Cycle stories
We’re over half way done our biking tour now. There are only two days left, and thank goodness.. My thighs are displeased with the amount of punishment I’m dealing out. So far, the highlights of the trip:
-A lovely old man filling up our water bottles in the afternoon heat
-The cobbled streets of Česky Krumlov
-My intense sunburn that has given me reverse-tshirt sleeves
-The constant smell of lilacs and canola fields
Schnitzel.
Beer.
-Hearing symphonies of birds - the cuckoo today was especially thrilling
-Long climbs to breathtaking views of valleys and rivers
-Enormous rabbits visible only while bounding away
-The feeling of not being lost after an unintended, 16 km detour
-Delicious food (and drink!) for very low prices
-Hot showers after 10 hours of biking in the rain
..and much more. I’ve been too tired to write everything down, sadly. But overall a lovely trip with lovely company :)
Sunburns and sore legs
Biked about 90 km today. Grandpa maintains it was over 100. I’m very sleepy and we have a long day tomorrow (hopefully no stairs that we have to push the bike up!) so it’s bedtime. Today was eventful, if you’re looking for something less generic to ask when I’m back, this would be a good topic. Goodnight all :)
Prague
Today’s adventures were numerous and varied. Seeing an overview of a whole city in one day is exhausting, especially one that’s had a castle since 870 A.D. It wasn’t too bad though, since this is such an easy city to navigate, and we punctuated our sightseeing with some relaxing on top of Petrin Hill, a gorgeous park with flowering trees for days. I think this was a great time to come here; the lilacs are in full bloom everywhere. Where it doesn’t smell like lilacs it smells like roasting street meat. Yum.
The real adventure of the day came after we got back to the hotel, weary and footsore, and my grandpa discovered he had lost his wallet. Upon this discovery he immediately headed out again to Petrin, where he last remembered having it. Not long after, a kind and conscientious stranger called the hotel, having picked up the wallet on a subway car and played detective to find out where the owner was. Grandma and I went to the office building where he was working, which made for a new friend and a very happy grandpa. What a miracle.
Goodbye, Canada!
Leaving today! This time tomorrow, I’ll be on the train to Prague.
pre-travel nervousness
Packing, packing, buying things, packing.. I haven’t left yet and I feel like I’ve spent way too much money already. The first order of business is a bike trip from Prague to Vienna, so yesterday I spent an outrageous amount on a pair of cycling shorts. Please please please let them keep me comfortable and chafing-free.
The countdown is definitely on, and I hope to be all ready to go by tomorrow. There is lots to do.
On Sunday night I leave for Frankfurt, flying standby. The flights look fairly full, so I’m hoping everything goes smoothly and I will be able to leave the country that night! Prague seems way too interesting to miss a day exploring it.
