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 "MASH" 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 Medenec. 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.
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