Pillnitz to the Czech Republic and back on bike

My longest ride yet at 90 kilometers (56 miles)! I went out with a 20 km/hr headwind, which was murder on the way there, but a joy on the way back. About 6 km is the first nice town, Pirna. The first 6 km are always the hardest, as the muscles are getting loose. Looking under the train tracks from the trail into Pirna. 10:30 on a Sunday and the town is empty.

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Another 8 km and you're at this really nice beer garden.... but no time this time.

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Bingo, before you know it, in another 6 km and you are looking up at the Bastei.

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Not too much further, 5 km, and you are looking up at the fortress at Königstein.

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Here you have to transfer by passenger ferry to the other side of the Elbe River. There were a total of 23 bikes on the ferry with me. (They are not all in the picture.)

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Go another 6 km and you are the resort town of Bad Schandau. A steam paddle boat was loading as I was going by.

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There are cute places to stay at Bad Schandau.

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Then the big moment. Six more km and I am crossing the Czech border. I had my passport out, hoping to get stamped. But what is this. The border station is closed and everyone is just zooming past. The car in the picture is not stopped, it is going like 50 km/hr out of the Czech Republic. Probably filled with booze and cigarettes from the Duty Free shop.

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So the police are inside, with a bike. And you can see my reflection in the glass, so I really was there.

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Well, I am still pumped. I have biked into another country. I had never done that before. Now I am headed to see what Czechs are all about in the town of Hřensko

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Another few km and here I am. But wait, what is this place? What is going on? Everywhere there are stalls filled with junk.

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I have not entered the Czech Republic, I have entered Vietnam.

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If I slow down in front of a stall the Vietnamese shop keeper comes running out. "Heh man, come here, come here". I barter for a few minutes with a few, in German, but do not buy anything, although that watch sure was tempting, and the switch blade, man I do not have one of those.
I roll on into town.
It is time for a real Czech meal. I am hungry and thirsty. I stop here. It looked reasonable. Oh, the restaurants are not run by the Vietnamese. Here, real German speaking Czechs.

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I decide to order the house specialty. When it comes I am amazed. As I eat I think wow, this is the worst food I have eaten in my life. Not one, but three kinds of tough pounded meat, cooked in grease. Elegantly topped with canned mushrooms, with a side of red cabbage, fresh from the jar. The french fries were good. I actually did not clean my plate, and for those of you that know me as the garbage man, that is saying something. I had my second beer and looked out at my bike.

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I love my bike. And the fact that I got to this far flung place on top of my bike makes the whole trip fun and beautiful.
And yes, the wind at my back on the way home. Mercy, how my body appreciated that gift. I think I averaged about 21 km/hr going to the Czech Republic and 27 coming back. Whoppeeee.