Valley of the dog

A post by Jayda. Woof.

I love not having a proper job and just being able to nap all day, but things can get a touch monotonous for my furry taste. So when ma and pa had a day off work, I yipped and yowled about going into the wilds so I could chase birds and get some sun.

Acquiescing to my demands, ma and pa took me to Prokopské údolí (Prokop Valley), a nature reserve located in the southwest corner of Prague full of flora, fauna and limestone. It was our first time there, and we kicked ourselves for not coming sooner because, man, was it grrrrgeous!

It took about 40 minutes by tram and bus to get there, and the first thing we saw was this viaduct, which I promptly peed on. Ma searched it on the internet and found out it was built in 1872 to transport coal and wood to the city of Prague, but now it's mostly used in the Summer months for a tourist train line named "Prague Semmering" because its beauty is like that of the more famous Semmering railway in Austria. 

Next stop was Prokopské jezírko (pond), made in 1905 from limestone quarrying. Since it's not that far from Prague's Barrandov film studios, the mini-lake is shown in a number of films and TV show. I think I'm pretty enough to be in films, too, FYI.

Oooh - and then we happened upon my favorite, a spot that seemed to be a petting zoo of some sort. So I bade hello to my beastie friends-in-arms.

The nature trail through the valley was very pleasant, and I walked longer than I normally do before petering out and making dad carry me. We hit a cafe in the woods just in time, because my paws were getting tired. Several attempts at taking a family selfie were made but it didn't quite work because I kept swivelling my noggin to see everything.

After refreshment, we just wandered along. This area was mined for limestone, and a number of prehistoric fossils have been found here. I dug a little in one spot but didn't unearth anything special. 

Finally, just outside of the park, we sat down for some Czech food at Černý Kohout (The Black Rooster). I got a little nibble of pork here and there but really could have used my own plate and let ma and pa know that. 

We caught a tram and my shaggy self passed out in ma's lap as we journeyed back home. Zzzzzzzz.

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A doggone good hike

A post by Jayda. Woof.

Mom and I went for a two-day hike in the Czech Křivoklátsko woods all by ourselves, since dad is out of town on a cookery course. We had everything packed up before going, from rain gear to my doggie treats to a special turistické map mom got at the Neo Luxor bookstore on Wenceslas Square. I just had to get my fuzzy behind up early enough to catch the right bus.

Yeah, that's right. I'm in a puppy bjorn. Got a problem with it?

Day 1 

KM hiked: A measly 4
Missed buses: 1
People met who spoke English: 0
Maps lost: 0

We rode into the town of Rakovník and had plans to switch to another bus... but we missed it; mom had us standing on the wrong side of the rode when it whizzed by. And there wasn't another one to our intended trail-head village for 4 hours! Doggonit! I was pawing at mom to share the hard-boiled egg she was peeling in frustration when an old man hollered at us in Czech from behind a fence. He'd been locked a decaying old track-and-field-complex near the bus-stop, and said something about a "klíč". Mom knew that meant "key," so she ran into the building adjacent to the track and found a lady who could let him out. He was laden in photography equipment and took mom's and my picture; I gave him my best bow-wow.

At least Rakovnik was pretty

With grey clouds looming, mom made the executive decision to walk to the local train station and catch the next carriage to Křivoklát, where we'd booked a pension for the night. So... the first part of our hike was gone to the dogs. We considered getting off early at this station to get at least somewhat of a hike...

It's pronounced MYEH-stetch-koh

...but decided against it as it had begun to sprinkle.  Safely in Křivoklát, the walk from the train station into town was pleasant but wet.

With the rain falling abundantly at this point, we nestled into a restaurant. Mom read and drank grog and planned a more local hike for the afternoon, and I dozed on the bench next to her. The waitress loved me and kept clutching me to her cleavage. 

Waiting for the rain to subside

A grey day

When the rain lessened to a drizzle, we did a mini-hike around the town environs and up to the local castle. 

Oh, the things you find in the woods

Křivoklát Castle

Mom noticed how it was a sort of crossroads for a number of hiking trails; she said she'd like to explore the area a bit more in the future.

So many places for me to mark my territory

Back down in town, we checked into our cozy little pension, which had a castle view!  

And then we went out for a big schnitzel at the local pub and mom got asked on a date by a local yokel. She replied, "Můj manžel bude mít zmatek" and the whole pub erupted in laughter. (Translation: "My husband would have confusion.")

Carbing up

Day 2

KM hiked: 12
Missed buses: 0
People met who spoke English: 0
Maps lost: 1

Now THIS was a proper hiking day. For mom, anyhow; my little legs tired fast and mom had to carry me most of the way. And the first 4km was straight uphill! 

We wound our way south through the village of Roztoky, with some neat garden patches...

So that's where they grow all of the horseradish  

...and into the woods.

Paradise

Pink-tongued happiness!

It was quite mucky in spots

Someone made a house my size!

If only mom could have read the Czech interpretive signs

On the last 4 km of the hike, we passed a village and a couple of developmentally disabled adults ran over to us so they could pet my cute noggin. Then some Ukrainian construction workers joined and insisted that they give mom and me a lift to our goal town because they couldn't understand why on Earth we'd choose to walk so far. But we persevered. Mom discovered she'd dropped the map somewhere on the trail, but we followed the trail markings and were fine.

Bless these markers!

We reached Novy Jachmov about an hour before our bus left. I made some chicken friends there. 

#chickensoup

We caught a bus to Beroun, and then a train to Prague. Despite a couple of mishaps, I give the hike two paws up!

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Stromovka Park by paw and arm

A post by Jayda. Woof.

A couple of weeks ago, before the leaves had turned, we spent a Saturday just a-walking as much as we could. I like me some looooong walks. But I tend to peter out after about a mile and then mom or dad has to carry me. My 6-inch legs can only go so far!

We started at our favorite place to get American-style pancakes, Bohemia Bagel, Holešovice. The tattooed waitresses there just love my fuzzy mug. 

Then it was on to Stromovka Park, the best - and biggest - park in Prague. It was created as royal hunting grounds by King Premysly Otakar II in the 1200s. This is perfect for me as I am part Shitzu and we Shitzus are naturally instinctive hunters. (But the truth is I live a serviced life in a cozy apartment and eat kibble.) 

We stopped for a bowl of water and odpočinek (relaxation) at Šlechtovka, a snack bar/beer garden outside of the old summer palace that shares the same name. The park has ponds, playgrounds, numerous walking and bike paths, rollerblade and bike rental, and even a planetarium. By the East entrance to Stromovka, there is a fun fair in the summer. 

My favorite part about the park, though, is all the other furry friends I get to meet. I put on my best socialite behavior and greet the beau monde of Prague dogs. 

Being a debutante is hard work! After traipsing through the park a bit more, I require that dad carry me and we walk North, past horse stables and across a footbridge to the Troja area. There is an incredible zoo and a gorgeous chateau in that area, but I'm not allowed in those. 

So we turned Eastward, past a big Trojan horse pottery studio and Prague's internationally-reknowned whitewater slalom course. I waved my pink tongue and my bushy white tail at the kayakers.

After about 20 more minutes, we reached a tram stop. Dad's arms were numb at this point, so we zipped home. And I treated myself to a well-earned nap on mom's pillow. 

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Dogs on rafts

A post by Jayda. Woof.

With mom feeling down this Spring and dad and me tiring of our same walking route, I felt it was time to get out of the city. So when my friend Ferris's mom suggested a rafting trip, I yipped until we agreed to go - even if there was a forecast for rain.

We squeezed four adults and me and Ferris into a rented Skoda Fabia (a smaller car than mom had paid for; I should have piddled on the Budget Rental guy's foot) and drove south to a place called Kemp Vltavan.

Squished.

Our friends set up tents in the drizzly weather and we (thankfully) had rented beds in the dining hall-cum-hostel attached to the campground. Cousin Liv joined us, too, from Vienna, and I was so happy to see her I did my helicopter tail. It rained all night but I was nice and snuggly-warm.

In the morning, we got rafts and life jackets from Ingetour, and we set off down the Vltava River. See Ferris on the left?

All the humans were bleary-eyed and chilly, but we dogs were ready to party.

We paddled to Český Krumlov and stopped for a shivery lunch. 

But it's never too cold for a pivo!

The afternoon warmed up a tiny bit and here dad is chiding mom for her wanting to take over the steering of our raft, as we seemed to zigzag all over the place. 

Picture with the ladies! I'm the cutest one, no?

Within 5 minutes of reaching our rafting our destination of Zlata Koruna, it started to downpour! We got van rides back to camp and had big plates of schnitzel and played charades.

Would I go again? Two paws up!

The camp on a sunny day (ingetour.cz)

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