We drove to Romana's village, which is a little bit more than an intersection. Pěčín is so small that it isn't on some maps.
We are so glad we didn't miss the intersection. Our week with Romana and her family in Pěčín was heaven. There is so much to say that we are having a difficult time deciding what to include here. Look at all our photographs from Pěčín and the Czech Republic countryside at http://www.flickr.com/photos/abrownell/sets/72157601660217235/
Romana introduced us to her family members ... and then she would turn around and call them something else. Matthew is usually really good at remembering names (and whispers them to me when I repeatedly forget). But, we were so confused that we had to write them down. In the process of writing them down, we learned that everyone has a given name, a calling name, one or two or three diminutive names, and sometimes nicknames.
The given name seems to be used only when talking in the 3rd person ... not in real life. The calling name is used when addressing someone directly and is vaguely similar to the given name (if you are familiar with Czech) but with an accented ó or á or with the ending vowel chopped off. The diminutive names (most people have more than one) are the first part of the given name with -ka or -cha or -ishka or -ushka added.
We're glad we wrote all the names down, loosened our tongue, and practiced them because they are our family now.
Romana met us in a village that was on our map and we followed her Pěčín ... turn left just before the small bridge that is after the curve by the barn, follow the road for 3-4 kilometers. If another car comes, squish way way over into the ditch so the other car can sqeeze by. Do not miss the intersection with the Urbanů pub ... that is Pěčín. (Needless to say, Romana had to lead us back onto the map at the end of our stay.)
We are so glad we didn't miss the intersection. Our week with Romana and her family in Pěčín was heaven. There is so much to say that we are having a difficult time deciding what to include here. Look at all our photographs from Pěčín and the Czech Republic countryside at http://www.flickr.com/photos/abrownell/sets/72157601660217235/
Imagine Thomas Kinkade paintings of unending countryside with rolling hills and flowers and cottages that are so overdone that they could not possibly be real. It is really real in Pěčín.
The cottage rental near Romana's house was not available until later in August (when Romana would be on vacation). So, Romana let us stay in her home ... next to her parent's pub, above her aunt's family, and next to her sister's home. They set up 6+ beds and found 6 pair of house slippers for us. (Their secret to clean floors >> only slippers in the house, no shoes.)
Romana introduced us to her family members ... and then she would turn around and call them something else. Matthew is usually really good at remembering names (and whispers them to me when I repeatedly forget). But, we were so confused that we had to write them down. In the process of writing them down, we learned that everyone has a given name, a calling name, one or two or three diminutive names, and sometimes nicknames.
The given name seems to be used only when talking in the 3rd person ... not in real life. The calling name is used when addressing someone directly and is vaguely similar to the given name (if you are familiar with Czech) but with an accented ó or á or with the ending vowel chopped off. The diminutive names (most people have more than one) are the first part of the given name with -ka or -cha or -ishka or -ushka added.
We're glad we wrote all the names down, loosened our tongue, and practiced them because they are our family now.
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