Bike Touring within the Czech Republic. The space was alive with clanging bells from atop copper clad baroque place of prayer towers. Throughout the day their bronze voices sang resilient songs of victory and freedom. Now deep behind what had been the Soviet iron curtain until 1989 stirs the Czech Republic, formerly Czechoslovakia. Restless from decades of colorless oppression and anxious to appear hospitable, the Czechs have so many to release visitors.
As presented in We began our foray into the deep and near past of central Europe within the historic city of Prague. Its castles, churches, and city squares bristle with life and an unique world attitude. Our little team of six had 3 days to provide there, walking the seemingly endless cobblestone walkways and streets. Fantastically varied in their creation and shape the mosaic patterns regarding the cobbles throughout Prague are a read in geometric art. Our elegant hotel, The Barcel, was just steps from Prague's old city square and its eccentrically interesting shopping district.
All regarding the primary attractions within the city are well within walking distance from our fabulous lodgings. Foremost on any visitor list should certainly be the Prague Castle and St. Vitus cathedral high above the Vltava River. Ridiculously huge and imposing in their volume and scale they should be seen from anywhere in town. Prague's Old City square adjacent to our motel is the heart regarding the city with its medieval Astronomical clock keeping the city's pulse alive since the year 1410.
The Jewish quarter section of Prague is yet another key to understanding the deep roots of this historic city. Emotionally moving and poignant, this region adds complexity and depth to patina of experiencing Prague. And then there were the bells ringing, clanging, singing. They always brought me to a stop for just a moment each time I heard them. I tried to do not forget and associate the place, the emotion, and the moment, with those antique voices throughout the trip.
There is so many to look and do in this city a little brief days to look it hardly seemed enough. 3 brief days subsequent to arriving in eastern Europe we had re-synched out jetlagged sleep cycles, eaten pork knuckle higher than once!, and seen the city's primary attractions. We were ready for a week of biking and itching for a chance to obtain onto 3 wheels. If our journey was a sandwich, Prague was the top piece of flavorful exotic bread. The center chicken was a scheduled week of biking through the Czech, German, and Austrian countryside.
Following the week on bikes, we had a 3 day see to Vienna, Austria which should deliver as the wonderful bottom-bread to our holiday sandwich. It was late June and we had been planning this journey since the previous Christmas. As the excursion approached we were bolstered by new excitement and anticipation. Our logistics and arrangements were created through the good folks at Vermont Bicycle Tours,VBT Following our third night at The Barcel we gathered within the lobby to begin the biking phase regarding the trip. We met the rest of our VBT group, a total of 19 people as we boarded a tour bus headed for the picturesque village of esk Krumlov.
In this amazingly preserved baroque city we met Andy and Zuzanna, our 3 VBT guides who should be with us throughout the week. Most young and athletic they were instantly warm and likable. Zuzanna is blue eyed ethnic Czech who grew up in Canada prior to returning to Czech Republic. She has a ready smile and a propensity to laugh with no problems and often. She speaks unaccented English and apparently thorough Czech too.
Andy is tall and willowy; a lilting Austrian accent combined with his soft spoken demeanor make him most personally disarming and confidently trustful. He grew up near Saltsburg speaking German and studied English in school. As the journey progressed we were continually impressed with their skills, caring attitude, and most of all their impressive damn near thorough ability to hold 19 one-time strangers entertained, engaged, and smiling. We arrived in esk Krumlov and checked into The Rose hotel, formerly a Jesuit monastery. Certainly more eccentric than Prague's Barcel, The Rose sits perched on a first street overlooking the Vltava River as it snakes sinuously through the center regarding the village.
It was within the Rose's courtyard that we first met our bikes. Based on our heights and bicycle categories Andy and Zuzanna had done the initial setup for each of us. I prefer to bicycle with clip-in shoes and had brought my own pedals from home. When I got to my bicycle Andy or Zuzanna had already installed the pedals. For this journey most regarding the riders, within me, had chosen to ride hybrid bicycles with only 4 riders on path bikes.
The gearing on most styles was identical; a triple chain rim configuration up front at the crank and a wide-ranging 7-gear cluster at the return hub. The hybrids were setup with lightly treaded 35mm tires and the path bicycles were configured with slim 23mm semi-smooth units. Some regarding the bicycles had seat shocks, but all were equipped with a comfortable seat, rear-looking mirror, a thumb actuated bell, a generous rear pack, and a handlebar mounted map compartment. The bicycles hold a custom configuration created and utilized by VBT for all their tours worldwide. Not nearly as light as the carbon-fiber Cannondale Six13 I ride return home, my VBT bicycle was solid and dependable.
Prior to journey I had purchased a couple inexpensive bicycle computers on EBay. I mounted one regarding the computers on my bicycle in a little minutes, and was glad to have it throughout the week. In an orientation meeting discussing cycle protocol in-and-around town, Zuzanna also introduced us to daily route sheet. The route sheet contains turn-by-turn directions and mileage in Kilometers, of course for each day's ride. So with an unique understanding of VBT's shorthand directions and a new route sheet, we headed out on our first ride.
Our first day's outing was a warm-up and tuning ride of only 10 or 12 miles. I was unsure of how the newly formed overall team should proceed. Should we all ride together in a pack, or string out individually? Should the quicker riders slow for the more moderate ones? Within the end, as the week progressed the ride patterns changes somewhat, but the daily riding pack had fast riders out front, followed by a varied string of more restrained riders, and always Zuzanna or Andy riding the clean-up slot at the end. Our warm-up ride took us directly through the heart of esk Krumlov's cobbled streets and walkways quickly out to Czech countryside. For many miles of this ride we were, I thought at first, on a wonderfully smooth and paved cycle or recreation pathway.
I was caught off guard and surprised multiple times to encounter cars and light trucks driving on the similar to pavement. Generally Tim and Maggie were out front on their path bicycles for most rides. Along with them were the near-speedy team of George and Amy along with Jerry who, due to some name confusion was often referred to as Larry-Jerry and Fireman Mike, most from New York. Following the route sheet's directions was a bit uncomfortable at first. Clearly we were not accustomed to area, and executing the often rapid-fire turns took some mental adjustments.
As the warm-up ride concluded our route circled us return to The Rose hotel. When we returned Zuzanna took notes on each of our bicycles for any fine-tuning adjustments. I wanted the headset lowered such that the handlebars should be at a more natural position, and I had a dud for a bell that wanted to be replaced. VBT had arranged a wonderful tour regarding the castle and Baroque theater which are the key tourist attractions in esk Krumlov. Stanislaus, our guide, gave us a wonderful walking tour and pointed out how gray everything the buildings, the clothing, and even the people was while living below the soviet communists.
1989 saw the reborn Czech Republic sloughing off the shackles of oppression and re-colorizing their lives. Stanislaus apologized for his heavily accented English and informed us it should have been many better if only Eisenhower had listened to General Patton and pushed the Russians return to their original borders in 1945. The person certainly has insight into world the past and politics. Subsequent to a good night's sleep in some former Jesuit's space we were all ready for a day of biking. This was June 30th and it was my birthday.
75 degrees, sunshine, simple skies, and a day on 3 wheels what a good method to provide a birthday! This day's route was many detailed 31 miles or so, and we started out route meeting at 8:30 following a substantial breakfast. We biked out of city with along climb into the peaceful Czech farm country. Along the roadway and then onto another pseudo-bike path it seemed like we were only going up and up and up. At related to the 8 miles mark we met up with Zuzanna who was the van-driver for the day. She had parked below a tree within the mini village of Zlat Koruna and set out petite tables of snacks candy bars, granola, wafers, etc, new greens and water.
There is a historic monastery in that city available for viewing by paid admission, but in truth we only used the restroom. We all created a stop within the restroom, checked in with Zuzanna, had a snack, and a very brief respite. Following the route laid out for us we traversed an above ridge of houses and farms with wonderfully scenic vistas, then turning downhill subsequent to the monastery leveled off to ride next to a river and campground. Shortly subsequent to that spot on the route sheet are the words in bold capitol letters: WARNING: VERY STEEP INCLINE AND NARROW ROAD. WATCH OUT FOR DOWNCOMING CYCLISTS AND CARS.
Andy had warned us at the morning meeting to obtain to a decreased gear as we approached this point, but I was not convinced. Since VBT rates this journey within the easy or moderate category I strongly suspected that their version of steep was going to be pretty wimpy. I was wrong again, not for the final time either. As we turned to right, distant from the river, the pathway jumped suddenly from virtually flat to an intensely steep 12% grade. Luckily I managed to wait on my pedals and get by a little people who had return to a done stop stalling out at the skirt regarding the hill.
The path snaked upward at that severe grade for over 1/2 a mile. I worked hard to obtain into decreased and decreased gear combinations until I was finally on the smallest chain-ring within the front and the largest gear within the back. I climbed slowly and had some trouble keeping my front rim on the ground; I was in such a little gear that the bicycle wanted to leave into wheelie mode. When I cleared the rise, the pathway was cutting through a wheat field and below a lone tree in that sea of wheat was a bench to rest at. Only Tim was there, and now me too.
Sucking air, but proud to have reached the summit without walking, we were joined a bit later by Fireman Mike. We were the only 3 to beat the grade. We thought that we got there due to our strength, endurance, and stamina. Our wives are convinced that we reached the top on 100% stubbornness alone. Biking the rest regarding the morning brought us to tiny Bohemian city of Plav where we should gather for lunch at a regional farmhouse.
Yaakov Jacob the owner and his family had prepared a good lunch for us and had picnic style tables set in a shady courtyard between his building and barn. Goulash soup, sliced meats, and salad created a yummy and filling lunch. Following the more savory component regarding the food he brought out new cooked apple strudel. Apparently his mother within the pantry was the real culinary artist regarding the family, and kicked out some seriously great strudel. I unapologetically devoured multiple sweet, warm, and scrumptious pieces.
When Yaakov heard that it was my special day he brought out a bottle of home-made slivovitz, pear or plum brandy. In reality Yaakov's slivovitz was Czech moon-shine or white-lightning, simple with extraordinarily high alcohol content. Like the strudel, I had higher than one shot of slivovitz also; hey, it was my birthday! Within the courtyard Yaakov's family had a setup for a play that he called Russian-Bowling. Nine extra-large bowling pins setup in a pattern on dots are to be knocked below by a 10-pound concrete ball suspended by an 8-foot chain mounted to a steel pole-and-arm gizmo. The system is to swing the ball outward, and knock the pins over on the ball's return trip.
The winner is the one who takes the fewest swings to knock all the pins down. It turns out that Amy is some kind of Russian-Bowling savant genius, receiving only 3 turns to simple the pins. I've got to look more closely into her family background some day, that is just not normal! Full of goulash, strudel, and liquor my special day lunch in Plav had been a howling success. We spent the afternoon biking repeatedly through quiet Bohemian towns and villages below sunny skies and thorough weather. At the end of our ride as we entered picturesque esk Krumlov I once repeatedly heard bells.
There were bells ringing slowly and melodically from place of prayer towers. The similar to bronze voices that sang to kings, priests, and peasants for centuries were singing to me. Wow, I am truly lucky and blessed. This little post only talks about a day or 3 of a truly wonderful experience. The rest regarding the week biking and touring with Zuzanna and Andy from VBT was equally amazing.
From the Czech Republic we biked through the corner of Germany and stayed within the lovely city of Passau. On one sunny day we rode our bicycles throughout the old Czech or German border, now basically marked by a little innocuous signs. A creek runs through a lime and peaceful valley where for over 4 decades stood what the locals refer to as the Iron Wall. It was a surprisingly moving skills development for me, possessing lived through many regarding the cold war years. We left Germany and enjoyed a little days riding along the Danube River through Austria's Wachau Valley.
The valley, lush with vineyards and apricot orchards, had a very approachable and welcoming feeling. We sampled an alternate categories of wines and spirits from the region and even managed to bring building a mini bottle of tasty apricot liqueur. Seemingly too soon, we spoke about auf Wiedersehen to our new friends, our bikes, and the pastoral countryside as we boarded a bus for Vienna, Austria. We toured the lively city that was building to composers, kings, and scientists for 3 glorious days prior to heading home. On that final day as we waited for our bus outside on the cobbled sidewalk I should hear multiple of Vienna's place of prayer bells tolling the morning hour.
The only message that I should glean from their wordless song was that they should be here long subsequent to I departed, and should be waiting for me when I return.