Yesterday, I checked out of the Centrum Ubytování Břeclav hostel around 8 AM and had a cappuccino and a pastry at Dobrota Kafe in town. I wish I had a better breakfast since I’ll be riding for over 40 miles, but none of the restaurants opened yet. I cycled out of the town around 8:45 AM.
Organic Maps has been a really good cycling app since I can set it to avoid unpaved roads. I followed its route south to Slovakia and for a while I was cycling in Austria before entering Slovakia. I really enjoyed riding in the wide open farm fields when I was on the cycling path.
I stopped at Veľké Leváre, which is a small village at the midpoint of my route. I planned to get lunch, but the village didn’t have any restaurants except a shop that only served soup. I had some very mediocre soup and a chocolate pastry while the rain came. Fortunately, I was inside the shop and the rain didn’t last long. I rode another 5 miles south to the town of Malacky and had Vietnamese food for lunch at Dong Viet. I was not disappointed by the Asian food in this region of Europe.
I have to be at my Warmshowers host Juraj’s house at 4 PM. I would have been early judged by my pace. So I cycled to the nearby Castle Park to take a look, then cleaned my bike using an old tooth brush.
The last time I cleaned by bike was in Berlin. This time, I also fixed a small annoyance on the front brake cable. I tightened the nut so the cable is more secure. I’m hoping I don’t have to adjust the brake so often from now on.
I left Malacky soon after and rode to Juraj’s house in about an hour. On my way, I stopped at a cherry tree that’s on the side of the road and picked out more cherries. This is my favorite activity when cycling. It makes me feel like I’m really living off the land.
After 46 miles of riding for the day, I met Juraj at 4 PM at his house in the small village of Vysoká pri Morave, near the Slovakia border with Austria. I’m his second Warmshower guest and he only started hosting this year.
Juraj showed me his garden, including his scallion plants, strawberries, blackcurrant, redcurrant, quince, pear tree, and a cherry tree. It turned out that Juraj has a lot of cherries already in his fridge. I ended up eating all of the cherries that I had picked.
After a warm shower, Juraj helped me do my laundry. Juraj also cooked a delicious noodles with chicken dish that used many ingredients from his garden.
During dinner, Juraj told me about how he met his wife and was a bit shocked to learn that I don’t want kids or get married. I guess that’s my thinking now, anything can change.
When Juraj’s wife, Miriam, came home, the three of us chatted more about immigration and how Slovakia and the US are so different in terms of politics.
By 10 PM, I was tired and went to bed since I usually go to bed at 7 or 8 PM. This morning I woke up at 7 AM. I will meet my Warmshowers host, Henryk, at the Castle Marchegg at 10:30 AM, then we will ride our bikes together to his house. I’m glad I will be able to stay with Henryk after cycling for ten days straight.
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| My breakfast for the day |
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| Briefly entered Austria |
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| Beautiful field |
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| Pray for oil |
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| Daisies and poppies |
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| Houses in the Austrian countryside |
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| More cyclists at the rest area |
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| Avoided the rain at Veľké Leváre |
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| The dilapidated castle at Castle Park |
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| Cleaned my bike with a tooth brush |
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| More fields |
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| It's cherry picking time! |
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| All the cherries I picked |
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| First time learning about a quince fruit |
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| Apparently, this is an old Slovakia brand of peanut puff snacks. |
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| Also had some non-alcoholic beer. |
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