Safe Return Doubtful

55 miles (89 km) – Total so far: 1,380 miles (2,221 km)

Leaving Lipmo lake this morning.
Very basic Czech hospitality and cheap.

25 km up and down along the lake to Nova Pec, then crossing the river Vltara that flows into it.

The winter firewood stacks look so good.
This is the tiny village of Stozec.
There’s no villages on the other side of Livno lake, the way I came two days ago from Austria, because in Communist times that was all part of a vast no-man’s land.

After 40 pretty flat kilometres there’s some fairly serious climbing, in the heat of the day, mid 20sC.

I could have taken the 167 highway from Strazny, but I opted to go up into the mountains. They are not huge, between 1,100 and 1,300 metres, and the cycle tracks and paths took me to 1200 metres asl.
It’s extra effort of course, but the best riding of the day.

After a 300 metre fast downhill I arrived to Borová Lada town and tried several Penzions with no luck, they were full or closed. Just as I contemplated camping outside town I spoke to a guy who owned several new apartments. The only guy who could speak English it seemed in town. He had someone arriving tomorrow for his apartment and was happy to let me have it for 500 crowns, 20 Euro.
We got chatting and went to dinner together, and a couple of beers.
So often happens that an evening once destined for a quiet wild camp turns out so different.

The Black Bull for a couple of beers, the local speciality, a goulash with almost gnocchi and pork, and some good conversation.