9th July - 22nd July - Czech Republic

Time to visit my family in my other home, the Czech republic. Originally booked to fly Easyjet, a dispute about the £180 they wanted to put our cabin bag in the hold because the wheels projected 2mm and prevented it entering the sizing cage saw us return home having missed the flight. Rebooking on P & O Ferries (£30 each way Dover-Calais, vehicle with up to 9 people on board - I was shocked!!) and working out that their poor customer relations would cost £100,000 in lost business just from my friends and family jetting across (we will always recomend they drive from now on) I found the drive out there beautiful, relaxing, and far preferable to the stresses and restrictions you get from airline travel these days. I shant bore you with a naration of the trip, but post some pictures for those that care to look. One of lifes biggest tragedies is that Czech is landlocked. IF it were not, I would already be living there.

Butterfly Whispering.....! Friends house, Sumava National Park

Friends family house

The Garage......!!

Playing with frogs in the paddlng pool......

A Czech variant of an German Shepherd. Thicker set, thicker coat, perfect for mountain life. She was a darling.

And butterflies loved her poo......!!

A lot............!!

The bus stop. One in the morning, one in the evening. Always on time.

Beware the Ants......

And the halucinegenic and posionous mushrooms

Wild flowers adorn the roadside

This stream carries gold flakes. I found one. You need approx 1000 flakes to make 1gm gold.

Peacock Butterfly

Czech translates to Black Coronets. Delicious in Goulash

Bahovka, or Blueberries.

Three generations harvest the forest

The mushroom basket

Affectionately translates as Grandmother. The tastiest and most prolific in the pine forests.

Beech Nuts

Wild Rasberries

...and Strawberries

Karlstejn Dawn

Hroch's house.... In progress

My vessel for the morning....!

The beautiful River Berounka

My good friend Samotage and Bream

A carp to me.... Released

Adjusting the anchor

Samotage, pulling hard in the swollen currents

My eel, not released.......

....but being prepared for smoking

The view of Calais harbour mouth. Lots of anglers on the pier to the left