The Perfect Fall Day - Times 2!

The ruins of a castle...and a handsome Czech prince? ;-)


October may have started off all cold and rainy, but fortunately Mother Nature got her shit together and delivered up some truly gorgeous fall weather. For most of the month us Praguers had nothing but pure golden sunshine and bright crystal clear blue skies. Combine that with a brilliant blend of red, orange, and yellow thanks to the autumn leaves - and balmy temperatures in the mid-teens - and you're left with pretty much perfect fall weather. My good buddy Jarek and I decided to take full advantage of Mother Nature's temporary goodwill, and got our butts outside to enjoy the fall splendour. On two different days we went biking out in the Czech countryside and had an amazing time out in the fresh air.

It's incredible that just outside of Prague - quite a good size city at that - can all this nature be found right on your doorstep. That, and all these tiny little towns that feel like they exist on such a completely different pace of life than the capital right next door. Jarek and I spent the day biking up and down hills on country roads, wandering from one small village to another, racing along trails in the colourful forests and across wide open farmer's field - and then had a rest in the most magical of places.

We had just finished biking through some country orchards and a small forest, when there, all of a sudden, we came to this meadow where there was the ruins of a 700-year old castle! Jarek had known of it's location before, but it was like we had just accidentally came across it in this field. There it was - large and looming on the hill, half toppled in a heap of it's own debris, hinting at power and glory of days long gone. It literally took my breath away and I was swept up in it's crumbling majesty. Who had lived in this castle before? When was it abandoned? How much of this land had it ruled over? Why had it been left to just decay in lonely solitude?

The Czech Republic has more castles per square kilometre than any other country in the world, and they're literally all over the place. I just couldn't get over how fucking cool it is that I now live in a country where I can go for a bike ride and randomly come across the ruins of castles in the woods! WOW! We sure as hell don't have that at home in Canada! AMAZING!

Jarek and Scotty (with wind-swept hair!) take a break in the meadow below the castle ruins.

Jarek in an Action Shot! while biking through a field in the woods.

Scotty takes a short rest next to a rich green farm.

On our second day of bike riding, Jarek and I went exploring through a nature reserve just on the outskirts of the city. This time the terrain was much rougher. No castle ruins to greet us this time, but plenty of beautiful valleys full of fall colours to stop and gaze upon. After biking up a massive hill, we took a break from the bikes to climb up to the top of one of these hills. And what a gorgeous vista awaited us!

Both days turned out to be pretty darn spectacular. Some good exercise, great company, and gorgeous landscapes around every corner. Man, I think I'm *really* gonna love living in the Czech Republic! ;-)

Check out those gorgeous colours in the forest!

The devilishly handsome Jarek poses for the photographer next to a tree.

And now for another smooth photo!

Who knew all of this beauty could be found just minutes outside the Czech capital? Not I!

Scotty's all smiles here up on the hill! What a fantastic day!