Konec

Faded fresco

Pavlína, Zipy, and Aleš

Tomáš and me

House on Pod Svatobar
The PAP factory
Andělíček door
Andělíček 
Sušice


Last night I walked home to the Halek apartment along a street I hadn't walked before.  I passed the PAP factory and had the eerie but somehow comforting feeling of having passed that way in a dream.  Sometimes I am struck by how familiar I find Sušice and this region of Czech Republic I have known for only a short time.  

Perhaps this feeling would pass if I stayed longer, but some days it feels like I know this place, like I might belong here. 

Today I walked past the factory in the light and took these pictures.  There are a few beautiful, ancient houses on the corner where a trail to Svatabor begins.  I have admired them several times on my way up the mountain so I paused to take some photos.  

The owner of one stepped outside to see what I was doing and looked at me angrily.  I realized it was intrusive of me.  But I could not resist recording the walk. 

Instead of turning from Pod Svatobor down toward Kapličky, I walked a ways further, beyond the Svatobor path.   There I encountered a lady feeding four sorry looking cats on the roof of a beat up car.  

Her house also was ancient.  A faded fresco adorned one wall.  A pigeon was roosting above it.

 

I spent my last day finally hiking to Andělíček, the church on the hill above Sušice.  It is a short, uphill hike that Leigha had not taken.  Afterward we met Tomáš for garlic soup at Fialka.  He and I were supposed to drive to Prague today, but he is feeling ill.  Velka škoda.  I hope he will feel better in the morning.

I took the walk home just before the rain started.  It has not stopped.  

Tomáš drove me to Pavlína's house and I said good-bye to her family and to Aleš.  It is very difficult to say good-bye to her.  Afterward, Aleš drove Leigha and me back to Fialka for a farewell with some other Czech friends: Marie, Dominik, Klarka, Tatiane, Marketa, Helena and Roman (with the wee Marketa and Matiaš), and Tereza, who will be traveling to Salt Lake in October.  We had intended to meet at Santos, but the rain precluded that.   It was very nice to see all of these good people before I leave.

Now it's very late and the rain is wild outside, like a winter storm.  I have the heat on.  I'm drinking coffee.  I don't know why.  Perhaps I want to sustain the last hours here.