Made it!!

But it was a hard final day's cycling. I managed to get some help from the hotel and the tourist office re. route instructions, which compensated for the lack of a proper cycling map. A driving map had to suffice - which wasn't too bad since I cycled along a lot of quiet roads - avoiding big ones like the plague! I met Fabio in Bagnolo and asked him for some directions. He was so impressed by the trip, he showed me the route by driving ahead of me for a while. It felt like doing one of those time trials in the Tour de France!

The main problem was the heat since I set off so late. Apart from consuming about 5 litres of water and pouring it on my head and back to cool down, I had to stop three times at cafes because I was beginning to feel a little dizzy. At least I got to see the first half of Rangers v Chelsea in one bar...

As I traveled south, the land became more arid and the colours more earthy - apart from an encouraging amount of tomato plantations. In my mind, they were all for that prized plate of spaghetti bolognese awaiting me in town.

Eventually after over 100 km, I could see Bologna in the distance, with the hazy Apennines on the horizon. Good thing I don't need to climb them. As I got closer into town, there was a distinctly ashy smell in the air and soon enough, smoke from two fires was visible - which was surprising so close to a major city, but it was one of the hottest days of my trip. I saw one of those extinguishing helicopters head towards the scene.

It took me a long time to get to the centre and find my hotel, so I was more tired than euphoric when I arrived. That changed when I got some food inside me. I also met Nikos from Crete, who runs a Greek bar near my hotel. He gave me a couple of free beers to celebrate.


The reward: Pasta ain't never tasted so good

Actually, "tagliatelle ai ragu" is the more authentic version of what we call "spag bol". Thanks again to Ali for helping me find the perfect place to eat.

So that's that: I have fulfilled my dream of crossing the Alps by bike and can be a mild mannered janitor again until the next adventure calls. I have 24 hours to discover Bologna before catching the night train to Munich.

Today's run: 125 km

Tour recap: Wittenberg-Torgau-Meissen-Decin-Prague-Kamyk-Zvikov-Frymburk-Obermuehl-Passau-Braunau-Kraiburg-Rosenheim-Kufstein-Innsbruck-Landeck-Reschen-Meran-Rovereto-Verona-Mantova-Bologna

Total for the trip: 1842 km (which is much shorter than Goole Earth predicted, but we did take a few short cuts - I'm not complaining, it feels like the perfect time to stop).

Oh yes, today for the very first time, my bum actually did feel sore.

Bad move, good move

There were no proper cycling maps to be found anywhere in Verona, so I took the tourist office's advice and headed towards Mantova - leaving the Via Claudia Augusta and heading for the "Ciclopista del Sole", which is part of the Eurovelo 7 trail from northern Sweden to Malta.

But to get there, I had an absolutely disgusting 40 km along main roads through the heat, smog, soot, lorries... I was the only one cycling around here and I know why.

If I did this trip again, I would definitely go via Lake Garda after all and miss Verona altogether (or pop in by train, since the centre is so beautiful). It would have avoided 70 km of stress going into and out of Verona.

But just as I was seriously regretting my decision to take this route, I hooked up with the cycle path at Burghetto and was really rewarded for my efforts. I stopped for a drink in the beautiful 14th Century town.


Looking down from the bridge


Looking up at the bridge

I quickly had a fruit bar for lunch and enjoyed the lovely ride along the River Mincio. As you may have noticed, these fruit bars are an essential part of my journey. They taste a bit like lembas bread dipped in Orangina.

While we're on the subject of essential items, meet my tub of, er, horse cream:

Tina's recommendation is suitable for hide, hair and human skin and really puts a spring back into tired legs.

Sighting of the day: As I was speeding along towards Mantova, I saw a long, slim, blackish snake slither across the cycle track. It must have been over a metre long since it covered more than half the path. Unfortunately, as I slowed down to take a photo of it, the snake sensed me and sped off towards the river. I wondered what the Romans would have thought about a black snake crossing their path on the penultimate day of a campaign. Should I turn back and call the whole thing off?

I'm glad I didn't because Mantova is a delightful town - much fewer tourists than in Verona and only about 14 palaces and churches to see.

Unfortunately, there were also some tiny, but voracious mosquitos that wasted no time consuming me as I consumed my prawn and zucchini pasta on the main square. I now have 8 bites on a single foot - should make for some itchy cycling tomorrow.

Even so, it looks like I made the right decision to come this way rather than head to Ostiglia. However I do have a long ride into Bologna tomorrow.

Trip today: 67 km
Total so far: 1717 km

Rovereto to Verona - Leaving the Alps behind me

I set off reasonably early and continued along the lovely cycle path, expecting this to go on for ever. Soon there was a turning off to the nearby Lake Garda, which looked inviting, but would have been a detour.

Shortly after that, I left South Tyrol and entered Veneto - upon which the cycle path finished immediately. The rest of the route was meant to be along quiet country roads, but I was forced onto a main road due to construction work and had quiet of lot of traffic to contend with, including lorry drivers who thought they were Mario Andretti.

However, the detour meant I got a good look at a narrow gorge called "Berner Klause", where Napoleon defeated the Austrians in 1797, allowing him to progress to Trento. The gorge is a kind of gateway to (or in my case, out of) the Alps. As I came through it, there were suddenly no mountains either side of me for the first time since Rosenheim... seems like an age ago.


Looking back at the "Berner Klause"

From then on, I never found my way back to the original cycle path, taking lots of main roads through industrial areas (mainly marble) and unnecessarily going up one big hill. But it gave me a brief glimpse of the southern end of Lake Garda in the distance, so it wasn't all in vain.



I entered Verona from the scummy end and was hot and stressed when I checked in near the station. But a nocturnal stroll through the magnificent old town made up for everything. They were performing the Barber of Seville in the Arena as part of the Verona Festival (so my room was bloody expensive) and there was plenty going on.

After an excellent pizza thanks to some advice from Ali, I tried a Sprizz Aperol (the in-drink in these parts) at a bar on Piazza Erbe, watching the flame throwing acrobats on the square. Lovely!



Today's distance: 83 km
Total so far: 1650 km

Only two more stages to reach Bologna. I only have to work out whether it is better to continue along the Via Claudia to Ostiglia, or to take the Ciclopista del Sole to Mantova. Time for a visit to the tourist office. Should be nice and full...

Long hot run to Rovereto

It took me a while to get in and out of Meran. I also went to 4 different petrol stations to get some oil for my chain, which was very squeaky after the long journey and the rain - found some eventually. After that, I got back onto the perfect cycle path down the valley. Slowly the apple orchards around me turned into vineyards and the occasional kiwi plantation.

Excitement of the day:
I was speeding along nicely - mainly downhill, when a group policemen, guns in hand, blocked off all cycle paths and roads along the river. A helicopter hovered very low nearby. It turns out there had been a bank robbery and one of the robbers was hiding in the fields! Now I really knew I was in Italy. Apparently, the thieves thought they could take the train as a getaway... German speakers can read an article about the bizarre event here: http://www.stol.it/nachrichten/artikel.asp?ArtID=97212&p=1&KatID=da
I've now seen a body, an enormous funeral and a full scale man-hunt on this holiday. I dread to think what's up next.

In the end, three of us cyclists waiting for over half an hour decided to take a rather large detour to get around the security zone and continue normally from there. But for a while afterwards, I saw police cars hidden in the vineyards taking a good look at anyone going by. I was a bit worried my black bags looked like swag...

About 20 km further along the road, my front wheel started making ominous knocking sounds, which worsened steadily. I checked everything I knew about (which isn't that much to be honest), but couldn't find the problem. It was very hot anyway, so I decided to stop for a Coke in Trento and talk to the local Bianchi man. Sure enough, I needed a new front wheel, but it wasn't too expensive (20 €) and my nice little German bike now has a cool Italian component. I was amazed how many slick amateur racers with stylish gear were out and about - especially since it was 36 degrees. It seems the current scandals in France are not stopping people from enjoying this great sport.

I eventually got to Rovereto, which was a bit of a disappointment, partly because I chose the wrong hotel with a crappy room (only one socket in the room - either TV or fan), but it had been a long ride, the food was OK and I fell asleep early as usual.

Today's run: 133 km
Total so far: 1567 km

Reschen to Meran - Thunder storms into the Vinschgau valley

When the hotel's boss mentioned there would be thunder storms, I didn't think he meant 5 minutes later. Hardly had I set off, there was that worrying rumble bouncing off the mountain peaks - and it wasn't my belly for a change. I didn't like the idea of being so exposed (arf, arf) cycling along the lake as the thunder storm encroached (I seemed to be the only idiot doing so), so I hastened to the info point opposite this famous church spire sticking out of the lake - the result of some criminal industrial planning in Fascist times.



As you can see, the storm passed as quickly as it came. The next storm scared me a bit because I was on the top of a hill and could see the lightning strike into the cliffs not too far off. But there was nothing to do but continue as fast as possible, since the descent was not far off. The other problem with thunder storms is they can be rather wet and sure enough, I had to tackle with some aquaplaning on steep descents (19% and 20% were the worst) as the water washed diagonally over the cycle paths.

But things looked up as I reached Burgeis, where a fantastc cycle route began and continued along the River Etsch/Adige (as I discovered later) for the best part of the 200 km towards Lake Garda.



The third thunder storm was fortunately in a stretch of forest, so I decided to use it for a lunch break - fruit bars and gummibears again.

Eventually, the sun came out around 3ish and the Vinschgau presented itself in all its glory. I had been told it would be a lovely stretch and was not disappointed. Beautiful medieval castles and towns, endless apple groves flanked by impressive snow-capped cliffs...



When we were in Meissen, we stayed in Joerg's hotel. I promised to meet his daughter Lisa near Meran when I was passing by, so now it was time to keep my word. It meant fighting my way up a long, steep hill to Schenna, a picturesque town overlooking Meran. It really is a stunning part of the world - lush vineyards, mountains and almost a mediterranean climate.



Lisa found me a cheap and cheerful room and I had a nice drink with her and her boyfriend. (Werde Fotos schicken, Joerg!)

Today's distance: 97 km
Total s far: 1434 km

Over the top (Part 2)

Landeck to Reschen

(Sorry for the long delay with my posts. South Tyrol is a great place, but still offline unfortunately.)

I left Landeck with a certain degree of aprehension since this was the big stage and I wasn't sure how I was going to manage. So I proceeded gingerly for the first 40 km through some pleasant forest trails and climbs, occasionally crossing the now lively River Inn. The river turns sharply southwards, swirling up the water and there were a number of white water rafters about. The weather was dry, but windy at times, depending on which corner of the narrow valley you were riding ing along.

Then I had my brief 10 km forray into Switzerland, which treated me to some dramatic views of the pass, a "warm up" 1070 m climb and a really nasty headwind. It felt like riding with a puncture, even when I was going downhill.

After a light lunch (fruit bar and gummibears) and a chat with the Swiss border guards, it was time to say goodbye to the River Inn, our trusty companion for hundreds of kilometres, ever since Passau.

I crossed into Austria again and headed up and over the Reschenpass. 11 hairpin bends awaited, all numbered. After the first 3, I thought, cool, I can do this! Then things got steeper and hairpin 4 didn't arrive for ages. Turns 5+6: Nice distraction as a couple of old timers drove past and waved encouragingly. Turns 7+8: Time to shift into the granny gears. It didn't seem like I was going much faster than walking pace. The wind got stronger, sometimes pushing you up the hill, sometimes slowing you down to virtually standstill. Turns 9+10: Well yes, this is quite hard work, but not long to go now. Turn 11: The euphoria of defeating the mountain dragged me up and it was a great feeling to be on top, looking down into a whole new world.

It took about 40 minutes of exhaustion to get to the top. By comparison, the professionals needed a mere 18 minutes (a Category 3 climb for them) when they came up here during the Tour de Suisse earlier this year - and they didn't stop to catch their breath at the top. They must have their own special gummibears...

The final bit to Reschen was supposed to be easy, but there were some extremely strong winds that later made the local news and taxed us cyclists up at around 1500 metres. On one occasion, the people coming up a slope could freewheel, while we hardly made any progress working our guts out to get downhill!



When I got to Reschen/Resia (now in Italy - border crossing No. 12), I arrived just in time to witness the whole town in a funeral procession to the church. So it took a while to find a hotel with anyone in it. I was ready for bed very soon after a celebratory pizza.

Today's run: 67 km - more than enough today!
Total s far: 1337 km

Bad weather forces rest day in Landeck

After putting Tina on the train in Innsbruck, I sped on along superb asphalt cycle paths for 50 km and decided to do the whole leg without a break. Things got tougher for the last 40 km, mainly because the terrain is changing. The valley is getting narrower, the mountains are getting higher, now regularly over 2000/2500, and they are much closer together - ganging up on me. I spent much of the afternoon eyeing the peaks to the south in an attempt to soften them up before the big showdown, but they weren't having any of it.

So I arrived in Landeck around 5ish - it was still over 30°.

Here's a photo of Landeck that will have to do until I get to a proper Internet cafe instead of a coin-box machine in a pizza joint: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Landeck20050508.jpg

The run was 90 km again, making a total so far of 1270 km. I was quite tired when I arrived and especially thirsty, because I drank all my bottles and had to wait a long time to fill up at a tap since there weren't many places around to buy a drink. And everything is shut in Austria all the time anyway!

Unfortunately, I was warned about some possibly adverse weather conditions on the pass I wanted to climb today (Reschenpass: http://www.dreilaendertour.com/typo3temp/5e8b0cc254.jpg), so I decided to put in a rest day. Actually, we only had a few showers (and nothing like the conditions in England and Bavaria at the moment!), but I wouldn't want to take any risks on the most difficult climb of the whole trip. The weather tomorrow is expected to be fine and clear, so I'll be able to see more on my way up too.

I made use of the rest day, visiting the castle museum, which showed me how historically important Landeck has been as a key location en route across the Alps since Roman times. There were some great views of the mountains from the tower too.

I'm opting for an early night and an early start. Hopefully, my next post will be from Italy.

Good luck with the weather in England and Germany!

Tina crosses the finish line

Made it to Innsbruck!

But it was hard work to geet there. The weather was hot, we had a long ride since we were so lazy the day before and there were a few detours along the way - partly our fault and partly due to road works.

The mountains got more dramatic as we went further up the Inn valley. Here's an aerial view of the peaks roughly the way we saw them (except our weather was not as clear and more humid).



Of course, we were just riding along the valley, so wee saw the hills from the bottom, but we consumed a lot of liquid in the heat - 35° again. Austria is experiencing what they are calling a Sahara heat wave, with record temperatures throughout the country.



We made our silliest navigating mistake on this run too, accidentally going about 5km up the Ziller valley instead of carrying on along the River Inn. These valleys are rather large and pretty hard to miss, so it's not exactly like missing a turning in town! That increased our day's distance to 95km, but at least it gave us our first views of some snow-capped peaks.

We eventually made it to our hotel and went into Innsbruck old town, which was packed with tourists. After looking around for a non-touristy place to have our final meal together before Tina heads back to Berlin, we made the worst possible choice in a chain restaurant called Papa Joes. They even expected me to drink my beer out of the pretty ridiculous glass and needed a lot of convincing to get me a normal one.(http://www.papajoes-ibk.at/chianti-restaurant-alcoholic.php?start=drinks&end=drinks)


Distance today: 95 km
Total to Innsbruck: 1180 km

So the holiday's over for Tina (I am most annoyed by her colleagues for not letting her stay here!)

It's been a fabulous holiday with a worrying lack of arguments (are we saving them all up for Berlin?). Tina was pretty apprehensive about the trip, but the girl done really good! (especially for her age). :-) I wonder what the rest of the trip is going to be like on my own.

The next morning, I put Tina on the train back to Munich armed with a style magazine to while away the hours.



Now it's time to set off up to Landeck.

Spontaneous stopover in Kufstein

We were happy to leave Rosenheim after doing some blogging since it is fairly full of cars and noise. The route was very simple with good cycle paths and the exciting prospect of the Alps ahead. We crossed over the border into Austria and soon saw our first 2000m mountains as we looked towards Kitzbühl. Very dramatic.

Flexible as we are, we decided to take half a day off and stay over night at this nice hillside lake in Kufstein, since the weather was so hot again - 34°. We got a little room overlooking the lake, which was much more romantic than staying in Wörgl (we think), which looks a bit like a motorway junction.

This is the view from our balcony:


We also had another light snack for dinner


... before a nocturnal dip in the lake, ahhh...

Distance today: Only 45 km. Hey, we're on holiday.
Total so far: 1095 km

Kraiburg to Rosenheim

Our host in Kraiburg gave us a good tip to avoid poor cycle paths and take a short cut to Rosenheim, so we only needed to ride 56 km today. The weather has turned muggy - 27° and thunder storms nearby, but we stayed dry. We are now very close to the Alps, but we still can't see them properly due to the overcast weather.

The trip took us over some decent climbs and (thankfully) one 16% descent where we managed speeds of 54 kmh. There was a bike mechanic in a remote village about half way along the ride, where it was Tina's turn to get her brakes sorted. He also tried to repair Tina's computer and my cadence meter, both of which seem to have been affected by the heavy rain last week. But no success. Fortunately, my computer still works, so we can still measure speeds and distances.

As we approached Rosenheim, the local fire brigade welcomed us with a cooling hosedown (see above).

In the evening, I flouted the unofficial ban on the Bundesliga for this holiday and popped into Munich for a swift half with Rob, Phil and the boys. Thanks for a good evening - it was well worth the detour!

Distance today: 56 km
Total so far: 1050 km

Today we head on into the Alps towards Innsbruck, probably stopping in Wörgl. The weather is still warm and dry (30° expected). We'll probably only get online again in Innsbruck, so no panicking, mum!

Braunau to Kraiburg

We learned yesterday's lesson and set off earlier today, since the weather is still very warm (34°). The route continued in much the same way as yesterday, keeping close to the Inn, mainly on dirt tracks.

Ironically, we learned later we had passed through the birth places of both Hitler and Ratzi the Pope within a few kilometres of each other.

By 2ish, we stopped at a nice little lake for a swim and a short siesta in the shade to avoid the heat (see above). The water was just perfect - cool enough to provide relief for our tired legs, without freezing us to death. We had to be a bit discreet while getting into the water because skinny dipping wasn't officially allowed (bloody Bavarians), but we got away with it by sneeking into the water behind some bushes). :-)

The sad moment of the day came shortly after we set off again. As we passed under a bridge, we saw the body of an elderly man already wrapped in a sheet and guarded by 3 policemen. There was a young man with two bikes standing nearby, so we guess the heat got too much for the old cyclist.

We were also thirsty and tired by the end of the trip and happy to find our guest house in Kraiburg. It was a converted farmhouse with loads of cats, dogs and parrots, budgies etc., so Tina was a happy girl in the evening as we had our dinner outside.

Distance today: 78 km
Total: 994 km
Border crossings so far: 8 (Passport controls: 0, I love the EU!)

Passau to Braunau - It's a scorcher!!!

This stupid Internet cafe doesn't let me move the photos around, so they'll have to remain at the top for now.

Bird watching


Exact route to Innsbruck



Phew, we feel like we are on a completely different continent, with temperatures reaching 37° today. Silke, you were right of course - I shouldn't have moaned so much about the rain...

This is the place where my rough map of our route is very wrong, as we travel along the Inn, initially westwards towards Munich, before turning southwards towards Rosenheim and the Alps. You can see the exact route as far as Innsbruck above. We have made such good progress, Tina can join me to Innsbruck before heading back to Berlin by night train.

We left Passau late after I got my brake pads sorted in a bike shop. We zigzagged in and out of Austria on either side of the river, which forms the border with Bavaria.

There are several dams on the River Inn, creating some excellent breeding grounds for birds visiting from distant places like Siberia and Asia. I have been called a twitcher on previous cycle tours and now I know what that means, I freely admit to getting out my binoculars and having a good gaze - for instance at the rare Great White Egret/Silberreieher. Fortunately, I was not the only one to be interested (see photo above).

The cycle paths are good enough - mainly dirt tracks and occasionally hilly, but nothing compared to the Czech Republic.

We were extremely hot and thirsty when we arrived in Braunau, but found a nice Gasthaus to stay in - unfortunately with a very hot room, but we made the most of the beer garden.

Distance today: 74 km
Total so far: 916 km

Day 14: Obermühl to Passau

That must have been the easiest 52km of the whole journey. The Danube cycle path is probably Europe's oldest and best organised route. There are quite a lot of other riders, but it wasn't as full of busloads of pensioners as I expected. And the scenery is wonderful.

Shortly after leaving Obermühl(2 more ferry rides today), we rode along the Donau-Schlinge, where the river makes a dramatic S-bend and geologists are still trying to work out why.




I am really enjoying the heat and it is not expected to last for too long, so we're making the most of it. And it's the perfect excuse to have loads of ice cream with our coffee. So after a nice banana split break, we sped on over the German border and towards Passau, which is of course another beautiful town. Here's our first view of it from the cycle path.



Passau is where we leave the Danube after only a day's ride, heading along the River Inn through Bavaria next week and on to Innsbruck. You can see how the two rivers meet here.



Actually, the River Ilz, which also springs in southern Bohemia, can also be seen flowing into the Danube from the right.

Today's distance: A very easy 52km
Total covered: 842 km
Ferry rides so far: 5
Border crossings: 3

Oh yes, distress moment of the day: The stretch of the Danube we rode along is famous for its unusual reptiles due to the warm climate. Unfortunately, Tina accidentally squashed one of the colourful lizards as we were riding by - which she was most upset about. I have now officially named her a Class A Road Killer.

Over the top (Part 1)

We got up early since the hot weather finally caught up with us and were on the ferry by 9.30. After a lovely ride along the lake, we finally headed into the hills and the Austrian border. The climbs got steep again and the descents were so steep and long, my brakes really started to screech (need to get that sorted out before the Alps).

At the Austrian border, we crossed the Schwarzenberg Canal, which is a very impressive feat of 18th Century engineering and certainly the smallest canal I have seen in my life. It's 1.9 metres wide and only 35 cm deep!



It was used for 100 years to transport wood from the northern side of the Bohemian forests over the aforementioned watershed and on towards Vienna.

Someone conveniently put up a mirror along the cycle path nearby.



We worked our way through the high woodland until we eventually came to a clearing, which gave us our fist hazy view of the Alps on the horizon (not visible in the photo below) and also presented us with some serious downhill runs (14% plus).



It was a bit of a culture shock arriving in super affluent Austria and paying extortionate amounts for 2 cokes in Schlägl. We also found it even harder to understand the Ösis than the Czechs! But there were generally very friendly, I think.

Just as we felt we'd got the better of the hills, we were treated to the hardest 2 climbs of the trip so far, in which we used all the granny gears our bikes could muster. The heat (32°) didn't make things easier, but the views were absolutely spectacular.

The reward was a 16km downhill ride all the way to our destination, Obermühl and ahh... the River Danube.


Turn left for Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Turn right for Passau and the Fatherland.

Distance today: 68 km
Total: 790 km

Day 12: Cesky Krumlov to Frymburk

We made fast progress leaving CK along a road that was occasionally busy, but ran along the river Vltava. Loads of friendly rafters drifting in the other direction waved to us on the way. Some of them had ingeniously tied a couple of rafts together and were having a full blown picnic, including a special rubber ring for a crate of beer in tow - these Czechs...

We passed another castle town - Rozmburk, formerly owned by the old Austrian Rosenberg family - before heading straight on to the Lipno lake up around 725 metres. We felt a little uderchallenged (since the weather was good, i.e. dry and no wind) until we reached a treacherous mountain bike trail that was unkind to the more sensitive parts of our bodies.

But we reached the pretty townlet Frymburk by 4ish, taking a ferry over to the other side of the lake. There was a nice bar on the water where we had a working dinner planning our future route.


It was pleasing to think that all this water would travel over 700 km back in exactly the same way as we had cycled, past Prague, Dresden and Berlin, before heading on to Magdeburg, Hamburg and the North Sea.



Tomorrow we will be leaving the Vltava, going over the hills and meeting up with the Danube, which flows into the Black Sea, so we will be crossing a major European watershed.

Distance: 56 km
Running total: 722 km (yes, we survived Friday the 13th, the 666th km and our 13th stage without any probs)

842 km und in Passau

Nun sind wir in Passau angekommen und eigentlich sollte das das Ende meiner Reise sein,aber ich habe noch eine Woche Urlaub und so begleite ich Ben noch bis Innsbruck. Das letzte Mal habe ich aus Budweis geschrieben und habe voller Sorge in die Zukunft geblickt. Glücklicherweise ist es nicht so schlimm gekommen wie befürchtet. Die Tour nach Cesky Krumlov war nur 35 km lang und ging ein gutes Stück an der Moldau entlang.( Ich habe mich öfter gefragt,warum es der Moldau-Radweg heißt. Soviel habe ich nämlich von diesem Fluß nicht gesehen) .Cesky Krumlov ist wirklich fantastisch anzuschauen. Lauter kleine Gassen und Winkel und ein Haus schöner als das andere.Es ist natürlich recht touristisch,aber am Abend wird es ruhiger in der Stadt. Die Tagesgaeste sind dann wieder weg und man kann in Ruhe irgendwo nett essen. Da das Abendbrot unsere Hauptmahlzeit des Tages ist( ja ich weiß-abends essen macht dick,aber nach nur Frühstück muß man irgendwann mal was richtiges essen), ist es schön, es richtig zu genießen. Die naechste Station-Frymburg am Lipno Stausee. Hier wird die Moldau zu einem riesigen See aufgestaut, seine Größe ist nicht zu überblicken. Die Fahrt war anstrengend aber mal auf eine andere Weise. Es ging zwar auch hügelig weiter,aber das Beste war eine Strecke von ca. 5km.Es wurde empfohlen von Rad abzusteigen,da es zu gefährlich ist.Tatsächlich haben wir uns auf einem unbefestigten Waldweg wiedergefunden. Sehr schmal,auf der einen Seite steil zur (befahrenen)Bahnlinie abfallend,die andere steil zur Böschung hinauf.Der Weg, durch den häufigen Regen recht feucht, und mit großen und kleinen Steinen bedeckt. Dann mußten wir die Gleise auch noch überqueren( laß uns mal schauen ,ob ein Zug kommt) und die Räder die Böschung wieder steil nach oben auf den Weg schieben. Das war der offiziell empfohlene Radweg! Gott sei Dank haben unsere Räder alles mitgemacht und wir hatten eine ruhige Hand beim Lenken. Mit der Fähre sind wir dann nach Frymburk übergesetzt und konnten abends einen wunderschönen Sonnenuntergang (der erste in diesem Urlaub) über dem Stausee beobachten.Am nächsten Tag sollte nun der Übergang Tschechien/Österreich erfolgen. Der höchste Berg,den es zu überwinden galt,war ca.930 m hoch und wir befanden un auf ca.725.Also nur 200 Höhenmeter, nicht dramatisches ,war ich ja schon fast gewohnt. Es war auch tatsächlich nicht ganz so schlimm,weil sich diese Steigungungen über eine längere Strecke hinzogen. Der Ausblick von oben war auch wirklich sehr schön und hat uns für die Anstrengung belohnt. Nun waren wir also in Österreich angekommen,aber der harte Brocken kam dann erst. Ähnlich wie kurz hinter Prag, gab es dann steile Abfahrten (z.T.14% Gefälle) und ebenso steil ging es dann wieder hinauf. Das alles mehrfach hintereinander. 40km hatten wir ja schon in den Beinen und dann diese Strapaze! Abfahrten ,könnte man meinen ,sollten ein Gefühl von Freiheit und Geschwindigkeitsrausch vermitteln,aber sie können einem auch riesigen Respekt einflößen. Bei einem Gefälle von 14% mit einer nicht einsehbaren Kurve am Ende , muß man ganz und gar dem Bremsmaterial vertrauen und man fragt sich ,ob man das kann. Die Hände und der obere Rücken verkrampfen total,bremsen ,lösen ,bremsen ,nur nicht zu schnell werden! Also Abfahrten können! sehr schön sein und man sollte nur rechtzeitig einschätzen,welche Sorte Abfahrt man vor sich hat. 15 km stetig , aber nicht steil, bergab waren dann auch die Belohnung für die ganze Quälerei. Nach 68 km endlich am Ziel ,in Obermühl/ Österreich. Alles war plötzlich anders und wir brauchten eine Weile nicht mehr tschechisch zu sprechen,zumal ich manchmal wirklich nicht verstanden hatte was dieser nette Ösi gerade zu mir gesagt hat. Das! waren böhmische Dörfer! Ein ereignissreicher Tag ,Kulturschock inbegriffen (Cola in CZ-0,50€, Cola in Ö-2,10€). Heute ,bei strahlendem Wetter ,gab es eine kleine Erholungsfahrt nach Passau. 52 km meist bergab ,oft Rückenwind und der zweite Kulturschock dann in Deutschland- Warum sind die Menschen bloß sooo dick? Mit dieser Frage werde ich mich verabschieden und ins Bett gehen und mich morgen auf eine nächste Fahrt freuen. Gute Nacht!

Day 11: Half day off to Cesky Krumlov

We left Budweis the smelly way past some industrial estates and a motorway, which left a funny taste in my outh for a while.

Today's stage is very short, because we wanted to enjoy the delights of CK, so we ignored the showers and sped up the 3 steep hills (the steepest so far), approaching 800 m as we get into the Sumava/Boehmerwald region.

Fortunately, we were warned about a fallen tree on one 12 percent descent and slowed down in advance.

After that, we briefly got lost in the muddy woods before descending into the spectacular town of Cesky Krumlov.
Although this is undoubtedly the most picturesque town of the entire journey, it has changed a great deal in the 13 years since I was here last (surprise, surprise). It is absolutely teeming with tourists and the rooms are about 3 times the price of elsewhere in the Czech Republic (C. Budejovice was pricey too). Still, it's one of those places the Michelin Guide would give a 3-star rating - not to be missed.

By the time we booked in to our excellent hotel overlooking the Vltava with the cute name of Penzion Teddy (yes, Tina wanted to stay there), we had time for either the castle or the Egon Schiele Museum. We opted for the castle since we had "done" Schiele in Vienna last year.

The castle and its immaculate garden is wonderful. Some of it dates back to the 11th Century, I believe. Oh yes, there were the obligatory bears in the moat too. There are plenty of touristy images to perouse here: http://http//www.ckrumlov.info/docs/en/fotogalerie.xml

After another fine meal (albeit sitting outside in the the drizzle), we had an early night, which was a stupid idea because we were wide awake by 4 o'clock in the morning.

Today's run: only 33km / rest day

Running total: 666km (oh dear, and it's Friday the 13th today!!)

We've been promised better weather today - 24 degrees and a heat wave approaching. It's raining at the moment, but it sounds like a good day's cycling - and a flat route for a day towards the lake around Lipno and Frymburk, before we brave the heights on the border (and the heat?) tomorrow.

From Tyn to Ceske Budejovice

It was one of those days where you had to keep taking your rain stuff on and off as the showers came and went. Luckily, we missed the big thunderstorm nearby. We had 5 more climbs, but are gettting much more competent at defeating them. The hills are getting higher as we approach the Czech/Austrian border and the source of the Vltava, but there are not so many of them, so that's OK.


After the last hill of the day, we rode past Hluboka castle (http://www.zamky-hrady.cz/1/hluboka-e.htm), which was inspired by Windsor Castle apparently. Trust the Czechs to steal our Great British Architecture!


From there, it was a perfect run along a pristine cycle path into Ceske Budejovice. Yes, this is the home of Budvar/Budweiser beer, so we were going to have to investigate the city's culture thoroughly. In fact, this holiday so far has turned out to be a tour of some great central European beer regions: Torgauer, Radeberger, Staropramen, Budweiser...


We found a pivovar that looked relatively original and did the thing. Since we don't have a proper lunch while cycling and burn a few calories on the way, we tend to behave rather strangely as dinner time approaches:

The anticipation









The satisfaction









The appetite










Today's distance: 47 km
Running total: 632 km

Day 9: From Zikov to Tyn

We both woke up with a hangover and the taste of about 14 portions of onion rings with garlic sauce in our mouths.

I popped down to the castle on my bike, leaving Tina to doze in the bar.

As you can see, the weather has turned wet and cooler again. But at last we got to try out the new rainwear we bought in Dresden...
Fortunately, either the hills are getting easier or we are getting better at climbing them, because we made good progress without too much strife and had a nice coffee with whipped cream in Pisek, a town that got rich centuries ago due to the gold dust in the river.

After that, the rain stopped and we had a lovely trip through a national park, taking us up to our highest point of the journey so far (625m), but also giving us a great downhill run towards our destination, Tyn, a very pretty little place that used to be big in salt, and now has a nice atomic power station nearby.

I've been neglecting my I Spy section, mainly because of the disappointing lack of wild animals to report. But we did meet our first deer in the park today, as it jumped across the road. Apart from that, we seen a few hares charging around in the fields and two very large birds that were probably eagles.

We checked in to a good (and cheap) hotel on the main square, sharing the corridor with a big group of Danish canoe tourists.

After an exotic Czech/Chinese meal a la wan-tans with chips and beer, the TV treated us to Star Wars Episode I (not in English). Czech Yoda is brilliant...

We have decided to change our plans and cancel our rest day. Instead, we will take two short trips to Ceske Budejovice and Cesky Krumlov, so we can take a good look at the towns, since there is a lot to see. So we'll only be cycling about 35km a day, but the maps promise some healthy climbs. We'll see. And it's just started to rain heavily again, so it's time to get out the 'rain pants' again.

Today's run to Tyn: 48 km

Running total: 585 km (I think)

Day 8: Kamyk to Zivoske Podhradi

It was a more moderate, but still hilly day, with 'only' 7 climbs and another 50km to cover. I earned some brownie points by relieving Tina of one of her bags and stuck it on my backrack. So Tina was much happier and we made good, determined progress. The problem with this bit of the route is that you can't go directly along the river. So you have to go over the hills that are perpendicular to the river.


The other problem is the dodgy Czech cycle routes, which can be steep and very stony at times. You'll have to turn your heads or your screens around to view this image - I haven't worked out the Czech word for 'rotate' yet.

We had a minor detour through the woods since the cycle path was flooded and we didn't fancy wading through the wash. The weather became cloudy as we approached the day's destination, but we stayed dry and came past a lovely castle that was prominently placed between the Otava and Vltava rivers. Photos will be added.

We checked in at the local brewery/hotel and got drunk with Rudolph the banker from Cologne and his daughter. Nice, though we had at least one and a half drinkies too many and felt it the next morning.

Running total: 537 km

Prague to Kamyk: Cheating once again

We decided to leave Prague the romantic way, taking a boat along the river to avoid the traffic and at least one nasty hill.

But that was the end of our laziness. We started our day's ride in a place called Slapy, which was pretty high up and gave us a taste of the terrain along the river south of Prague. I was expecting some moderate hills, but many of them were more challenging than we thought. We spent the day yoyoing up and down from 200 to 500 metres, 12 climbs in all. Needless to say, Tina was not a happy girl.

Fortunately the weather was absolutely lovely: 23 degrees, sunshine and not much wind. It was also great fun storming down the descents at over 50 kmh. But somehow, that didn't brighten Tina's spirits.

We made it to Kamyk after a 50 km ride, which felt a lot longer. Our reward was a very nice family run inn on the river, where we enjoyed some nice food and beer (of course), together with a couple of other cyclists from Lake Constance (who put us to shame by doing the entire ride from Prague).

Running total: 487 km

Hilfe,hier gibts nur Berge

Habe ich gesagt,das ich in koerperlich guter Verfassung bin? Nun,mit dem Tag nach Prag fing mein Leidensweg an. Der Tag begann mit einer 5stuendigen Bootsfahrt auf der Moldau. Sehr schoen und auf diese Weise konnten wir eine schlechte Passage umfahren,was mir sehr recht war. In Slapy aber begann das Drama. Das Wetter war sehr gut,die Sonne schien und mir war klar,das es einige "Huegel" geben wuerde. Nun es waren insgesamt 12 Berge und bis zu 500 Hoehenmeter auf sehr kurzen Entfernungen zu ueberwinden. Es stellten sich bei mir ernsthafte Probleme ein. Bei sehr starker Anstrengung bekam ich asthmatische Zustaende. Ich konnte nicht mehr atmen und meine Lunge hat, im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes,aus dem letzten Loch gepfiffen.Ich war verzweifelt,schlecht gelaunt und voellig am Ende.Wie sollte ich bloss 50 Kilometer schaffen und wie sollte das ueberhaupt weitergehen,wir waren ja gerade erst am Anfang unsrer Bergstrecke? Irgendwie haben wir es dann doch geschafft,Ben hat versucht mich aufzubauen soweit es ging, und wir haben in einer schoenen Pension in Kamyk uebernachtet,mit uns ein aelteres Paar,das die ganze Strecke von Prag gefahren ist(80 km). Meine Hochachtung!DEm naechsten Tag sah ich mit Grausen entgegen. Der Himmel war bedeckt und es war etwas kuehler.Mein Glueck! Anscheinend bekommt mir kuehlere Luft besser ,ich hatte keine Atemprobleme mehr. Dafuer taten mir die Knie weh und ich war gezwungen in kleinen Gaengen zu fahren.So kommt man zwar nicht so schnell vorwaerts, aber es schont die Knie und insgesamt war die Tour dadurch leichter.Ich glaube so langsam gewoehne ich mich an das staendige Auf und Ab, ein Freund der Berge werde ich allerdings nicht. Die Strecken haben wir jetzt kuerzer gewaehlt,so um die 50km. Wir koennen uns also Zeit lassen unser Ziel zu erreichen und haben auch genug Zeit zur Erholung. Schliesslich haben wir Urlaub!Bisher haben wir 585 km hinter uns gebracht, in 8Tagen. Die Landschaft ist von grossen Getreidefeldern bestimmt,die in gruene Waelder eingebettet sind. Sehr huebsch eigentlich. Die Menschen sind freundlich und man trifft immer wieder andere Radler aus D mit denen man sich austauschen kann,also -alles ist gut. Gute Nacht!

Windy days to Prague

Blimey, this is getting tricky. The wind is not being our friend at the moment and we also experienced every kind of surface you can imagine today: mud, sand, asphalt, concrete slabs, spiky stones, grass...

It was only 65 km , but it was one of the hardest rides so far
Running total: I'll tell you tomorrow. It's well over 400ish.

We had a nice experience with a ferryman about 12 km outside Melnik. He even took a crap photo of us as we crossed the fast flowing Vltava>

Fortunately, Tina had an animal experience as we approached Prague, which distracted her from some considerable hardships: nasty hills, wind etc.
My saviours from bad vibes in the evening was this family of minipigs that looked cute and smiled into the camera.

So in the end, we made it to Prague and feel quite cool about it.


This may be the last post for a couple of days since we are now entering the twighlight zone south of Praha... no more bath tubs for a while and some bumpy terrain. Don't tell Tina...