Czech Republic guide

Four of us visited the Czech countryside during the first week of May ’07. We had a guide who was passionate about his country and made sure his guests experienced the real Czech Republic. His name is Petr Zidek. We found him through Original World (131 Camino Alto, Ste. E-3, Mill Valley, CA 94941; 888/367-6147, www.originalworld.com).

We paid Petr $750 for five days and four nights of guiding, which included lodging at four different locales: a 15th-century Gothic house-turned-hotel in Prachatice, a 14th-century former monastery near Cesky Krumlov, a 14th-century Baroque castle-turned-pension near Tábor and a 16th-century Rennaissance house-turned-hotel at Slavonice. We paid separately for our food.

Our visit to Prague was wonderfully enhanced by visits to the storybook towns of Trebon, Trebic and Slavonice.

ROBERT DAVIDSON

Columbia, SC