A Little History

 

My mind can only grasp about 250 years of a nation’s history. Of course America’s history is far richer and deeper than what is recorded from European settlers.  I have only scratched the surface of European history and I have learned how naive I have been. 

About 10 years ago I was visiting my mom and dad. Mom had a tote full of my old keepsakes; school records and pictures, baseball paraphernalia, and this old globe I had since I was 7 years old. I took it out of the tote and said “what am I supposed to do with that?”  Mom said, “it was yours. Did you know there are countries there that no longer even exist!” “Well mom,  the land is still there, and for the most part the people remain too. It’s just the names and some of the lines have changed.” 

Lanškroun was first noticed in the late 1200’s. It lay on the border of Bohemia and Moravia, Czech lands. It has been “acquired” and sold numerous times by various noble families who ruled the various kingdoms and duchies of the day, usually as a result of the end of some war such as the Battle White Mountain and the Hussite War. The Swedish army occupied the area during the Thirty Years War(1618-1648), who would destroy and burn the town before they left. It was ethnic Germans who sought to expand that moved into the area and rebuilt Lanškroun. Today you can see the German influence on architecture, memorials (WW1 German memorials are everywhere) and even some of the food (is schnitzel German or Czech? Answer: it is delicious).  More wars came and more geopolitical boundaries like the Astro-Hungarian Empire formed.  After WW1 the Czech people merged with the Slovakians to become Czechoslovakia. But in 1938 a guy named Hitler wanted his ethic Germans back and the Czech lands known as Sudetenland was freely handed over by the French, English and Italians. I guess the Czechs did not have a say. Those other guys were just thinking of their own skin and “appeased” the guy with the silly mustache. Of course the Sudetenland was not enough to annex and soon he took the rest of Czechoslovakia as a protectorate.  Now most of us should know a little about the rest of WW2 history. So afterwards in 1945 the Czech partisans expelled all Germans from their borders. It wasn’t all pretty as the Lanškroun Blood account suggests. 

Then another war, a Cold one, consumed the freedom and spirit of the locals. This too is history most should know. But in 1989 a peaceful Velvet Revolution ended that war and in 1992 a velvet divorce dissolved Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Democracy is growing, not without some aches and pains. My friend Jiři managed to leverage some pre democracy earnings and purchase a former state owned manufacturing company in Lanškroun and has grown it into an international company. For a small rural town with a turbulent past, LA is a thriving community. Shops, industry, research, manufacturing and my most favorite bakery in the world,  Sázava, are located here. 

“In The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare gave the landlocked country of Bohemia a coastline—a famous and, to Czechs, typical example of foreigners’ ignorance of the Czech homeland.”-Derek Sayer author of The Coasts of Bohemia- a Czech History. A must read if you want to understand Czech culture  and her people. 

Hrad Potśtejn

About the time Lanškroun was first noticed, the Drslavic family dynasty built the Castle Potštejn. The castle’s ownership has changed through war, marriage and money multiple times. Most notably was the robber barren Nicholas who used the castle as his Hole in the Wall like an early version of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Prince Charles, no not the current British monarch, but Charles IV, of Good King Wenceslaus fame, King of Bohemia was the only successful conqueror of the castle. To root out the bandit he had his crew dig tunnels beneath the fortress until it collapsed, burying  its residents, and all his loot. Rumors and myths abound with stories of hidden treasure, that remain hidden as of today. 

The castle has changed ownership many more times. However, 

since 1945 it is primarily controlled and operated by the local municipality and well worth the mile walk up 482 feet to take the tour. 

LA

 

We are on a train heading east out Prague. The country side looks familiar, like that of central Minnesota with rolling agriculture land. Farmers are raising dust as they harvest corn and bail grass hay. Some fields are already barren.  

Earlier today Martin and his 18 month old son Timi met us at the train station and we had a most excellent visit as we strolled through Old Town towards his Charles University office near the Malostranske square. It was getting on in the afternoon to meet our train so we beelined are way back making me a liar once saying I never needed to cross the Charles Bridge again.  Martin helped us find our train platform and soon we were headed east to our stop at Ceska Trebova. 

The 271 train  continues its run south towards Brno before heading to Wein(Vienna). It’s a very punctual train.  At our stop in Ceska Trebova Daniela and her mom, Alena were anxiously looking at all the passengers disembarking. We were the last off and when they saw us they ran towards us with arms open. It was a glorious reunion. The last time we saw them was in 2019 when they visited us with Daniela’s sister Alća and we took a world wind tour through the Tetons, Yellowstone, the Bitterrot valley of Montana and traveling south along the salmon river to Stanley before going to Sun Valley so her family could see where she worked a previous summer. After the warm welcome we jumped in the car and headed to LA, or Lanškroun as it is marked on maps. 

That evening we ate a traditional svíčková. Look it up. Come to CZ and try it yourself. My words cannot do it justice. Later Ráchel stopped by to visit with her new daughter. What a blessing. Rachel was part of each of our previous Rescued and Travna visits and was a guest of ours in Boise when she did a month or two internship at church. 

After another early night battling jet lag we awoke and readied ourselves for a short 30 kilometer bike ride through the LA country side. Daniela’s dad, Jiři is our guide. The route was mixed with local roads, bike paths, nature paths, single track, and two track farm roads. It started following a stream bottom up through a narrow wooded valley. The trails and roads undulated and twisted there until we came to our first kava stop at a bistro along side the road in a small village. The cappuccino was joined with a fresh koláč, a Czech pastry staple. Afterwards we continued up before topping off overlooking rolling and hilly farm country. At one point we were traveling along a continental divide that separated water flowing north to the  North Sea or southeast to the Baltic. Then it was mostly downhill back towards LA along bike routes, fam field roads and some rough rooted single track back to LA and our last stop by a recreational area for a cool mug of pivo. Our 30 km turned into nearly 42km but I would do it all over again. 

That evening was a family gathering on the porch with all of Daniela’s family; mother, sister, two brothers, father and 5 nieces and nephews. Alena prepared another feast of traditional family foods. Body and souls made full, we slept well. 

Another Adventure Far

And now I can relax. We made it past TSA and are awaiting our first leg from Boise to Prague stopping in Salt Lake and Paris. 

This trip was first planned to take place in 2020. Tickets were purchased and plans were made. Then the ‘rona stopped the world. 

I’m reminded of Eisenhower and D-Day. He spent a couple years planning Operation Overlord. After some delays, he finally gave the ‘go’ order. Soon he was left alone as his staff scattered to perform their duties. As the ships set sail he set his plans aside. Later he would say, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything”. Ike had done all he could. 

I always feel better after I clear my first security check. Now I trust our planning is sufficient and trust the Lord will lead us through the various airports, train stations and terminals. 

We’ve been preparing for this most recent iteration of our trip since last February. So our plans are to fly to Prague and visit some old friends, take a train to Lanškroun where we meet up with Daniela and her family. After a couple days we travel to Slovenia for a visit to the Julienne Alps. Daniela will return home after putting us on a bus and train to Florence Italy. We have booked an all inclusive gravel bike tour through Tuscany with Trek Travel. I’m excited to ride on some famous Strade Bianca just like the pros. After 5 days we will spend a couple days in Cinque Terre before flying back to Prague, Brno and Olomouc, CZ where we will reconnect with many friends. A late addition to our plans is a hop over to Amsterdam to visit Jordan. Then we fly home. Stay tuned for the details and implementation of the plan. 

Part 2

We have arrived in Prague! All connections and transfers were as planned. No problems. We met two students at the airport bus stop. One from India who is beginning his university studies in Brno. The other from Peru who just graduated from university in Madrid. Both have huge smiles. We were all looking for the AirPort Express (AE) bus to the main train station downtown. We saw the AE approach and walked down to board and were disappointed when the driver closed the doors and drove off after he dropped off his passengers. We learned that there was a designated loading zone marked at the “G” stop 50 yards away.  A second AE bus made a drop off then drove right past us and the G stop. What are we doing wrong? Soon a crowd was forming. We were all trying to decipher the instructions on the placard. I read that as of July 2024, you must push the red button if you want the bus to stop. But there was no red button to be found. But just as if on schedule a third AE pulled up, stopped and the driver greeted us. We all boarded and soon we were weaving our way through town and to the train station. Next to my seat was a red button. It is for stopping the bus to get off.  Not on! After saying goodbye to our student friends we simply walked across the street and there was our Hotel, the EXE City Park. 

We have been awake for 30 hours or more and are exhausted. Apparently that is not lost on my eyes and face. But we should soldier on to get this jet lag business under control. After checking in we stroll towards Old Town and find a favorite restaurace, the Lokál Dlouááá. At 4:30 the only difference from 2018 is that there are no crowds this early. I enjoy my first Pivo and my weariness dissipates. All is good. I order a pork schnitzel and Rhonda gets fried Edom cheese and pickled mushrooms.  Heaven with a small “h”.  Afterwards we wander back to the hotel and crash at 6:30! I slept hard for 4 hours when my body told me it was mid afternoon. But soon I was back to sleep and did not awake until 6:30 am. The hotel breakfast was great, the coffee better. 

We bought our tickets for Lanškroun, locally referred to as LA, for early afternoon. We are now relaxing and soon will meet up with Martin for a visit and lunch. 

It is good to have landed on the Coastof Bohemia. 

M2C Day 7

 Cycle North Carolina(CNC)

Mountains to Coast(M2C)

Day 7: Kingston to Emerald Isle. 66 miles, 715

“Great joy in camp we are in View of the Ocian, this great Pacific(ok the Atlantic) Octean which we have been So long anxious to See. . . . and the roreing or noise made by the waves brakeing on the rockey Shores (as I Suppose) may be heard distictly.”- William Clark, 1805. Earlier, some 20 miles away overlooking Grays Bay, he exclaimed "Ocian in view! O! the joy,"

While certainly not on as long an expedition  as the Corps of Discovery and traveling in the opposite direction, our joy is no less. We have had such a grand time. Our discovery included new geography but more the joy came from all the new friends we met; Haresh, Jesse, Shelby,  Bob, Scott, Steve and so many more. 

Earlier this morning Miss Rhonda announced she could not ride today’s 66 mile course. News travels fast in camp. Many folks were saddened. Jesse,a fellow rider, and his wife, Shelby live nearby and she offered to drive Rhonda to the end or the last aid station should Rhonda feel up to riding the last leg with me. So at 7:45 am with tears rolling down my cheeks I pedaled alone under the banner and towards the sea. 

At the first aid station Steve came up to me and asked about Miss Rhonda and then gave me a big hug encouraging me to hang in there.

I road past more farm land but swampy wetlands began popping up and soon I was at the second aid station serving hot dogs, my preferred comfort food. I talked to Rhonda and her ride appeared and she would meet me 20+ miles down the road at the last aid station. 

Today’s parcours where deadpan flat with a slight tailwind, making for easy soft pedaling. As much as I love the comfort of out fat tire Salsa Cutthroats, a go fast road bike would have been screaming. And indeed, many pace lines riding deep section carbon wheels whooshed past me today. It’s the difference between a race bred thoroughbred and a sturdy pack mule. 

I made the last aid station to find Rhonda waiting. After some hydration and fuel, we set off at a fare pace towards the coast. Soon we are in coast town weekend  tourist traffic with CNC signs counting down the miles until finally we see the finish banner complete with red carpet as cheerleaders welcomed us to the finish. 

It was mayhem at the finish. So much activity. We strolled to the beach and stepped in the ocean completing our journey. Then it was off to drop off our bikes at the right truck to deliver them back to Durham tomorrow. Then the celebratory southern fried shrimp, fish and hush puppy dinner(I’ll need a cleansing at home starting with some oatmeal and Greek yogurt). Then find our luggage and a shower. 

Camp was found and great joy can be heard. A walk back to the beach and we sat and enjoyed the noisy crashing and breaking of the waves. 

M2C Day 6

 Cycle North Carolina(CNC)

Mountains to Coast(M2C)

Day 6: Tarboro to Kinston. 61.67 miles. 853’

Last night was warm, muggy and calm. Sleeping came late and fitful and steamy. The good news was there was little dew as the temp never dropped to the dew point. Science is real. 

Yesterday the town of Tarboro rolled out the welcome mat. But not to be undone, the towns of Fountain and Farmville would not be outdone. As the peloton passed schools, the streets were lined with students cheering us on. Town folk clapped and yelled support. Pretty awesome. 

I also enjoy seeing the country and what is grown or raised. So far we have seen tobacco, cotton, corn, soybeans, and sweet potatoes. Today I watched a farmer harvesting peanuts. I guess I could have been an agronomist. Then we stopped at a Jersey dairy for a break. I had some chocolate milk. Ice cream would be too much in the heat, humidity and remaking miles. 

Today’s course was pretty flat. A nice reprieve for sore legs. As we entered Kinston the route weaved through some nice neighborhoods. I was thinking Mark Bertram would love this ride. 

We arrived in Kinston around 1:30. Rhonda is not feeling well. Hopefully just a cold. Y’all can pray she heals up before morning. She may take the shuttle to our final camp. 

We set up camp close to all the excitement: charging stations, luggage drop off, music stage and most importantly, the Fat Tire happy hour table. We are also front and center to the live music. The local blue grass is phenomenal. The rock and roll cover bands, not so much. Rhonda must not be feeling good at all as she is sleeping right through the noise. 

We had some good local BBQ sliders as we got into camp. A good supplement to the meal plan, which is scheduled for some more bbq and something called sweet tea. 

I’m praying Rhonda can join me for the last leg tomorrow. I’m feeling ok now, and hope I avoid the crud. 

Check in tomorrow. 

M2C Day 5

 

Henderson to Tarboro

75 miles 1936’

Another beautiful, warm day in NC. Today you could ride either 74 or 101. We decided we have nothing to prove and rode the 74. We had four aid stations today and some of the coolest ones. I loved the Laurel Mill and checking it out. Lots of history there and a beautiful setting. There was live music there and another rest stop also featured live music. The second stop served sweet potatoes. While we were there a newspaper (the old fashioned kind, used a notepad) reporter asked if she could interview us. I think we kind of shocked her with a few of our answers. Anyway, she told us the story would come out in their weekly newspaper (the paper kind) and we should contact them and they would mail us a copy. Our last stop of the day, they were so enthusiastic ringing cow bells and whooping it up for us. We only wanted to finish, so we got back on to ride and get away from the gnats! Right before town, an older cyclist tried to avoid a pothole and hit someone’s tire and went down in front of us. It was scary but he seemed to be ok, his bike (an expensive one) had some damage. He got a ride to camp. 

When we got to the city park, a gal came up to us and asked us if we were from Idaho. Long story short, as we talked she said she recognized me. We figured it out, she swam on swim team with my kids at Meridian High. I think Jon and I are the only ones from Idaho. This just bolsters Jon’s case that I always find someone I know. 

Tarboro is a really neat little town. Happy hour was in the town square. The chamber of commerce rolled out the red carpet for us. We are full and ready to rest so we can do it again tomorrow! I saw cotton ready to harvest today and that was a first for me :).

P.S.: rule one in setting up camp-look up. We pitched under a tree in hopes of mitigating the dew. But a light just turned on three tents away. Things to add to the list for next time: eye shades.