Category: Biking

After a wonderful sunrise awakening it was down to a very cheesy breakfast. It was drizzling as I fixed the front wheel back on after it’s puncture repair but that soon cleared away as I zoomed down the hill back onto The Elbe.

It was staggering to see the height of the floods on 14th August 2002   marked about 30 feet above the current water level!  It will be interesting to see how much of the new super duper bike path survives the next flood.

Whilst having a coffee in Roudnice I met up with the two guys from Hamburg, they are doing one week of biking  with their old town bikes, actually one of them is on his wifes small wheeled electric bike! He was complaining that when he put on the brakes the motor surged into life wanting him to go faster! Highly dangerous – He didn’t take me up on the offer to cut the electric supply cable 🙂

I then noticed that 3 had cut of my account with the cell display resolutely displaying “No Service” Even though I paid them another £5  this morning for another days Euro Internet Pass – that will teach me to even get a local SIM for 2 days of internet use. Hopefully, I will be in Germany tomorrow so I can get a local SIM & it will be goodbye to 3 until I get home.

After coffee I took the ferry to make a tour to Terezin where major atrocities took place in the second world war. There is a poignant memorial to the 22,000 Jews whose ashes were thrown into the river in 1944, although it’s now surrounded by a golf course. Interesting how time changes events especially after  my recent visits to memorials in Vukovar, Vietnam  and Cambodia. It still had a very creepy feel to it.

I then bumped into my Dutch acquaintance again who was telling me about his custom made SNEL bike from Utrecht, especially designed for easy welding & repair in remote places. Maybe for Africa….

Going up the 25% hill, yes I made it! at Cirkvice I scored another puncture, this time a thorn in the rear tyre, this had to have a inner tube change. Finally making it to Usti.

I managed to get in the rather deluxe Na Rychte Hotel cum brewery for 900 kroner (£26) including breakfast.

The paths are starting to get very busy with bikers, some of which are scary huge guys on mountain bikes with an evil look as they pound towards you! Give me an artic. any time..

The Strava for the day shows 50.6 miles biked and 855 feet of climbing. the pictures are here

Once I’d decided to bike The Elbe (thanks Sandra for the idea) I needed to get the bike & me to Prague. I didn’t fancy the aeroplane way so with a bit of research I discovered from The Man in Seat 61 that there was a overnight sleeper train from Amsterdam to Prague coupled with the Harwich – Hook of Holland & Esbjerg ferries it seemed a good idea of starting the trip 🙂

The awful UK weather cleared a bit so that on Tuesday afternoon I set of to bike the 68 miles to Harwich it was still wild & windy but with only a couple of light showers. However, the road was flooded in a couple of places, which nearly meant a bent front wheel when I descended into a pothole 🙁 this coupled with a swipe across the face from a very long plant shoot meant I was non to happy. Also I must remember when plotting routes that the most direct & shortest is not necessarily the quickest (think crossing valleys). I made it to Harwich in plenty of time only to have to stand in the freezing cold for 2 hours to get on the ship. Thank goodness the boat has the most magnificent shower in the cabin so I could thaw out. Biking there did the trick and I slept solidly till arrival in the Hook.

Disembarkation was very speedy and I had a lovely surprise to meet Emiel (One of the Les Gets renters) for a quick coffee before the 67 mile ride to Amsterdam down the amazing cycle ways in Holland. Although beware if you happen to get on a road/bridge the drivers will soon put you back in your place. I stopped for some breakfast in Den Haag and then pedalled on to Sassenheim where I stopped for lunch, Total shock horror. I had left my wallet in The Haag 🙁 🙁 With the Moves app I could show the lady where I had been , she called them up & minutes later I was on a train going back, fortunately my spare hidden credit card was with me so I could get a few Euros for the train etc. All was retrieved and I continued, but much later than I liked so it was a huge rush to make the train. Only to find out that it has no restaurant car and had only a few pringles & beer.

I slept solidly through the night only waking up briefly in Hannover, so at least it’s comfortable, although with 3 in the cabin it would be totally dire 🙁

The various Stravas (with gpx files) are:

• Cambridge to Harwich Pictures are here
• Hook of Holland to Sassenheim
• Sassenheim to Amsterdam Pictures are here