Our stay at the Youth Hostel has been good. We have liked its location, the food, the people. The charm of this historic building is undeniable. Last night there was a thunder storm and heavy rain - this kept the kids inside and not in front of our window -which was good. Had breakfast with Martina, a teacher from the Gymnasium (High) School in Mainz. She has been a delightful dining companion and we have had many talks about teaching in our respective countries as well as skiing in Canada. Perhaps we'll see her again someday when we are in the Mainz area. We were able to load the bike on the train - with some difficulty - and the 2 hour ride to Cheb took us through pretty and hilly country. As soon as we stepped off the train, we could feel the difference from Germany - we are now in Eastern Europe. The buildings look less prosperous and the infrastructure is not there. Czech Republic is part of the EU, but they have not changed to the Euro - they have held on to the Koruna currency and there is very little English spoken. The Old Town area has a large pedestrian area and is surrounded by historic buildings. We were able to get some local maps and headed out to buy provisions and find a nearby campground. Shopping in a new country is always a bit of a challenge. Understanding the prices and signs in a new language is confusing Riding out of Cheb gave us a taste of what riding will be like here - hills, different signage and no dedicated bike trail. Like home, we will be sharing the road with cars and trucks. We thought we were doing well, when I noticed that we had missed the lake. Somehow, we had missed a turn - I wasn't too popular as we had to climb a hill we had just come down. The campground is called Camping am See Veclav - it is beautifully situated at the end of the lake and exceeds our expectations. It is nicely designed with large pitches and a view of the lake. A restaurant, shop and play area are some of the amenities. It costs 320 koruna (approx. 12 euros) and includes wifi and hot showers. A good start to our stay here. We are surrounded by many campers from Holland and we have benefited from their friendliness and hospitality. A couple across from us invited us over for coffee and a visit. Very nice. And then, our neighbour Jan came over to talk about our bike. He and his wife Hazel are here with their trailer. We talked for a long time and really enjoyed getting to know them. We were impressed that he has walked in the annual Nimegen 4 day event (30/40/50 km per day) for 30 years. We were in the area last year and saw the walkers. Inspirational. The night has turned very cold and windy. We have bundled up in many layers, crawled in to our sleeping bag and are happily watching an episode of Game of Thrones in our tent. A good day and interesting start to our time in the Czech Republic.
The train station in Nuremburg - we're on our way to Czech Republic
Charmaine RuppoltNice to have a conveyor belt next to the stairs at the train station! I could have used that when taking some trains in Germany! Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Interesting sign - there are 3 trains connected on the track, but they will split and go to different destinations. It is critical that you read the sign properly or you will end up going to the wrong place. Our train to Cheb is at the front.
We shared the space with a family and their stroller. There wasn't a way to clamp the bike,so one of us had to stand and keep the bike from falling over.
The campground outside of Cheb, Camping am See Velcav had a TV room, which was very popular due to the World Cup. Tonight anxious Dutch fans were watching their team play Australia - and the Dutch won!
