So we’ve made it to the Czech Rep and have been enjoing a double day off.  We spent 6 long days in the saddle racking up the miles across the rest of Germany, over the Bavaraian mountains to get to Cesky Krumlov, where we are now.

6 days up and down mountains certainly had our bodies at a new level of tiredness!  We’re slowly learning that when a mood comes in you have to realise pretty quickly that its from the fatigue or hunger not from some silly reason like taking a wrong turn or running low on water.  A bit like the wethaer each day we are starting to become far more zen about what comes our way, moods, rain clouds, hills etc.  Accepting that hills are there as a challenge, rain comes and goes and carbs will help lift your mood are all part of the experience…..don’t ask us that if we’ve run out of snickers though otherwise we’ll have a finger!

Breakfast pre border crossing. The hills look small in the distance, a trick of the light!

Sheltered lunch on a rainy day. Colour coordination is compulsory on our team

Post our last rest at Almut See we traversed the rest of the Bavarian plains until we met the mountains that were to bring us over the border.  As anyone will know who’s spent time on a bike, flat, hot straight roads bring with them there own challenge so we were quite glad to get into more forrested, undulating country.

At the start of the trip we set our daily mileage at 33 (that’s 7 days a week so it works out that we accumlate these and then take our days off) but the days at the start of last week saw us reaching 50-60 a day comfortably.  With the bikes and kit weighing in at around 50KG it’s been interesting to see our fitness slowly step up over the last month and we’re sure it will continue as the hills become more of our daily bread and butter.

The Bavarian mountains, although cursed at times during uphill struggles, were truly beautiful and as the landscpae around us became more Alpine so too did the buildings and accents.  Its wonderful to hear the accents change as you travel through a country and there was evidently as much regionality as in both our homelands.  The inhabitants of the South also seemed a little more approachible and we camped a couple of nights on various farms.  Again, people are very warm to hear our story and with our pigeon German it’s nice to share a smile or two.

Crossing the border was a real high, partly because from Holland to Germany we hadn’t even noticed the difference and this time it was on top of a mountain with a duty free shop to boot!  We checked for Laphroag, alas to no avail and we’re down to our last flask full….very special occasions only!  The Czech Rep was instantly different, far less manucured and far easier on the wallet.  Beer is an insitution hear and Brian is enjoying the wheaty bevvie at a mere 1 pound a pint (I have a foreign keyboard and can’t find the pound sign).  A big thank you to Joe, Brians dad, for giving us his left over Czech currency, it’s looked after us very well 🙂

Our house is a very very fine house….

A quiet escape at a busy campsite in Cesky krumlov

So it was a couple of days cycle down to Cesky Krumlov which is a truly stunning town in the Bohemian South of the country. We’ve actually been going to bed after the sun has gone down and are fully refreshed for the road and saddle again tomorrow.

Beautiful painted buildings in CK

CESKY KRUMLOV

Spot the donkey

Three items of food we couldn’t live without:

Mayonaise – it literally goes with anything, the creamy little badger!

Tinned Herring – they sell it everywhere and with mayonaise atop it’s the food of kings

Courgettes – there’s not many veggies who could take on the impact of cycle touring but these beauties stay firm

On the food front, it really is amazing what conconctions you can whip up with one ring burner.  Whoever makes it out to join us is promised some trangia (our trusty cooker) delights that will put hairs on your chest.

Big up to LJ and Jimbo who tied the knot on Saturday, we were with you, dancing shoes on in spirit and we hope the sun was shining for your big day.

Be Good!

Tommy & Brian

xxx