Places of my heart

Living in a big city often makes me crave green spaces and nature. I have a few favorite places in the world and I thought I'd share them with you.
I will start with the place where I spent my childhood and teenage years. It is still the place where I lived for the longest time in my life, solid 19 years!

Semily,Czech Republic - it is a little town of 10,000 inhabitants that lies in the northern part of the Czech Republic in between Bohemian Paradise (Cesky raj) and The Giant Mountains (Krkonose). I grew up exploring the area, going for day trips and hikes with my parents, either to rock towns or the mountains. It is a beautiful mixture of mountains with lakes and forests, lots of castles and history. I love to breathe the fresh air and go for long walks.

All photos are courtesy of my dad Tomas Hyka (www.photohyka.eu)

Rokytnice nad Jizerou,Czech Republic - this is another small town in The Giant Mountains (Krkonose), a place where my grandmother lives and where my mum comes from. I have so many beautiful memories of summer holidays spent running in the forest, building little fairy houses in the tree roots (think moss for carpets and furniture from twigs, roof from leaves). Also swimming in the cold river looking for cute stones to add to my collection or for skimming and doing all sorts of crafts with my granddad.

Bordeaux area, France - I am a mountain girl, flat land does make me nervous and the vastness feels somewhat overwhelming however the area around Bordeaux in France is a lovely place on Earth and I have lots of nice memories of places and people from there. I love the beach nearby and just watching the sunset when there are no crowds, enjoying the smell of the ocean and hot air in summer.

Wandsworth, London - This is the place in London where I first lived when I moved here but I had known it from before as well and it holds a special place in my heart. I love Wandsworth Common, all the beautiful houses and the fact you can walk everywhere and you will get to a shop/shopping centre but it is also quite easy to get to the city by train/tube.

Zell am See, Austria - This is where we go skiing nearly every year (sadly not this winter). I love the peace of the mountains, the silence, the calm. Also the fact it will always surprise you weather wise - good and bad! This is where Martin 'passed his imaginery skiing exam' and learnt to be a really good skier. I like the style of the buildings, chalets with a lot of wood and beautiful tall trees spread on the hills and mountains. I would like to visit in summer for some hiking and swimming in the lake!