Miloš Zeman takes another spin in his beloved yellow boat on his favourite pond in Vysočina

Former Czech President Miloš Zeman kicked off his summer holiday in the town of Nové Veselí, in the Žďár nad Sázavou district, with his customary boat outing — the 81-year-old politician took to the waters of Veselský Pond for the second day running since his arrival.

A leisurely row on the water has long been one of Zeman's unwavering rituals. Half an hour before noon, locals were once again treated to a familiar sight: the former president in his now-iconic yellow Challenger boat, trailed by a second boat carrying his security detail, keeping a watchful eye on him during the outing.

The weather played along nicely: the sun shone over one of the largest (87.2 hectares) and oldest ponds in Czechia, while a gentle breeze only lightly rippled the surface, posing no obstacle to the boat ride.

Local resident Filip Rosecký said he had never personally witnessed Zeman out on the boat, though he knew the former president was fond of the area and had personal ties there. According to him, Zeman's visits are a notable event for the town, though he couldn't quite say how many of the ex-president's admirers live among the locals.

Teenager Filip Dvořák, who came to the pond with friends, added that, according to Zeman himself, he had already managed to row all the way around the entire Veselský Pond.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz