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In the last day of my challenge, I woke up and felt empowered. I enjoyed full English breakfast, filled up water bottles and hit the road.

As I embarked on my journey, I found myself riding with great enthusiasm, and I unconsciously maintained an average speed of 25km/h between Mohelnice and Litovel. However, realizing that I was going too fast, I decided to take a break and enjoy a well-deserved coffee to slow down and savor the moment.

Shortly after the break, I have met my stalker and friend Ondra. He was chasing me with the car. I made it challenging for him by frequently changing directions, but eventually, he caught up with me. We had a good conversation, and to my surprise, he even brought along some snacks.

Upon reaching Olomouc, I took the opportunity to capture some memorable moments by taking pictures with the majestic Holy Trinity column. Since I had completed my journey in an impressive 10 days instead of the planned 11, I decided to reward myself with a new haircut. I headed to Capone barbershop, where the experience was nothing short of delightful, leaving me feeling refreshed and stylish.

The last 30 kilometers of my ride were relatively easy, with the road lined with abundant cherry trees. I couldn’t resist stopping every 10 minutes to indulge in the juicy cherries, savoring their sweet taste and replenishing my energy. Finally, I conquered the steep hill above Sušice, bringing a profound sense of relief and accomplishment.

As I reached my final destination, my parents were there to greet me with open arms. We celebrated the completion of my challenge by raising a glass of champagne, toasting to my successful journey and the memories created along the way.

Thank you for all the support. It really made the difference. I’m looking forward to see you in future, maybe by some another crazy challenge.

Tomorrow marks the final day of my incredible journey. After covering a vast distance, there remains only 70 kilometers separating me from the completion of this remarkable adventure. I’m confident that I will finish last leg of the trip with ease. l plan nothing big or spectacular upon arrival. My intention is simply to reach the hill that overlooks the village of my childhood, Sušice (Suschitz). Once there, I will pause, inhale deeply, let a smile grace my face for a minute, and then make my way to my parents’ house. I plan to share last post tomorrow.

Today has been a day filled with both joy and challenges. Shortly after enjoying a great breakfast, I embarked on the road once again. Upon arriving in Litomyšl, I’ve made a selfie with the sculpture of Bedřich Smetana, a renowned composer who continued to create beautiful music despite his deafness.

I will spare you from my boring fight against steep hills and gusty winds.

Later in the day, I encountered an unexpected random German Shepherd dog while navigating through the forest. Knowing well that attempting to outrun a dog would not be a good idea, I quickly realized the importance of maintaining a strong and confident stance. Although it must have looked funny, my efforts paid off as the dog ceased its approach and eventually left the scene.

Not long after that, I have passed highest security prison called Mírov. Next to the prison there were guards practicing shooting on shooting range.

Upon reaching Mohelnice, I promptly located my accommodation for the night. By a pure coincidence there was a public mass in the middle of the square.

To my surprise and delight, my father had traveled a considerable distance of 70 kilometers to join me and cheer me up. He kindly spoiled me with a delicious dinner, and together we indulged in some relaxing activities, such as visiting the pool and steam room. To top it off, he even arranged for a sports massage. I can’t help but feel unworthy of such generous gestures.

I wish you nice evening and see you tomorrow.

Another day has come and gone, and I haven’t given up yet. In fact, I’m starting to develop a liking for and even becoming addicted to the routine. Over the past eight days, the routine hasn’t changed much. I start my day with a protein-rich breakfast, pack up my things, and hit the road. I pass through countryside adorned with villages bearing random names. Occasionally, I take breaks to enjoy a cup of coffee or engage in interactions with the locals.

The realization that there are only 160 kilometers left made me worry about the imminent end of my familiar routine.

During the night, I was awakened by thunder as it passed through the city of Kolín, bringing heavy rain along with it. After breakfast, I set off on my journey. The initial part of the route took me along an unpaved cycling track alongside the River Labe (Elbe). I don’t need to explain how both my bike and I looked after traversing through the muddy path. I took a chance to give my bike some treatment as well.

In general, I enjoy riding along rivers. The terrain is mostly flat, allowing me to cover great distances swiftly. I also appreciate riding through forests, as they provide excellent protection against the wind. However, one thing I don’t particularly enjoy is riding near wind turbines. They are often located in very windy areas, and the strong gusts can sometimes pose a greater challenge than steep hills.

Once I was back on smooth asphalt, I found myself confused about the best route to Pardubice. My navigation wasn’t offering much help, so I decided to approach a gentleman for guidance. We rode alongside each other for a while, engaging in conversation. He proposed a route, and then I continued on my way since I was cycling at a faster pace. For about 20 minutes, I maintained a speed of around 25 km/h. Eventually, I had to pause to catch my breath and grab a snack. To my surprise, the same gentleman caught up with me and advised me to take a different route. It must have required considerable effort on his part to catch up with me. His determination and genuine concern for my well-being restored my faith in humanity once again. I thanked him, and he continued on his own path.

Further along the route, near Kladruby, I had to make another stop because a group of 20+ horses was heading my way. Kladruby is known for horse breeding. So if this had to happen somewhere, then here.

I passed through the city of Pardubice and visited part of my who lives here. They have many dogs. Here is the youngest.

Finally, I arrived in Vysoké Mýto, where I had a below-average dinner at a local steakhouse. Tomorrow, I will face one of the most demanding stages of my journey as the mountains loom ahead. It’s crucial that I get some rest now in preparation for the challenges that lie ahead.

Have a nice evening and see u tomorrow.

The day started off on a positive note. My brother’s dog was thrilled to see me wake up, and witnessing his happiness brought me joy as well. Life is filled with uncertainty, so why not find happiness in the smallest accomplishments? 🙂

After a quick breakfast, my brother and I embarked on a ride to Prague City center. The route through “Prokopské údolí” was both breathtaking and treacherous. We encountered steep passages, slippery rocks, and lots of mud. By the time we reached the city center, we were covered in mud and completely drenched. My brother headed off to shower and work, while I took some pictures on Charles Bridge, the National Theater, and other landmarks before continuing eastwards.

While I didn’t mind my wet clothes, having constantly wet feet was quite bothersome. With approximately four more hours of paddling ahead of me, I was determined to find a way to warm up. As I passed by a Spa Resort on the outskirts of Prague, it suddenly clicked in my mind. I just needed to book a massage. My first attempt failed, but as I stood taking selfies of the resort with a disappointed expression, a masseur approached me and promised to make it work. Ten minutes later, I found myself in a warm shower, with massage oil being heated for my back. It was pure bliss.

Continuing on my journey, my bike unexpectedly broke down. The entire crank was on the verge of falling off. Fortunately, I realized the issue early on, as I wouldn’t want such a problem to occur during a fast downhill ride. I decided to visit a local fire department and ask for assistance. They were incredibly helpful, and within minutes, the whole fire brigade was interested in resolving my problem. We managed to address the issue, but only two out of the four screws were holding the crank in place.

Following their advice, I headed to a local bike shop. The hero of the day, Martin, rummaged through his toolbox and miraculously found the two missing screws, fixing my bike. He didn’t ask for anything in return, displaying genuine kindness and generosity.

The remainder of the day was dedicated to reaching Kolín, one of the oldest cities in the Czech Republic. It has a rich medieval history, and one can sense the historical significance at every step. I had the opportunity to visit a beautiful temple and other buildings of historical value.

I wish you a pleasant rest of the day, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Do you sometimes have those days when nothing seems to work? Well I had this day today.

I woke up at 4 AM with a headache, took some pill, but couldn’t sleep till 6 AM. Then I took another pill for headache and could finaly get a bit of rest. The breakfast was great, but I could eat just a bit of bread and a cup of coffee. Unsure, if I could continue today, I went back to my room. I decided that it doesn’t matter, if I suffer in bed or on bike. So I dressed up and started to paddle again.

Shortly after I received a message that my website stanontheroad.drbalek.de is down. This happened because I set a limit for hosting spending. My cheeky hosting provider started to charge me much more and this led to reaching my spending limit and provider stopping the website.

Next, it started to rain. I didn’t mind it for first couple of hours, but once my shoes got all wet I was not terribly excited about it. Out of 6 hours I spent in saddle, at least 4 hours it was raining. The tempratures dropped rapidly to around 12 degrees of celsius.

When it seemed that it cannot get worse. I realized that I’m not coming toward my final destination. Unfortunatelly as tiny droplets of water fell on the digitizer of my smartphone, they added a new waypoint to my track. Suddenly the navigation started to take me to another distant location. There was no chance for me to notice it. The whole detour cost me extra 3 larger hills, 25 kilometers and 1 hour 30 minutes.

Later I realized that according to weather forcasts there is 100% probability of rain during next few days.

Eventually, everything improved. I got rid of my headache, I got warm in the shower, I migrated the website to another provider with predictable payment structure.

I don’t worry about coming rainy days, since there is nothing I can do about it.

Furthermore I have reunited with my brother and his family. We have spent a quality time together. He will ride a bike with me to Prague tomorrow. There are only couple of kilometers left.

I think I managed negative external events quite well and I wouldn’t make it next time any other way.

Greetings from rainy Prag(West) and see you tomorrow.

Soon after waking up, I packed up my belongings and set out in search of breakfast. Unfortunately, I had to settle for a rather average panini at a petrol station. However, the coffee was quite good. ☕ Right after breakfast, I faced the challenge of tackling the steepest hill so far, called “Slepičí vrch”. It was a long and grueling climb of 724 meters. My bubble of optimism bursted a bit. During the first few days, I naively believed that my performance would improve as I continued my journey. Instead, some of my muscles are beginning to wear down, requiring more effort to accomplish the same tasks. I suppose the spiritual aspect of my trip will come into play now.

The descent from “Slepičí vrch” was perhaps the most picturesque ride I’ve experienced thus far. Even better, I stumbled upon a remote lake where I could cool down and relax.

After a few more hill climbs, I decided to treat myself to a Kofola. It’s a drink that tastes nothing like Coca Cola, but it holds a special place as part of the national heritage and is one thing I miss in Germany.

Around lunchtime, I met Stephan. He had come from Germany for the Škoda Auto Meetup. I helped him with the restaurant order, and he showed me his car. He had swapped out the engine of his Rapid, giving his Škoda over 100 horsepower. If you’re a car enthusiast, I recommend checking out the pictures (and take note of Mathias Kahle’s signature on the dashboard—he races for Škoda in Germany).

In the late evening, I arrived in Pilsen (Plzeň).

Coincidentally, there was a floorball championship taking place in the main square. Each team had a medical doctor on hand in case of injuries. Since no one was injured, I politely asked the doctor, Vojta from Pardubice, if he could treat my knees. He kindly agreed and provided me with some chiropractic treatment. It was truly amazing.

After settling into my accommodation, I decided to treat myself to a steak at a local steakhouse. In an unexpected plot twist, I ordered a glass of wine instead of beer. Everyone drinks beer in Pilsen, so I thought I’d try something different.

I wish you all a lovely evening, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

After a healthy breakfast at my Gasthaus, I realized that some of my clothes were missing. As you can imagine, I go through the routine of washing, cleaning, and drying my clothes every day. Unfortunately, I hadn’t packed any clothes pegs, which became quite evident during the night when strong winds blew my clothes off the balcony and onto the balconies of other guests. This led to a rather laborious process of collecting them back. After a few minutes and with the great help of the manager Klaus, I was finally ready to go.

Unfortunately, the stronger winds from east (around 15 knots) persisted throughout the day. At times, I had to paddle while going downhill just to avoid standing still. I’ll spare you the complaints, but I managed to cover 80 kilometers today and successfully crossed the border into the Czech Republic. I felt a great sense of accomplishment and relief for completing the first part of my trip. I must praise Germany for its incredible network of bike routes, which felt very safe and well-maintained.

Upon arriving in Rozvadov, I received a warm welcome from the owner of the pension, who offered me a beer before I even checked in. I didn’t explicitly mention that I didn’t want a second beer, so she brought me another one. You see, this is a rather peculiar habit in the Czech Republic—an opt-out principle, so to speak. If you don’t explicitly state that you don’t want another drink, it will be served automatically.

Finally, I managed to park my bike and settle into my room. Next on the agenda was exchanging my euros into koruna. There are plenty of exchange offices, but if you want a better rate, you have to find a Vietnamese person who lives in Rozvadov. The deal was done, and suddenly I had 23 times more money than before.

Pure coincidence had it that there was a festival called “rozvadovské slavnosti” near where I was staying. Of course, I decided to go and enjoy the rock music, indulge in some typical food, and have more beer. Some of the hardcore rockers didn’t appreciate my biking outfit initially, but when we started talking, they turned out to be friendly.

I would have liked to stay longer, but I couldn’t afford to drink any more beer. Tomorrow morning, my two-wheeled companion is eager to hit the road again.

On a whim, I decided to treat myself to a Thai massage, and it turned out to be a great decision. I feel more relaxed as I head to bed.

Enjoy the evening, and see you tomorrow.

Today was a long day, so let’s dive right into it. After enjoying a delicious breakfast in Ansbach, I hit the road. Along the way, I passed by yet another farm. There seem to be plenty of them around here, perhaps one of the main sources of livelihood in these remote villages. The people in these areas are more open and willing to engage. A young boy (whose name I unfortunately forgot) kindly showed me around his family’s farm.

After a few kilometers, I spotted an older man poring over his large printed maps. Wanting to assist him, I turned back and approached him. His name is Jörg, and he’s quite the character. Despite his age, he covers the same distances as me on his journeys. His maps must play a significant role in his success. 😂 He cooks and sleeps outdoors every day. During the pandemic, he even traveled to Venice via the Alps along the Via Claudia Augusta. There are four other routes as well: Trans Alp Rhone, Trans Alp München Venedig, Ciclovia Alpen Adria, and Innrad St. Moritz Passau. Talking to him was truly inspirational.

After another 40 kilometers, I arrived in Nürnberg.

Since I had been to Nürnberg before, I was somewhat familiar with the city. I took a couple of pictures, then left the city center and made my way to the beach. There, I had the pleasure of meeting an amazing couple. He was from Wellington, Australia, and she was German. We instantly became friends. They graciously allowed me to borrow their paddleboard, and we shared many laughs.

Eventually, it was time for me to continue my journey. To my surprise, and without my knowledge, they hopped into their car and drove ahead of me. They positioned themselves along the route, cheering me on as I passed by. It was incredibly sweet of them.

Later in the day, I stumbled upon a beautiful lake by chance. Without hesitation, I jumped in and enjoyed a refreshing swim.

The remainder of the day consisted of some mundane hill climbs and finding my accommodation. The place I’m staying at is called Gasthaus zum Wulfen. I wonder if there are any wolves lurking in these forests? Today, I managed to cover 102 kilometers, and I can feel every single one of them in my body. I should get some rest now. Tomorrow awaits.

My second day started with a nice breakfast. Since I had ordered a double room (i like space in bed 🛏️), i could eat two breakfasts 😂

Roughly one hour into my trip, i was challenged by Herschel. Herschel is a hill that reaches to 522 meters over the sea level. Very long climb of 5 km sent inferno onto my calf and thighs muscles. I persisted and continued with ease.

A bit later I met Caro. Caro was training a wild horse . I asked the obvious question but Caro didn’t believe in my skills. Ensuring that I will wear my bicycle helmet didn’t change her mind. I will have to get better at negotiating.

During the day, i managed to leave Baden Württemberg and enter Bayern. The easy way to figure out, where one is located, is the taste of potato salad. Personally I find Baden Württemberg version better.

After 6 hours of cycling I arrived in beautiful city of Ansberg.

I relaxed in the sauna and went to the Indian restaurant Maharadja for dinner. It’s a pity that I have to go to bed now, since the whole city is vibing and many people are having fun in the streets and bars.

See u tomorrow.

Ohh, and thank you for alle the overwhelming support. It really makes me smile.

Day 1 is just coming to the end. It was just a small glimpse into what’s coming in the next few days. The good news is, that I didn’t give up yet 😂

Even though the paddling itself can be boring sometimes, I managed to squeeze some funny situations in. For example, while passing a strawberry fields, i started the conversation with one lady and suddenly I had the attention of all the strawberry collectors. They were wishing me luck and feeding me a lot of strawberry. 🍓

Next I have met Jürgen, a tractor driver who was just turning the hay on his 3 hectare field. Turning will help it dry up quickly. He gave me insights into weather situation for next couple of days. I could even drive his tractor.

I simply love these interactions. At the end I managed to do around 72 km, including some steep climbs. The maximum pain level was 4/10. I’m currently in the town of Fichtenberg. It has around 3.000 inhabitants and one of them is a very good cook. He prepared a “Zwiebel Rostbraten” that will power me tomorrow.

Good night and see u tomorrow.