My first flight with Czech Airlines on the route Geneva — Prague lasted a short 1 hour and 15 minutes. At the end, after landing at the Vaclav Havel Airport in Prague, there started slowly and first uncertainly , but then with advancing and elegant tones proudly to play Bohemian pride — Bedrich Smetana´s composition — Vltava.

I was surprised. Most of the landings has always been for me as for a frequent flyer, kind of drab and has become somehow automatic and stereotyped: with thoughts of when we get the command from the cabin crew , that we can unfasten our seat belts, then we will wait until the aisle will be step by step emptied , and then just we will take our hand luggage and all of us get out from the small space behind the cockpit, which cleverly teleported us from place A to place B in a remote corner of Europe, more than 1000 km away. And finally we get scattered again into our for a while forgotten, but established and busy worlds.

I am going back . I’m still sitting on my place, I am standing up slowly, I am putting on my coat, the aisle is still full and I am looking forward to get into it after there will be small space for it. I will turn to the overhead compartment, take my hand luggage and I ll slowly and patiently go away. But THIS waiting is however sort of nice. I am listening to the majestic and sublime tones of Vltava, this magnificent music written by virtuoso and genius . What a trifle! What a sense for detail! What symbolism! Wow.

And I wonder, how pride , positive attitude, love and devotion to the country , culture and history is important. However, it is difficult to expect such high feelings from people that do not harbor and nurture the love and respect to themselves, the nearest and dearest ones and to their everyday environment, surroundings and situations.

So it occurred to me like that. Thank CSA for red wine , which is served on the board and for the Vltava. ☺

Footnote

1 Vltava is the second cycle of symphonic poem “My Country” by czech composer Bedrich Smetana. Describes the flow of the longest Czech river — Vltava . It was created between 20 November and 8 December 1874. It had its premiere on April 4 , 1875.

Smetana himself said about the Vltava :

The composition depicts Vltava , starting from the first two strands , Hot and Cold Vltava connection of the two streams into a single stream ; then Vltava in the woods and across the meadows , countries where exactly merry feast is celebrated ; at night the glow of the moon ‘s whirl Rusalkas’ dancing on nearby rocks off proudly castles and ruins , Vltava swirls in streams, ; flows in a broad stream further to Prague , Vysehrad appears, finally disappearing into the distance at the majestic flow in the Elbe River.

2 Good Job , Marketing of Czech Airlines ! ☺