Konopiště Castle

Not long after our trip to Prague we took a different type of excursion. This time to a small village with a large castle nearby. We took a trip by train to a town called Benešov about an hour from Říčany . Then (after some sustenance and a few moments to orient ourselves) we walked one and half miles to Konopiště Castle. This was what the walk was like:

Stinging Nettle had gotten her foot at the pond. 

While walking to the castle we would find little signs on the trees, indicating we were on the right path. How  friendly to the walking tourist! Just like at home when you are following a particular trail for a hike in the woods or on a mountain... here the blazes are in towns and cities as well trails and mountainsides so that you can find your way to various spots.

Trail blazes

After our lovely meandering walk we ended up here: (not my picture) 

Konopiště Castle

We toured the castle... a chateau (which is the word used online) might be a better word for it. It is a magnificent many storied, many roomed, many chandeliered palace. We walked from room to room hearing about who slept here and where this chandelier came from, and where the marble from this table came from... I oohed and ahhed a lot to try to keep the kids interested. But I expect when they heard "castle" they expected grey stone rooms with large marble thrones, despite the fact that I had told them otherwise.

I was rather proud of how they quietly observed the rooms and corridors as we toured the castle with a group of mostly adults. Perhaps what kept them going was that we had to listen through headsets to the English version of the tour as we went from room to room. (Buttons to push!) In truth, it was magnificent...that was not lost on them, for sure. History and elegance and visions of wealth and splendor are quite something to observe. 

But it was the gardens that enchanted us most...

Hard to see in the pic... but this is our familiar (5th grade) Greek God, Poseidon

As I look at these photos and write this post, I ask myself this; What it is that we are *really* doing on these small trips? The truth is, a large part of  it is the activity of finding our way. We must determine what time our train leaves, how to buy a ticket, find places to eat, figure out what to order, find our way through town and woods, communicate to buy tickets for the tour, discover if the tiny tourist train is going near the train station, figure out which train platform is ours... 

In the midst of all of that we are communicating with each other...we laugh, we grouch, we help, we snap, we carry....

And these experiences are really the point of being here. The experience of finding our way. Developing greater flexibility. Living with uncertainty. Strengthening our ties. I am glad that my kids are seeing me in new ways. They see me struggle with the language, with a map, with communicating. Yet I do strive. And we always make it.

three bohemian ramblers

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.  ~Henry David Thoreau