Plesice, Moravia, Czech Republic
Where the Janda family came from.
In 1995, I had an opportunity to go to the Czech Republic. My sister, Anne Marie Kenny Bull was living in Prague at the time managing a placement and training center that she owned and operated there.
On of her secretaries and I left Prague in the morning and ventured to Moravia, to find the small village of Plesice. It was nice having Gabriella with me, because she was a native and of course, knew the language. I remember the Czech people being friendlier than any other people I had ever met.
While traveling, we encountered areas in the country where the snow was quite deep. I was comfortable enough to know how the Czeck people were and didn't hesitate for a moment, that if I left the road, one of them wouldn't have jumped at the opportunity to get their tractor and pull me out. This never was a factor.
As we pulled into Plesice, I was amazed how primitive this area was. Plesice was no more than a one road village/townland. I didn't know what to think as we drove to the end of the road and their were no more buildings. I was hoping to find a city hall or someplace to ask questions, but it was just several dozen old houses and barns.
While sitting at the end of the road, on the last house, someone happened to drive in on a tractor. We stopped him and Gabriella asked if she knew of a Janda family that lived here 150 years ago. The gentleman responded that he knew of them well, that his family bought this house from the Jandas in the late 1800's before they all moved to America.
They invited us in and explained that the house and barn were pretty much in the same condition as it was back then. I assumed he meant that no remodeling had taken place.
See pictures here of the old Janda farm
Little chapel down the road
The place was run down. It was a square shaped property with this court yard in the middle. Perhaps I can better explain it as a series of attached buildings , but right in the center, it a open area that is outside, but surrounded by buildings.
She showed us the small house which consisted of a kitchen with an old wood fired stove, a living room, and a couple bedrooms. The other buildings were barns and stable. The family living there was very nice and cordial.