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George the Second

June11

Beware the dangers of inaccurate communication… we now have a kitten on our hands (quite literally – pouncing on me as I try to type).

When we visited Jerry and Vladka at the weekend, we met a kitten. He was like a baby George (the cat we lost last autumn), and wanted to play football, even though the ball was twice his size. Jerry told us that he belonged to his neighbour, and had been a present and we said ‘lovely, how nice’ etc. Once everyone started calling him George (Jiri) it transpired that Jerry had actually said ‘our neighbour will give you the kitten as a present’. After a few drinks it didn’t seem like such a calamitous error, and on Sunday morning we came home to a not-so-enchanted-by-the-new-arrival Pavouk (sister of lost George).

The kitten now has the rather grand title of Jiri Druhy – George the Second. It’s been ten months since we last saw the original George. I hope he was catnapped by a family who love him as we did. Jiri Druhy has a lot to live up to.

posted under 2009, Dear Granny Hazel, June, 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:
To make a reservation more than a month in advance we ask for a 10 euro deposit via our paypal account. Otherwise, just check the calendar a few days before you want to arrive to check there is space.

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. Bed & breakfast for 10 euros a night. 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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