The black plague statue just after sunset.
Vajgar Lake was covered with a layer of dense fog as we drove into town. It was both spooky and beautiful. We arrived at our venue, Bar 69, with enough time to relax and eat the vegan snacks they provided for us, including fresh fruit, dark chocolate, and Bohemian Czech wine.
Jindrichov Hradec is not an easy town to pronounce for the Westerner (and it appears I can’t add the appropriate accents for the language, which is happening with many of my Czech posts). In the time it took to learn how to say it properly, I enjoyed a good snowfall, had delicious veggie spread with fresh bread, spoke only Czech with local shopkeepers, and learned about the ghost of the castle, she is referred to as the White Lady.
Bar 69 had gorgeous hand-carved wooden bar stools, tables, and benches, along with these amazing handmade light fixtures (below). It was underground in a cave and we soon discovered that many of the venues we would perform in on this tour would be underground. Jindrichuv Hradec was our first gig outside of Prague and we had no idea what to expect. We met our promoter, Petr, at the venue and he helped us bring our gear down the stairs where we settled in and enjoyed getting to know him.
The veggie spreads were like pâté and included mushroom, white bean, and garlic. I wish we had them here; they were fantastic and great for traveling!
My ground view while playing guitar.
My (rented) guitar and amplifier. I bring my own microphone to avoid getting sick. The house microphones often smell really awful too.
The ladies bathroom door.
The day after the show we woke up to a steady stream of snow. We stood out in the cold under the snowflakes until we could no longer stand it and our toes were numb. It was striking in contrast to the pastel colored buildings and cobblestone streets.
The black plague statue in the snow.