Downhill to Dresden

I left Prague at about 8am Tuesday 23 May. It was cool weather and had rained all night... so much for the sunblock cream i used yesterday. Struth the weather over here is moody....

The ride to the zoo on the otherside of the river was resonable simple, but i shouldn´t have taken the advice of the bike riding lawyer and used the road. Up hill through the park would have been simplier...

The navigation on this part of my trip was going to be a bit harder. But the best thing was that so many Germans where riding now. Within the 1st 30kms i had passed or been passed by about 5 groups of riders. On advice of same lawyer i avoided a narrow high wall section by riding uphill for 2ks. My rewards for this effort was no view of the valley but a loverly ride through farm land and the best down hill for 3kms through forrest along side a creek, with the 1st frogs i´ve heard since Oz.

I was using the German cycing maps to do this section, but i had also bought the local maps. I like the local maps as they tell u things like where the nature sections are, what the trees and rock are and why the land is as it is. Along with the local history. They do all this in English which is somewhat more helpful than in German. Its a bit distubing reading a map with cautions signs and not being able to read what it is you need to be cautious about

On my 1st day riding I met a group of cycling folks of 8 from Hamburg. They invited me to ride with them so i did. It was nice to have the company and even better not having to navigate . At times this path changes from a hotmixed cycle path to a track overgrown with grass, full of pot holes and large rocks on the edge of the river... One´s confidance u are on the right track is somewhat tested - alone this is a big test, but in a group its fun.

I was a bit concerned about camping on this section. Mainly because the 1st camp spot i road past was deserted!... but fate had other plans. And whilst i had set my mind on staying in a penzion house in Melnik, fate had me find a camping spot that i was very happy to be in. I even managed to cook dinner and dry a slightly wet tent.

My second day was great. I was happy to be riding on my own again and the sun was out. I stopped in a small town where i met a second set of 8 cycling Germans from Hamberg. Again i was invited to ride with them and i did again. This day the ride was wonderfully seanic riding through farmland with rolling hills in the background... At lunch time we all came to the town of Terezen and those of u with any ww2 history might know this place as one of the poltical camps used to house jews and others.... not the best place to visit but something that needs to be seen at least once..

This group of cyclist encoraged me to keep riding with them to the town they were staying in and to get a room at the hotel they had. This i did. But when i arrived it wasn´t a hotel but a penzion house and the only bed was in one of the rooms they had already booked. It was 7pm and a 5k ride back to camping spot - no issue but my newly found friends would have none of this and re-arranged themselves so as to have 3 girls in one room. It was a wonderful guesture. I have also been invited to stay with everyone in Hamburg in August.

At one point on this section of the ride we had to ride along a creek that started out as a bike path and soon turned into one of those paths where the grass is so high you can´t see your bike wheels, the track is unevan, covered in rocks and tree roots, mud and winds all over the place. Again on my own i would have been a bit concerned, but with 8 other riders this was so much fun to ride through.

Now how is Patience coping with all this? just wonderful. The bike couldn´t be better. She seams to love being off-road fuly loaded. The only bit she (and i don´t like) is cobble stones... but i have now let the air out of my tyres and we are both much happier....

I get on the road early ish 8am and leave my new found friends. I´m not well i have a old and i´m keen to keep riding in case it developes to a point where i can´t ride. The navigation is much easier in this section. i´m closer to Germany now. But i like Chek(?) the place is more wild more ruggard more natural.... and it has hills. I like hills they give the place depth.

Now i do well today riding. Almost too well. It mostly down hill along a flat river cycle path. Only one section is hard a ride, two arrow or good 10 to 15% hill. I´m encouraged to do this by a German non-english speaking cyclist. And what a treat. He kept telling me it was a panarrama and i had to see it. The only word ot of my mouth once i got my breath back from the uphil ride was Fuck...this view was well past the usual wow or shit.... it was breath taking... We road together to the German boarder not really talking, he would just say moment, moment stop look and point to where i was to look and see the view. This section was a great moment.

I kept riding today. I was a public holiday in German some catholic day, but to me it was a day for young men to get very pissed. It was a bit like Australia Day but over 30 to 40 kms of very drunk men. It spoit the otherwise great view. I got a bit worried when riders told me I wouldn´t find accomodation anywhere in the area or in Dresden.... But fate put me in the right spot and i met a small group if riders.... these guys had accomodation in a hostel in Dresden and i could stay there also... great! I didn´t want to camp it was not a very prity place to be in with so many druck men....

Next day Friday i take a look around Dresden but compaired to Prague its a dissappointment. The place is very nice, but the drunk young men on this weekend really spoilt the place and it was very busy every place to stay was booked out with in 20ks.... Also the town is under much restoration so getting around it abit of trouble. The folks i met lived north ish of Berlin and said they would give me a lift... What a bonus i was not ready to catch the train again so i took up the offer....

So i arrived in Berlin late Friday night 26th May... having spent a good 30 minutes on the phone in the car trying to find a place to stay... yep Berlin is very busy also due to the holidays... I stay in independant hostel in East Berlin....