Kenneth and I are not the earliest of risers, so he made for a good roommate! Whereas Jerry likes to start early . . . very early if he had his druthers . . . but still, earlier than Kenneth and I. Which often does not bring much advantage, as we learned yesterday and as we learned again today!
Our penzion did not offer breakfast, although it did have a "fully" equipped kitchen. I say "fully" as I only gave it cursory attention since we had no plans to prepare food in it. But fortunately, the "other" penzion, Penzion Na Kolářce, where we had dinner last night, did! So after getting our act together, Kenneth and I made our way there, expecting to see Jerry's and Happy's fully loaded Bike Fridays.
Nada. No bikes, no Jerry, and no Happy. I tried one door. Locked. I tried the other door. Open! It seems the reception is closed at this hour, but the restaurant is open for breakfast. Great! My only concern was whether they will serve breakfast to travelers not staying with them (occasionally, you run into those situations). But they did! Great again! I was actually a hair ahead of Kenneth, so briefed him on his arrival, and we secured our bikes in the empty bike rack.
But where were Jerry and Happy? There was no other game in town, and there was no way they ate breakfast THAT fast! Well, that mystery would only be solved later.
So after breakfast, Kenneth and I headed out of town. Southward and up a slight incline, past another penzion. This one looked like it was converted Soviet-era housing or possibly a dormitory, maybe even an old school building of some sort. Hard to say. I was still waking up my legs! We descended, crossed a stream, and then climbed again to a plateau on our way to Vratěnín. It was a nice morning, but boy, did the road suck . . .
Early morning hills are bad enough, but the road conditions in the Czech Republic can be less than desirable . . .
The ride to Slavonice was mostly on rolling hills through open fields and the occasional wooded section. And, of course, through small villages and towns. And while the terrain was rolling, it was still more up than down. Slavonice was an interesting town with a historic center but also the first town I had been in that had loudspeakers situated throughout the public areas. Apparently there was some type of community event taking place, and the speakers would alternate between music and announcements. Very strange, and again, something that reminded me of the Soviet era. Being so close to the border with Austria, the town would have been tightly controlled.
But on to more fun observations! Slavonice is also the entry point to Czech Canada, an area of the Czech Republic known for its wooded highlands and very popular with cyclists due to the low traffic volumes. Highlands mean more climbing, and we did a good amount over the next ten miles. We didn't stop again until we reached Castle Landštejn, where Kenneth and I decided to get a bite to eat.
Well, Jerry and Happy arrived soon thereafter! But they didn't notice us right away as they were engaged with some of the other cyclists who were interested in their Bike Fridays, always an easy topic of conversation. We eventually regrouped, caught up, and solved the breakfast mystery. Jerry had only tried the one door, not the other, and had assumed they were closed! So he and Happy had moved on. Kenneth and I must have passed them when they stopped to eat further down the road. Lesson learned: Always Try the Second Door!
Castle Landštejn, high on a hill, including the one we climbed to get here.
The road continued, alternating between open fields and heavily wooded areas. All quite nice. Very nice indeed, in fact! Our next stop was almost back in Austria 'cause it was so close to the border. The Forest Hotel Peršlák dates to the 1920s and is an elegant retreat . . . for only (about) $75 USD. Not bad.
Cyclists leaving from the Forest Hotel Peršlák for a ride through the wooded hills. The one at the back stayed at the back as the crowd disappeared around the bend. I hope he completed his ride because I didn't see any SAG! That hill is steeper than it looks.
But close to the hotel is a more sobering memorial: Nejsevernější bod Rakouska (the northernmost point of Austria). Of course, the northernmost point of Austria is not, in and of itself, particularly notable. However, close by is a memorial to the border.
After clearing the woods . . . Czech Canada . . . we were only about seven miles from our destination for the day, Jindrichuv Hradec, a very handsome city with a beautiful square. We stayed in a hotel right on it, partaking in a few beers before heading for dinner and wandering the streets. Which only got us into trouble, as ice cream was readily available.
