Zvikov

H and I once calculated that if a person spent nearly every weekend of the year going to a new castle in the Czech Republic then it would take at least 10 years to see them all. I'm not sure where we got our numbers from and if our calculations are remotely accurate, but at any rate there are a lot of castles in this country. And my goal is to get around to as many of these lovely structures as possible.

This weekend our pursuit of castles took us to Southern Bohemia to Zvikov. Zvikov sits on a peninsula jutting out into the confluence of Vltava and Otava Rivers, which run into Orlik dam. You have to park about 500 meters from the castles and walk on a winding path through trees draping overhead. As we walked along enjoying the cool fall air, the castle tower seems to appear in the thick green. I have to say, it is a magical feeling place.

There was a wedding going on in the courtyard so we took our time strolling though the castle grounds until the bride and groom finished their business and were swept off to their reception. The surround hills and trees and water are pure peace. There weren't many tourists and we could walk around playing at being the king and queen of this green land.

The castle tour was a self-tour. You pay an entrance free of about 100,-kc ($5) and you follow the arrows through the halls and corridors and dining room and chapel. The ability to walk through the castle without any tour group or tour guide was freeing.

After working up an appetite running up and down castle hallways we stopped at a microbrewery and pub just up the road from the castle. The beer was crisp and cold. The food was perfectly prepared and very Czech. We stuffed ourselves grilled eggplant, zucchini and corn on the cob, steak, baked potatoes and cabbage salad. Then we rolled our full bellies out to our car and drove home through sun, rain and rainbows.