The joke in Czech is that every mushroom is edible once! At this time of year there are an abundance of fungi spread around the forest floor. Mushroom picking in Czechia is a new concept for me. The pursuit is particularly common in this part of Europe and customary among the old and young. Arriving early is essential before coming into contact with preying families with baskets and bags. Clearly some of these were the poisonous ones but seeing them out in force was a delight. Fly agaric, a hallucinogenic mushroom grabbed my attention the most. Besides the obvious danger of seeing things, the fly agaric - also known as amanita muscaria - can induce many more bizarre side effects. Lucid dreaming, blurring of senses (known as synaesthesia) and vision, as well as strong flu like symptoms are all possible after-effects. In part, I partly expected Super Mario to fall from the pine trees and snap one up. Perhaps that would only be the case after I'd eaten one! We spent the morning rummaging around for edible boletes, alas saw very few. The sponge under the cap is a sure giveaway that these are from the boletus family. They can be identified by thick stems and meaty heads. The spongy undersides instead of gills make them viable for plucking from damp undergrowth. The ramble up to Javornik couldn't have been more pleasant. Moist soil and dew from last night's rain left a woody smell in the air. I'll try and return next weekend, weather permitting, hopefully coming away with at least a handful of edible ones for concocting a satisfying soup. #mushroompicking #views #hiking