Tábor...One Snazzy Medeival Town

from Bird:

We are in Jindřichův Hradec, about thirty miles or fifty kilometers from Tábor. We rode here yesterday and found a great Pension near the main square. Today is July 27, 2008 and it has been days since our last posting. After our escape from Benešov by plasticky bike into Votice we took a train the next day to Tábor. I will never forget the feeling of getting off the train after a long cold rainy day and the sun coming out on the main street in Tábor with its winding cobblestone streets and modern artsy wares. Tábor was originally an effective fortress established by the Hussites, a Christian sect started by Jan Hus. Later it was renovated into a town with amazing architecture but the underground tunnels and individualistic flare remain.

We found a wonderful Pension near the main square with a Native American motif and for three mornings after our breakfast of bread, cheese and ham we would ask to rent our room for another night. On our first day in Tábor I bought a phone card and called my parents for the first time. It was two in the afternoon here and they were diligently getting ready for work at eight in the morning. They almost did not pick up because of the weird number but it was a fun ten minute call that cost a little over a dollar a minute. After this we went to a restaurancé on the square, The Havana Club, and met Mía and Charlie. They are friends who were both born in Czech. Mía and her husband (a cinematographer who died several years ago) lived in L.A. for 30 years while he taught at UCLA and she worked with the international students. Charlie traveled around living in different countries and came back after the Soviet period of "impotence" to open a lovely jazz bar called, of course, Charlie´s Jazz Club, down an alley from the main square. Mía invited us to her cottage the next day located in a village about six miles from Tábor. We were delighted by the invitation but got lost during our half-hearted attempt to bike there and so ended up taking the flowers we bought for her to Charlie´s Jazz Club. Charlie was very happy to see us and some others joined us at our table so that in the end we were a table of "global citizens." Charlie and Michael jammed a bit and Charlie told us stories about all of the famous musicians he has met. We had lively discussions as all present spoke at least a little English and there was another American present from California. We were all able to agree on one thing ... the music program in the square was "bullshit." After several hours and rounds of mad dog shots we became "galactic citizens" and Charlie told us he was really "a negro," because he has jazz in his blood. We left Charlie´s and somehow ended up paying for the all of the citizens at our table ... maybe they will make a statue for us in the town square.

We planned to leave the morning after Charlie´s and had only stayed because of the rain that day but in the morning curiosity and a strange sense of duty got the better of us and we took a round trip to Pišec to see the Bohemian Bluegrass Festival. It was poorly attended and expensive but worth the trip for the brief video clip we got of our favorite band.

That brings us back to Jindřchúv Hradec, where we are in need of lunch. The most amazing thing here to me are the Storks in a giant nest on a very tall chimney in the center of town. I am off to continue my search for a post card of the Storks as our camera will not focus that far.

Tomorrow we bike again!

Escape from Benešov!

All of the shops and businesses in Czech shut down at about noon on Saturday and don't reopen until Monday. Everyone goes out to enjoy the weekend in the countryside. We set out on Saturday in the direction of Tabor (the next big town). We made it to our planned stop of Bystřice, which is just a "one-horse" town, and ran into our usual problem...where to stay for the night. There is a hotel there, which was full (the usual), and a penzion (guest house), at which we couldn't find anyone there. We were getting very discouraged as it seems that our entire trip plans were in jeopardy. We can only manage about 10 trail miles or so a day, which doesn't get us far and requires us to find a place to stay in all sorts of small villages and towns. At this time of the year it is really tough to find accomodation without advance reservations, which are hard to make if you can't speak the language.

As I said, we were feeling pretty "down" and looking around for some other option when Bird flagged down a car and asked for any other hotels. They didn't know of any but suggested Benešov, from where we just came, and offered us a ride there since they were on their way. We took them up on the offer, since everthing was closed for the next two days anyway and we needed to figure out another strategy. After a brief 5-minute or so car drive they dropped us off at the same cheesy motor-lodge that we had passed on foot several hours before...oh, well. It was overpriced, since it was next to a major tourist attraction (the Konopiště chateau), but we got a room anyway. We spent Sunday playing tourists on the chateau grounds and waited for Monday, when we could check out some other options.

We thought about simply taking a bus or train from major town to major town and then dayhiking in the area (like most tourists do), since lodging is a little easier to find in the larger cities. We also considered buying a tent (should have brought mine) so we could "stealth camp" in the woods somewhere if we couldn't find accomodation. Another option we came up with was buying cheap bicycles, since we had seen some in the local department store, and continuing on the Prague to Vienna route on two wheels, since we could cover more ground and bypass some of the smaller towns. After some deliberation we decided to look into the bicycle idea.

There is a good bicycle shop in Benešov but the cheapest bike they have is about $400 US, which is a decent investment for a 2-week trip. We could bring the bikes home by plane but that would cost even more money and be a hassle. The department store (supermarket type) had a couple of bikes that would work at $200 US each (we can just abandon them when we are done with them) , as well as helmets, pump, and other needed accessories. With our budget shrinking even more, we made the leap and bought "el cheapo" Czech department store bikes and set back out, leaving Benešov yet again.

This time we made it to Votice, where I now sit, in about 4 hours, which would have taken 2 full days of hiking to acheive. We stuck to a paved bike route, of which there are many and which is just a back road, but with little traffic and with signage to direct us. The bikes are very "plasticky" but otherwise okay, other than the shifting which doesn't work very well at all. We pretty much stayed in one or two gears, and ended up walking up the hills towards the end of the day since there are indeed many hills. At least we can coast down them now, which helps a lot.

Upon reaching Votice, we were again turned away of the first penzion but managed to get a room at the second (and last) one we tried. I called Tabor the other day and made reservations at a penzion there so we should be okay when we reach there. Not being sure we can make that in one day from here (we are not seasoned cyclists and are riding what are basically single-speeds -- and with full backpacks on), and not thrilled about the prospects of lodging in between, we might take a bus, with the bikes, to somewhere in between and then bike the rest of the way in. This is a main bus hub so that should be no trouble.

I was asked a few questions in an email so will answer them here:

What time is it over there? Czech is 6 hours ahead of eastern time.

Are you meeting other tourists/are locals used to seeing tourists? There are plenty of people "on holiday" around here but they are mostly Czechs or Germans (hardly ever any Americans). While we have seen some bicyclists on the tourist trails we never did run across anyone else backpacking like we were. For the most part we were alone on the trails. Even when walking through small towns or settlements there was not much activity (probably weekend retreats). Locals hardly ever make eye contact or speak to you. They seem kind of cold but a few that we have actually talked to were friendly. I don't think they care much for foreign tourists, though.

What is the terrain like? The terrain is hilly now and we are entering more farmland than before, when we were in the outskirts of the Prague area and there were many weekend cabins, etc. A lot of the trails were narrow roads, sometimes used for house access, or dirt roads across fields, etc. There were some sections that were actual singletrack trails through forest and along beautiful creeks. It gets cloudy and rains about every evening so it's almost always a bit muddy. Although most "hiking" trails would also be perfectly fine on a mountain bike, they are not the shortest way to get around since they meander quite a bit, and we are on hybrid-type bikes, so I think we'll stick to the marked bike trails more, being mostly back roads. We are also still trying to make it to Vienna, which will neccessitate a somewhat direct route.

What is the lodging like? The place we stayed in Benešov was sort of a rooming house for mostly locals - road workers, etc., but was fine for us and very cheap. We shared a bathroom and kitchen with the others and it was "off the beaten path" -- on the outskirts of town and we had to walk across an open field to get to town. The place before that was a "privat", which is basically a bed and breakfast. We've stayed in a couple of real "hotels", which aren't much different but more expensive. "Penzions" are the usual thing to look for, basically being cheaper hotels for travellers, etc. They are just as nice but about half the price. They can be above resteraunts, stand alone....whatever. In some you probably have to share some facilities but the one we're in now has a private bath (and is only a block or so from the center of town).

Enough for now....

Perservering on the Trail...

Today's post written by Bird because I have had enough of Czech computers!:

Hello loved ones, Today we are laying over in a city called Benešov 40 miles from Prague. I am very happy you all speak such good English. To review our journey so far, so I don't forget... we walked 10 miles to Pruhonice Monday 7/14 our first day out of Prague. Pruhonice is a very wealthy beautiful small town with a famous Brewery we stayed above. It was the best beer I have ever had and two glasses is all we could take before stumbling around town taking pictures and then going to bed ... but not before having one more regular strength beer at Cow Cow Boogie. Thankfully the waiter and host at the Brewery spoke some English ... the room was expensive but it was the only accomodation we found with a vacancy and a big delicious breakfast was included.

On Tueday 7/15 we set off to Velké Popovice, a small town. The red, yellow, and green trails we are following are so beautiful. They take us through forests, gardens, and almost right through people's back yards. It has mostly been drizzling and cool with very little sun. We don't mind because it keeps the bugs to a minimum and is more comfortable when hiking. (I did find myself covered in Czech ticks yesterday) We were welcomed by many free range chickens as we entered the town of Velké Popovice and walked past a big Kovél (brand of beer) factory and restaurant to stay at a very 80's style Hotel for the night. We ate and wrote post cards at the restaurant next door and the next morning posted them and ate at the bakery that I e-mailed you from last.

On Wednesday 7/16 we then walked another 10 miles to get to Vysoká Lhota. We intended to stay in a town several miles before this but all accomodations were full and people were cold to us. We don't know what was going on in this small town but people were in their bathing suits wearing plastic flowers and ribbons indicating some traditional dress. It was clearly a private party so we walked on. We were weary when we got to Vysoká Lhota and found a house that rented rooms and a young woman who spoke fluent English (a rare find.) The two rooms were already rented by railroad workers but the hostesss (who spoke no English but talked our ears off anyway... with many gestures) squeezed us into a spare room on her and her husband's floor of the house. This woman who's name we never understood was the epitome of a grandmother. We have many stories to tell from this night and morning. The highlight was the evening Barbeque when Michael played the fiddle and guitaro and I tried out phrases from our Czech language book to get some laughs. Our comrada dug potatoes from her garden just for the event and the two railroad workers joined us with beer, vodka, laughs. It was a great party. In the morning we met our comrada's husband Vladamir and had a wonderful breakfast. After some pictures we headed off to Benešov.

On Thursday 7/17 we walked another ten miles to Benesov. Again when we arrived we had difficulty finding accomodations. We found a man that spoke English and helped us talk to his friend who owned several houses with acccomodations. His homes were also full of road workers. We are a mile outside of downtown ("off the beaten path") staying in the attic and sharing a kitchen and bathroom with the road workers. I came out of our room to go to the bathroom last evening to find a freshly washed man in his underwear frying potatoes and meat in the kitchen. They have been very polite although no one knows what the other is saying. Last night Michael and I walked across the field to the grocery store to buy a few items for the kitchen. We slept in today and then took our baths with a road man's soaking underwear and socks. At least now our accomodations are within our budget. Now we are down town and may go bowling later since we found a bowling alley!

Tomorrow we are starting out toward Tabor. It will take us several days walking. Michael is working on getting more pictures uploaded to the Blog but it is hard to figure out how to with the Czech Word program. We are taking many many pictures to show every one. Love to you all!!! Annie will you forward this to Angie's e-mail ... I forgot to bring her address. I hope you are all well ... we miss you ... kiss the children and animals for us!!!

Love, Michael & Bird

Third day out...

We left Prague 3 days ago taking the metro & bus to suburbs & immediately left the feel of the city behind, seeing mostly soviet-era tenements. No one speaks English anymore & we don't speak Czech. My little phrasebook is sorely lacking in the dictionary department. We got off the bus maybe one stop too early and were looking for the trail when we asked for help from some construction workers. After a minute trying unsuccessfully to communicate the foreman said something like "come with me" and motioned us to hop in his car. He drove us to the trail and dropped us off, with nary a word spoken between us other than dekuji (thank you).

We had a nice, suprisingly rural, walk to the trendy suburb of Pruhonice (Southwest of Prague). It was very nice there, bordering on a huge botanical garden, but the prices were really high. We had no choice but to get an expensive room but in the back of an awesome brew pub that, according to my guidebook, had some of the best beer in the country. We indeed tried their special brew, which is "high gravity" at 16 degrees (maybe 8%) and some of the best beer I've had.

The next day was the first hiking out in the real countryside and we started off on the red trail south (you can find it on the mapy.cz site). We took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on the yellow trail and decided to keep following that one to Velke Popovice, where we are now, and where we found a more modest hotel. We're in a cukrarna (dessert shop/bakery) now drinking coffee and eating desserts for breakfast (all we could find). The normal coffee here is espresso, they don't serve filtered coffee, which suits me fine. Grocery stores are really cheap and we usually get some awesome bread & fruit in the mornings to make it through the day.

We're off to the south on the yellow trail today, probably headed for the Doly area for the night and eventually headed for the bigger town of Benesov and beyond.

Na shledanou (goodbye)

Prague Report

We've had a great few days in Prague but didn't get any pictures the first couple of days because my digital camera bit the dust. I found a Canon service shop here and the guy said the there is indeed a factory defect that warrants a replacement camera (at least in Europe...not sure about the US) but it would take a month to get it. After some consideration I bit the bullet and bought another digital camera here so we could record the trip. About the cheapest decent model I could find was about $130 but is actually much better than the other one I have had for years. So...there are random pictures from yesterday posted HERE. I'll add more as I can.

We were scheduled to leave Prague today but booked one more night, mostly because we had a bit of a fiasco trying to use the washer & dryer at the hotel. We managed to get all of our clothes pretty much washed but never could figure out how to get the machine to spin & dry them so we ended up with all of our clothes being soaking wet. There's a dryer but I guess they're a bit different than the ones at home (more like a dehumidifier) and don't do that great of a job. The machines have a buttons with symbols here and there but are pretty confusing to figure out. We hung most of our clothes on the balcony but, of course, it rained during the night so they're worse than before. We're going to ask for help today so that at least we can leave town with dry clothes. It's a soggy day today, anyway, so not a bad one to stick around.

Everything else is going great. Prague is a great city and we're seeing a lot of it. We'll need to get moving soon, though, to keep costs down. It's not too expensive here, for a big city, but it should be cheaper in the countryside. A meal here (in the tourist areas, which are most places) is $10-12, beer is the cheapest thing at $2 or so a pint, bottled water and sodas are probably twice as much as beer. We'll look for a grocery today to stock up on a few cheaper articles.

The architecture here is the highlight of the city, with most being over 400 years old. We're staying just beneath the main castle, in one of the older neighborhoods but one that was destroyed by fire in the 1500's and rebuilt as it is now. It's quite ornate and with very steep streets. We are in the Mala Strana district, which is the quieter part of town compared to the other side of the river, including the "Old Town", which is the main tourist area. There are quite a few tourists, though, walking up our street between the two biggest tourist attractions in town: the Charles Bridge and the Castle. Our room has a balcony that overlooks the city, as well as a wooded hillside, monastery, and gardens. It's a beautiful spot and we'll hate to leave. I'm sure we'll see equally impressive sights along the way, though.

There's so much more to tell but I'm writing "off the cuff" and don't have time right now....maybe later. We're headed to the suburb of Pruhonice tomorrow, where we'll find a place to stay and then start the heavy-duty walking the day after. I'm a little nervous about being able to find lodging every night along the way. I probably should have brought a tent, just in case, but was trying to travel light. Oh, well...we'll just have to have a certain amount of "faith" that things will work out. I think they will.

Later...

Introduction

Rambling is a European term for walking usually implying some sort of exploratory journey, whether it be a day outing in the countryside or a cross-country trek. Our plans for the next month seem to fit nicely in that category and thus the name for the blog. I rather like the "bouncy", carefree feel that the word suggests and hope that our journey lives up to the connotation.

When exploring various options for a European walk I ran across the Prague to Vienna Greenway system. While most of the Greenway literature focuses on the bike route I discovered that the Czech Republic has probably the finest system of walking trails in Europe, many of which are centuries old routes from town to town from long before the time of the automobile. The routes are excellently marked, color coded, and there are fine hiking maps available in just about every bookstore in the country. Excellent!

Though we will not be following the Greenway bike route per se, we will roughly follow the same route, for lack of any better idea, deviating as we see fit based on knowledge we gain along the way. Our route will take us through the rolling countryside of Southern Bohemia, South Moravia, and on into Austria, through medieval towns and forests, past ancient castles, churches & remnants of the cold war. We have allocated enough time to walk the entire way from Prague to Vienna (where we fly home from after a month) but have no qualms about changing our plans en route if we come up with other ideas. So...we have a rough plan but fully intend to "go with the flow".

There is an excellent online mapping tool for the Czech Republic, from which you can follow our progress. If you activate the "turistika" maps and turn on the "turisticke trasy" (tourist trails) you can see the hiking trails, though you have to be zoomed in pretty far for the color-coded trails to appear. I have a few links to the right for informational sites to get you acquainted with the area and trails system.

Next post from Prague...