Crossing the Alps
- Italy
- 23/08/2017
The top of the trip (in metres above sea level) was the crossing of the Splügen pass. On my way there, I avoided Milan and passed through the valley of several the lakes: Lago di Garlati as the appetizer, Lago di Como as the main course and Lago di Mezzola as the dessert.
To see the sea again
- Italy
- 20/08/2017
From Pisa it takes only a short distance to the sea, this time to the Tyrrhenian. The entry point to the sea is the harbour of Viareggio, with moored small boats as well as luxury yachts, which also have their service station here.
Tuscany
- Italy
- 18/08/2017
In Rome I turned back north, passing three lakes in former craters. This turned out to be a very strategic choice – as temperatures started to attack 40°C in the afternoon, I quickly replaced cycling for bathing.
Rome
- Italy
- 15/08/2017
I reached the center of Rome around Roma Termini and the first impression, after a time spent in nature and in the picturesque medieval towns, was quite terrible: floods of litter, garbage and dirt of all kinds, noise, soldiers in armored vehicles with machine guns, suspicious idividuals of all nationalities, incl. e.g. one older lady just hand-measuring her black favourite as he counted the money, with other guy preparing his shot nearby… But it was enough to walk the marble pavements towards the historical centre, and the Eternal City has much more to offer.
Umbria
- Italy
- 13/08/2017
In San Mauro a Mare I left the sea behind and soon I came across the first hill after a long time – and on the top of it the castle in Santarcangelo di Romagna. This was supposed to become a pattern. Behind the first hill followed the landscape I fell in love with. Beautiful landscape, on every hill a village or a town looking like it was just made ready for a medieval movie, narrow little streets, stone houses, marble, fortification around.
More lowlands around Ravenna
- Italy
- 11/08/2017
Lowland and corn, here and there wine, continued from Venezia on to Ravenna. And equally did continue the kilometres of mass tourism around the shore.
Easy downride to the sea
- Italy
- 08/08/2017
By an easy ride through the valley, via Gmünd and then around the Drau river, I reached Villach and from there, from the Austrian side with an effort smaller than expected, I got up on the Austro-Italian border pass.
Towards Italy from Salzburg
- Italy
- 05/08/2017
I enjoyed nearly four weeks of holiday going south: from Salzburg to Italy. And actually, considering formal borders I visited quite a few countries: Austria, Italy, San Marino, again Italy, Vatican, yet again Italy, Switzerland, Austria.
Ještěd mountain
- Other trips
- 11/06/2017
A few pictures from a trip from Tachov, through Hrubý Rohozec castle and Javorník hill to Ještěd.
Dresden
- Other trips
- 09/05/2017
The Ore Mountains I used the May Victory day holidays for a trip to Dresden. From the Czech side the Czech Ore Mountains and the “Saxon Switzerland” stand in the way. Stopping at Stadice, where Přemysl, the legendary founder of the Czech royal dynasty left his plough for a throne, I reached the foot of the mountains in Krupka and went up around the local castle (for a while I was also considering local chair lift that reportedly also lifts bikes). Upon arrival to the Ore Mountains it was interesting to observe the class segregation by altitude. The bottom – a landscape covered by smoke from the industrial zone, the decaying remains of the socialist-era industry around the revitalised (= overgrown) former coal quarries, housing only in aging prefabricated concrete…