A few days without classic office work - Retreat 2023

© JProf ENVRS

In the second week in June the Environmental Remote Sensing Research Group spent a few days on retreat in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park (České Švýcarsko) in the Czech Republic. The group stayed in a traditional Umgebindehaus in the small village of Mezná, which was affected by the wildfire in the summer of 2022, providing the group with a firsthand impression of the devastation caused by the fire.

The retreat provides the group to spend some time together to discuss the work we are doing and our plans for the future, something quite difficult to achieve in the office with all its distractions. This year’s retreat had all we needed to achieve this, a BBQ, a large room and even WIFI. The WIFI enabled our IT team to demonstrate the new project management software and to make sure we’re up-to-date with our software updates and alike.

As important as IT is, the more productive and interesting discussions took place around the group’s research interests and the outlook for the groups and the individuals who make up the group. Joint working within the group was examined and how this could be built upon, but especially stimulating was identifying those opportunities for together working with other environmental science groups, both at the TU Dresden and elsewhere. We recognised several overlaps and openings for collaboration and will be taking these forward over the next months.

However, it’s not all work, work, work, there was some time to relax in the evenings and the village of Mezná provided the means to do so. The Czech culinary wonders of garlic soup, great beer, dumplings and fried cheese galore, consumed in the beautiful forested setting made for a good few days away from the office.

An Ode to Mezná

by Anonymous

We walked to the village and it was fairly hot, some houses were burnt, some others not.

The walk wasn’t long, but Daniel moaned. We just smiled, but deep inside we groaned.

The house was half wood and reasonably old, and without the heating on, also quite cold.

Some old-knob cooked food on the grill, it must have been cooked because no-one got ill.

We also lunched in the local café, it was very, very busy, for a Thursday midday.

Garlic soup, beer and fried cheese, the stuff of legends and a good backside-breeze.

Thursday night took us down the hill, I saw some fish, and Tine’s knee got ill.

We saw some dead trees and some live ones too, even a slow-worm whose name no-one knew.

We also did work, yes it’s true, installing some spyware from our beloved TU.

A disappointing dinner with terrible chips, somehow made better with a few beer sips.

Friday came and not a moment too soon, we all needed vegetables and our own sleeping room.