Gorgeous buildings with amazing paint jobs. A paint job like this is a gift to the city.This deserves two photos. I’ve seen this house when that bare tree is exploding with bright fall leaves. Stunning.
Let’s start with the architecture. And the way folks paint their buildings. The four or five color paint jobs on the Victorians always take my breath away, this one in particular. So bold. And the fence! This is a tour de force of color and joy. I love this house.
A lovingly kept corner building. That awning. The color scheme.
I haven’t found a better city for just walking around and looking at buildings. It helps that since there is so much money in the City now, more people seem to be spending to spruce up the lovely old buildings. SF has a boom and bust history, a history of rising from the ashes, and the care for these exteriors you see must bear witness to a deep love for this City. With each brightly or carefully painted building the mosaic of the city is enhanced.
Even when clad in more subdued colors these buildings charm. Nighttime glamour. I’m glad I got this photo, that huge Christmas tree in the window was gone the next day.
Great buildings- check. What else makes San Francisco amazing?
Transit! Oh the joy of traveling around while someone else drives and I can look out the window. A bus window. Perfectly situated to enjoy a nice high view.
Great transit. San Francisco has it. I admit that I have always lived quite central and in the northern part of San Francisco where the transit, biking, and walking are all good, and not every corner of the city is as accessible, but I have explored every corner of this city by transit. It’s better than many places we’ve visited in the US. It helps that SF is a small city, 7×7 Sq miles. With the help of MUNI you can explore all the neighborhoods.
The MUNI worm logo. Best transit logo ever? Probably.Mask free MUNI selfie. On the J Church.This view. Top of Dolores Park from the J Church. Rivaled only by the view from the 33 bus line as it crosses Upper Market Street.
And what gives us the great views from MUNI? The hills. Tough by bike and even on foot, but a climb up a hill is well rewarded.
The roller coaster swoop of Dolores Street. You might not think of palm trees and SF together, but Dolores Street has an impressive line of palms.
Yes, I was that tourist standing in the middle of the intersection marveling at the hill. I love it when other pedestrians turn to look at what has me mesmerized. See! I want to say, look at that swoop of trees. So cool.
Not every view of hills is as glamorous, but something about seeing hills makes me happy. And those electrical wires are so SF.
We have been so fortunate to stay with different friends each time we come back to this city we love, and left. Each stay in a different neighborhood lets us experience a new to us neighborhood and see a part of the city with fresh eyes. A wise person wrote that you can’t hate San Francisco unless you love it first. (In response to one of those ‘I’m leaving because of…’ letters.) It’s not tolerated to hate this city if you haven’t first learned to love it.
The Golden Gate Bridge after the first big January storm. The road to Ft. Point took a beating. And that old photo bombing bridge again, with Rich and his flat tire. Photo credit Rich1.
And love it we do. All the reasons I give above are nothing on the main reason why we love this City: so many good friends. We come back to recharge, to swap out stuff from our storage unit, and for Rich to get some bike rides in with his buddies. We come back to see how our city is doing, to find out if the continuing onslaught of wealth has chipped away at more of what makes this quirky city unique and lovable.
Another stunning view. The top of Dolores Park.
After Seattle our little City of hills seems so compact and charming. People are California nice, quick to smile and chat. It does make us wonder if we can settle anywhere else. So, a decision not to make that decision is made. We love SF, and we leave again. Houseless but not homeless.
The Happy Travelers waiting for a BART train to the airport, headed for Taiwan.
Packed up and on our way. Goodbye again San Francisco. See you in about five months. Until then, stay quirky.
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been back in the US for almost two months, and apologies for the month gap in our blog, a record for sure.
Back in San Francisco and enjoying the amazing new Tunnel Tops Park in the Presidio; love the movable furniture!
We’ve been having too much fun seeing friends and family in Palm Springs, Moorpark, and more recently, visiting our favorite SF haunts and enjoying the beautiful Northern California winter. Not to mention bingeing on all the World Cup. Felicitaciones Argentina!
View across Tunnel Tops. Always something new and wonderful in the Bay AreaA new bike path extension to the Golden GateA short but always inspiring meet up with our fellow nomad DNT.
But as other nomads have related, retuning “home” is sometimes a bit tough, and strangely disorienting, especially when you know that you’re heading back out into the world again as nomads. It now feels more like a refueling stop, with the primary energy being friends (and tacos!) Nomadic life is endlessly stimulating, but without a base of friends and family to pivot off of, it might seem less invigorating. Contrast in life keeps it fresh.
San Francisco welcomed us with a beautiful sunset…you’re not making this easy SF.Back riding with the boys on Twin Peaks…so missed this!Ramen and Udon fix at Marugame in SF.
We’ve also been reunited with some of our “stuff” in a local storage unit. It’s always exciting to roll up the storage unit door and see what is there. Luckily, most clothes to swap out for our visit and onward travels are near the front. It does beg the question of saving so many things, but we know that when we settle down again somewhere, we’ll enjoy seeing so many familiar things again in a permanent setting. Right?
Champion and I excited about a walk!Mission Creek Preserve in Desert Hot SpringsWalking the dogs in the vast landscape of the California mountain desertsHappy hour smiles in Southern CaliforniaCheryl and Boba “the cutest and friendliest kitten in the world!”.Thousand Oaks delivered peaceful scenery, oaks and even water during a late fall hike in Wildwood Park
But after 16 months of travel, we are now a bit awestruck by how streamlined our travel lives are compared to the complexities of typical American life. No home, no car, a few bills…a bag or two and sometimes bicycles. Life is a trade off, and many of our peers could choose to simplify and travel more, but for many, selling it all and going mobile may be just a bit too much.
Christmas and Victorians were made for each other! Hayes Street, SFSelfie during a run up Twin Peaks…and yes, I’m that guy without Bluetooth earbuds…too easy to lose traveling!
It was not an easy decision for us either. And for many, simply renting your place out is an option, so you can return to your previous life with less of the uncertainties that selling creates. Of course, having no dependent kids or pets helps, and we recognize that this window in our lives to travel may be unique and precious.
Catching up over coffee with our friend, and our ace SF real estate agent Lisa from Polaris Garlic noodles at Perilla in the Inner Sunset – Check!San Francisco fire stations have an annual Christmas light competition…it was on in Portola/West Portal.Being home means baking with friends in Oakland
Home is nice, and the longevity of friends and place gives you a unique perspective on the passage of time. So we especially appreciate the generosity of our friends sharing their homes (or dinner) with us as we return for these recharge sessions. Thank you to all for your generosity and please know we will try to repay someday when we again have some roots in the ground. (Especially Rich and Andi -:)
Hiking up Montara Mountain…the drama of the Bay Area landscape is striking after travels.The San Mateo Coast south of San Francisco offers endless beauty and secret beaches.More hiking with good friends in Redwood City
We’ve now just arrived to an usually cold and snowy Seattle after a somewhat leisurely 3 day drive from the Bay Area, catching up with good friends and family along the way. We have two house sits (x2 cats each). Hopefully now away from most of our friends and family I’ll be able to get back to the important tasks of global travel planing for 2023. But the Pacific Northwest is so intriguing….so many places to explore; hmmm?
Cats eye view in North Seattle
But today the streets are still coated in snow and ice, so we’ll wait for the forthcoming thaw and settle into the coziness of our temporary cats, and sip coffee and tea as we look out into the evergreen and snow landscape. More on our Pacific Northwest winter excursion soon, as well as our scenarios for 2023 travel. Still no “plans” -:)
We remind ourselves frequently how fortunate we are. There are bumps along the road of constant travel, but when you get to wake up somewhere new and look around with fresh eyes, with no work thoughts or worries looming in your mind, it’s a revelation. The things you notice, the things you appreciate, take on an extra clarity.
Chicago with our good friends Michelle and Alan.
We’re lucky to have friends in Chicago who also know how to appreciate where you are. Michelle and Alan never tire of exploring and experiencing their own city.
The Berghoff, a Chicago institution. One that well deserves its storied reputation – first to be issued a liquor license post prohibition – everything we ordered for lunch was quite good.What to do on a cold day? The Chicago Art Institute.
After a lovely time in Chicago we flew to Denver, caught the bus to Boulder and spent time with my brother and had dinner with one of our wonderful nieces.
Charlie Kitty helping to keep me warm on a sunny but chilly Colorado day.The snow helped us find even more beauty.The horses might not enjoy the snow as much as we did.With my brother Steve. The snow was melting away as we left to head across the Rockies to Grand Junction. Scratching our itch for Mexican food. A fortifying taco stop in Golden, Colorado.
One thing we miss a lot when traveling is good Mexican food. Once in the rental car for the drive to Grand Junction it was easy enough to stop for an early lunch. Xicamiti La Taquería Bistro for the win. We were headed to help out with my sister’s animals while she traveled for work. Our house and pet sitting skills came in handy.
The view hiking from Pollock Bench trailhead, Fruita Colorado.Snack stop spots of the world.No matter how often we see the red rock canyons of Colorado the formations are stunning. Tasha the big guard dog, and the setting sun lighting up the book cliffs.Barn cats enjoying the sun. And waiting for food.Everyone gets in on the sunset photo shoot.“What? Am I not a cow?”Checking out the newest brew pub in Fruita.Tasha looks calm and cool here, but when she saw a fox and tried to take off after it, I was happy Rich was in control of the leash. Thank you Colorado. We got our Covid booster from a lovely team on this bus.My sister came home and brought back the newest addition to her household. 12 week old Lorelei. The happy travelers looking forward to a family Thanksgiving.
I do think Thanksgiving is a fantastic holiday. Spending time with your family or family of choice, Friendsgiving, and lots of yummy food – that’s my idea of fun. We’ll be off to visit friends in Palm Springs, visiting family in Moorpark, and then back to SF for two weeks. Happy Thanksgiving all.
Rich surveying the city on our way to the train station.
How much does your mental state affect your enjoyment of a place? For us in Lisbon the answer was ‘a lot’. Our mental and physical states had taken a beating by the time we got to our apartment hotel and made an initial grocery run. The positive Covid tests the first morning certainly didn’t help. Sometimes when traveling you just have to give yourself a mental shake, a stern talking to, and push through an attitude adjustment.
The Citymapper city logos make me smile every time.
You head out looking for beauty. Shake off your negative attitude and stride out, well, kind of limp out in our case. Spending two or three days inside while we tested positive didn’t help. Thankfully the rain made it easier to just hang out. A short careful walk, a quick masked grocery store run, and more resting – that was the extent of our first few days in Lisbon.
A framed and borrowed view.Starting to notice the white walls and colored flowers.Oh yes, this is helping my beaten down Covid brain. The small streets are quiet and charming.
The mosaic sidewalks and plazas of Lisbon are beautiful. Under your feet is craftsmanship of a high quality.
The black basalt worked into the white limestone. Stunning.It is called calçada portuguesa or simply calçada.
The calçada has a lot of positives, in addition to being beautiful it can adapt to uneven ground, or rise and fall with tree roots without cracking like concrete.
The calçada around the tree wells is not level., but still intact.Tree roots becoming part of the paving.Stopping to appreciate the work and imagine what a tough job this is, to piece together a mosaic sidewalk.
The slightly undulating calçada, and the diamond pattern made me feel as if I were walking on a giant snake. (Imaginative or Covid brain?)
You see the snakeskin pattern?When this snakeskin gets wet – watch out!
We had some rain while in Lisbon, and that brought out the negative side of limestone snakeskin sidewalks- they get so slippery! We quickly learned to judge how slippery a stretch was likely to be based on how polished the white stones looked. The more shine, the higher your chance of losing your footing. If the sidewalks had the black basalt squares they were less slippery, or your foot wouldn’t slide as far since it would come into contact with a black stone and stop.
Slippery and in need of repair.
Apparently there just aren’t as many craftspeople available to keep the sidewalks in good shape, which means you have situations like the above photo. When it’s rainy people tend to walk in the street to stay upright. The car drivers seem quite used to it, but it’s still uncomfortable to have to watch out for cars while picking your way along the cobbled street.
Certainly not slippery. We didn’t get to see this street during a rainy period but I imagine it drains well.
Even with our positive mental attitude firmly in place we just could not enjoy walking around Lisbon. The sidewalks are simply too narrow, and not in great repair. In the more modern part of town, upslope, the traffic signals are set in favor of moving car traffic which means long long waits for pedestrians to get a crossing signal. The intersections can be huge, with so much extra pavement that car drivers have the ability to whip around corners at fairly high speed. We haven’t seen any of what we call Covid-era street improvements like we see in so many other cities, where street space has been reapportioned to give pedestrians and bikes more space, and increase safety.
That’s a narrow sidewalk. Not much that can be done here with the streetcar tracks.A beautiful sidewalk. The more historic downtown area has sidewalks in better repair.What can cheer up some slightly cranky post Covid travelers? A lovely lunch with adult beverages.Lisbon really is beautiful. All those tourists can’t be wrong about that.
Part of our sour attitudes definitely came from the fact that a planned 3 night stay turned into 8 nights. Our positive Covid tests, coupled with the challenge of re-booking our flights on TAP airlines, kept us in town for the longest stretch we’ve spent in an A list tourist city since Copenhagen for the start of the Tour de France. We’re not always huge fans of A list cities, as they expose the negatives of concentrated tourism.
Keep that positive mental attitude going. A lovely almost 3 hour lunch in Cascais, a short train ride from Lisbon. We chatted for ages with a super nice Canadian/British couple at the next table. Symmetrical potbellied trees. I think they are Queensland Bottle trees. Whatever they are – cute! Rooster joining our coffee break.
Since this was our second time in Lisbon we do know one place that is guaranteed to make us smile. Parque Infantil da praça das Flores. We first visited this park on a trip to Cervecta Lisboa, in search of craft beer. We walked here from our Covid hotel nest/room and sat and enjoyed the calm. After testing negative we came and sat in the park with beer from the Cervecta. The calm attitude towards alcohol in parks, with kiosks offering coffee, snacks and drinks, and the local cafes allowing you to take your drink out to the park, is wonderful. It ensures there are always people around enjoying the parks. I would always rather sit in a park.
A happy traveler. You can see the kiosk in the background, and the beer place is to the left of the park.Cheers to our favorite park.Tired of beer? The kiosk has wine in little reusable plastic cups.The happy travelers. Negative tests and ready to move on.
Farewell Lisbon, we intend to come back to Portugal and explore the B and C places, get off the beaten track a bit and spread the tourist love. Our travel world was not done throwing us curveballs yet, though. More on that in the next post from Brooklyn, NY.
Well, it was bound to happen. After over 14 months of travel, Covid finally caught up to us. Being really sick is definitely a low point of extended (or even short) travels. You just want to be home, have all your comforts, and be better. Luckily, our nomadic lifestyle has prepared us to deal with travel uncertainties a bit better and stay calm when a hiccup develops…even major ones.
It’s easy to find the charm of Lisbon, even recovering from a bout of Covid.
After we tested positive earlier this week, we immediately prioritized our next steps: push back the flight to the NYC, extend our lodging in Lisbon, notify our friends we were to stay with in the US, and think about contingencies.
So leafy and with a mild Mediterranean climate, Lisbon feels so much like San Francisco
We respect this new virus and know that it has brought untold misery on the world, and uncertain outcomes to even the healthiest. And although Covid hit us hard for a few days, the worst soon passed. We are lucky to be quite healthy, with daily exercise, good sleep habits, and a good diet (mostly, as we do indulge in local foods that may not be on any top 10 health food lists).
Our big adventure to the grocery store to stock up for an unknown duration of hunkering down. Rain and slippery limestone not helping!
Of course stomach ailments are a part of travel too, and we’ve had our share of them over many years, including India, Mexico, and Morocco. But one of the only nice things about stomach bugs is that they are usually over very suddenly. You often go from wanting to die on the toilet to wanting a double cheeseburger and a beer in hours. And we’ve always been lucky enough to only have one of us down and out at once. The other person is available to get hydration, meds, and make any travel changes.
Although revitalization and gentrification has spruced up most buildings in Lisbon, there are still a few fixer uppers available.
But this hit us both at almost the same time. We were a bit fatigued as we left Bilbao, and fully masked on our travels, but it didn’t feel like anything more than maybe some post-Camino tiredness and a little stuffy head (No cough, no fever.). But it had settled in deeper by the time we got to Lisbon and we both woke up Wednesday morning with brain fog, extreme tiredness, more congestion, and some decent aches and pains. The Covid rapid tests an hour later confirmed what we already suspected…we both had it.
Feeling Lisbon’s nautical roots on the Tagus
Luckily, we had booked an apart-hotel room for our 3 day stay and we were able to extend to 8 days in the same unit. It’s quiet and has two big windows looking at trees, and over 500 sq ft in two rooms, including (crucially) a kitchenette. So we are able to adventure out to grocery stores for supplies and have all our meals here, as well as lots of healthy fruit and veg, comfort food, and juices.
The iconic tram cars of Lisbon look like cute toys, but are still as functional as ever.
The two rooms allowed some space for us to relax separately in such cosy quarters. By Friday morning we both felt noticeably better, so Cheryl took another test. If she was still a strong positive, then we wouldn’t waste another test. So we were both thrilled when she tested negative, and I decided to test as well. Still somewhat positive…Today it was an almost imperceivable line, so I’m almost certain to be 100% negative by tomorrow!
Look, real laundry drying in the Alfama! Maybe a family still lives here….
So we are happy with our decision to push back our flights to the US to this Wednesday, as we’ve actually been able to start going out and enjoying some of this very beautiful city. We also had masked all day on our way to Lisbon, including the plane, and taxis, so hopefully we did not infect others, but it’s also made us realize that the virus is out there everywhere, and continuing our cautious ways in the future is smart, not to mention getting all the available boosters we can. We don’t want to go through this again (too soon) and don’t want to put anyone else unnecessarily at risk. But the virus is now a part of life, and part of travel, like it or not.
Cheryl’s negative test smile with the Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge…always a double take for our beloved Golden Gate
Another item of note is the fact that we’ll be on Day 89 of 90 allowable Schengen days this Wednesday, so we’re also really glad that we left 6 visa days of validity slack in our plans. For those who don’t recall, a U.S. citizen can only be in the 26 country border-free Schengen Zone of Europe for up to 90 days out of any 180 day contiguous period without a country-specific extended stay visa. It’s a rule that catches a lot of long term travelers out.
Endless ups and downs across Lisbon.
This is our second visit to Lisbon, as we were last here for 4 nights in early 2018, along with visits to Porto, and Coimbra. It’s still charming, and I especially love the extreme vertical terrain, where you never quite know which way is out of a valley. Surprises await if you get off the beaten track, but one thing that’s noticeable from even our last stay, is that the penetration of tourism seems even deeper into the neighborhoods.
Keeping my distance for other tourists catching shots of the funicular in the Alfama
It’s the age old conundrum of tourism development: by coming to see what everyone else wants to see, you are slowly changing it, and before long, the native and organic neighborhood elements are completely flushed out. Lisbon is still real, and there are Portuguese tourists here as well, but the relentless conversion of neighborhood properties into short term rentals via AirBnB, new boutique hotels and spas, and easy air access for cheap weekend visits, has made much of it feel a bit overrun.
Lisbon’s revitalized waterfront includes this cool bio-algae pond with floating cork islands. (The Vino Verde corks have a home now!)The grittiness of the the western port area was refreshing after the heavily touristed core
It feels like a City fighting to keep its character. We recognize this from San Francisco, and know that locals will always know how to avoid the tourists and the touristy restaurants, etc. But San Francisco had a big advantage over Lisbon in the past 40 years, it was much more expensive to buy property, had strict development rules, and better tenant protections. As the Alfama neighborhood struggled and investment waned, rules were adopted that if someone would buy a property and renovate it, then all the tenants could be evicted. Period. It saved a lot of the buildings from ruin, but apparently decimated the local neighborhood.
Blue skies and an ageless charm in the Alfama
It’s very evident today that only a few pockets of “authentic” neighborhood exist in the Alfama. But cities are always changing and Lisbon is adapting as well. Free transit for seniors and those under 23, a new waterfront revitalization, and a focus on preserving the unique culture.
Way to go Lisbon…free transit is a great way to encourage car free habits at a young age and make sure seniors are mobile
There are also stricter rules on foreign Golden Visas, which have allowed many foreigners to settle in Portugal, but have really changed many neighborhoods in Lisbon, Porto, and smaller towns in the Algarve to expat enclaves. It’s a tough balance for a developing country that had a lot of debt and challenges in the past, but has an amazing extremely welcoming culture, good education and healthcare systems, and a fantastic climate.
Always follow the empty stairway!
But I have meandered a bit too far off track but do promise that next time we come to Portugal, we will see even more of it, and try to spread the tourism love further….perhaps walking along 200km of the Camino Portuguese.
The happy travelers smiling again
Happy fall and looking forward to seeing some of you soon back in the USA!
1) Habére-Poche, France. Where we are so lucky to have wonderful friends.
Sitting on my butt on a ski lift going up the hill.
2) Évian-les-Bains, France. Where we shockingly saw people buying bottled water, and had to eat take out pizza on our balcony since our CA COVID QRs didn’t work and you needed them even to eat outdoors at a restaurant.
Balcony, enjoying the view.
3) Montreaux, Switzerland, 2 nights. Where our fancy hotel (it was our Anniversary) had fire alarms going off our second night. I felt like Bill Murray in a Wes Anderson film standing on the street at 2am in my fluffy hotel bathrobe. (Sadly no photos…)
View along the promenade.Umbrellas on the terrace at night.
4) Sallion, Switzerland. In the wine area of the Rhône valley. We kept looking around thinking we were in Italy because it’s a dry valley.
A confluence of the glacier chalky Rhône and a clear side stream.Vineyards for more white wine for me! Old town of Sallion on a hill.
5) Eischoll, Switzerland. Which we had to take a train and cable car to since we could not find a hotel in Sion – totally booked – but which ended up being a joy up in the mountains with a long long decent the next day.
Well deserved cold white wine after a long day, and what a view!Our first Bisse sighting. Historic irrigation canals are a draw of the area around Sion.We were captivated by the historic buildings in Switzerland, they were protected early on and add such a fascinating dimension to the towns. This is an old mill.
6) Brigerbad, Switzerland. Where we visited the Thermalquellen Bridgerbad – outdoor pools still filled with vacationing Swiss and French, and 2 lone Americans who enjoyed themselves very much (again, no photos allowed.)
Dinner at our hotel restaurant, impossible to get a bad glass of wine in Switzerland.
7) Zermatt, Switzerland. 2 nights. Yay, a lovely train ride up to the largely car free town with a view of the Matterhorn always near, clouds willing.
Mid hike lunch on a mountainside terrace.The ride out of town was interesting, showed how much infrastructure is required to support this “car free” town. All sorts of domestic animals on our ride down, including this big guy who had just walked slowly through irrigation sprinklers and came over to slobber and shake on me.
8) Feisch, Switzerland. Where we started debating whether or not to ride over the Furkapass. We decided on a train boost after the next town, but had a lovely gondola ride up the mountain.
Up we go! Love the gondola views.Happy Hour at a restaurant at the top of the gondola.
9) Obergoms, Switzerland. Where, after riding up its valley for days we got to peep at the source of the Rhône river! (Almost, not quite the glacier but it’s pretty tiny here, that mighty river.) And we got our train hop to the top of Oberalppass. And rode down. Feeling a bit sheepish seeing all the cyclists coming UP the pass, but it was great fun that downhill.
Look how small the Rhône river is! Happy train riders. Rich descending. So many switchbacks.Pause for view appreciation.
10) Disentis, Switzerland. Another town, another gondola. You generally get a free or discounted pass to the gondola – we just made it on the last ride up and had to be sure not to miss the last ride down.
Our own personal gondola ride. Room to play.Another Swiss alpine view from the gondola.A good dinner on the terrace of the youth hostel.
11) Ilanz, Switzerland. 2 nights. Where we swam in a stainless steel swimming pool, took a day trip to Chur and decided to head to Germany.
Train boost! This was a Sunday so we think the big bike cars were added to the train to handle the weekend numbers.Briefly in Austria, that little yellow dot is Rich., forgetting to stop for the obligatory border photo.
12) Wangen im Allgäu, Germany. Our first stop in Germany after a crowded ride along and away from Bodensee holiday bike traffic.
Met some lovely German cycle tourists headed the other way. We bonded over our non e-bike status and exchanged emails. A good way to practice German? Gossip mags and wine.Age is not important. Unless you are a cheese. Words to live by.
13) Memmingen, Germany. On the ride here we continued to be amazed by the number of solar panels on rooftops and had to seek shade for our picnic lunch.
So much solar! So impressive.Roadside shrines and monuments generally have trees. A fairly good place to stop if we can’t find a shady bench.
14) Landsberg am Lech, Germany. First proper Biergärten, odd fun fact: Johnny Cash was stationed here during WW2. He was a Staff Sargent and a crack Morse code operator.
Enjoying beer and wine on the Lech River.Riding out of town down the Lech.
15) Augsburg, Germany. 2 nights. Wandered the old town enjoying the canals, and got Rich’s bike fixed! No easy feat with bike shop repair demand and an older touring bike chainring failure.
Loads of farmland riding in this part of Germany. On the upside the corn can block the wind, on the downside- little corn gnats if you rode too close to the corn.Will Singer to the rescue. He was super nice and let us leave the bags and bikes until he could find time to fix the bike. He had it done by noon.Really, lots of farmland.Good tram system in Augsburg.
Less Car, More Life 