Dresden

September 1, 2017

Well, I finally arrived in Dresden at what can only be described as a miserable day! Well, partly miserable because when it "improved," I felt better! A cold rain most of the day with varying intensity. Which meant I was cold and wet all day! I was shivering so bad at lunch that I was afraid to pick up a glass of water for fear of dropping it. I had trouble completing my hotel registration as I had difficulty writing! We (I?) left Happy in the Czech Republic, holed up in a penzion. Jerry was rescued by a German buying gasoline on the cheap side of the border. I somehow made it all the way . . . solo!

Of course, the day started out with different expectations. It had rained all night, so I, ever the optimist, hoped that would mean a dry day. I mean, like, how much rain can fall after all? We aren't in Houston (remember Houston?) . . . but we are in the mountains.

So when we woke, it was sort of on and off. But when we finally pushed off, it was a steady drizzle. Some might say a steady rain. But I'm an optimist, so a steady drizzle will suffice.

Today's ride to Dresden.

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Which was fine with me. I pushed off as soon as I was ready. Happy and Jerry were still fussing with their gear and bikes, even though they had retrieved their bikes from storage before me! No time to waste, I say. Mark (from my Italy and Alps tours) will tell you I have a habit of doing that. And he's right. When I'm ready to roll, I roll.

I knew we had climbing ahead of us but hadn't really quantified it in my head. It had to be done regardless. It started out gradual, so I was hopeful it would stay as such. It didn't, but I wasn't expecting it to start as a steep climb the wrong way up a one-way street!

This looks pretty mild in this picture, but cars would suddenly appear in quantity, requiring me to duck into a refuge between the parked cars. I made it to the top. Happy and Jerry (I later learned) used the sidewalk. But they had a more hair-raising experience when a car jumped the curb!

OK, I will admit to being the chief navigator for this trip, and there were easier, albeit longer, routes to the same end point, but that isn't what I routed back in May or June or whenever it was. So here we were. And so, climb I did, against traffic, during "rush hour," such as it is here in Ústí nad Labem. I did get one horn honk!

After that, it leveled out to a more gradual climb that was pretty easy until MP 3.8 or so, which was close to the first peak, where I needed to stop and recompose myself a bit (i.e., rest). Then I finished it off.

At MP 3.8 or so . . . another steep climb. Not so much rain at this point.

The climb was nice, especially after getting away from the traffic and into the suburbs/countryside. And the climbing made me immune to the cold and somewhat to the rain. When I ride in rain, at some point it just is there, and I ignore it (sort of). The cold, however, penetrates. And at the top, when you have no heat from climbing, it reminds you that it's there. And that it has been for a while! Like in your feet and hands!

So that was the first climb, then a descent, and then the second climb, which was just as long and just as steep. We crossed several main highways, and I could see traffic disappearing into the mountainside. We were crossing the mountain while they were driving through it . . . through a tunnel! But there were not many choices for cyclists crossing into Germany in these parts, and the scenery was great, just wet and cold! And at the top of the second climb, I was feeling the rain and the cold pretty well. That is also when I first felt a headwind and noticed the wind turbines. Facing my direction of travel, of course! Not a surprise. Ever since we had left Vienna, I had a sense that the prevailing winds were from the north and northwest, and there it was . . . more proof!

From there, though, it was pretty much downhill to the German border. I'm not clear when I crossed it, as there was no signage (which was a surprise to me), but there was a sizable community of businesses on the Czech side. Things are cheaper in the Czech Republic, and they have capitalized on their proximity to the wealthy but apparently cost-conscious Germans!

This was also where the road turned very, very rough. It had been stripped down (scarified) to the underlying bitumen, making for a very irregular and rut-filled surface! Compounded by the wet conditions. It was not pleasant to bike, but I had to, all the way through town.

At this point I seriously considered a break. I was cold, wet, and losing confidence in my steering and riding ability. Looking back at the stats, the temperatures were in the mid-40s! I was not dressed for that. All I was wearing was a long-sleeve "jersey" and my rain jacket. And the leg warmers I purchased in Munich. Smart buy that was!

But I pressed on, unimpressed with anything I had seen in town as a suitable warmup spot. Funny how that works, but that attitude probably saved the day for me!

But where was I? I assumed I was in Germany, but I had not seen any signs indicating a border. However, I had seen signs in German. Later I learned I was still in the Czech Republic, and many Germans cross the border for cheap goods, including petrol, so the German was for them! But at the moment, it was only a side thought, and one of not much relevance. The rain was picking up again, and so was traffic!

And that only added to the problem. I was on a two-lane road with no shoulder, with more traffic than on the Czech side (the Czechs have little motivation to drive to the border trap), and more rain! It was a little unnerving.

Right after leaving Rundteil (as I believe it's called), I started up my third climb of the day. At this point, I really was worried about being caught up in an incident. Most cars would pass with adequate room, but if there were opposing cars, my side would cut it close. And my steering wasn't getting better. I really needed to stop and warm up.

So I made it to _Berggießhübel, about six miles into Germany, where I spotted an "Asian Restaurant" (as they are advertised here) with kebabs! So I stopped, parked the bike, and walked in, although "walked in" is generous. I was totally discombobulated. I could barely speak 'cause I was so cold. And everything about me was soaking wet. Fortunately, a German family having lunch came to my rescue. They spoke English (the proprietor did not) and helped me through the menu.

So hot soup and bottled water came rather quickly. Still, I was afraid to even pick up a glass for fear of dropping it 'cause I was shivering so much. I hadn't realized how bad it was, and the downhill descent into town did not help, only increasing the wind chill.

So I hung out there for an hour, chatting it up with the Germans, who were vacationing from Stuttgart, and slowly warming up. I still had 18 miles to go but only one small hill, which I could see ahead of me when I stopped for what was becoming lunch. After the soup and the departure of the Germans, I ordered a noodle dish and watched the locals drift in and out. We "chatted" a bit, but none spoke much (if any) English.

But I was chatting with the boys, Happy and Jerry, via text, and did they have a story to tell. Both were still stuck in the Czech Republic, stopped by a major downpour! They weren't budging and were freezing. Well, so was I lol! But in all fairness, the downpour I went through was probably headed for them. And since they were several miles behind me, I bypassed it as I biked into Germany, but they met it at the top of the pass, where it stalled and opened up! The proof is in the pudding, as during my lunch break, it actually stopped raining for a while!

Jerry was actually in the border town where he met a nice German who offered him a ride to Dresden. He took it. Happy was two miles behind in Petrovice. He ultimately found a penzion and camped out for the night! It rained till 7:00 PM, he says. Neither of those options interested me! I had riding to do! So I pushed on. One small hill, and then it was flat riding all the way into Dresden.

And it really wasn't that hard to get started, even though the rain had started up again just as I exited the restaurant. It's a mindset, after all. And it turned out that that minor hill had a nice adjacent bike trail. So I was able to climb in peace of mind. It didn't last forever, but those facilities became more available the further I went. Welcome to Germany!

Plus, it was warming up! Lower elevations will do that!

There was only one last hiccup that was easily dealt with (being an old pro). A closed road! I contemplated my options, looked at my map, and proceeded around the barrier. It was a pretty urbanized area by now, but trying to reroute in the rain wasn't something I wanted to consider. As it turned out, the road was closed for guardrail repairs! I biked right through without so much as a wave. And I had the road all to myself!

After that piece, I was within striking distance. I was even able to bike along the Elbe on a bike trail for a short distance (until I hit a closed section). But when I saw my first tram, I knew I was close (well, eight miles or so). And our course followed the tram line all the way into the zentrum. With bike lanes and/or bike trails all the way.

A blocked trail along the Elbe. Not a big deal, and there were bike facilities on the adjacent, parallel roadway.

And here I am, entering Dresden along a tramway (you can see a tram in the distance).

Here's a better view. There were times the bike course diverted to the adjacent sidewalk, notably at tram stations where the roadway did not have enough width to accommodate everyone.

In the old town's main square, the Frauenkirche Dresden, rebuilt after being destroyed during World War II.

And a general view of the surrounding structures . . .

Jerry was already there (as he should have been), so check-in was a breeze. But even then, I had difficulty doing the little bit of writing required to complete the registration form. Time for a long, hot shower! And then, dinner. I was hungry and ready to eat!

Today's ride: 38 miles (61 km)
Total: 1,682 miles (2,707 km)

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