A few days at camp to plan for our time in Czech Republic: ...and to feel healthier - Exploring Germany, Czech Republic and beyond... on our Recumbent Tandem - CycleBlaze
A few days at camp to plan for our time in Czech Republic: ...and to feel healthier
We recognize that we have stumbled on to a great camping spot and have decided to stay put for a few days. We have nice neighbours here and we like the setting and amenities offered. It will be nice to have a day off from sightseeing and touring. In Canada, we were unable to get good cycling maps for this region - and we have lots of planning to do. As well, Barry is plagued with a vicious sinus headache that has sent him back to the tent for much of the day. Hopefully he will feet better soon. We enjoyed a Czech meal at the restaurant on the lake - very tasty....then laundry and reading. It has been a good "stay at camp" kind of day. After much studying of the maps we decided that we should back track to Cheb when we leave here and follow the Eurovelo4 route to Prague. We have 3 different cycling maps and each of these maps show different route #'s...so we'll have to keep a close eye. As soon as we got in to bed, the rains started and continued through the night. The winds have been really strong since we arrived. The tent is a cosy place to be on a night like this.
Friday June 20 We awoke to a cold and stormy morning - and unfortunately Mary Ellen is now feeling under the weather. Thanks to Astrid, one of our neighbours at camp who gave us some medicine that should help us. It was the kind of morning when it is wise not to push it and carry on. We decided: why rush and ride in the rain and wind. Instead, we are going to have a restful morning and then take the train to the nearby spa city of Marianske Lazne. It feels like an adventure to take a day trip without our bike. The city is quite beautiful with outstanding neo-classical buildings, fountains with classical music programmed to complement the show and beautiful gardens. The city has a long, celebrated history of being a spa town attracting such luminaries as Franz Kafka, Goethe, Einstein, royalty, etc. It was resurrected in 1989 as a destination after the cold war and is thriving today. We were lucky to chance upon a free concert of a local orchestra set in a historic open air building. It was a magical day. We are now anxious to get on the road and see what else Czech Republic has in store for us. Staying here at Camping am See has given us some enjoyable connections with fellow travellers from the Netherlands - we have met Astrid ("the fun loving Dutch girl") and her husband (we will root for the Dutch to find success at the World Cup) as well as Jan and Hazel who were full of good stories.
School's out and the kids are lining up for their ice cream.
Astrid was a great neighbour for us at camp. When we arrived, she immediately invited us over for coffee. As she told me later, she was once referred to as a "fun loving Dutch girl" and I certainly agree. She and her husband were on holidays from the Netherlands and were avid fans of the World Cup and the Dutch team's success.
Tourists come here to see the beauty of this place, but mostly these spa towns attract visitors who are seeking treatments and will take advantage of the curative powers of the springs. Each sink offers a tasting of a different type of water - bring your own bottle/cup or you can buy a special sipping porcelain mug.
The end of our day trip - back to our campground which is steps from this train stop. This train station is more humble and run down than the high profile one at Marianske Lazne.
We are back at camp having had a wonderful day. We are usually the smallest tent (and sometimes the only tent) at these campgrounds. We like that in Czech Republic, we are given a spacious site and not crammed in with other tents.
