Teplice, Czech Republic

Opera. The reason for this trip. Dave’s first cousin’s daughter, Maya, would be performing in Mozart’s The Magic Flute in a sleepy Czech town just a three hour drive from Berlin. And we weren’t going to miss it!

{The boys adore their cousin, Maya}

{Holy Trinity Column}

First settled over a thousand years ago, Teplice is a small spa town in the northwest of the Czech Republic. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teplice

To me, it is a dichotomy – both neoclassical and communist architecture create a schizophrenic feel to the city.

{Communist-era block apartment where we stayed}

{More scenic sites of Teplice}

It was terrific seeing our family. Dave’s first cousin Ric and his wife Amabel arrived after three weeks in Europe, including a visit with us in Berlin. Ron and Lisa, Ric’s sister, came after a summer in France.

{Enjoying family time together}

True to it’s name, Teplice, which means Hot Spring in Old Czech, had a nice spa and thermal bath scene. We took the boys, who throuroghly enjoyed themselves playing in both the hot and cool pools with fountains, bubbles and big jets.

{Beethoven Spa’s hot springs pool}

Our AirBnB hostess watched the boys the night Maya performed the role of Pappagena. She was magnificent!

Ron, Lisa, Ric, Amabel, Dave and I enjoyed dinner together before going to the show.

{Dinner and a Show}

This was the second time Dave and I had seen The Magic Flute. The first time was in Berlin in a very modern interpretation.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/arts/music/magic-flute-berlin.amp.html

Students from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where Maya is studying, as well as a Florida University spent a month in Teplice preparing for the final performances.

{Maya as Pappagena. Bravo!}{Maya and her fans}

It was a magical end to an epic summer.