Eastern Europe Sept 9-26 2010

click map to enlarge
Four historically rich countries - Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland

(click) ..... to 10 of my photos
(click) ..... to 57 pics by Eric, guide
Preliminary (Sept 23) Evaluation
5 thumbs up:
1...better quality hotels than CV historically
2...map cases were a good idea
3...guides did exceptional job of follow up while on route
4...walking tour of Budapest, got things off on a good start
5....had the opportunity to go Prague, although was the only one to do so.
5 thumbs down:
1... weather in the first week was marginal at best, second week was very good
2... the route was generally not that interesting, say compared to France, or most trips
3... the trip was somewhat over-priced
4... maps while probably costly should have been highlighted before photocopying
5... map sessions did help a certain`esprit de corps` which is a positive, but were generally tedious and unnecessary (highlighted maps would obviate the need).

Overall, maybe a 6 or 6.5 on my very subjective scale (Scotland 3.5, Downhill to Nice 1996 a 9)
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Sept 26 Sun return went smoothly..... arrived home on time. My coupled bike attracted no charges (not even as 2nd bag), Boman's went free, but other boxed bikes were charged $250 USD. Air Canada was overbooked and I was tempted by their fly next day for $950 compensation and accommodation, ... probably should have taken it.

Sept 25 Sat our last full day ...Phil made an excellent presentation speech to Eric and Leah after breakfast (Phil seems to really enjoy doing it) .... bused to the salt mines 10K out of town, ... fairly interesting, then a Polish sausage lunch (surprisingly good) went to Castle and the central market, ie the usual tourist stuff for Krakow ... then disassembled and packed my bike for 10:50 flight tomorrow.

Sept 24 Fri bused 1.75 hours to Krakow (trailer carried bikes), since the roads were supposedly too much traffic and difficult (not obvious to me). Staying at hotel in the Jewish quarter for 2 nights, then flight to Frankfurt and Toronto on Sunday. This afternoon we had a rather expensive unappealing lunch in the Jewish Quarter and a guided tour of the quarter but it was really tedious and boring, and might be all right for a Jewish group (but even they'd get bored), ... kind of the opposite of the Budapest guide who was very interesting.

Sept 23 Thurs cycled 78 K to Osweicim (Polish for Auschwitz) about half the group visited the extermination camp, .... not me .... seen that-done that... depressing. The weather was the best yet, although the roads were a bit rough ( didn't bother me).

Sept 22 Wed cycled about 72 Km and at the last Km we crossed over to Poland. Kind of thought the river separating Czech and Poland would be like the St Lawrence, ...it`s not, more like a big ditch. The weather was good today, low 20s, and I guess has been pretty good overall, with 2 days of rain. Frank Flatters had his 5th flat tire, even though he just bought new tires, ... maybe he needs new rim tape. We all commented that the Czech people all seemed cold and distant, ... like looking away when you ask questions (as if saying "don't bother me"). People have commented that Eric and Leah (the guides) have done a superior job looping back and keeping track of everyone.
Sept 21 Tues … The day started with Linda quizzing me about Prague, and talking about Kafka (a Prague Jew) and the meaning of "kafkaesque" which I had the rare brilliance to describe (very spontaneously) as "shit happens-get used to it" ... we all laughed, me uncontrollably. Cycled 87 Km to Stremberk from Olomouc, starting with a somewhat modified route on bike paths to get us through Olomouc without going on busy roads. It was the best cycling day on the trip since we started fairly warm and got progressively warmer. Stopped for lunch with Don Cathy and Marg for a full-fledged lunch, basically pork cordon blue. The ride in the afternoon included a long downhill of 10 Km, ...generally the roads are pretty good with a high proportion of truck traffic. Dinner was pork tenderloin, … and good. Tomorrow we pass into Poland just as we approach the day's destination.
Sept 20 Mon took the 9AM train 250 Km to Prague since I didn't think there was much going on in Olomuc, ... things went pretty well... joined a FreeTour and saw the important sites, Jewish quarter, Castle from distance, etc. Happened to meet Lina and Marg on the train back, ... who had gone to the Canadian Embassy to get Lina`s replacement passport.

Sept 19 Sun cycled just 59 km to Olomouc where we stay for two nights. Sunny but cold, maybe 15C Cycled with Don Cathy Marg Paul, and the best meal of the trip (a lunch) at the hotel, curried Tibetan chicken, ... then visited Whensaslas?(like Xmas carol) Cathedral and St Mary's of the Snow, then pizza dinner in the square. Thinking of going to Prague in the AM (2:43hr on train) since it`s a rest day tomorrow. Yesterday I was really rather worried because I became very! fatigued, eg had to sit down twice on the 2 floor climb with luggage, because if I didn't sit down, I'd fall down... maybe because of two heavy cycling days, was very cold (no jacket/not left in van as intended) and maybe not enough fluids, .... in any case today, today I feel fine.

Sept 18 Sat … cycled 83 Km to Boscovice, which was the first day we started in unqualified full sun. I swear yesterday in the rain there would be no way on earth I would have done that (117 Km) on a similar day back home. Evaluation comment: We sure are staying at a wide variety of hotel styles; last night was in a pub brewery, with a tour of the brewery. The first place in Slovakia was over the top, ... a grand sprawling estate of a complex of buildings where they must have spent millions renovating, a bit like Versailles (in a sense).

We all find the locals very distant and very far from `service with a smile``,..... I guess after decades of soviet domination, and no reward for effort, the people get very mechanical in their approach. If they are washing glasses, and you show up for coffee/whatever, then you’re not likely to get any attention till the glass washing is finished.

Sept 17 Friday, cycled 117 Km to Kromeriz, crossing into the Czech Republic. Unfortunately the weather was rainy to start, and 8 people took a taxi for 40-50km, with the bikes going in the van. There were 30 minutes of sunshine, but it was generally dull and between 14 and 20C. The road surface in the Czech R is very good .. better than Ontario. Lena, the physiotherapist, lost her passport, credit cards, and money, which of course will create a lot of trouble and commotion. I had no trouble with the 117 Km distance, but the many hills were a bit much, one at 12 degrees. Dinner at the brewery was a low point, (.. heretofore it has been pretty good) … a few hunks of overcooked beef swimming in gravy, and 4 large dumplings (kind of like 4 large slices of soggy white bread)…. It may be Czech, but I don’t think it went over very well; … a lot of people were so discouraged with slow service they left before dessert. Phil Hamilton had 4 chain breaks....pretty unusual.

Sept 16 Thurs .... Cycled 81 K to Piestany, including an extra 15 k section because we got lost. It was raining when we started but finished in quite nice sunshine... 3 flats amongst the group. There was a much-touted climb, that didn’t turn out to be much. Had dinner on our own, had pizza with Linda and the Ruddys.

Intricacies of wireless
I am still a bit puzzled by the occasional difficulty of connecting my new wireless netbook , ... here in Piesanty in a grand hotel its automatic, and in the downtown hotel in Budapest (a LAN) it was fine. but at other times I feel like I should be setting or changing something. The girl at reception last night said it was a new computer, and I hadn't even set it up for Public wireless, which I think she did. All places but one have had free terminals in the lobby. This tour is staying at swankier hotels than I'm used to.

Sept 15 cycled 102 Km to Beladice, through fertile farmlands.... stopped for a pizza lunch and decided to add some 15 extra kms. Hotel is also deluxe, but no where near the level of last night.
Sept 14 Tues cycled 92 km to Bela to a beautiful Butterfield&Robinson type place, a centuries old estate ..... sort of like an old renovated castle. Ride was essentially flat, and crossed the Danube from Hungary to Slovakia. Was able to switch 24,000 Hungarian Floriants to 82 Euros,... with a fair bit of bureaucratic confusion. In the map session there was a 30 minute session devoted to going over a yellow bridge, and crossing under same, .... how it took so long Il never know. Dinner was included in a very fancy hotel restaurant.

Sept 13, Monday ... today is first `official` day, since quite a few arrived yesterday. Met at 8:30 for city tour and the guide was really quite good, very proud of country, and just the right mix of light silliness and historical facts. It was a walking tour, with 3 subway rides... seeing the usual things, and there wasn't too much overlap(for me). Paid my hotel bill for the extra nights, at 52
Euro pp per night, .... not bad for a pretty nice hotel with exceptionally good breakfast.

Sept 12, Sunday ... mostly sunny day, went and got tickets to see the parliament buildings, kind of a rigmarole, ... free for citizens of EU, but $15 for Canadians. While waiting for the 12noon start, watched the triathlon where there were quite a few Canadians participating.... probably with the most flamboyant outfits. The tour was OK, but a bit of a rigmarole to get admission. Of the so-called English group only 10-25% were English speakers.

Sept 11 ...very rainy day ......took ``hop-on-hop-off ``bus tour on double Decker.... better than nothing....then a boat ride on the Danube, then three of us went to dinner with a friend of Jetje`s, .....he`s a military attache stationed in Budapest for Canada for 6 countries in the region. Others are going to opera tonight, .... not my cup of tea. On bus tour met Irish couple who say they`re at a hotel where everybody is there for cheap dental work at 20 percent of back home prices, all organized by Kreative Dental... amazing. In the evening, 3 went to Karl and Penny`s (Jetje's friends) he is the Canadian military attache for the region ... it was fun, Karl is a bit of a ham, ... so it was light and jolly.... and we got along well .... I guess they liked entertaining plain Canadians with no agenda, rather than their usual guests. Pork tenderloin was good of course, and conversation seemed to bubble along. Rory went as well as Doug and myself, and we were all glad we went. We took a couple bottles of wine,... they have a very nice apartment, ... they call it an "apartment", but its pretty grand.

Sept 10 ... On AC I had to wait standby, a piss-off, due to being oversold, but in the end it was OK. Can`t really understand why my web check-in (seat selection) wouldn't work ,... got differing opinions, but clerk says you should always!!! try to get your seat assigned before you go to the airport, because of overselling. He said that at the worst they would route me through Frankfurt, with compensation.... so there were a few anxious hours,.... but it worked out OK.