Here's Hoping Prague Won't Destroy Strelecky Ostrov

[NOTE: You can click on any of these images for a larger version of the photograph.]

In a couple of days Greg and I will be leaving Prague, and when I write my next blog post we'll be home in Tucson. Last night we took a walk on Petrin in the cool shady evening, amazed at the amount of activity we saw. It was after 8:00 p.m., but dozens of people were walking their dogs, there were lots of blackbirds looking for an evening meal, and there was even a party going on at the restaurant (yes, there's also a restaurant on Petrin, halfway up the hill near the funicular railway stop).

Living here in Mala Strana, I've been impressed by the amount of greenery and natural beauty I've been able to find, despite the fact that this is a heavily touristed area in the middle of a European capital. In addition to walking on Petrin hill, Greg and I have had lots of walks on Kampa near the river, where I've seen swirling clouds of swifts feeding on insects, not far from the very chic Kampa Art Museum.

A couple of days ago we took a last walk on Strelecky Ostrov for this year, and we noticed once again how big the trees are and how natural-looking its shoreline is. The fact that the city is planning to "improve" Strelecky made me want to write about it one more time.

Though there's a restaurant at the south end of the island, the north end is covered with mature trees, and the beach is small but sandy. We saw wood pigeons, blackbirds, and dozens of ducks in the water:
The ducks use the island as a place to bask in the sun:
From many angles, the leafy shade of the trees and the natural shore make it seem as though you're far from the city:


Until you change your perspective and then you see that Strelecky is an island of calm and green in the middle of a tourist zone:

As we walked, we fervently hoped that the city will cancel its development plan and leave the green gem that is Strelecky Ostrov in its current excellent condition.

As we climbed back up to the bridge (Most legii) to leave the island, I looked down over the railing and saw a moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) preening itself on the cement base of the bridge. Since it was first moorhen we've ever seen, Greg took some pictures: