Sunday, 24.10. Königgrätz (Hradec Kralova), 120 km

I say farewell to the landlord and he is alert to get the money for the third night that I have cancelled. I will go east. So down to the Vitava again and meanwhile I know some side routes. In the eastern direction there is an arterial road named Podebradska. The next town where I want to go is named Podebrady. So it is easy to combine, that this road will be the right one. This is true, but it is a very long street and after 28 km I finally reach the outskirts of Prague.

On the Road

Buscabin

The road with number 611 runs parallel to an Autobahn so we have few traffic. This road leads straight ahead, there is no bend until the horizon. But the wind comes from behind and so I sometimes reach 30 km/h. The landscape is flat but the trees are so colourful that it never will be boring. The brightest brownish yellow has the maple tree. So we dream of the Indian summer in Canada with the leaf of the maple in its national emblem. Thoughts in central Tschechien.

Podebrady

Chlumec

At Podebrady I have my first rest and have made 75 km already. There is such a pretty big square place again. Aside is somewhat like a castle but I resign to have a look. We have to go another 50 km and don't want to come into the dark again. The Autobahn ends at this town and the road is now named E67. This means more traffic. When there is no appropiate shoulder aside the carriageway it sometimes gets perilous. Meanwhile I think about Königgrätz, a famous name, was there any war event or battle during Napoleon or Frederic the Great?

At Königgrätz (Hradec Kralove) was the final battle of the Prussian - Austrian war  at the 3. 7. 1866. The Prussian army led by H. Moltke defeated the Austrian-Saxionian national army led by L. von Benedek and thereafter attacked towards Vienna.

Sideroad -

to Libcany

But now I pass the town Chlumec and there it is busy because they have a fair or festival. For a rest I only find a bus cabin with much trash - not all places of the world a fine. I fight my way on this busy road but finally facing another endless section straight ahead I look for a side road on the map. Of course there would have been variants before but I did not know, if I woul reach my destination in time. Now I do know it and turn to the villages Libčany, Hvozdnice, Hřibsko, Plačice. Nice to pronounce. But we see a church ahead, vineyards and orchard meadows, avenues within hedgerows: always something to look around. And now I enter the suburbs of Königgrätz and finally end at the market place.

Königgrätz

Barockkirche ?

Arkaden

I must rub my eyes - I am in paradise. No tourists, no traffic, pretty fassades and two noble cathedrals. And among all this at the corner the Pension Pod Vezi, at another corner a Chinese Restaurant. The Hotel was recently renovated so it is a feeling as if one were the first guest in here. Of course you find me tonight in the restaurant mentioned above. I consume a heap of "Knusprig gebackenes Ente" (duck), two big beers and then pay 8 €. This is like cockaigne (Schlaraffenland). The final walk around is romantic - it is a very nice town indeed and in advance I choose this place for the golden palm award of this tour.

Kirche vom Heiligen Geist in the Evening Sun

and by Night

In the TV they delight me with related pop songs like "You win again" (Bee Gees) or "Distant Lands are not so far away" (The Other Ones).

Monday, 25.10. Sumperk (Mährisch Schönberg), 122 km

After this nice stay at Königgrätz we will approach the western parts of the Sudety mountains. From now on we will avoid any main roads. The side roads are not only nearly traffic-free but moreover there are the nicer landscapes and villages. In spite of all this at first we must leave the town on a main road on the road number 11 until Tyniste. From there we will use the side roads 305, 317, 315, via Chocen, Usti, Lanskroun and Zabreh to Sumperk. Until Usti we ride along the river Ticha Orlice which flows into the Elbe (don't forget - this is named Labe hereabout). There is not so much sun today so we don't get so many photos. At the end of the section of this day we have the first remarkable hills, there are heights up to 600 m around. This is between Landskroun and Zabreh, and once we pass a beautiful valley with meadows along the creek Moravska Sazawa which finally is named Morave and flows to the Danube. So we must have passed the watershed between the Elbe and the Danube.

Windindicators

Autumn

A Sad Place

After these hills it is enough for today at Sumperk. The tourist information is in an old building with the museum named Paulinenhof (Pavlinův dvůr). As accommodation they recommend Villa Ancora at the next street. This house is first class again, but the price is always 30 €. This time they have a high-tech shower cabin with various high pressure stream facilities. So we must perform a learning by doing course until the right armatures are found. But the sweety on the pillow is only soap, alas.

At the tourist information they have drawn a P on the city map and this P stands for Pizzeria. This is named Farao and somewhat dimly lit, but the pizza finds its way... On the way back I stroll around some time, but if it is completely dark you cannot see so much. There sits a somewhat cricked woman at a bench. You may talk to her whatever you want - she will not bother because she is made of bronze.

Back in my room I look some TV - one of the the favoured quiz programme but the candidates don't know nothing today.
Then I cut up my road map which is as large as a table cloth. There are areas that I never will reach and those parts of the map are needless. Then I find a tiny zigzag road on the map, nearly not to be seen. It leads just along the border of the Nature- or National Park CHKO Jeseniky. If the weather will be fine tomorrow, may be we have a try.

Tuesday, 26.10. Jesenik, 85 km

It is hazy in the morning but dry. So let us enter the zigzag road between Sumperk.and Rymarov. Soon after Sumperk we turn left and climb up all along a village named Novy Malin until the edge of the woods. At crossways there are signposts for the hikers and one can read the height of those places. At first we have about 400 m, then 600 m and at last 770 m. And all this climbing is traffic free because no one will stray around in this area except some people who search for mushrooms.

As usual we have to brake down parts of this valuable height to reach Rymarov which is at 590 m. The tourist information is in union with a shop for magazines, books and maps. I have no plans how to continue and ask for the best area for an accommodation. They say that the best would be Jesenik, a big town on the other side of the Hruby Jesenik mountains which were named Altvatergebirge in former times. So let us cross the mountains this afternoon, this is just where I wanted to go.

Not exactly - my primarily aim was the Moravska Brana (Mährische Pforte) at Ostrawa. But one can suppose that there is more industry and traffic and I would need one more day to go all the way south-east.

Rymarov

From Rymarov to Jesenik there are 40 km of some roads with few traffic with the numbers 445 and 450. This is the valley of the Moravice, slightly leading uphill. This is a touristic area with pensions, hotels and super hotels, all awaiting the wintersport guests. Then the route gets steeper and after the place Karlova Studanka we have reached more than 1000 m height. We then have to run down some 100 m height to the 4 houses of Vidly. There you can have a rest if you do not bother the yapping of some dachshunds (Dackel). Thereafter we must climb up to 930 m again and at a big parking place for the busses or so have got over this "twin pass".

The next 20 km to Jesenik are downhill without pedalling ore braking. At Jesenik the tourist information is as usual in the townhall in the middle of the market place. They give me a city map and a list with accomodation offers. But at the next corner I detect the Hotel Staric and get a room there. It doesn't look as elegant as my former accommodation facilities, but in the internet one can read, that this is one of the oldest and most traditional buildings of the town. So my bicycle disappears in the arcs of a basement vaults (Kellergewölbe). There is a remarkable price list: bicycle support: 15 Kr., breakfast: 50 Kr., a dog overnight: 100 Kr. To calculate this in EURo you must devide the amount by 30. I finally pay 470 Kr.

For dinner we find a nice restaurant at the market place and have pork ribs with bacon. I sit behind a pillar and so are not disturbed by the omnipresent TV. In turn I flirt with the mobile or the Dackel Dori, who apparently likes the smell of pork ribs. And I get in contact with at home with the mobile (EUROTEL - you know?).