We had big plans to join in the Polish tradition of "Water Monday", a fun day after Easter each year when all the folks find ways to soak each other with buckets, bottles, hoses, and squirt guns. All in good fun.
But this year the weather was freezing cold with some snow and a strong wind. The plans were cancelled (thankful for that) and instead we got an earlier start on our trip. By 10:30 we were on the road, headed out to explore Southern Europe.
Down through the Czech Republic and into Austria, a short 10 hours later we were in the town of Klagenfurt at our first destination.
We were met by a big bear of a man, Marian. Originally from Poland but living in Austria with his family for the last 32 years. Marian has an intriguing profession - he restores and paints the interior paintings, frescos, and wall designs in castles throughout Austria. He told us there are over 2000 functioning castles around the country, mostly privately owned. And he is one of only five certified restorers of these antiquities in Austria. In fact, if a private owner wants to do restoration at his own property he would have to first receive written approval of the work by the Austrian government.
One story was stunning; Marian has been working off and on for a family of nobility...who own 80 castles! Most of them uninhabited but always kept to immaculate standards. Crazy for Americans to even imagine but a part of the culture here of sophisticated generational inheritance.
Marian had geenrously prepared an incredibly tasty meal for us, fresh grilled trout which he caught from a local river today. So good...and thoughtful!
We spent the evening driving through town and learning a lot about his adopted home of Klagenfurt.
He was a great host!