Riverviews in Bohemia, Part I

During the course of our extensive trips around the Czech Republic so Neil could collect reed canarygrass (Phalaris), we have seen some gorgeous country.  Here we displays some pictures from the many rivers we have stopped at (every 30 km).  Enjoy the peaceful bliss of these moments.

These are pictures from along the many spots on the Berounka River that we visited. Here, some swans swim towards us to hope for a handout. We also watched them eat Phalaris in several spots!

This bridge arch near Liblin catches the living mat of Phalaris as it outstretches to try and ford the river!

 Here a wild rose species is in full fall splendor with fat, red rose hips.  Tea, anyone?  High in Vitamin C, you know! This is one of the many species of rose that are native to the Czech Republic. We have seen them everywhere!

 Green banks of Phalaris frame our view of the Berounka River here, near Liblin:

As we drove through the high mountainous Protected Landscape Area, these gorgeous weeping birch trees warned us of the road's edge (a common and smart landscape practice here in the Czech Republic):

Here is another site along the Berounka River in the Protected Landscape Area of Western Bohemia, near Hracholusky. Gorgeous rock cliffs hug around this deep valley (yes, we drove through those mountains to get to the river below)!

 More view along the Berounka River near Hracholusky...

Look at this gorgeous native species of Euonymous that we stumbled across at one of the sites.  Isn't it gorgeous beyond belief? The late afternoon sun catches the brilliant fuchsia capsules which have split open to reveal miniature orange fruits (appropriate since we were collecting at this time near Halloween!).

This is the large Euonymous bush from which the closeup (above) came from.

 This was along the Mze River, in Kramice-Plzen. An old, immense Villa Estate which was given back to the original owner after the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

A couple photographs of the Labe River (which flows into Germany, where they call it the Elbe River) on a frosty, still morning. The birch trees are laden low with gold...

In East Bohemia, we collected along the Wild and Tame Orlice Rivers and then below their confluence. Here we are near to the Polish border.

The Tame Orlize River ( Zkrotit Orlice) does indeed match it's name!

The Wild Orlice River (divoké Orlice) isn't too wild this fall day either.

Another day of collecting comes to a quick close as the sun sets so early here at 50 degrees N latitude!

Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.