A Modern Amber Trail Story

Here is another version of our story we put up in linked in; For your enjoyment.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141019220427-107073626-the-amber-trail-a-modern-experience-2014?published=t

Cesky Raj - Bohemian Paradise.

Just south of Jablonec nad Nisou is Cesky Raj, also known as Bohemian Paradise. It is a huge National park which includes cities and towns like Zelezny Brod, Turnov, Semily and hundreds of little villages all scattered throughout the forests and pastures of Bohemia. It is a magnet for nature enthusiasts and bikers, mountain climbers, river rafters, picnickers and everyone else; like J-Me and I.

When we drive to Jablonec from Prague we pass one of the mountainous outcroppings of Cesky Raj which can be seen right off the freeway.

We try to make a side trip there every year, parking our car at the bottom and hiking up to a rustic, quaint pension and bar at the top.

After a beer and lunch we hike back down to our car and on to Jablonec.

sandstone rock in the hillside

The fascinating thing about this section of Cesky Raj is that the rock cropping dominates this region of surrounding farmland, so that when invading armies from time immemorial approached the local villages the townspeople would retreat up into the mountain area to hide from the invading armies. There are hundreds of trails amongst the rocks, with ladders and platforms and caves in which to hide and evade the soldiers searching for them. The wooden ladders could be pulled up behind the villagers, and rocks could be thrown down on the invaders from the cliffs.

Although the ladders and walkways are newly built today, they are part of the trails threading through this part of Cesky Raj, and are reminiscent of those ancient days.

 This is not Guy- But some stranger photo bombed our shot.

Another part of Cesky Raj is Mala Skala (little Rocks) which is also filled with ruins of castles and trails leading through the mountains and rocks and rivers. Here also you will find bead factories, and small workshops for garnet jewelry production. Turnov is just around the corner of the river to the south, and Zelezny Brod to the north. It is more rustic, rural and isolated here than Jablonec, but just as steeped in the glass bead and garnet jewelry business as Jablonec nad Nisou, Smrzovka and Zasada.

If you want to slow down the pace, take a few days to enjoy life, smell the coffee, eat really good food and interact with the locals, then Cesky Raj is the place to do it.

May 23 - Austria

The drive through Czech Republic to Kremsmunster, Austria took forever. The weather was fabulous.

So along the drive, we saw a man with taxidermy animals for sale! These were Guy's favorites.

And then we saw some yard ornaments at another road side stand.

 Bulbs all made of glass.

Every road seemed to be under reconstruction, detoured, jammed with cars and very frustrating to be on. But we finally made it to Walter's house, which was almost exactly as we remembered it 16 years ago. Even Walter looked the same, maybe younger looking.

He gave us a tour of his studio and showed us all his eye sample cards, plus one old sample card from the Fried Freres company. But no bead sample cards like the ones he showed us 16 years ago in his closet. His entire house was under construction and he had misplaced the sample cards. He promised to find them and send us pics.


He did gift us loads of old eyes and cabochons he and his brother had made over the years and just stashed away. Fantastic.

We interviewed him for a couple hours, checked out his teddy bear and doll collection he had and then followed him to a restaurant / hotel he recommended for dinner and to stay the night. It was a traditional Austrian establishment with wonderful food. The beer was good too.

May 22 - just relaxing and exploring.

We slept in this morning with nothing on the schedule to meet a deadline. I felt kind of guilty. (for about a second!).

Our goal today was to walk around and explore town, take pictures, get lost and see what we stumble across. One of the first things we found was a bakery with the most delicious cream filled, chocolate coated pastry things which we devoured. Should have taken a photo to share but we ate it first. Next time. (and there will be next time).

We were walking down Podorska Street taking pictures of buildings; some old and ruined, some reconstructed and beautiful, when we stumbled across a glass marble factory showroom. With the sign stating "open" we went in and immediately started buying glass marbles and paperweights. They were all handmade, not commercially mass produced. Leaving them behind for our consolidator to pick up and ship with all our other shipments scattered around town, we realized that we didn't take any pictures to share on the blog. Trust me, they are beautiful, unusual and they sell out immediately.
But we were able to get a few photos from them to use- yeah...

Ended up at the Museum of glass (Belvedere) which opened for the season May 1st on Wednesday through Sunday(closed Monday and Tuesday) so we knew it would be open. This museum has a wonderful collection of glass beads and buttons. Of course, even though today is Thursday, it was closed with no explanation. Complaining to J-Me, the map I was carrying and swearing at the door did not help, it stayed closed.

So we wandered off down the road through a sweet little neighborhood and back into the second square (Peace Square) where a musical band was playing to a crowd.

We revisited the bakery and loaded up on more pastries like earlier in the morning and went back to the hotel for a nap. Again, We ate the pastries before taking photos to share. Maybe next time. I know, you've heard this before.

These two photos are from a school. We just love this building. 

          J-ME ran back and took a photo of the pastry shop.

It was a lazy day with some packing and organizing to do later because tomorrow we check out of the hotel and drive to Austria.

May 21 - 2nd (and last) day of tour 2.

We did a mad rush around town to pay for and collect yesterdays purchases, before going back to our favorite gypsy warehouse to finish up shopping. Amanda kept adding to her new pile while even we found new stuff to heap on our boxes. The owner Zlendi said on Saturday he will be adding new stock to the mix. Aaagh!

Lizards anyone? I think Stefany got one on the last trip.

And adding more…..

 You never know what you mind find here. 

Then off to a bead factory so Amanda could see production of beads on a small bead press and tumbler before hitting the stock room.
 Some of the glass rods used to make the pressed beads.

 Watch our video of machine pressing bead shapes by small cottage industry with one machine. The other machine is under repair right now.

 Watch this video showing the tumbling of the beads. This helps get off the excess pieces of glass and makes the beads smooth.

Then a small antik shop where we all loaded up on good stuff - Amanda for the first time and us to add to our growing pile. Amanda also loved this store.

Before we even enter the store, Guy finds a pile of old beads and stuff dumped out by the drain pipe.

 Vintage cookie or jello molds.

  A pretty good stash of unusual goodies!

 Amanda & J-ME enjoying the shop.

One tool J-Me was very excited about was the old bead spinner in good working condition. Our bus driver Petr from the first tour said his Oma, Grandmother used to string beads for a factory years ago with one of these tools. Everyone would sit around the front room (the room with the fire place) and socialize while she strung beads to supplement her income. So maybe J-ME will be using hers on day in our front room or her bead room.


Finally a small cottage industry lampwork factory to see production of figurines and purchase of beads and flowers. The owner said his biggest customer of lampwork beads is in China where they create jewelry to sell to the Arab Emirates.

Before ending the 2nd tour so Amanda could drive on to Warsaw and a cruise of the Baltic Sea we attempted to shop at a small antik shop in town that was open for business but no one would open the door. Oh well. Amanda was shopped out, as were we, so we dropped off Amanda at her hotel and we went to our hotel and took a nap.

Our tours are over for the year - until Hong Kong in October.

Now we go to explore Austria and more of…… You never know where we might end up in a few days.