“The name ‘Vltava’ comes from the old Germanic for ‘wild water’,” says tour guide Michal Pavlik, as he punts us along a languid meander in the river that carves through the Czech town of Cesky Krumlov, around 110 miles south of Prague.
“As you can see, it’s very wild,” he adds, nodding towards a family of ducks gliding past. It’s then I realise I’m not only sitting alongside a skilled timber rafter but also an aficionado of another prized national pastime: deadpan joke delivery. I settle in for the ride.
