14th day, July 22nd: With difficulties to Ostrava with a church for 2 communities

On my 14th day, I started cycling from Suchdol at half past 5 in the morning due to the heat. My goal was the industrial city of Ostrava, about 40km away, with the option of continuing to Havirov if no one in Ostrava was available to show me the church and answer some questions. Although I arrived at the outskirts of Ostrava with a housing estate of high-rise buildings on deserted village roads before 9 o'clock, I couldn't find the way to the city center. I completely lost my orientation in a tangle of city highways and elevated roads, which are forbidden to be ridden by bicycle, a tangle of railway tracks blocking the right direction, and a huge chemical industrial complex. I even accidentally ended up on a road construction site of an elevated road, where there was no way forward. So I pushed my bike down a steep slope, where I discovered a cycle path, and with a loss of 1.5 hours, I finally found the right way to the center of Ostrava. However, I did not find the city or the center itself particularly appealing. I rested in a cafe with a cup of cappuccino and researched the location of an Evangelical community. Thanks to Google, I quickly found the location of the impressive Evangelical church (photo). I rang the doorbell at the rectory and a female pastor opened "her" church (photo). Unfortunately, she only had a little time because she was busy preparing for the community children's camp. She reported that two communities are at home in this church. The local church community of the Bohemian Brethren, which has about 800 members and holds worship services every Sunday at 10 am, and at the same location, the small Evangelical Silesian-Lutheran community with the Augsburg Confession, which holds worship services at 8:30 am. The first necessary construction work and repairs were mentioned for the first time under the keyword "challenges", but there is not enough money. In her community, there is also a Ukraine aid group, offers for children during school time, and volunteer cantors. We said goodbye in less than an hour. Since I still had the whole afternoon available and the city does not have any special sights, despite the heat, I decided to continue cycling to Havirov, which is 15km away.

On the way, the first foothills of the Beskids, a mountain range in the border region of the Czech Republic and Poland, showed themselves again, as it went up and down, never really steep, but no less exhausting in the heat. According to Google, there is an Evangelical Silesian-Lutheran community on the outskirts of the city. I also found the community in this city quite quickly, and the female pastor of the first pastor was present on-site. But it quickly became clear that the building is only the community and assembly house of the community (photo). The actual church itself is about 1.5 km away (photo). After difficult communication, the second pastor of the community, who is also a hospital chaplain, happened to come. He mentioned that the large evangelistic week of the Evangelical Silesian-Lutheran Church in a village about 25km away ends on the same day. However, he cannot go there because of two wedding talks. Instead, I should ride to the church 1.5km away, and around 6 pm, the first pastor will be there to show me the church because a meeting is taking place there. So I cycled to the church. But I waited in vain because no one appeared. A little after 6 pm, I cycled back to the community center, which was now locked. Somewhat unsure if I understood everything correctly, I cycled to the reservoir 8km away, where there should be a campsite recommended by the female pastor. Once again, it went up and down, and at the edge of Havirov, I pushed my bike about 1.5km uphill on the main road. Fortunately, there was a Kaufland supermarket on the way, and I was able to buy my dinner. After a speedy descent, it went uphill again. I got closer and closer to the Beskids. Shortly before sunset, I reached the so-called campsite, which had nothing to offer except a meadow with a portable toilet but was free of charge. Between a row of fishing rods, I went swimming to wash off and refresh myself from the sweat of the day. Afterwards, I grilled a tasty steak with grilled vegetables on my gas stove and crawled into my little "house made of fabric" for the day.