A taste of freedom

Last week my husband and I had a whole week off 'child duties' as the children packed their bags and left home to go on a school trip.

They went to 'Skola v prirode' which literally means going to 'school in nature' where the whole school decamps to a purpose built holiday camp in the countryside.  This tradition started in the 1950s because of severe pollution in the cities, it was mandatory for all kids to go so they could spend some time in a healthy natural environment.  Sometimes this could mean up to 3 weeks at a time, twice a year if you lived in the north of the country, which was a heavily polluted industrial area.

If you ask Czechs about it they seem to fall into two camps, kind of like marmite, they either loved it or hated it – hated the organised activities, hated being away from home, hated the food, or loved the freedom away from home, loved playing in the woods, loved being with friends.  Nowdays you don’t have to go, it’s optional but we grabbed the opportunity, after all the kids don’t get as many chances these days to do that kind of stuff.

But I had my concerns - what if they hated it, what if they got ill or had an accident (I'm glad I didn't find out about the horse riding and boating until they came back). This was compounded by chats with a student I teach who regaled me with horror stories from her youth which either involved the whole school getting food poisoning or bed bugs.  

So when I waved them off I shed a little tear hidden behind my sunglasses then headed back to an empty home to wallow in worry.

At first it was very strange, the house was deathly quiet, and eerily tidy.  I could put something down in the morning on the table and it was still there in the evening, and it was beginning to get quite disconcerting.

And so it was just me, hubby, the dog and the guineas left.  Well since the dog and guineas can’t speak, it was just me and the hubby.  I did wonder whether we’d have enough to talk about for a week, I mean I can’t remember the last time we spent a whole week together.

We went on a few ‘dates’, we had friends visit us for the weekend, we ate late, watched a movie, had a few hangovers.  Surprisingly enough we still had things to talk about at the end of the week – we had a nice time together.

But I think Max our dog found it the hardest, he had me for company 24-7 as I sat and wrote at the computer he kept looking at me with those puppy dog eyes as if to say when are those fun people coming back?  You know, those small ones that jump up and down squealing and making a mess?  The ones who leave their toys around for me to chew, and drop crumbs on the floor for me to eat.

The first half of the week went slowly but just as I was getting into all this time off they were due home.  Suddenly I was there picking them up at the coach listening to their excited stories of discos and go-karting, bowling and hiking.  It sounded amazing to me.  I wish we still did school trips in the UK, I have great memories of times with friends.

So the house is full again, it’s noisy, messy, the dog is going crazy with all the activity, there are suitcases strewn across the floor, a mountain of very dirty washing and some even dirtier kids.  We’ve already had an argument, the dog has chewed a plastic starfish left on the floor, and I found 5 day old squashed banana left in the bottom of a rucksac.

 But it’s wonderful....and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Panelák: part two

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At first these Panelaks were considered architectural wonders, modern, spacious post war housing with running water and central heating.  The first panalaks in Prague were built in the early 50s and people remember moving into them as youngsters with great excitement – everything was shiny and new, modern lifts took them up to their flat, there were other children to play with who lived right next door.

But sixty years later their glory has definitely faded.  Once roomy and spacious for a young family became crammed and tiny for teenagers.  

The paper thin walls didn’t help, you could hear every argument or ablution from the people upstairs, there was no privacy….

…your neighbours knew exactly what colour knickers you had - and just quite how often you washed them.


But there wasn't much escape from it, unlike in the UK where most of us try to move up the property ladder, or have the freedom of renting and moving around, most Czechs live in their panelaks for life.


Take my husband's two great Aunts, they moved into their panelak in 1956 and it's pretty much now as it was then, it's like a living museum to that era.  I love visiting (not just because they are lovely) but I also because I feel as though I’ve stepped into the movie Goodbye Lenin.

The first time I went to the loo I was surprised, it was like walking into a blue telephone box off the hallway - but it was certainly no Tardis, it was tiny.  I found out later that all the inner walls of the flat are made from plastic or chipboard, slotted in like pieces of Lego.


Nowadays people have more disposable income but a lot of them still can’t afford to move, instead there is a booming home improvement industry.  Around us there are tons of DIY stores/ kitchen shops. These panelaks are undergoing make overs that would make TV shows like SOS DIY / Extreme Makeover weep to get their hands on (now there’s an idea for a series….!)

The Czech Government can't afford to knock these panalaks down and build houses, but at the same time they can't afford for the middle classes to move out.  So in a bid to prevent them from becoming like the UK housing estates which are often associated with high unemployment/ lower social economic classes, they are trying to make them more attractive places to live for young professionals, painting them bright colours to hide the grey concrete,

building new parks for children, leisure centres and cinemas for teenagers, even shopping malls, pubs and churches.  They are planting trees and flowers hoping to break up some of the anonymous lines....

...quality of life has definitely improved for many.... although you'd still better hope for good neighbours!