A Family Affair
Daisy and Emma on the cycling path along the Vltava River.
It was a delightful first.
I went on a bike ride a few days ago with Daisy, and with Emma, who’s 8 (about to turn 9). It was Emma’s first real cycling excursion, and she did great.
She learned to ride her bike early last year (I wrote about that momentous occasion in a previous blog post), and has been riding quite actively since, but only around the house and near neighborhood.
Last weekend, we decided to load up the bikes and head down to the Vltava. Our plan was to park the car on Papirenska, not far from the zoo, and then ride down Papirenska, through Stromovka park, and cross over the suspension bridge to the zoo. From there, we’d head downriver to the ferry crossing at Podbaba, cross the river on the cute little ferries, which we thought Emma would get a kick out of, and then head back to the car along Route 241, which has a nice paved cycling path on the river side of the highway.
This Trojan horse along the river is actually an art gallery. I first noticed it in June 2007. Check out an early photo here.
Instead, we crossed the bridge to the zoo, but decided to head upriver instead. I’d forgotten about this pretty little stretch of paved cycling path that hugs the east side of the Vltava and continues all the way down to the Prague suburb of Liben. ( I also wrote about this route in more detail in a previous post.)
There are no cars, only pedestrians or cyclists. It’s level ground. There are nice views of the river. And there’s a pub about halfway down with grilled sausages, beer and juice. Don’t get much better than that.
Emma was great.
I forgot to bring along my odometer, but I’d estimate we rode a total of 10 kilometers or so. She kept right up and really enjoyed herself. She even made it up a very short but very steep hill that leads from Papirenska into Stromovka.
It may have been the first big bike ride that we’ve all done together, but I hope it won’t be the last.
RIDE STATS
Length of ride: 10 kilometers
Pivo Index: 2
Distance ridden so far in 2009: 295 kilometers
Emma completes her first real cycling trip in style.
Comments
And speaking of kids, do you have any recommendations about good places in Prague or nearby to buy children's bikes? I'm looking for a bike for our nearly 6 year old but keep feeling as if the bikes we find in the mall sports stores are a bit heavier than what I remember growing up.