Day 3 - Bamberg, brewery and Brno
- manicmondeo
- Jun 1
- 2 min read
The storm clouds were gathering as we headed into central Europe.
As we followed the winding Julius Valley beside the White Main river out of Germany and into our third country, we prioritised fuel for Rosemary Ford. The scores on the doors were impressive: one tank of diesel from Selby to the Czech Republic.
At an Ono petrol station, it was o-no. First, we went into the lorry lane and the nozzle didn’t fit; then the proper pump was fitful at best. Jim - who, let’s be honest, is our best driver - then had a brainguff at the roundabout, and only his quick thinking avoided a port-side broadside.
He did make up for it in Plzen. His quick thinking and only slightly legally questionable driving saw us procure pride of place beside the hallowed gates of the Pilsner Urquell brewery.
Having been here before and done the tour, Ian suggested the other two should sample this world-famous beer at its original source. It was almost noon after all. The beer starvation would wait another day. Ian had a non-alcoholic Kofola, the iconic Czech soda. Ian likes Kofola.
Ian also likes the Czech Republic, so spent the rest of the afternoon happily weaving through the Czech countryside on vignette-free roads. Pretty towns and the mighty Vltava came and went.
Then came the storms. Tabor was almost flooded, but Rosemary happily handled the puddles and rolled in to Brno, Czechia’s second city.
It’s so different from Prague. So quiet yet full of curios. Videos and images were taken of the long-legged steed of the Margrave Jobst of Luxembourg, the bullet-like astronomical clock and Brno’s frankly weird statue of Mozart as a child.
It does have great pubs though and, almost in view of Spilberk Castle, we supped as a nearby person broke into English to ask a fellow drinker: “Are your Armenian ears wide?”
Rightly, the day ended as all good days should - doing impressions of Sean Connery saying shakshuka.
Songs of the day
Craig: I Can’t Go Back to Savoury Now by John Shuttleworth
Jim: Where’s the Moon by Leningrad Cowboys
Ian: 99 Luftballons by Kaleida
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