A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940)
Dear Fabrizzio Thanks for your nice message. We also enjoyed this days with you very much. We were glad to give some impressions of our homeland. Now you know something more about our emmental culture.
How are you now on the road, you like it with your bike group?? Is it not too exhausting, how do you get along with your bike?? Anyway, we wish you farther a nice stay in Europe and many more exciting moments. We hug you. Best regards Annemarie and Ruedi Hi Anna Maria and Rudi Rudenheimer! Trust you are both well. [Glad you enjoyed the card, Anna Maria Tremonte! I still dream of your über-sandwiches!] Thank you again, for the more than fantastic time, not only in Emmental but during my entire stay with you.
I am extremely pleased with how my bike is performing and with the interesting people in the group. Only eight of us, plus Katarina, the tour leader so just the right size. Only slight disappointment is that is has been raining, on and off, sometimes showers, sometimes more heavily, last few days, so that detracts from rides, of course. However, we are prepared and ride, come rain or shine. Only a short ride this morning and then we will visit a museum and some other local attractions, followed by a wine-tasting at a nearbye winery this evening. Will move camp tomorrow, riding to Mikulov, about 63 km, with all our baggage, climbing between 174 m- 266 m, so please send Swiss chocolate energy bars!
Thank you for the kind words regarding my travels. Stay well. Must away as I need to ready myself for the coming ride. Fondestos and Cheers, to you both, and to Tigre! Cheers, Fabrizzio/Patrizzio!
Was more than a busy, busy, full day, today, as we started off with a ride just after 9:00 am. When we left the hotel it was little more than spitting so our hopes were high that the weather would be on our side. Was quite pleasant until shortly after we left Nový Šaldorf-Sedlešovice, taking 413 to ride towards Konice, a hillside village with an imposing church, atop a hill which was no easy climb, especially since it started to rain quite heavily once we left the main road. Still, we made the top and rain even let up for a bit as we proceeded towards Popice, another tiny hamlet. Here we left the tarmac and began a more than arduous climb on what was little more than a logging road, Dear Reader! I kifd you not as while the rocks were not loose and jumbled they were rough as rough could be, and terribly slippery when exposed from the surrounding top-soil or sand. Due to the heavy rain the rocky stretches that were already challenging enough often turned into muddy ruts when the terrain changed.
All this was made much more difficult and daunting, I must admit, given that my bike has road tires. While the rest of the group were struggling as well, at least most of their bikes sported wider tires which enabled them to negotiate the challenging terrain more easily. At any rate, once we reached the crest of the first hill, the path/trail became quite tolerable, hard-packed sand for much of the way. We stopped here, briefly to enjoy the rain-lashed view of the surrounding landscape, vineyards stretching away across many of the hillsides.
Onward and my earlier reference to a logging road wasn't only in jest, or a bit of an exaggeration, (in Canadian logging terms, anyway), but true as far as local practice went, for many of the hillsides we rode through are part of a managed forest in Národní park Podyjí. We passed numerous piles of neatly stacked logs, oak by the look of them, and the trails themselves form part of an access network, used to harvest wood, and by cyclists, such as us, or, more probably, mountain bikers. At any rate, after one last uncomfortable climb, (Very, very uncomfortable due to both the grade and the surface. I actually rode back a short distance, from the start of the climb, so that I could shift down and have a bit of momentum to start the climb, without stalling out.), I huffed and puffed my way to the top.
It was a tad drier under the tree canopy but still very wet. Not long after we reached a spot to leave our bikes and then walked to the look-out, a fairly large rocky outcrop providing a stunning view of the gorge and the Thaya River below. Was blowing fiercely on the exposed outcropping so taking pictures was difficult as the rain whipped mercilessly. Once we snapped, as best we could, we returned to the bikes to make our way down. Descent was not quite as steep as
on our ride of the day before to Vranov, but I found it challenging enough as, once again, my hands were quite cold and my gloves sopping. Still, we all made it to the bottom without incident.
Ride back to Znojmo was miserable as we were all pretty-well soaked by then although I must say my rain jacket served me very well. My layers were not at all wet, aside for about six inches of the sleeves my long undershirt, so I was pleased about this, of course. Still, we all wanted a steaming cup of coffee and/or a bowl of soup by the time we were back at the hotel, around noon. This being the case once I'd been to my room to take off my cycling shoes and rain jacket, I headed straight for the hotel restaurant to order leek soup and a mixed salad with tuna. Enjoyed a cappuccino before my food arrived so was in 7th Heaven!
Katarina and I were first to arrive but we soon joined by the others. Earlier, it had been decided we'd meet at 3:00 pm to go on a tour of the Town Hall Tower so by the time lunch was over we had a couple of hours of free time. I used this to have a quick shower and changed into the clothes I planned to wear for the rest of the day's planned activities. After I'd readied myself I took a quick stroll to the grocery store to pick up a few things I wanted and was ready to join the others at the appointed time. Was only spitting when we walked to the Centrum, although the Sunshine Girls bought umbrellas en route. Katarina had tickets for all of us, except for Daniella. The 163 steps were far too taxing, not to say dangerous for her, given her unwieldy cast so she spent the time shopping in the nearbye stores.
Climb was not as difficult as I had imagined it might be and we moved, relatively quickly up spiral metal staircases for a number of stories until these were replaced by a steeper series of wooden, almost ladder-like steps, built between massive support beams, the majority still original, more than 500 years old. Once at the top of the Tower one is presented with a 360º panoramic view, afforded by opening small wooden shutters set into the outside walls. As the Tower is 68.60 metres high, the vistas are stunning, as you might imagine, even if the air was not clear, given the rain and the mist, shrouding the surrounding countryside. Still, breathtaking, in the extreme, and everyone was delighted with the marvellous, marvellous views.
No time to waste as Katarina had us on a tight leash. Once everyone was back down we hoofed it to another look-out, but ten or fifteen minutes away, to be treated to yet another glorious view of the Thaya River and the dam/spillway which creates a reservoir/lake. Not much time to drink in these views as Colonel Katarina had us on a forced march, down a number of wide, sweeping stair switchbacks to the banks of the river where she had arranged a self-guided tour of the Muzeum Motorism, a private collection of everything from heavy industrial pump machinery, antique farm equipment, (tractors, in the main), a wide range of vehicles, (shining sports cars and family or work specific autos/trucks), mostly Czech or Russian, to my untutored eye, to early gasoline pumps, oil cans and colourful arrays of metal signage shouting the benefits of a particular brand of benzine or bicycle. Antique motorcycles and baby carriages/prams, driving googles and car mechanic's tools and endless rows of jacks, all screaming, "Look at me! Look at me!"
Last stop was a roomful of children's toys, of all sorts, from dolls to vehicles, well-displayed in closed, glass cabinets. For my part, I quite enjoyed the military vehicles as I had a large collection of Dinky toys when a lad in Cyprus. With I still owned them as they are worth a fortune now! No time for regret, however, as Katarina had called a taxi to take us to a local winery for a spot of wine-tasting. Only The Sunshine Girls, Katarina and I as the others were off to have dinner in town. Took two taxis as the five of us couldn't fit into one small car but we were soon outside the colourful door of the seemingly small winery.
Turned out to be anything but small as we were soon to discover. Katarina introduced us t Jaroslav Milback, owner/winemaker of this local winery. It was around 6:00 pm, when we first started tasting, in a neighbour's facility, as we learned, as Jaroslav and his brother are currently building an incredible facility a few houses down. Tasted three whites: Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, all very much to my liking, first and third with a bit of residual sugar, 1 gm/3 gm, respectively. Jaroslav took us down into the cellar, really a tunnel with rooms off it, constructed a couple of hundred years ago, or more, when area was mined for an exceptionally fine sand exported to Austria for porcelain production. After we did more tasting there he took us for a tour of the new facility and it will be stunning when finished.
In the even larger tunnel system there, we did more tasting, Reserve Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc, aged in Acacia barrels, typical for maturing Austrian wines, I believe. Anyway, there were both wonderful and then we had a brief tour of the room below the room where one enters the winery. Again, design is clean, modern, along the striking architectural lines of Painted Rock, quite an architectural marvel, overlooking Skaha, just outside Penticton. Then back to the neighbour's place, used until the new facility is finished, (A month or so, from now! Cheque's in the mail!), where Jaroslav kept pouring wine as well as bringing out a large wooden platter of Austrian cheese and his own smoked ham. What a treat and we all needed food after the continuous tasting. I bought two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc but would have bought a couple of cases of his wine if I'd been traveling by car!
As we were going for dinner afterwards, we invited Jaroslav to join us and he did, taking us to a high-end spot, only place in town which serves his wine. The winery only produces about 5,000 cases a year and has quite a reputation in the Czech republic but elsewhere in Europe. We enjoyed a marvellous meal and chatted, Katarina translating, all the while. Funnily enough, by the end of the evening, my Czech was flawless! What a fairy tale ending to such a remarkable, truly remarkable day, from wind and rain to bottled sunshine and scintillating companionship. Cheers!
Map and Stats for ride, Znojmo to Look-out:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2705657322#.Wv1xINz-HdM.email
Map and Stats for ride from Look-out to Znojmo:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2705657365#.Wv1xQWZ7i1U.email
Marlo was taken by Ryan to hospital on Monday after weekend of bad back pain. After tests she has been diagnosed with bone cancer. They think it started as breast cancer and the prognosis is no cure. They are doing more biopsies today. I’m may have to go back to Falcon as George and Barb may be needed full time for awhile. The kids have not been told yet. They are getting some expert advice on how best to tell them. Any communication for now is going through Carly.
More later, Chloe is really upset as are we all. Hugs Corinne Dearest Love!
What a devastating, devastating blow, out of nowhere! Of course, I cannot even imagine the agonizing distress the family is going through. Not that I am able to do anything, at this far reach, but please keep me apprised of Marlo's terrible prognosis. Your family has always been inordinately strong but this terrible diagnosis is more than devastating. What can one say? Love to everyone, and especially to you, [and Marlo and family, it goes without saying], as you attempt to help as best you are able. My heartfelt thoughts are with you, and the family, as you face an unthinkable situation. Your Patrick.
Hello Fartograms, We had a great hike on Monday this week in the Kaleden Hills, what a views, good temperature, light breeze and stunning flowers everywhere, including balsem-roots & bitter-roots. I will not be able to hike on May 21 and June 4, so kindly ask if someone else organises the hikes to keep the OF momentum going! Thank you! Cheers, Aarturo, the mountain Minstrel Thank you for the beautiful message! Much love, Elinor
Dear Fabrizzio Thanks for your nice message. We also enjoyed this days with you very much. We were glad to give some impressions of our homeland. Now you know something more about our emmental culture.
How are you now on the road, you like it with your bike group?? Is it not too exhausting, how do you get along with your bike?? Anyway, we wish you farther a nice stay in Europe and many more exciting moments. We hug you. Best regards Annemarie and Ruedi Hi Anna Maria and Rudi Rudenheimer! Trust you are both well. [Glad you enjoyed the card, Anna Maria Tremonte! I still dream of your über-sandwiches!] Thank you again, for the more than fantastic time, not only in Emmental but during my entire stay with you.
I am extremely pleased with how my bike is performing and with the interesting people in the group. Only eight of us, plus Katarina, the tour leader so just the right size. Only slight disappointment is that is has been raining, on and off, sometimes showers, sometimes more heavily, last few days, so that detracts from rides, of course. However, we are prepared and ride, come rain or shine. Only a short ride this morning and then we will visit a museum and some other local attractions, followed by a wine-tasting at a nearbye winery this evening. Will move camp tomorrow, riding to Mikulov, about 63 km, with all our baggage, climbing between 174 m- 266 m, so please send Swiss chocolate energy bars!
Thank you for the kind words regarding my travels. Stay well. Must away as I need to ready myself for the coming ride. Fondestos and Cheers, to you both, and to Tigre! Cheers, Fabrizzio/Patrizzio!
Was more than a busy, busy, full day, today, as we started off with a ride just after 9:00 am. When we left the hotel it was little more than spitting so our hopes were high that the weather would be on our side. Was quite pleasant until shortly after we left Nový Šaldorf-Sedlešovice, taking 413 to ride towards Konice, a hillside village with an imposing church, atop a hill which was no easy climb, especially since it started to rain quite heavily once we left the main road. Still, we made the top and rain even let up for a bit as we proceeded towards Popice, another tiny hamlet. Here we left the tarmac and began a more than arduous climb on what was little more than a logging road, Dear Reader! I kifd you not as while the rocks were not loose and jumbled they were rough as rough could be, and terribly slippery when exposed from the surrounding top-soil or sand. Due to the heavy rain the rocky stretches that were already challenging enough often turned into muddy ruts when the terrain changed.
All this was made much more difficult and daunting, I must admit, given that my bike has road tires. While the rest of the group were struggling as well, at least most of their bikes sported wider tires which enabled them to negotiate the challenging terrain more easily. At any rate, once we reached the crest of the first hill, the path/trail became quite tolerable, hard-packed sand for much of the way. We stopped here, briefly to enjoy the rain-lashed view of the surrounding landscape, vineyards stretching away across many of the hillsides.
Onward and my earlier reference to a logging road wasn't only in jest, or a bit of an exaggeration, (in Canadian logging terms, anyway), but true as far as local practice went, for many of the hillsides we rode through are part of a managed forest in Národní park Podyjí. We passed numerous piles of neatly stacked logs, oak by the look of them, and the trails themselves form part of an access network, used to harvest wood, and by cyclists, such as us, or, more probably, mountain bikers. At any rate, after one last uncomfortable climb, (Very, very uncomfortable due to both the grade and the surface. I actually rode back a short distance, from the start of the climb, so that I could shift down and have a bit of momentum to start the climb, without stalling out.), I huffed and puffed my way to the top.
It was a tad drier under the tree canopy but still very wet. Not long after we reached a spot to leave our bikes and then walked to the look-out, a fairly large rocky outcrop providing a stunning view of the gorge and the Thaya River below. Was blowing fiercely on the exposed outcropping so taking pictures was difficult as the rain whipped mercilessly. Once we snapped, as best we could, we returned to the bikes to make our way down. Descent was not quite as steep as
on our ride of the day before to Vranov, but I found it challenging enough as, once again, my hands were quite cold and my gloves sopping. Still, we all made it to the bottom without incident.
Ride back to Znojmo was miserable as we were all pretty-well soaked by then although I must say my rain jacket served me very well. My layers were not at all wet, aside for about six inches of the sleeves my long undershirt, so I was pleased about this, of course. Still, we all wanted a steaming cup of coffee and/or a bowl of soup by the time we were back at the hotel, around noon. This being the case once I'd been to my room to take off my cycling shoes and rain jacket, I headed straight for the hotel restaurant to order leek soup and a mixed salad with tuna. Enjoyed a cappuccino before my food arrived so was in 7th Heaven!
Katarina and I were first to arrive but we soon joined by the others. Earlier, it had been decided we'd meet at 3:00 pm to go on a tour of the Town Hall Tower so by the time lunch was over we had a couple of hours of free time. I used this to have a quick shower and changed into the clothes I planned to wear for the rest of the day's planned activities. After I'd readied myself I took a quick stroll to the grocery store to pick up a few things I wanted and was ready to join the others at the appointed time. Was only spitting when we walked to the Centrum, although the Sunshine Girls bought umbrellas en route. Katarina had tickets for all of us, except for Daniella. The 163 steps were far too taxing, not to say dangerous for her, given her unwieldy cast so she spent the time shopping in the nearbye stores.
Climb was not as difficult as I had imagined it might be and we moved, relatively quickly up spiral metal staircases for a number of stories until these were replaced by a steeper series of wooden, almost ladder-like steps, built between massive support beams, the majority still original, more than 500 years old. Once at the top of the Tower one is presented with a 360º panoramic view, afforded by opening small wooden shutters set into the outside walls. As the Tower is 68.60 metres high, the vistas are stunning, as you might imagine, even if the air was not clear, given the rain and the mist, shrouding the surrounding countryside. Still, breathtaking, in the extreme, and everyone was delighted with the marvellous, marvellous views.
No time to waste as Katarina had us on a tight leash. Once everyone was back down we hoofed it to another look-out, but ten or fifteen minutes away, to be treated to yet another glorious view of the Thaya River and the dam/spillway which creates a reservoir/lake. Not much time to drink in these views as Colonel Katarina had us on a forced march, down a number of wide, sweeping stair switchbacks to the banks of the river where she had arranged a self-guided tour of the Muzeum Motorism, a private collection of everything from heavy industrial pump machinery, antique farm equipment, (tractors, in the main), a wide range of vehicles, (shining sports cars and family or work specific autos/trucks), mostly Czech or Russian, to my untutored eye, to early gasoline pumps, oil cans and colourful arrays of metal signage shouting the benefits of a particular brand of benzine or bicycle. Antique motorcycles and baby carriages/prams, driving googles and car mechanic's tools and endless rows of jacks, all screaming, "Look at me! Look at me!"
Last stop was a roomful of children's toys, of all sorts, from dolls to vehicles, well-displayed in closed, glass cabinets. For my part, I quite enjoyed the military vehicles as I had a large collection of Dinky toys when a lad in Cyprus. With I still owned them as they are worth a fortune now! No time for regret, however, as Katarina had called a taxi to take us to a local winery for a spot of wine-tasting. Only The Sunshine Girls, Katarina and I as the others were off to have dinner in town. Took two taxis as the five of us couldn't fit into one small car but we were soon outside the colourful door of the seemingly small winery.
Turned out to be anything but small as we were soon to discover. Katarina introduced us t Jaroslav Milback, owner/winemaker of this local winery. It was around 6:00 pm, when we first started tasting, in a neighbour's facility, as we learned, as Jaroslav and his brother are currently building an incredible facility a few houses down. Tasted three whites: Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, all very much to my liking, first and third with a bit of residual sugar, 1 gm/3 gm, respectively. Jaroslav took us down into the cellar, really a tunnel with rooms off it, constructed a couple of hundred years ago, or more, when area was mined for an exceptionally fine sand exported to Austria for porcelain production. After we did more tasting there he took us for a tour of the new facility and it will be stunning when finished.
In the even larger tunnel system there, we did more tasting, Reserve Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc, aged in Acacia barrels, typical for maturing Austrian wines, I believe. Anyway, there were both wonderful and then we had a brief tour of the room below the room where one enters the winery. Again, design is clean, modern, along the striking architectural lines of Painted Rock, quite an architectural marvel, overlooking Skaha, just outside Penticton. Then back to the neighbour's place, used until the new facility is finished, (A month or so, from now! Cheque's in the mail!), where Jaroslav kept pouring wine as well as bringing out a large wooden platter of Austrian cheese and his own smoked ham. What a treat and we all needed food after the continuous tasting. I bought two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc but would have bought a couple of cases of his wine if I'd been traveling by car!
As we were going for dinner afterwards, we invited Jaroslav to join us and he did, taking us to a high-end spot, only place in town which serves his wine. The winery only produces about 5,000 cases a year and has quite a reputation in the Czech republic but elsewhere in Europe. We enjoyed a marvellous meal and chatted, Katarina translating, all the while. Funnily enough, by the end of the evening, my Czech was flawless! What a fairy tale ending to such a remarkable, truly remarkable day, from wind and rain to bottled sunshine and scintillating companionship. Cheers!
Map and Stats for ride, Znojmo to Look-out:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2705657322#.Wv1xINz-HdM.email
Map and Stats for ride from Look-out to Znojmo:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2705657365#.Wv1xQWZ7i1U.email
Marlo was taken by Ryan to hospital on Monday after weekend of bad back pain. After tests she has been diagnosed with bone cancer. They think it started as breast cancer and the prognosis is no cure. They are doing more biopsies today. I’m may have to go back to Falcon as George and Barb may be needed full time for awhile. The kids have not been told yet. They are getting some expert advice on how best to tell them. Any communication for now is going through Carly.
More later, Chloe is really upset as are we all. Hugs Corinne Dearest Love!
What a devastating, devastating blow, out of nowhere! Of course, I cannot even imagine the agonizing distress the family is going through. Not that I am able to do anything, at this far reach, but please keep me apprised of Marlo's terrible prognosis. Your family has always been inordinately strong but this terrible diagnosis is more than devastating. What can one say? Love to everyone, and especially to you, [and Marlo and family, it goes without saying], as you attempt to help as best you are able. My heartfelt thoughts are with you, and the family, as you face an unthinkable situation. Your Patrick.
Hello Fartograms, We had a great hike on Monday this week in the Kaleden Hills, what a views, good temperature, light breeze and stunning flowers everywhere, including balsem-roots & bitter-roots. I will not be able to hike on May 21 and June 4, so kindly ask if someone else organises the hikes to keep the OF momentum going! Thank you! Cheers, Aarturo, the mountain Minstrel Thank you for the beautiful message! Much love, Elinor
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