4th stage: Elbe-Radweg
Dates: July 6th to July 14th 2010
Distance: 269½ km
Click on this sign for photos
Prague reached!
E-mail of Sunday afternoon, July 11th, 2010
Dear all,
Jsem v Praze! I ‘m in Prague! Yesterday, after nearly 2000 km (1954 to be exact), no flats, a few kilos lighter and with asphalted tyres, I arrived in Prague. I’ll come back to those asphalted tyres later ...
I’m now at a camp-site in the north of Prague (Troja), not a planned choice, but it was the first site I reached yesterday evening at 18.30, dead-tired and dehydrated. That sounds dramatic and eh ... it was!! I knew that the last stage would be 80 km., but with the (un)necessary diversions, the bad road-surface and lots of climbing at the end, the last kilometres of a total of 93 were really tough. Especially when my water supply ran out. But luckily, there was the camp-site. Quite expensive for a Czech one, but very nice. I am among Danish, Swedish and Norwegian campers and one Fin. Can you believe it? How did I manage that ... On arrival, I was offered a beer by two sturdy motor-cyclists from Sweden, with tattoos everywhere, huge beer-bellies and very friendly. I refused the beer (which I don’t like...) but the cola, French fries, schnitzel and salad were most welcome. That was a very hearty welcome.
But what a trip, wonderful!
I was in Berlin for two days. In the blistering heat, I visited the ‘highlights’ on foot and with public transport. After that I had had enough and couldn’t wait to go on. It took me nearly a day to cycle out of Berlin but that was not an issue. The route ran along the Spree and was very beautiful. Then the Europa-Radweg went northwards and became more boring. The country was very open and in the heat it was tough going. Just above the Polish town of Kostrzyn, I reached the river Neiße and followed it to the south. In Kostrzyn itself, I crossed the border and was in Poland for an hour. There was not much to see, so I went on, via the Oder-Neisse-Route southwards.
From Frankfurt-on-the-Oder, I cycled westwards without a map (h’m) to reach the Spree-Radweg some 20/30 km. (don’t know exactly) further on, above Beeskow. This was a beautiful route, almost completely flat up to Bautzen. I had almost forgotten what climbing was! But I remembered after Bautzen. A lovely town, by the way. The last few hours before getting there, I cycled together with a Swiss couple. They came from Copenhagen and were going to Switserland.
And then, at last, after two weeks of heat, it started to rain. Between Bautzen and Dresden, I cycled in the rain almost all day (till 15.00). It’s horrible at first, but you get used to it. When it cleared up, I didn’t even know how long it had been dry ... In the woods north of Dresden the sun came out again and I arrived in Dresden in lovely weather. What a beautiful city! I took a day off and cycled in a leisurely fashion through the town(-centre).
From Dresden, I followed the Elbe-Radweg till Prague. The German part is breathtakingly beautiful. Bizarre rock-formations along the banks of the Elbe, beyond Pirna, really beautiful.
Immediately after the Czech border, it was far less beautiful, but this changed after Melnik.
Especially after Nelahozeves (the composer, Antonin Dvořàk’s birthplace), I was back in my element: climbs, nature, lovely views. That was yesterday and, as I said, the last kilometres were very tough. The route sometimes runs on unpaved roads and in the Czech Republic these are bad, or rather, very bad! And, of course, those asphalted tyres. In a small village, where I had a very stiff climb, I suddenly saw something shiny on the road: melted asphalt. Avoiding that, climbing at some 4 km. an hour, is difficult. I managed it, but a bit later, I suddenly saw it shining everywhere. So ... there was no avoiding it. Both my tyres were covered in asphalt, to which everything, literally everything, sticks. That’s how I arrived in Prague, an entire road surface round my tyres. And that is even tougher cycling.
Just a word about the weather: It’s been very hot for the past three weeks, with the exception of that one day’s rain. I have a thermometer on my bike and it shows temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees all the time. It hangs in the shade of my handlebar-bag and catches the wind, so you’ll realise ... But it’s not so bad, you catch some wind yourself on a bike. But in open country, without any shade, it’s tough. It only gets really warm when you dismount. In no time, sweat is pouring from the pores (!) all over your body. It gets in your eyes, your ears, etc. But I’m not complaining; it’s better than cycling all day in the rain.
I’m taking it easy today, did some washing and am now sitting in Reception, internetting. I’m taking a few days off to think about what to do next. Everything has gone so much faster than I expected and I’ll see if there are interesting routes in the Czech Republic. Or I’ll go home via enormous detours. I’ll see. Tips are very welcome! Maybe I’ll go along the Moldau to Linz (Austria). I don’t know yet.
I haven’t yet read any e-mails, but will do so one of these days as I saw that I’ve had several reactions. I’ll let you know my plans for the coming weeks (my first engagement is only on August 23rd ....)
Greetings, see you soon!
Love from Gea
And the further she went, the longer the return jouney became...
E-mail of Wednesday afternoon, July 14th, 2010
Ahoi!
What a wonderful city Prague is! I can’t tear myself away, though now I really must. I very much want to go further too! The last few days I’ve been walking and tramming through Prague, enjoyed some concerts, had lovely meals, met nice people and this evening I’m going to say a fitting farewell: at sunset I’m going to take a walk round the Castle, from which you have a magnificent view over Prague, and then take another walk over the Charles Bridge at dusk.
And what now?
I’m cycling south to Austria along the Moldau. In Austria, I turn right and cycle along the Donau to Kelheim. Then I go along the Altmu̎hl, Tauber, Main and Rhein rivers to get home. Altogether some 1700 kilometres. I received several tips from people – thank you very much! Margriet (from the orchestra) is the winner of these ;-)
The route should be fairly flat, except for the bit along the Moldau. I’ll have to put my best wheel forward there! Meanwhile, I’ve bought a route guide and had to swallow a few times when I saw how much climbing was involved. By now, it’s some time ago that I did any real climbing (in the Harz and a bit near Bautzen and Prague) so it’s about time: you can’t always only laze, there’s work to be done now and again, to cycle up a sweat. Climbing sounds worse than it is, after all. Of course it’s tough, but you are usually rewarded with wonderful views and lovely descents. And then you forget how tough it was, at least I do. I’m a bit worried about the weather. It’s still boiling hot today but it will get cooler from tomorrow, ‘only’ 30 degrees. But that will probably be accompanied by rain and thunderstorms. We’ll see!
I’d like to thank you all for your e-mails and text-messages. Some people asked what sort of reactions I get on the way. Well ... quite different ones from what I’m used to in Scandinavia! What people there (apparently) find the most normal thing in the world, in Germany, and especially in former East-Germany, they think is ‘completely mad’ and don’t hide their disapproval. I also hear other stories from cyclists, but these are always travelling together (husband/wife...). By now, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s because I’m doing it as a woman alone, that’s what most of the remarks are about. Usually, something like ‘but what’s the fun in that?!’ or ‘aren’t you afraid, then?’ or ‘bike, tss ... mad!’ As to the last one, luckily there are only a few people who express themselves so explicitly. I wanted to prick his big beer-belly ...
I spoke to a German boy who was just coming home after a world trip. We were both at a camp-site in Beeskow, south of Berlin. He had walked from Poland and had been travelling for three years round the world (except for Holland: ‘No, but I did the other Scandinavian countries!’...). That day, in Germany, he too had had all sorts of queer reactions, possibly because of the heat. According to him, Germans use only their cars for travelling, maybe a train or bus on occasion, but hardly ever a bike. So they can’t understand what makes us ‘holiday bikers’ tick. That was his opinion (he has been away from Germany for three years now ... they do ride bikes).
Here in the Czech Republic, no-one takes any notice of me but, after all, I’ve only been here three days. And the route is a very popular one so I don’t think they’re surprised at anything.
I sometimes forget that what you do is actually quite special. At first, I used to say that I was going to cycle to Berlin and Prague but people’s reactions quickly made me be more modest. If I was asked where I came from and where I was going, I just mentioned the daily distance and if they wanted to know more, I said, “To Berlin” or “From Berlin to Dresden” or “Along the Elbe to Prague”. Usually nobody wanted to know where I came from or how I was going to return.
A funny story: in a tiny village in East-Germany, I went into a tiny supermarket. A plump woman and a young girl immediately stopped talking. The girl went to sit at the cash desk and the woman began to fiddle around in the milk products shelf. I said hallo politely and got a mumbled reply - I was the only customer – got the things I needed and went to the cash desk. The girl told me how much it was, I paid and left the shop. I put my shopping on the ground next to my bike and while I was busy stuffing everything into a bag on the fore wheel, the door re-opened and the woman came out. She looked left and right and was surprised to see I was still there.
‘So ... viel Gepäck!’
Yes, a lot of luggage, but that’s mostly air, I joked. The ice was broken. Ach so ... Where have you come from, where are you going, all alone? And so on. But a nice conversation ensued and after quarter of an hour I knew almost her entire life story. I enjoy such moments. The conversations between colleagues are quite different:
‘I’m going to Berlin and back via Prague’.
‘Hey, I’m doing the same the other way round!’ That was Remy* from Delft, he had some good and very useful tips for me as he had almost finished his round-trip.
Or the Italian:
‘Where are you from and where are you going?’
‘I cycled from Holland to Berlin and am going through to Prague. What about you?’
‘Oh, I’ve cycled from Italy and am going through to the North Cape’.
Ach so ...
Or Jörgen, a plump German fireman from Bocchum whom I met in Münster and again in Goslar a few days later. It was his first time and, without being at all fit, he cycled some 100 km. a day. He had to stop in Goslar because his knees gave way. He offered to translate my website into German. I’ll have to think about that.
And Johan from North-Holland. Six years ago he was ill (Guillain-Barré Syndrome) and became completely paralysed. Now he’s doing a trip to Berlin and Poland and back along the Baltic coast. We rode together for some of the way.
I still have to come across the first solo-woman! I was accosted in Berlin by a woman who was planning to go cycling in Denmark on her own. She asked me about my experiences and we had an hour’s pleasant chat at a pavement cafe.
Almost every German, from the camp-site boss to the odd passer-by, asks me if I’m not afraid on my journey. Well, no, although I sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable if I have to cycle through dense dark woods, which doesn’t often happen. But in such a situation I try to hum a few cheerful tunes, often Schubert’s Der Erlkönig or Troika by Drs. P.
German men (especially in East Germany) are sometimes a nuisance, at least if you’re sitting alone in a cafe or on a seat, but luckily no more than that. I such cases, I suddenly can’t speak a word of German and that’s usually enough, since hardly anyone speaks English. That’s something that surprises me, Hardly anyone speaks English, even in the Tourist Offices. I can get along with my broken German but I prefer English.
And, to my surprise, in the Czech Republic (at the camp-sites and in Prague), a lot of English is spoken, at least by the young people. I wonder how I will get on here!
I’ll leave it at that. I really wanted to take a holiday from the computer so I don’t want to take too long with my e-mails. I’ve no idea when I’ll be able to send the next one. You can usually e-mail at the camp-sites, but only on your own laptop! And I didn't take mine! At this site in Prague I’m in luck en there are plenty of internet cafes here. I’m quite an old-fashioned holiday cyclist, not only without a laptop but also without navigation apparatus. Nearly every holiday cyclist has one. But give me a map any day, then you can even get lost!
For everyone who is going away, or already is away (with their laptop ...) have a good holiday! Should you go south, look out for a red shirt on a bike, I may be in it!
Čau! Gea
*Since then, I'm married with Remy. We literally cycled into each other’s lives ...
5th stage: Moldau-Radweg
Dates: July 15th to July 22nd, 2010
Distance: 371½ km.
Click on this sign for photos
Puff, puff...
E-mail of Saturday morning, July 17th, 2010
Hello everybody!
After all that, here I am, typing on a laptop! Was able to borrow one ...
The subject of this mail says it all: puff, puff, that’s tough! I’ve now cycled three days on the Moldau-Radweg and am half way. But tomorrow I’m taking a day off again. This route is extremely tough, but verrry beautiful and spectacular. Unfortunately, I only see the Moldau once or twice a day when I cross it and otherwise it’s up and down, uphill, downhill, from bridge to bridge and from village to village. Both yesterday and today, I climbed a total of more than 1000 metres ( 1300 and 1100 metres resp.). But it’s going well, in spite of the heat.
Yesterday, I met a Dutch couple on the camp-site, Peter and Greta from Wieringerwerf, and today we cycled all day together. They were actually the first cyclists I saw on this route. It was fun to cycle together all day for a change, we have about the same tempo and want to rest or take a photo at the same times.
Getting lost as a threesome is also better than on your own. After Pišek, we came to a large wood and, in spite of map, compass and sun, landed up somewhere else than we meant to (they don’t have navigation either). However, it was a very beautiful wood. It also had lots of wildlife: hornets. And these hornets thought I tasted best. Besides the two bumps I already had, there are now five more. Not so bad, really.
Now we are together at a camp-site, a Dutch farm-camp in Kostelec. Unfortunately, they charge Dutch prices here, but by sharing a spot (plenty of room), it made it feasible. It’s fun being on an old-fashioned cosy Dutch site! Even with rotten weather, and we are now sitting in the library, waiting till we can go out dry to our tents. I hear that it’s not so good in Holland either, but here it only began this evening (after we had put up the tents) and it’s supposed to get better again tomorrow afternoon.
So long for now. No idea when I’ll mail again (tomorrow? In two weeks’ time?). You’ll see!
Greetings, love, Gea
