On our route from Proschim we were made more aware of the extent of the open cast mines in the outskirts and surrounding areas that left huge blue lakes in place where farm land and village life once thrived. We did, I must admit take advantage of one of these lakes at lunchtime, only to be warned by one of the locals of the acidic content, and recommendation to swim elsewhere. The ride was hot, long, but as ever scenic as the scouts led us through small roads and cycle paths. A few punctures and tick inspections later we arrived…

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Many people said that although it was their hardest day’s cycling through the mountains, up up up up … the free wheeling down again made it all worth it, and was for many their best day’s cycling. The next day was mainly down hill all the way to the Elbe river, that we followed al the way into Usti Nad Labem. On the way one group visited Terezin, a former military forttress where Jews of high status were kept for information during the second world war. Along the Elbe there was still evidence from the recent floodings, and tide marks…

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Skinny dipping at sunset  ‘Red next to yellow, kill a fellow. Yellow next to black, venom lack.’ This little serpent is black all over, with no yellow or red. And she quickly slithers past us to a quieter spot. Still I’ve never seen our group of sweaty cyclists so hesitant to plunge into the cool inviting water of a lake at lunchtime! It’s 2 o’clock and outside of the shade of these trees the sun is far too oppressive to do anything, let alone continue the 50 kilometres of mountain cycling ahead. Since crossing the border from Germany to…

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A few of us cycled up to whitness the enormatiy of the the Coal Mines just outside Lauzitz….

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