My trip to Czechia kicked off with a few days in beautiful and mysterious Prague. In between rehearsals with a band I’d play with at a banjo festival, I got out and explored the streets…cemeteries, old town, markets…It really is a magical place to wander.
Cemeteries and Streets of Prague
Tracing My Maternal Roots
I grew up knowing that my mom’s side of the family was 100% Czechoslovakian. Her parents last names were Petricka and Havel. With Czechia and Slovakia now being independent countries, I understand that my heritage is on the Czech side. While in the country for Otherlands collaborations, I took a one day detour to trace some family roots. The info we have is pretty limited, but I did come across a couple town names and street addresses. I believe these are a few of the houses and landscapes my people have called home.
Moravian Cottage
After a bit of family tree searching, I made my way to the eastern tip of Czechia. My musical guide took me to the Beskydy Mountains, to a traditional, working Moravian sheep cottage. We’d spend the day making music within its cozy colorful vibes and outdoors in the verdant gardens.
Il Cannone, the violin of Paganini
Upon his death, Niccolò Paganini—arguably the world’s most celebrated and virtuosic violinist—gifted his 1743 instrument made by Giuseppe Bartolomeo Guarneri to the city of Genoa. It’s on display in a government museum with other artifacts from his life. The wax on the back of the scroll is the seal of ownership of Genoa, a common practice at the time. I was fortunate to meet one of two caretakers of the instrument at his shop. He has studied the instrument as much as (if not more) than anyone and makes replicas, seen here with my 5-string fiddle whose pattern was taken from Paganini’s instrument. And I received a gift of old antique mutes to add to my collection!
Cremona, Italy
Couldn’t resist a quick overnight trip to the birthplace of the modern violin — with notable visits to the Museo del Violino to gaze upon instruments by previous resident luthiers Amati, Guarneri, and Stradivari; the International School of Violin where the making tradition is alive and well; and roaming the streets until I found myself in front of Stradivari’s home.
Genoa & Italian Riviera
Coming down from the Ligurian countryside into Genoa, touring the Italian Riviera by boat, and visiting Il Cannone, Paganini’s violin.
Quattro Province, Northern Italy
After arriving by ferry from Sardinia, I headed north from Genoa, following winding roads through the Italian countryside into the Quattro Province, where four regions meet along the spine of the Apennine Mountains. I passed through narrow streets and villages, bright facades painted in trompe l’oeil style that will the eye, steeples and stone towers, fields glowing with color. I was on my way to Cegni (pop. 43) to find piffero music.
Pula & Around Sardinia, Italy
The small town of Pula, outside Sardinia’s capital Cagliari, would be my home while on the island. I took day trips into the mountains (where a plane had crashed in 1979 and I was greated by mountain goats). In order to get return to mainland Italy, I had to drive the length of the island back to the ferry, bringing me along coastal roads, cork trees, and by ancient spiritual sites.
