Czech
Friday
The prime location with beautiful views offered by the picnic table was slightly offset by the proximity
to the railway line. About 10 metres. And the frequency of freight trains. About every hour. On the
plus side the cyclists and walkers using the trail didn't seem to mind us squatting the picnic table.
More great cycling along the river, with great views. Crossed by ferry and then later by bridge.
Another ferry took us over the border to Czech. Disappointment all round that our passports were not
stamped. Hrensko, the frontier Czech town was a bit strange at first. Loads of tee-shirts and porno
towels for sale along the roadside, and a few restaurants and hotels. Quite a touristy spot. Cycled
10km up a hill to reach a campsite in the more remote Menzi Louka, one of the few settlements inside
the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. Had a cold Czech beer and a hot shower. Perfect!
Saturday
Fridays sleep was not quite as restful as we had hoped. we were visited
in the night by local wildlife. twice! we had been warned by camp
receptionist about foxes (or is that wolves?) taking our food, so it was
stashed well in the entrance to our tent.
however not stashed well enough
for the industrious fox-wolves who managed to grab a whole bag of our
precious food twice during the night and run away with it. this was
especially bad considering it was now saturday, we figured the shops would
be closed and anyway we were up a mountain miles from a supermarket.
we survived starvation by eating bits of banana, and by raiding the hotel
breakfast buffet.
did a hike up to a beautiful natural rock arch in the national park.
we enjoyed the spectacular view with garlic soup, and took loads of photos.
in the late afternoon we cycled out of hrensko, rejoining the elbe, and
headed south. had some minor hitches involving olive oil spillage in
claire's pannier and saskias pannier falling off on a steep descent.
didnt find a camping spot till quite late but when we did it was a beuaty.
a hilltop spot with a view, a full moon and lentil stew.
Sunday
our first czech free camping experience was cool. only worry was some
guys with a tractor in the morning driving by, but they just gave us a
cheery wave and went on their way. the ride to prague was pretty long,
but went through some lovely rolling countryside. we made a hot lunch in
a sunflower field, even though it was a blazing hot day then seemed to do
concentric circles around prague. im not sure how such a big city can be
so elusive, or maybe we were just a bit tired?
we finally made it to the outskirts of prague just as a massive storm
caused the skys to open. made a really spectacular rainbow over tescos
though. after navigating the streets without a map we managed to make it
to our destination. none of us were feeling our best at this point,
saskias foot was swollen and really painful from an infection, the
cobblestones were unforgiving, the rain has soaked us, and it was eleven
bloody thirty, which meant we had done a 13 hour day. just to make
matters worse saskias friends lived up the biggest steepest hill in the
whole of prague! but we made it, phew.
top
Prague
(09/07/07)
Had a great few days in Prague. We were looked after really well
by Saskias family friends, an american whose grandma was best friends with saskias
grandma. He lives together with his czech-american wife and 2 cute young kids.
It was really cool to hang out with the family and go on outings to the town.
Me and claire attempted some sight seeing but gave up cos there was so many other
tourists around. Every time i tried to take a photo i would get a close up picture
of some stranger also wielding their camera, and simultaniously find myself in someone
elses photo. Ahhhhhh!
This meant we were all the more grateful to matthew for taking us on a tour of the
sights and around some of the quieter streets. After a great veggie meal and cocktails
we took to the streets of the lesser quarter, feeling slightly tipsy. It was great to
admire the pretty cobbled streets, the really old water wheel, the island in the river
and a view of the charles bridge in a tranquil environment. Matthew pointed out
interesting places for us whilst his young son gave us a commentary on passing public
transport vehicals...?look, an accordian bus!? very cute!
We saw the john lennon wall,
some picturesque streets leading to the castle and
explored the jewish quarter, where we found the franz kafka monument and a sculpture
of a giant high heal shoe, size 78512 with venus painted on the inside.
Despite being warned that Prague is not a cycling city we took our bike out a couple
of times. It takes quite a lot to persuade me to leave my bike at home. I didnt
find it that bad, so was really supprised to see so few cyclists on the street...about
3 in an hour.
top
Kutna Hora to Brno
(09/07/07)
In the morning we packed up and went to see the sights of this funny town. First a close
up look at St Barbara, a huge church on the hill, great views but lots of other tourists.
Off to another church though this one with a macabre twist - the whole inside is decorated
with the bones of around 40,000 dead folks. Chandeliers, coat of arms and just stacked up
piles, they were everywhere! Something you don't see everyday. And for something completely
different, we checked out The Second Biggest Bobsled Ride In Europe.. got to go down hill
fast in a little buggy on wheels. Slightly impaired by the families and kids going slow but
fun all the same. Then twas time to get back on the bikes and a mixed ride of good and bad
bike trails, and plenty of hills to a campsite near a big lake. Decide to stay as the place
was like a festival, full of people, car stereos, BBQs and no less than 6 bars on site..
sort of mixed with the locals but language barriers proved a challenge.
Swam in the lake the next morning before setting off for more hills and forests.. makes a
change from flat Holland and Germany! Also able to sample the fast food - plenty of cherries,
plums, raspberries and even strawberries have been ripe for the picked on the side of the road.
When it was time to find a camping spot, a conveniently placed 360 degree panoramic look out was
close at hand.. all the way to the top to find... a fire pit, wood and even an armchair! Surreal
and amusing. So cooked dinner and camped a bit further down, very nice indeed.
Next day saw more up, and down, up, and down but the downhills are excellent and the
views too - terracotta roofs against the green forest. Made it to the outskirts of Brno
in good time and to a campsite by a very popular lake. Although only popular during the
day - finding food was a bit of a struggle but the universal chips were finally found.
Cool, that should do! Cheers Claire.
Kutna Hora (09/07/07)
we stayed in autokampy santa barbara, a garden/camping place of a
mullet-central pub. after eating we did a whistle stop nightime tour of
the old town on our bikes, looking at the cathederal, plague monument and
fountain. the two best things about the place we saved for the next day.
the bones church has been entirely decorated using human bones by a half
blind monk, and includes pyramids of stacked up bones and skulls and the
piece de resistance, a chandelier that includes every kind of bone from
the human skeleton. the bones came from bodies that had been buried in
the graveyard, dug up when the church was renovated, and from when there
was a plague so there was no room. it was quite a sight to see!
the other best thing was not so macabre as the bones church. it was a bob
sled ride, which is like a big slide winding down a steep hill that you
descend on a luge type thing. great fun!
Bratislava
in bratislava now. its a really nice city. we stayed 1st night with a
lady who had her details on warm showers, a hospitality club site for
cyclists. it went really well she was friendly chatting and very
hospitable. she has now gone on a kyaking trip down the danube but she
told us it was cool to camp at the canoe club so we are right next to the
river, on the south side, and have a good view of the ufo bridge and the
castle. we are in bratislava till sunday probably and saskias foot is much better
so she will be meeting us here 2moro. the plan now is follow the danube
to budapest then head for the north west corner of romania before getting
to ukraine.
Brno to Budapest, Synopsis, by Claire.
(23/07/07)
Right, so a lot of time has passed since last spiel so will re-cap on the highlights for you all... last few days in Czech were
wet ones - caught in torrential downpour in the evening leaving Brno and found ourselves under our tarp on the side of a
fly-tipping hill! But braved the rain to find a really nice spot and hope was restored. Hot chocolate and Backgammon.