World Champions

We get mostly surprised by things, we don’t expect. Till yesterday I did not know what is feeder fishing. But today i saw the world champions in this discipline. The only trouble is that I didn’t know which of the person I saw will become the world champion. It was a training only, the real competition will happen on the weekend..

In short, in this championship national teams of five sit for five hours and try to catch as much fish as possible. Very strict rules. I met the coach of the German team who kindly explained me everything. When I challenged him if success in fishing is not a pure coincidence, he shook his head.
In any case, a very particular form of excitement. Fully dressed man, to protect, from sunburns, sit quietly on the waterfront and watch their fishing rods. Each worth 1000€. Another crowd of man, watches the static show from behind. As Latin saying goes: Tastes cannot be disputed.

A much more vivid experience to me is the village St. Helena where I am staying tonight. Though in Romania, this is a fully Czech speaking village.

Exactly 200 years ago a bunch of landless Czechs accepted the offer to move to Romania, got land for free and started a new life here. Till today there are still six of these villages in this part of Romania. They kept traditions, which in Czechia have disappeared already. St. Helena, a small village of 200 inhabitants has 2 churches, a Catholic and a Baptist one, Czech school and a pub. Architecture and language wise no difference to may other village in Moravia (=eastern part of Czechia).
The food tasted like the one from my grandma.
No wonder so many Czechs love to make make here a short stop. Including myself.

In sum, 114km, 750 elevation ascent today. A scorching sun again. But definitely worth the trip.

The quiet thrill – the World Championship in Feeder Fishing

Entering Romania and passing one of the tributary of the Danube in the almost untouched nature of the Romanian Banat area

The pub and thus the best communication place in the “Czech” St. Helena village in the Romanian Banat