From the Inside Out

Today was our final day of riding. Our journey would end in Prague after cycling hundreds of miles through Austria and the Czech Republic. It was a bittersweet day because we would complete our ride and say goodbye to our new cycling friends, but we would also get a chance to rest our tired, sore legs (after the ride was finished of course).

In the beginning of the ride, the weather was similar to the previous day — cloudy and cool — but the farther we rode, the worse it got. The temperature dropped and so did the rain. I do not normally ride in the rain, but I decided to keep going until the van started to fill up with riders who were dropping out due to the poor conditions. I stopped riding after about 17 miles and secured a spot in the dry, warm van for the remainder of the ride. Gary stuck it out and completed the full 34 miles — with an extra loop at the end (after it had stoped raining).

All of the riders regrouped in a small town for lunch, and then we were shuttled the rest of the way to Prague, which was about 2 1/2 hours away via bus. Once we arrived in the city, we freshened up and went exploring for a couple of hours before joining the rest of the group for our farewell dinner in a lovely restaurant on the river near the Charles Bridge.

After dinner, we said our goodbyes and walked back to the hotel together. It was a lovely evening. The town is beautiful at night because the castle and all of the prominent buildings are lighted. This gives everyone magnificent views as they stroll through the streets.

Lunch spot and the end of our cycling journeys

View of Prague from the bell tower of St Nicholas Church — we climbed 215 steps to get this view!

The river Vltava from Charles Bridge

Gate at Charles Bridge

Gate at the other end of the bridge as the sun was going down

Prague Castle at night

Another gorgeous view of Prague!

Our cycling tour is over, but we still have a few days left in Prague to see the sights. I’ll keep blogging our adventures until we return on Sunday. If you have been inspired by our journey, check out Ciclismo Classico. They have a wide variety of tours across Europe as well as Asia, South Pacific, and South America. If you go to Prague, tell them you want to travel with Andrea and Umberto (the two best guides ever!).

Wednesday brought us cooler temperatures and cloudy skies, but the rain stayed away during our ride so we had no complaints. Today we would cross the border from Austria into the Czech Republic. We were excited about moving into a new country and seeing its sights. The ride started with a steep climb for the first mile, so a few of the girls (including me) grabbed a ride to the top while the other cyclists battled up the hill. We met at the top and continued the rest of the 30+ mile ride to Cesky Krumlov together.

A few kilometers later, we hit the border and stopped for a few photos with some of the group.

Leaving Austria

We stopped for a regroup in another picturesque town called Rozmberk. The river below is the Vltava River, the longest river in the Czech Republic. We followed its path for much of the day. Many summer camps were set up along its banks, and we even saw a few people kayaking and rafting on it through the mountains.

Our lunch stop and final destination for the day was Cesky Krumlov. This town is a hidden gem. I could have stayed there much longer. It had a great vibe coupled with lots of history and some great sights including the Cesky Krumlov Castle. After eating lunch and getting cleaned up from the ride, we journeyed out on a walking tour of the city. Here’s a few of the highlights (and many more photos can be seen in the “photos” section of the blog).

View of main town square from our hotel window

View of castle and St. Vitus church

View of the “small castle” on the hill while standing on the Barber Bridge

Kayaking in the river. We ate dinner at the cafes on right. Great food and great views!

View of the city from the castle

Bears in the moat of the castle! I guess that will keep away unwanted guests.