Danny Beer - A tour of Eurasia

Sunday March 28, 2010, 85 km (53 miles) – Total so far: 835 km (519 miles)

In true form you get well lost trying to find Kost castle. On muddy tracks you ride (push) around in circles. Eventually Kost is found and wouldn’t you know it. You’ve been here before. 3 years ago you chanced upon this most exquisite of castles, even managing to camp outside its walls.

You also spot the remains of another castle high up on a high in the middle distance. Anyway, it is already 3. Time to put some kms in before nightfall. Today’s destination is Liberice.

You stick to the road rather than brave the poorly signposted bike paths. It is 5 before you see just how far/close you are from town. 24 km. That is possible to make before 7 barring any big hills. Barring any big hills.

But what is there in Liberice anyway? It is a convenient stopover on the way to Lemburg castle. But coming from the south it is more like an inconvenient detour. So you go to Straz pod Ralskem instead.

A hotel is found. It has the cyclisto stamp of approval. This is to show that the hotel is of quality standard. What THAT means is that it is not cheap. But this 1 is. Very cheap. The room isn’t much but food and pivo are at hand. Speaking of which.

Kost castle.

It is a very wet day. All day. You detour to see a castle. It is of course closed and after a couple wet outside photos you just ride on. The area around here is quite pretty with lots of rock formations. Houses are built around and into many of the rocks.

The plan is to ride towards Litericice. Wasn’t going to get here but when a map FINALLY says how close the town was then, well, why not go? Besides, there isn’t anywhere to sleep before then anyway. Litomerice is a pretty place.

You drink a pivo in the bar. Someone offers a joint. Sure, why not?

Finally a nice sunny day. Too bad about that headwind though. And a lack of maps has you riding along the busy highway all the way into Prague. But before all that it is time to check out this concentration camp.

Eventually you make it to town. Just in time for some pivo. A group of dutch students brought some space cake over. You try some. Then some more. Then some more. Mmmmmmm spacey.

After a couple lazy days in Prague it is time to once more hit the road. The hope was to make it to Cesky Krumlov but it looks to be a little too far.

It is a sunny albeit cold day. Soon the inevitable happens. Clouds take over the skies and it begins to.. snow. It actually snows! Momentarily. Then it just rains.

Lunch isn’t had until after 90 km and 4 pm. Then it is only a short ride to Orlik castle where apparently a nice cheap hostel is found. Except it isn’t. They tell you to go elsewhere. Then those people tell you know. So you just keep riding. So fuck you Lonely Planet.

There is another castle just to the south. Zvikov Castle. Apparently there are a few houses that rent out rooms. Except you can’t find any. On the way out of town you spot the cyclista sign and try 1 last time. Victory is found.

A tour of Zikov castle is worth the time and money. Guess who is the first guest of the year? That is right. Yours truly. Then it is off on the road once more. Pisek is a pretty town with an old stone bridge and cathedral. Not to mention all the pretty buildings in the square. Prachatice, further on also has a pretty square but by the time you arrive it is already 4.

The legs ache. Even the smallest of hills becomes too much work. The muscles need some relaxing time. And as soon as Cesky Krumlov arrives they will get it too.

At last the most beautiful of medieval villages comes to view. Time for a few days hiatus.

It was a nice little hiatus as it was but as always the road ahead beckons. A late start followed by a tour of a nearby gothic monastery has you already behind the ball. Getting lost immediately after also does not help.

Trebon is a pretty little town with a pretty little square. But with just a few short hours of daylight left it is time to move on and to Jindrichuv Hradec, tonight’s accommodation. Hey, you’ve been here before. Yews, this all looks somewhat familiar. So why not stay once more at the same hotel then? Sure, why not.

Slavonice, the first town of note, is quite pretty but unfortunately anything of note is closed for winter. “Bike routes’ take you on minor roads making for a pleasant ride. So close to the Austrian border, many bunkers are found along the way.

You see a castle. It is pretty and all that but of course you are too late for a tour. It is a good thing you approach from the South. The long climb up would have been heartbreaking otherwise. A couple other castle ruins are found on route.

Znojmo looks interesting. A hostel is found and surprise surprise the only customer there is you. How do they even make money doing this???

Znojmo is quite pleasant. But after a tour of the underground tunnels (as distinct from the above ground 1s) it is time to get going. It is already after 11 but with a head wind speed is maintained throughout the day. The plan was to head to Vienna. But the fuckers in the hostel won’t take your reservation. You need a credit card they say. Easy No credit card though. So you just give the details of your expired card. They only use it if you don’t turn up. So after 3 days of this Sorry. No room for you. Fuckers.

So you just go to Bratislava instead. There are none of those all so useful maps in Austria. So you just head in a South Easterly direction and hope for the best.

After being in Austria a bit too long it is time to cross the border into Slovakia. How? You head north against the wind, then south. At last you come to March where a ferry awaits. And waits. And waits. Why isn’t the fucker coming over to pick you up? Hello?