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500 Year Vision

Experiments with sustainable technology in South Bohemia, Czech Republic. A British couple renovating a country house & thinking about our environment.

A butterfly flaps it’s wings in South Bohemia

August6

I saw a fascinating video recently about how to fix the wings of a butterfly – I think made by someone who works in a sanctuary – rather than someone who lives with a cat who likes to hunt them. Today Pavouk turned up with another flightless specimen and I knew what to do… rather than rescue it to allow it to spend the rest of it’s hours earthbound. As there was less than 40% of the wing missing – I held the two wings together and snipped them so that they were even – and he flew off. I wonder what distant storm will be caused.

posted under 2009, August, Summer

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Nový Mlýn is a sustainability project set in beautiful South Bohemia. Nový Mlýn is a large, ramshackle country house which is being slowly and lovingly restored by many caring hands. Like slow food, slow restoration is not about the quickest and cheapest solution – rip out and replace, but instead what is best for our entire being, including the eco-system on which we depend. We repair, re-purpose & recycle, and try our hardest to be responsible custodians of this land. Our vision is to be able to share our experience of Nový Mlýn with as many people as possible. We are creating space for year round visitors, and look forward to offering guests the use of a countryside hostel, including a sustainable swimming pond and spring water hot tub.

Breathtaking countryside surrounds the property, both forests and open fields. The country roads are lined with pear, apple and cherry trees, and there’s an abundance of wild flowers – you’ll see chamomile, poppies and cornflowers. Visitors to the area often spend time picking mushrooms and wild fruit (bilberries, strawberries & raspberries all grow in the forest near the house). Other local wildlife include dears & wild boars. In the summer the garden is lively with birdsong. You can visit the bats in the attic, and watch the firefly in the evening. In the winter there are wood fires, snow cover, blue skies and beautiful frosted trees.

Nový Mlýn is located on the edge of the Czech Highlands, 70 miles from Prague & 35 miles from Austria. The house is two miles from the site of the last Hussite battle on Czech soil, on the 19th August 1435. The property is well situated for those wishing to visit the World Heritage sites in the area:

Historic Centre of Prague

Historic Centre of Český Krumlov

Historic Centre of Telč

Holašovice Historical Village Reservation

Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora

Jewish Quarter and St Procopius’ Basilica in Třebíč

Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec

Local sights include the Hussite fortress town Tábor, countless outdoor swimming opportunities, plentiful walks and cycle routes (on well marked out tracks – we are less than 10 miles from the Prague to Vienna cycle route), a narrow gauge railway, Cervena Lhota – a red castle in the lake – with an outdoor theatre & and international restaurant. The largest mechanised nativity scene in the world(!) is located in a pretty nearby town – Jindřichův Hradec, and an annual world record festival is held every June in Pelhřimov.

Volunteer Visitors:
We follow the standard instructions from Workaway.info i.e. – How long am I expected to work for? The standard Workaway volunteer rate is 5 hours per day 5 days a week in exchange for food and board (Please note that we do not include alcoholic drinks or junk food – an honesty box is available for those wanting to indulge). Apart from the work what else is expected from me? You are expected to share in any household tasks where you are living, and generally clear up after yourself!

Advance booking:
In recent months we have had to turn people away only to find those with bookings did not arrive or contact us to cancel their reservation. To reserve a space more than a month in advance, we have to ask you to pay a refundable booking fee of 10 euros per person, which we will return when you arrive with us. This ensures that the limited spaces we have available are reserved by people who are genuinely travelling. We are profoundly sorry that this is now necessary.

Short term house share:
If you don’t feel like working during your time at Nový Mlýn, we can offer a limited number of visitors a a short term house-share opportunity. On a no-work basis, a bed can be yours for 10 euros a night (including simple breakfast), with full board and lodgings available for 20 euros. Please let us know if you’d like to try this.

Nový Mlýn has been created thanks to the help of many supporters and volunteers. We are grateful for the contributions made by:

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