Midday Express - Istanbul on the hoof

[Guru Gora]

Ride into town, still dry and de kit, sort out wet stuff and head into town after a very long hot shower.

I have to ride in, not a fan usually but I go in non bike kit, and ride accordingly.

It’s a really nice place, think Prague ish.

Ice cream and coffee done, time to explore.

It has an old tram in town as a cafe, we like something a bit different.

Find a nice covered area for food, all my mates are already there......

GPS out and ball park plan tomorrow. I break a rule and check the weather, it looks ok ish ……

 

[Guru Gora]

On return to the car park, happily the bike is still there, the nice chap on guard duty bites into my pizza and loses 2 canines.

So it’s a ginger ride back to hotel and head down, I know we’re all supposed to be roughty tufty ABR gods, but today was just an endurance event for me.

Very glad the town was nice, and glad to bring it home safe as it were.

God bless Gore Tex, in the 80s this would have been a hideous day.

I’m confident of making Prague tomorrow, see you at breakfast

 

[Jockser]

Find a nice covered area for food

There was a good tapas bar just there

 

[Guru Gora]

Hi

Sadly I missed that, a drink and a pizza only.

Although I did go to a great tapas place in Sort in October.

You’ve reminded me to go there again next month

 

[Guru Gora]

Day 23

Jelena Gora to Prague

127 Miles.

Well awoke to bright skies again, thank god, yesterday was painful.

Breakfast in the sun, was so nice I sat out an hour, managing to drink precisely the cost of my room in coffee and apple juice, so sleeping was free . Plus I got a new towel to clean bike with.

Excellent Adventure Pikey Skills shown

Today was about Prague, not so much the ride, but it was a very nice 70 miles of mountain roads and fast A roads, then 40 on Dual carriageway.

On arrival at hotel , something is different, I realise that it is genuinely the first time I’ve arrived somewhere not shattered due to heat, or having been pissed on big style.

Hotel at airport so I become a bus wanker, then tube wanker. It’s super fast and efficient, and I pay too

Prague as nice as I remember.

The anthropoid church was fascinating. I got there as it was about to close but the kind lady allowed me 15 mins pretty much on my own. Loved it.

I'll visit the Heidrich assassination site tomorrow. I did Lidice a few years ago, very sobering.

Lidice is the village where the Nazis took their revenge. Ill put a video on if you don't know of it.

The art gallery was great too, a bit of culture don’t you know …..

Pics …….

 

[Guru Gora]

The roads to the city were so so, I’ll stick to the city shots …..

At the top of the main thoroughfare.

Previous visitors were not made quite so welcome …..

Prague spring.

 

[Guru Gora]

If you visit Prague this is mandatory …..

As is chilling on the main square where Tom Cruise jumps through a window in Mission Impossible.

 

[Guru Gora]

Charles Bridge

And some very snazzy water taxis indeed.

 

[Guru Gora]

So I amble around looking for this art exhibition I’ve wanted to see it for a long time.

Get to the door, and there’s a sign saying we’re closed down, sorry. At some point we will reopen at xyz address.

Gutted, but I walk to the new address, and bingo …… its re opened.

It’s not really my favourite genre, but it’s very clever.

This ……

Becomes this ……

 

[Guru Gora]

And this….

After a few steps to the right is this ….

 

[Guru Gora]

More simple ones for my tiny brain to process .…..

This …..

Is actually this ….

 

[Guru Gora]

You can sing along now …..

This........

Is this …….

 

[Guru Gora]

A local tried to blag my backpack. He can have my phone, but there are Bel Vita bars in there……so he gets seen off …..

Culture ticked.

I need another mooch and coffee, then head to the church the Anthropoid chaps hid in …

 

[Guru Gora]

Soaking up some cafe culture

It’s a great city, if you haven’t been it’s worth a few nights for sure.

And they do tram cafes too.

Right, time to walk along the river towards the church.

 

[Guru Gora]

So this is a clip from the older film showing the deal at the church, just to set the scene.

Basically good guys parachute in and kill local Nazi Boss.

They are hidden in a church awaiting extraction, sadly one of the team caves in and reveals their hiding place.....

There have been a few films on this. They are all worth a watch. Operation Daybreak has a young Martin Shaw in it.

 

[Guru Gora]

So a pleasant walk along the river and I arrive at the church.

It still wears the battle scars.

I’m very lucky that the lady lets me in for a good look around.

The actual place the Nazis pumped the water in. Humbling stuff.

 

[Guru Gora]

Forgive me for getting away from bikes, but I do love this type of thing…..

Brave folk for sure.

Here are the stairs leading to the final hiding place in the crypt.

 

[Guru Gora]

They’ve done a really good job with the memorials, no doubt helped by the interest generated by the recent films.

Here are the 2 most famous team members.

I was very lucky to get some private time to see all this.

 

[Guru Gora]

The clergy deserves great credit too for housing them.

I'm sure this was not without great risk.

So a bit of food and back to the hotel.

Done a fair few steps today which is great.

A busy, but fantastic day.

Quick map recce suggests that on good winding roads Nuremberg is achievable tomorrow.

Before that Ill go and visit the scene of the actual attack in Prague, so the mini battlefield tour continues………

 

[Von Stolberg]

History AND Culture! Well worth seeing, Thanks for sharing.