Monday 30 July

Prague to Melnik

We walked into the centre of Nusle to withdraw cash from a Bankomat to pay the Pension as he didn't take credit card payments. All our kit got packed into the car apart from a bag on each bike for essentials. Robert accompanied Liz in the car map-reading to Kralupy from where he would catch the train back to Prague, then by taxi to the airport and home to Birmingham. The sky was cloudless and it was hot as we rode along cobbled streets through Prague, down to the river and across to a large park and across again to the east bank.

The way was along rough river-side tracks with large puddles and boggy dips: no-one fell off but the bikes got pretty muddy. We got to Kralupy in time for a large snack in the railway café with Liz and Rob before he caught the train back. Liz was suffering with the hot and humid conditions and as Mick was finding the going tough he suggested he joined Liz in the car and help set up camp in Melnik.

Out of Kralupy on boggy river side tracks until we came across a way-marked cycle path with a much better surface. It took us through pleasant fields for quite a while until it slowly started to disappear. We back-tracked to a gantry taking huge pipes across a stream with a foot-bridge slung alongside. We hefted the bikes up steep steps onto the foot-bridge and down the other side before joining a road leading into the centre of Melnik, a lovely cobbled square with fountains. We found a street plan that showed the camp site half a mile away where Liz and Mick had pitched the tents. There were some chalets made out of huge barrels. We ate very well in the camp restaurant before strolling back into the centre and viewing the confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe from the town walls.