George's town

Roughly 100 meters (and deeper) below ground level in Podebrady lies a supply of mineral water that is apparently helpful in treating heart disease, hypertension and other illnesses.That's the reason most people flock to this spa town of 13,000 people.

As for the Special Assistant to the Blogger and myself, we just wanted to go swimming. So last Saturday we traveled less than an hour by train to visit the town that had plenty of surprises for us, not the least of which was the day happened to be the hottest August 3rd on record in the town at 37 Celsius (nearly 100 Fahrenheit).

The park, across from the train station.

The same park. Different view.

First, we walked through a colorful, tranquil park moments after we stepped out of the train station. Like other spots in town, the park had a faucet for people to fill their bottles with cold mineral water. Admittedly I was reticent, considering how cloudy it looked, but the Special Assistant assured me that it was just the minerals, and that I wouldn't die. We refilled in several spots.

Next, we walked through the town square, which is dominated by a statue of George of Podebrady -- former King of Bohemia, soldier at 14, noted Hussite and father of 10. He's famous enough to have a Metro station in Prague named after him, much to the joy of every foreigner who tries to say EAR-zhee-ho-z-PO-duh~yay-BRAD.

George of Podebrady. Perhaps the Metro will change the name of the stop
to the English equivalent.

We then stopped for lunch at an Italian place. Aside from typical Czech restaurants that served fried cheese, goulash and 17 pork-or-chicken-with-potato dishes, Italian restaurants are the most common. We go to our share, on the premise that it's hard to screw up pasta and pizza. The highlight of this place was the gelato, much needed on a scorching day, with three scoops plus fresh fruit. We also watched cars zoom by, honking their horns, to celebrate a wedding held at the nearby municipal building.

Finally, swimming. The lake had a public swim area and loads of green space, when people laid out on blankets. It was a trustworthy place as many people went to the water and left stuff unprotected. Not the stuff legendary tourist visits are made of, but a productive, enjoyable look at how Czechs typically spend a hot summer day.

Time's up! So says the clock that notes Podebrady's 790th birthday.