biking bohemia – Adventurings

after getting my bike back in ship-shape just in time for the nice weather, i decided to take a first pedal of the year last weekend. the weather was supposed to be around 23°C and mostly sunny, and with alex busy, it was time for me to finally take the pedal to hluboká nad vltavou, the next town of any repute to the north, on what has been called the busiest cycle path in the entire country!

it is an easy 12km from my house to

hluboká, riding along the river vltava most of the time before veering off into the adorable village of bavorovice, then on along some ponds straight to

hluboká

. love the disney-worthy views of the castle that greet me upon my arrival!

(practical info: from

budějovice, the cycle path officially starts on the western bank of the river after the pedestrian bridge before voříškův dvůr, the major bridge at the northern edges of the city. you can ride on the eastern bank of the river from the city center to get there.)

i decided to treat myself to a solo visit at small

hluboká (ohrada) zoo, which has an impressive amount of animal residents for its size, especially birds and water fowl. i strolled around in the warm sun, eating an ice cream and watching pink pelicans chase around the unwanted duck visitors and snap their tails with their unusual beaks. something about visiting a zoo by myself is really peaceful… i’m free to stare at the monkeys as long as i feel like it! or ant-eater in this case…

something about bike trips that apply to other areas of my life: i hate taking breaks. if i’m doing something, i just want to power through it to the end, especially since after the zoo, it was to that point in the afternoon where the sun overhead is hot and the path is crowded.

i really should’ve taken a lot more pauses and drank a lot more water, because 12km later i was home and pretty much dead to the world with what i think is a form of mild heat exhaustion, laying in bed and drinking liters upon liters of water for the rest of the day. so long, evening plans! was it too ambitious of me to take a 24km pedal after a year’s break? probably. that partly cloudy sun can sure be deceptive! i think i’ve learned my lesson!

some glimpses of oh-so-south-bohemian

bavorovice located about halfway between my start and end point… i know i will be back again to have a beer or a snack at one of the many lovely restaurants and tables that line the main road of the town… a biker’s paradise. check out the beautiful examples of traditional south bohemian farm houses.

that water pump, though!

have you ever had a similar experience?

don’t be like me… make sure to hydrate properly when physically exerting yourself in even the most mild-seeming warm weather. christina of route bliss has some great tips that a sensible person should remember to follow. travel well!