Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the sea ?

I was looking at the map for a long time already. I tried a short way close to the river Labe (or Elbe) few weeks ago, which was so beautiful. So last week I told to myself that this Saturday will be perfect time to do it. Good weather forecast, free time, all conditions were fine to make this trip, and what a trip : Kolin to Prague following the bank of the river Labe. I planned two ways : the first one around 90 km and the second one 70 km, in case of problem, or I feel not strong enough to finish. This was an rough approximation of the distance

- 7am : alarm clock wake me up... Quite hard to begin the first day of the week end !
- 7:50 : I start the way to the train station on bike. Prague is in the fog, the town is nearly empty. I'm going through Malostrana, Karlův most (Charle's bridge), Staromestske namesti (old town square). I think it's the first time since I'm here that I cross the town without crowd. The combination of fog and quiet atmosphere gives me feeling that I'm part of one of the many legends and myths of Prague !
- 8:30 : I take my train ticket. Surprising that they sell the ticket for people in the train station, and the tickets for bike only in the train ! There are things sometimes difficult to understand but after all why not
- 8:50 : I take the train. Just my luck the train is nearly empty and I don't have to fight to put my bike inside the train !
- 10:30 : I'm at Kolin ! The fog disappeared, and I start to quickly visit the town. Typical beautiful Czech square, and one really big cathedral compare to the size of this village (Czech will tell you that it's a town but for me it looks like a village). When I look at my watch, and when I look at the map, it's maybe time to really start my trip !
- 12:30 : Nimburk ! already 38km, I thought it will be much shorter. I start to think that the trip will be much longer than planned. Anyway I passed the first part, the fog came back. Good surprise the way is one small path, far from the road with privileged view on the river Labe and it's reflections . I try to find a suitable place where it's possible to eat. I try one restaurant (U vodarny), and surprise : the food is excellent, the beer also After this first part of the trip I enjoy so much this moment !
- 1:30 : way to Celakovice. Many many fishermen during the way. Maybe 100 of them, who escape probably from their wife They are sleeping, reading, eating, and their fishing-rods are alone on the bank of the river. I understood after few fishermen that they have alarm in case of movement on their fishing-rods. What a sport ! Few girls chose to follow their boyfriend for a fishing weekend. They looked totally desperate and bored, but on one hand I think I understand them ! The way is again on path, far from road, which allows to admire the autumn colours without taking care of cars.
- 4:00 : Celakovice ! 70km already, my estimation was slightly wrong !!! I choose the shortest version to go directly back to Prague. I cross a nature park with a train station lost in his center part (Klanovice). I stop there few minutes and I take another beer "pour la route" as we are used to say ! I'm surprised by this part, as on the map it was like fields. I am on nice single tracks in the middle of the forest.
- 6:30 : 90km I am back on the road to Prague. I start to ask myself how long the trip will still be as I'm supposed to be on the short version ! The night approaches and I want to avoid to be on main road during the night even if I have lights. People here are driving like crazy, they don't hesitate for example to pass a car even if someone is coming on the other side of the road. They invent new road with 3 lanes so often The problem is that if you are on bike, usually you don't have any more space for you and it start to be really dangerous !
- 6:50 : my effort are not vain and I see the first tram. I have smile on my face, that I will soon finish this trip which start to be a personal challenge ! I cross one of the many bridge above the Vlatva, with view by night on the castle. This view is really gorgeous and even after more than 1 year here, I still take pleasure each time I go across this bridge to look at this castle.
- 7:10 : 106km and at home ! Dead but really happy by this experience. To make this kind of trip without knowing so much the language, the different places, it's like small adventure, with as usual plenty of unexpected things.

For those who read this journal till here, they probably didn't understand why I chose this title I'm from south of France and tourists ask every summer the same question : "excuse me, can you tell me the way to the sea ?" Funny for us as it looks totally evident. But this time I felt like a tourist, asking my way plenty of time, and each time thinking to this sentence with smile on my face, saying to myself : "this time it's you the stupid tourist !".