Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Day 20 - Cycle Breclav to Brno, Czech Republic - A big big day

Continuing Anne-Marie's plan that we should get as far as possible in three days we made a beeline for Brno. Big mistake, these Czechoslovakians obviously don't take their cycle path maintenance as seriously as the Austrians. Within 50 meters we hit a rooty, lumpy, slow, sandy backroad. Within 5km we were lost, lugging our weighty steeds over random train tracks, annoying bridge development crews, and turned back at unmapped dead ends. Eventually Reuben managed to convince a Czech lady who pretended not to speak a word of English to sell him a couple of sim cards. Despite the crappy slow internet we managed to GPS and G-Maps our way back onto EV9. YAY DATA!

The route immediately started an amazing but completely out of the way 30km detour through the Pastvisko u Lednice area and forest. The sand trap and mud filled disaster of a bike path, (goodbye clean drive-trains) was compensated for by the random discovery of Czech nobility follies scattered throughout the forest. It was like some tornado had randomly picked up artworks and buildings from the centre of Vienna, Paris or Prague and planked them whole and untouched in the middle of the countryside kilometres from anywhere.

A couple of hours later we struggled out of the forest to the grim reality we were badly behind schedule facing the returned headwind stronger and more punishing than yesterday. Fortunately the cycle route changed to minor sealed country back roads, around impressive lakes, and through beautiful vineyard country with it's bright colourful houses each with it's own wine cellar. Only the occasional badly corrugated or sand trapped unsealed section making our lives more difficult as we battered our way through the incessant wind. Anne-Marie's spirits where almost broken as 11 hours in the saddle ticked around and we navigated our way through the decidedly dodgy back streets of Brno to find an amazing and funky Sono hotel.

There was barely minutes left to have a shower and get our dinner order in before last call at 9:30pm. It was worth it, the prices less than half Australian prices and the food was spot on, and today, 128 painful kilometres later, well earned. 

Put the camera away it's time to leave Roo.
 It's 9am and we've got a long way to go.

Five minutes later, I think we're lost. 

We're not in Austria any more toto.

Dead end.


It's a nice church anyhow.



$1 for two glasses of Chardonnay from a farmer lost in the forest at folly two.
Bargain.

Chardonnay seller.

Folly panorama.

When in folly...

Folly 3 is a house we think. It's got doors and windows anyhow.

Folly four is just a shrine 

Back to town

Vineyards over Breclav.

Awesome speed tuck!

Flowers forever.

Look at that enormous castle over there, I bet we detour past that.

An hour later - Yep.

Selfie.

A selection of underground wine cellars.
Every house in the Moravia wine region has one.
They produce 96% of the Czech Republic's wine.

Crossing the lake.

Wave it's only 5pm and we've got 65km to go.

Damn it's getting dark.

Where the hell is Brno?

Dinner, beer, exhaustion and wind burn.
A heady mix.


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