To cover the distance of 152 kilometres, we split into two teams; one ran from Mohelnice to Budisov nad Budisovkou, while the other ran from Budisov nad Budisovkou to Ostrava.
From Mohelnice to Budisov nad Budisovkou:
We started running early in the morning, together with 11 members of the running club Liga 100 from Olomouc. Soon, it was extremely hot, but they still continued with us all day. For their support and active participation, they deserve a big round of applause and our gratitude!!
Our first ceremony was in the nearby village of Lostice. The mayor Mr. Ctirad Lolek welcomed us in the Museum of the production of the well-known naturally aged cheese called âtvaruzkyâ . We learned how the cheese is produced, and tasted it. This cheese is famous, because of its strong smell.
After this meeting we visited Bouzov Castle , where chatelaine PhDr. Zuzana Markova welcomed us, although today the castle was closed; it looks as if it is from a fairy-tale, and we were happy to see it.
Nearby, we met a group of knights who wanted to kill Miro. They spared him because he said that this is a harmony torch and he is not going to burn the castle :-).
We then continued along our route to the Mladec Caves , one of the most beautiful sites in the Czech Republic.
We were welcomed there by mayor Mr. Vaclav Arnost and cave guides.
The caves were closed to the public today, but we were honoured with a special guided tour through the caves! From an outside temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, we cooled down to a so wonderful 6 degrees inside the caves :-)
Can you imagine how our World Harmony Run Song sounded in those breathtaking domes?
Our next stop was in a town called Litovel. There at the park (newly opened after recent tornado), we were greeted by the mayor MVDr. VojtÄch Grézl, accompanied by children and staff from a local orphanage.
Running in the direction of Sternberk, we stopped in the village of Hnojnice. The inhabitants of this nice village had prepared a great welcome for us, and rich refreshments - all home-made âBio Qualityâ, from their own gardens. Many thanks to the mayor, Libor Kasparek and other people who took care of us so well.
At the main square of Sternberk, the deputy mayor Mgr. Jiri Zemanek waited for us, together with reporters from the regional TV station.
From here we ran up the road where the famous car hill-climb championships âEcce homoâ take place every year.
We then had the opportunity to visit the atelier of well-known painter, traveller and wonderful man Libor Vojkuvka . His unforgettable charisma and cheerfulness kept us laughing till the end of day.
In the next village, Lipina, more nice refreshments were prepared for us in front of a small pub, U Mrazku. The mayor, Mr Tomas Pudl welcomed us and ran with us for a while.
Two kilometres out of Domasov nad Bystrici, we could see a big fire brigade truck and a sign welcoming the World Harmony Run. We ran together with our new friends, including the mayor Mr. Ladislav Stevanka, to their village and shared a wonderful, enthusiastic atmosphere. Afterwards we visited a nearby children's camp, where many children were awaiting us.
To put it simply, Domasov nad Bystrici was spectacular!
Finally we reached our todayâs goal, Budisov nad Budisovkou.
From Budisov nad Budisovkou to Ostrava:
From our starting point, we continued through lovely country-side to the town of Vitkov, where nice refreshments with genuine Czech cakes were prepared for us.
The mayor, Ing. Pavel Smolka welcomed us and did not hesitate to take some steps for harmony, carefully controlled by local police.
The next town, Fulnek, is famous for its Memorial to Jan Amos Komensky ( Comenius ), which mayor ing. Josef Dubec choose as the perfect place for our ceremony. This memorial is the oldest chapel in Central Europe, and Komensky preached there. We also learned a lot about his life and work.
Afterwards, we acknowledged with appreciation the help from our great friends and good runners, husband and wife Kucharovi, who accompanied us from Prague all the way to Ostrava. They belong to the running club Liga 100 in Prague. There are very few people who join us spontaneously for several days and become such excellent team members. Thank you very much for your kindness, friendship and running :-)
The next stop on our journey was a children's camp near Kujavy. Here we offered a little program with some sketches, games and singing. All the children held the torch and finally ran with it.
The representatives of the town of Studenka prepared a nice surprise for us: a local band played jazz versions of Czech national songs. So funny!
The ceremony took place in the beautiful park of a castle. Mayor Ladislav Honusek also invited us into the wagon works museum, located in the castle. It was interesting for all of us, but especially for our team member Namitabha, who is train engine driver.
The final destination of todayâs journey was the North Moravian metropolis, the city of Ostrava.
We were honoured to pass the harmony torch to the Lord Mayor, Petr Kajnar . He appreciated our efforts and expressed his support for the idea that we are all responsible for harmony in the world.
We gladly accepted his invitation to a beautiful viewpoint at the top of the Ostrava city hall tower. It was interesting to see a huge factory in the middle of the city, because Ostrava is known mainly for its mining industry.
Distance: 152km
Team Members:
Andrea Fidrmuc (Austria), Annemijn Schuringa (Holland), Arthur Schafer (Germany), Jadranka Grbic (Croatia), Jaroslav Werner (Poland), Namitabha Arsic (Serbia), Ondrej Vesely (Czech Republic), Roberto Barth (Germany), Roger Rogge (Germany), Sandro Zincarini (Italy), Vladimir Salnicov (Moldova)
Harmonemail:
You can send a message to the runners or read the messages.
Gallery: See more images!
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