8 Sleep deprivation - Bee sting - Pasta salad

Thursday, 13.8.2020

Route: Tyn nad Vltavou - Kamyk nad Vltavou

Kilometers: 85

Elevation: about 1100

Weather: very sunny and very hot

13:03 (Julle)

Lunch break and the first entry for today. In the morning, no one wanted to write because we were all exhausted (which we are again now). In the cool beer garden yesterday, we not only ate a lot, good and cheap, but also drank beer and wine. And had really profound and funny conversations. Around half past 10, we went back to the accommodation and cooked the noodles for the pasta salad and then sat down in the TV and sofa room with a bottle of wine. Nico went to bed a little earlier, Max and I stayed up past 12. I was really tipsy!

Anyway, getting up was very difficult for all of us today and we could hardly eat anything at breakfast and finished the pasta salad. We just bought too much yesterday. Even Max says so, the most gluttonous person in the world. Nevertheless, we left somewhat early (around half past 8).

Our route today led us away from the Vltava river, through small villages with old houses, agriculture, and playing children. Uphill, downhill, through meadows and fields, but also through avenues and forests. There were many fruit trees along the roadside and for the first time, there were reflectors built on trees.

It is a really beautiful area, a bit similar to our area. But it was also a bit exhausting because it was really hot and we were sleep-deprived. The paths today were not only paved, but also partly gravel or filled with sand! Exhausting, but still doable.

And we didn't really get lost today. The worst incident was that Nico got stung by a bee. Right on the eyebrow, while riding. Fortunately, it only swelled slightly. And Nico is still cheerful.

Now we're having lunch, we've already devoured three-quarters of the pasta salad. Out of 500g of pasta. And we're doing so on a bay of a busy road. Cars are really speeding here and we still have about 3km to ride on it. But the view from the bridge is really amazing! Directly onto the Vltava river, which is very green here because of the algae.

So, now my eyes are almost closing.

16:05 (Nico)

Ice cream break. After taking a half-hour nap at a lake at half past 2, in the shade, everyone is awake again and full of energy. Now we just rode another 15km up and down until we arrived in Klucenice and sat down in a nice, shady spot. There we're enjoying our ice cream and drinking a coke. With the heat today, it's absolutely necessary. We've already ridden 69km today and deserve the ice cream.

Oh, by the way, Julle fell asleep while writing in the book on the stack of logs. It looked very peaceful. And during that time, I diligently cleaned and creamed my eyelid to make my bee sting better. And I think it's somewhat better now. Earlier we also sang "Bright side of life" together to motivate ourselves for the uphill sections.

18:36 (Julle)

We're here! And we've been here for a while. The "youth hostel" was at the top in Kamyk, but since our ice cream break, we've been riding smoothly and hardly noticed the inclines.

Our accommodation is awesome: brand new, with a fridge in the room and a pool! We just went in there for a refreshing dip, but now it's getting chilly and dinner is only served until 8, so we're outside again. In addition to us, a Czech extended family is also enjoying the pool.

Also, I have a few things to add:

1. Today we passed by a nuclear power plant.

2. On one stretch, the path was pretty shabby. (Not just on one stretch actually.) And there were potholes filled with gravel in the way, although gravel is the wrong word. The stones were sooo big! Probably this happened:

Christmas tree auction 2018, a representative of the local city council and one from the neighboring city council were present, among others. Then there was a ton of stones roughly from the Kirsch company to be auctioned. And because they didn't want to give anything to the other, they kept bidding incredibly high. Finally, the other city council gave up and a ton of stones roughly went to the local community. But what should they do with it? They actually had no need for such large stones, especially in that quantity! But because they don't want to give anything to the other, they couldn't give them away either. So, they simply dumped a ton of stones roughly on the bike path. That's how it happened and no other way.

3. The near-accident: Max is riding a bit ahead of Nico and me on the road, a car is coming towards us. From behind, a stupid driver races and overtakes Nico and me, but because of oncoming traffic, he can't pass Max anymore, so he cuts right behind him again and has to brake hard to avoid running over Max. It was really close!

19:17 (Max)

Dear diary,

here I am again. I'm hungry and we're waiting for dinner. We're outside enjoying the view. Today we had pasta salad, that was my idea! After all, we're half awake and look better than this morning, all of us.