Carp tasting in Třeboň

One of the highlights of my week was a visit to Třeboň, South Bohemia, in pursuit of carp on Monday. I had high hopes for the town itself, with all of my colleagues gasping on a monthly basis at the fact that I still hadn’t been there, and pressing upon me that I really must. I had less high hopes for the carp, which my grandfather pulls a face at each time I mention, before unfailingly grumbling how this traditional Czech food tastes like mud.

Photo: Archiv of CRo7

The day started at a horrifically early hour, even for this country, because the interviews I had arranged three hours away were to take place in the middle of the Czech working day – sometime around late morning. So off to the station bleary-eyed it was at dawn, which nonetheless added to the adventure, and which, with my kit in my bag – albeit a microphone, recorder and headphones this time - reminded me of Girl Guide or Duke of Edinburgh expeditions of yore.

The train journey was definitely one of the best bits of the day, although the way there was laced with a ‘help, have I missed my stop? Where are we?’ anxiety. The intercity train taking me as far as Veselí nad Lužnicí was so long that my carriage came to a halt always tens of metres away from the station building, and any sort of signposting as to where I might actually be. Having never been to Veselí nad Lužnicí before, I was relying upon a sixth sense, and predominantly my fellow passengers, to tell me where to get off.

From there it was into a tiny train, which choo-chooed in between the southern Bohemian ponds. And it was here that my radio receiver started picked up Austrian stations, which made me feel almost as if on holiday, and certainly a million miles away from Prague.

Photo: ZdenekK, Creative Commons 3.0

I was met at the station by a man in a fish-farm truck. I suppose we didn’t look too glamorous powering past Třeboň’s ancient ramparts, pretty brewery and historic centre, but little matter. Stopping at one of the biggest ponds – Rožmberk – I realized why everyone had been recommending Třeboň to me. It wasn’t quite the sea, I could definitely see a pine forest at the other side, but the water was so calm and expansive and relaxing to be beside – even if I was desperately seeking the Czech for ‘fish-food’ or ‘indigenous species’ for the purpose of an ongoing interview at the time.

And then it was lunch, a plate of carp followed by a plate of carp. I was desperate not to taste any mud whatsoever as I knew I’d pull exactly the same face as my grandfather does each time the fish is mentioned. I didn’t think this would make me look very grateful to my host. Thankfully, the carp was delicious, with only slightly ‘earthy tones’ to it. Still, I think I can wait until Czech Christmas for my next dose.