Saarburg. Our first stop in our swing through Germany.
Saarburg Germany. The Venice of the Saar region. That’s what they say anyway. I’m not sure one river through town makes it Venice, but it was one of those towns that’s not super promising as you roll in, and actually had a fascinating and beautiful old part of town. The 15km long Leukbach River runs through the charming old town and meets up with the Saar River.
The Wasserfall Saarburg. Makes a lovely backdrop and sound for the restaurants and cafes. More impressive is the fact that this was a 13th century project to redirect the Leukbach River through town.The buildings rise right up from the river.The sound of the waterfalls and the cool air rising from the river are lovely.On our way out of town after a one night stay. That look says, can we just ride and not stop for photos every five minutes?Heading out along the Saar River. It was a calm morning, no wind.My dashboard. Many podcasts have been played on that Bluetooth speaker over the weeks of bike touring. Germany can be relied on for good paths linking you from city to city, town to town. We’re up from the river on this stretch by an industrial site.We headed up and over a hill to avoid a big bend in the river. Shortcut? Eh..it was steep so no real time savings, but what a view.Could this tree be any more classic and beautiful? Big sweeping limbs, check. Picturesque hollows offering tantalizing home for small furry creatures, check.Ah, the bike signage of Germany.Ah, the pastries as big as your head of Germany.
Since we spend so much time on bikes we entertain ourselves talking about bikes and bike infrastructure quite a bit. A lot. Ok, constantly! We had to detour off the river path to obtain that giant pastry and once again we were reminded that although Germany knocks it out of the ball park with bike paths connecting towns, in town is a different story. It was quite inhospitable in Merzig, the short ride from the river path to Bäckerei & Café Tinnes had zero bike infrastructure. The contrast with France, where so many towns have been given what we call the French City 2.0 treatment in town, with new bike and ped lanes and markings and calmed traffic, was dramatic. It was not an environment that would encourage bicycle use for errands and transportation.
Over the bridge to our destination for the night, Saarbrücken.Recovery beverages for the win!What’s the easiest bike parking? In our hotel room. Doesn’t happen often but boy it’s nice. Roll in roll out. In this case it was roll out into a steady rain.Never stop smiling. We’re headed 25k to a train station to take a hop to shorten the day.Off the train at Diemeringen and we’re back in France! Feeling sassy. Drinking Sassy French cider at a Breton crepe restaurant lunch break to avoid the storm.We don’t often stop for a sit down lunch, but we had hoped to hunker down and avoid the worst of the storm. Delicious crepes. Very friendly locals.The rest of the day cycling was a series of hops to shelter from heavy rain. Overhangs at town halls, under a barn roof, and this community park with a covered picnic area. The storm moved slowly across the region so we didn’t avoid much of it, but we managed to duck out during some particularly heavy bits.We rolled into Eschbourg and marveled at Maisons des rochers de Graufthal. These houses were built into a rock cliff and the last inhabitant died in 1958. It’s now a museum.
We were booked into Au Vieux Moulin hotel, in a former mill and with a highly rated restaurant. After hanging our wet cycling clothes over every available surface in our room we headed downstairs to dinner. We opted for a four course tasting menu with the wine pairing – get ready for loads of photos of food. With only a few weeks left in France it made sense to maximize our dining experience. This meal certainly fulfilled that desire. The most French of modern French meals we’ve had. We don’t dine at fancy restaurants often, but French fancy is more attractive to us since the service is very straightforward and not overwhelming. The French assume that everyone enjoys food, it’s not a big deal, just life.
First, an amuse-bouche before we even decided on the tasting menu.Presentation was amazing. For aperitif Rich had a local beer and I had glass of white wine.Fresh peas in a little crisp crust.Eggplant on sesame cracker.Carte Blanche à Guillaume. Here we go. A wine pairing? Yes please!Another amuse-bouche to welcome us to the tasting menu. The first course was trout from Sparsbach served three ways. Small steaks, an airy foamy mousse of fennel, white asparagus from Ferme Waechter, and ground ivy. Close to Rich a small plate of tiny fried fingerlings. Troutelle, they were called. Or troutlings.
Trying to pay attention to and write down the details of this meal gave me so much respect for actual food writers. Ground ivy, the waiter said, I dutifully wrote that down and only now looked it up: Glechoma hederacea is an aromatic, perennial, evergreen creeper of the mint family Lamiaceae. It is commonly known as ground-ivy, gill-over-the-ground, creeping charlie, alehoof, tunhoof, catsfoot, field balm, and run-away-robin. Thankfully I had snapped a picture of the full menu, since these courses, or sequences, are mostly represented on the menu.
The largest green leaves are sorrel. The wine pairing was a delicious Riesling.Get used to eating tiny flowers. The mousse was flavored with ground ivy.Barbecued white asparagus, paired with Cote du Rhone Amour de Fruits.BBQ white asparagus with pistachios and pith of citrus. Amazing.The squab course, served with Le Migmatite Gamay Sur Granit. Which translates as delicious red wine. Düwehof pigeon breast, thigh with giblets, porcini mushroom praline, green asparagus, stuffed morel and wild garlic, Mokxa coffee-infused jus. The wild garlic is the small dark lump, it’s cooked in a rice cooker.Pigeon thigh with giblets. Yes, very rich this course.The palate cleanser, rhubarb sorbet in a delicate apple and herb sauce.With the dessert course an elderflower cider, Cidrerie de Reillon Grégoire Jacquot Fleurs de mal 2023 • Pétillant de miel. Strawberry horseradish ice cream, and a white chocolate top. Sprinkled with little white flowers.And finally, more little dessert treats. Raspberry tartlet, and a small Financier Cookie.Chocolate truffles on a bed of cacao nibs. It was a good thing we’d been bike touring for almost 70 days and our metabolisms were running high.
We definitely needed a walk after that amazing meal, so we headed out into the misty moonlit night for a turn around town.
Eschbourg by night.The town church.The hotel and restaurant glowing in the gloom.The rain was over and we were ready to ride again.Crossing the Zinsel du Sud. Watched by a highland cow. Maybe. Are they asleep behind all that hair?We’re riding towards Strasbourg in the French Alsace region. I love the half timbered houses and steep gables. So picturesque. The hanging sign looks like an anvil, was this once a blacksmith shop?What the what? How cute are these musicians? Humba Humba Dederle Dederle. A striking stork against a stormy sky in Ernolsheim-lès-Saverne.Lunch along the Canal de la Marne au Rhin.It’s a popular canal for hiring boats and touring along.Which means we get to wave at lots of boaters and shout Bonjour!25 kilometers to Strasbourg. This cultural region of Alsace certainly has a sense of humor.The canal is taking us right to the Strasbourg train station.
Somewhere along the wet roads of the previous day, hiding from the rain, we decided that we were both ready to wrap this tour up and head back to our home base in France. Rich plotted out the fastest and most direct route: ride to Strasbourg, train to Basel and overnight, train to Geneva, ride to Annemasse and then up the valley to our good friends’ house. We were both looking forward to being in one place for a while before traveling back to the US, so off we went.
Train one of two to get us back to Geneva.Hooks to hang our bikes. You do need bike reservations and I think there were only four spots per train.Basel Switzerland train station.Riding to our hotel for a one night stay in Basel. The Rhine River.A border crossing, we stayed in French Basel. Saint-Louis actually. And yes the difference in bike infrastructure was dramatic once we crossed back into France. Oh, and hotels are about half the price of the Swiss side.Back to the Basel train station the next morning- not too early so we miss the crowded trains.A moment to celebrate the beavers, nature’s engineers. The scenery on the train to Geneva was stunning.Lac Léman and plenty of vineyards.The France/Belgium/Luxembourg/Germany/France/Switzerland/France portion of our final weeks of the trip.
We knew we’d be busy once we returned to the US, so a nice long 13 day break at our friends’ house was very appealing. The bike ride from Geneva to Annemasse is very easy, bike path the entire way, one night in Annemasse so we can ride up the valley after rush hour. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment to close our 70 day loop. We rode down the valley to start this tour, and now we ride up the valley to end the tour. In better shape, with even more appreciation of the countries we’ve visited, and looking forward to some days of rest.
Now that’s a bike path. Loads of regular bike riders commuting to and from Geneva.A fun beer place on a street being pedestrianized in Annemasse.Headed out. Final climb. Will the rain hold off?New lanes popping up everywhere!A climb with a stunning view.Finally eating a very well traveled protein bar. I insisted on eating it since it was about to also complete the 70 day loop.The rain did not hold off, but a playground pergola gave us some shelter.More new bike lanes!Bakery stop! Almost there.The neighbors’ cows provide a welcoming committee. Or at least a gazing with interest committee.Off the bikes and treated to a sunny day.
Not the angel hugging a pretzel route. Or the horse cantering over mountains route. Not the Mooserunde. Or the Spitzenblick. We were mostly on this one. The Bodensee-Königssee Radweg.
Storm Boris was still lingering over Bavaria, so wet roads.But the snow on the alps made for dramatic scenery.The ride into Oberstaufen where we spent the night.Bavarian towns certainly know how to plant flower beds.And we know how to class up a nice hotel: hang wet bike shorts in the window to dry. Oberstaufen was a bit pricy, so a good time to use some Hyatt points at the Linder Hotel.Heading out of Oberstaufen. Still cloudy.Owly! Amusing roadside art? Advertising?Pastry break at 20k. Yes that is sunshine.Another farm field cat. So many farm cats.The Großer Alpsee and a happy cyclist. The alps are peeking through the clouds. After five days of peddling starting to feel strong. The quiet town square on a Sunday in Immenstadt.With a sweet cat happy to accept petting.Now for some jaw dropping views of the alps with a coating of fresh snow and clear air post storm.But first a nice long break on a trail side BarcaLounger. The Bo-Ko has good amenities along the way. We were early for check in at our hostel so we took a nap.It was a good thing we weren’t pressed for time, each view was more stunning than the next.See what I mean? Will you go stand in that field please?
The forecast for the next day, Monday September 16, was pretty miserable. Wet and cold. Loads of discussions about train versus no train. We decided to start out and see how the day went. We were riding close to the train route so if it got really miserable we could bail and take a train hop. Unfortunately I had a cold coming on. I’m pretty sure no one ever prescribed a long cold wet day riding a bike as a cold remedy. It’s not easy to skip some beautiful riding though, so we started out in light rain.
We set out. Bravely. And then the rain came. Sheltering in a tunnel under crossing.Sheltering in a rural bus stop where a kitty came out to cheer me up.And finally sheltering at a small train station. We took a train hop to save ourselves a few hours riding in the rain on the way to Füssen.
Füssen is where both Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle are located. The heavy cloud cover and rain hid both from view for our one night in town. Bike touring is like that. We see so much that only other bike tourists see, but when we get to town, we tend to see less, especially when cold and tired from a long wet day. The weather was forecast to clear up, and we planned a rest day in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, our next stop. We veered off the Bo-Ko route into Austria for a stop here, and we’ll join it again after Garmisch-Partenkirchen before leaving it to go to Salzburg.
Füssen has a lovely main pedestrian street.Riding out the next morning along the Lech River into Austria.A curious cow greeted us at the top of a climb. Those cattle guards we went over were there for a reason. Heading towards Heiterwanger See.Heiterwanger See is ridiculously beautiful.Plansee, the connected lake, is also stunning. A long gravel decent is waiting for us at the end of the lake.Rest day in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. And such beautiful clear skies post rain.What to do on a rest day? Let a gondola carry you up the mountain.To be specific, the Wankbahn carried us up to Wank. 1,780 meters/5,839 feet is the peak of the Wank.Yes, we made all the jokes all the way up and down.And yes, we got to be the silly tourists wearing sandals in the snow.One of these things is not like the others.The view across to Zugspitze peak in the snowy alps was spectacular.The Zugspitze is over Rich’s shoulder to the left of the photo. 2,962m/9,717f.Another dinner, another healthy German pour of white wine. A Rivaner, or Müller-Thurgau.Heading off down the Loisach River valley. This beautiful day certainly makes up for riding in the rain. When the sun is shining everything is more fun!Like this chicken made from big hay bales advertising the egg hut where you can buy fresh eggs. And the stork signs announcing a new baby for this family! (I blanked out the last name.) We saw a lot of these, what a fun way to celebrate and let your neighbors know the baby has arrived. By stork, right?And the houses painted with religious imagery.
We have Salzburg in our sights, just three more nights before we cross into Austria and have three nights to enjoy the city. We won’t go all the way to Königsee, the end of this route, since it’s a bit of a dead end for us. At this point my cold is waning (or was it getting worse still? Who can remember.) and my rear end was getting used to the hours on the bike. Feeling good. Got my blue tooth speaker on my bike, pod casts, music, pastry. I can pedal all day. Rich can always pedal all day. He’s a monster.
The monster cyclist in Bad Tölz.Does every German town have a lovely pedestrian street?The Isar River was running quite high.And off again. Our route took us through a golf course.Through farmland where farms advertised their products.Tegernsee was a perfect pastry break spot, complete with shaded BarcaLounger.Tiny churches dot the countryside in this Catholic region.All smiles. It’s slightly downhill.Hey Rich. I think there’s a cow behind you.The alps. And horses.Farm cat who owns the road. They came out for a cuddle.Always appreciated after a long day which included a flat tire on Rich’s bike – ice cream vending machine!And a lovely cafe set up to sit and enjoy the ice cream.Garden goals. Love the giant teacup pot.Energized for the last 7k.One of our many room hacks. This helps block the light through the too sheer shades. I’m particularly pleased with clothes hanger ladder. Just be careful to not overload.We rode into Salzburg on a Sunday. So many other cyclists out.Cheeky cows. That’s a photobomb.Traditional house and garden under modern solar panels.Salzburg here we come!And boom! Salzburg.
From leaving our dear friends’ place in France, we’ve pedaled 600 k/372 miles so far. One flat tire on Rich’s bike, which did already have a slow leak, but was only our second flat on these new bikes (shhh…don’t jinx it!).
The far left heart is where we started, biked into Geneva and took the train to Zurich. The blue dot is us in Salzburg.
Although the map makes it look as if we were not in the Alps, we did have some substantial climbs and decents. Although the mileage isn’t massive, there was 5,000 meters/16,400 feet of climbing, on loaded touring bikes. Sometimes on dirt or gravel roads and paths. Phew. No wonder I needed this rest in Salzburg.
Sunflowers starting to bloom in the Moravian region of Czechia. They are raised as an oil crop. And are lovely to look at.
Bicycle touring is tiring. Our rest breaks in Český Krumlov and Znojmo were so lovely we decided, after a few more days riding, to take another break in Brno. As with Česky Krumlov we were just amazed at how beautiful these towns are. Although the country has a tumultuous history, most Czechia towns and cities were relatively unscathed from bombing during WW2.
Rich riding by Vranov nad Dyjí Chateau. So many stunning historical buildings.Znojmo in the evening sun. Rich relieved to have found a gap in the fence and hedge to complete our detour away from a busy road. We were too busy trying to avoid the farmer and his haying machine to get photos of us crawling and pushing the bikes through the hedge.
Hmm…sounds like a lot of rest days, you may be thinking. Well, once we left the relatively quiet and empty region of Bohemia the roads started to get busier, and the car drivers faster and less careful around cyclists. Our day into Brno was pretty awful, a busy rural road with many trucks and no shoulder, long stretches with no towns or trees, but thankfully no head wind.
I usually have this Bluetooth speaker on my handlebars to listen to music or podcasts, the flowers I gather to amuse myself.A tiny bee appreciating my tiny bouquet.
Once we got to the true outskirts of Brno we were on a cycle path again. Czechia has a lot of recreational bike riders, a lot of folks in road riding gear (mostly men), who ride fast. As we know from our bike activism in the US, women on bikes are an indicator of how safe and accessible places’ bike infrastructure is. And families. Parents with children in a cargo bike or on their own little bikes is a good sign too. We saw a few families coming into Brno along the Svratka River, but our hopes of a cycle friendly city center were not to be.
“Common path Be careful” Well, it’s something. Another lovely Czech old town square in Brno. The deck chairs were a nice touch, folks were enjoying the evening. So we did too.
We both know firsthand from years of activism and professional work the many challenges that face a city trying to become more bike and pedestrian friendly. Our own city, San Francisco, has come a long way but still struggles to make changes to the streets, fighting against the conventional beliefs that cars must have unfettered access. So we understand how hard it can be to create safe welcoming spaces for people on foot and on bikes. In many cities we joke that we should stick around create a bike and pedestrian advocacy group, Walk Bike Brno (Procházka Kolo Brno) has a nice ring to it. But there is the language challenge, and the irony of two Americans lecturing any place about sustainable transportation.
Špilberk Castle, a lovely view spot and a good cross challenge for our leg muscles that are too focused on cycling.Ouch. We’ve learned the hard way to make sure we hike on our days off the bikes. Špilberk Castle was a good hill climb.
Brno is a perfect candidate for a Copenhagen style makeover, or even a San Francisco style makeover. It’s pretty flat in the core of the city, loads of Universities, trams and buses, not a great pedestrian environment due to long traffic signals and missing connections, and really no bike infrastructure. But despite that there is a bike culture. And lots of folks walking. They could harness what they have and create a more walkable and bikeable city. Sure, the first thought is about the cost, but as Copenhagen has proved, cities get a better return on their investment from bike and pedestrian projects than car projects.
Our new favorite bicycle focused bar. FBB Klub Na Dráze (Club On The Track) proof that bicycle culture is alive and well, and very cool, in Brno.
When we get to small cities like Brno, population 380k, we appreciate how quirky culture and experimental businesses can survive in a place which has not suffered the homogenization of wealth. We look back to San Francisco, which we love dearly, but which has changed due to loads of monied folks. And the subsequent pushing out of less monied folks. Many of our favorite places and favorite people have been priced out of SF, or they left to have a more complete life elsewhere. Sometimes while traveling and enjoying a bar or restaurant we say to each other: this business could never exist in SF (or name another A list city with space and money constraints). Or if it did, it would be so expensive we wouldn’t go to it.
After the bicycle bar it was off to Bar, který neexistuje (A Bar That Doesn’t Exist).The cocktail menu was lovely. My rum based drink.And Rich’s whiskey based drink. To save you from having to do the math, $23.70 for two cocktails.A bartender using a rolling ladder to get to the top shelf liquor. Not our usual kind of evening, but the joy of travel is sampling different things.
With the sad realization that we didn’t feel very safe cycling in the south Moravian region of Czechia, we bid a fond farewell to Brno and headed to the train station.
Goodbye Klub Na Dráze – keep it real.Hello train dance with loaded touring bikes! High boarding trains means removing the bike panniers. Those steps are not easy with a bike.
Rich does so much good work figuring out our cycling routes and train hops. If we can we get on a train at the start of its route, that allows us to get to the station early and load the bikes on the train before most folks show up. This is especially important if there is limited bike space. The Czech train did have on line booking of bike spaces and seats right near the bike space. Rich also booked the two bike slots far left, closest to the train wall, less chance of our bikes getting banged around by other bikes and train movements. These are the details that make our train travel days a bit better.
Rich getting the bikes onto the hanging hooks. Could I get my bike up there myself? Maybe.Settling in with a fully charged Kindle for our six hour train day. Oh yes, I got a haircut in Brno too. My first since Bangkok in January.
A must have for train days is food, charging cables, and an extra power source in case the outlets don’t work – which these didn’t for several hours – which also meant the AC didn’t work, and the windows don’t open. Made for a slightly clammy journey. And I don’t think we or the other three cyclists were at our freshest to start with. The one empty unreserved seat in our bay of six seats was eyed by a few people, but something kept folks from choosing it… It was all of us! We were stinky cyclists.
One night in Plzeň. Enough time to walk around, admire another beautiful historic square, and have dinner.Plzeň is the home of the famous Pilsner Urquell Brewery, but we were happy just walking around and skipped the brewery tour.It’s a tough time for a Tour de France fan to be traveling. Rich isn’t always able to stream le Tour, but if he can’t, we watch the wrap up show.
Our next hard date is July 18th on a ferry from Hook of Holland to Harwich, so another train hop was necessary to get us closer to the German border. So enough musing about bike infrastructure and affordability, let’s get off that train and ride.
Off the train at Cheb, Chezchia, and back on the bikes. One more lovely Chezchian church and off we go.And look at that. New bike paths. And newly planted trees. Yay Chezia! I joked to Rich – maybe they’re starting at the German border and working in. Look at that signage. So many bike routes. A sign like this makes us both very happy.
We’ve been amusing ourselves by noticing the license plate country registration as drivers pass us, and we can reliably predict when a driver is German vs. Chezch. The German laws have been updated to mandate a 1.5 meter passing of cyclists, and bless those German drivers, they do leave that passing distance even when driving in Czechia. So, we were happy to cross to Germany and feel safer on the roads. Love you so much Czechia, but you’re not a fully realized cycling destination yet.
Back in Germany. After a long climb up to Fichtelsee we were so happy to have a lovely dinner at the hotel, Hotel am Fichtelsee. It’s a relief after a tough ride to have dinner right at your hotel. Such a tranquil alpine lake. The ducks were cruising over hopefully. Sorry guys, no treats for you.It stays light quite late, so we always have enough daylight and energy for an after dinner stroll.
Even though the distances we cycle in a day seem quite short compared to driving a car, we feel so immersed in nature, thanks to the good bike path network in Germany. The routes keep you away from major roads as much as possible, and when you do need to spend time on a road the speed limit is frequently lowered and drivers do exercise caution. A hill or ridge that you might not notice while driving a car, we feel with every pedal stroke up, and every gleeful down hill coasting moment.
A perfect morning start, coasting downhill in the Neubauer Forst-Nord.We both love the green forest scenery. So different from Coastal California. A nice bench for a break near Bad Berneck im Fichtelgebirge. Our bikes are powered by muscles (and pastries) but I do appreciate the thought that goes in to providing charging stations for the many e-assist bikes in Germany. In Goldkronach.Ripening fields of grain. Back on the train! Taking full advantage of our German 49€ monthly ticket. Bike Lodge Spessart, outside Lohr am Main, had everything we needed after a long day of trains and pedaling into a headwind.Ready to roll. 80 km day coming. Quite flat along the Main River but that headwind would not leave us alone. Riding down the river you get glimpses of history, and it’s easy to pull over and enjoy the scene.
Bicycle touring strips you down to basics. You need food and lodging. Unless we have a rest day we don’t really do any cultural activities. But we see so much. The hours on the bikes looking at the river, or winding along vineyards, or searching for a place to stop and have a picnic lunch, are very elemental. Once we get to our destination we want a shower, some food and drinks, maybe watch a Netflix show on the iPad, and then we sleep as if we’ve been dropped to bed from a high height.
Riding down the Main River towards Miltenberg.We’re entering a wine region where one of my favorite German white wines is grown, Silvaner.Our goal in getting to Miltenberg was to get close enough to meet up with Beatte and Alex. Mission accomplished- thank you both very much for a much welcomed social break.
We have just a few more nights in Germany before we reach Belgium, and then the Netherlands. We need to get our new touring bikes to a Koga dealer for a tuneup. We’ve already ridden about 1,100 kms/800 miles on these bikes, and that’s tuneup territory. So off we go! More from the road later.
The happy and tired travelers, enjoying an after dinner walk after a long climb up to Fichtelsee.
The scruffy charm of the South Bohemian border town of Vyšší Brod.
After 10 days of breaking in our bikes, too much headwind, and a busier Danube bike touring scene, it was time for something hillier and wilder. So it was with double excitement we approached the hills and mountains separating Bavaria and Czechia. First of all, I love to cross land borders versus flying into a place. And, we both prefer the challenge of some hills in our bike tours. Well, maybe not this many hills…
A German farm road ends and the trail heads into the woods.“Over the river and through the woods to Czechia we go”.
When you cross on foot or bike, you really appreciate the significance of a border. So, as we joined Eurovelo 13, the Iron Curtain Trail, and approached the former border with the Warsaw Pact nations of our childhoods, there was still an excitement.
Suddenly a border marker where a barbed wire fence use to stand.Lush wooded highlands of the Plezn region of Sumava National Park.
We both fondly recalled a light snow falling on us 17 years ago while crossing a pass on foot with our backpacks into the younger Czech Republic outside Jelenia Góra, Poland. We got dropped by a bus on the Polish side and then walked down into Harrachov on a wooded fire road. It felt magical and adventurous.
Cheryl celebrates a high point after a very steep climb….we were ramping up fast to the relentless climbs of the region.
Many of the border crossings are now quite ordinary as developed roads have been upgraded and offer seamless connections in the EU. However, the old edges of forest, mountains, and remote villages on each side of the old divide still show scars from the divide of nearly 45 years. Isolated and cut off from either side, with strict controls on who could be near the border on the Czechia side. Many small villages have come back to life after abandonment or use only by military personnel. Many are ghost ruins and have never come back.
A promised tea break at the mythical Černé Jezero (Black Lake).The signature National Park in SW Czechia.The reward of Day 3 in Southern Sumava; beutiful river views, gentle grades, and buttery new pavement.
Consequently, this region also makes it a great place to see wildlife and unspoiled nature. Parts of the German Elbe River we cycled in 2019 had a similar dynamic, and the Elbe is still one of the wildest rivers in Central Europe
The wilds of Eurovelo 13.Finally some downhill and a morning start gliding down through the trees.
Another change since we travelled through Eastern Europe in 2006, is the expanded dominance of English as a second language. Back then, anyone over 30 likely spoke some Russian, maybe a bit of German, but with limited English except for the young and educated. Now that age divide is about 50. Ages 30 to 50 often have some English, and many under 25 have excellent English. The schools all now have some English language classes. And when we dive deeper in conversation with the more fluent people, the reasons are varried, but all focus on a desire to be connected to the world, and to appreciate western, and more specifically American culture.
Chair Zeros for the win and a shady river view break.Ready to head out for our third day in the mountains from the idyllic Penzione Ida.It’s green in Sumava NP for a reason.We soon learned that Czechs have a good sense of humor…even the sign vandals.
The first English speaker we met was a young waiter at a small resort hotel in the mountains. He was in Czechia on a limited Visa from Moldova and hoped to make enough money to advance his opportunities beyond his home country, which is still one of the poorest in Europe. (Moldova is aspiring to join the EU, but they still have some hurdles to that goal.)
Yes, the beer in Czechia is great and scientifically proven recovery beverage-:).But a brunch beer break on the Vltava River? Sort of. A refreshing Birrel Pomelo alcohol free beer on tap.
Labor shortages and global imbalances mean that people are in constant motion towards opportunity, and this only ceases if a country or region limits travel and migration. The extreme of this imbalance is the ongoing (and likely getting worse) migration wave from much of Africa into Europe. Desperation and tragedy go hand and hand as the recent and ongoing deaths in the Mediterranean exemplify. There are no easy answers, except to strongly support aid and development in struggling countries combined with humane refuge assimilation and admittance policies.
Typical of many small border areas, a new pedestrian bridge now connects Leopoldschlag, Austria to Czechia.A restored church just across the border from Hammern, Austria, but no more Czech village here. People in towns near the Iron Curtain border were displaced and the areas were either abandoned or used for security purposes.
Germany is a different country since the post 2015 Syrian refuge crisis and many would argue that it’s for the better. However, it’s easy to see how immigrants from such a vastly different culture struggle in a very rigid German culture. America does seem a bit easier on that front. But I digress.
Beautiful river towns, castles, and churches surprised us around every corner in South Bohemia. Picnicking is easy with our snap fold bowls/plates.Late spring flowers photobomb.Cheryl smiling despite knowing that a ride down to the beautiful river town always means a climb out the other side!
The second person that fascinated us was the niece of an innkeeper at a family Pension in the Sumarva National Park. She translated for her Aunt and Mom as we all chatted at the end of dinner in the rural bar/dining room that felt more like someones cosy house. As it turned out, she was just entering Junior High, and told us that she got straight As in English and Cs in Czech! She was desperate to travel to the US, and obsessed with Manga and Japanese culture as well. Her mom just listened to her in a bit of awe.
On a very local “cycle route” between Lake Lipno and Český. Panniers crossed first.
Another small pension on the massive Lake Lipno was run by a father and son, and the son, Lucas, was fluent in English based on the fact that his parents put him in an intensive English class in Kindergarten. He’s never looked back and added months in the UK to hone his English skills. He exclusively watches online content in English, including YouTube and online gaming. Apparently online gaming is done all in English and of course, is borderless.
Český Krumlov was a great choice for a multi day heat wave break off the bikes. Touristy for sure, but lots of charm and quiet nearby.The recommended Josef Seidel Museum in Český Krumlov, a beautifully restored 1905 house and photography studio.Josef Seidel, despite being German, managed to survive post WWII resettlement. His son took over the photography business and survived until the early 2000’s.Josef was the de facto historian of the regions and captured, preserved, and shared thousands of photos on glass slides from life in early 1900s South Bohemia.Very effective building traffic protection in the old town.We love the expanded hours and small markets of Czechia (versus rigid hours of Germany!) but this 24/7 off-hours staff free market was a step further. Upload your verified ID to an app and scan QR to enter and shop. Historic graphite mines near Český Krumlov.Leaving the peaceful gardens of The Orangerie in Český Krumlov.
That said, as we travelled further on along the border between Austria and Czechia, we found ourselves really off the beaten track in small valleys isolated by the former Cold War border. Our 10 words of Czech and Cheryl’s German skills have helped, but we have started to feel isolated after awhile without deep English conversations.
The local dunkel at Gasthoff Pammer in Leopoldschlag, Austria.Lunch along the EV13, rarely were we competing for a spot.
The cycling in Czechia (and a bit of Austria) has been mostly fantastic, but really challenging our first week. The terrain of Sumava NP and the Vltava River valley is rugged and steep. Although the main roads meander around the geography more gently, the cycle routes follow little travelled forest and back roads, and are often steep (10-15%+) rough in places, and relentless. But many stretches are also magical smooth pavement with little or no traffic.
“Tunak!”Little tins of tuna spread has become a staple for lunches with bread, cheese, pepper and cucumber.A more gourmet meal in Gmünd, Austria. Fresh Spargle (Asparagus) Risotto topped by lightly crusted catfish. And the local Austrian Beer to complement.
As we approached Moravia, the steepness gave way to more gentle and long undulations.The small city we are in now, Znojmo, has a pleasant old town and prominent position above the river Thaya. It’s quite busy with local tourists and a few German speaking tour groups, but otherwise seems off the international tourist radar. It’s also the heart of the Moravian wine country, so lots of wine tasting options and a great historic brewery complex.
Another unexpected surprise along our route was Glashütte Andreas Apfelthaler in little Nagelberg, Austria.These painted (somewhat creepy) gnomes are popular in the region.
You can sense this border city has rejuvenated significantly in recent years with a pretty tidy old town and lots of new housing, although it still has a decidedly Eastern European feel around the edges, with a bit of scruff and wear.
Outside Vyšší Brod …conditions really vary on Eurovelo 13 and sometime pushing 80lbs of bike load is the only option!The Austrian-Czechia border. Cheryl’s happy too since much of the border is also the high point ridgeline (or a river).
Tomorrow, we ride again towards Brno across the Znojemská wine district. We are excited to spend three days in Brno and experience some of the energy and sights of Czechia’s second largest city.
My happy face means we’re on our bikes and off the beaten path in peak tourist season.
Our Koga touring bikes are still fantastic and a joy to ride, even fully loaded. The heat, wind, and being out in the sun for 8 hours still takes it toll though, not to mention moving into and out of a pension, hotel, apartment or guesthouse every night. But now our bodies are in week four of this tour and getting stronger every day. More on the details of our bike tour in our next post. Happy pedaling!
The warm weather in Germany has the roses out in full force.
I was going to ask, why don’t Germans smile more, but that’s assuming that the American level of smiling is normal, or correct, and that everyone else is smile deficient. Americans smile a lot. Really, we do. And Californians smile even more.
Smiling for the camera when leaving Regensburg.
Friends from other countries have told us that yes, everyone is aware of the American smile habit. You can see us coming, teeth showing, faces crinkling in delight.
I know why I’m smiling here. A nice hotel, a good beer garden and a delicious glass of wine.And who could resist smiling during a picnic on the banks of Neuburg an der Donau.We smile while enjoying our German pastries.And when Rich’s new bike had a loose bottom bracket issue we smiled when greeting the very nice bike shop owner who thankfully had opening hours on Saturday morning.
I had always assumed that the American smile habit was simply that we’re mostly a friendly country. And those Americans who travel are really friendly and happy to be out and about.
There were fewer smiles on a train hop day, when we ate lunch on the station platform hiding from the sun.Both the departure station and arrival station only had stairs, which meant unloading all panniers and carrying everything down and up: very few smiles.The train system in Germany is very good, but a lot of small local stations have only stairs.
But a conversation with a friend who has lived in France, the UK, the USA, and is now back in Germany, really hit home what we were feeling in Germany with fewer smiles per human – just because they don’t smile doesn’t mean they hate you. Ah ha!
Pretty typical bike touring picnic. Falafel, cheese, cucumber, red pepper, and brötchen (bread rolls) from the bakery. Oh, and a tube of mustard and a tube of harissa for Rich.Very typical beer garden order, beer for him, wine for me. And smiles for the staff.
We love bike touring in Germany. There are so many things to enjoy and so many miles of fantastic bike paths and routes. Sure there are challenges, just like in any country. We’d happily import the Japanese convenience store culture to Germany. Germany is grocery store challenged, to our minds. All grocery stores are closed on Sunday. And there is no convenience store culture outside of Berlin. That means we have a mad rush on Saturday to stock up for Sunday cycling. Restaurants are open Sunday but we prefer to picnic for lunch.
How can you not love a country that leaves lovely treats on your pillow in hotel rooms? I stash them in my handlebar bag for emergency sugar energy. A museum dedicated to Bread and Art? These are my people. This museum in Ulm was fascinating.
And don’t forget, this country has 260 cycling routes crisscrossing the landscape. And the other cyclists are perhaps not the smiling type, not all of them, but when push comes to shove they are there for you. Railway crossing gate stuck and cyclists starting to slip under the gates? They will help you with your loaded touring bikes and keep a close watch for trains. Tight connection at a train station and having a tough time getting both bikes and 8 panniers down the train steps? The cyclist who greeted your smile with a stare and turned away is there to help you lift your bike down the stairs. Good people. Just not smiley.
Following the Donau river path. The Donau River outside our hotel in Ingolstadt.Fun fact, Ingolstadt is where Mary Shelly’s character Victor Frankenstein attended Medical School.A brewery in town, making a great pale ale, not a typical German beer. “Straight outta Altstadt”. This really made us smile.Easy to remember the beer when the brewery name is right there on the glass.A delicious plate of gnocchi and a smile.
So what is it with this American habit? Are we all just simple and happy? Well, according to a fun article I read, it has to do with how many immigrant groups or source cultures a country has. And America is just that – immigrants. 60 source cultures. When you arrived in the USA and your neighboring farmers were Polish on one side and Swedish on the other- you smiled since it was the first and most welcoming communication you had. A non verbal way to say hello, let’s get along. Before you all learned a common language smiles were your signal of cooperation and neighborliness. And that habit stuck and permeated the culture. Canada is similar, but I don’t know if they have the same reputation for loads of smiles.
Loaded up and ready to roll out of Ingolstadt.Sometimes we’re on asphalt.Sometimes it’s dirt.The smell of roses in the warm air will be an evocative memory of this trip in Germany.Enjoying a long warm evening in Regensburg, one of our favorite stops and the second time we’ve been here on bikes.We both absolutely love a city that has so much gathering space for locals. Grab a beer and dangle your legs over the river.
If you think that Americans are not welcomed, or viewed with annoyance or contempt in Germany, you are very wrong. We’ve learned to say we’re American as soon as feasible in conversation. It not only explains our smiles and enthusiasm, but very often elicits an enthusiastic response, with an offering of which relative lives where in America- a son in Chicago, a daughter in Arizona, or, as the case with our young waiter from Moldova, a wistful statement that America is his favorite country, but no, he’s never been.
Riding out of Germany.Eurovelo 13, The Iron Curtain Trail, taking us to Czechia.
As always, we are reminded that for all our faults, the US lives on as the land of opportunity for many. So we ride along, smiling at everyone. Probably viewed as a bit silly or simple by some, but for others a reminder what a country built by immigrants looks like, and acts like. And when after a little hesitation one of our broad smiles is returned by a German, we consider it a win. And if we can get a Hallo, a Guten Morgen, or a Groß Gott, that’s even better. Farewell for now Germany, we’ll see you on the return trip, and now let’s see how our American smiles are greeted in Czechia. Our first time back in 16 years and the first time with bikes.
We’re back. Back in Europe, back in France and Germany, and back on our bikes!
New blue and green camouflage on the Danube.
We spent two weeks after our return from Korea catching up with friends and family in Colorado, California, and then another week to relax and prep for cycle touring in lovely France. But flying through 17 time zones in 2 weeks was not easy. Our 12 hour flight in a packed cabin from Seoul to Dallas was a particular low point, and our circadian rhythms really took a hit. I’ve vowed from now on we’ll only fly West around the globe as it always seems easier that direction -;)
Rolling out of Ulm, Germany on Day 5. New bikes complete with matching panniers, a first for us in 20 years of cycle touring!A spring boules game with our endlessly kind hosts in the Vallèe Verte
Luckily we had some relaxed days to get over our jet lag visiting family in Grand Junction, CO. It really is easier to return when not heading into the office the next day! We were also lucky to score two saver business class seats with miles on Swiss Air (booked months ago) for our trip back to Europe.
Our typical 20 minute walk to get bread in the Vallée Verte, France. Still a bit dazed from the jet lag.La Petite Boulangerie in Habère-Poche.Baguette in hand, pastries in the pack.Wisteria in full spring bloom in the lower alps. Our hiking goal, the Pointe de Miribel. A cow posing in the Haute Savoie with Mount Blanc in the distance.Contemplating a Julie Andrews moment.
We also recharged our social souls catching up with as many friends as possible in the Bay Area. And as always, many thanks to all our families and dear friends who hosted us during our stay, including so many delicious meals. We also managed to keep a constant supply of burritos in our blood stream, hopefully holding us for months overseas.
Waiting for our train at Genève Coravin Station with our very awkward bike luggage. It took three trains to get to Freiburg from Geneva, but was seamless on Swiss and German Rail (and BTW, cheaper to book on DB than SBB App).First test ride on our new Koga World Traveller-S Bikes at the friendly and efficient Zweirad Hanser in central Freiburg.
We set off in this leg of our nomadic wanderings with a very specific goal; picking up two new touring bikes that we decided to give each other for our 25th wedding anniversary last year. We picked Koga World Traveller-S bikes, since we tried them in a shop in Groningen last year. Luckily; we found a nice shop and Koga dealer in Freiburg, Germany who were willing to take our orders over 3 months ago from Sri Lanka.
Complementary estate wine bottled by our bike shop…one bottle for each new bike -:)Freiburg is truly one of the greenest cities on earth, and our new apartment building had a massive bike garage and green roof, complete with bee hives.First of two days at a bigger bike shop in Freiburg accessory shopping, eventually getting a new seat, front and tail packs, four panniers, phone holder, and cyclocomputer.
We spent 3 days in Freiburg getting the bikes configured and tweaked to our liking and then headed out to start another planned 4+ months with our bikes. We were both a bit nervous starting out on our new set ups and were relieved to finally get pedaling again.
Hanging out at Caffé Bicicletta in sunny Freiburg, but excited to get touring!On the S-Bahn to Hinterzarten up in the Black Forest; are we touring yet??!!
The Koga signature bikes are nicely configured and allowed us a good amount of customization via their website. After some nervous days in France wondering if they’d be ready on time, we heard that they would likely be delivered to the shop in Freiburg on the day we planned to arrive! Perfect timing from the cycling gods (and Dutch Koga craftspeople). Koga strives to deliver in 12 weeks and they were pretty close as we had ordered about 13 1/2 weeks prior in Sri Lanka.
Off the train and ready to ride, but wait, first some critical provisions!Taking a break on a long first day climb, again, why didn’t we get E-bikes?!Some rough patches over the Schwarzwald on Day 1. We gave the bikes a full workout.A break in the Black Forest at one of the ubiquitous small shrines (or as Cheryl likes to say, “Cheeses with Jesus” -:).
Our first day included a short link by train to bridge a busy main road (or super steep mountain option) up to the higher parts of Black Forest. This allowed us to ride nicer roads and trails onwards to Donaueschingen. It was still a hilly and varied 52k first day with 2,500 feet of climbing and lots of dirt sections.
At the source of the Danube in Donaueschingen. The Donauquelle is a bubbling clear spring, but fed by the upstream Breg and Furtwangen rivers.EuroVelo 6 and the Danube cycle routes are a mix of buttery pavement, dirt, and gravel, but all in pretty good condition.We have been greeted by unusually warm spring weather, so always happy to find some shade.First gear quirk to resolve as my panniers both popped off the bike. Luckily, this kitty was ready to help.Off the bikes enjoying early evening light near Beuron.
But it was beautiful and the new bikes are a joy. We love our old steel bikes, but these bikes are built to be loaded, handle wonderfully, and have geometries that make long days on dirt and old town cobbles so much nicer. We opted for a classic 3×10 Deore XT drivetrain, including fantastic hydraulic disc brakes. Koga includes nice built in racks, strong kickstand, fenders, and dynamo hub lights.
Smiles on Day 2…our seat bones still didn’t hurt too much…yet.We exchanged many “Bonjours” with this nice French couple as our paces were nearly matched for a few days.There are many covered bridges on the upper Danube since it’s still small enough to span with wood.Loving my new bike.We brought our ultralight camp chair on this tour, which means any pleasant patch of shade is a potential break spot.Wishing this tunnel was open to bikes as our cycle trail went up and down and all around the first few days.An emergency Chair Zero break at the side of trail. Sometime brush and the ubiquitous stinging nettles can make finding a break spot tough in spring time.I haven’t lost Cheryl yet in her bright colors.More artistic German bridge engineering.
After 4 beautiful days cycling in the Black Forest and upper Danube, we took a rest day (Ruhetag!). Ulm is a nice small city on the Danube with a cathedral famous for having the highest spire in Europe, easy to spot cycling into town. Our rest day coincided with a local holiday in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, Corpus Christi.
Mandatory 11 O’Clock pastry break. This was a divinely dense cheesecake like cherry treat.
We then spent the next two days along the more agricultural parts of the Danube Valley and are now enjoying another day off the bikes in Ingolstadt. We’ve mixed our routes up a bit to try to stay in woodland as it’s been warm and sunny, but primarily have followed Eurovelo 6, “Atlantic to the Black Sea”, which runs an incredible 4700km from eastern France via the Loire and Rhine, and then along the Danube to the Black Sea.
Always love the signage and choices cycling in Europe. It’s liberating on bicycles to know you can get anywhere relatively safely.
We head out tomorrow to do another 80km to Regensburg, but after that, the upcoming sections on the Danube, especially Donau to Vienna and Budapest are some of the most popular bike touring segments in the world. (And for good reason).
Paying homage to the Schwein farmers in the area, a German diet staple.Late spring colors on the Danube
But thousands of bikes on each side of the river, with an awkward mix of the inexperienced and e-bikes thrown in, will make us a bit crazy and claustrophobic. So we plan to the explore that heart of the route more off-season, some early spring or late fall. We are always glad to trade some rain, cold weather and earlier darkness for a more peaceful experience.
A massive platter of tasty Greek food hit the spot in Riedlingen as our metabolisms started to fire up on Day 3.
But the upper segments of the Danube are much less toured, and have been generally blissful. As Cheryl knows, I’m a lot happier off the beaten track, at least a bit, and tend to break out in hives when in tourist clusters these days. Sometimes we lean in to being tourists, but other times it’s just life for us now, so we need to make our own adventure. After Regensburg, we may use our €49 monthly DeutschBahn tickets again to head east towards Czechia.
Cheryl loving her new bike in the limestone gorges of the Buchhalde-Oberes Donautal
But this is the magic of our third year of nomadic travels. We relish flexibility and the ability to change course on short notice. It’s also our third year in a row touring in Europe, and I definitely am seeing the landscape through slightly different eyes. We’ve seen hundreds of quaint squares, rivers, bridges, and old towns. Places are starting to look more normal, and a bit less exotic. But I also have a warm feeling of joy that we are able to control our destiny in life for now. Explore where we want, linger where we want. But we also have enough life experience and years of hard work to appreciate it all. And we know life can throw us all surprises at anytime, so for now, we roll on into the summer, thankful for everything.
Always a new surprise on the Eurovelo Happy to be the two friendly American cycle tourists in a little German Town no one has heard of (Riedlingen)
Remember, the smaller places can be even more rewarding than fighting the crowds in the most popular cities. Happy summer travels all and hope to see a few of you along the way!
So it’s hard to beat Sweden in summer for cycle touring, but despite our somewhat haphazard rambles, we had one date on the calendar for more than a year; the July 1st opening stage of the Tour de France in Copenhagen. Le Grand Départ!
Cheryl on the time trial course in Copenhagen…a little bit ahead of the first rider.
But wait, isn’t the Tour de France in France? Yes, the majority is in France; however, more recently, they start in a nearby country for the first 3 stages (of 21) to help share in the experience and spread the Tour love across borders.
Tour fever was everywhere in Copenhagen
In recent years, the tour has started in Belgium, Spain, Italy, Netherlands and the UK. But this was the first time it had visited cycle-crazy Denmark.
Yup, the tour was coming!
And since we had been moving a lot in the previous month of cycle touring (a few 2 night stops but mostly single touring nights), we decided to head to Copenhagen early and get an apartment for a week in advance of our long-standing 2-night hotel reservation just a 100 meters from the course.
Most of downtown Copenhagen was completely car free for two days. Sweet!
So we crossed from Helsingborg, Sweden to Helsingør, Denmark by ferry across the Kattegat Strait. This short 20 minute crossing was the primary crossing point until the completion of the Oresund bridge/tunnel in 2000, so has robust infrastructure on both sides of the crossings and multiple automated dock structures to load and unload trucks, cars, passengers and the occasional bikes. Very cool.
Waiting to load up in Helsingborg. Wait, another cycle tourist!
It’s still busy, and the Swedish side has a shiny new intermodal station, with great connections for rail, bus, and ferry passengers. As with most European vehicle ferries, bikes load with the cars and trucks, so we made our way around the maze of approach lanes and signs to find our way to a toll booth station where you ride up to window and buy your tickets for the next ferry out.
Crossing to Denmark with a friendly Swede heading out for a 3 month bike packing trip to the tip of Portugal!
As always, it’s a bit of a rush to ride on and off in between big rigs and loading cars, and in this case, no stopping for any immigration as this is an internal EU crossing.
Calling all cycle tourists to Lane 2
We highly recommend taking ferries where you can if bike touring, even if there is another option, as you get the continuous experience of the landscape, get to see some of the seascape, meet other cycle tourists, and can tune into the subtleties of the cultural infrastructure differences in every country. And yes, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands all are unique cycling experiences. More on that later.
The meeting hall in the Danish Workers Museum, an excellent history of the labor movement in Denmark and insight into the modern Danish Social Democracy
Our friend Jason met us about half way along the way on the 50km ride into Copenhagen, and it was great to have an escort and some engaging conversation with a familiar face. Jason is a professor from San Francisco, and was spending the month in Copenhagen, continuing his field studies and collaboration on the politics and implementation of transport policies in Copenhagen and San Francisco.
Good to see Jason! He led us on one of the many nice cycling options into Copenhagen from Helsingor
Jason has literally written a book on the topic, and has great insight on how Copenhagen has become one of the worlds leading bicycle cities; however, noting the challenges facing a lax continued investment in car free space and the troubling growth of auto mobility throughout Denmark.
A beach is never far away cycling along the Danish coast
His insights would align with some of our experiences in Copenhagen and beyond as we toured across Denmark. The country has fantastic cycling infrastructure, but we did find traffic a bit heavy and passing often surprisingly a bit close compared to Sweden and Germany. And some interior towns and cities had very few bikes and large drive through bakeries?!
Denmark and Cheryl were ready for Le Tour!
Our apartment was in Norrebrø, a trendy and leafy neighborhood just outside the more touristed core of Copenhagen. The neighborhood is great, so we took a chance on an Airbnb with only a few sparse reviews. It was fine, but had a few issues.
So many bikes in Nørrebro that parking was often a challenge in front of our favorite bakery
First, although it looked out over the beautiful trees of the adjacent cemetery/park, it was fronted by a fairly busy two-lane road. And since we were there during a rare heat wave, we were faced with the choice of open windows for ventilation or traffic noise. Secondly, we discovered that under the bed was full of clutter with years of thick dust. Cheryl, being the amazing travel companion she is, spent the better part of an hour cleaning under the bed to spare me from the misery of my dust allergies for a week.
Cycling through Assistens Cemetery, a hybrid park and cemetery in the heart of Nørrebro
We don’t use Airbnb very often, but this apartment highlighted some of the challenges of the platform. It had a few sparse 5 star reviews that we feel in retrospect were probably left by friends, and the lack of a specific location when choosing a rental is unprecedented in the lodging industry….and very annoying to me. You should know what you are buying when spending $1000++ for a weekly apartment.
One of the pleasant shared streets of Nørrebro
Our week in Copenhagen was great, but let’s just say, there is now one very detailed review of this apartment, letting prospective guests know exactly the trade offs of what they are getting. I wrote the review that I wish I had read before renting. And to be clear, the apartment was a fine base , but we are particularly sensitive to traffic noise after spending months on the peaceful saddles of our bikes, so would not have chosen the place if fully informed.
The roll through Copenhagen of the teams for the team introduction ceremonies two days before the race starts.So close to the riders!
Copenhagen was in full embrace of the Grand Depart, and the run up to the opening stage was a blast. Tour signs, decorations, stages, and buzz everywhere. Watching the time trial was fantastic as riders came by every minute, so there was hours of fun with the spirited Danish everywhere along the course. Seriously, every meter of the time trial course had at least a few people at the rails, and 10 or more thick at the popular spots. And yes, it helps to be 6’-5” to have a clear view almost anywhere.
Here comes the promo caravan!
The other interesting aspect of visiting at the end of June was the Midsommer celebrations and the somewhat bizarre 2-week tradition of “studenterkørsel”. This consists of students who are graduating from “gymnasiet” schools (upper secondary school) hiring old military/farm trucks to drive around and pick up other grads, visit each family, and generally rolling around Copenhagen (or anywhere in Denmark) blasting music, drinking, and dancing into the wee hours.
One of the studenterkørsel making a stop right outside our apartment. The party was just getting started!
You can hear them coming blocks away and it’s all very charming at first, but after the third day or fourth day, the charm starts to wear a bit thin. Oh, and did I mention they all wear little sailor hats, unique to each school. This is just one of the quirky and unique traditions in the Scandinavian countries, as they express incredible individuality despite their low populations. (Denmark is smaller than the SF Bay Area!)
My view of the time trial on an exciting corner about 5km from the finish Heading towards Frederik’s Church with 50,000 Copenhageners on the Saturday all city ride.
After riding the time trial course with 50,000 other crazed cyclists the morning after the first stage, we headed off to Copenhagen central for our intercity train to Nyborg, with the goal of catching the finish of Stage 2.
One of the Danish National Cycle routes…just follow the signs…but we did miss the bicycle directional/distance signs at every bike route Junction typical elsewhere in Europe.
Despite a slightly frightening overcrowded situation with our loaded bikes on the woefully inadequate train platforms of the main station, we managed to beat the peleoton across the Great Belt Bridge to Nyborg. It was one of the busiest travel days of the year combining a summer Saturday, the TdF, and the massive Rosskilde music festival! Whoaa, we were missing our more usual shoulder season travel times.
Even the birdhouses had Tour fever
The Danish train system is ok, but is not as extensive or user friendly for tourists or bicycles as other Northern European countries. You have to reserve bike space on intercity (IC or ICL) trains and they are all high boarding trains, so it’s necessary to hoist your bikes up after scrambling to load your bags. Some of the less common regional trains are first-come first served for bike space, as well as the S-trains around Copenhagen. Secondly, the DSB App and website will not accept US credit cards, and has only one bespoke mobile payment system, which you can only sign up for with a Danish phone number!
Some nice stretches through the woods
So we had to go CPH central and wait in the queue to buy our paper tickets and paid 3x as much as the discounted tickets still available on the App the day before….There are a lot of somewhat protectionist schemes in the Scandinavian countries, such as most shops in the Netherlands not taking visa and Mastercard, only “Maestro”. But I get that you want to keep the money and jobs local, and not pay Visa or Mastercard 2% of every transaction in your country with no benefit of employment or trickle down from the company profits.
This shiny new stretch of path on Funen filled in some busier gaps on backroads
I should note that once you are on the trains, the staff and seating is all very comfortable.
Sizing up a beautiful Danish Smørrebrød sampler in Julesmimde
It was cool to take the train across the 18km Great Belt Bridge in advance of the peloton as you got an appreciation what they were going though. The bridge was closed for the Tour crossing, but you unfortunately can’t cycle across the bridge. (or maybe fortunately given the ever present winds.).
Cheryl with the Little Belt Bridge
Once at Nyborg station, we scoped out a good spot about 1.5 km from the finish line and enjoyed the local crowd, some of whom had been there all day (and perhaps drinking!?) Since we were on fully loaded on our bikes, there was no chance of fighting the thousands who had jockeyed into the finishing sprint stretch. And although they went by fast, there were a lot of stragglers due to a crash that split up the peloton about 2km from our viewing spot.
Chilling in the shade waiting for Stage 2 finish…and loving the 0% beers….cold and free.Denmark is a leader in wind energy, and for good reason…the winds can be constant off the ever present surrounding bodies of water.
After the stage ended, we rode to the accommodation we had booked about 25km north of Nyborg as the town itself was booked solid. It all worked out great, as we were able to escape the race area quickly, hit a supermarket, and have a lovely early evening ride to our modest row holiday apartment.
Perfect backroads across Funen
The next few days we had some great cycling across Funen, a vast island in the center of Denmark that is linked to Sjæland by the Great Belt and then onto Jutland by the Little Belt Bridge. It’s a nice rolling area of forest and farmland and really fun riding, especially when you get a bit lucky with the winds, which magically turned from the east to the west as we turned in the same direction! Nice.
A very late sunset at our little apartment outside Nyborg.Lunchtime stopover in Vejie, the starting city for Stage 3
We had a great visit connecting with some of my step family on the lovely coast for a few days, which gave us more opportunity to ask questions about the idiosyncrasies of life in Denmark. But as much as we would have loved to linger a bit longer enjoying the Danish summer scene, we had another deadline of getting to the Hoek of Holland to catch a night ferry to the UK on the 15th. So we spent the next few days riding south towards the German border and then made our way across to northern Holland by a few strategic train hops.
We trailed the 3rd stage of the Tour by only a day or two, which was already a signed national cycling route; very cool!The Danes really loved the tour
It was a bit hectic as the trains and station transfers in were a bit crazy, and one of our well planned regional trains from Flensburg to Hamburg stopped midway and let everyone off in the middle of nowhere due to a sudden line closure. So instead of waiting for buses that might take hours to get there and pick up the hundreds of stranded passengers, we loaded up our bikes and headed to the next station, hoping to bypass the issue.
The Hanseatic City of Flemsburg Germany
Well, that still didn’t work as the next 3 stations were closed, so we came up with a Plan B, head 40km East to Kiel, a former Hanseatic League city and enjoy a night there, as we had heard the line to Hamburg would reopen the next day.
The somewhat choreographed chaos of the DB intercity bike car… everyone helps each other and spaces are reserved Bremen, an overlooked gem and former Hanseatic city in northern GermanyCheryl proud that we finally made it to Bremen, summer travel was a bit crazy.
Although sometimes traveling with bikes on trains is (very) stressful, it also gives you a unique freedom to pivot when an issue arises! This flexibility helped us again as the line from Hamburg to Groningen, Netherlands has been closed for years near the border, due to a failed rail bridge. But we were able to bridge gap easily by riding from the last Deutsche Bahn station in Germany to the first town on the Dutch rail system 20 km away!
Closing the rail gap with our bikes from Leer to Weener, GermanySuccess! Ready to board our final train-bike-train leg to Groningen in Weener, Germany
So we breathed a big sigh of relief as our local and mellow Dutch train rolled towards the famous cycling city of Groningen. We decided to spend two nights there to enjoy it sufficiently, but then realized as we headed out two days later that we left ourselves a bit of cycling challenge to make our ferry to the UK on time, especially with the “hills of the Netherlands” (aka wind!)….more on our next leg soon.
If it sounds like we can’t make up our minds where to go, that’s partially correct. We took a train from Dresden to Rostock, planning on staying somewhere out of Rostock and closer to where we planned on catching a ferry to Sweden.
Our first glimpse of the Baltic Coast from Graal-Müritz.
We rolled into Graal-Müritz pretty late in the day, but with plenty of sunlight. It is a popular vacation destination for the eastern part of Germany, and we again felt like the only Americans in town. It’s fun to see the surprised reactions from people when we say we’re from California – what are you doing here? As confirmed by German friends, most Americans visit Berlin, Munich, maybe Frankfurt or Hamburg, but rarely make it to the smaller destinations. That is one of our favorite things about bike touring, staying in the small places, being the only foreign tourists.
Enjoying the late sunset on the beach at Graal-Müritz.Admiring the view as we ride towards Stralsund.Heading out through the coastal forest, if you keep moving the mosquitoes can’t catch you.
Our ride to Stralsund was 94 kilometers, one of our longer days. With so much daylight, it’s not as daunting to agree to a long day. You know there is time to take loads of breaks. The tailwind helped a lot too.
The wind turbines help you see which way the wind is blowing.This is what you want. The turbine facing the same direction you’re heading. Tailwind! Cookie cabana break time. Oh, this is too nice, too easy. Cue ominous music.
We were only about 20k from Stralsund when my right shifter, for the rear chainrings, broke. Suddenly I’m riding a single speed bike loaded with gear. Rich managed to get me into a more realistic gear in the back and we limped to town. Now begins the strategizing and planning on how and where to get my bike fixed. Oh, did I mention it was Saturday afternoon when my bike broke? And we know that nothing is open on Sunday. No bike shops, barely any grocery stores. Now what? Stay in Stralsund for two nights and hope the not very encouraging looking bike shop can fix my bike?
German trains for the win again! With our 9 euro monthly tickets it’s an easy decision to catch the train to Sassnitz, which is where we plan to catch the ferry to Sweden.
We took the train to Sassnitz on Sunday where a bike shop fixed my broken shifter on Monday morning, which allowed us to catch the Tuesday morning ferry to Sweden. And, gave us a bonus day in Sassnitz to hike the UNESCO listed beech forest and amazing chalk cliffs.
Jasmund National Park. Beech forest.Chalk cliffs.Fun with chalk at our beach lunch break.Chalk 2022! The forest is so peaceful and beautiful.With opportunities to be silly. Our hike day was a good reminder to mix up activities. After two weeks of cycling we both felt like hiking was so so hard. Really harder than it should have been. Picnic dinner in our hotel garden, relief at having a working bike again!
So what do you do on a two hour ferry ride? I read. We have tea and pastries. And Rich travel plans, since we got on the ferry knowing only where it landed in Sweden. Ystad. Rich was still deciding where to go next. We had gotten a recommendation from a friend to go to Bornholm Island. Beautiful and great cycling, he said.
Securing the bikes on the car deck of the ferry.It was an early morning to ride 9k to get to the 8:00 am ferry. Caffeine and food was welcome. This was about 20 minutes before Rich said, hey, let’s catch the ferry from Ystad, Sweden to Bornholm Island, Denmark.
The second ferry left about ten minutes after the first arrived, so if we hustled off and rode fast around the corner we could spend only ten minutes in Sweden before leaving again. Assuming we could find the second ferry and get on in time. We did. The ramp was pulled up just after we and two other cyclists rolled onto the ferry. Phew. It feels good when it works out.
Waiting to disembark on Bornholm Island.The happy travelers on Bornholm Island.
Step 1. Bike tour. You end up staying places that are not A list, ones with no big attractions but lovely people and normal settings where you might be only tourists, and folks in the bakery will be interested in what the heck these two Americans with not great German language skills are doing here.
I should have started my series of amusing fountains in town squares earlier, but here we go.
Step 2. TrustedHousesitters.com Check it out. You meet wonderful people and pets and spend time living a bit like a local.
The goose herder?
You get to go for walks on well signed local trails to beer gardens.
Squirrel trail? Sign me up!That lower right sign is the beer tour route.My own little bottle of wine with lunch. Rich and a yummy Keller beer, at yet another beer garden. They are the perfect pandemic place to go and we seek them out.Our sweet little charge, thank you to her for being the best little cat and to her human companions for choosing us to keep her company.She loves to drink out of a proper glass. I love to watch. Cat tongues are fascinating.
Two days off the bikes and we head off today to Bad Windsheim, a pretty short ride, where there is both a thermal bath, one of Rich’s favorite things, and an open air history museum- one of my favorite things.
Happy pedaling!
From a few days ago, fall is in the air and beware- you may see socks being worn with these sandals very soon.
The ride was worth it. A lovely warm evening in town.
The ride to Regensburg was an initial steep climb out of the Beilngries area to the continental divide area of the two drainages, the Altmuhl into the Danube, versus the Aisch ultimately into the Rhine. Oh, divide. That sounds flat. Nope. Rollers up and down all day. With sweeping views. And a shifting headwind.
When there is a headwind, this is my view. Tucked in behind the wall of Rich, drafting happily.
We met another cycle tourist at our afternoon tea break and rode the rest of the way into Regensburg with him. Hi Tobias, so great to meet you!
I fill my Kleen Kanteen with hot tea at breakfast and by early afternoon it’s perfect drinking temperature. Something sweet and caffeine gets us through the afternoon.Rich was happy to have someone not only keep up, but challenge him on the hills. They waited for me.Oh yes, we did spot a few cats.
Since we’ve been bumbling a bit on this trip, no firm itinerary, we don’t read up a lot on our destinations. In this case that resulted in a lovely surprise- Regensburg is amazing! And we arrived on a lovely warm afternoon, the first day of school for most kids, and a population determined to enjoy the lovely summer weather. Fall is in the air, I know because I got smacked in the face with a fall leaf on a decent yesterday, so there is a felling of enjoy this weather while you can! We’re here for two nights so we get time to really embrace the city.
The Danube splits into canals, making two or three distinct islands.The canals mean swimming out of the strong currents of the main river. And slack lining.We had our first river swim of the trip.And our first dog rescue attempt. Sienna, a four year old lab, was pretty sure Rich needed help. Sunset with a happy selfie.
Next stop is a 3 night cat sitting gig through TrustedHousesitters. We’re very excited to get to spend some down time taking care of a kitty. Happy pedaling!
Less Car, More Life 