The day dawned overcast and threatened rain, with a brisk breeze. Rather than face the slight risk of disorientation and frustration on a wet, chilly cycle track, I opted to follow one of the roads. Simple!

Yet a day of eternal frustration! What should have been a ride of about 28 km became 51 km! Twice the distance! How could this be? All I had to do was follow route 160. I even had the iPhone GPS set up.

Well it all started when I was SO confident that I knew where I was that I ignored the iPhone and at a T intersection turned left rather than right!

My neurological colleagues are well aware of an unusual constellation of signs that comprise Gerstmann syndrome!

To save you Googling, here is the definition:

Dysgraphia/agraphia: deficiency in the ability to write

Dyscalculia/acalculia: difficulty in learning or comprehending mathematics

Finger agnosia: inability to distinguish the fingers on the hand

Left-right disorientation.

I have this syndrome in “spades”!

Now the actual ride was in truth, not a big deal. Pleasant, smooth new bitumen, reminiscent of the roads we ride in the Adelaide Hills, with gorgeous scenery and ups and downs. Those cars that I met or passed were universally courteous – wide berth and slowed down. It’s just that when I had calculated that I was about 5 km from Vissy Brod, it failed to materialize around the next bend or at the crest of the next hill.

After another hour of riding I suddenly arrived at a major T intersection with what can only be described as a Czech Autobahn!

At this stage I rescued my iPhone from its pocket and it faithfully calculated that it was 23 km to Vissy Brod. In terms of distance I had not left Cesky Krumlov! The answer to where I actually rode this day, remains an unfathomable mystery, and will need to wait till I return home and interrogate the Garmin!

Today for the first time I cycled passed several hitchhikers. I did feel sorry for them on many levels. Firstly they were all girls, indeed somewhat young and with not much luggage and surprisingly given the weather, rather scantily clothed. I remember thinking after passing the fourth or fifth, “golly they must be feeling the cold, I hope they get a ride soon”.

The Moldau river is a paradise for water sports and especially kayaking.

This is the route 160 that I followed – you will see that it was a pleasure to cycle.