Merry Xmas Everybody?

Sunday 1st September 2024. World Letter Writing Day.

Brno to Brystrice nad Pernsteynem – 82km.

I had a lovely nights sleep and was outside loading the bike by 7am. There were young people sitting around outside who had obviously been out all night…and a street cleaning team were sweeping around my bike.

I knew my route out of Brno pretty well by now. I knew it would be a hilly ride so I was trying to cycle steadily. The route largely followed the river Svratka but I didn’t see much of it. The route is officially part of Eurovelo 4 which is the Central European route but you wouldn’t know it whilst cycling. There were no signs and I very much needed my Garmin and Komoot maps. I stay with this route till Prague.

It was a very quiet ride, probably because it was a Sunday. I have been trying to provoke other cyclists into replying to my ‘good mornings’ (“dobre rano”) but it hasn’t been working too well. I can’t blame the hat. There doesn’t seem to be a cyclist’s camaraderie like there is in the UK or France.

I stopped for sustenance prior to hilly sections and I needed my homemade Grasmere Ginger Bread.

Whilst sat eating I noticed….

The temperature, around 30C, and the hills were a bit of a struggle. I climbed over 1000 metres in the day. Hopefully, it will be the most climbing of the trip but there are still the next couple of days of hills. I think they do some skiing round here in the winter.

Brystrice nad Pernsteynem is a bit of a mouthful. It is a town that seems to have been two towns where came together. My hotel is fresh and modern but it’s near the business area. I arrived before 2pm and showered, had a relax but went out to find food. I found a pub. When I went in I heard REM on the jukebox rather loud. I thought OK, manageable. I ordered my meal and then the jukebox continued to play non stop Heavy Metal music to make my ears bleed. One song was Judas Priest’s The Painkiller’, I needed that whilst cycling up the last hill….but not whilst I had a Sunday Roast.

Back home, everyday is really busy with people bustling around in cars and at the shops but many other countries do slow down on a Sunday and I don’t expect shops and cafes to be open.

I will probably spend the rest of the evening with my legs up.

I fully support World Letter Writing Day but in the absence of a letter you will have to put up with a blog. I could have chosen Little Black Dress Day but I couldn’t squeeze into one….thankfully! Anyway….Happy September Month!