While this season means the stress of school reports (almost done), high-stakes exams (starting soon) and a theatrical production (just finished), it all seems to melt away under warm Spring sunbeams. Nothing seems so bad when they're dancing on your pasty skin after a grey winter.
The pleasant temps also allow for equally de-stressing outdoor pursuits. We've been taking in Prague's parks by foot and relishing all the fresh blooms.
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| In Letna Park |
And then there's biking; for our first ride of the season, we did a 50km ride from Prague to Karlstejn Castle. It was for a fundraiser for an orphanage in Tanzania that my school supports.
We gathered early on a Saturday,
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| Near school |
smiling even though longer dreams would have been ideal.
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| Grinning through gritted teeth |
The route took us along some small cliffs...
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| The sun went away and a chill set in |
...over a bridge...
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| No trolls, though |
...past the most bucolic scenery...
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| Painting-worthy |
...and to the village of Karlstejn, crowned with a castle!
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| Victory! |
BW and I each inhaled thick bowls of kulajda soup and plates of fried cheese, chicken schnitzel and potatoes. After all, my heart rate said I burned something like 1,400 calories!
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| It hurts to sit |
And then it was back home on the train for us. Others in the group BIKED back to Prague, but our derrieres had received enough abuse for the day :)
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| The Karlstejn train station |
