Now we head west

So we achieved the goal of reaching the source of the Elbe/Labe.

Now we head west - 75 kms today to Hradec Králové. Trip profile shows downhill - I hope so!

Hmmm - I don’t think so! It was slightly downhill to start; then it got lumpy; and then there was an enormous climb! What?!

We messed about initially looking for the start of the bike trail. Passed a Škoda factory: a Czech automobile manufacturer started in 1895.

Anyway, it was very pleasant early, riding for a short time on bike track, then on roads, then on dirt track which was very hard work, then on a busy road up that hill!

It was now quite hot - MF1 said it got to 30 deg C today! From the top, where we rested sweatily at a bus stop - and eyed off the sign advertising beer at the nearby pub - it was downhill to a picturesque dam site, Les Království.

Earlier, on leaving Vrchlabí, we had a neat ride along unsealed track back and forth over the railway line, then a quick ride along the road to the pretty little village of Hostinné with a Renaissance town hall decorated with two statues of 4.8 metres high giants – Rolands in Roman armour. There was a small market taking place in the main square and we passed through to the river but lost track of the signs for a short time which took a little sorting out. 

On we went to Dvůr Králové, another pretty town where we enjoyed a very good coffee. It too had a nice central square - cobbled like the others and with a large Plague Column.

Just as we were leaving the town - and on the lookout for a place by the river to have our picnic lunch - MF2’s bike started making a noise. On these long trips you NEVER leave a noise unattended and, sure enough, examination showed a bolt had come off the pannier rack and the rack was dragging off over the back of the bike! This could have been disastrous except for some adept manipulation by MF1 of ocky straps and cable ties (which we NEVER travel without, based on previous experiences!), and so lunch was eaten on the pavement in turns as everyone ‘pitched in’ to unload and reload panniers, test that the repairs worked and set off once more. Hot!

Next brief stop was Kuks. There used to be mineral springs here and a world-renowned spa in the 1600s, but the building that really catches the eye is the hospital which was constructed for army veterans in the early 1700s.

It would have been good to check this out but we had to keep moving as at this stage we still had about 40 kms to go and we were very low on water.

There were still a few hills here - not as bad as earlier in the day - and then not long after Kuks we seemed to have a more downhill or flat run into Hradec Králové. We stopped at Smiřice (these upside down v‘s on top of letters in Czech!! My i-pad doesn't even do these on top of r’s!). Quenched our thirst with a large, cold glass of kofola, a local cola-like drink.

This gave us ‘a hit’ to go the last 20 kms, some of which was single-track up on a dyke by the river - somewhat tricky!

In town, we saw a supermarket complex and headed there to get some water and provisions for tomorrow but got side-tracked by a Bunnings-type store to try to get some bolts to fix the bike rack, even though the ocky straps and cable ties were doing a sterling job.

Outside watching the bikes, I saw a bloke emerge clutching a bike helmet and on a whim asked him ’do you speak English?’; then ‘do you know where there is a bike shop?’ He did!! And what’s more, when I showed him the spot for the missing bolt, he said ‘follow me’, which we promptly did (after retrieving MF1 from ‘Bunnings’, which was proving useless anyway).

Our new-found friend led the way into the city centre and to a place we’d never have found on our own: a bike shop, run by a local co-op. The bolt was replaced, they gave us a couple of spares (at no cost!), we had coffee and cake plus we shouted a beer each for Our Friend and his workshop offsider and he even led the way after to our apartment. What a hero! How lucky were we to find this guy!

A quick shower and we walked to the main square (we are staying right in the centre of town) while there was still some decent light. Absolutely beautiful.

We had a drink at an outside bar then found a pub away from the square where the MFs could try some new beers and we had some decent pub grub for dinner.

A big day!

Cycling distance: 80 kms