, my history.



65 years later a Vejvara is back!

 In these small villages there is always an inn or two. We had lunch (okay I was starving by this point) at Pansky dum. There I had the most amazing dumplings with pork in them and kraut! Oh boy it was good. Maybe because I was hungry or it was the great ambiance (again) or that it was just SO exciting to be there it was all so awesome. The Pansky dum is quite a nice resort and has all the amenities that you could think of. All right there in the middle of no where! Very nice. From there Vlasta and I walked up the valley to the car to come back down and get Milena and Mirek. They had already left the inn and were heading up. Milena said she was going to get some exercise after her big lunch too. She was walking poles (like ski poles) and she was just motoring along. It was a lovely day. Now it was back to Paseky to snooze then pack up for the drive back to Prague. We had travelled safely, thanks in part to Krkonose (kirk-oh-nosh-eh) who is a moutain spirit/man. He is everywhere and I took a picture of him in Pansky dum's front entrance.

Once back in Prague Vlasta and Mirek's son Petr came over to visit briefly. It was exciting to meet another cousin! He is an engineer and is doing very well and excited to be working now, like all grads. He is very tall (takes after his father!) and is a sports nut like as is his whole family.
After a short meal, and a beer of course, I settled off to bed. On Monday I will have my first look at the whole city of Prague!