Prague and return home: Day 184 & 185

An informative day spent seeing Prague, followed by my return home.

A Prague Tram in the morning rush hour

I joined a walking tour of Prague this morning (although without my rucksack on my back I felt I was missing something important). The city had been around for a long time, and the guide talked of how houses were built on top and around older houses in different styles according to the fashion of the day, from Gothic, to Rennaisance right up to Art Nouveau and Art Deco. This meant that bits of older buildings could be seen in newer ones. Also the ground level had been increased due to frequent floods from the River Vltava, so that much of the houses were now underground. Houses were once identified by names and a symbol of the name would appear on the building as people were often illiterate. For example we passed the "The House of the Green Frog", which had a carving of a green frog on it.

There were a lot of tour groups and tourists around especially at the Charles Bridge and the Astronomical Clock (which as each hour struck had a display in which figures moved). The tour ended at the Castle which itself had many additions and make-overs during its long life.

For lunch I had a sandwich at the Cat Café, which was full of cats who were amazingly tolerant of people, including children persistently stroking them.

At the Cat Cafe, Prague

In the afternoon I went on a Communist tour which included a visit to a Nuclear Shelter. The guide told of the many people killed by the post war regime, described how any desent was suppressed and how the Czech people had suffered. Emphasis was placed on indoctrinating the young and teaching them how to shoot and throw grenades. He also pointed out that the current Czech President and Prime Minister had a communist past, although they have now gained power by democratic elections.

Our guide beside a monument to the 1989 student demonstration that started the Velvet Revolution against communism.

Last night after spaghetti and salad at one place I stopped at the "Bar behind the Curtain" for a drink. The attraction here were the friendly dogs. It was a bar with character so tonight I tried another one. Like the bar last night it was half underground.

Czech beer is served with a lot of froth!

Today I caught the Airport Express bus from the railway station to begin my journey home by air, train and bus. A tedious journey but with the pleasure of a return to my wife's arms at the end of it.

Despite walking 900 kilometres this trip, thanks to my brace, my knee has not given me any significant pain. Blisters have formed on my calf where the brace grips and I have applied quite a lot of plasters and dressings as a result, however, it has been manageable.

Karlovy Vary to Prague: Day 183

My current walk along the E3 has now finished, to be continued next year. Today was a chance to see a bit of Karlovy Vary before catching the bus to Prague.

This morning I regretted celebrating the end of my walking last night with a second (large) glass of wine, and reading until midnight to reach the end of my book (which had unexpected twists in the plot).

After a breakfast of bagel with poached eggs, smoked salmon etc. and a coffee and orange juice I felt a little better.

My hotel was in the commercial centre of the city, the famous mineral springs and associated colonnades were a little walk away in a valley where hotels, spas, shops, restaurants and other buildings were squashed in. An architectural feature of this spa town, the colonnades were made of wood or stone and contained fountains of the hot mineral water. You are supposed to sip this water from a special cup through a spout while promenading. Numerous stalls were selling these cups doing a brisk trade to the many visitors. The colonnades mean you can walk in the dry while sippping when it is raining. I imagined Jane Austen type conversations between people as they walked and sipped. They also sold round, flat wafers which were a tradition but did not look appetising. 

As a famous city there were lots of tourists, so I sought a coffee at somewhere a little quieter. Based on Google maps I found it at a posh hotel, a steep climb out of the valley. The coffee was served in what might once have been a ballroom.

Returning to the railway station I was in plenty of time for my bus (only a hour's wait)! After a few hours I was on a flat plain, the farmland disturbed by logistic hubs beside the road. In the distance the skyscrapers of Prague (or Praha) could be seen. Due to the heavy traffic it took a while for the bus to reach the centre, then I had a walk through a canyon landscape of tall buildings rising each side of the roads to reach my hotel. I am hoping to see a different side of Prague tomorrow. 

Jáchymov to Karlovy Vary: Day 182

A day walking out of the Ore Mountains to the city of Karlovy Vary.

Jáchymov, like most villages in the Czechen mountains, sat in a valley, so my day had an uphill start. Light rain was falling, shreds of clouds moved across the trees on the far side of the valley. I was led by the E3, now following blue waymarks, up through trees to a tower, and then the higher village of Nové Město. Other settlements I have been through also have this name which means "New Town".

Continuing through woods I dropped down into the next valley and inevitably had to climb up the other side. On this next slope loose rock was piled up over a large area. I wondered if it was waste from mining, an assumption apparently confirmed by mapy.com which said that the Eva Mine was at this site. Initially a silver mine, more recently uranium was extracted. It now lies abandoned.

Plešivic was the next mountain top and several chairlifts connected to it. Visibility was poor at the summit which was completely swallowed by cloud. Apart from the funny wooden sculptures on the approach there was nothing to see and as I was over an hour early for the restaurant I started my descent down the other side. Steep and slippery at first, requiring the stabilising action of my trekking poles, the track descended more gently lower down, delivering me to the bottom of one of the chairlifts. A café was open, although you had to enter a door with a large "No Entry" sign as the door designated as the entrance was locked. This caused confusion for me and other customers as well as extra work for the waitress, beckoning in people wondering what to do.

I knew there was another big hill coming up which I overcame, and then switched to a yellow waymarked path for the descent to Karlovy Vary. At the base of the mountains the forest ended and there was a mixture of farmland with a few cows, woodland with lakes, trees turning yellow, and villages. 

On the approach to Karlovy Vary I walked through a park, beyond which I viewed the highways which served the city. The ocasional yellow waymark led me under one of the them and I was in the city outskirts, walking passed a pole dancing club to reach the pedestrianised centre.

After steak and chips I am now celebrating the conclusion of my walk with a glass of red in a wine bar.

Měděnec to Jáchymov: Day 181

A shorter walk today over a mountain ski resort and visiting a mine.

Overnight the wind dropped. Nothing more dangerous than pine needles fell on my tent, although I was annoyed that the inside was wetter than the outside. 

I continued through the forest I noticed a fenced area. I had seen many of these on my trip across Czechia. According to Google they are to protect young plants and trees from grazing by deer and other wild animals, and to encourage native species. 

On my approach to Klinovec I passed an enclosed shelter designed for sleeping in. Had I known of it I might have kept going last night although I probably would not have reached it until after dark, and it may already have been occupied (although in that eventuality there was a covered picnic area nearby). It is the third I have come across on my trip. They are marked on mapy.com but you have to look carefully.

A little later I reached a ski slope beside which there was a final steep climb up to the summit of Klinovec. Ski lifts converge here. There are three towers and a cluster of buildings falling into disrepair. At 1244 metres the mountain is the highest in the region with several chairlifts amd ski runs. Therefore I was surprised that the buildings had not been renovated. The original, stone lookout tower was unexpectedly open, so I paid to climb up it. The lady selling the tickets must have thought I was crazy as the summit was completely enclosed by cloud so I could see more from ground level. Still, it was a historic building dating from the end of the 19th century and renovated at the beginning of the 21st. There was a display about it, although not in English.

There were a few cyclists about otherwise it was quiet apart from the noise of the cold wind. A few hundred metres down from the top a café was open which beckoned me in. I was the only customer enjoying the warmth of the wood burning stove while drinking a coffee with my square of warm blueberry cake.

At the village of Bozi Dar I stopped for another coffee, this time with apple strudel (which in addition to apple and raisins had walnuts). A man with an impressive, bushy, curled up moustache, who I took to be the grandfather of the family, told me that he had been to St Ives. He gave me a free shot of schnapps which he had made himself. They also had a log burning stove which three of their six cats were enjoying. 

I knew there were mining museums in the area and after eating my strudel I did a little research. The most interesting looked to be at Jáchymov where you were taken into an adit. Tours began on the hour and I planned on reaching Jáchymov in time for the one at 2 pm. First I had several kilometres to walk, mostly downhill through the forest.

I was the only one on the mine tour, which involved walking into a long horizontal tunnel dug into the mountainside by political prisoners in 1952. It was an exploratory tunnel, there were deep mines nearby, pithead winding gear was still standing. The guide pointed out smaller tunnels from the 16th century which were dug with hammer and chisel for silver. Coins made out of the silver were called tolars, from which the word dollars is derived. However in the 20th century the interest was in other metals, in particular uranium. It was from this area that Madam Curie acquired the pitchblende that she used to extract Radium and Polonium.

For my meal this evening I went to a small, nearby bar. All the tables were marked as reserved. I was the only customer. The barman was humming to Bruce Springsteen's "The River" (one of his greatest songs in my opinion). A Jawa, a famous Czech motorbike, stood on one side below the kind of stacked stereo system I bought over 40 years ago. Signs with a mobile phone crossed out suggested I should focus on the many items on display. I ordered goulash as it was the only word I recognised that the barman suggested, and of course a beer as this was Czechia.

Hora Sv Šebestiána to woods beyond Měděnec: Day 180

A day in the woods, wet in the afternoon. 

After a big breakfast following a big dinner last night which I could not finish, this morning I felt as if I would not be able to eat anything for a long time, possibly forever. Consequently I started off with a heavy tummy, burping. The theme tune to "M*A*S*H" was going around my head as a dubbed version of the show had been on the television over breakfast. A programme I had not thought about for at least 30 years.

The walk began through fields to the nearby village of Nová Ves. Beside the trail the blueberry bushes had now turned a bright shade of red. After the houses of the small settlement I began walking beside the railway, I would return to it later in the day. I was curious as to whether trains still ran on it. None passed while I was walking although the rails had a shine suggesting some traffic.

Much of the day was again walking through the forest although there were some open fields, where the big rolls of hay had been neatly bagged in plastic. A view of a reservoir in the distance added interest. My most precious sight was a possible wolf sighting. I had been walking along the trail noticing patches dug up by, I assumed, wild boar. Ahead of me a movement caught my eye. Instead of a wild boar I saw what I believe was a grey wolf disappearing into the trees. Grey with elements of white fur and a bushy tail. Although wolves are known to inhabit the area I wondered if I was confusing it with a large dog, however there were no buildings near and no owner. Only close to villages did I see any people today.

The second village of the day was Měděnec. Not much was there, the bistro was not open until Saturday. 

Beyond Měděnec was a small hill, topped by a round chapel. In the hill were adits created by miners. The two entrances I saw were locked although they run tours of the old mines (but not today).

The final small village of Horní Halže was largely bypassed, the trail ran along the back of the houses. However at the end of the village the E3 crossed a road to reveal a wide ranging panorama. The lowlands beyond the mountains were visible although not too clear as light rain had begun. Two power station cooling towers were visible from the white steam they emitted among the many urban areas.

Then it was back into the trees. There were many small green signs in this area which according to Google Translate said "Contractually Protected Area". Protecting the plants and animals maybe? One does wonder what different warning notices mean. One painted on a crude wooden bridge said "Klouže", which means "It's slippery".

In the afternoon it rained steadily. I just continued with my waterproofs done up. By 5 pm I was looking for a place to camp. The rough ground limited the options. Somewhat concerned about the wind and the risk of falling trees or branches, I avoided a couple of flat spots beneath beech trees with dead branches. As trees could not be avoided, they continued for many more miles, I settled for a spot between sturdy looking conifers, clearing a large number of pine cones out of the way.

Nová Ves v Horách to Hora Sv. Šebestiána: Day 179

A forest walk over the high plateau with lakes reflecting blue sky and orange, Autumn leaves.

My walk began with a loop in the route taking me to the village of Hora Svaté Kateřiny. A village with an imposing square by the large school. However the E3 was perhaps taking me this way due to a stone lookout tower, which was closed when I passed. Even from the base of the tower there were views of the surrounding forested hills.

Most of the day was walking on good tracks through the forest of the plateau. Mainly conifers, including larch, there were also stands of silver birch, their trunks highlighted by the morning sun, and scattered rowan, beech, alder, maple and sycamore. The forest tracks were often remarkably straight, possible as there were only gentle gradients although these led to a net increase in height. My final destination today at 850 metres is a hundred metres higher than where I slept this morning. There were a few swathes of grassland, one dotted with blue harebells beside a track on which a line of rowan trees had been planted.

Two scattered settlements were on my path today, one was Lesná, where there was a tourist information centre where I bought an ice cream. Possibly I could have camped there. Much is made of the mining heritage in the area on signs and information boards bit as yet there has been no visible evidence of it from the E3.

A few lakes added variety. Beside them the leaves of the trees were turning yellow. My efforts of capturing their beauty on my camera attracted the attention of an 80 year old who asked me where I was from etc.. He took a picture of me with his wife with the trees in the background.

As I neared Hora Sv Šebestiána there was evidence of an old railway line, stone piers that would once have supported a bridge. The track was built in 1875, a connection with Germany, it was finally abandoned in 1972. Trees have now obscured where the line once ran, only the bridge supports are visible.

In the last few kilometres before Hora Sv Šebestiána the track plunged into a narrow valley, rocks outcropping each side and brook running beside me. There was a small waterfall which I did not bother to climb down to, eager to reach my destination. 

At the village I first went to a place selling coffee which I combined with an oversized donut. Then I searched for some food as I will be camping tomorrow night. The big stores on the main road were aimed at Germans stocking up on cheaper Czech goods. Fortunately I found a small store signed as a "Tabak" and "Drogerie" but actually a small convenience store. The owner juggled his baby, my goods and change as I paid.

I am now in my Penzion where they are cooking me dinner. "Bears Paw" is the translation of what I have eaten but it was actually pork and chicken with cheese and remoulade on top. Along with the soup and fries it eas filling and I failed to finish the chips.

Cesky Jiretin to Nová Ves v Horách: Day 178

A short walk today through a forested plateau touching the German border again.

My tent was dripping was condensation this morning, dry on the outside but wet inside. On leaving the warm womb of my sleeping bag I found the morning cold, a sign of the advancing year. As I knew I would warm up as the sun rose I avoided putting on extra layers of clothing. After an hour I left the dark valley in which I had camped and walked into the sunshine which warmed my hands.

Continuing on tracks through the forest of the plateau I reached the German frontier once again. A couple of cyclists passed, two women were searching for mushrooms with their wicker baskets and a hiker out for the day exchanged an "Ahoy".

I had not far to walk today so stopped at the "Outlet Center" at Mníšek where a Chinese restaurant served me a coffee and slice of apple pie. The restaurant seemed to be doing more trade than the shops selling flowers among other things. All these Czech villages along the border had a corresponding village close by on the other side. The twin with Mníšek was the larger, and from a distance more attractive, village of Deutschneudorf.

From Mníšek it was an hour's walk to Nová Ves where I had a Pension booked. Arriving lunchtime gives me a chance to rest for longer walks in the next few days. 

I was not the only one at the pension. In the entrance area were over a dozen bikes of a cycling group.