As denoted in my last post, I've got yet a few pics of another short tour I did this summer when my wife was away with the the kids to her mother. I had crossed the Czech Republic by bike a few times, but mostly on road due to limited timeframe. However I had seen enough. It was on my dual sport radar for quite a while, just a matter of the necessary time to get into details...
The basic idea and target of that day was to make my way to the Brno Autodrom and once there, on a different route (to be found) back to Vienna. The Autodrom, that is a racetrack: http://www.automotodrombrno.cz/en/
Though I had no particular race on my mind, I hoped for some local whatsoever race or training to be going on at least, I did not bother to search the interwebs prior to taking off...
I left Vienna on the B6 to Laa an der Thaya, crossed the border and got into field tracks and minor roads of all sorts heading on north.
It was fun to ride, and I did not stop often to take pictures. Somewhere half way up north I hit the Krumlow forest, which turned out to be a natural reservation enclosed with a high fence on the entire perimeter. After having passed by this obstacle on the eastern side and having had lunch in the backyard of Hostinec U Trnku in the village of Strelice u Brna I made it to the Autodrom. On the north and east side of the racetrack there are a lot of forest roads/trails and also hidden spots where people watch the track without actually entering the arena. Unfortunately, this day the only "racer" on the track was this guy:
Another view on the track from one watching spot:
Long time ago, a hunter had positioned its pulpit strategically to have good view on the track:
That thing was pretty decayed already, I still climbed all the way up with careful moves. The trees have probably not been there yet or not that high when the pulpit was first build:
Only while hanging out on the hunting pulpit I remembered that this weekend the Formula 1 race took place on the Hungaroring in nearby Hungary, so it was obvious, why everything dead here. But no time for regrets, still the racetrack was a good cornerstone for this day trip.
On the way back I went west of the Krumlow forest and now we get into serious business. First little water crossing to warm up:
Don't ask me the name of that creek. The next however is the Jihlava river:
Walked in to see how deep it was, but no real problem at current water levels.
And out again:
I blasted on south back into the Moravian plain. It was late July and the winter wheat and rye was off already everywhere, leaving just the corn and few sunflower fields to be circumnavigated.
On the dual sport freeway:
Village idyll with fishing pond here and there:
Now this little stream left of me is called Jevisovka. It is dammed and you can go along either on top of the dam or as I did here inside to remain stealthy.
Here it got interesting: behind the bridge was no coming forth anymore cause of the vegetation. Outside of the dam all corn high up. On the other side of the river however, it looked pretty benign.
So I had to get over the bridge. Railway bridge crossing, not really Siberia, but I've never done this! With the second attempt I made it up on the embankment, the flanks were extremly loose gravel, I would expect the embankment to be well compacted
Hurry up before a train comes by...but pics need to be taken of this historical moment:
Then down on the other side in a kind of vertical-helical death spiral of 180 degree with the bike facing under the bridge at the end of the turn. Notice to my memory: If coming from that side one cannot get up on the bridge.
Later that day, the Thaya river, which parallels the border between Czechia and Austria here. This time easy pass.
But it was not to be to get away that easy, here comes the Muhlbach der Thaya (the "Millrace of the Thaya"):
Not the Vitim bridge, but still, considering I am in Central Europe here
Had to go on 1st with my left foot getting stuck between bike and railing all the way over...
Still, nice view..
Now it was just a few km to cross the border back into Austria and head for the next best McD as I was tired and hungry.
So a last cheering from Austria for this post: