Cesky Krumlov 2005
Every spring, it's time for The Unofficial Annual ESI Canoe Trip to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic (sometimes called the TUAECTCK (not really)).
Every year more people come on this delightful little weekend outing. This year the trend continued and 44 (I think) people came. Krumov is an awesome little town. It's near the southern border of the Czech Republic. It's small, has a castle, a winding river, a maze of twisting, narrow alleys, and a lot of houses that are older than The US.
The canoe trip is the biggest part of the weekend. We rent indestructible plastic canoes and paddle all day. There are a number of little rapids and short sluces around dams that make the trip more exciting.
After paddling, we had the distinct joy of a szalonnasütés. A Szalonnasütés is traditional Hungarian campfire food; it's kind of the equivelant of an American marshmellow roast. The useful translation of the name is Fat Fry. It's done by putting a big hunk of smoked pig fat on a stick next to an onion. You hold the fat in the fire until it starts dripping, then you dribble the fat onto bread. When the bread is good and saturated, you put some salt and vegetables (cucumbers, onions, peppers or tomatoes) on it and eat it. It is tasty. It may sound a little hard to stomach for the uninitiated. But it really is delicious. Everyone who has tried it has liked it; even the most reluctant, and even former vegetarians. The next time I visit you or you visit me, ask, and we'll have one. You will like it.
Anyway, that was Krumlov for this year.
