Thwarted in Dresden

It is never pleasant to be thwarted. During the first two weeks of our Epic Ride we had faced all sorts of challenges, and somehow managed to overcome every one. That is, until now.

The inspiration for this ride was the Elbe River, one of the major rivers of Europe. So far the Elbe has been our constant companion for over 630 km of cycling. Now it has changed dramatically from being a friend to a foe.

Central Europe has been battered by torrential rains for the past several days, and all that water had to go somewhere. That somewhere was the Elbe.

I had never had personal experience with a major flood before, and I would have to say that it is both impressive and frightening in equal measure. I think that we were all surprised how quickly nature can turn a placid waterway into a swollen torrent of water.

Although we thought that the peak might have been reached yesterday, it was clear to see when we awoke this morning that the river had risen at least another 50 cm, swallowing up more of the surrounding paths and roads.

The Elbe Radweg (bike path) has now been officially closed. That puts a temporary full stop to our plans to continue along the Elbe and Vltava Rivers to Prague. Plans were hastily redrafted and our new plan is to stay in Dresden until Saturday, after which we will be bussed to Prague to continue our ride from there.

Although this is rather disappointing, there are certainly worse places to be trapped for a few days, and our hotel is positively sumptuous. Oh well, that happens sometimes. We will certainly all have something to talk about for years to come.

At least the sunshine returned today, making Dresden an entirely different city. With the sunshine and higher temperatures, the humidity soared. The outdoor cafes were filled, and the spirit of gloom that permeated the place for the past couple of days seems to have lifted.

I went out on another long walk today, but discovered that my phone battery was flat. That meant I could not take many pictures. That was not entirely a bad thing as it meant that I could practice one of my favourite pastimes - people watching.

I found a nice chair in the shade by the riverside, got out my kindle and enjoyed a lovely time. A nearby accordionist with a lovely white dog sitting at his feet added some enjoyable audio atmosphere to my sojourn.

It's a tough life, but someone's got to do it.Read more