- 16: Flew out of BWI on Thursday, the 16th, on a red-eye to London. and
- 17: arrived at Heathrow on Friday morning. Transferred to the flight to Prague, and arrived there in the early afternoon. Took public transportation (with a monster, wheel-less duffel full of bike stuff) to the city and found the Hotel Adria on Wenceslas Square, near the Franciscan Garden, where I spent the next two nights. Dinner at a small restaurant on the Square, and then some exploring in Old Town.
- 18: Up early on Saturday morning, breakfast at the hotel, then hiked through the Old Town to the Charles Bridge and across to the Prague Castle. Had lunch at a sidewalk cafe, then toured St Vitus Cathedral and the Lobkowicz Palace. Walked back to the hotel for a rest, then had dinner in the Old Town square. After dinner, attended a concert at Municipal House, then back to Wenceslas Square for ice cream.
- 19: Our cycling group met on Sunday morning. The group included Sally Kentch and Larry Mauksch from Washington, Craig McKibben and Sarah Merner from Washington, Anantha Kanchlera from Washington, Steve Smaha and Jessica Winslow from Austin, Texas, Alice Smith from Texas, Sarah Ozee from Colorado, Kirk and Virginia Dignum from Colorado, and Dana Goldstein from Pennsylvania. The tour guides were Pavel Cinatl and Monica Porizhova, both from the Czech Republic. After introductions, we loaded into two vans (followed by a bike truck) and drove to Postupice [map] to begin our first bike ride (Postupice to Pelhrimov, route map A route map B). The morning was a little chilly, but warmed up quickly. We rode to Naceradec [map]. where lunch was planned. Just before we got to the town, a chilly downpour blew through. We ate lunch in a small restaurant in town, and waited for the rain to stop. After lunch we continued the ride to Pacov [map]. A few miles out of town, another storm caught up with us (including a brief hail shower…leg/arm warmers back on). We met our vans in Pacov and rode to Telc [map], a 13th century town and UNESCO World Heritage Site. We checked in to the Hotel Celerin on the main square of town. After a brief stroll through town, we had dinner at a small restaurant a few doors from the hotel.
- 20: Up early so I could visit the bike shop near our hotel to replace a cleat on my bike shoes. After the quick repair, we started our day-long bike loop [route map A route map B]. Rode to Trest [map] (got slightly lost, en route, with Kirk and Ginny), where we had lunch at a small restaurant. After lunch we followed the loop route up a steady grade, through woods, to Hrad Rostejn, the location of Rostejn Castle, a 14th century hunting manor. After the tour, we biked back to Telc. Got together with Anantha, Dana, Alice, and Sarah for dinner.
- 21: Toured Telc Chateau in the morning, then drove to Rozkos [map] to begin the day’s cycling through the wine region of South Moravia (Rozkos to Hlohovec map A map B). We stopped for lunch on the porch of a small restaurant in a little Czech village (afternoon announcements coming through Soviet-era loudspeakers), and then rode through to Pasohlavky [map], where we met the vans for the ride to Hlohovec, Slovakia [map]. En route to our hotel, we toured the grounds at Lednice. Checked in at our hotel, Hranicni Zamecek and met the group for dinner in the hotel dining room. After dinner, we visited a local vintner, who hosted a wine-tasting. After “tasting” copious volumes of wine, the group retreated to picnic table in the yard for moonlit joviality (and lard-spread bread). Tom Waits on the radio in the van ride back to the hotel.
- 22: Woke up a little hungover from the previous evening’s libations (lucky to be only a little hungover), and met the group in the hotel dining room for breakfast. Loaded the vans and drove to Malacky, Slovakia [map] [route map]. Rode to Zahorska Ves [map], where we picked up the bike path that ran parallel to the Morava River (separating Austria from Slovakia). Rode through fields of sunflowers on one side of the path, with the river on the other side. Finished the bike ride (very warm day) at Devin [map], at the confluence of the Morava with the Danube, and enjoyed a picnic lunch. After lunch, we walked around the grounds at Devin Castle. Loaded the vans after our visit at Devin, and drove to Sopron, Hungary [map]. Checked in at the lovely Hotel Wollner. Explored the town a little, then met the group for an elegant dinner at the hotel, including a celebration of Jessica’s birthday. After dinner, some more exploring of Sopron, including a trip to the Roman ruins with Anantha and Pavel.
- 23: After breakfast at the hotel, we drove to Neusiedl am See [map] in Austria. The route started on a multipurpose path around Lake Neusiedl, through a UNESCO protected bird sanctuary [route map]. After leaving the park area, the route wound through several small Austrian villages, include one where a recent celebration had left the roads flower-strewn, and then across the Austrian-Hungarian border. Stopped in Fertod [map] for a picnic lunch, then cycled to Balf [map] for the van back to Sopron.
- 24: Breakfast at the hotel, and then van transport to Osli [map], where we began the day’s cycling trip [route map]. We biked through the Hungarian National Park of Ferto-Hansag, then through several small Hungarian villages, finally arriving in the city of Gyor [map]. We checked into the Romantik Schweizerhof Hotel, and then visited one of the city’s thermal baths (Raba Quelle).
- 25: Morning van transport to the start of our ride, then through small Hungarian villages and parkland to Pannonhalma [map]. En route, Steve and I became engrossed in conversation and missed a turn, ending up taking a few circular tours of the Pannonhalma Landscape Protection Area, a wooded area of rolling hills and great views. After a couple of hours, we spotted one of our vans (searching for us, but headed away) and followed that route out of the Park and to the Pannonhalma Benedictine Abbey. Got to the Abbey just in time to take the tour with the rest of the group. After the tour, we had lunch at a restaurant in Pannonhalma, then drove to our final destination, Budapest [map], where we arrived in the late afternoon, checking in to the Art ‘otel on the Buda side of the Danube. Most of the group got together for a last dinner at a place on the Pest side of the river, recommended by the hotel concierge. We hiked across the Chain Bridge at sunset and strolled to the restaurant. Great food (chicken paprikash) and good music (violin, dulcimer, and bass).
- 26: Met up with Anantha, Sarah, and Dana on Saturday morning after breakfast and took the subway to the Szechenyi thermal baths. Anantha, Sarah, and Dana took off for town after a couple of hours, and I went for a massage at the baths. After the massage, I had lunch near the baths, then explored City Park and Heroes’ Square. Took the subway back to the hotel, then spent the afternoon exploring Castle Hill. Met Sarah for dinner, then back to the hotel to pack up for the trip home.
- 27: Early shuttle to Ferihegy Airport for the flight to Heathrow. Close to departure time, the baggage handling system at the airport broke down, and the counters closed, resulting in lots of missed flights and mobbed security gates. Heathrow to BWI, where Susan was waiting to take me back to College Park.
Kerry Snow's Travel Blog (and other stuff)
