The “Great America” Quarry

As part of my devious strategy to keep my family entertained and less desirous of participating in social events, I organised a little trip to the famous abandoned quarry “Great America” in the municipality of Mořina. Since my parents were occupied, I only went with my sisters and the dog, but it was nevertheless a fun experience. We made a loop around the quarry, accidentally ending up at the “Mexico” Quarry as well. I was surprised to discover that many vantage points were off limits to the public, which of course doesn’t stop intrepid Czechs from crossing a few fences and risking their lives in order to see a hole in the ground from yet another angle.  

The first quarries began to appear in Mořina at the very end of the nineteenth century, when lime was required for the manufacture of steel. In 1945, they were all confiscated by the government and from 1949 to 1953, the Mexico Quarry served as a labour camp under the auspices of the communist regime. Survivors nicknamed it “the Czech Mauthausen.” Work at the Great America Quarry ceased in 1964.  

Corn
Corn
Corn
Corn
Corn
The Great America Quarry
More of the same
More of the same
Some berries against the backdrop of even more berries
Autumn colours
Autumn colours among the paths to the quarry
More autumn colours
The wall of the Mexico Quarry
The wall of the Great America Quarry

The Great America Quarry

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ireland: Day 8 – County Louth

Image
My plans for my last day in Ireland came together in a very ad hoc fashion. Having seen everything I wanted to see, I searched for interesting sights close to the highway between Dublin and Belfast. These did not include – though I found it the most interesting sight of all – the modest highway sign saying “Welcome to Northern Ireland” painted over with several streaks of dark red paint.
Read more

Southern Delhi and Other Bits and Pieces

Image
On my last day in Delhi, I managed to cross off the last few items on my sightseeing list. I began by packing my luggage, all the while congratulating myself on having remembered to ask the hotel to do my laundry in advance. That finished, I ordered an Uber to Akshardham, a massive Hindu temple east of the Yamuna River. The opening hours of the temple are not well advertised, and when I arrived by the front gate, I learned it was still closed. For a few minutes, I took pictures of the temple from afar, when suddenly an autorickshaw driver approached me. He reasoned with me that since the temple would not open until ten, I had better come with him and see other sights. I had to admit the soundness of his reasoning and gave him my next address.
Read more

Vietnam North to South – Day 1: Alone in Hanoi

Image
My redeye from Delhi arrived close to five in the morning, and I did not catch a jot of sleep. Once I got to my hotel, however, I did not feel particularly drowsy, and instead of napping for a few hours, I started sorting through my photos from India. This exercise lasted for as long as it stayed cloudy outside – that is to say – until around eleven, when I grew bored of the very mechanical editing process and decided to go out.
Read more