On the lakes of Europe in July 2017. Part 1

In this post I will describe my two-week motocross in July 2017 along the route:
Moscow, Byala Podlaska (Poland), Lodz (Poland), Waren (Germany, Lake Waren), Bamberg (Germany), Mondsee (Austria, Lake Mondsee), Schaffhausen (Switzerland, Rhine Falls), Annecy (France), Lake Como Italy), Lake Garda (Italy), Lake Bled (Slovenia), Lake Balaton (Hungary), Popá (Slovakia), Kobrin (Belarus), Moscow.

On this route I planned to swim in five lakes and take a walk in the interesting towns Bamberg and Annecy.
Choosing a route for two weeks in 2017 I decided to take a ride around small European towns, where there is something interesting in nature. Large cities are crowded with tourists, it is offered fast food there. And in small towns there was still the color of old Europe. However, there are no special reasons to stay for the night in such towns, it is enough to come there at about 2-5 p.m., walk during the evening and continue the road the next day.
Therefore, I planned only stay for the night, and planned a small 400-600 km per day in order to have a chance to walk in the evening. Again, the weather that summer broke all the records in diversity, so you need to have a reserve in time – it’s easier to wait out than to ride during the heavy rain.
To save money, I booked all the hotels in advance. Generally, the trip time is 15 days and
the length of the route is about 7500 km.

Day 1, Saturday 08.07.
It began with a rain and for July it was not very hot +10. I packed all my things and left at 7:30 a.m. The border is behind and I'm unloading at the Dukat hotel. A good hotel, I recommend to everybody, inexpensive, good rooms, conveniently located, good food. It is located about 35 km from the border just outside Byala Podlaska.

Day 2
Before leaving for Lodz, I found that I did not take part of the fixing of the navigator, but there is nothing to do, I took it with an expander to the glass on the handlebar and went. The navigator led through Warsaw, I agreed with it. That year the way was much better. First I went through dedicated streets with screens, but still half the way I had to go through the city streets with confusing pointers.
In Lodz, the navigator firstly suggested to go along the pedestrian zone, then along the completely rutted street. However, after making a few laps, I still found the hotel, checked in, and began to make the mount of the navigator. In the end, it turned out something more or less acceptable. I used a piece of wire and an expander.

Having solved this problem, I took a walk around the city. At first the streets and houses looked very sad, peeling and painted walls, asphalt and tiles in potholes. However, the further I walked along Petrovskaya Street, the better it became. Accurate plate with patterns, benches, renovated facades of houses, bicycle path.

Everything is quite pretty. They cleaned the center pretty well, but it's a pity that all the money was let into it and there was nothing left for the rest of the city.

They have a trade and recreation zone there, Manufacture, an interesting place even with a sandy play zone.

A little more unusual.

In the evening I checked the weather forecast and was very sad. In Varena they promised heavy rain and even a thunderstorm. I had to go in Berlin, and there the same thing. I had to check in at the hotel until 6 p.m., if I'm late, there may be problems. In Varena, I was only going to see the lake and, if possible, take a dip. But, according to the forecast, they promised heavy rainfall and the temperature around +18. The weather was not for swimming and not even for walking. I decided to change the goal and not to go to Germany, since the weather is against me, and move toward the south-west, to Prague. There the rain was planned too, but weak.
The third day.
On the way to Prague I got into a traffic jam on the highway because of some accident. The jam was 4 km long. I went along the roadside, sometimes between the rows. The row is pretty wide there. I do not know how the police in Poland treat such a ride, I was lucky, I did not meet them. Getting out of the jam, I quickly got to Prague. It was only 4 p.m. and I went for a walk to the historical center. The Czechs houses and sidewalks are very dirty and stripped in the outskirts, although sometimes there is something unusual.

And it's nice to walk in the center.

But I will not describe Prague, much has been written about it. The heat was about 27 degrees, a lot of tourists everywhere.

I could not find my hotel in the evening, in the hotel I was given only a poor photocopy of the map of Prague, and there was little that could be understood. I began to ask people. I reached the hotel only by 11 p.m. The next morning I woke up in the rain.

Day 4
I reached Bamberg riding under the rain.

I settled down and went to get acquainted with it, the center was very close, in half an hour.
Very interesting town, I recommend everyone to visit.

During the war, it was not bombed, and it was preserved in almost a primordial form. On the roads there are paving blocks, various neat little houses, a cathedral with four towers, bridges with sculptures, kayakers in the waves from the lock.

There is a nice rose garden.

A lot of tourists were walking there, mostly Japanese-Chinese-Vietnamese. I walked along it with pleasure too.

to be continued...