Travelling from Vienna to Prague by train was an interesting and comfortable journey (yes, another train journey to escape the three days of rain in Vienna) in economy class you get your own private little writing, eating table and plenty of space for the bike bags and the bike. Just make sure you reserve the bike when you book your seat or you may not get it on. It was one extra euro for the bike but worth it.
The country changes from hills to virtually flat open rural districts and as you cross into the Czech Republic you also notice the different makeup of the villages - a very Bohemian landscape.
If your going to Prague you're not going because it's pouring with rain and potentially flooding again as it apparently did in 2002 - and you're not going because you want to watch wood, plastic buckets, organic debri and whatever else can float on the torrent of brown called the Danube (or sometimes called the Blue Danube or Donau by the German's) from the famous Charles Bridge.
That's what Prague presented to me for three days due to the constant rain flooding districts all over Central Europe with the water eventually finding somewhere to go. As a result the large a German city of Passau completely flooded and was a destination I had planned for my so-called Danube cycling tour, not.
But I did go to see the Old Town Hall initially built in the 1300's with the present Gothic and Renaissance portions having been carefully restored since the devastation of World War II.
The 12th-century dungeon in the basement became the headquarters of the Resistance during the Prague uprising in 1945.
There is also the Astronomical Clock in the main square that has been running since 1490 and shows the movement of the sun and moon through the zodiac. Very eclectic style.
I've also seen a lot of churches in Europe - they're everywhere and just massive in size and simply indicative of the endemic stamp of a long religious history in Europe. The landscape is simply marked by them and actually helps to navigate towns because the church tower really stands out above the forests.
As I walked into the central square a very large St Nicholas Church to the left caught my eye and as I walked up the steps a young Czech woman at the top behind a table asked if I would like to attend a concert leter that day with a performance by the Prague Mozart Trio and female mezzo soprano. I had to think for only a microsecond before I said yes and paid just 20 euros to hear local musicians, in a magnificent structure in Prague! Wow! The program included Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Franck and Kopriva and the acoustics in the church is superb. Of course after the concert I wandered around the city square, found a suitable cosy restaurant and celebrated the bike and my first month travelling in Europe.
The bike has already endured several months in eastern Australia and New Zealand with a heavy load and has not missed a best, albeit one puncture and still with original front tyre. Ava as I call it (short for Avanti the brand) has all the resilience and stoicism of a strong German Frau and has endured dirt roads, rough tracks, forest bogs and torrential rain.
150m escalator
Some TLC (tender loving care) has also been given with the good oil, new chain, disc brake pads and occasional clean. It really gathers speed downhill with me and 43kilos in motion, in fact I have peaked at 70km in New Zealand but then started to apply the brakes so I could negotiate the bend at the bottom with confidence. Weeeeeeeee!!!!
Next on the horizon - Munich
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