Here's Mud In Your Eye (And Everywhere Else)


This is the story of my most recent bike ride, told entirely in photos. I left my home in Černý Vůl, deciding to get a little hill-climbing practice by tackling the long, curvy, fairly steep hill that leads up to Horoměřice from Jeneralka. Along the way, though, just above Černý Vůl, I crossed a farmer's field.


That was a huge mistake. There's a path, but it was still winter-muddy, and after a few dozen meters, my tires simply refused to revolve. My bike was paralyzed by mud. It took quite some time to dislodge enough of the gunk to get going again. My bike felt like it weighed about 5 kilos more than it did when I began my ride. The photograph above is an optical illusion of sorts. The mud caked to my tire blends in with the mud on the trail, and it's hard to figure out where my tire ends and the earth begins.


A charming little fishing pond smack dab in the village of Horoměřice. In the winter, kids use it for ice skating.


Two roads diverged in a wood above Nebušice, and I, I took the one that was less muddy, and that made all the difference.


A monument in Nebušice that I'd never really noticed before. I believe it's a memorial dedicated to the families of soldiers gone off to war, but perhaps someone out there knows a bit more about it and why it's in this village, of all places.


I've always been fascinated by the loudspeakers that you can still see attached to telephone poles and the like in villages on the outskirts of Prague. From what I understand, they're vestiges of the communist days, when they would be used for public announcements or air raid drills and the like. I also like the retro design of the clocks that are often attached nearby. This photo was taken in Nebušice.

Here's my route, thanks to my Garmin Edge 305.



The picturesque church and clock tower in Nebušice.


Regular readers of this blog know that I like to take photographs of interesting patterns, manmade or natural. The buildings above and below are in Nebušice.




The sun was out in full force when I first had the idea to go for a ride, but by the time I hit the trails, it was a dark and stormy day. A raw day for a bike ride, to be sure.


A real fixer-upper at Jenerálka, just below the village of Nebušice and at the base of the long, steep climb back to Horoměřice. I'm happy to say that my lungs and my thighs survived the climb.

RIDE STATS
Length of ride: 18 kilometers
Pivo Index: 0
Distance ridden so far in 2011: 54 kilometers

Comments

rbgeraghty said…
Really great blog, Grant. Been a fan of yours for some time now. Maybe I should join you guys for a ride this season? But notice the pivo factor is zero lately. It's spring, you know ;-). And thanks for the good stuff - please keep it up. Richard
Marek said…
Grant, don't make fun of village broadcasting. It's actually quite smart concept. Imagine you want to inform the village about some upcoming event ("important" football match with neighbouring village, unexpected closure of the only shop in the village next week, reminder of elections to the village council...) it's one of the easiest ways. And on plus it usually plays some nice brass band before the actual message to get your attention. :-) Some of the villages are using an SMS informing system nowadays, but village broadcasting is much cooler. Pity that yours in Černý Vůl is not working.

As to the monument, I believe those are names of men from Nebušice who died or went missing in 1st world war.
Anonymous said…
I think they still do the village announcing in a lot of places. I used to hear it on Saturday morning in Kolovec in South Bohemia. The music is to get everybody's attention so they can stop what they're doing and listen. It's just very foreign to people who don't live in dense villages but it's really quaint once you're used to it. I wouldn't associate it with communism at all.
Grant Podelco said…
Hey, I'm not making fun of village broadcasting! As I said, I've just always been fascinated by it. And I've lived in the Czech Republic since 1995 and have yet to hear them actually used, but I've only lived in a village for three years, and it doesn't seem to have any loudspeakers, sadly. But I have to say, it does seem like a communist invention to keep the masses informed and under control.
Grant Podelco said…
Hey, Richard. Thanks. I appreciate it. I've been trying to lose some weight lately, and since I've only ridden by myself this year so far, a beer or two seemed like too much of an indulgence. Where do you live?
Anonymous said…
I forgot all about those retro clocks. Thanks for the photos.
Grant Podelco said…
You bet, man. Glad you're reading! And hopefully riding!
rbgeraghty said…
I live in Prague, near Stromovka. Ususally take the train and ride in Kokorinsko and Krusna hory but like riding in the area you often cover from time to time.
Unknown said…
I assumed the first photo like doing a soil testing for better farming.
eye lift
veins said…
Music is everyone's attention so that they can stop what they're doing and listen. This is just very strange people who do not live in dense villages, quaint but it does once you get used to. I do not think of communism.

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