Cesky Krumlov diary

Rebecca Schneidereit is taking part in 海角社区app鈥檚 Advanced Seminar in Baroque Culture, held annually in Cesky Krumlov (a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Czech Republic). Her diary follows the daily activities of the seminar class, which is crosslisted between the Theatre, History, and Music departments.

Monday, May 30, 2011
Met the rest of the class and Professor Simon Kow at the Linz airport. After the twistiest, turniest 1.5 hour bus ride imaginable (made only more memorable by the incessant Elvis on the radio), we were deposited wobbly-legged upon the cobblestone roads of Cesky Krumlov. We鈥檙e staying at the Penzion Gardena, a beautiful little inn 10 minutes from the castle, where classes will be held starting tomorrow. Had dinner with my roommate on a terrace overlooking a ravine 鈥� plenty of tourists flitting around in Ye Olde-type costumes they rented (I鈥檓 told our turn will come). A walk through the town afterwards yielded up everything from fashion boutiques to museums to souvenir shops and even a 鈥渞ock and roll bar鈥� (how baroque). Roommate and I agreed we鈥檇 be hitting up the 鈥渢orture museum鈥� during the lunch break between classes tomorrow 鈥� no better way to set the tone for the semester, right?

Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Class started at 10 a.m. in the castle, which is surrounded by a moat of bears. That was not a typo. There are live bears. In the moat. Word is they鈥檙e vegetarian. I鈥檓 unconvinced. Our first lecture was an 鈥淚ntroduction to Baroque Art鈥� 鈥� we started with Bernini鈥檚 Ecstasy of Saint Teresa and moved through Gentileschi, Caravaggio, Reubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer (not all strictly Baroque, but it helped to provide context). After class, my roommate and I hit up Cesky Krumlov鈥檚 Museum Tortury, full of dioramas and exhibits of instruments of torture. We recovered our stomachs just in time for the 鈥渨elcome dinner鈥� at Krcma Marketa 鈥� chicken (roasted before your eyes on a fire in the main dining area), vegetables with cheese, and beer for less than $15? Yes please鈥�

Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Our lecture this morning was on 鈥淛an Huss and Hussitism.鈥� Hussitism was apparently sort of a Bohemian proto-Protestantism, to shamelessly oversimplify. The subject matter enabled us to sneak an episode of Blackadder in the afternoon, to help situate the very dense text historically. Visited a wax museum with my roommate, which I鈥檇 never done before 鈥� super creepy. Wax Charlie Chaplin may give me nightmares (in a good way).

Thursday, June 2, 2011
Class today on 鈥淭he Habsburgs and the Counter-Reformation鈥�. The Habsburgs were a bunch of Austrian nobles whose motto was 鈥淎EIOU鈥�, which they managed to make stand for something along the lines of 鈥淎ustria鈥檚 going to conquer everything鈥�.聽 The assigned reading was Ignatius鈥� Spiritual Exercises, a sacred how-to for self-improvement of the sanctified variety. We learned during the lecture that defenestration鈥攖hrowing your enemies out of windows鈥� is not infrequent in Czech history (once in Cesky Krumlov鈥檚 own castle). That鈥檚 miles more stylish than burning at the stake. In the afternoon, we screened the first half of Amadeus in preparation for viewing Mozart鈥檚 Nozze di Figaro during our class trip to Prague. The World of Baroque Theatre conference starts tomorrow and runs all weekend 鈥� I know I鈥檝e been spoiled by our class starting at 10 a.m. when I鈥檓 shocked that we have to register at nine!

Friday, June 3, 2011
As I write, I鈥檓 still stuffed with the (free) sausages and (free) white wine served at the garden reception which followed tonight鈥檚 opera in the Cesky Krumlov theatre (a working baroque theatre, one of only a few in the world). The opera was Handel鈥檚 鈥淭erpsicore鈥� 鈥� somewhat light on plot, but heavy on arias, ballet, and gorgeous period costumes. That鈥檚 just what I did this evening, of course. During the day, our class sat in the Hall of Mirrors, listening to various lectures pertaining to the World of Baroque Theatre (a category that encompasses a broad mix of topics). On the lunch break, my roommates and I hit up Cesky Krumlov鈥檚 puppet museum, basically a big storehouse for theatrical marionettes. They were showing a video recording of a performance of Mozart鈥檚 Don Giovanni done entirely through puppetry. If you鈥檝e never seen marionettes sword fight, description cannot possibly do it justice: I advise you to get on Youtube, stat.

Saturday, June 4, 2011
The lectures at the World of Baroque Theatre Conference finished up today 鈥� tons of interesting stuff, some of it concerned with Cesky Krumlov itself as well as its nobility. (It definitely adds a new dimension to history to be sitting in the castle where it happened). Over the lunch break, I found a cute boutique and grabbed a skirt and sundress, both red with white polka dots (possibly my Kryptonite). Once the lectures wrapped up, conference attendees went to a Czech restaurant for dinner, where I ordered the 鈥減ork knee鈥� on a friend鈥檚 advice. Said knee was a unique experience, but not one I would repeat 鈥� it involved more work than actual food.

Sunday, June 5, 2011
Slept in for the first time since getting here, did some laundry in the sink, then sauntered down to Cesky Krumlov鈥檚 summer palace with the rest of the class and Professors Kow and Peter Perina. The summer palace was a warm-weather hangout for Cesky Krumlov鈥檚 nobles, a place they went for privacy, and they took that privacy seriously 鈥� the table was even elevated in and out of the dining room so servants wouldn鈥檛 constantly be crashing their dinner parties. After the summer palace, the class watched the ducklings in the garden pond, then split up 鈥� about half went rafting on the river, half stayed in Cesky Krumlov, getting work done or seeing the sights. Tomorrow we tour the castle 鈥� I鈥檓 hoping for some lurid dungeons.