July 6, 2011
Kralupy - Eger: An easy solution
Several years ago we rode this part of the bike path, now following the Vltava River to Prague, in the other direction. It was a difficult stretch and we were just hoping, or actually we had read, that it had been improved. Parts of it were better - and some parts weren't.
It was hot and sunny and the first part of the ride was lovely. Before we reached Libcice we left the river bank and at the price of a steep climb we could avoid some of the very narrow and rough bike path that followed the river. With our e-bikes the hill wasn't a tremendous problem and the countryside was rewarding. I was surprised to see extensive fields of poppies, not the ornamental, red-flowered corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas), but the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), not a common sight in Europe. The milk from the capsule yields opium and opiates and the poppy seeds are used in cooking and baking. The blossoms were now almost completely gone and we saw fields of green capsules.
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We returned to the river, the only approach to Prague that would not entail a considerable detour on busy roads. Part of the time I pushed my bike, not feeling secure riding on the large, loose stones. There were many bikers out since it was a national holiday, many on mountain bikes and quite oblivious of the rough bike path. Or maybe they enjoyed it especially since it justified their fat tires. I made sure to step aside and make way when I saw them coming. And of course I felt like a wimp pushing my bike.
Finally, we reached the outskirts of the city, cycled through the park above the river and found a route down to its banks, crossed the bridge and - hurrah, we made it to Prague.
The city was busy and hot. Although it was a holiday, some book shops were open. However, we weren't finding what we needed, information on the bike path leading south from Prague along the Vltava.
What to do? We weren't interested in sightseeing in Prague this time around, we wanted to be on our way. On the other hand, we weren't feeling adventurous enough to just strike out in the right general direction and say it will work out somehow. The solution was the train station. At the station we took the next train that would take bicycles and that would get us closer to home. We were looking for an easy solution, no hassle.
We got a train to Eger, near the German border. The train's route was interesting, it followed the Vltava and Elbe, exactly the route we had cycled. Why, we could have gotten on this same train in Usti a couple of days ago, shot through my head. But then, no, I didn't regret a single kilometer, even if they weren't all effortless.
In the evening we were in Eger. This was a stop on our bike trip to Berlin a few years ago and we headed straight for 'our' hotel on the main square. The concierge was the same woman and we got the same room. Eger itself had changed somewhat, and for the better. Many of the old buildings had been restored and the town was looking very prosperous.
Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles)
Total: 2,345 km (1,456 miles)
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