Years ago, I found myself in the countryside about two hours outside the city limits
of Prague. How
did I get there? By car. But, really, really, how? A number of events that I won't all detail here...a series of significant aspects changing, and exploration on several depths.
We
pulled out from the house in Prague
very early that morning, destined for a golf tournament for him, and a castle
exploration for me. He is a rather reluctant traveler, and that entails that I
know my place (far away) when he gets ready to leave on a journey. As the tires
made the sounds they do over the gravel drive path, my mind moved to comfort,
for indeed, we were off without incident.
I have learned over the years (20 years+) that it is a very good idea to become scarce when he readies
for a trip. To India, the USA, or a golf
tournament two hours away…..yes, stay away from all things that do
with packing, don’t talk, or let yourself be any sort of distraction. Being
seen counts as a distraction. :)
I
am setting this up so you might understand why I left the house without breakfast,
a stingy allotment of kronas (Czech money), and got dropped off at the side of
the road leading to a castle, saying “Yes, I will meet you at the golf course,”
when I had little idea of the name of it. I don’t translate spoken Czech very
well to actual letters, so, when he said the name, I was left to wonder if it
K, C, O, U, CH, P, or SH.
Ok,
so, I didn’t know the name of the golf course…how many of them could there be
out here? Maybe only that one, but, did I know where this golf course was in
relation to the castle? No. Do I speak
Czech? No. Did anyone within 20 miles speak English out there? No, not that I
found. Did Robert think there would be
signs for me to follow? Yes. Were there
signs for me to follow? No. Did he think the golf course was close enough to
castle to walk? Yes. Was the castle close to the golf course? Well, kind of, but,
15 kilometers is rather far when you have no idea which direction the bloody
golf course lies after 3 hours of touring a castle and its royal grounds on
foot, with no signs, no money, and no
people to point the way. Well, one person helped me greatly, but, that comes a
bit later.
The castle tour didn’t start for another 45 minutes, so, I sat on bench and wrote a
postcard. I took refuge in a
little restaurant for tea. Really, my money situation was not very good. But, I
was rather hungry, and a little cold. I do think that Robert had asked if I was
ok money-wise when I was leaving the car, but, being an adult who is so used to
taking care of herself, I have not yet mastered acknowledging my need for help
like this, even from those to whom I am close. (So, if I ever ask one of you
guys for money, just know I have reached another plateau!)
Toured the interior for hour or so, I was delighted by the
insides. The words were in Czech, but, the beauty was in beauty. Tapestries,
paintings, curios, ceramics, surreal monuments to “the hunt,” and “planned”
vistas from the windows.
Outside
the castle walls once again, and I reconnoitered that I had more time to spend
here, unless I wanted to show up at the golf course well before he would be finished
with his round. Note: I did not yet know how long it would take me to walk
there. Nor did I know which way the golf course was from the castle. 360
degrees of options is a lot. I decided
that I had to make a concerted effort to find someone who spoke English, as so
far, my encounters were in pointing and the five Czech words I knew at the time.
Did
anyone at the ticket office, gift shop, or little restaurant speak English or
know anything about the golf course? No. Was I concerned? Yes, but, not
overly. I did have a cell phone...but it was getting no signal.
The
grounds were also spectacular. Green splendor, lake, winding paths, hidden
sitting places, and rolling hills surrounding. (Except for those poor bears in the moat outside..ohh, sad). Imagining the grounds graced
with ladies and gentlemen of the day in their finery. Oh, so grand.
But, imaging people from a bygone era was as close as I got to seeing
people. I was definitely off the tourist
grid.
After
an hour or so, I happened upon a formal garden, with several gardeners readying
it for the upcoming season. Shaking heads was all I got when I attempted
conversation regarding “Golf?” I sat down for a bit and looked around. Hmmmm.
Do I go back down to the road and start walking? Surely I would find someone
who could direct me.
This
non-English speaking populous was strange for me, as in Prague
and other towns in the Czech
Republic, there are plenty of English
speakers around. But, this was a more
isolated village, with very few tourists at this time of year, and I found that
one can indeed be very lost in a countryside looking for a golf course, even
with a big old castle positioned on the scenery. Here I was, language-less and
direction-wise about non-existent. I had navigated India,
had tea in a river in Morocco,
and taken a bus, ferry and pedal cab to visit houseboat people in Hong Kong. But, in all those places, I had used some language
and location knowledge. Here, in Europe, surrounded
by green lushness, I found myself a bit stuck. Note: “Lost, walking” is very different that “lost, driving
a car,” or “lost, riding a bike.”
I
got up, walked up the stairs from the garden, began walking along a path, and
voila…. little white building with a chalkboard proclaiming “Pivo” (beer) and
“Snacks” came into my sights. This
little white building, thankfully, came with a proprietor. Did he speak English?
Well, a few words, but very little. I
smiled at the man behind the counter, and made a golf swing in the air, and
said “golf course, golf course.” Golf is written “golf” in Czech. But,
apparently, it is not pronounced with my accent. He nodded, but, said,
something like “Sorry, no English.”
Reasoning
that one is better off figuring out a bit of a mess when they are strong
(mentally and physically), I decided my last few remnants of money would
fortify me with a sausage and pivo. A pretzel came with it, thankful for
calories. One of the few times in my
life that I seriously contemplated eating would equate to giving me energy to
get somewhere.
I
saw a tourist brochure on the counter, and thought, Eureka, my savior. I remembered to thank the
euros flowing into the country to develop tourist trade. Things had definitely
changed since my first visit to the country in 1990. Well, I am not really glad
for the influx of all those tourism dollars, but, whatever it took to make that
one brochure in that little white building seemed very well spent as I grabbed
it.
Sure
enough, the brochure had a picture of a golf course in it. No map, other than a
very sketchy one of the region. I got some comic relief in reading an awkwardly
translated (from Czech to English) about a horse farm somewhere in the
region…something about allowing one self to experience the studs of their
locale. But, I digress.
I
went back to the counter, and pointed to the golf player on a glossy page. I
used the international language for “where?” Another air swing by me was made
to seal the connection. I think he
uttered “caddy” or something like that….it really was with very few words, and
a great many motions, that I learned, I think,
that he had worked at a nearby golf course a few years ago. He pointed
in a direction, over a great expanse of green fields, tall trees, and a
mountain or two. Maybe, I thought, I was
not correctly following the extension of arm, and that pointing finger of his.
I
then took my index and middle finger and moved them in a scissor type motion,
placing them on the counter to simulate that I was to walk to the golf course.
He put his head back, and opened his
eyes wide, and thus indicated distance, and not exactly a direct route from
this little white building to 18th hole.
I
said “ahhhh.” He said “ahhh.” He said “moment,” and then proceeded to draw me
the most becoming and perhaps most useful map of my life. I was to find that
there was not one single golf course sign anywhere near that castle, there were
no taxis in town at this time of year (even if I did have money), and yes,
quite beautifully, I walked for about 15 kilometers, spotting only a man
tending to a field, one car, and two people at the side of the road stop.
The
proprietor very carefully oriented me to the map, drawing his building, and the
castle. He knew well on what to omit and
what to include in getting a little lost soul from a castle to a golf course 9
miles away. He drew the lovely map pictured above. Thank goodness for locals….he knew the back
roads and the shortcuts. I gave my thanks, indicated by my
hand to heart, and a slight bow, and I was off.
My walk started in a forest to the east of the
little white building. It was so incredibly green and fresh smelling. The trees
shielded me from the rain, though I took precautions with my new map. The birds were singing to beat the band. I
walked and walked, and saw no one. I did pick up a stick, for some semblance of
protection in this isolated predicament (bears, people?), but, the branch, not
of oak, but of some rather fibrous “non club yielding tree,” broke as I tested
its tensile strength on the forest floor.
I
know some part of me wondered what I had gotten myself into, but, wow, it was
so beautiful.
That
map took me by a babbling river, past a stone house, opened to the elements
through age, with weeds growing in every room. Another kilometer or more, and I
hit a pocket of civilization, composed of a 3 houses in a little village, but,
no people, except that man in a field quite a bit off the road. Another
kilometer or two, and then, that “fish shop,” a rather large fish hatchery. I was on the right track.
When
you are walking in absolute human quiet, with only birds, breeze, and your
footsteps to hear, you really can allow yourself to hear so much better. I
don’t recall all the thoughts I had along the way, but, that was a heart
opening walk. You wish you could have everyone (singly) walk that walk, as you
know it would bring peace.
I
came to a road, and had to decide right or left. The map was terrific, but, it
did turn, and sometimes left an intersecting road off. I now know he did that
on purpose…to show me only the route, not the distractions. But, at this fork,
I had to make a decision. And, remember, a walking
decision is a lot more of a commitment than a driving one. I chose to go right. That did, indeed, make all the
difference.
After
another kilometer or so, a glimpse of manicured green golf course hole type
landscape came into my sights. A golf course is an uplifting view for many, and
it certainly was a Mecca
for me that day.
Seeing
something in the distance, does mean that it is a distance until you get there. Over hills and dales, I walked. Low and behold, who should be one of those little
figures dotting the golf course nearest to my pathway? One did, in fact, turn
out to be Robert.
The
clubhouse was actually quite a bit down the road, but, after another half hour,
I was trying to spruce up myself (a little rained on, a little dirtied) in the
ladies room of a "world class" golf course clubhouse. I made my way to a table on
the veranda, and, with the knowledge that Robert was somewhere out there to
“cover me,” I ordered an exquisite cup of cocoa, with whip cream. I sipped that delicious hot chocolate as I
watched the golfers enjoy their friendship and recount their days (in Czech) at
the tournament. The setting was incredible.
I realize I wasn’t in a desert, or in the absolute wilds of
danger, but, I was mighty far from sound planning that had usually been my
ally. I hadn’t “let go” on purpose, but,
I found myself un-tethered by shear circumstances. I allowed the things that
"God" put in front of me to give me joy on the journey, and relied very little,
if at all, at any back up plan I created. That hand drawn map, with no words,
no distances…that angel of a man who drew it for me, the green and “no-human”
sounds of the walk. Beautiful.
