Melnik to Prag Sunday August 25th 2013

After not such a great breakfast (the first one that was not buffet style) maybe they had some people backing lunches and now serve what one gets to eat.
Anyway we left under a grey sky. It looked like rain. when I called my sister she said it had already rained there all night. Well we got on the trail and at noon sure enough it started, lightly at first but we soon got into our raingear as it got heavier. We had some good paved trail along the river, but sometimes had to deal with the likes of this


, trail through the fields

Outside the little village of Bukol we had to cross the river via pipeline bridge with very narrow steep steps seemed impossible to get the bikes up there. but than I discovered a hand written sign saying
private Ferry to Luzec and that is exactly were we had to go. Mac was doubtful but there was no choice. After  3km we reached the river and sure enough there was a small sort of a Ferry.No one was around but soon a window opened in one of the houses and a man looked out. We pointed to the other bank and for 50 krona he took us across and we continued on towards Prag. Sometimes good and sometimes really bad trail. By then it was raining pretty hard. We passed some white water kayak courses and stopped to watch some slalom races. W passed the castle Nelahazeves, huge up on the hill, here we missed the trail and had to backtrack a bit Soon came to beautiful castle Veltrusy. Its being restored. Mac took photos. walked through the Park and back on the bikes. Now we are getting really close to Prag but now the bike trail narrows into a very small path up on the steep bank of the river overgrown with brush. We we are being warned not to take it, so had to make a detour up a  very long hill via some village way up there were we biked in a strong headwind in a driving rain. on and on it went until we finally found the way back down to the river and the bike trail.We stopped to take a look at the beautiful castle Troja and now we are on the outskirts of Prag. Our pension should be coming up soon, only we can't find it on the map, so here we are cold and wet looking for the place. Tried calling but could not get through because you have to punch in a + before the number. Finally figured it out and got dirctions from the very nice owner who speaks german. we were only minutes from the place. We have a whole flat to ourselves, its bigger then my whole house and all of it for
102 euros breakfast included. Thankfully there was a restaurant close by, we were starved.
Mac had pasta, but I had trational Bohemien-Czeck food, Meat in a creamy sauce with knedeliky
(dumplings) not unlike the food I am used to.
August 26th
Monday Morning
Its a grey sky, but it's not raining we are checking out the city after breakfast. Mac is still asleep.