Austria / Germany / Czech Republic. (Days 132 – 138)
Sunday (7/24). Europe is filled with “Eurovelo” bike routes and paths. Portions are routes on scenic, lightly traveled side roads. Others are dedicated bike paths. The route along the Danube is apparently the most popular. In one hour we counted 87 touring cyclists and 150 day riders. We guesstimated that during the day we crossed paths with a over a thousand cyclists. Crazy. Additionally, our path had an identical twin on the opposite bank also filled with cyclists. Remarkable! Many people we talked to were taking the popular week long journey from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria. If one were looking for a reason to invest in cycling infrastructure, you need only look to all those folks eating in restaurants, staying in guest houses, buying groceries, etc.
Speaking of Passau, after chatting with a couple at breakfast, we were convinced to make that today’s destination. We joined the cycling throngs along the Danube headed toward Passau. At one point we were surprised to realize we’d left Austria and had entered Germany! After the fastest and easiest biking of the entire trip, we arrived in Passau. People have apparently lived on this site since the 2nd century BC. The Danube, the Inn, and the Ilz River come together at Passau to create a striking setting for a city.
The Ilz River created a striking setting for our home for the evening. This tent only campground was filled with cyclists of every description. We saw folks in their 70’s as well as two and three year olds bouncing around, having a ball touring with their parents. It was quite a scene.
Monday (7/25). Our two days of flat and fast biking on the Danube came to a screeching halt today. We headed away from the river valley and up as we ever so slowly made our way toward the Czech border. But not before joining the queue of other bikers at the mobile backery that showed up at the campground. Brilliant business plan!
Along the way we met found Otis the tractor’s German cousin Oskar!
At a stop to photograph a cool bit of cycling art, we met Astrid and Georg. They own and operate a hemp farm (think fabric). Super friendly, they shared some of their cbd oil for use on sore cycling muscles. We also met Josef, the creator of the art work. He apparently had a record for riding his bike from Munich to Passau. As Sharon said, “I love serendipity!” Agreed!
As the day wore on, steep hills and mid 90’s served up my buttocks on a silver platter. I lobbied for an early end to the day and an uber early (i.e. cooler) start tomorrow. We took shelter from the Orb of Death inside an air conditioned Subway sandwich shop to consider our options. Ultimately, the best option was sitting in the cool restaurant for two hours, hydrating and eating.
Finally though we pushed on and by late afternoon entered our 13th and final country of this trip. Hello Czech Republic! And thank you for providing a free camping spot for hikers and bikers traveling through Sumava National Park.
Tuesday (7/26). Warm, bluebird skies when we went to bed. No need for the rain fly. It is much cooler and much more pleasant sleeping with it off. Yeah! Right up until a violent thunderstorm unleashed its fury. Then it was damage control, me with shoes on the wrong feet, both of us in rain throwing on the fly by feel and the light of lightning flashes! Fun stuff!
As usual, we had no real plan for the day other than to head in the general direction of Pisek. Eventually that crystallized into a plan to cycle all the way. And so we did. Coming out of the mountains along the border, we rode north through forests and fields and pleasant villages. After all the “Achtung!” & “Verboten!” in Austria and Germany, Czechia gave off more of the Balkan shoulder shrug “whatever” vibe. It felt good.
Wednesday (7/27). Only seventy-five miles left to Prague. Since we are in no rush, we slept in, had a leisurely breakfast, and wandered around Pisek.
The sun had passed its high point when we finally left town. We rode through fields of wheat, oats, corn and grazing cows, and were reminded that agriculture looks pretty much the same everwhere. If not for the foreign (to us) road signs, we could easily have been in Wisconsin. Except for a passing thunderstorm and a perfectly placed picnic shelter in some small town, it was uneventful but enjoyable riding. In Pliskovice we stumbled onto a little Dutch enclave. The owners and the other campers were all from the Netherlands. It was “Dutch Night” at the restaurant, and almost everyone else took part in the festivities. Apparently the owner announced that “the cyclists” were from America. That led to some friendly questions from interested folks.
Thursday (7/28). Highlights of the day. After some morning climbing we were treated to a lengthy section of gravity assist as we followed a river valley north. We did question Kamoots route finding ability…or more accurately…it ability to differentiate between a “road” and a trail through the woods.
Soft serve raspberry in a waffle cone also made the highlight real for the day. We got sucked in by the sign. How could we not stop?
We decided our last night on the road should be a quiet, picturesque wild camp. It took some doing, but an old granite quarry along the Berounka River fit the bill. We relaxed and watched people climb until it was time to make our home for the night.
Friday (7/29). This was it. Last day of loaded cycling. We felt like like the last ceremonial stage of the Tour de France making its way to the Champs-Elysees.
We had endured the grueling mountain stages! We had endured the heat. We had suffered unexpected set backs. We had experienced victories. And like anyone who wears the Maillot Jeune (the winner’s yellow jersey) into Paris, we had received a great deal of help along the way. We both felt a great sense of satisfaction as we rolled into Prague. Na zdravi to us!
The absolute highlight of the day came later. Three years ago during our John Muir backpack, we spent time with a young couple from the Czech Republic. We very much enjoyed their company, and we parted with the usual “If you ever make it to Flagstaff…” or “If you ever come to the Czech Republic…” not really expecting either to happen. Last night Helca and Andrej took us on a walking tour of Prague where they attended University. We talked about work and life in Czechia. We enjoyed beer and traditional Czech food. Perfect end to a wonderful day.
Saturday (7/30). We set the bar pretty low today for activity. Stay out of the rain. Check. Move from the hotel to our three night Airbnb. Check. Get bike boxes for the plane ride home. Check…sorta! Decathlon graciously gave us two and a Peter helped us figure out the trolleys so we could get the boxes back to our room. Turns out they are likely too small, so bright and early Monday we’ll need to try again. Do laundry with a real washing machine…for the third time this trip. Check. Relax. Hard check. Dinner and drinks. Check.
The next several days promise to be … interesting. There is much in Prague still to see and do. We have some Free Walking tours scheduled for Sunday. We have all the logistics of getting two humans and their gear back across the pond in what appears to be a logistically challenged environment. Wish us luck! I’ll let you know how it all turns with a final trip recap next week. Until then, as Sharon tells me, “Be reckless and take chances!” STC!
