Arrived in Budapest and what a city it looks. As bad as the weather was when I started this trip, it has been stunning since arriving in Austria. Since leaving Bratislava I have followed the Danube on the extension of cycleway 6 which is the route from the source of this river to its mouth on the Black Sea. For those who like the idea of something different, cycling for social reasons, a bit of fundraising or whatever, the concept of cycling between Vienna and Budapest in a week may be very appealing, 3 countries in a few days, fabulous views, cheap beer, indeed it is a heady combination.
On leaving Bratislava I ran into a group of 17 Brits from London who were doing the above cycle trip. This is something they do annually for fun and do it in different locations. What a bunch, everyone to the man were so interesting, ready to chat. This group has history, one member whose name I have forgotten( My apologies gents, for those who know me, memorising names is not a strong point, so again my apologies.) initiated the whole concept of raising funds for charity, something he started in 1992. Since then he has raised individually just shy of a million , what an effort. Many of the group are activly involved in raising money for the Norwood Trust / Foundation which raises money for those with handicaps. Invariably cash is raised from cycle tours; this year the venue is Sri Lanka. Just a great day riding with these guys who then kindly invited me to join them for dinner. My thanks to you all for your kindness, to James, Dave, Daniel, Phillip the leader of this particular trip and Michael and all the rest of you. May I also express my profound thanks for your generosity in donating to my charity Children with Cancer UK and for those of you who additionally thrust notes into my pocket. Im really grateful to you all, just a real highlight bumping into you.
Up until recently meeting long distance cyclists has been rarer than hens teeth. Until yesterday when quietly cycling along the Danube bank I bumped into a dozen or so Croats who are cycling from Zagreb to London. Of course I stopped and said hi. They swarmed around me, cameras out, not sure how my reputation had spread quite this far so quickly, but I was soon brought down to reality. It was Cynthia who was drawing all the admiring glances! 'its a Thorn', 'wow, never seen one of these', 'steel is real' (a catch phrase used in the companies literature). She was certainly getting the treatment. They think this is the greatest bike on the planet, but Cynthia was the first they had seen in the flesh. Strike one up for British manufacturing.
Last night I laid up short of Budapest in a campsite, and made my way this morning into the city, which unfolds as the river winds. Architecture is amazing, very like the Thames in places. Prior to the city itself you cycle aside waterfront housing, loads of cafes, its a very pleasant environment. Found a hostel, the Wombat, just opened, and very nice. Here for 2 nights, want to explore the city and plan the ongoing route which at this stage I have no idea.
Have a couple photos to upload but cannot do it on this bit of kit. Oh rode into the city with 2 fine Aussies (Gayle and Tom from Canberra). I wondered when the antipodeans would make a showing, there's always some around somewhere. They have done the whole Danube. Ok will say cheers for now, going to explore, 30 degrees outside, so feel a beveridge coming on!!!!!
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Bratislava or bust
Left Vienna today after 3 great days exploring. Beautiful city but if you were to offer me a ticket to Prague or Vienna, I would take Prague. Just felt very much at home in Prague, loved the labyrinth of pedestrian areas, also think the waterfront was more accessible and attractive. I have done well cycling through Austria, almost perfect conditions and today was no exception. Left the city via parkland and picked up the cycle route that will eventually take me to Budapest on the other side of the Danube. Initially, you follow the river and also observe the naturist sunworshipers for several kilometers. Always a pleasant event observing the female form and this was no different. I then lost the river and around 2 hours later came across Henri's cafe and bar. This is situated on a cycle route and is a wonderful concept. Looking at the waistlines, I would guess that many are very recreational cyclists and that might be stretching a point. I went looking for a coke, but for twice the quantity and 20p more I could get a beer; no contest. This slipped down well and I continued on an excellent path picking up the Danube close to Bratislava. Its pretty wide, moreso than the Tamar and it cetainly isn't blue, not by any stretch, more like the swirling muddy morass that is the River Parrett which lies or runs through Bridgwater and isnt the most scenic piece of river you will ever see.
Bratislava is only 67km from Vienna and I arrived just around lunch. Wow, beautiful city, similar in many respects to Prague, not surprising really, superb historical quarter, the architecture is stunning. Populationwise, its about the size of Bristol, so not that big. What does stand out are the stunning ladies that inhabit this place. Good grief, its a good job that most of the areas I went through were pedestrianised! Bratislava like Prague has a really good feel to it so have billeted in a hostel tonight and will then head for Budapest some 320kms away tomorrow again following the Danube. Should be a cracking run. Beer cheap so no worries here.
Will try and sort the photos out, otherwise cheers for now.
Bratislava is only 67km from Vienna and I arrived just around lunch. Wow, beautiful city, similar in many respects to Prague, not surprising really, superb historical quarter, the architecture is stunning. Populationwise, its about the size of Bristol, so not that big. What does stand out are the stunning ladies that inhabit this place. Good grief, its a good job that most of the areas I went through were pedestrianised! Bratislava like Prague has a really good feel to it so have billeted in a hostel tonight and will then head for Budapest some 320kms away tomorrow again following the Danube. Should be a cracking run. Beer cheap so no worries here.
Will try and sort the photos out, otherwise cheers for now.
Sunday, 24 June 2012
G'day Vienna
Arrived in town this morning, superb weather right across Austria. I have already spent a couple hours cycling around the city and once sorted will take a good look. It looks a beautiful city on the face of it.
Its taken 5 days from Prague, Prague itself was definately worth the call, that and the beer (very cheap) were the highlights of the Czech Rep for me. The cycle from Prague to the Austrian border was great for the first 50 kms. then almost 2 days of hill after hill, 1:8's usually, so it wasn't cycling in the strict sense, more like pushing the bike up a hill and freewheeling down it and so on and so on. Hard going and much as I liked the Czech people I wasn't that impressed with much else, take away Prague and their isn't anything worth going for.
What a contrast coming into Austria. Of course unshackled by a history of former Soviet influence, this is a lovely country; great cycling excellent roads and directional signage; the countryside is beautiful, a real patchwork, of course I was on the lowland belt so much easier. The villages a very pretty with an assortment of different coloured houses, attractive architecture and a feature being a very small church that sits in the village square. Oh and cafes again. No problem cycling into Vienna, dead easy. Plan on staying here for 3 days then cycle the Danube route through Bratislava and onto Budapest. If the weather holds should be a good run. Averaged over 100kms a day in Austria, my best 117kms, now around the 2000 for the trip.
Must say its been great travelling through here. Since Prague people are starting to comment on where I'm from and what I'm doing, quite a buzz really. Having sorted the Information out earlier I turned the corner and right opposite was a Starbucks! So there is a God! Straight in for a big on and a double choc muffin. Last night I laid up about 30km from the City and slept in a wild cherry orchard, just beautiful and the sunrise was amazing.
Well think that will do it, haven't forgotten the photos, will try and sort them out.
Its taken 5 days from Prague, Prague itself was definately worth the call, that and the beer (very cheap) were the highlights of the Czech Rep for me. The cycle from Prague to the Austrian border was great for the first 50 kms. then almost 2 days of hill after hill, 1:8's usually, so it wasn't cycling in the strict sense, more like pushing the bike up a hill and freewheeling down it and so on and so on. Hard going and much as I liked the Czech people I wasn't that impressed with much else, take away Prague and their isn't anything worth going for.
What a contrast coming into Austria. Of course unshackled by a history of former Soviet influence, this is a lovely country; great cycling excellent roads and directional signage; the countryside is beautiful, a real patchwork, of course I was on the lowland belt so much easier. The villages a very pretty with an assortment of different coloured houses, attractive architecture and a feature being a very small church that sits in the village square. Oh and cafes again. No problem cycling into Vienna, dead easy. Plan on staying here for 3 days then cycle the Danube route through Bratislava and onto Budapest. If the weather holds should be a good run. Averaged over 100kms a day in Austria, my best 117kms, now around the 2000 for the trip.
Must say its been great travelling through here. Since Prague people are starting to comment on where I'm from and what I'm doing, quite a buzz really. Having sorted the Information out earlier I turned the corner and right opposite was a Starbucks! So there is a God! Straight in for a big on and a double choc muffin. Last night I laid up about 30km from the City and slept in a wild cherry orchard, just beautiful and the sunrise was amazing.
Well think that will do it, haven't forgotten the photos, will try and sort them out.
Monday, 18 June 2012
Czech Mate
Well its been awhile since setting off and as you know I had hoped to blog a little more regularly than currently is the case, but hey ho. When I cycled down the road waving goodbye to Liz (my sister) and Mum the feeling is you never really know what the heck you are letting yourself in for. Its just another adventure. Questions like how long will it last? Will I make Harwich? Will I fall off going up this hill before I have even left Cheltenham and look a real idiot!!!
Well the reality is that you keep peddling, focusing on the next gradient, junction or whatever. Progress not too bad so far, Prague was my first major step if you like and I have made that; i'll worry about future goals in due course.
I had penned a blog in message form on my tablet but time and events have overshadowed that so wont regurgitate that.
On a journey like this, as I'm sure you know, the mental problems are the hardest to deal with, also the need to build a decent rhythm into the day and the ride. Essentially its getting over the tarmac as quickly as possible and not treating it as a couple days sightseeing tour, although every sound and site is worth looking at of course. I took the easy option starting off in Holland, just amazing cycle path routes where with a map and even my appalling sense of direction, you can find your way around easily, and of course its flat. Great country, loved Amsterdam although could only stay a day as it was their public holiday so no hostel accommodation spare. Loved Edam, very pretty, working my way north to just south of Groningen before heading south east into Germany. The Dutch love their gardens, every one manicured inevitably with canal frontage, not a scrap of rubbish anywhere; you do gain a slight perception of the 'Stepford Wives' syndrome but its just they are rightly proud of their country. I had originally planned to head north to Denmark and Sweden but changed that due to the weather, cost and time constraints.
Germany, crossing into Haren took me down the central south east corridor passing through Hamlyn which was beautiful; very affluent historically and probably better known for the Grimm Brothers tale of the local Authority renaging on its promises!! Spent an afternoon in the Uni city of Gottingen really thriving. As with Holland, Germany have excellent cycle routes, some of which follow the rivers like the Weser around Hamlyn, it adds to the mileage but it is a great trip.
Half way through Germany you cross into what was East Germany and their still is a perceptable difference in affluence and architecture. Villages and small towns have dying edifices of the former Soviet style buildings no longer used. As some of you know, I worked in Kazakhstan recently and I swear that they borrowed the same Soviet architect who build many of these buildings in Germany pre-uninification. Completely lacking in any sense of style. Those English gentlemen who decided that the Soviet way of life was so much better in the 60's surely did not consider architecture in their decision making process!
The countryside in the central region is undulating fairly bland in many ways, reminds me of Essex or parts of Wiltshire. Towards the Czech Border the hills start coming and the scenery improves, similar in many ways to the Dales or Exmoor (so it must be good!!). Close to the border you are also close to Bavaria and consequently the buildings reflect that, traditional wood etc, very attractive, and nestling in that vicinity is a city called Plauen. A delightful place with trams, rebuilt with inordinate character. Maybe it was the people who were so pleasant. Plauen like Hamlyn (I think) grew affluent on the lace industry. 75 per cent of the city was flattened during the war and the city was subsequently ignored pre unification. Its claim to fame along with Liepzig was that between them they started the movement for unification and clearly had little love for their East Block regime.
At this point I have to admit to a little cheating. Yes I took the train for 50kms between Plauen and Cheb in Czech Rep preferring to cut through the hills than spend 3 days going over them. It took me 4 days from Cheb to Prague, looking at a map you may wonder why. Well as with previous countries visited you are encouraged to take either B roads or cycle paths which is fine and sensible. What the maps do show is that Czech is very hilly and that their cycle paths are not! What they are in many cases are a mix of dirt and forestry tracks wholly unsuitable for all except mountain bikes. 1 in 6 elevations up these tracks was not unusual so hauling the best part of 48kgs up these tracks wasn't a lot of fun. In essence when you see a distance between 2 points on a map, for a bike you can pretty well double it at least. Nevertheless its all part of life's rich pattern so hey! Prague is the undoubted highlight of this Country a fabulous city which, when I have finished this, I intend to explore. The rest, well unless you only wish to see the capital, I would perhaps recommend another way across Europe.
In Holland and much of Germany I stayed on sites, showers welcome. In Czech its all been wild camping so I arrived in Prague not having seen water (apart from drinking it) for 4 days; clothes unwashed for a couple weeks in some cases. Apart from the first 4 days and the last 2, the weather has been dreadful, thunder rain often continuous for 36 hours at a time. If I had waited for a break I would still be in north Germany! So you get wet, sweat, and the two merge, into a wet sleeping bag (Alpkit 1000 model - superb piece of kit) , a sodden tent, pack it all up and put the wet stuff back on again the next day and off you go. My tent hasnt dried out since Holland and in the hostel this morning I was checking it out and found a slug which had probably travelled with me since Holland! It was so cold that I was wearing 4 layers and had to buy a fleece in Germany. Best thing I did. In Cheb when I left it was 11 degrees and felt like it. Conversely, here today in Prague 27 degrees. Perfick!
Politics
Not something a traveller really wants to get involved with but I had one conversation with a bunch of German guys on a site who were very friendly, inviting me to join their piss up and watch the Germany v Portugal game. They wondered how we perceived Germany and my comment was one of general ok, respecting their work ethic and quality of product which is superb. They remain unconvinced about Europe and despite their economic dominance you sense a certain underlying insecurity which I find strange. I formed the impression that they are not huge fans of France either so if taken on a national scale the portents for Euro union future perhaps faces some challenges.
Routine
Well quite simple really, get up (if on a site on the road by 8.30am - if wild camping away by 6am) Eat what I have, pedal for 70 - 120 kms a day, usually its around 80-90, my worst was a couple days ago when I did less than 40kms in 8 hrs and most of that was on foot. My best 117kms the following day. During the day fuel up on water, chocolate milk which I have a real craving for. Pitch tent around 7-8pm and sleep straight off. Thats it. In total think I have cycled about 1,570 kms to date.
Cynthia (My bike)
Yes, now she is a major piece of work! A Thorn Nomad weighing in at 17 kgs to start with and named after my ex mother in law. Fully laden she (the bike) wanders all over the place and needs firm handling from the saddle. This resonates well with my ex MIL. Overall she has behaved well, the pedal crank came off in Cheb, but screwed it back in; then probably as a result of the bike falling down some steps in Karlovy Vary and a subsequent rough haul over mountain bike tracks, the rear wheel split at the side. So fixed that. The saddle could have been a problem, you either like Brooks saddles or you dont, well my arse seems to have taken to it ok. Mind you, when you are trucking along in the zone loads of different songs come into your head that you would never expect. I was singing Rawhide, a theme song to a 60's western starring Clint Eastwood, dont ask me why; well it got me thinking, you know those westerns where the guys have been in the saddle for days, weeks and ride into town, hitch the horse get straight into the saloon, a few Jack Daniels and within 5 seconds they have gone upstairs and through 3 different women! (Yes I know ladies, you think that timescale is fairly typical!!!!!!) Well in my case, I dont think I have even gone through the saloon door yet let alone progressed up the stairs! Boy the saddle does make you numb. Best thing I brought were the mirrors, necessary for Czech where the drivers hate cyclists. Surprising really since after ice hockey, cycling is the biggest sport. I cycled a couple of kms with a fella of 73, bloody fit he was too. He raced for Czech and completed in the milk race 1962 and made it up Porlock Hill without stopping.
I plan to add some photos to this but no USB port on this piece of kit so will try later on another computer. Must admit I'm looking forward to a break, its been a hard ride, harder than I had thought, but hey its great for the waistline getting my racing snake figure back again!
Thanks to you all for your interest, not sure when the next blog will appear, but will do my best. Yvonne, the T shirts look great and drew a few comments here yesterday. All the best.
Well the reality is that you keep peddling, focusing on the next gradient, junction or whatever. Progress not too bad so far, Prague was my first major step if you like and I have made that; i'll worry about future goals in due course.
I had penned a blog in message form on my tablet but time and events have overshadowed that so wont regurgitate that.
On a journey like this, as I'm sure you know, the mental problems are the hardest to deal with, also the need to build a decent rhythm into the day and the ride. Essentially its getting over the tarmac as quickly as possible and not treating it as a couple days sightseeing tour, although every sound and site is worth looking at of course. I took the easy option starting off in Holland, just amazing cycle path routes where with a map and even my appalling sense of direction, you can find your way around easily, and of course its flat. Great country, loved Amsterdam although could only stay a day as it was their public holiday so no hostel accommodation spare. Loved Edam, very pretty, working my way north to just south of Groningen before heading south east into Germany. The Dutch love their gardens, every one manicured inevitably with canal frontage, not a scrap of rubbish anywhere; you do gain a slight perception of the 'Stepford Wives' syndrome but its just they are rightly proud of their country. I had originally planned to head north to Denmark and Sweden but changed that due to the weather, cost and time constraints.
Germany, crossing into Haren took me down the central south east corridor passing through Hamlyn which was beautiful; very affluent historically and probably better known for the Grimm Brothers tale of the local Authority renaging on its promises!! Spent an afternoon in the Uni city of Gottingen really thriving. As with Holland, Germany have excellent cycle routes, some of which follow the rivers like the Weser around Hamlyn, it adds to the mileage but it is a great trip.
Half way through Germany you cross into what was East Germany and their still is a perceptable difference in affluence and architecture. Villages and small towns have dying edifices of the former Soviet style buildings no longer used. As some of you know, I worked in Kazakhstan recently and I swear that they borrowed the same Soviet architect who build many of these buildings in Germany pre-uninification. Completely lacking in any sense of style. Those English gentlemen who decided that the Soviet way of life was so much better in the 60's surely did not consider architecture in their decision making process!
The countryside in the central region is undulating fairly bland in many ways, reminds me of Essex or parts of Wiltshire. Towards the Czech Border the hills start coming and the scenery improves, similar in many ways to the Dales or Exmoor (so it must be good!!). Close to the border you are also close to Bavaria and consequently the buildings reflect that, traditional wood etc, very attractive, and nestling in that vicinity is a city called Plauen. A delightful place with trams, rebuilt with inordinate character. Maybe it was the people who were so pleasant. Plauen like Hamlyn (I think) grew affluent on the lace industry. 75 per cent of the city was flattened during the war and the city was subsequently ignored pre unification. Its claim to fame along with Liepzig was that between them they started the movement for unification and clearly had little love for their East Block regime.
At this point I have to admit to a little cheating. Yes I took the train for 50kms between Plauen and Cheb in Czech Rep preferring to cut through the hills than spend 3 days going over them. It took me 4 days from Cheb to Prague, looking at a map you may wonder why. Well as with previous countries visited you are encouraged to take either B roads or cycle paths which is fine and sensible. What the maps do show is that Czech is very hilly and that their cycle paths are not! What they are in many cases are a mix of dirt and forestry tracks wholly unsuitable for all except mountain bikes. 1 in 6 elevations up these tracks was not unusual so hauling the best part of 48kgs up these tracks wasn't a lot of fun. In essence when you see a distance between 2 points on a map, for a bike you can pretty well double it at least. Nevertheless its all part of life's rich pattern so hey! Prague is the undoubted highlight of this Country a fabulous city which, when I have finished this, I intend to explore. The rest, well unless you only wish to see the capital, I would perhaps recommend another way across Europe.
In Holland and much of Germany I stayed on sites, showers welcome. In Czech its all been wild camping so I arrived in Prague not having seen water (apart from drinking it) for 4 days; clothes unwashed for a couple weeks in some cases. Apart from the first 4 days and the last 2, the weather has been dreadful, thunder rain often continuous for 36 hours at a time. If I had waited for a break I would still be in north Germany! So you get wet, sweat, and the two merge, into a wet sleeping bag (Alpkit 1000 model - superb piece of kit) , a sodden tent, pack it all up and put the wet stuff back on again the next day and off you go. My tent hasnt dried out since Holland and in the hostel this morning I was checking it out and found a slug which had probably travelled with me since Holland! It was so cold that I was wearing 4 layers and had to buy a fleece in Germany. Best thing I did. In Cheb when I left it was 11 degrees and felt like it. Conversely, here today in Prague 27 degrees. Perfick!
Politics
Not something a traveller really wants to get involved with but I had one conversation with a bunch of German guys on a site who were very friendly, inviting me to join their piss up and watch the Germany v Portugal game. They wondered how we perceived Germany and my comment was one of general ok, respecting their work ethic and quality of product which is superb. They remain unconvinced about Europe and despite their economic dominance you sense a certain underlying insecurity which I find strange. I formed the impression that they are not huge fans of France either so if taken on a national scale the portents for Euro union future perhaps faces some challenges.
Routine
Well quite simple really, get up (if on a site on the road by 8.30am - if wild camping away by 6am) Eat what I have, pedal for 70 - 120 kms a day, usually its around 80-90, my worst was a couple days ago when I did less than 40kms in 8 hrs and most of that was on foot. My best 117kms the following day. During the day fuel up on water, chocolate milk which I have a real craving for. Pitch tent around 7-8pm and sleep straight off. Thats it. In total think I have cycled about 1,570 kms to date.
Cynthia (My bike)
Yes, now she is a major piece of work! A Thorn Nomad weighing in at 17 kgs to start with and named after my ex mother in law. Fully laden she (the bike) wanders all over the place and needs firm handling from the saddle. This resonates well with my ex MIL. Overall she has behaved well, the pedal crank came off in Cheb, but screwed it back in; then probably as a result of the bike falling down some steps in Karlovy Vary and a subsequent rough haul over mountain bike tracks, the rear wheel split at the side. So fixed that. The saddle could have been a problem, you either like Brooks saddles or you dont, well my arse seems to have taken to it ok. Mind you, when you are trucking along in the zone loads of different songs come into your head that you would never expect. I was singing Rawhide, a theme song to a 60's western starring Clint Eastwood, dont ask me why; well it got me thinking, you know those westerns where the guys have been in the saddle for days, weeks and ride into town, hitch the horse get straight into the saloon, a few Jack Daniels and within 5 seconds they have gone upstairs and through 3 different women! (Yes I know ladies, you think that timescale is fairly typical!!!!!!) Well in my case, I dont think I have even gone through the saloon door yet let alone progressed up the stairs! Boy the saddle does make you numb. Best thing I brought were the mirrors, necessary for Czech where the drivers hate cyclists. Surprising really since after ice hockey, cycling is the biggest sport. I cycled a couple of kms with a fella of 73, bloody fit he was too. He raced for Czech and completed in the milk race 1962 and made it up Porlock Hill without stopping.
I plan to add some photos to this but no USB port on this piece of kit so will try later on another computer. Must admit I'm looking forward to a break, its been a hard ride, harder than I had thought, but hey its great for the waistline getting my racing snake figure back again!
Thanks to you all for your interest, not sure when the next blog will appear, but will do my best. Yvonne, the T shirts look great and drew a few comments here yesterday. All the best.
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