• Places in Czech Republic

    Frosty walk in Rejvíz

    The village Rejvíz in Jeseníky mountains is a place where I like to come back. I always enjoy strolling through the village and a walk to the adjacent Great Moss Lake is almost a must and definitely a welcome relaxation. During our last visit we could enjoy charming frosty views and as it was quite early in the morning, also not so many people in this usually quite intensively visited area. That was good, I find it important to get away from crowds here and there to listen to both sounds and silence of the nature around… When I was looking at my photos later at home and was editting…

  • Around home and village

    White January

    Unlike many previous winters, this year we’ve had beautiful white and frosty January. After the muddy and windy Christmas time it was a welcome change. One morning a few days ago I looked out of the window and saw a beautiful scene lit by early sun rays… I grabbed my camera and ran to the garden, the light and fog and colours felt wondrous and magical… We were lucky not to have many problems with the snow at the part of the Czech Republic where my family live, there were other parts that had to deal with serious problems, but the truth is that after several quite mild winters we’ve…

  • Reflections

    Guidance and inspiration in one word a year

    Several years ago I read for the first time about the idea of choosing a word for the following year, a word that is supposed to be an inspiration and guide rather than any kind of resolution. The word can represent something personal to be focused on throughout the particular year, something one wants to learn, develop or improve in, or it can represent a desired change in one’s life, a direction to be followed, a dream to be fulfilled… So many possibilities… But how do I choose such a mighty word, I asked myself, and couldn’t find the answer easily. Those following this practice recommended pondering, meditating, praying and…

  • Miscellaneous

    PF 2015

    2014 is over and when I look back at it, I can see so many things that challenged me, enriched me and pushed me forward. We may be a year older but also we are a year more experienced and that counts. I became strongly aware of the fact that circumstances of our lives are never ideal but offer us many chances to grow personally and follow our dreams. And learn or develop something we should have done years ago but perhaps needed to grow up to it. I didn’t share many posts on this blog in 2014 but I’m pleased to say that I successfully finished my 52-week photography…

  • Places in Czech Republic

    Having walked on New Year’s Day

    In Czech we have a saying conveying that what you do and how you behave on the New Year’s Day, it will last through the whole year. A bit scary if things don’t go well on that particular day, isn’t it? But we always laugh at something rather than become afraid and take it easy. We started this year with a walk nearby. First we planned to go to Plzeň to participate in a march, that kind of a march when people come to a specified place, get registered, choose the length of the trail they want to conquer and when they arrive at the finish, they get a certificate…

  • Reflections

    Black and white

    Before Christmas I was making an appointment and on that occasion I was speaking with an assistant over the phone, with a woman I had not known. Her voice was pleasant and friendly and when I was to meet her finally, I was looking forward to that meeting. But expectations are deceiving troublemakers so when I actually saw her, I could not believe it was the same person. I did not like her appearance and felt disappointed. After exchanging the words we needed to say I got back to my car and went home. While driving, it began to dawn on me that my what-I-felt-at-first-sight perception was quite silly. She…

  • Miscellaneous

    PF 2014

    At the close of the first day of this new year I’d like to send my best wishes to you and accompany them by words that I find very wise: “Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point.”― Harold B. Melchart Beauty and inspiration often lie in the ordinary so let’s keep our eyes, minds and hearts open and enjoy that all. A Happy New Year!

  • Around home and village

    More snowy sceneries

    As I was looking through my archived photos when preparing the previous post, I came across photos I took in December 2010. They were taken in the village I live in on a frosty day of that month and I’ve already posted some of them in my posts Winter scenes and Second chance and also in my PF 2012 and PF 2013. To put it simply, that single day was wondrous, and I’d like to share more of it. The branches and grass were covered not only with snow but also with hoarfrost and it made them look quite special, especially against the blue sky. As if there were icicles…

  • Miscellaneous

    PF 2013

    The end of this year will arrive in two days and although I usually don’t make a lot of fuss about it, this turn makes me look back. It was an enormously difficult year for me to deal with and challenged me in many ways. There is a saying in Czech stating that things are never so good so that they couldn’t be better and never so bad so that they couldn’t be worse. So I tell myself that perhaps I should be grateful that things were not worse and hope that they will be better. I was watching “The Lord of the Rings” film series a few days ago…