After dismantling the camp, it was a beautiful morning’s cycle. I really like the Czech countryside – the small amount I’ve seen so far. I’ve passed through several villages (about 2-4km apart) in varying stages of regeneration or entropy. Some houses have brand new rooves, new double glazing and satellite dishes; others have old tiles missing, plaster falling off exposing huge cracks in the infrastructure, and old lace curtains hanging limply from cracked windows. There seems to be a fashion for removing all the plaster cladding from buildings and just leaving unpointed brickwork or stone work exposed. I stopped and took pictures of a sad old church with onion domes, remains of stained glass windows still evident, gaping holes in the roof, and overgrown graveyard. It must have been magnificent in its time and made me appreciate the value of our own churches and monuments.
In some places I could have been cycling along the Teign valley – deciduous woods and green fields, then the landscape would pan out again into great plains of rape and wheat – with the addition of grape vines. Weird poles rigged up with wires so the vines can climb to the skies. There was also a couple of fields full of a purple flower I didn’t recognize, but it had a leaf that looked like one that belonged to a pea. Lots of poppies growing along the verges too. I love them. The minor road I’m following also looks like it was lined with granite posts at one time, but now they are all leaning drunkenly, or fallen down the slope and buried, or just plain missing – like my gappy smile, now that Presh the Moreton dentist has finished with me. I am mostly succeeding in avoiding busy roads, thanks to Komoot (the German website which specializes in finding cycle routes). This is a ‘good thing’ as the main roads have virtually no shoulder to cycle on so cars have to overtake or stay behind, and I can feel their impatience.
Most places in the Czech republic seem to take euros as well as the Czech Krone – so I haven’t yet obtained any Crowns. I’m also rather ignorant about the exchange rate but it all seems very cheap compared to Germany and the rest of Europe.
Out of interest – I went in search of the identity of the dead snake I photographed the other day (I’ve even seen another smaller squashed one of the same species since). Mario thought it was a ‘blind worm’ – same as our slow worm. But I know slow worms very well, from my days of finding lots of them sunning themselves in between the turf and concrete on the steps leading down to the main road from Orchard Park Council Estate, Wales, as a small child (poor things). Those don’t have white spots on their heads. Grass snakes, however, do.
Grass snakes (non venomous and very shy), I also learned, can do an excellent imitation of being dead too – lying around with their tongues lolling out. I’m fairly sure that the one I photographed really WAS dead, mind, as it was lying in a puddle of dried blood.
Today’s road kill: one yellow song bird – reddish-brown back and wings, yellow mostly (don’t know what that one was) and an entire dead deer lying in a ditch. Cars are lethal things – if I didn’t realize before I’m convinced now. Didn’t stop to examine the latter, but the former looked perfect, like it had gone to sleep.
Had an early supper (or late lunch, whichever way you want to look at it) at about 3pm in a Motel/restaurant. I’ve been feeling the lack of veggies, so roast courgettes, red peppers, red onions, green beans and chicken breast was wonderful. A little knitting and a little blogging and before I knew it, two and a half hours gone. So, when I saw a camping sign about 5miles up the road, I decided to call it a day.
This is a legitimate campsite beside a lake and woodlands, between Rewičov and Trtice (try saying those place names after a couple of beers). It seems to be full of Dutch, French and German campers – and the owner speaks excellent English. The site is clean, with excellent facilities – all very pleasant. I get completely up to date with three daily drawings.
Later in my tent, rummaging through my bag, I find a bar of chocolate with “Hi There!” on the wrapping. Inside is a note from Susanne, Roswitha and Rainer thanking me for making them a part of my adventure – it’s taken me a couple of days to find it, but what a lovely surprise! Thanks Susanne! Chocolate scoffed in no time at all, but a good excuse to go to the super, duper bathroom with its automatic, magic sensory light and water that comes on just by passing ones hands under the tap, to brush my teeth.
www.campingfrymburk.cz
In some places I could have been cycling along the Teign valley – deciduous woods and green fields, then the landscape would pan out again into great plains of rape and wheat – with the addition of grape vines. Weird poles rigged up with wires so the vines can climb to the skies. There was also a couple of fields full of a purple flower I didn’t recognize, but it had a leaf that looked like one that belonged to a pea. Lots of poppies growing along the verges too. I love them. The minor road I’m following also looks like it was lined with granite posts at one time, but now they are all leaning drunkenly, or fallen down the slope and buried, or just plain missing – like my gappy smile, now that Presh the Moreton dentist has finished with me. I am mostly succeeding in avoiding busy roads, thanks to Komoot (the German website which specializes in finding cycle routes). This is a ‘good thing’ as the main roads have virtually no shoulder to cycle on so cars have to overtake or stay behind, and I can feel their impatience.
Most places in the Czech republic seem to take euros as well as the Czech Krone – so I haven’t yet obtained any Crowns. I’m also rather ignorant about the exchange rate but it all seems very cheap compared to Germany and the rest of Europe.
Out of interest – I went in search of the identity of the dead snake I photographed the other day (I’ve even seen another smaller squashed one of the same species since). Mario thought it was a ‘blind worm’ – same as our slow worm. But I know slow worms very well, from my days of finding lots of them sunning themselves in between the turf and concrete on the steps leading down to the main road from Orchard Park Council Estate, Wales, as a small child (poor things). Those don’t have white spots on their heads. Grass snakes, however, do.
Grass snakes (non venomous and very shy), I also learned, can do an excellent imitation of being dead too – lying around with their tongues lolling out. I’m fairly sure that the one I photographed really WAS dead, mind, as it was lying in a puddle of dried blood.
Today’s road kill: one yellow song bird – reddish-brown back and wings, yellow mostly (don’t know what that one was) and an entire dead deer lying in a ditch. Cars are lethal things – if I didn’t realize before I’m convinced now. Didn’t stop to examine the latter, but the former looked perfect, like it had gone to sleep.
Had an early supper (or late lunch, whichever way you want to look at it) at about 3pm in a Motel/restaurant. I’ve been feeling the lack of veggies, so roast courgettes, red peppers, red onions, green beans and chicken breast was wonderful. A little knitting and a little blogging and before I knew it, two and a half hours gone. So, when I saw a camping sign about 5miles up the road, I decided to call it a day.
This is a legitimate campsite beside a lake and woodlands, between Rewičov and Trtice (try saying those place names after a couple of beers). It seems to be full of Dutch, French and German campers – and the owner speaks excellent English. The site is clean, with excellent facilities – all very pleasant. I get completely up to date with three daily drawings.
Later in my tent, rummaging through my bag, I find a bar of chocolate with “Hi There!” on the wrapping. Inside is a note from Susanne, Roswitha and Rainer thanking me for making them a part of my adventure – it’s taken me a couple of days to find it, but what a lovely surprise! Thanks Susanne! Chocolate scoffed in no time at all, but a good excuse to go to the super, duper bathroom with its automatic, magic sensory light and water that comes on just by passing ones hands under the tap, to brush my teeth.
www.campingfrymburk.cz
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