Last night, we arrived at Trebic, a small town in the south of the Chech Republic. We changed 4 trains to get from Budapest and by the time the 2 wagon suburban train pulled into town, it was 11pm and all of us were hungry, tired and in need of a shower.
We are in Trebic for Lucia's wedding - our babysitter and friend who we know from New York. Lucia had booked us a room at
Pension Eliska - a family run guesthouse. At the deserted station (not counting the homeless person), we asked the station attendant for directions. Perhaps because she felt sorry for us (or our son), she proceeded to lock up the station and escorted us to the pension. On getting there, we found the main door locked and the lights turned off. I began to panic, considering the bleak prospect of finding alternative lodging at midnight.
The station attendant persisted with the door bell and used her cell phone to dial the number listed on the signage. And all this while it was cold, dark and drizzling!
10 minutes later, a tenant in the building peered out of a window. A conversation ensued between the station attendant and the man, and a few phone calls later we were let in by a receptionist who must have been knocking back a few beers at the local pub.
This morning, it all felt so surreal. T and I are amazed at the kindness of strangers. If it weren't for the station attendant and the man in the window, we would have had little choice but to sleep at the station last night.
T had to fly to London for a potential job interview, so Isaac and I had about a day to ourselves. With T gone, I stuck to simple domesticity - walked through town, took Isaac to a park beneath Charles Bridge and cooked a Kerala fish curry paired with some chilled Chech beer. Large departments stores (such as TESCO) are so homogenised, even in Prague I can pick up the fish, coconut milk and spices to make such a peculiarly regional dish!
