Pantomine Time

Tynec – Borotin             52.8 kms         2284’ ascent

We made a cracking start this morning and even the ascent of the hill, as we departed the hostel, was less of an ordeal than anticipated. However, my friends, you may have noticed in the preamble, that the ascent did not stop there! Having spent the last couple of weeks meandering along the river bank, this confrontation with real hills again startled the legs and lungs. If we thought Sweden was like a roller coaster, the Czech Republic is no mean competitor. For those of you who remember life before bubblewrap, these hills were like the corrugated cardboard we used to use to protect precious objects in a parcel. Some small compensation was the return to scenic views of the countryside observed from dozens of summits! After several hours of up/down, up/down, getting hot on the ride up and freezing cold on the way down, it was time to appraise the situation. We were somewhat underwhelmed at our efforts of the day, having completed only 52 kilometres, but a reality check revealed that the next hostel was some 17 kilometres further on up several more hills. Common sense won, and we made for the hostel which was but 10 metres from our consultation point! After much pantomime gesturing, we finally secured a room for the night and a meal for the evening  -  and all this for less than £40! 
PS From Grumps

"One of those Days"

You’re on a long and winding hill. You’ve run out of gears. Your thighs are burning. You leave the saddle and stand on the pedals to round the next bend. It’s steeper. There is a split second between checking behind, deciding to stop, and in half a turn of the pedal, releasing your spd with an outward flick of the heel, squeezing the brakes hard and getting your foot to the floor. At my age, this considerable co ordination does not come without a rush of adrenalin and my lungs  desperately searching for air. Today was full of moments like this!