Jítrava to Dolni Světlá: Day 171

A journey up to the German border today and more rocks, wooded hills and pretty villages.

The first site on leaving Jitrava were the White Stones, also called the Elephant Rocks. They rose where grass ended and the trees and hills began. Different from previous outcrops on this trip as they were made of softer sandstone rather than granite or gneiss. Erosion gave them a smooth outline, maybe like parts of elephant.

Climbing into the hill behind there were other outcrops, smaller and hidden among the trees. They were of conglomerate, which donated rounded pebbles to the tracks I was walking on.

Coming down to a saddle at Horní Sedlo, by a couple of houses, there was a Second World War bunker, abandoned like the old Volkswagon car beside it. The bunker was part of the Czech defences against Germany, never used due to the 1938 Munich agreement ceding land to Germany.

Later I reached the current German border. Marked by white boundary stones, initially there were stones each side of the track O was on. Those to my right with a "D" on marked where Germany began, while others marked with a "C" were to my left, showing where Czechia began. This meant the track I was on belonged to no-one. It was no man's land. Later, the Germans and Czech's shared boundary stones removing me from a stateless track, with a "D" and one side of the rectangular block and a "C" on the other. Some stones had "CS" carved in them, a reminder that Czechoslovakia once existed, however it was painted over and replaced by a "C".

Inevitably, walking along the border between the two countries meant a steep climb as it followed the exact line of the ridge top separating the two states. At the highest point was Hochwald (if you were German) or Hvozd (if Czech). At the summit of this mountain was a guesthouse serving food. Boundary stones popped up in their terrace, among the tables and benches. I stopped at the guesthouse for a light lunch. As they were busy, and I did not know the hidden "rules" regarding how to order and pay, the food took a while being delivered. The Gasthaus was in Germany by a few feet and the waiter was impatient with my lack of the country's language. There were extensive views for the terrace. I could see back to the unusual Ještěd tower where I was yesterday. In the other direction I could see more forested mountains to climb. To the north the plains of Germany were visible with many towns and cities. 

Today's villages were all very attractive and included restored log cabin style houses painted in a variety of ways to pick out particular features. Neat lawns and window boxes of red geraniums added to the appeal. 

I had noticed in places "K+M+B 2026" written in chalk above doors and similar. In Austria I had seen the same practice, the chalk marks show that houses have been blessed during the Feast of the Epiphany. The letters stand for the three wise; Kašpar, Melichar, and Baltazar in Czech, 2026 refers to the year.

The landscape had again been wooded hills and mountains but included a more dramatic valley with outcrops each side after Horní Sedlo. A red triangle waymarked diversions to two summits. I climbed the first, as the map claimed it had a castle ruin. I saw no sign of any ruins and trees limited how far I could see.

I was heading for the village of Dolni Světlá to spend the night, following a track through the forest. Unfortunately a heavy forestry vehicle with wide wheels had made the trail uneven, muddy and difficult to walk on. Rounding a corner I found the vehicle responsible with a few other giants. As I watched a tall beech tree was felled, safely away from me down the mountains slope. The length of the trunks they were hauling up were truly enormous. Moving carefully around the big machines, watching for signs they were about to moved, I exchanged "Dobrý Dens" with one of the foresters. Thankfully they did not try to stop me as it would take many kilometres to divert onto another route.

My accommodation was a Penzion that I had accepted yesterday when it was confirmed that the place I had booked online was not actually open. Unfortunately nobody had told the owners of the replacement Penzion. Fortunately that had a room, and after a wait while they were preparing it, I was having a shower. It was also fortunate that they provided me with dinner as the nearby restaurant that Google declared open had a chalked sign saying they were closed for a few days. I enjoyed the pork with mushrooms and dumplings. The mushrooms were recently picked from the woods, and they were busy arranging the surplus for drying. I hoped they correctly identified which were edible mushrooms and which were poisonous.

Liberec to Jítrava: Day 170

The high point today was (literally) the Ještěd tower, low point was my booking for tomorrow being cancelled in an unorthodox way.

As I left the hotel, the streets seemed too quiet for a Monday morning, then I recalled that it was a Public holiday commemorating St Wenceslaus. Made famous in Britain as a result of a popular Christmas carol, he is the principal Czech Saint. Historically he was Duke of Bohemia (which is part of the Czech Republic) back in the 10th century. 

My first target was the Ještěd tower, an unusual building with a wide base thinning to a tall, slender column. One of those grand statement pieces put up by communist regimes it seemed to me. Yesterday, in the museum I watched a short film which included construction of the tower which was finished in 1973. The trendy clothing warn by the younger people looked very much like the 1960's clothes then in fashion in Britain. 

Most people would have taken the tram and then the chair lift to reach the tower, but I followed the road to the base of the mountain then continued in a wide arc to the south on the E3. By its curve the E3 made the climb to the summit slightly more gentle. Pausing at an information board I was impressed that there were trails for hikers, bikers, horse riders, cross country skiiers and even people in wheelchairs. 

As I approached the summit the numbers of people greatly increased. Parents with small children followed the road as it spiralled around the mountain in its final ascent facing oncoming cyclists and cars. At the top, even from the base of the tower there were fantastic views in all directions. On one side I looked down on Liberec, its buildings tiny in the grey distance. On the opposite side fields dissappeared into the haze. Nearby I could see the forested mountains I was about to walk over, further away there were even more ranges.

I had turned on my phone in an attempt to find out which birds I could hear. Over my trip I had seen and heard very few birds. The most common was I thought the coarse cawing of crows, however my App said that were ravens. I also recorded a coal tit but otherwise the forest was silent today, not even the buzz of chainsaws. 

With my phone on I noticed a message stating that my accommodation booking for tomorrow had been moved from September to October at my request. A little later an email said my booking had been cancelled at my request. I had not made either of these requests. After messaging the property to ask why they had changed my dates, I informed booking.com. My suspicion was that they did not want me and did not wish to pay booking.com any commission for making a booking. To achieve this it was necessary for me to apparently cancel rather than them. However if I had cancelled for a booking in a days time I would forfeit the money I had already paid booking.com. Consequently they first had to change the booking date to one sufficiently far away that I would incur no loss. I did not like this underhand behaviour. They messaged me to say they were closed on the dates they had advertised as being open on booking.com, and on which I had booked. After a couple of frustrating "chat" sessions, and two phone calls from booking.com, one from Hong Kong and the other from London, I was told that the property was not answering their phone and they were awaiting a response to their email. Eventually the property owner messaged me again repeating they were closed, I replied that he should respond to booking.com's email. This resulted in me being offered alternative accommodation in the same village, which I accepted despite a few negative reviews on Google. I am wondering what will happen when I reach the replacement property tomorrow. 

This long and niggling saga rather spoilt my enjoyment of a lovely sunny afternoon. As the trail rose and fell in the trees, the temperature was warm enough for a tee shirt but cool enough to avoid sweating. Occasional vistas across the surrounding countryside added to the beauty of leaves gradually turning golden in the sun.

Food and refreshments at the bistro at the Ještěd tower and at a snack bar at the bottom of the mountain on the far side meant I was well fed. After the snack bar the crowds dissappeared and I had the afternoon sunshine to myself.

Around 5 pm I descended into fields and the houses of Jítrava. An attractive village, its buildings spread along the road. Many were constructed of logs but with flat, wooden arches fitted over their windows. A decorative feature I assumed. Another feature were the cups placed upside down on fences, an old Czech custom according to the Internet.

Liberec Rest Day: Day 169

A day in Liberec, formerly Reichenberg.

Liberec was the biggest town on this trip and an opportunity to both rest and learn a bit of history. For the latter reason I booked a guided tour. Like all of what is now the Czech Republic, Liberec was originally part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In this area most people spoke German. Its textile industry was responsible for the towns growth, it prospered in the 18th and 19th century when the old centre of the town was built. There was money to do it with style. The neo renaissance town hall dominates the main square with its towers, balconies and carved friezes.

There were a few setbacks such as plague and the Battle of Reichenberg between Prussia and Austria that took place here in 1757. Liberec was part of the German speaking Sudetenland that was ceded to Hitler at the Munich conference in 1938. My guide had a photo of Hitler on the town hall balcony after the Nazis occupied the area. Immediately following the Second World War the Germans were expelled at short notice, whether they had supported the Nazis or not, and the city resettled with Czech people. More recently Soviet and Warsaw Pact tanks entered the city to suppress the Prague Spring in 1968, watched by my guide, then a boy. People were shot, jeans with bullet holes were on display at the town's museum and there was a memorial beside the town hall. In the 20th century the textile industry was been replaced by factories making autoparts and similar.

I reached the city centre from my hotel on the outskirts by tram. Curiously each line had three rails. My guide told me that this was because historically there were trams with two different gauges (i.e. the distance between their wheels) running in the city. They have now standardised on a single gauge. Another Item I had commonly seen in towns and villages on my trip were columns, used for advertising. 

I visited two of the museums. One of the engineers who studied in the city was Ferdinand Porsche, designer of the the Volkswagon Beetle and fast sports cars. This was highlighted by the Porsche Targa in the Technical Museum where it shared space with an Austin Seven, Ford Model T and other classics. I now find it strange that items like reel to reel tape recorders, that were familiar from my youth, are now museum pieces.

Also near the centre was a big, modern mall with international names such as Starbucks and Tescos. Such places are similar across the world.

I ate at a place doing grilled food tonight. To one side of the restaurant people were playing football in a netted area. On the big screen TV is an ice hockey match, a sport loved in this country. I decided on another beer.

Na Kneijpe to Liberec: Day 168

Leaving the mountains I reached the city of Liberec today, with multiple opportunities for snacks on the way.

Overnight a new blister bulged on my left heal, on the site of an old blister which I thought had healed. Pain pierced my heel every time I put my weight on it which made me hobble down the road. Eventually, the pain eased and I was distracted by8 sunny skies, blue with scraps of cloud. Although the track was still dark and damp in the shadow of the surrounding trees, the promise of the rising sun, after a few damp days, filled me with happiness. Steam was rising from the ground where the sun warmed it, sunbeams shot through the trees.

Not having eaten anything when I decamped, my hunger encouraged me to enter the closed doors of a restaurant to see if they could offer breakfast. The answer was no, but they could provide soup with bread and coffee which I gladly accepted. I was at Nová Louka where once glass was made. Earlier I had walked through Kristiánov, another small settlement in the forest where a glass making factory once stood. There was now a Glass Making Museum at Kristiánov, which I passed hours before it openned. Over a hundred years ago both were run by the Riedel family, who still produce quality glassware in Austria. I was proudly shown a cabinet with glassware and a book signed by the latest Riedel when he visited to join the celebration of 250 years since glass making started in the area. Presumably the availability of wood was the reason glass was made here. Apparently a lot of it was required. A dam was built nearby to create a lake that powered a sawmill, needed to cut up wood for the glass furnaces.

I progressed to the village of Bedřichov. A large board described how the village was home to the Jizerská 50, which is now a series of cross-country skiing races. Czechs dominated the winners in the early years but as the competition became more international Norwegians tended to come first. Although to early in the year for snow and skiing, the village was busy with people this Saturday morning. Young children watched by a parent practiced on a climbing wall; cyclists gathered for a ride; families with children headed out with wicker baskets to pick mushrooms; another group of small children were each handed a clothes peg (for unknown reasons); older couples set off for walks; a group of men stood waiting to do something while buses brought more people up from the city of Liberec. I watched while enjoying a second coffee, this time with a pastry at a stall.

It was then downhill through the forest into the city. A confusion of tracks used by those walking dogs and children meant I had to pick my way carefully. Reaching the city by the zoo I continued along a strip of park until stopped by a sign for a Cukrárna. Another coffee with a cake followed. Following signs into the old centre of the city I had my final coffee with a filled bagel for lunch.

After shopping for supplies in a large mall I eventually reached my hotel on the outskirts of the city. After washing clothes and other chores, and a more pleasurable phone call to my wife, I decided to have dinner at a nearby establishment I had passed. I had thought it a more typical Czech establishment than the restaurant at the hotel, however it turned out to be Bulgarian!

Jakuszyce to Na Kneijpe: Day 167

A return to the Czech Republic today, with more forested mountains and protruding rocks.

Leaving the luxury of my hotel of last night I walked the 5 kilometres to Harrachov crossing the border from Poland into Bohemia, part of Czechia a.k.a. the Czech Republic. Now that there are no border controls in the Schengen area, the buildings that once served waiting vehicles have become unwanted and delapidated. There was a lonely "For Sale" sign beside one today. Only the tatty exchange office was still in operation where I swapped zlotys for korunas. 

In Harrachov centre there was a glass factory with a shop selling their wine glasses, vodka glasses and lots of elegant, delicate and by the look of it fragile, glassware. Apparently this area is famous for its glass products. My immediate interest however was the coffee shop beside it where I had an early latte and cake.

I left Harrachov by walking up the hill to the railway station which was some distance away. A train had arrived and a coach was waiting to take passengers down to the village, although I could only see two people leaving the station so the coach might leave rather empty. As the railway loops around the mountains the views from the windows must be pretty good.

Continuing down the other side of the ridge I soon reached the River Jizera. My route then turned up the valley, the river on my right was occasionally visible through the trees; peaty brown water tumbling over boulders. Two large groups of cyclists raced passed me going downhill. Some looked excited by their speed, others worried. I saw no-one cycling up, so possibly the bikes had been transported to the top making for an easy ride. 

My first destination was Jizerka. This scattering of large wooden buildings were located in a large meadow area surrounded by forest on a plateau. The buildings, which included two hotels, were spaced out, so there was no clustering to form a village centre. On the single track road there were few cars but plenty of couples out walking, groups of cyclists and a cluster of people on disability scooters.

After a gravel road my route continued on a rough track, where I moved from rock to rock, in what I thought was a graceful manner. A few outcrops of granite protruded from the forest, similar to those seen previous days. These geological features appeared to be the destination of many of those out walking. Although I could probably have managed to climb to the top of these small "tors", especially as iron rings had been cemented into one outcrop, I decided against it. Although not raining, the day was damp and misty, visibilty poor, the rocks wet and I had far to go. 

The route however took me through a hole in the boulders surrounding one outcrop. A squeeze with my rucksack so I wondered how the cyclists got their bikes through. Tracks in the mud showed a party had come this way.

My next destination was Smedava, where there was a hotel too expensive to contemplate. A little before was another black lake reflecting the trees beyond, similar to the one I saw yesterday. Both were created by building small stone dams. After Smedava I was aiming for a kiosk selling food, which I hoped to reach before it closed. I did not succeed. However, outside the small wooden building was a selection of beers, snacks etc.. There did not appear to be an honesty box, and I could see no prices. I wondered if they were free, what in the USA is called trail magic. As I actually had plenty to eat, my interest in the kiosk was more to add variety. I left with taking anything.

A little after I diverted to a small wooden tower where I looked down on a small area of bog. The relevant authorities were clearly pround of it. Among the reddish grass there were a few ponds, two ducks were enjoying one of them.

As darkness would soon fall I started looking for a discreet place to camp, not easy as the trees were densely packed, the uneven ground was wet and any dryer areas covered with blueberry bushes. My selected location is only a little off the road, but as it is behind a line of trees I doubt anyone will notice me.

E3 in Poland: Some Comments

A couple of memories of the E3 in Poland. Firstly there were a lot of forested mountains to cross. Among the trees, almost hidden by them, were outcrops of granite and gneiss. Practice for mountain and rock climbers even though not excessively high.

Secondly there was the history. The magnificant forts of Srebna Góra and Grodno. The German Spa towns with the old pump house at Lądek-Zdrój and the flowers of Szczawno Zdrój.

Thirdly there were the chapels, churches, crosses and shrines. Evidence of the commitment to faith of the Polish people. 

Mushroom pickers were much in evidence at this time of year (September).

Waymarking was generally good. Except at the very beginning and end the E3 followed the blue waymarks. However, signs and waymarking was not perfect and a gpx track, App or map is needed to navigate the route. Most nights accommodation was available and although I wild camped a few nights with nore effort this could have been avoided. There were no official campsites on the route as far as I know.

Wojcieszyce to Jakuszyce: Day 166

Rain meant I put my waterproofs on and just kept walking through the dark forest, as a result I reached Jakuszyce rather quickly.

Not having seen any evidence of the breakfast promised on booking.com I ate food from my own supplies and shocked myself by successfully using the apartment's posh coffee machine for a morning cup of "kawa". Then, just as I was about to leave, a man appeared with a boxed breakfast. It later became my lunch.

Leaving the village I looked back to see the houses of the settlement folded into the landscape. Like so many of the villages hereabouts it formed a strip down a valley, that itself was trending downhill. Soon after the rain began. Based on the forecast I knew it would be heavy so quickly put on my waterproofs. After an easy walk to the first village the first climb of the day began. After a steady but steep ascent I reached a group of rocks outcropping among the trees. A feature I now recognised as typical of the area I had been walking through. There were crude steps cut in the crystalline rock followed by steep metal steps that led to a fenced viewing area. Climbing up I was careful, fearing a slip on the wet, lichen covered stone. My efforts gave me little reward. As I expected, rain and clouds meant that all I could see was a large boulder balanced on the top and the tree tops beyond.

After the rocks my route was kind to me, with generally good tracks I made fast progress. A chocolate bar I had bought earlier gave me extra energy. I skirted the top of the village of Kopaniec, otherwise it was a day among the trees. Although mainly conifer forest today, occasional beech and birch beside the trail had overnight become tinged with yellow. It reminded me that astronomical Autumn started two days ago. Heavy rain meant I worried it would permeate the dry bags in my rucksack, in the event everything was fine but I was glad that crucial items like my passport were double bagged.

Eventually I reached a road where my long enjoyment of the blue route came to end. Now I followed green waymarks to the Czech border. First, there was my second steep climb of the day. Rising straight up the mountainside, tree roots formed a natural if irregular staircase. They kept the soil and rubble together that otherwise would be eroded by the passage of feet and the action of water, currently streaming down the hillside as the rain continued at a slightly gentler pace. There was a sharp, clean smell, reminding me a little of chlorine. Maybe it was from the wet spruce trees.

I briefly explored a few abandoned buildings that might have been the top of a quarry on my map. A little after I was pleased to find a shelter with benches and a tables to enjoy my lunch. Unfortunately the turf roof was not completely effective at keeping out the rain but better than sitting eating on the side of the trail.

Signs had given contradictory distances to Jakuszyce, where my hotel is. One said two hours the next two hours forty five minutes. However my feet soon ate the distance on a good road, tarmaced in part. I briefly diverted to see a small, back, artificial lake. The sign had said "Water Drawing Point". Trees reflected nicely in the water with pleasing symmetry.

Reaching the hotel I was surprised I had achieved the 26.7 kilometres coming from my accommodation last night at 3.9 kilometres per hour with a 950 metre elevation gain. As I was tired the previous day, despite its shorter distance, this was unexpected. The hotel was modern and posher than expected. Bicycles were prominent in the porch area, there were many tracks for mountain bikes in the area and cyclists seem to form a good slice of the hotel's summer clientele. In winter cross-country skiing was the reason people came. As I walked down the corridor to my room at the far end, lights progressively came on as if leading me into a time tunnel in a science fiction film.

After the buffer dinner I sampled the Polish vodka as tomorrow I would be in the Czech Republic having completed the Polish part of the E3. The barman gave me a shotglass of glass(?) vodka and a traditional one, which was slightly brown, presumably aged in barrels. The traditional one was my preferred choice, slightly sweet. I hoped my sampling of their merits did not have adverse effects tomorrow.