Week 5: to Hodonin: Petr shows us the way through the Czech country side

April 29, 2015

Today is our last day of cycling in the Czech Republic. Petr, our warmshowers host, is riding with us to his parents home in Hodonin, near the Czech-Slovakia border. Petr guides us out of Brno on bike paths, and then weaves us through the backroads to avoid the busy roads. He has a bike map which he consults frequently until we reach an intersection and says "this is where my map ends." All over the Czech Republic, there are small yellow signs with a bike and a number. If cycling longer in CZ than our nine days (6 cycling days), it would be worthwhile to invest in bike maps.

Impressions of the Czech Republic:

1. CZ is part of the European Union but did not adopt the Euro. The money is the CZ Kuran, 25 = 1 Euro. Average cost of a beer, 20 CZ Kuran. Beer costs less than any other beverage.

2. CZ is known for being the number one beer drinkers in the world, you can see people drink beer anytime of day.

3. Tank beer is how beer was intended to be: unpasteurized, uncarbonized and unchilled, served in glasses that are kept in water until the beer is poured.

4. Bike paths have more people in-line skating, and in-line skating pushing baby strollers than bikes.

5. The countryside is rolling green farmlands interspersed with forests and woodlands.

6. When the canola plants are blooming, the fields of yellow flowers are beautiful and make the greens greener.

7. There are Albert supermarkets, a Dutch brand

8. Camping in the CZ Rep seems to not start until May 1st.

9. Prague is a beautiful city and a must to stay a few days...plan rest days here when cycling through

Our warmshowers host Petr leads us out of Brno and mostly on secondary roads to his hometown on the Czech-Slovakia border.

sometimes the small roads get a bit rough, but it is worth avoiding the main road.

Beer isn't the only drink of choice in the southern part of the Czech Republic, here there are vineyards and wineries. The houses in this village have colorful paintings around the doors.

Petr and his friend are headed out next week for a biketrip to Norway. After that they plan to head east very early next spring.

We visit a friend of Petr who escaped communist Czechoslovakia and found refuge in the US for three years.

We have to have some plum brandy. And then some more and another one.....

Looking up Boise Idaho in the atlas with Petr's parents.

Today's ride: 81 km (50 miles)
Total: 1,545 km (959 miles)

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