Just like I remembered, Prague is astonishingly beautiful. It’s hard to believe that at some point humans put so much care into the things they made. Before we get to that though…
The rain started at around 4am. It always wakes me up. I drifted in and out of sleep until around 7 when I decided it was time to get wet. Packed up in a fairly light rain. Changed a tube for my 5th flat, and then headed out. Not 10 minutes into my ride it started raining pretty hard. Fortunately I was under a bridge so I figured I’d sit out the worst of it. This bridge was near the river and at the bottom of a pretty hilly town. I stood in basically a river 2 inches deep for 15 minutes and just watched unbelievable amounts of water fall from the sky. An hour later the sun was out and I’m really hoping for good. I’m tired of being a troll under bridges 👹.
The ride in was pretty good after that, minus some dirt areas which had been rendered mud. Somewhere along the way there was a aristocrats dwelling, like a medieval ranch, pretty much in the middle of nowhere.
In Mělník I left the Elbe river (called Labe in Czechia) and started riding along the Vitava river. So that’s another segment of this ride completed.
Right before Prague there was a decent climb, maybe 1000 or 1500 feet, which wasn’t super fun due to an issue I’ll describe in a minute, but it did give me a view of Prague from 20 km away. That was pretty cool.
My campground is a few km from town center so I set up camp and went to the Jewish quarter. The pictures do no justice. In reality it is like a fairy tale. Every time you turn a corner (and there are tons of turns, nothing is straight) there is something else to gawk at. It’s pretty much impossible to not be an awkward tourist here. I’ll try for some better pictures tomorrow.
And I got a(nother) proper fried meal
And my bike is the shop again! The 3 cogs at the front of the drive train are loose. Which is why climbing that hill was tough, didn’t have my granny gear because it was too wobbly. I probably could have tightened the bolts myself but I’m not rolling the dice with mechanical issues. For the record, this many technical problems is not normal. I don’t know why I am having such crappy luck with some aspects of this trip.
The shopkeeper at the bike store didn’t speak any English but tried German with me. Of course, I speak nothing but English. This is how bad the communication was. He says “Canada”. I say yes. He says “Lindross”. I say hockey. He points at my first name which I had written down and says “Eric”, then points at my last name and says “Lindross”. He just wanted to confirm which were my first and last names. Apparently, after 30 some odd years in Canada, I speak hockey too, so I am bilingual after all.
I am pretty sure I can pick up my bike tomorrow?! Then I can ride around town and see more stuff.
P.S. I’m at Camp Dana Troja and the place is great. It feels extremely safe and the owner said I could leave my stuff in the office if I want. Very helpful man. Plus, there is a washer and dryer. You might be surprised how meaningful that is to me right now.
Love your pictures but having been to Prague I’m sure you’ll have a lot more beautiful pictures tomorrow. There is so much to see and do there is never enough time. We only had a day but were able to go to the Jewish Museum and cemetery, a stunning library and watched the astronomical clock change hours. I think you’ve put a lot of hard miles on your bike so it’s not surprising after riding on cobblestones not to mention all the rain, issues are going to come up. Thankful you’ve been able to find bike shops!! And only 800+ km (from your original estimation) in 14 days left to go. You’ll breeze into Budapest.
Very nice pics Chad. Looks like Prague is the place to be. Hope all goes well with your bike and it never rains again! That fried cheese and fries?….YUM!
Very happy you’re back in Prague. Hoping the bike issues and rain are behind you. Love reading this.
Gorgeous! So happy you’re there for a few days to decompress and just get grounded again after all of that rain and mud. So much to see, your mom’s tips sounds awesome. And did I make you eat that fried cheese and fries dish? Damn, that might be the most dangerous thing yet. Happy to hear that your campsite is cosy and friendly. Enjoy Day 2 in Prague while we sleep, and keep these missives coming 🙂
You wanted to hear about food. Better stories to come.
I enjoyed today’s photos and anecdotes, Chad. Beautiful place! You’d be a great person to tag along with on a culinary tour. Hope your bike is fixed in time for you to see much of the city before you move on.
Do you know the fully loaded weight of the bike? How about the weight ratings of the tires?
Gear and liquid about 50 or 60 lbs. Me about 165. The wheels and tires (both good quality, though the tires are probably on their last treads) can handle it easily. The flats are just a fluke.
Thanks Chad. Gear and liquid less than I would have guessed.
Enjoy the fasinating clock, food, art, & music in the Square. It is a great city. Glad you are there.
I don’t know if it’s on your route, but if you end up within striking distance of the town of Cesky Krumlov (probably some accents in there) try to swing by. I recall it being a few hours south of Prague by train, so probably 1-2 day
s riding. A true fairy tale town, maybe too touristy for your taste, but when I was there 20 years ago ago it hadn’t gotten that way yet.
It’s on the eurovelo iron curtain trail which I am co soldering for tomorrow.
Fifty pounds on the bike or including the bike?
Looks like a lovely camp site. Do they charge for the human and the tent separately?
No just the stuff. I’m guessing. I usually carry a gallon of water which is heavy. Most campgrounds charge per person and then for tent/car/RV. On average I’m paying 10 euros, which is $15 CAD.