Getting out of Prague was a challenge though, there are a lot of road works happening on the cycle ways! Following the Eurovelo 3/4 initally along the river made for a fairly easy first day. That and adding a rehydration tablet to the water bottle for the first litre of the day. It seems to make a considerable difference. The original plan was to cook dinner around 6 and then continue onwards until 9 and then set up camp. Following the usual three rules of wild camping:
- Arrive late
- Leave early
- Leave no trace
The weather; however had other plans and with a torrential downpour from 5.30 until about 7.00 I decided to head to a local restaurant and have dinner there whilst waiting for the storm to pass over. Prague is cheap, but a local restaurant in a village not expecting a tourist to pop in is even cheaper and my eyes are on stalks at how cheap! If these prices remain I could go round the World in gourmet style!
With the weather calmed down I continue and I find woods to camp in, this turned out to be a sort of blessing and a big worry. Whilst the trees gave me cover from the worst of the rain, the storm which turned up went on for 4 hours with the ending of the lighting striking the forest I was in. Maybe not the best place to hide!
The next day the alarm goes off at 6am, I dread getting up. Not because of tiredness but because everything is wet and I can still here rain. But in the end it wasn’t that bad I would just have to wait for the sun and dry the tent. The next day I cycle up to Pilsen, naturally to the brewery I was told is a must to visit. Unfortunately it was a Saturday and was fully booked. I head to the museum instead and also book a tour of the cellars. The city overall is beautiful, like Prague and worth a visit for the day. Bonus is not as many tourists!
I continue onwards and discover an old monastery on my route. Plus, as a bonus there is a place I can stop opposite, dry my tent and make dinner. Afterwards I make for the town of Bor and stop for a quick beer before looking for a camping spot. I arrive in my usual hot and sweaty way and walk up to the bar and order a beer assuming I can pay by card. This was a mistake and I have run out of Czech currency. However, they took pity on me and gave me a beer for free. Kindness is always present.
I spot on the map a possible place to camp next to a little lake but the farmer had better ideas and had blocked off all the access points. So I head to second option down a little mud track and discover some space opposite a dog training park. Whilst setting up, a couple of farmers go past on quad bikes, they don’t seem concerned and just go on. Obviously no one really cares!
The next day is much easier to wake up and I pack up the tent (wet again) and head to a petrol station for a coffee and second breakfast! First breakfast always consists of a bread roll and chocolate spread! After two days of cycling with only a flannel wash at the end of each day I can start to smell myself, even with the use of merino wool! I make the decision that I need to find a campsite with a shower! But this would mean a long day of up to 117km.
I also enter Germany and start to notice that almost every village is having a festival. After reaching the campsite I find out it is the Kirchweih festival. The festival is based around the village church and is a dedication to the patron saint of whichever church. However, it is also a time for the village and surrounding areas to come together to drink, eat and have fun. Including a performance by the children of the village and a dedication to a couple in the village. Many also wear traditional German clothes.