Day Thirteen: Budapest - Vienna
Final riding day. From Hungary back to our starting point in Austria.
The tour has ended, but, we can't help to think and hope that this isn't a goodbye, but a see you soon.
Kevin and Gary having a laugh
Almost ready to leave Budapest
Esztergom Cathedral
Pan European Picnic Monument
Border crossing
Jan crossing over
As it's the Pan European Picnic site, what else should we do!!!
What a Picnic!!
What's this?! A Birthday?
Happy Birthday Eva!!
Well, unfortunatly, it's the end of the tour, nevertheless, from your three tourguides, we would like to say thank you for sharing your holiday with us and for how much fun we had.
Day Twelve: Rest Day Budapest
Our last rest day everyone is eager to sightsee. In a city as historic as Budapest, there is a lot to see... and shop!!
Hero's square
Liberty Statue
The Halászbástya or Fisherman's Bastion
Liberty bridge
Gary and Wanda - Overview of Pest from the Citadel in Buda
Day Eleven: Rajecké Teplice - Budapest
Leaving Rajecké Teplice and traveling south towards Budapest, where we have our last rest day. On our way, there's a nice picnic and two great coffee stops. What a day!
So much fun preparing a group picture...
When it works, it works!!
Susan
Ľudovo-umelecké Čičmany
Tour Guide Thomas, Martin and Jan
Wait a minute1! What's this!? it's the Edelweiss support/luggage/picnic/garage Van!!
Martin at the beautiful picnic stop
Goodbye Slovakia...
Hello Hungary!!
Jan enjoying the coffee stop waiting for the ferry
There it comes!!
Through the tunnel in Buda looking at the Chain Brige that goes into Pest
Gary, Wanda and Kevin in the Budapest Bar hotel
Day Ten: Kracow - Rajecké Teplice
Even though the day may have begun with some rain, that doesn't stop this team of riders. As soon as we pass the foggy Tatra mountains, we arrive at the beautifuly colored Slovakian landscape where the roads were waiting dry and clean for us.
Ready to leave?
As we entered Slovakia, we found that certain parts were stuck in time.
Traveller village in Slovakia
When the roads dry up, what a great feeling
Interesting place to have lunch, ever eaten horse meat? Very tasty I must say!
Seems like a good place for a coffee
Coffe stop at Jeff's favorite castle, "Orava Castle"
Day Nine: Rest Day Kracow
After the previous rainy morning and the heavy night storm, the day begins with a sunny clear sky. Wonderful way to enjoy the city highlights and buy some presents!
St. Mary's Basilica, where every hour the trumpeteer plays on the hour
The horse pulled charriots will give you a scenic viewof the city
As we turned the corner, we saw this... how very odd
And this, they were filming a WWII movie!!
Up towards Wawel Castle
Day Eight: Starý Jičín - Kracow
Today was a long day, not so much for the ride, but because we spent a long tour in Auschwitz. Out of respect, I shall not put pictures of it on the blog. But, we did enjoy ourselves afterwards, we celebrated life and had fun in the city of Kracow, where we have a rest day with a tour prepared by Thomas!
Entrance to Auschwitz (Oświęcim)
Enjoying the views on our arrival in Kracow
Group dinner, typical Polish. I must say, Impressed with the Potaton BACON soup, everything tastes better with bacon
Certainly not Pablo's best side...
Such a sweet couple
Day Seven: Lázně Bělohrad - Starý Jičín
Nice ride through the Czech roads today. A bit of rain, but not much to worry about.
View from the roads
Starý Jičín Castle from afar
The old ruin
The view from the top
Our Hotel for the night
Jeff's nightly route remaping, this time with Thomas
The piece of art itself, with swiss precision....
Day Six: Dresden - Lázně Bělohrad
After a rest day, everyone is eager to ride again as we aproach the end of the first week.
Coffee stop
The best roads are the white ones
Always
They take you to interesting places
And when you arrive to see those beautiful places
Day Five: Rest Day Dresden
Being a rest day, some chose to ride , given the beautiful geography surrounding. Others in the other hand, went for a walk around he town.
Nice ride with Thomas
Beautiful Architecture
Dresden Frauenkirche, with the "original" section
A very calm city
Day Four: Prague - Dresden
As we leave the beautiful city of Prague, we find ourselves shortly on the forests of the Czech Republic. Little beautiful roads that make one think that the tourguide is lost, take us to a wonderful picnic done by Thomas.
Leaving Prague
Group photo Outsie Melnik looking over the Elbe
Inside the Bone Church
Beautiful forests on thos white roads Edelweiss blue line
TG Pablo counting heads (making sure he doesn't forget anyone)
Surprise!
What's this? Mr. Ritt
We met up with the "Around The World" tour, we had a very fun lunch.
If you would like to follow the "Around The World" tour, follow the link!
http://www.edelweissbike.com/en/blog/?p=32791
Yes Wanda, we are going to the Sandstone Mountains! Our last quick stop for coffee before Dresden
Thomas prepared a great picnic for us.
Day Three: Rest Day in Prague
On our first rest day, we enjoyed Prague and a great walk through the city with TG Thomas, where his knowledge served us to have an overview of some of the most symbolic monuments.
Overview of Prague from the Castle
National Museum, where we started our grand tour with Thomas as our guide.
Old Town Square looking towards the Old Town Hall...
...and it's beautiful Astronomical clock
The cathedral from the front
And the back
Favourite with the ladies
John Lennon Wall
"Enjoying" a shot of Absinth before dinner! (you can clearly see the faces of uncertainty)
Day Two: České Budějovice - Praha (Prague)
Beautiful ride between České Budějovice and Prague. Probably one of the most fun lunches we could have had as noone spoke Czech, so, we went with our instincts and met (and trusted) the locals!
Off we sail towards Prague
Český Krumlov's Castle guard bear
Very interesting architecture
Garry driving up ahead on his Ducati, and one of the beautiful castles we could see from the road
Garry, Wanda, Jeff and Kevin enjoying a cool drink, it was reeealy hot.
The busy traffic in Prague, I am still amazed nobody got lost!
National Museum
Our hotel, where we would spend our first rest day.
Group dinner
Day One: Vienna - České Budějovice
First day of a thirteen day holiday starts with a beautiful ride throught the Austrian countriside into the Czech Republic.
We leave Vienna on our way to České Budějovice, our bikes are full and our tires new.
Martin and Jan on their smooth 1200RT
The beauties along the road make it hard to keep focused!
First cofee stop.
Stift Zwettl (Zwettl Abbey). Quick group picture after a cooling coffee
Crossing the border to the Czech Republic
Simply great
Monument in the "lake" in front of the hotel in České Budějovice