Hunker in the Bunker.

Friday 30th August 2024. Frankenstein Day.

Mikulov to Brno – 75km.

I started cycling at 7.30am. If I continue to start an hour earlier I will be setting off before I go to bed! The early start paid off. I had done 30km by 9am. Pretty flat today. I cycled through vineyards and past lakes.

I was now on Eurovelo 9, which goes from the Adriatic to the Baltic. It was well signposted but I didn’t see any people other than day cyclists. Certainly no one who is doing the full route.

It was 11am before I found somewhere for coffee and I sat watching very big fish jumping out of the water. Again, I arrived at my destination by lunchtime. I couldn’t check into my luxury, unique and bijou accommodation till 3pm.

I am staying at a hostel called Bunker 10-Z. It was a nuclear bunker for up to 500 people and it was a state secret until the collapse of Communism in the 1990’s.

I wandered around Brno till I could check-in. It was here that the Bren Gun was designed (interesting fact). It was made by Enfield in England and the name came from BR for Brno and EN for Enfield!

Also Brno was the home of Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics. He is particularly known for cross breeding pea plants, a subject close to my heart!

It is also a very striking city. Here are a few photos.

Lots of very pretty buildings and a few more futuristic ones too. I walked up the hill behind the Bunker and visited Spilberk Castle.

Back to the Bunker to check-in. The girl on the desk spoke English and was very helpful. Here is the map of the Bunker…

If you can image a nuclear bunker….this would be very authentic.

I mentioned that today is Frankenstein Day. Well this is the closest I can get to creating a monster….

You may remember it is also Be Kind to Humankind week….well, I thought I would be kind to the girl who was on reception at the Bunker. I gave her a bar of Kendal Mint Cake I had brought from home. She was very grateful of my offering. I had an ulterior motive (not the one you are thinking of), I am climbing some big hills tomorrow and I am trying to loose weight from my bags. The Kendal Mint Cake is like cycling with bags of sugar in my panniers!

I am not eating out tonight. I had a ‘Poke Bowl’ with vegetables and tuna from Lidl. Very healthy. It could be the first vegetables I’ve had so far.

I had another walk around and conceded the need to get some Czech Koruna cash from a cash machine. It means that I don’t have to ask about paying by card before I buy everything. After all, I am staying in the country for quite a while.

I strolled back to the Bunker for 9ish. I fancy an early night for another early start. I had a call with Janice….she said she wouldn’t want to stay in the Bunker….I understand why. I’m not sure how I will go on really.

But if the Third World War starts tonight I should be OK! Sorry about you lot.