Mysteries Looking For Answers

Climbing on a fence in Únětice. Kids'll do that.

I'd like to say that I rode my bike to work on Saturday (May 17) because it was Bike-to-Work Week, or Bike-to-Work Day. But Bike-to-Work Week was May 12-16, and Bike-to-Work Day was May 16.

In any event, I didn't even know about these commemorations, which were sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists.

I just rode my bike into work because the weather was nice and I needed the exercise. Whatever the reason, though, it's a good thing to do (for climate change or your waistline), whether you live a couple of kilometers from your office, or close to 20, as I do.

I live in the village of Černý Vůl, northwest of Prague, and took my usual route into work in central Prague -- from Černý Vůl to Únětice, through Roztoky, along the river through Sedlec, into the Prague suburb of Bubenec, into Stromovka park, exiting at Výstaviště, riding through the city streets to Štefánikův bridge, across the Vltava, up Revoluční and into the city.


A cycling path lined with fragrant lilacs between Únětice and Roztoky.

It was a warm and muggy day, with a hint of a rainstorm in the air.

The ride into work was largely uneventful, save for my average speed of 20.4 kph (anything over 20 kph is pretty darn good for me). No run-ins with cars. No wildlife to speak of. Just lots of lilacs lining the trails.

The ride home was a lot more eventful -- full of mysteries, mysteries that I hope readers will be able to help me solve.

First of all, while I was cycling back through Stromovka, I encountered a few dozen guys riding around on these adult-sized scooter things. I don't what they're called. They looked like a lot of hard work, to be honest -- pushing yourself around the park with one foot. I'm not sure what the pleasure is to be had from these scooters. These guys all seemed to belong to some club or something.

Anyone know what they're called and what the deal is with these things?

Then, near Sedlec, on the highway along the river, I encountered something I've seen many times before, and always wondered about. I saw one of the horse-drawn carriages that offer tours of Old Town returning to what I assume is a stable of some sort, or stables, near Suchdol.

Over the past several months, I've seen many of these carriages clip-clopping on the highway toward Suchdol. It's gotta be 10 kilometers, at least, from Old Town Square to Suchdol, on a very busy highway that includes one very long, steep ascent. That seems pretty hard on the horses, especially horses that have spent the entire day ferrying tourists around the cobblestoned streets of Staromestka.


After a long day of pulling bored-looking tourists around the uneven streets of Old Town, these horses have to hoof it the 10 kilometers or so back to their stables somewhere near Suchdol.



Does anyone know where the horses are going? To one large stable? Or do all the carriage drivers just happen to live in Suchdol? And couldn't they find someplace a little closer to Old Town? I know there are stables near Stromovka park.

By the time I got to Roztoky, I was hot and sweaty and, well, thirsty. The water in my bottle tasted like plastic.

Warm plastic.

There's a wonderful little neighborhood pub in Roztoky called Hospůdka Zvířátka (Little Animals) on Tiché údolí that has become one of our favorite spots. It's biker-friendly, has creamy, delicious Cerna Hora beer on tap (a tradition since 1533!), and good grub.


Hospůdka Zvířátka in Roztoky is the perfect neighborhood pub -- friendly service, good food and beer, outdoor seating, and cheap prices.

I just had to stop for a 20 CZK ($1.25) beer. And man, it tasted so good. Does anything taste better than a cold draft beer after a bike ride? Or after just about anything, now that I think about it?

The beer gave me renewed energy for the final six or seven kilometers home, during which I passed a guy -- I won't call him a shepherd -- who was leading a small herd (gaggle?) of goats around the streets of Unetice. The kids sure were cute -- jumping straight up in the air as if they had springs in their hooves.

And that was my ride. A perfect commute, really. A few cool sites, a cold beer, home before the rain came, and a few mysteries, which I can add to my list of other unanswered mysteries from my biking and hiking (such as what kind of bird built a huge nest on a rocky promontory in Unetice, and why do the planes at Prague airport take off from the same runway in one direction on some days and land on the same runway from the other direction on other days? And it's consistent for days at a time. Weather patterns?

If you know the answer to any, or all, of these questions, drop me a line!

RIDE STATS
Length of ride: 37.5 kilometers
Average speed: 19.1 kph
Pivo Index: 1
Time on the bike: 1.54.01
Distance ridden so far in 2008: 680 kilometers


Looking across the Vltava in Sedlec to a lovely bike path that hugs the east side of the river, north of Prague Zoo.

Croaks, Castles & Low-Flying Aircraft

An eye-catching poster advertises a local football match in Dobroviz. At least I think it's a football match.

The clank of swords. The croak of frogs. The roar of jet engines.

Just another bike ride around the villages and country roads outside Prague!

The weather has been stunning of late in Prague, and Saturday (May 10) was no exception. My cycling buddy Rob and I decided to meet up and take advantage of the sunny skies. I also wanted to see Rob's new bike.

Rob lives in Prague 6, and I live in the village of Černý Vůl, northwest of Prague. We met near the village of Přední Kopanina, not far from the airport. In fact, our plan was to ride what we call the Airport Loop, which, as its name suggests, well, you get the idea.

The apple trees were in full blossom, and the fields of bright yellow rapeseed continue to amaze both with the intensity of their color and their sheer size. I can't stop myself from taking pictures of these fields, but the photos never do justice to what my eyes see.

It's an almost painful yellow.


Fields of rapeseed somewhere above the village of Okoř.

While riding down a road in Statenice to meet Rob, I heard the most amazing noise. I didn't know what it was at first, and it kept getting louder and louder. As I got closer and closer to the source, I spied a small, algae-choked pond by the side of the road, and realized the sound was of about 50 frogs, all croaking at once.

I managed to record a little snippet of the frog songs on my digital camera, but sadly, my presence made many of the amphibians clam up:



Rob's keeping his mountain bike, but he also went out and bought himself a 2007 Schwinn Le Tour GSX road bike. It's a sweet-looking machine.

He let me take it for a spin on the flat stretch of empty road near the Prague airport. Normally, on my mountain bike, with my extra-fat tires, I can get up to around 30 kph on a flat stretch, if I'm really trying. Maybe a bit more.

On Rob's new bike, I hit 46.5 kph. Yes, I was really pumping, but the difference was pretty plain. It was a lot of fun, but I think I'll stick to my mountain bike for now. I really like being able to head off into the forest on a whim.

I think it's time I switched to some narrower tires, though. Jeez. My bike's great on the trails, but the tires seem to stick to the pavement like they're covered in chewing gum.


Rob flashes by on his new Schwinn Le Tour GSX.

We ended up cycling through the village of Dobroviz, north of the airport, and noticed that the planes were taking off and landing in opposite directions from their normal flight patterns. (Anyone know why they switch them sometimes? Wind?) Anyway, that meant that we could ride our bikes up a dirt road near to the start of the runway where they'd be landing, and get some good views of the planes flying low overhead:



Awesome stuff.

We noticed that a few seconds after the plane had passed overhead, the air around us would be quite turbulent, and we could actually hear the air make some sort of snapping or popping noise, almost like a whip being cracked. Can anyone else confirm this phenomenon?

Instead of completing the Airport Loop, though, we decided to head to Okoř. My friend James Gogarty (with whom I cycled to Melnik the previous weekend) had told me that there was a medieval festival taking place at the ruin of the 14th-century castle there, so we decided to check that out instead. We backtracked to Dobroviz, then through Běloky and Středokluky, through Cicovice, and onto Okoř. What lovely country roads to cycle, especially between Dobroviz and Běloky.

Okoř was a hive of activity -- hundreds of people, and hundreds of cars parked along the roads leading up to the village. We locked our bikes up and paid the 120 CZK admission and strolled around the castle grounds.

Lots of folks dressed up in medieval garb. Cooked meat of every description for sale. The tasty -- and quite popular -- Czech pastry called trdelnik, or trdlo (which I write about in more detail on my other blog, gusto). Wooden swords and shields and helmets to buy for the kids. Jewelry and ceramics. (I bought two beautiful blue ceramic wine goblets.) Music and theater and sword-fighting performances. You could even fire a small crossbow at a target in what looked to be the castle's chapel.

And beer. There was beer. But we only had one. And I had a heaping plate of fried meat products. Oh, and I had a small glasss of medovina, or mead -- a sort of thick honeyed wine that, despite of or because of its sweetness, goes down pretty easy. The Czech word for honey is med. Is that where the term "mead" comes from?



I've always wanted to drink a glass of mead. I'm sure I must have seen some movie where a knight takes a big swig of mead from an oversized mug, or where a pitcher of mead is passed around a table populated by grimy men ripping off huge turkey legs and eating them.


Sausages. Sausages wrapped in some sort of crude pancake. And more sausages.

I believe it was James Gogarty who told me about the mead that's apparently for sale at the Beekeeper's Institute in Řež, north of Prague, along the Vltava. I've got to cycle up there and check that out.

Despite having visited the village of Okoř dozens and dozens of times, I'd never actually been inside the castle before, so it was a real treat to finally walk around inside. There's more preserved than I realized, including beautiful Gothic arches over windows in what would have been that chapel.

We hung around for a bit, then cycled from Okoř to Statenice and back to Černý Vůl, my home. Rob had to get going, so we parted ways.

Once again, I ended the ride shaking my head, amazed at how many interesting things you end up seeing while riding in Prague.

RIDE STATS
Distance ridden: 34 kilometers (21 miles)
Average speed: 16.4 kph
Maximum speed: 43.9 kph
Time on the bike: 2.01.52
Pivo Index: 1 beer
Distance ridden so far in 2008: 642.5 kilometers (400 miles)


Rob heads down a lovely country lane near Beloky.


Gothic arches frame a set of windows inside the 14-century castle ruins in Okoř.


A pair of medieval guards replenish their liquids outside Okoř castle.


A view inside the castle ruins.


The grounds below Okoř castle, as seen for the first time (at least by me) from the castle itself.

The Boys Take A Big Bike Trip To Mělník & Kokořínský Důl

The view from the castle in Mělník. A complete slideshow from the trip can be found at the end of this post.

5:45 a.m. Saturday, May 3, 2008

My bike has been washed, the chain and sprocket set have been cleaned, and I am making peanut butter sandwiches, bleary-eyed. My backpack is stuffed to the gills with spare tubes, a set of dry clothes, a few Power Bars, three tubes of Gu, and my toothbrush.

I am going on an overnight bike trip. Finally.

We are four -- Stewart Moore, Mark Baker, James Gogarty (whom I met through this blog), and myself. And we're heading to Kokořínský důl, a small valley northeast of the city of Mělník, which is itself north of Prague.

The valley is part of a protected zone and is famous for its castle, fantastic sandstone rock formations and the caves carved into the soft rock, which as "The Prague Post" has pointed out, have been used by Stone Age man, Roman soldiers and medieval bandits. It's my understanding that pagans, fleeing the wrath of Christians in Prague, also used the caves for protection.

The area is also known for the hiking and cycling trails that wind through the valley's attractions. Small country roads link the small villages that dot the landscape.

Another friend of mine, Lucian Stefanescu, has cycled in this region before and highly recommended it. Sadly, Lucian couldn't accompany us on this trip.

James, Stewart and I met in Roztoky for the 7:53 a.m. train to Vraňany, a village southwest of Mělník. Mark jumped on in Bubenec, a few stops earlier. We figured we'd take the train a bit outside Prague to give ourselves a little head start so we'd have more time to explore Kokořín.

From what I remember, our three tickets cost 83 CZK total (about $5), with something like another 80 CZK for our bikes. We didn't have to reserve seats or spots for our bike. We just hopped on the last car and kept our bikes with us. The train ride was all of 25 minutes or so.

I think the most challenging leg of our two-day bike trip was getting from Vraňany to Mělník, about 35k north of Prague, where we figured we'd seek refreshment. We wanted to stay off the roads as much as possible, and so ended up sort of stuck between the Vltava River and a canal that passes through the nearby village of Lucez nad Vltavou.

After some furious map-checking, we did manage to link up with the trail, which took us into the former royal city of Mělník, famous today for its Ludmila wine (named for a princess) and its Renaissance-style castle. And yes, we did manage to pedal all the way up to the castle, situated on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the Vltava and Labe rivers.

From the top, it seems all of the Czech Republic was laid out before us, the landscape decorated with fields of taxicab-yellow rapeseed standing out like squares in a massive painting by Mondrian.



By this time, it was around 9:45 a.m. or so, and obviously time for a beer or two. We stopped at a local pub for a few half-liters and the first bad grilled sausage I think I've ever had in my time here in the Czech Republic.


It's 5 p.m. somewhere. James (left), Mark, myself, and Stewart stop for a few beers in Mělník, early in the trip.


The castle in Mělník looms over the rivers below.

We left Mělník on the 203 and 142 bike trails -- country roads, really -- and headed for Kokořín. The road immediately outside of Mělník was a tough one, especially after having sat in the sun for an hour or so drinking beer. But we all managed to make it to the top. And from there, as I remember, the route to Kokořín was quite pleasant. Slowly, the sandstone cliffs and caves and rock formations that the area is famous for began to show themselves through the trees along the road.

Check out our exact route from Vranany to Kokořín on this map. Ignore the other stuff. I forgot to reset my Garmin GPS device, so it's showing some other rides:


View Larger Map

It was the May Day holiday weekend in the Czech Republic, and accommodations were scarce. At the last minute, I'd managed to book a flat in a house very close to the castle. It was nothing to write home about, but it was clean, and cheap (1,000 CZK for the four of us, around $60, plus the 34 CZK, or $2, for electricity!).

We dropped off some of our stuff and then headed for the hills. James had been hiking in the same area recently, and knew a few trails. We headed off the road and into the forest.

Wow.

We were suddenly enveloped in a magical landscape of towering sandstone rocks, tall trees, and paths softly upholstered in pine needles and leaves. It was a cyclist's paradise.



After touring for a bit, we ended up in a little pub in the hamlet of Jestrebice, where we quaffed two or three more beers and shots of cold slivovice, which we did in solidarity for James, who said he was on doctor's orders to drink some for his sore throat. Ahem.

We explored a few more trails and cool sandstone formations, at one point putting down our bikes and leaping from the top of one tall rock to the other, a yawning chasm dropping off below us. I've always loved climbing on rocks, and this was a veritable playground, with no adults around to yell at me for standing too close to the edge.

Then, it was an exhilarating downhill trail between the cliffs and towering trees. You couldn't ask for anything better.

I must confess to wanting to have ridden some more (we cycled about 45 kilometers on the first day), but from there we ended up at another pub/restaurant up the road from our flat, where we ate some dinner (I had something on the menu called Chicken Florida, a chicken breast with half a canned peach on top, smothered in a blanket of melted cheese and which I'm sure has never been served in that southern U.S. state) and drank more beer and slivovice.


We never did make it up to Kokořín castle itself. Next time!

We moved on to a different pub nearer our flat, and from there the evening floated away from us on a swiftly flowing, golden carbonated river. The pub doubled as a cheesy disco at night for all the visitors. James threatened to break out his moves, but never made it to the dance floor. Instead, our gums flapped for hours as the beer glasses kept arriving, miraculously full, at our table.

Later that night, we somehow managed to unlock our bikes outside the pub and ride the few hundred meters home. Whereupon James pulled out a bottle of Czech champagne that he'd somehow procured at the pub. It did not go undrunk. And we also managed not to go to bed undrunk.

We awoke to a gorgeous day, warm, with sunny skies filled with big puffy clouds. I couldn't wait to get out there. After wolfing down the peanut-butter sandwiches I'd made the previous morning, we managed to snag a real breakfast at a nearby pension and then set off, only to head into a cool pub and restaurant in the nearby village of Raj 20 minutes later.

Oddly enough, I was the only one who ordered a beer, but I think I was one down from the night before.

We then headed up Route 259 in search of the Bludiště (literal Czech translation, Getting Lost Place), a famous natural sandstone labyrinth. Unfortunately, the road headed up, and up, and up. It was quite a climb, but we all managed to make it without dismounting (although I'll admit to having circled back down the road a few times to give my aching quads and heaving lungs a respite). About three-quarters of the way up the hill is the maze. We chained our bikes to a nearby tree and descended into the Bludiste.

It was like a visit to Middle Earth, or a scene out of John Boorman's "Excalibur." I made a video inside the maze. For some reason, it sounds as if I'm about to pass out from the exertion. Have no fear, I did make it out alive:



Tall, sheer sandstone walls rose high above us on either side, often with only a shoulder-wide passageway between them. Sometimes, the walls were so high and the crevice so narrow that the sky all but disappeared.



A tall stump of a tree stood covered in a dozen or so huge shelf fungus. Boulders were covered in a thick beard of moss. The whole maze was dark and moist and cool. I wouldn't have been surprised to see a hobbit run past.




From the tops of the rocks in the maze, looking out over the Kokořínský Důl.

Back on our bikes, we ascended the rest of the way up the hill on Route 259 toward Romanov, where James discovered a path off the main road that appeared to lead toward the town of Mšeno. Hats off to James. It was a beautiful, paved downhill run, a sweet reward for the tough hill climb we'd just made.

Check out the video I made over part of the run:



Lots of folks were out hiking and riding, including a local woman who'd made herself a princess' crown of dandelion flowers. I just had to stop and take her picture.

In Mšeno, we stopped to replenish our water supplies, and figure out where we wanted to go. The weather was gorgeous, and I was feeling good, and wanted to try to cycle all the way back to Prague. Everyone else felt the same, so we set off.

Check out our exact route from Kokořín toward Prague on this map. Unfortunately, my batteries on my Garmin GPS ran out near Liblice, but it will give you a good idea of how we came home:


View Larger Map

Even though the trip back to Prague was on roads, not trails, it was mostly great. The trip from Mšeno to Nebuzely to Lhotka, as I recall it, was one of the loveliest routes I've yet taken on a bike -- no traffic, well-kept country roads, a big blue sky stuffed with clouds, those fantastic rapeseed fields, poplar trees, fruit trees and flowers abloom, and no big hills to climb.


On the road somewhere between Mšeno and Nebuzely.

We eventually did encounter quite a bit of traffic as we headed home, especially on the road between Kostelec nad Labem and Měsíce. But as James promised, once we crossed Route 9 and headed toward Bast, the traffic dried up and we largely had the roads to ourselves again.

I think we all did great on the ride home. It turned out that we cycled 75 kilometers on that day. I had a chance to try out a couple of packets of Gu energy gel that I'd received as a gift. They seemed to give me a boost just when I needed it. And I gave one to Stewart, and it seemed to help him when he felt himself flagging during that car-clogged stretch to Měsíce.


The road beckons somewhere near Bast, as we neared home.

We rode down the steep, hairpin turns into Klecany, just across the river from Roztoky, at around 6 p.m. on Sunday, just as a few ominous clouds appeared overhead and a few raindrops fell heavy on the hot road.

The ferry to Roztoky runs on the hour and half-hour, so we decided to have a few beers and wait for the 7 p.m. crossing. As we replenished our lost fluids, the sky grew even darker, and as we talked about the trip, we lost track of time, and suddenly it was a few minutes past 7. We thought we'd just catch the 7:30 ferry, but Stewart hopped on his bike and high-tailed it over the ferry on the hunch that it might be the last crossing of the day.

He was right.

He whistled to us loud and clear, and we gulped our beers, jumped on our bikes, and pedaled furiously over to the ferry.

We'd made it.


The church in Mšeno's main square.

Just then, one of the most violent thunderstorms I've ever been out in let loose. The sky was gray-green. The river had whitecaps. And the wind sent the rain into the ferry horizontally. I felt like one of those crab fishermen in a storm on the Bering Sea on "World's Deadliest Catch."

We found cover in a rickety, tin-roofed shelter on the Roztoky side of the Vltava and waited for the rain to let up. Which it finally did, so abruptly that it was as if a spigot had been turned off somewhere. Not even a few stray sprinkles could be heard pinging on the tin roof.

We parted ways in Roztoky, wet and exhilarated and more than a little drunk -- intoxicated by both the beer and by the journey we'd just taken.

RIDE STATS
Distance ridden (2 days): 120 kilometers
Average speed: 16.4 kph
Maximum speed: 56.1 kph
Time on the bike: 7.15.08
Pivo Index: Too many to count
Distance ridden so far in 2008: 608.5 kilometers


Click on this slideshow for full-frame photographs.

Time To Stop & Smell The Lilacs

I was off on Friday (May 2) because I had planned on taking a three-day bike trip, but plans changed at the last minute and it became a two-day trip. Since the weather forecast was promising, I decided to go ahead and just take the day off.

I was glad I did.

It was a spectacular day, and in between running errands, I decided to fit in a very short ride to get my legs used to the idea of riding.

My casual goal was to find a way from my home in Černý Vůl to the town of Roztoky, where my cycling pal Stewart lives, that avoided roads as much as possible.

From Černý Vůl, I rode along the walking/cycling path that connects with the neighboring village of Únětice. From there, I followed the signs for the marked cycling trail (I think it's the 0018), which for some reason takes riders up a very steep dirt road that connects with the pub in Únětice, rather than continuing on the nicer path that also leads to Únětice.


A beautiful field of rapeseed in Černý Vůl.

From there, it was down the main road in the village, then over to the little chapel and cemetery, and then connecting to some trails that led up toward the crag where I found the huge nest I wrote about in my "Gusto" blog.

From there, I did manage to connect a series of trails that took me down into Roztoky, not far from the new Tesco.

The countryside was abloom -- vast fields of bright yellow rapeseed, fat bushes of lilacs, in purple and cranberry.

I decided to stay on the side streets and headed for Levy Hradec, the site of a medieval Bohemian hill fort and a church, St. Clement, that is considered to be the birthplace of Christianity in Bohemia. It's a lovely spot.


The church of St. Clement at Levy Hradec in Roztoky.

From there, I simply backtracked home.

It wasn't a long ride, but it contained two short but nasty climbs, and I felt it was good preparation for my overnight bike trip to the castle at Kokořín and the surrounding valley, northeast of Prague.

Joining me on the trip will be Stewart, Mark and James.

More about that trip in my next post.

RIDE STATS
Length of ride: 13 kilometers
Average speed: 14.4 kph
Maximum speed: 38.2 kph
Time on the bike: 00.52.46
Distance ridden so far in 2008: 488.5 kilometers


I was fascinated by this ancient seesaw in Roztoky, situated on an overgrown lot by the side of a road. The workmanship (below) looks like it might have been original. I wonder how many children have played on this over the years.




An old, but well-loved, Trabant on a sidestreet in Roztoky.

The First Giant Leap For Mankind

This has absolutely nothing to do with cycling, but I wanted to call attention to the exploits of one of my heroes, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger, whom I had the distinct pleasure of meeting in Prague a few days ago.

In 1960, Colonel Kittinger ascended in a helium balloon to a height of 102,800 feet (31,333 meters). And then he jumped. (See picture below.) Almost 50 years later, he still holds the record for the highest parachute jump and longest free-fall.

Then he flew hundreds of combat missions in Vietnam and was taken prisoner of war for 11 months. And there's so much more, including the first solo crossing of the Atlantic in a balloon.

Check out my post about Colonel Kittinger on my other blog, "gusto."

Carlo & The Castle

A birthday beer (or two) with Carlo in Okoř.

Carlo and I finally went for a ride.

I met Carlo through this blog, last summer. He's Australian, and a doctor of mathematics, and moved to Prague in January, with his wife, Nadiah. They just had a baby boy.

Carlo's also a cyclist, and had seen my blog last year, and contacted me before a brief trip to Prague. We met for a beer, but never had the chance to ride together.

He's been pretty busy with the new baby, and his job at Charles University, but he found time to head out with me last Thursday, April 24, which just happened to be my 47th birthday. I took the day off from work. It was a beautiful day.


Trying to look fit and healthy and not old at the start of my ride.

Carlo's been riding a bit around town (he lives in the Prague neighborhood of Liben), but he hasn't yet explored the country roads and trails where I usually ride. I cycled the 12 kilometers or so from my home in Černý Vůl, northwest of Prague, and met him by the suspension bridge near Prague Zoo.

I figured I'd let him decide where he wanted to go. I had considered a birthday ascent of the Hill of Doom, but wasn't too disappointed when he chose my favorite destination -- the castle in Okoř. You can't go wrong with that ride.

We crossed the Vltava River on the cool little ferry near Sedlec. The ferries (there's one closer to the zoo near Podbaba, too) are piloted by campy captains in striped shirts and sailor hats who literally toot their own horns as they set off.

I missed the toot, but here's a video of our river crossing:




You have to love the captain's costume. He was also very helpful loading the bikes on and off the boat.

We cycled to Roztoky, through the forest to Únětice, through Černý Vůl and Statenice, to Noutonice, and then took the delightful back route into Okoř, which involves a fantastic downhill on a rocky forest trail. Exhilarating. And teeth-loosening.

In Okoř, we had a couple of cold ones and some lunch at the Hotel Okoř, one of my all-time favorite places in Prague. Great food. Friendly service. And outdoor picnic tables in an idyllic setting next to a stream.


Note the freshly grated horseradish. Yum.

On the way home, we went through Tuchomerice for a little change of scenery, before connecting back to Statenice and Cerny Vul.

We stopped at my house and sat in the sun and had a few more drinks.

Then Carlo managed to find his way home without me.

I had a great day off.

I'll take Carlo to meet the Hill of Doom the next time we're out.

RIDE STATS
Length of ride: 46 kilometers
Average speed: 17.8 kph
Maximum speed: 48.9 kph
Time on the bike: 2.28.33
Pivo Index: 2
Distance ridden so far in 2008: 475.5 kilometers


I passed this willow and its reflection while biking through Stromovka park on my way to meet Carlo.


The 14th-century castle ruins in Okoř.

The World's Stupidest Bike Lanes

My cycling pal Mark just sent me the videos posted above, which he came across on Slate, all about the world's stupidest bike lanes.

Regular readers will no doubt remember my own contribution to this genre a few weeks back. I was riding across Stefanikuv bridge in Prague, and was pleasantly surprised to discover a newly created bike lane separating the cyclists from the psychos.

Much to my surprise, however, the bike lane abruptly ended about three-quarters of the way across the bridge, leaving cyclists to suddenly merge with fast-moving cars, trucks and buses just ahead of an extremely busy intersection.

I still don't understand the logic.

Anyway, the Slate videos are well done, and quite funny (especially Part 2). The host says that most of the stupidest bike lanes seem to be in Europe. His theory is that's because there are more bike lanes here. That may be true in Amsterdam and Munich, but it sure ain't the case in Prague.

Check out the videos.

I've already sent in my contribution for the next installment.


The bike lane on this bridge in Prague abruptly ends about three-quarters of the way across.

The Poodle Stop & Other (Mis)Adventures

A blue-sky view in Únětice, on my way to Roztoky.

Here is the story of what will forever be known as The Poodle Stop.

Stewart and I headed out on the bikes on Sunday (April 13), and we ended up, as we almost always do, in the village of Okoř. Once we entered the castle grounds from the back trail, we somehow got split up. I stopped by some booths at a little fairground where vendors were selling teapots and hand-blown glass. Stewart must have gone on ahead.

I went to look for him, and finally caught up with him as he headed back to look for me.

"You'll never believe what just happened to me," he said.

He began to tell a tale about coming down a path in Okoř at a fairly good pace after we'd split up, when a poodle darted into his path.

What I thought he was going to say was that he had managed to somehow miraculously jump over the dog. Stewart's pretty good at lifting his bike up in mid-ride and jumping over obstacles in his path.

But no, it was even more spectacular than that.

Seems he slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting the poodle, and, as he tells it, "Somehow, I ended up standing straight up, my bike standing up behind me, with the seat stuck into the back of my trousers."

Yes, his mountain bike was sticking out of the back of his pants. The owners of the poodle must have thought Stewart had been practicing that trick for years.

Stewart says he thought as the whole thing was happening that he would end up doing some "face surfing," rather than landing on two feet.

The sad thing is that I didn't get a chance to witness this event, which may have been a first in the annals of cycling.

Sure, he can climb the French Alps, but can Lance Armstrong do The Poodle Stop?

After a few beers at the Hotel Okoř, Stewart wanted to see if he could duplicate his feat for the benefit of the camera, so we headed up to an empty trail near Statenice and he gave it a go.

I think we had five takes in all, and he never did quite get it, but this attempt came closest:




Stewart re-creates his final position in The Poodle Stop.

Before we made it to Okoř, Stewart and I had been exploring some new trails around the village of Úholičky. I had cycled from my house in Černý Vů to Stewart's place in Roztoky, about a six-kilometer ride on a mixture of trails and country roads.

After a glass of red wine on his patio in the sun, we set off, with no particular destination in mind. We ended up heading down a steep hillside on the edge of Roztoky, at the bottom of which we connected to the path along the Vltava River that I've written about before.

We headed north, in the direction of Úholičky. Along the way, we passed a woman sitting by the path, painting the cliffs on the opposite side of the river in watercolors. Her bike was parked next to her.


Adriana Skalova took a pause from her own cycling to stop and paint a picture.



Stewart being an artist, too, we stopped to admire her painting and chatted for a bit. Her name was Adriana Skalova and she spoke excellent English (our Czech is not what it should be) and she lives in Suchdol, and she was a delightful person.

One of those lovely moments that happen to you when you decide to hop on your bike and see where life takes you.


View Larger Map
Our route on Sunday. Click here to go to an interactive map of our ride, which you can import into Google Earth for a cool 3-D flyover of our route.

Stewart and I arrived on the outskirts of Úholičky, where from the main road we noticed a new trail rising steeply into the forest. It was calling to us.

It was a beautiful path, though some parts were too steep to ride. After meandering through the woods on sun-dappled trails decorated with trees and bushes abloom, we exited the forest back on the "main" Úholičky road.


The dangers of the trail are many and various. Stewart attempts to avoid an attacking forsythia.

We cycled from Úholičky to Velké Přílepy and then on to Noutonice, and took the fantastic path through the woods that leads to the trails behind Okoř castle.

It was warm enough outside that we decided to cross the little stream the fun way. Here's my tentative fording:



We laughed like kids.

Stewart and I have this theory that the more you engage in this kind of behavior -- basically doing the same stuff you were doing as a kid, and getting the same kick out of it -- the more you will be furthered from things such as Alzheimer's or, more simply, the fatigues of old age. I think there's something to that theory.

From there, it was into Okoř the back way, and the now infamous Poodle Stop.

We met an artist, explored beautiful new trails, appreciated once again the ruins of a 14th-century castle, laughed like boys while crossing a stream on our bikes, had a laugh over an improbable cyclo-gymnastic maneuver, and savored a couple of Pilsner Urquells while sitting in the sun.

I can't wait to get back out there again.

RIDE STATS
Length of ride: 28.5 kilometers
Average speed: 14.6 kph
Maximum speed: 40.8 kph
Time on the bike: 1.54.56
Pivo Index: 2 each
Distance ridden so far in 2008: 429.5 kilometers


The trail through the forest near Úholičky (above and below).

Of Pretty Blooms & Nauseating Boosters

A lovely bike path passes by some willow trees in mid-bloom in Stromovka park.

A solitary coot slicing through the glassy surface of a country pond, like a stylus dragged through a pool of mercury.

The lone squawk of a pheasant somewhere deep within the undergrowth.

The chirping of multitudes of birds, welcoming the sunshine and the spring.

And the piercing, vaguely threatening whistle of a passenger in a passing Audi A6, directed -- for what reason I do not know -- at a lone cyclist minding his own business along the roads of Roztoky.

Such are the sounds of a spring ride in Prague.

I decided once again to cycle into work for a Saturday shift. The weather's been slowly evolving into something that someone might call spring.

The city and the surrounding countryside are abloom, the willows fuzzed out in shades of light green; bright yellow forsythia exploding in manicured yards and wild woods; and trees and bushes whose names I do not know smothered in petals of white and pink.


I don't know the names of these flowering bushes and trees (above and below), I only know they're beautiful. A reader says the tree above may be a dogwood, while the photo below is likely a cherry tree.



My ride into work was uneventful, save for the weird whistling, but such is life as a cyclist.

The ride home was punctuated by a crossing of Štefánikův most (bridge), during which I tried to use the new cycling lane that I've written about before. You know, the cycling lane that ends three-quarters of the way across the bridge!

When the cycling lane disappeared, I merged with traffic at the stoplight, and then made a right turn onto the main road. After a few hundred meters, cars -- and I presume cyclists -- have the right of way at the merger with another lane that is emerging from underneath the bridge (see picture below). Of course, none of the cars in the other lane yielded to me, and I had to make some evasive maneuvers to avoid getting flattened.

Not helping matters was a gigantic tourist bus parked on the side of the road that was effectively blocking the sign that told drivers in that lane to yield.

Prague must be one of the least cycle-friendly cities in the world.

I rode near the fairgrounds known as Výstaviště, the site of the General Land Centennial Exhibition held in Prague in 1891, which are located on the edge of Stromovka park. Many of the exhibition buildings are spectacular examples of Art Nouveau architecture, which I love.


The main exhibition hall at Výstaviště.

There's an amusement park set up on part of the exhibition grounds, and you can watch some of the rides from the bike trail through Stromovka.

I'm fascinated by a ride there called The Booster. A more devilish, vomit-inducing ride has yet to be created. I've been on my fair share of roller-coasters, and even went bunjee-jumping once, but I've yet to muster the courage to take a ride on The Booster, which sends passengers flying high into the air on either end of a rotating arm, spinning wildly at high speeds.

Take a look for yourself. Note the screams of terror:



For some reason -- perhaps it's having worked all day -- the ride home from central Prague always takes it out of me.

It's tougher going to Prague than coming home to Černý Vůl, west of Prague, in terms of elevation, but not by that much. At least not enough to account for my fatigue. Maybe I'm not eating the right foods, or that I'm simply old and out of shape, but my thighs are ready to give up on me by the time I get home.

I made it, though, and was happy to get a ride in, finally. It had been too long.

RIDE STATS
Distance ridden: 37.5 kilometers (23.5 miles)
Average speed: 17.5 kph
Maximum speed: 35.5 kph
Time on the bike: 2.07.20
Distance ridden so far in 2008: 401 kilometers (250 miles)


I was riding in the lane on the right, coming toward the camera, while the cars on the left were supposed to yield to cars and/or bikes. In my case, they didn't.

Renting Bikes In Prague

City Bike, in Prague's Old Town, near the famous Hotel Paříž.

(I have just updated this post with new information and photographs from City Bike, which was closed when I first wrote this in March. -- Grant)

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive here at the Home Office in Černý Vůl is about renting bikes in Prague. Where to do it, how much it costs, that kind of thing.

You'd think I'd have written about this topic sooner, but I guess I was just too busy riding my own bike. I have actually rented bikes in Prague, when friends or family have come to visit, so I have had some experience.

In the past few weeks, I've visited Prague's two main bike-rental shops in the city center. Here's what I found. I'll add others if I find any.

As far as currency conversion goes, figure around 15 Czech koruny to the U.S. dollar, or about 25 koruny to one euro.

CITY BIKE

I've rented from these guys at least once, and from what I remember had a perfectly pleasant experience.

City Bike is conveniently located in the Old Town, on Králodvorská street 5, very close to Náměstí Republiky (Republic Square).

What are their prices like? Check it out:

First two hours: 300 CZK
Every hour after: 50 CZK
Maximum all-day price: 500 CZK
24-hour rental: 650 CZK (about $41)

No cash deposit required; you just need to leave some ID. English is spoken.

I was told they also do longer-term rentals, by special arrangement with the boss, I guess.

They offer a two-hour guided tour of the Old Town for 540 CZK. From what I gather, that tour involves a bit of beer drinking and is taken on funny-looking, yellow "cruiser" bikes, which have no gears, pedal brakes and big, soft saddles. This tour only includes Old Town, as you'd need some gearing to make it up to the "castle" area and St. Vitus Cathedral.

There's a separate Prague Castle Ride, for the same price, that lasts 2.5 hours and is taken on the geared bikes.

There are three city tours each day, April through October -- at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.

With each rental you get a helmet, lock, city map, a free bottled soft drink and a 20 CZK discount coupon for the Communist Museum.

They offer Shark and Mongoose mountain bikes for men and women with front suspension and another under the seat and cruiser bikes. They also rent kids bikes and baby seats.

For more serious cyclists, I was told they have a few Trek mountain bikes for 700 CZK per day or 850 CZK for a 24-hour rental. These bikes require that you leave a credit-card imprint as a deposit.


The Shark full-suspension mountain bikes available at City Bike.

They say they were the first bike-rental company in Prague, opening in 2001. It seems hard for me to believe you couldn't rent a bike in Prague before 2001, but what do I know?

Their tours really do seem to focus more on the beer drinking, less on the cycling (not that there's anything wrong with that). Here's an excerpt from their website:

"You’ll get 2 hours 30 mins of excitement with our down to earth, fun-loving, beer drinkin’ guides. They’re your #1 source for what’s going on in Prague! You’ll see all the sights, take in some of Prague’s rich history and culture, hear some rather unconventional stories, and drink some of the Czech Republics most famous BEER!"

They also promise to let riders in on "all the dirty little secrets of this beautiful city."

For the more serious cyclists, they do offer an all-day tour to Karlštejn Castle, including pick-up and lunch, for 1,500 CZK, which they list as a 32-km (20 mile) "easy ride. I thought that ride had it challenges when I did it last summer, I have to admit, but maybe they take an easier route! Or maybe I'm out of shape.

City Bike also offers an all-day, 32-km Grand Bicycle Tour of Prague, which they list as a "moderate" ride, with pick-up and lunch, for 1,500 CZK.

City Bike
Kralodvorska 5
Prague 1
Telephone: 776-180-284
Hours: Daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Website: www.citybike-prague.com
E-mail: info@citybike-prague.com


Praha Bike, very close to Old Town Square.

PRAHA BIKE

I've also rented from these guys before, and also had a great experience. They have an ideal location at 24 Dlouha Street, just a few steps from Old Town Square.

The bikes they rent are made for them -- 21-speed mountain hybrid bikes from component parts, so it's not like you're renting a GT or a Specialized or something.

The bikes are sturdy, ideal for Prague cobblestones and local trails, with front suspensions. They also rent out bike seats (70 CZK per day) and trailers (250 CZK per day) for kids, as well as tandem bikes and kids bikes. They also have long-term rentals, insurance, and even bike delivery, for a fee.

Here's a breakdown of some of their prices. Prices include a helmet, lock, and a basic cycling map and recommendations of where to ride. English is spoken.


Four-hour rental: 380 CZK
1-day rental: 620 CZK (about $40)
2-day rental: 1,140 CZK
3-day rental: 1,530 CZK
4-day rental: 1,780 CZK
6-day rental: 2,400 CZK
8-day rental: 3,040 CZK

Deposit: 2,000 CZK for one-day rentals, 3,000 CZK for multiday rentals.

Payment: Cash only for rentals, credit card imprint for deposit.

Praha Bike also organizes guided tours of the city, as well as a guided trip to Karlštejn Castle (ranging from around 1,400 CZK t0 2,800 CZK per person, depending on the number of folks in the group), with a train journey on the return. They also offer self-guided tours to Karlštejn, Konopiště Castle, or the village of Kutna Hora, famous for its "bone church."

My impression is that Praha Bike is a little more serious about their cycling than City Bike, since they offer organized trips to Karlštejn, Kutna Hora and Konopiště.

Praha Bike
Dlouha 24
Prague 1
Telephone: 732-388-880
Hours: Open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Nov. 15.
Website: www.prahabike.cz
E-mail: info@prahabike.cz

WHERE TO RIDE IN PRAGUE

As for nice rides that begin in the city center, from both of these cycle shops it's easy enough to make your way to Letensky sady, a lovely park with many cycling paths that overlooks the city. And from there, it's an easy ride over to Stromovka Park, an old royal park that also boasts lots of car-free cycling lanes.

If you're looking for something a bit more adventurous, you can try any of these cycling routes from my blog, which offer a bit more variety and distance, but which won't leave you totally drained at the end of your ride -- Divoka Sarka Loop, Costas Loop or the Lim-Kim Trail, which takes you out to beautiful Okoř castle.

Just be careful -- Czech drivers are notoriously bad, and don't respect the rights of cyclists. If you're new to Prague and can cycle where there are no cars, do it. Letna and Stromovka are perfect for that.

Happy trails.

Gunfight At The Okoř Corral

The old-fashioned mechanical shooting gallery.

I'm always amazed, but never surprised, at how much can happen on a short bike ride in Prague. Saturday's ride was no exception, filled as it was with wildlife, wild weather, heavy guns, and a mysterious disappearance.

It had been awhile since I'd been out on my bike. I've been recovering from minor surgery for the past couple of weeks, and the family and I spent the Easter holiday in Berchtesgaden, in southern Germany.

The weather on Saturday (March 29) looked promising enough -- milder temperatures, some blue sky and sun -- so I decided to ease back into the saddle with a short solo ride. I figured I'd take an easy route from my house in Černý Vůl, just west of Prague, to the village of Okoř and its 14th-century castle ruins, one of my favorite cycling destinations.

I decided to take a slightly different route, cycling from Černý Vůl up Route 240 to Velké Přílepy. It's a busy highway, and I don't need to get into the disregard that Czech drivers routinely display toward cyclists, but I'd only be on the main road for a kilometer or two before turning off onto a smaller country road.

The highway route wasn't a total loss, as I did get to watch about six or seven deer grazing in a farmer's field. Surviving the main road, I turned off in Velké Přílepy and headed toward Noutonice, from where I began a fierce battle with a raging headwind. I'd ridden a few weeks ago during the deadly windstorm in Prague, and Saturday's gusts ranked right up there, I have to say.

My average speed during that chunk of my ride must have been around 8 kph.

In Noutonice, I passed a nondescript little pub called "U Evžena." These little places are always interesting to me, for it's in just such out-of-the-way establishments where I'm likely to find a record-breaking price on a half-liter of beer.

Regular readers know that I'm on a quest for the cheapest half-liter of beer in Prague. So far, I've found a half-dozen or so places out in the country where a half-liter sells for 17 CZK. The record is 15 CZK (about 93 U.S. cents), and in fact "U Evzena" had a fading sign out front that advertised a half-liter -- of Gambrinus, I believe -- for 15 CZK.

I'll have to stop in for a swallow one of these days to make sure.

On my way to Noutonice, I saw lots of huge European brown hares -- as big as cocker spaniels -- frollicking in the fields, and I passed a single deer -- a buck, with small antlers -- staring intently at me as I passed close by.

From Noutonice, I took a wonderful forest path -- partly paved, most of it dirt -- into the woods behind Okoř, and then headed into the village proper, coming in just behind the castle ruins.

I discovered a small children's fair set up on the grounds beneath the castle. I'd seen the same fair here last summer. I recognized the creaky merry-go-round:



Then I saw something I'd never seen here before. Or more precisely, I heard something I'd never heard here before. The sound of guns cocking and "shots" being fired.

Next to the merry-go-round stood a perfectly preserved, brightly painted, mechanical shooting gallery, circa 1895. It was fascinating. You could shoot at tigers and antelope and deer and oddly dressed men who passed across the top of the range, and at a big revolving sun and an organ grinder, as well as two men on a see-saw on which balanced two large steel ball-bearings.

And the guns! The guns were made of dark wood and cold steel and were very heavy. For 30 CZK ($2), the gallery attendant gave me seven metal bullets -- not BBs, but heavy pellets the size of small buttons. I inserted a pellet into the stock, cocked the gun, and fired away.

The pellets ricocheted everywhere -- steel off steel. I'd be surprised if the attendant and her two or three small kids didn't routinely get hit. I wouldn't be surprised if the shooters also didn't get hit from time to time.

Check out this little video I made:



This shooting gallery is the kind of thing that would never be allowed to operate in the United States, for reasons of liability. In addition to the ricochets ("You'll shoot your eye out!"), there's nothing stopping a person from aiming and shooting the gun at someone on the merry-go-round.

You've got to hand it to the Czechs for not only preserving this kind of thing, but for letting people enjoy it the way it was intended, lawsuits be damned. Fantastic stuff.