Austria to Czech Republic

This is Tim writing, as we relax after lunch beside the Vltava River with a beautiful view of the Charles Bridge and skyline in Prague, to keep my promise to John to make a blog entry. Helicopters are around as Obama arrives today. My entry covers our last night in Austria to our first nite in the CR. After a great days ride (though cloudy and cool) we pulled into Waidofen an der thaya (on the Thaya River) where we spent our last nite in Austria. The town set high on a steep hill which made for Mike and I being a little anxious. We did not like hills especially in the second half of the day. In keeping with our tradition we went to the platz (town square) and just gazed a bit and got our legs. Then one of us would happenstance pick a local to inquire about possible places to stay. This afternoon led us to a family gasthaus beside the town church. After check in and hot shower we met for a beer as we usually did on the ground floor where the gasthaus always had a restaurant and bar. We would then take a walk and scout for a place for dinner to get us out and about, sometimes seeking ideas from locals other times our own pick. This nite we ended up in a place called Tell on a group hunch. The owner (Stephan Kaintz) took a liking to us and personally waited on us because he spoke great english. The food was fabulous and one of our best meals starting with Steve's homemade pizza and then the house dish of chicken and vegetables in a sauce to die for. When we were leaving Steve insisted on buying us a beer and joining him and several of his friends. It was a treat leading to us getting a lot of local color and the recipe for the chicken dish and sauce. We learned about tall shrines (two to three stories) in every platz. Many were built at the time of the Black plague. Will remained with Steve and friends late into the morning and made some friends he thinks will visit.

The next days ride was cool and cloudy weather again in the morning, but on que with an email from Catherine sending sun vibes from Madagascar, blue skies and sunshine arrived in the afternoon. We stopped for lunch in a little village close to the Czech border. While eating the owner summoned us back to our bikes where through hand language and evidence we learned Will's rear tire blew out. (A blessing we weren't flying down a hill or in the middle of no where). The owner took us to his shop where he had tools, compressor and even a better tube fit that he swapped with us and refused to take anything for his efforts. After lunch we arrived at the CR/AUS border. The gateworks took you back in time picturing many armed guards but everything was wide open and barely anyone around spare two elderly guys removing snow stakes for the season. We motioned for one to take our picture under the border sign which lead to a lively discourse (none in English) where he proudly made it known he had biked once several thousand k's around eastern Europe. We got big smiles and kindred spirits as we motioned for him to join us.

The CR welcomed us with some great downhill rides. We spotted quite a few deer and rabbits (that seemed nearly as big as the deer) along the way. Later in the day after facing a number of uphill slogs we stopped to rest by a little cemetery to some of Will's backpack guitar music. To our delight the next crest led us to a downhill coast all the way into our destination of Jindrichv Hradec. J Hradec was a bustling town where we saw the most people since leaving Wien. Will had gotten the name of a place to stay from Steve the nite before but they were booked which led us to the Grand Hotel on the platz. Mike wanted to mail some things back which involved quite an ordeal. (We later learned from George Nussbaum in Praha a great joke about a Czech and a genie that shed some light on the situation). J Hradec was a prosperous castle town with a scenic lake, river and moat. John and I discovered a stork in its monster nest high atop a chimney. A broken english recommendation and parrot sounds led us to our dinner spot that nite. (Can you say parrot in czech). It was really tucked away but so well worth it for the great food and way that it took us to see the sites.

I am typing on the bberry (John is great to be writing many of the blogs on the berry) in our hostel sun morn in Prague. We are waiting to go to Mass at Tyn Church in Town Square. It is a blessing to be here with John and Will. Trip of a lifetime and our foursome has been most enjoyable with John as leader and navigator, Will as music, bike repair and Chillmaster, Mike as banker and lodgemaster. Many Thanks to you guys. Hope Sally can make it over to join you for a leg. TTFN