Ricky – Page 9

Summer 2020

Your Truly on 5th November 2020 © Kát’a Burešová

I must start by making a serious apology for not posting anything here for five and a half months 🙁 I will not make any excuses. Instead, here is a new post about what has been happening over these past Summer months and a promise to resume writing more regularly in the coming weeks.

In contrast to the Summer of both 2018 and 2019, this past Summer has not been so excessively hot and we have had far more rainfall. Across the Czech Republic in June, rainfall was double the average for the month. Throughout the Summer, the Labe/Elbe maintained a decent level, allowing the passage of commercial craft, unlike in the two previous years. My grass has also remained green and has immediately shot back up, each time I’ve mown it!

Cooler temperatures have encouraged and enabled me to make further progress in my garden. Even better, I finally found someone capable and willing to complete a number of tasks that have been beyond my capabilities – a man called František.

František lives with his wife Andrea and their three children, in the upstairs part of a house on the end of a public building, within sight of my house. Earlier this Summer, Andrea found me on Facebook and asked to be my Facebook friend. Through this link, I discovered that her husband has a Facebook page, which advertises his various building skills. Therefore one evening, when František, Andrea and I were all sitting outside at Bar-Restaurace U Soni, enjoying a few beers, I approached them, asking if František would be interested in doing some tasks for me, in particular, constructing a new path from the steps at the back of my house, to the woodshed on the far side of the garden.

The new path was to replace this untidy mixture of bits of rubber matting and roofing felt, left by the previous owners.

Our discussions were based on my pre-prepared Google translate text, asking whether he would be willing to do the work and if so, what would be his price? He clearly understood what I was asking and got out his mobile phone to show me a couple of photos of a path he had previously constructed. However, it did take a further conversation at U Soni a few days later, before I finally convinced František that I did want the work done.

Early one evening, a few days after our second conversation, František came round to look at what exactly I required. I told him that I wanted the path to be 70cm wide and he then measured the distance from steps to woodshed to work out the quantity of materials that would be needed. I also showed him the existing path through the front garden and agreed with him that my new path could be constructed in a similar style, using interlocking paving blocks.

A few further days later, František returned with my Google translated print out, giving me a price for materials, a price for his labour and saying that he would do the job the following weekend, 11^th-12^th July. In turn, I promised him that I would visit an ATM the next day and give him the cash for materials which I duly did.

Materials for the new path © Ricky Yates

Thus in the late afternoon of Friday 10^th July, this pile of materials appeared in my back garden, along with several bags of cement.

František & Andrea at work © Ricky Yates

The following morning, František arrived and started work, marking out the exact line of the new path and then digging two trenches for the supporting pieces of the sides of the path. An hour or so later, his wife and attractive assistant 🙂 Andrea, arrived to help.

New path under construction © Ricky Yates

In constructing the boundaries of the new path, František had a brainwave. He suggested the creation of an additional step at the top of the existing steps, which meant the new path would rise at a more gentle angle. Your can just see part of the new step at the bottom of this photo.

And here is how the new path looked at the end of the first day of construction.

The next morning, fine stone chippings were put into the channel of the path and then all the paving blocks were laid on top. Numerous blocks had to be cut into various shapes, in order to complete the path.

New path completed at the end of day two © Ricky Yates

However, a few hours later, this was the wonderful end result.

The new path properly landscaped © Ricky Yates

Fast forward to early October, and this is how the path looked after I de-weeded the disturbed ground on either side and then successfully grass seeded it.

My walnut tree

In my back garden there are three trees – an apple tree, a cherry tree and a walnut tree. You can see all three trees in this photograph, taken in early October 2019. The apple tree stands immediately to the side of the woodshed on the far side of the back garden. The cherry tree is on the left front in the photograph. Towering above both of them is the walnut tree, in the centre of the photograph, with its leaves rapidly turning yellow.

As you can see, the walnut tree stands quite close to my garden fence, with many of its branches extending over the adjacent public land, across which runs a driveway to the house behind my garden, the home of my neighbours Pavel and Vlasta. In the Autumn of 2018, the tree produced a large crop of walnuts, many of which fell on the public ground. More than one local lady came around and collected them, and example of thriftiness for which Czechs are renowned 🙂

Walnut tree leaves lying on my back lawn © Ricky Yates

However, in the Autumn of 2019, the tree didn’t produce any nuts at all. But what it did produce was a superabundance of fallen leaves.

Raking into piles, all of those leaves which fell into my garden and then transporting them by wheelbarrow to the bio odpad/green waste skip, was a major exercise.

The walnut tree minus nearly all its leaves © Ricky Yates

During October 2019, the walnut tree lost nearly all its leaves in little over a week. There was no more than ten days between when the photograph at the beginning of this post was taken and the one above. As you can see, large quantities of leaves also fell outside of my garden.

Whilst strictly speaking, clearing them up was not my responsibility, I did feel rather guilty being the owner of the tree from whence they had come. This was especially so after rain and cars being driven along the driveway, turned many of them into a squelchy mess. So one Saturday in late October, I raked the leaves from the grass strip along the outside of my garden fence, whilst Pavel used his leaf blower to clear the driveway.

Over this past winter, I decided that I must do something to avoid a similar or worse experience in 2020. In simple terms, the tree has grown far too big for where it is situated. So I asked Mirka, whose English conversation class I help with, if she or one of her friends knew of a tree surgeon who could come and give it a ‘hair cut’.

Mirka kindly found someone suitable who, in turn, asked to see photos of the tree. I sent several, including some in this post. Having seen the photos, the tree surgeon, Johan Beneš, gave me a quotation of 5500Kc/£180.00 to reduce and thin out the tree, together with taking away all the resultant debris. I accepted his offer.

Johan Beneš cutting the walnut tree © Ricky Yates

On the morning of Wednesday 20^th May, Johan Beneš and a colleague, arrived in their van, towing a small trailer, in order to carry out the work. By a series of ropes and pulleys, Johan hauled himself up into the tree and commenced cutting branches, whilst his colleague collected them from the ground and started stacking them into the trailer. Johan did all the work with a simple hand saw being very careful where he cut in order to conserve the health of the tree.

The walnut tree following its ‘hair cut’ © Ricky Yates

After about four hours of Johan being up in the tree and with many branches and smaller twigs, lying on the ground, this is the end result.

Tree debris loaded to be taken away © Ricky Yates

And here is all the debris, either loaded on the trailer or stuffed in the back of the van. I remarked that they should really have brought a larger trailer with them. In reply, Johan admitted that the tree was far larger than he had envisioned from looking at my photographs 🙂

Winter 2019-2020 and progress with my front garden

This past winter, which is hopefully now over, has been my third spent in Stará Oleška. Yes, I’ve now lived here for two weeks short of three years.

The view from my front door on the morning of Saturday 29th February 2020 © Ricky Yates

One of my regular commenters asks for me to post snowy winter photographs. Well this one – the view from my front door on the morning of Saturday 29th February 2020, is the best I can do, as this past winter has been remarkably mild. And within a few hours, all the snow in this photograph had melted.

A combination of it being a mild winter, together with my new wood-burning stove, has meant that I’ve had no problem at all in keeping warm this winter. I’m also very pleased that the hope I’ve expressed a couple of times previously, that the logs delivered in mid-January 2019 would last until the end of this winter, has been fulfilled.

This is the inside of one end of my woodshed where my logs were once stacked, right up to the roof.

Split logs, ready for my wood-burning stove © Ricky Yates

But in mid-April, when this photograph was taken, I still had this supply of logs that I’d previously split, sitting on a table in the other half of the woodshed. These have enabled me to have the wood-burning stove going for a few hours each morning which is all I’ve needed the past few weeks.There are still some left if we do have few more cool days like today. The stove is burning merrily as I write 🙂

Although I pruned the vine on the front of the house in the Spring of 2019, I failed to give a serious ‘haircut’ to several of the bushes in my front garden.

My front garden in mid-October 2019 © Ricky Yates

This photograph, taken in October 2019, shows the result of my inaction 🙁 Therefore as well as pruning my vine, as explained in this post, in early November 2019, I severely cut back all the bushes in my front garden.

My front garden in early November 2019 © Ricky Yates

In the photograph above, you can see the result of my labours. As you can also see, because the bushes grew too large, they killed off the grass underneath, leaving bare patches of earth. Re-seeding these areas is one of my tasks in the coming days.

My front garden on 22nd April 2020 © Ricky Yates

But with the arrival of Spring, green shoots are appearing on all of the bushes reassuring me that I wasn’t too severe 😉

As I outlined in my previous post, since the middle of March I have been living in splendid isolation because of the measures taken by the Czech government, to counteract the Corona virus. However, this has given me the opportunity to do a lot of work in my garden, aided by dry, fine weather throughout April.

Along with dead-heading and pruning all my roses, I have finally managed to repair this trellis alongside my front door, which was damaged on 10th February by Storm Ciara (UK), Storm Sabine (Czech Republic & Germany).

Once DIY shops, (or Hobby shops as Czechs call them), were allowed to re-open just before Easter, I was able to obtain a replacement metal bracket to re-attach the trellis to the wall of the house. You can see the new bracket in the photo. I also screwed a new wooden baton, (which you can’t see), across the base of the trellis, and resurrected the roses.

One of the joys of this Spring has been to have these daffodils and tulips flowering, directly in front of the house. The bulbs were given to me by my daughter Christa at Christmas 2018. Last Spring, only the daffodils flowered, no doubt due to being planted too late. This Spring, they flowered beautifully.

Flowerbed & panels treated with wood stain © Ricky Yates

A couple of weeks later, just as the tulips were past their best, I also completely weeded and delineated the flower bed, and then applied wood stain to the panels below the enclosed verandah. This and the previous photo, show how dry everything is. The whole of the Czech Republic is currently experiencing drought conditions. Fortunately, this weekend as I write, we have had some most welcome rain.

I have also done plenty of work in my back garden. But that deserves another post 🙂

I am effectively a prisoner in my adopted country

The closed border crossing at Hrensko – Schmilka © Ricky Yates

On Thursday 12^th March, the Czech government declared a ‘state of emergency’ which would come into effect at 06.00 the following morning. This was in response to the rapid spread of the Corona virus, in particular, what was happening in northern Italy. Under the state of emergency, most border crossings to neighbouring countries were closed. All foreigners in the country at the time, would be able to leave – and tourists were actively encouraged to do so. But no foreigners would be allowed to enter, or re-enter the country, even those like me who hold permanent residency.

This had an immediate impact on me as I was due to officiate and preach at the monthly English-language Anglican service of Evening Prayer in the Frauenkirche, Dresden, on Sunday 15^th March. I had to rapidly compile and send an email, saying that I couldn’t travel and the service was consequently cancelled. Although the Frauenkirche authorities had originally planned to still hold their own 11.00 German Lutheran service, on the morning of Saturday 14^th, that too was cancelled, as the German government closed all places of worship.

Since that weekend in mid-March, I have been living in splendid isolation. All my regular activities – helping three young ladies from the village with English, and helping with an adult English conversation class in Decín, have been put on hold. With all bars cafes and restaurants closed, there have been no evenings in Bar-Restaurace U Soni or visits to Coffee & Books in Decín.

Restaurace U Soni is closed © Ricky Yates

I have tried to confine my shopping to a weekly trip to the Kaufland supermarket in Decín. However, once outside of my house and garden, I, like the rest of the population, am required to wear a face mask.

Whilst my once every six weeks appointment to see my GP, was cancelled in late March, at my request, the surgery did issue me with repeat E-prescriptions for the three tablets I have to take each day, meaning that I do now have sufficient medication to last me until the end of June.

Seven weeks on from when this all started, where are we now? Well, courtesy of the Czech government acting early and decisively, the virus outbreak in the country has been contained. Hospitals have not been overwhelmed and the number of new cases is declining. So a programme of slowly lifting restrictions over the next several weeks, has been put in place.

Just before Easter, DIY shops, (or hobby shops as Czechs call them), were allowed to reopen. This was something I was most grateful for, as I was finally able to purchase the correct florescent tube for my main kitchen light which had gone kaput nearly four weeks earlier. And hopefully in about two weeks time, bars, restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating areas, will again be allowed to function.

However, there has been no announcement yet as to when I will once more be able to freely travel over the border into Germany and return home at the end of the day. Some days ago, the Czech government did announce that Czechs and foreigners with temporary or permanent residence, can now leave the country via the crossing points that are open, or by air. But in order to re-enter the country, each person must have a test certificate no more than four days old, saying that they are clear of the Corona virus. Otherwise, they have to be quarantined for fourteen days.

Some restrictions on public worship in Germany, are just beginning to be lifted. The Bundesland of Freistaat Sachsen, of which Dresden is the capital, are now allowing Church services for up to fifteen people in certain circumstances. Today I received a four page letter from my diocesan bishop and his suffragan, setting out all things we should and shouldn’t be doing when re-starting public worship. But it does mean that our monthly Family Communion service in Dresden, could possibly be held as we normally only have a congregation of 10 -12. I doubt however, if there will be large services in the Frauenkirche until June or July.

But the problem is, I cannot cross the border to officiate. It is most unlikely that I would be able to find somewhere to be tested in Dresden on a Sunday afternoon or evening. Any test would also be at my own expense 🙁 And I have no intention of being put in completely isolated quarantine for two weeks! So as the title of this blogpost says, at the moment, I am effectively a prisoner in my adopted country.

Four years ago……

…….Sunday 27^th March 2016 was Easter Day. The following day, I put myself on a train from Prague to Decín, intending to spend my post-Easter break, walking for a few days in Ceské Švýcarsko – Bohemian Switzerland, fulfilling the promise I made to myself when I had paid a day visit to the area, some six weeks previously.

Surprisingly at the time, I never wrote about this visit here on my blog. But a combination of the fourth anniversary, together with the need to occupy my evenings whilst currently in lock down because of the corona virus, means I’m doing so now. And whilst I have previously explained here, why I chose to retire and live in North Bohemia, I still regularly am asked why I chose this particular part of North Bohemia in which I now live. This post may help to answer that question.

Around midday on that Easter Monday 2016, I set off from Decín station, first alongside and then over the Labe river, through the town centre, in order to join the red waymarked route and walk to the border village of Hrensko.

After a steep climb up this zig-zag path, I was rewarded with a splendid view of Decín.

Further on, there were wonderful views of Kanon Labe which I have described and illustrated in this more recent post.

The path then took me for several kilometres through the forest to the village of Labská Strán.

Sign on outskirts of Labská Strán © Ricky Yates

On the outskirts of the village was this delightful sign. To the left you will find the Hrbitov/Cemetery, whilst to the right is the way do vesnice/to the village. But the top fingerpost tells you where to go Na houby/for mushrooms, whilst the bottom fingerpost tells you where to go Na pivo/for a beer 🙂 Only in the Czech Republic!

From Labská Strán, the path descended into, and then along, an almost dry river valley before becoming a narrow pavement alongside the main Decín – Dresden road and the Labe river, for the last 1.5km into Hrensko. Having walked over 20km, I was very pleased to reach Hotel Labe where I had already booked to spend the night.

The next day, I continued along the red waymarked route, repeating the first part of the walk I had undertaken on my day visit, six weeks earlier. This took me up to Pravcická brána…..

…..and then along under steep cliffs…..

…….to the small village of Mezní Louka. But it was whilst I was on this section of my walk that I had an unfortunate mishap. My old but faithful trekking pole snapped and would no longer support me.

Whilst walking the Chemin de St Jacques, in France, in 2002, I became a convert to walking with a trekking pole. Particularly as I have got older, I don’t feel confident walking on an uneven path, without a trekking pole in hand, to help me keep my balance. This is especially true if I’m also carrying several kilos in a backpack. Therefore I was quite pleased to reach the road at Mezní Louka, without falling over!

I had planned to continue walking along the red waymarked route, to the village of Jetrichovice, where I had already booked ahead to spend the night in Penzion Drevák. But without a functioning trekking pole, I decided that discretion was the better part of valour. Instead, I took a different route, partly consisting of gravelled tracks and the rest along tarmacked roads. Thus I safely walked into Jetrichovice, later that afternoon.

After checking in at Penzion Drevák, I went for a short walk around the village. Within sight of the penzion was a bus stop, on which there was the timetable of bus service 436, into Decín. Believing that a town of 50,000 people, next to a popular walking area, would have a sports shop selling trekking poles, I noted the time of a bus departing mid-morning the next day, and told my hosts at the penzion, I would be staying with them a second night.

The next morning after breakfast, I went to the bus stop in good time and waited. Very close to the designated time, along came the bus. There followed a very scenic bus journey lasting nearly an hour, through a whole series of attractive villages, including one called Stará Oleška 🙂 Yes, that bus journey actually took me past the front door of the house where I now live!

Upon arrival in Decín, I searched the town centre, looking for a sports shop, but couldn’t find one. Eventually I spotted new shopping complex slightly out of the town centre, with a large Kaufland supermarket – the place where I now do nearly all my food shopping. Next to it was, and still is, a large Sportisimo sports shop. Inside, I found a pair of trekking poles for a very reasonable price. Mission accomplished!

After a pub lunch, I caught the early afternoon bus and enjoyed the same scenic journey of a few hours earlier, in the reverse direction, back to Jetrichovice.

The next day, I did walk part of the red waymarked route I had avoided two days earlier. I climbed from Jetrichovice, up to Mariina skála, from where there are wonderful views over the surrounding area. Very worthwhile, even though it was a bit misty that day.

Jetrichovice as seen from Mariina skála © Ricky Yates

Slightly further on is Balzerovo ležení, an interesting rock formation which has a picnic table beneath it. Please note my shiny new trekking pole propped up against the table 🙂 Then, rather than retracing my steps, I made a circular return to Jetrichovice, via the yellow waymarked route.

Balzerovo ležení with picnic table © Ricky Yates

On Friday 1^st April 2016, I once more caught the 436 bus in Jetrichovice, all the way to Decín railway station for my return journey to Prague. Exploring this specific area on foot and then by bus, left a permanent impression on me. Whilst I never said to myself that I wanted to live in a village on the 436 bus route, when nearly a year later, I saw the house in which I now live, on the Vesta Reality website, I knew immediately where is was. And the rest, as they say, is history!