23-Jun-08: A Change is Coming
Austria/Slovakia: Vienna to Bratislava
68km, 3h 3min riding
Day started with an expedition to source a new front wheel for my bike and thankfully was successful. So, new wheel in hand (on bike) we peddled off into what would turn out to be another very hot day.
We crossed the Slovakian border at about lunchtime and were welcomed by a Pepsi sign and a myriad of roadworks…not exactly the greatest backdrop for a border crossing photo, but very contextural in any case. I started to notice the shift from western to eastern Europe about 10km out from the border. The atmosphere just somehow seemed ’harder’…yes it may have just been my imagination getting carried away, but I like to think that the land has some memory and in a way exudes it into the atmosphere.
Bratislava is the first town, of many more to come, in which we were treated to a hotel on a non-rest day. We stayed on a boat hotel on the Danube. The novelty was good but the reality was no electricity for most of the day due to a shoted mains and therefore airconditioning that was running behind schedule and in continual ’catch-up’ mode…and it never caught up! Thankfully I figured out how to remove the windows in my cabin and so managed to trade some hot stale air for comparitively cooler outdoor air, which was some consolation.
The town of Bratislava has been one of my highlights so far. A very quaint place with a beautiful ’old town’ and people which seem to want to please. Tourism is still relatively new and they seem to still be making an effort to impress, which gave a nice welcoming feel to the place.
The founder of Tour d’Afrique, Henry Gold, has joined us for a few days and led a group dinner to a traditional Solvakian restaurant…which to many a persons dissapointment was more of a we-fry-it-you-eat-it beer garden. But fatty is what we are told to expect as we move further east!
24-Jun-08: Error in Navigation
Slovakia/Hungary: Bratislava to Gyor
94km, 4h 2min riding
After getting away reasonably early in attempt to escape some of the now ever present heat, the day progressed rapidly into one of confusion, for some moreso than others. Distances travelled by differing groups of riders today varied from 87km to 115km, with just about all parties taking a different route to the campsite!
Our party took a minor 5km detour, just to check out Hungary at about the 20km mark, rather than the 75km mark at which we were supposed to move into the next country. After the path rapidly deteriorated into bush bashing and took a turn to the west we conceeded we had taken a wrong turn and backtracked to correct the error without too much drama. But another group got hopelessly lost and ended up paying a local on a motorbike to escort them into camp…action for which earned them the rubber duck award…an award complete with trophy which has been created in recognition of action worthy of note.
Camp in Gyor was likened by most to the concentration camp we had visited earlier in the week. The bathrooms were filthy and no doors locked…which was more of a concern as we realised that they were shared by a number of permanent residents which spent the entire afternoon stationed outside their rooms watching us like a pack of wolves waiting to move in for the kill. Accordingly, we have now been cautioned to be more careful regarding safety of our posessions and person.
25-Jun-08: Compasses Out
Hungary: Gyor to Esztergom
104km, 4h 28min riding
After the navigation nightmares of the previous day, we left camp having vowed not to rely on anyone else for directions…so we promptly followed a bunch out of the campsite and into the carpark rather than out the front gate and had to turn around and start again!
The days of following reliable bikeway signage are all but over as we followed a flagged route out of camp to a point with a choice of 3 directions to head in! Lucky for us a group had passed through before we left and the local workers standing by put two and two together and waved us on in the correct direction.
We followed a dirt track through Hungarian rural residential style housing, which for those without conviction of the direction they were heading in would have felt like they were being led in to the middle of nowhere. My GPS has come in handy a few times for confirmation of direction and our exact location at any one time, and is being used more and more often as we head further away from reliable signage.
On this particular day my body was very tired…generally everyone is holding up quite well considering the distances we are convering day in and day out, but today was a particularly tiring one for me. The heat, which is now always in the mid 30’s is starting to take its toll on a few people.
To everyone’s pleasure, the campsite in Esztergom was 5 star by comparison to the one in Gyor and came complete with swimming pool, which most of us hit as soon as our tents were up.
26-Jun-08: My Birthday
Hungary: Esztergom to Budapest
56km, 2h 43min riding
The day started at about 12.30am with being woken with a start by a massive lightning and thunder storms, complete with gale force winds. The rain did not come for quite some time and in the pending chaos, many people were up and about suring up their tents and adding extra tent pegs and ropes to ensure they did not blow away!
I got up to have a look and saw Manon and a few others re-enacting the scene from the Harrison Ford version of Sabrina where they are all crouched down scanning the ground searching for a contact lense. I wondered what on earth they were doing until Manon explained that the second she stepped out of her tent the wind whipped the glasses off her face and blew them 10 feet away!
After a few more hours of sleep my birthday officially started with a 15km hill climb, follwed by a 20km descent into lunch. The descent was the best we have had yet, with clear straight runs, gentle bends and perfect visability…all of which and the best ingredients for speed…I hit 62.7kph, which was my being a little reserved and not wanting to challenge the Gods too much on my birthday!
We spent quite some time at lunch waiting for our ride leaders to return and escort us into Budapest. Manon and others very kindly constructed me a birthday cake from raisin bread, nutella, jam and a grape which was presented to the turn of Happy Birthday.
The escorted ride in to Budapest was quite scary and certainly was not really helping me in my mission to steer clear of potentially life threatening action on my birthday. Riding in a group requires a great deal of confidence in the person in front of you…and when you have not confidence in the person in front of you it makes for a very nerve wracking ride!
On arrival in Budapest and after our plan to try and obtain Chinese visas fell through, we found a laundromat and made plans for my birthday dinner. We walked into the centre of town and found a nice restaurant with traditional Hungarian food and great atmosphere and had a great night. All in all a very memorable birthday.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Touching Wood!
First things first...somehow I forgot to mention the most dramatic news of the trip so far! About a week ago we were riding along a section of bike path which deviated strangely, so that you had to go sharply off a road onto the path and then after only 50m or so had to turn sharply again back on to the road. As the second sharp turn was a little unexpected, it caused some sudden stopping and a bit of a 'traffic' jam at the turn.
Unfortunately, in the confusion one rider clipped the back wheel of another rider, albeit at very slow speed, but still causing Marilyn to fall off her bike. Or rather, causing her bike to fall on her, and very awkwardly so that although she was still somewhat standing, her bike and left leg were on the ground. And the sad conclusion being a broken ankle! It is such a shame to loose any rider so early on in the trip, particularly considering the planning that goes into it, even for those ceasing their trip in Istanbul. So, Marilyn and her husband Murray unfortunately had to fly home to Canada. We have heard since that she does not require an operation that was initially thought to be required to pin the break, so that is one piece of good news in the situation at least.
So, back to the riding...and in it's midst some more, and unfortunately more serious, injury stories...
13-Jun-08: Soccer Fever
Germany: Ulm to Eggelstetten
94.5km, 4h 33min riding
A pleasant day of riding with a very cold start! Nothing to prevent an easy ride into camp, arriving in the early afternoon...
The campsite had a little log cabin, housing a bar, which was full of a very eclectic mix of all manner of items from toy cars to box brownie cameras. We settled in after dinner and watched the Euro Cup Football (aka Soccer) match between the Netherlands and France, both Countries for which we had supporters in our riding companions and so had some vocal and opposing support. The Netherlands won 4-1 in what I am told was a good match...I went to bed at half time!
14-Jun-08: Inspiring Poetic Prose
Germany: Eggelstetetten to Kipfenberg
100km, 4h 51min riding
Once again the day started quite cold but warmed up to pleasant weather for riding. We started on the Danube cycleway and then departed from it to a more scenic route which took us on to a beautiful bike path which meandered through multicoloured patchwork fields surrounded by rolling grass covered hills which were peppered with rock formations and the occasional tree. The path continued alongside calm waterways which were shaded by weeping trees reaching down with their branches to tickle the water's surface and gave shade to families rafting in the river. The trail then led us through little townships nestled at the base of hillsides guarded by an army of of pine trees and rock soldiers. It was a day which inspired creation of some poetic prose whilst riding along thinking 'now how do I put this in to words so that others can even come close to visualising how beautiful this is...'!
The cycle path was very popular and we were passing other bike riders and the occasional rock climber on the path all day long and eventually the path moved from the tranquility into what could be likened to the main street of a theme park! We had ridden into the township of Eichstatt and stumbled upon a medieval festival. Of course we stopped to take part in the festivities and managed to finally hunt down Brattwurst sausages and sat by the river and ate Gelati watching couples row by in river boats before making our way into camp for the night.
15-Jun-08: Gravel Symphony
Germany: Kipfenburg to Regensberg
105km, 5h 12min riding
Today's path was 30-40km of hard packed gravel, which under pressure of 8 bicycle tyres in unison, recited its own ever-present symphony of crunching with the occasional interlude of tranquility as the voice of the of gravel gave way to the silence of bitumen.
Riding into Regensberg we took part in another round of ribbon hunt...the means of directing us into our campsite or hotel when the directions are too difficult to give in writing. We are directed by a series of pink ribbons tied to street signs, bushes, garbage cans or whatever a ribbon can be attached to, so that if we keep our eyes peeled we eventually wind up the right place. Although, you can ride along thinking 'I hope we didn't miss a ribbon' as it can be up to 5km between ribbons when riding through the countryside along straight-ish roads into a campsite! Or in this case a hotel...
16-Jun-08: A World Away
Germany: Regensberg – Rest Day
Regensberg is a pretty, mid-sized township, the centre of which is completely pedestrianised. The usual 'rest day' activities of laundry, shopping and internet were made more entertaining by our sporadic and eventually unsuccessful hunt for a decent internet cafe. The first of which we had been directed to either did not exist or was completely mis-directed as circumnavigation of all blocks surrounding the supposed location were unsuccessful. Attempt 2 resulted in discovery of a very dodgy internet cafe which had a blacked-out front door which required you to buzz to get in...and inside housed an array of computer terminals each in their own little cubicle, with curtains and an alcoholic drinks list! At best a conduit for illegal internet gambling...at worst a pornography cafe! Thankfully their computers ran a weird interface which did not recognise my hard drive and gave us excuse to promptly exit the facility!
As many of the group trekked across town in search of a suitable location to watch yet more Euro Cup football, a few of us sourced out the least likely place to be overrun by football spectators...a sushi restaurant...and had dinner there. Although they did still screen the game and we bore witness to the single German goal so were still in the sporting loop!
Today was a day of realisation for me...realisation of how far I am away from home and the life I led pre-departure...I am a world away in every respect and still find it difficult to comprehend that I will be following this routine for another 5 months! I am consumed by the necessity of each daily task...waking up in time to get to breakfast before the muesli runs out, putting on enough sunscreen, whether or not to pack rain gear or wear arm warmers, packing the tent, figuring out how to dry the wet tent, how to wash and dry clothes, knowing where to go, staying safe and riding the distance. There is so little room left for anything else...to the point where I am sure those left back at home are feeling a little neglected and unloved...but that is not the case. It is like watching two subtitled films...in order to fully appreciate one the other needs to be placed on paused. That is the best way I can think to describe how it feels to be here. It is a little bewildering and daunting at times, but a great experience as it should be...
17-Jun-08: Barely Raised a Sweat
Germany: Regensberg to Straubing
53km, 2h 48min riding
A rare and much appreciated short day of riding...indicated foremostly by the daily instructions which dictate that lunch will be served at camp...rather than the usual half-way point!
Following lunch at camp we walked in to the town of Straubing, which much to our surprise and delight was a beautiful town much larger than its comparatively unknown name suggested. We sat in a local cafe for a beer and an afternoon snack. And had a successful afternoon of shopping, finally tracking down a travel chess/checkers game to extend the variety of campsite entertainment.
18-Jun-08: Accidents Do Happen
Germany: Straubing to Passau
100km, 4h 33min riding
You know you have turned a corner weather wise when the first line in your diary reads 'usual pleasant riding'...how easy it is to forget that only a week or so ago the usual was cold, wet and wetter! There is a uniformity about the populated European cities and towns we have been passing through and although always pleasant and sometimes outstandingly beautiful, it is still familiar in its western ways and I for one look forward to the unknown elements of places which are not so familiar. Having said so, we are doing our best to appreciate and make the most of western luxuries which we know will become scarcer the further east we move so still have source of pleasure, albeit familiar. Such luxuries include many cafe stops en-route to sample the local coffee, pastries, iced-chocolates or whatever decadence can fall under the reasoning 'soon we won't be able to get these so we had better make the most of it'. In the absence of little else bar forgiving Lycra, my newly purchased travel jeans are my measure of waistline dimension...if they become restrictive then it will be time to cut back on the indulgences!
Almost as if to highlight the insignificance of waistline dimensions, today took a sad turn when our riding companion and resident grandfather, Neil 81, was involved in an accident with a tractor. As we understand, it seems as though he became unstable on his bike and veered into the path of the articulated trailer of a tractor. Sadly the tractor ran over him after he fell to the ground, which resulted in internal bleeding and a broken pelvis, for which he was required to undergo surgery for. The latest news we have received is that he is now in an induced coma in intensive care in a hospital in the German town of Vilshofen. As we came upon the scene of the accident just after departure of the ambulance, we had a very quiet ride into camp as we all reflected on the event in our own way.
Once we arrived into camp there was little we could do but wait for further news on Neil, so we wandered into the town of Passau and without particularly looking for it, although we knew it was there, stumbled through a side door of the cathedral housing the largest pipe organ in the world. The cathedral was beautiful inside and we were sad to have missed the organ recital which took place at midday...
19-Jun-08: Beware of Ticks
Germany/Austria: Passau to Linz
104km, 4h 45min riding
We were torn between the desire to stay and watch the organ recital in Passau and the desire to avoid departing after lunch and therefore not arriving into camp until well into the evening. The latter desire won out and in hindsight we were glad as the temperature climbed into the afternoon as we got our first taste of the European summer to come.
A few kilometres outside Passau we said goodbye to Germany as we crossed into Austria and a whole new world. Almost as if the Austrians have a larger shareholding in the weather, the temperature soared into the afternoon. The campsite in Linz was located adjacent to a gigantic public park surrounding a lake. On the opposite side of the lake was a nudist beach, although the locals did not seem to see this as limitation as they stripped off everywhere and anywhere...getting naked seems to be a favourite pastime in Austria!
Waiting for us in our slightly overgrown campsite was a notice board, prepared by our tour nurse, entitled 'Lesson on Nasty Austrian Ticks'...which promptly brought on a bought of psychological itching amongst us all! The ticks carry a serious form of encephalitis against which the entire population of Austria has been immunised for, so we are now all on the lookout for the nasty little creatures!
During the day my bike began making some concerning noises, which on review at the lunch truck was deemed to be broken ball bearings in my shimano equivalent dynamo hub which powers my bike lights. The result being my having to swap my front wheel for one of the non-riding staff's wheels and finish the day. Much to the delight of interested onlookers Olivie, our resident french mechanic, dismantled the hub and gave it a good clean but as proved by the following day of riding was unable to remove all fragments of the faulty ball bearings...so I am now in search of a new front wheel and need to effect a warranty claim...did I mention just being here is already a full time job?!
20-Jun-08: Scars From the Past
Austria: Linz to Emmersdorf
109km (incl. detour), 4h 34min riding
Today cycling played a backseat role to the day's highlight (or lowlight, depending on how you think about it) being our detour from the directed route, to the nearby ex-Natzi concentration camp located just outside the town of Mathausen.
I can't say that I particularly enjoyed the visit...how could anyone 'enjoy' such atrocities...but in any case, am glad I went. Admittedly, it didn't take long for my protection mechanisms to kick in, beyond which point not much sunk in. But in light of the little of what I did absorb, I could not even begin to imagine what these poor people must have gone through and was struck by the courage and clear presence of the human spirit and will to live that the strongest of them had.
We viewed a film on the history of the camp which included interviews with local surrounding residents and members of the American military which ultimately came to the rescue. Still to this day the army officers choke back tears in recalling how on their first day they buried 1200 people who had died of starvation and continued to do so at a rate of 300 people per day as they were too weak to eat. Walking around the camp was eerie and I could not bring myself to take photos of the gas chambers, crematoriums or even the memorials. All I could do was reflect on how any human could do such a thing to another living soul and was grateful that my presence there was simply as a visitor.
Our mid-morning 2 hour visit to the camp after only about 20km made for a very long cycling day and we arrived in to camp and the smell of dinner being prepared.
21-Jun-08: Too Much Skin
Austria: Emmersdorf to Vienna
115km, 5h 7min riding
Things do not always go quite according to plan and today was no exception to this rule. We rose early so that we could get a good start in the hope of arriving into Vienna early before the shops, bike shops in particular, closed on Saturday. After only riding 100m on my not-quite-right front wheel, as my loan wheel was needed by its owner, it became very apparent that somewhere between being just noisy and taken off in favour of a quieter ride, it was now buckled. So I pushed it back in to camp where the mechanic and owner of my previously loaned wheel were still getting ready to leave and some jostlsting of wheels and exchanging of bikes later, we all had a rideable solution and I was on my way...an hour after I had planned to leave!
The riding day started out by frequently passing through little river-side townships with cobblestoned streets but at about half way became a straight cycle path alongside the Danube. It is the first day of the European Summer and the Austrian heat has made no attempt to conceal the fact. The combined effect of rising temperatures, a somewhat monotonous cycle path and the 5th consecutive and comparatively long day of riding did start to take its toll at about 75km at which point we gave in to the need for shade and our peanut butter sandwiches. In an attempt to give our minds something else to think about other than watching the kilometres slowly ticking over, we spent the afternoon riding a sequence of 1km sprint followed by 2km of relaxed riding...it was a great distraction and we were soon in Vienna and at 2.30pm, earlier than we had expected.
Riding in to Vienna was certainly an interesting experience as the Austrians continued to display their love of all things natural. Within 1-2 metres from the edge of the bike path we passed dozens of naked people enjoying the summer sun...including a family, with kids jumping on a trampoline and a man standing completely starkers whilst fishing...certainly an eye opener, and rarely a pleasant one!!!
In hunt for a new front wheel we tried to find an open bike shop in Vienna as soon as we arrived, knowing that everything would be closed on our Sunday rest day, but with no luck. So in light of our first day riding out of Vienna being a short 60km, I will be hanging about in Vienna to source a new front wheel prior to leaving the city.
Oh, and it is happening so often now it is almost not news anymore! Another rider took a tumble today as a consequence of looking at the sky and not where he was going, resulting in a broken collar bone! So we are 3 weeks in and 3 riders (and 1 husband) down already!
22-Jun-08: Vienna or Barcelona?
Austria: Vienna - Rest Day
Again, the usual rest day tasks have occupied most of today, starting at 5.30am when I ventured up to the single washing machine located on the 6th floor of the hotel to join the already in progress queue to do laundry. And am now in an internet cafe, where I have been for the past 2-3 hours catching up on email and writing this, my latest blog entry.
We broke the day with a short walk into the city centre to have a look at Vienna, which is currently completely overrun by Spaniards and Italians all here for tonight's Euro Cup game between Spain and Italy. The Spanish fans are very vocal and on quite a few occasions today you would be forgiven for thinking you were in downtown Barcelona!
We are certainly getting a taste of things to come weather wise and today is baking hot in the shade and even hotter in the sun...we must be in mid 30's temperature wise. Nothing that can't be fixed by a dirty great big ice cream sundae in an airconditioned plaza!
'till next time x
Unfortunately, in the confusion one rider clipped the back wheel of another rider, albeit at very slow speed, but still causing Marilyn to fall off her bike. Or rather, causing her bike to fall on her, and very awkwardly so that although she was still somewhat standing, her bike and left leg were on the ground. And the sad conclusion being a broken ankle! It is such a shame to loose any rider so early on in the trip, particularly considering the planning that goes into it, even for those ceasing their trip in Istanbul. So, Marilyn and her husband Murray unfortunately had to fly home to Canada. We have heard since that she does not require an operation that was initially thought to be required to pin the break, so that is one piece of good news in the situation at least.
So, back to the riding...and in it's midst some more, and unfortunately more serious, injury stories...
13-Jun-08: Soccer Fever
Germany: Ulm to Eggelstetten
94.5km, 4h 33min riding
A pleasant day of riding with a very cold start! Nothing to prevent an easy ride into camp, arriving in the early afternoon...
The campsite had a little log cabin, housing a bar, which was full of a very eclectic mix of all manner of items from toy cars to box brownie cameras. We settled in after dinner and watched the Euro Cup Football (aka Soccer) match between the Netherlands and France, both Countries for which we had supporters in our riding companions and so had some vocal and opposing support. The Netherlands won 4-1 in what I am told was a good match...I went to bed at half time!
14-Jun-08: Inspiring Poetic Prose
Germany: Eggelstetetten to Kipfenberg
100km, 4h 51min riding
Once again the day started quite cold but warmed up to pleasant weather for riding. We started on the Danube cycleway and then departed from it to a more scenic route which took us on to a beautiful bike path which meandered through multicoloured patchwork fields surrounded by rolling grass covered hills which were peppered with rock formations and the occasional tree. The path continued alongside calm waterways which were shaded by weeping trees reaching down with their branches to tickle the water's surface and gave shade to families rafting in the river. The trail then led us through little townships nestled at the base of hillsides guarded by an army of of pine trees and rock soldiers. It was a day which inspired creation of some poetic prose whilst riding along thinking 'now how do I put this in to words so that others can even come close to visualising how beautiful this is...'!
The cycle path was very popular and we were passing other bike riders and the occasional rock climber on the path all day long and eventually the path moved from the tranquility into what could be likened to the main street of a theme park! We had ridden into the township of Eichstatt and stumbled upon a medieval festival. Of course we stopped to take part in the festivities and managed to finally hunt down Brattwurst sausages and sat by the river and ate Gelati watching couples row by in river boats before making our way into camp for the night.
15-Jun-08: Gravel Symphony
Germany: Kipfenburg to Regensberg
105km, 5h 12min riding
Today's path was 30-40km of hard packed gravel, which under pressure of 8 bicycle tyres in unison, recited its own ever-present symphony of crunching with the occasional interlude of tranquility as the voice of the of gravel gave way to the silence of bitumen.
Riding into Regensberg we took part in another round of ribbon hunt...the means of directing us into our campsite or hotel when the directions are too difficult to give in writing. We are directed by a series of pink ribbons tied to street signs, bushes, garbage cans or whatever a ribbon can be attached to, so that if we keep our eyes peeled we eventually wind up the right place. Although, you can ride along thinking 'I hope we didn't miss a ribbon' as it can be up to 5km between ribbons when riding through the countryside along straight-ish roads into a campsite! Or in this case a hotel...
16-Jun-08: A World Away
Germany: Regensberg – Rest Day
Regensberg is a pretty, mid-sized township, the centre of which is completely pedestrianised. The usual 'rest day' activities of laundry, shopping and internet were made more entertaining by our sporadic and eventually unsuccessful hunt for a decent internet cafe. The first of which we had been directed to either did not exist or was completely mis-directed as circumnavigation of all blocks surrounding the supposed location were unsuccessful. Attempt 2 resulted in discovery of a very dodgy internet cafe which had a blacked-out front door which required you to buzz to get in...and inside housed an array of computer terminals each in their own little cubicle, with curtains and an alcoholic drinks list! At best a conduit for illegal internet gambling...at worst a pornography cafe! Thankfully their computers ran a weird interface which did not recognise my hard drive and gave us excuse to promptly exit the facility!
As many of the group trekked across town in search of a suitable location to watch yet more Euro Cup football, a few of us sourced out the least likely place to be overrun by football spectators...a sushi restaurant...and had dinner there. Although they did still screen the game and we bore witness to the single German goal so were still in the sporting loop!
Today was a day of realisation for me...realisation of how far I am away from home and the life I led pre-departure...I am a world away in every respect and still find it difficult to comprehend that I will be following this routine for another 5 months! I am consumed by the necessity of each daily task...waking up in time to get to breakfast before the muesli runs out, putting on enough sunscreen, whether or not to pack rain gear or wear arm warmers, packing the tent, figuring out how to dry the wet tent, how to wash and dry clothes, knowing where to go, staying safe and riding the distance. There is so little room left for anything else...to the point where I am sure those left back at home are feeling a little neglected and unloved...but that is not the case. It is like watching two subtitled films...in order to fully appreciate one the other needs to be placed on paused. That is the best way I can think to describe how it feels to be here. It is a little bewildering and daunting at times, but a great experience as it should be...
17-Jun-08: Barely Raised a Sweat
Germany: Regensberg to Straubing
53km, 2h 48min riding
A rare and much appreciated short day of riding...indicated foremostly by the daily instructions which dictate that lunch will be served at camp...rather than the usual half-way point!
Following lunch at camp we walked in to the town of Straubing, which much to our surprise and delight was a beautiful town much larger than its comparatively unknown name suggested. We sat in a local cafe for a beer and an afternoon snack. And had a successful afternoon of shopping, finally tracking down a travel chess/checkers game to extend the variety of campsite entertainment.
18-Jun-08: Accidents Do Happen
Germany: Straubing to Passau
100km, 4h 33min riding
You know you have turned a corner weather wise when the first line in your diary reads 'usual pleasant riding'...how easy it is to forget that only a week or so ago the usual was cold, wet and wetter! There is a uniformity about the populated European cities and towns we have been passing through and although always pleasant and sometimes outstandingly beautiful, it is still familiar in its western ways and I for one look forward to the unknown elements of places which are not so familiar. Having said so, we are doing our best to appreciate and make the most of western luxuries which we know will become scarcer the further east we move so still have source of pleasure, albeit familiar. Such luxuries include many cafe stops en-route to sample the local coffee, pastries, iced-chocolates or whatever decadence can fall under the reasoning 'soon we won't be able to get these so we had better make the most of it'. In the absence of little else bar forgiving Lycra, my newly purchased travel jeans are my measure of waistline dimension...if they become restrictive then it will be time to cut back on the indulgences!
Almost as if to highlight the insignificance of waistline dimensions, today took a sad turn when our riding companion and resident grandfather, Neil 81, was involved in an accident with a tractor. As we understand, it seems as though he became unstable on his bike and veered into the path of the articulated trailer of a tractor. Sadly the tractor ran over him after he fell to the ground, which resulted in internal bleeding and a broken pelvis, for which he was required to undergo surgery for. The latest news we have received is that he is now in an induced coma in intensive care in a hospital in the German town of Vilshofen. As we came upon the scene of the accident just after departure of the ambulance, we had a very quiet ride into camp as we all reflected on the event in our own way.
Once we arrived into camp there was little we could do but wait for further news on Neil, so we wandered into the town of Passau and without particularly looking for it, although we knew it was there, stumbled through a side door of the cathedral housing the largest pipe organ in the world. The cathedral was beautiful inside and we were sad to have missed the organ recital which took place at midday...
19-Jun-08: Beware of Ticks
Germany/Austria: Passau to Linz
104km, 4h 45min riding
We were torn between the desire to stay and watch the organ recital in Passau and the desire to avoid departing after lunch and therefore not arriving into camp until well into the evening. The latter desire won out and in hindsight we were glad as the temperature climbed into the afternoon as we got our first taste of the European summer to come.
A few kilometres outside Passau we said goodbye to Germany as we crossed into Austria and a whole new world. Almost as if the Austrians have a larger shareholding in the weather, the temperature soared into the afternoon. The campsite in Linz was located adjacent to a gigantic public park surrounding a lake. On the opposite side of the lake was a nudist beach, although the locals did not seem to see this as limitation as they stripped off everywhere and anywhere...getting naked seems to be a favourite pastime in Austria!
Waiting for us in our slightly overgrown campsite was a notice board, prepared by our tour nurse, entitled 'Lesson on Nasty Austrian Ticks'...which promptly brought on a bought of psychological itching amongst us all! The ticks carry a serious form of encephalitis against which the entire population of Austria has been immunised for, so we are now all on the lookout for the nasty little creatures!
During the day my bike began making some concerning noises, which on review at the lunch truck was deemed to be broken ball bearings in my shimano equivalent dynamo hub which powers my bike lights. The result being my having to swap my front wheel for one of the non-riding staff's wheels and finish the day. Much to the delight of interested onlookers Olivie, our resident french mechanic, dismantled the hub and gave it a good clean but as proved by the following day of riding was unable to remove all fragments of the faulty ball bearings...so I am now in search of a new front wheel and need to effect a warranty claim...did I mention just being here is already a full time job?!
20-Jun-08: Scars From the Past
Austria: Linz to Emmersdorf
109km (incl. detour), 4h 34min riding
Today cycling played a backseat role to the day's highlight (or lowlight, depending on how you think about it) being our detour from the directed route, to the nearby ex-Natzi concentration camp located just outside the town of Mathausen.
I can't say that I particularly enjoyed the visit...how could anyone 'enjoy' such atrocities...but in any case, am glad I went. Admittedly, it didn't take long for my protection mechanisms to kick in, beyond which point not much sunk in. But in light of the little of what I did absorb, I could not even begin to imagine what these poor people must have gone through and was struck by the courage and clear presence of the human spirit and will to live that the strongest of them had.
We viewed a film on the history of the camp which included interviews with local surrounding residents and members of the American military which ultimately came to the rescue. Still to this day the army officers choke back tears in recalling how on their first day they buried 1200 people who had died of starvation and continued to do so at a rate of 300 people per day as they were too weak to eat. Walking around the camp was eerie and I could not bring myself to take photos of the gas chambers, crematoriums or even the memorials. All I could do was reflect on how any human could do such a thing to another living soul and was grateful that my presence there was simply as a visitor.
Our mid-morning 2 hour visit to the camp after only about 20km made for a very long cycling day and we arrived in to camp and the smell of dinner being prepared.
21-Jun-08: Too Much Skin
Austria: Emmersdorf to Vienna
115km, 5h 7min riding
Things do not always go quite according to plan and today was no exception to this rule. We rose early so that we could get a good start in the hope of arriving into Vienna early before the shops, bike shops in particular, closed on Saturday. After only riding 100m on my not-quite-right front wheel, as my loan wheel was needed by its owner, it became very apparent that somewhere between being just noisy and taken off in favour of a quieter ride, it was now buckled. So I pushed it back in to camp where the mechanic and owner of my previously loaned wheel were still getting ready to leave and some jostlsting of wheels and exchanging of bikes later, we all had a rideable solution and I was on my way...an hour after I had planned to leave!
The riding day started out by frequently passing through little river-side townships with cobblestoned streets but at about half way became a straight cycle path alongside the Danube. It is the first day of the European Summer and the Austrian heat has made no attempt to conceal the fact. The combined effect of rising temperatures, a somewhat monotonous cycle path and the 5th consecutive and comparatively long day of riding did start to take its toll at about 75km at which point we gave in to the need for shade and our peanut butter sandwiches. In an attempt to give our minds something else to think about other than watching the kilometres slowly ticking over, we spent the afternoon riding a sequence of 1km sprint followed by 2km of relaxed riding...it was a great distraction and we were soon in Vienna and at 2.30pm, earlier than we had expected.
Riding in to Vienna was certainly an interesting experience as the Austrians continued to display their love of all things natural. Within 1-2 metres from the edge of the bike path we passed dozens of naked people enjoying the summer sun...including a family, with kids jumping on a trampoline and a man standing completely starkers whilst fishing...certainly an eye opener, and rarely a pleasant one!!!
In hunt for a new front wheel we tried to find an open bike shop in Vienna as soon as we arrived, knowing that everything would be closed on our Sunday rest day, but with no luck. So in light of our first day riding out of Vienna being a short 60km, I will be hanging about in Vienna to source a new front wheel prior to leaving the city.
Oh, and it is happening so often now it is almost not news anymore! Another rider took a tumble today as a consequence of looking at the sky and not where he was going, resulting in a broken collar bone! So we are 3 weeks in and 3 riders (and 1 husband) down already!
22-Jun-08: Vienna or Barcelona?
Austria: Vienna - Rest Day
Again, the usual rest day tasks have occupied most of today, starting at 5.30am when I ventured up to the single washing machine located on the 6th floor of the hotel to join the already in progress queue to do laundry. And am now in an internet cafe, where I have been for the past 2-3 hours catching up on email and writing this, my latest blog entry.
We broke the day with a short walk into the city centre to have a look at Vienna, which is currently completely overrun by Spaniards and Italians all here for tonight's Euro Cup game between Spain and Italy. The Spanish fans are very vocal and on quite a few occasions today you would be forgiven for thinking you were in downtown Barcelona!
We are certainly getting a taste of things to come weather wise and today is baking hot in the shade and even hotter in the sun...we must be in mid 30's temperature wise. Nothing that can't be fixed by a dirty great big ice cream sundae in an airconditioned plaza!
'till next time x
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sore Feet
09-Jun-08: Hall of Fame
Germany: Freiburg to Donaueschingen
79km, 5h 19min riding, 809m ascent
Many were excited to be moving on from the rest day in Freiburg to the town of Donaueschingen, which is home to the source of the Danube river, and the start of the Danube cycleway which in all our minds will deliver quieter riding paths and better campsites given its tourism popularity.
We had good weather and the riding was a plesant one following quiet country roads through farmland. Just prior to lunch we ascended a single challenging 10km climb with gradient ranging from 9-13%. And the view from the top was well worth the effort.
Any distance less than 100km is already becoming a quasi rest day and even moreso as the weather becomes kinder and we become stronger. So with less than 80km to cover we reached town in the early hours of the afternoon which allowed us time enough to spend what ended up being a few hours in a local bike shop creating babies for our luggage, as Shanny our tour leader refers to the act purchasing items which cause our luggage to expand.
We stumbled upon a well stocked bike shop in which we purchased numerous items including pepper spray for aggressive dogs which we expect to encounter in Romania! The owners and other customers of the shop were very interested in our journey and we spent some time, with Manon translating, explaining the hows and why fors of our adventure. Our visit concluded with the owners getting us to pose for a photo which we imagine is now amusingly posted proudly on the shop wall hall of fame.
10-Jun-08: In a Fairytale
Germany: Donaueschingen to Simaringen
88km, 4h 55min riding
We woke for our first morning of cycling along the Danube to a crisp morning which, due to the relative differences in temperature between the outside air and that inside our temporary homes, had caused mammoth amounts of condensation on the inside surfaces of our finally dry tents and decided that although we were appreciative of the sunshine, the effect of rain on a tent was clearly preferable to condensation!
We were on our way quickly under beautiful clear blue skies for what has been the most spectacular day of riding so far and one which affirms why we all decided to undertake this journey. The cycle path started with a meandering ride through grass fields and past little timber shacks and large climbing trees with a misty outlook of distant hillside settlements and after lunch led us through the floor of a valley cradled by massive walls of rock adorned with pine trees. I felt as though I was riding through a fairytale picturebook.
As we approached Simaringen we were startled by a brigade of camoflaged military personell in training alongside the bike path. It was not until we were on top of them that we realised that outcrop of rock was not a rock at all! We rolled by in silence as I heard one of the soldiers read the sign on the front of my bike out loud..."Paris to Beijing"...and subsequently whistle in amazement.
11-Jun-08: Staying Dry
Germany: Simaringen to Ulm
107.5km, 5h 19min riding
Today was one of those days I can only note as 'pleasant'. Not spectacular, not dreadful, just pleasant. The sun became bashful and hid behind cloudcover for most of the day but we did not get rained upon, which is always a blessing. After a couple of shorter riding days, the few extra kilometres did take their toll on the energy levels which were promptly restored upon reaching our hotel and the all important hot shower.
Manon, Graeme, Dan, Al and myself decided that it was time for a decent night out so after an afternoon rest we all wandering the old town of Ulm in search of a little local cuisine and were not dissapointed. We found a beautiful and cosy little cottage style restaurant which was fully booked but had a table for us provided we left within 2 hours, which we greatfully accepted. After half a litre of local beer, our main courses were delivered in amusing fashion.
The waitress was a solid german lady dressed in traditional clothing but reminded me of a gladiator who would be right at home wrestling in a pool of baked beans! We could hear her stomping up the stairs with our meals which were briskly thumped on the table, off-centre of our seating arrangment, much to our bemusement...but after a single attempt by one of us to correct the seemingly askew placement, we were told not to touch as plates were then placed in front of us. We could not really come to grips with why we were being expected to transfer our meals from one perfectly good plate to another just for the sake of it, but we daren't argue with the gladiator! The meals were amazing and the atmosphere added to the experience.
We moved on to a sports bar where we watched the Euro Cup soccer match between Sweden and Turkey. We gave a 7 euro tip and were subsequently bid farewell with a round of Sambuka's on the house for which the waiter joined us, following which we and got hopelessly lost trying to find our way home but much fun was had by all.
12-Jun-08: These Feet are Made for Walkin'
Germany: Ulm - Rest Day
Today is our rest day which as per cutsom has been spent doing laundry, sourcing much needed bike supplies and updating blogs! I was excited to find a pair of 'rain legs' which are the front half of a pair of plastic shorts which strap on to form a shield against rain flowing off the front of my jacket, keeping it from soaking the crucial parts of my riding pants.
We are off to dinner to the same restaurant tonight and hope to enjoy the hospitality of the gladiator once more before leaving Ulm tomorrow to continue along the Danube cycleway.
Posting photos is proving a bigger challenge than I had hoped but will do my best at the next rest day! x
Germany: Freiburg to Donaueschingen
79km, 5h 19min riding, 809m ascent
Many were excited to be moving on from the rest day in Freiburg to the town of Donaueschingen, which is home to the source of the Danube river, and the start of the Danube cycleway which in all our minds will deliver quieter riding paths and better campsites given its tourism popularity.
We had good weather and the riding was a plesant one following quiet country roads through farmland. Just prior to lunch we ascended a single challenging 10km climb with gradient ranging from 9-13%. And the view from the top was well worth the effort.
Any distance less than 100km is already becoming a quasi rest day and even moreso as the weather becomes kinder and we become stronger. So with less than 80km to cover we reached town in the early hours of the afternoon which allowed us time enough to spend what ended up being a few hours in a local bike shop creating babies for our luggage, as Shanny our tour leader refers to the act purchasing items which cause our luggage to expand.
We stumbled upon a well stocked bike shop in which we purchased numerous items including pepper spray for aggressive dogs which we expect to encounter in Romania! The owners and other customers of the shop were very interested in our journey and we spent some time, with Manon translating, explaining the hows and why fors of our adventure. Our visit concluded with the owners getting us to pose for a photo which we imagine is now amusingly posted proudly on the shop wall hall of fame.
10-Jun-08: In a Fairytale
Germany: Donaueschingen to Simaringen
88km, 4h 55min riding
We woke for our first morning of cycling along the Danube to a crisp morning which, due to the relative differences in temperature between the outside air and that inside our temporary homes, had caused mammoth amounts of condensation on the inside surfaces of our finally dry tents and decided that although we were appreciative of the sunshine, the effect of rain on a tent was clearly preferable to condensation!
We were on our way quickly under beautiful clear blue skies for what has been the most spectacular day of riding so far and one which affirms why we all decided to undertake this journey. The cycle path started with a meandering ride through grass fields and past little timber shacks and large climbing trees with a misty outlook of distant hillside settlements and after lunch led us through the floor of a valley cradled by massive walls of rock adorned with pine trees. I felt as though I was riding through a fairytale picturebook.
As we approached Simaringen we were startled by a brigade of camoflaged military personell in training alongside the bike path. It was not until we were on top of them that we realised that outcrop of rock was not a rock at all! We rolled by in silence as I heard one of the soldiers read the sign on the front of my bike out loud..."Paris to Beijing"...and subsequently whistle in amazement.
11-Jun-08: Staying Dry
Germany: Simaringen to Ulm
107.5km, 5h 19min riding
Today was one of those days I can only note as 'pleasant'. Not spectacular, not dreadful, just pleasant. The sun became bashful and hid behind cloudcover for most of the day but we did not get rained upon, which is always a blessing. After a couple of shorter riding days, the few extra kilometres did take their toll on the energy levels which were promptly restored upon reaching our hotel and the all important hot shower.
Manon, Graeme, Dan, Al and myself decided that it was time for a decent night out so after an afternoon rest we all wandering the old town of Ulm in search of a little local cuisine and were not dissapointed. We found a beautiful and cosy little cottage style restaurant which was fully booked but had a table for us provided we left within 2 hours, which we greatfully accepted. After half a litre of local beer, our main courses were delivered in amusing fashion.
The waitress was a solid german lady dressed in traditional clothing but reminded me of a gladiator who would be right at home wrestling in a pool of baked beans! We could hear her stomping up the stairs with our meals which were briskly thumped on the table, off-centre of our seating arrangment, much to our bemusement...but after a single attempt by one of us to correct the seemingly askew placement, we were told not to touch as plates were then placed in front of us. We could not really come to grips with why we were being expected to transfer our meals from one perfectly good plate to another just for the sake of it, but we daren't argue with the gladiator! The meals were amazing and the atmosphere added to the experience.
We moved on to a sports bar where we watched the Euro Cup soccer match between Sweden and Turkey. We gave a 7 euro tip and were subsequently bid farewell with a round of Sambuka's on the house for which the waiter joined us, following which we and got hopelessly lost trying to find our way home but much fun was had by all.
12-Jun-08: These Feet are Made for Walkin'
Germany: Ulm - Rest Day
Today is our rest day which as per cutsom has been spent doing laundry, sourcing much needed bike supplies and updating blogs! I was excited to find a pair of 'rain legs' which are the front half of a pair of plastic shorts which strap on to form a shield against rain flowing off the front of my jacket, keeping it from soaking the crucial parts of my riding pants.
We are off to dinner to the same restaurant tonight and hope to enjoy the hospitality of the gladiator once more before leaving Ulm tomorrow to continue along the Danube cycleway.
Posting photos is proving a bigger challenge than I had hoped but will do my best at the next rest day! x
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Still Alive!
01-Jun-08: All according to plan…nearly
France: Paris to Provins (Chenoise)
99km, 5h 43min riding
Day one of riding started out with a guided ride past all the major sites of Paris, which took about 3 hours and although pleasant, did end up making for a very long day in the saddle by the time we reached our destination. The weather was mostly kind to us with a cool start and warming up to about 28 degrees and sunny by lunch, soon after which the sky changed and threatened rain…and in hindsight it was no idle threat, little did we know at the time!
We shared our route for most of the day with everyone else travelling from Paris in the direction of Provins, which at times was a little nerve wracking! But the French traffic is very considerate and unlike home in Australia, bicycles are respected and given a very wide berth. If a horn is honked or words shouted it is only ever in encouragement, which is a nice change from the polar opposite treatment by traffic at home.
Our first campsite, despite a prior booking, ended up being an overgrown wasteland and so a last minute change of plan was implemented by tour staff. Those of us taking our time were lucky to avoid the 2km hill climb into Provins and were flagged down en-route and given new instructions to another campsite in the nearby town of Chenoise. We got a little lost trying to find the new campsite which was in the back paddock of a local farm, but after asking a few friendly locals we managed to find our way.
We shared the site with a few rather noisy local campers and even noisier donkeys and pitched our tents, many for the first time, and reflected on our sore bums and luck that the rain had held out. We spoke too soon!
During the night a thunderstorm complete with downpour blew in and so had started our love hate relationship with the wet stuff!
02-Jun-08: Wet, Wet, Wet
France: Chenoise to Troyes
89km, 4h 35min riding
We all awoke in Chenoise to the sound of a very happy donkey at about 5am…and very wet tents! It was a small blessing that the rain had stopped enough to allow us to pack up without getting even wetter, although it soon started again once we were on our bikes.
Today we rode on the N19, which I would liken to the Bruce Highway in Queensland at home. We very quickly had full appreciation for the impact of a full ban on truck movement in the whole of France on Sunday’s, which we had benefited from on our first day of riding!
So we spent most of the day battling the pouring rain and holding on for dear life against the crossdraft of trucks passing at 100kph, which can easily throw a bike off course by a metre or more if you are not ready for it! Besides the unrelenting rain, the day passed without incident and was broken by a couple of stops in roadside café’s and bakeries for hot drinks and sweet snacks.
We arrived into camp quite late in the day, having taken our time at our rest stops to warm up and restore our dampened sprits and were thankful again that the pouring rain had subsided to a drizzle to allow us to erect our already wet tents. But much to my immense pleasure I discovered that there is nothing much a hot shower can’t fix!
03-Jun-08: Tough Day!
France: Troyes to Chaumont
110km, 6h 12min riding
The first 50km of Day 3 we were blessed with beautiful weather and beautiful riding on bike paths and quiet roads through national parks. I remember rolling along thinking that this is the sort of riding that drives us to come on a trip of this nature. Unfortunately, as we have learnt quite a few times now, it never pays to speak to soon and a day that starts out well can end very badly!
Graeme got the first flat tire of the trip and due to miscommunication and bad timing ended up alone at the back of the group before discovering that he had forgotten to pack his tire levers on his bike, making the task of changing a flat tyre very difficult. Though somehow he managed to do so with just 10 fingers and no doubt a few colourful words!
Having received news of his misfortune by text message, Manon and I who were further on the road waited for what ended up being about 1 1/1 hours. We were joined at one stage by Duncan, one of the tour leaders and Neil, who at 81 years old is the eldest rider on tour and an inspiration to us all. He has many a story to tell and a great sense of humour which made our roadside wait not much of a chore at all.
Eventually Graeme caught up with us and following a visit from the lunch truck with a decent pump we were back on the road to our next destination. Unfortunately, stopping for so long mid-ride had brought about cramping in my left leg and so made the balance 50km a very tedious and often painful task, which much to my annoyance required my first use of the granny gear even on flat roads! We were all very tired having spent such a long day outside and rolled into camp at about 6pm just after the ‘search and rescue’ truck had been sent to locate us!
Being the night before a rest day, we were then responsible for sourcing our own dinner, which in itself is not such a bad thing, but following a late arrival and having to put up (still wet) tents and then hike 20 minutes up a massive hill into town, it was a very exhausting task. But one made very worthwhile by finding a brilliant little French restaurant (Louis on Rue St Louis, Chaumont) with fabulous service and better food!
04-Jun-08: Always Carry Change
France: Chaumont - Rest Day
Day 4 was our first rest day and the only one of the Orient Express trip which involves camping…thankfully! Camping, in the wet, next to a freeway and a 20 minute hike from town unfortunately did not really result in much rest!
Due to the prior wet weather the first thing on everyone’s mind was laundry and so the first half of the rest day was spent trapsing the half hour across town to the laundromat, sourcing the correct combination of 20cents, 50cents and 1euro coins to obtain detergent, a wash cycle and enough dryer time and then waiting for the latter to execute.
The balance of the day evaporated as laundry was walked back into camp, dirty bikes were cleaned and serviced and shopping for on-road snack food was carried out.
05-Jun-08: Wet, Wet and Wetter!
France: Chaumont to Xertigny
134.5km, 7h 16min riding
Just incase overcast skies and the persistent drizzle had been enough to allow us to forget what rain was, it came back in force on Day 5! We rode through beautiful countryside for most of the day but it was just so wet and cold that the foremost thing on everyone’s mind was just reaching camp as soon as possible.
Much to my frustration my left leg was still causing me pain so I tried taking it easy for a while but quickly found that nursing it made little difference to the pain and with such a long distance to cover, was only going to result in my being on the bike all day. So on the basis that using it hurt no more I hopped on board the ‘tandem train’ and drafted my way for an hour into the lunch stop and made up some ground.
The ‘tandem train’ is a South African couple Carl and Rita who are riding a tandem bike. Carl is the cyclist who used to race the bike and had convinced his wife Rita to come on this trip as a passenger. Much to our amusement of often times envy, Rita has the luxury of being able to ride hands free at will and take photos while moving. And with the power of two, they can get up a great speed and are great fun to sit behind!
I found the last 15km very painful but gritted my teeth and Graeme and I pedalled very slowly into camp to maintain our EFI status…EFI…Every Fabulous Inch, and our goal for the entire trip.
To make an already very challenging day even more of a challenge, our ‘camp’ which was to be on a football field was more of a pond and tour staff had made last minute arrangements for us all to sleep inside the local sports stadium. A nice alternative to sleeping in wet tents despite the lack of showers, but the last minute planning had resulted in our 25kg bags being left 500m downhill of the stadium and up to us to re-locate…the last straw for me, being exhausted and having a very sore leg…but after an emotional moment I did manage to execute enough practical thought to get my bag, bike and person into the stadium and once dried off following a baby-wipe bath, felt much better!
06-Jun-08: Saving on Sunscreen
France: Xertigny to Munster
88km, 4h 57min riding, 889m ascent!
Today there was surprise, surprise, more rain! But compensated for by absolutely beautiful riding and due to a miscalculation in distances, a shorter day than the 115km we had anticipated. The route took us up through ski country and through beautiful little ski villages but unfortunately most of it was hidden behind rain and heavy mist all day.
We had a 10km climb at a 7-10% gradient to do, which I actually enjoyed and a challenge I had been missing from my usual cycling program at home. Riding hard was familiar and seemed to make my leg much happier as it was using muscles it was more used to using rather than the comparatively weaker ‘easy riding’ muscles.
Following the climb we had an 18km descent into the town of Munster, which was made very frightening by the wet roads and visibility of only 20m! But given I hate heights I was in a sense pleased that I could not see how high up I was and just held on tight and rode the breaks the whole way down. And it was freezing! It is supposed to be nearly summer in Europe and I have already worn more winter cycle clothing than I have ever worn in winter back home!
Camp in Munster was great (ie. hot showers, washing machine and dryer!...simple pleasures) and the weather cleared up enough to allow us to sit outside our tents and relax for the first time since departure…we enjoyed some wine and indulged in some local Munster cheese before dinner and making it into our tents just before some more of the wet stuff!
07-Jun-08: Easy Riding
France/Germany: Munster to Freiburg
69.5km, 3h 22min riding
Today we said Au Revoir to France and Hallo to Germany with little fanfare. As both are part of the borderless group of Schengen Countries we rode from one country into the next with nothing but a roadside sign to signal the change.
Due to a comparatively short distance and completely flat roads we arrived into town and our first hotel stay since day one by 1pm, despite 2 flat tyres in our group. And for the first day since day one we completed an entire day of riding without being rained upon!
08-Jun-08: Playing Catchup
Germany: Freiburg - Rest Day
And so today finally brings you up to date with my latest news. I have spent the whole morning on and off the hotel computer updating you on my movements, allowing others to interrupt to send their emails home.
After a great night sleep in a dry warm bed I am feeling restored and ready to get back on the bike tomorrow, as we have one day of riding left before reaching the Danube cycleway, which will bring us 1,400km of cycle route dedicated to cycle touring and we can hardly wait!
The tour to date has been dampened somewhat by excessive amounts of rain, however we are told now that we have crossed over the mountain pass we can expect less bad weather heading forward. Although the skies are still grey there has yet to be any real rain since we arrived yesterday so that is a positive sign.
For those that don’t know, Graeme, Manon and I registered on this trip as a group of friends, and have pretty much set out on each day of riding together accordingly. However, fellow riders have been great company and there is always someone willing to let you tag along if any of us decide we want to ride at a different pace to each other.
At 27 I am the youngest rider on tour and at 81, the aforementioned Neil is the eldest. The average age is 54. Most are couples on their touring trip of a lifetime, however there are many friends travelling together and most have done extensive bike touring before. So far they have all put we young ones to shame, arriving well before us most days and some even having the excess energy left to go running on rest days!
The group generally has a pretty good dynamic and most have formed smaller groups of association which tends to happen with so many in number. A few have been disappointed and irritated by a mis-match between their expectations of the tour organisation and what has actually occurred, particularly with respect to the quality of camping facilities. The food, with the exception to dinner which has been great since day one, also started out a little lack-luster but has improved dramatically to most of our satisfaction, although a little more would not go astray! This is the first year this tour has run with only a single style of accommodation available to all (previously there has been the option to pay a premium for hotel accommodation) and seemingly due to the number of participants has had a few teething problems accordingly. But you can’t please everyone all of the time and the staff are mostly receptive to constructive criticism and so well reasonable gripes if voiced appropriately tend to be addressed quite adequately.
There are 7 of us this Orient Express tour, which takes us through to Istanbul, who will be continuing on to do the Silk Route tour all the way through to Beijing. There is myself 27, Graeme 36, Manon 31, Dan 28, Al 28 and Stewart and Fred who are both enjoying their later-life. The group has good dynamics so I am looking forward to travelling through with all of them. As far as we are aware a further 10 or so will join us in Istanbul to do the Silk Route tour. And as far as we can tell they are mostly male. Although it rarely crosses our minds, Manon and I will be in a very small female minority from Istanbul onwards, which is interesting to some I guess.
Anyway, I will leave it there for now and will try to upload some photos from France…there aren’t all that many due to the bad weather but hopefully the mood is portrayed!
Love to all x
France: Paris to Provins (Chenoise)
99km, 5h 43min riding
Day one of riding started out with a guided ride past all the major sites of Paris, which took about 3 hours and although pleasant, did end up making for a very long day in the saddle by the time we reached our destination. The weather was mostly kind to us with a cool start and warming up to about 28 degrees and sunny by lunch, soon after which the sky changed and threatened rain…and in hindsight it was no idle threat, little did we know at the time!
We shared our route for most of the day with everyone else travelling from Paris in the direction of Provins, which at times was a little nerve wracking! But the French traffic is very considerate and unlike home in Australia, bicycles are respected and given a very wide berth. If a horn is honked or words shouted it is only ever in encouragement, which is a nice change from the polar opposite treatment by traffic at home.
Our first campsite, despite a prior booking, ended up being an overgrown wasteland and so a last minute change of plan was implemented by tour staff. Those of us taking our time were lucky to avoid the 2km hill climb into Provins and were flagged down en-route and given new instructions to another campsite in the nearby town of Chenoise. We got a little lost trying to find the new campsite which was in the back paddock of a local farm, but after asking a few friendly locals we managed to find our way.
We shared the site with a few rather noisy local campers and even noisier donkeys and pitched our tents, many for the first time, and reflected on our sore bums and luck that the rain had held out. We spoke too soon!
During the night a thunderstorm complete with downpour blew in and so had started our love hate relationship with the wet stuff!
02-Jun-08: Wet, Wet, Wet
France: Chenoise to Troyes
89km, 4h 35min riding
We all awoke in Chenoise to the sound of a very happy donkey at about 5am…and very wet tents! It was a small blessing that the rain had stopped enough to allow us to pack up without getting even wetter, although it soon started again once we were on our bikes.
Today we rode on the N19, which I would liken to the Bruce Highway in Queensland at home. We very quickly had full appreciation for the impact of a full ban on truck movement in the whole of France on Sunday’s, which we had benefited from on our first day of riding!
So we spent most of the day battling the pouring rain and holding on for dear life against the crossdraft of trucks passing at 100kph, which can easily throw a bike off course by a metre or more if you are not ready for it! Besides the unrelenting rain, the day passed without incident and was broken by a couple of stops in roadside café’s and bakeries for hot drinks and sweet snacks.
We arrived into camp quite late in the day, having taken our time at our rest stops to warm up and restore our dampened sprits and were thankful again that the pouring rain had subsided to a drizzle to allow us to erect our already wet tents. But much to my immense pleasure I discovered that there is nothing much a hot shower can’t fix!
03-Jun-08: Tough Day!
France: Troyes to Chaumont
110km, 6h 12min riding
The first 50km of Day 3 we were blessed with beautiful weather and beautiful riding on bike paths and quiet roads through national parks. I remember rolling along thinking that this is the sort of riding that drives us to come on a trip of this nature. Unfortunately, as we have learnt quite a few times now, it never pays to speak to soon and a day that starts out well can end very badly!
Graeme got the first flat tire of the trip and due to miscommunication and bad timing ended up alone at the back of the group before discovering that he had forgotten to pack his tire levers on his bike, making the task of changing a flat tyre very difficult. Though somehow he managed to do so with just 10 fingers and no doubt a few colourful words!
Having received news of his misfortune by text message, Manon and I who were further on the road waited for what ended up being about 1 1/1 hours. We were joined at one stage by Duncan, one of the tour leaders and Neil, who at 81 years old is the eldest rider on tour and an inspiration to us all. He has many a story to tell and a great sense of humour which made our roadside wait not much of a chore at all.
Eventually Graeme caught up with us and following a visit from the lunch truck with a decent pump we were back on the road to our next destination. Unfortunately, stopping for so long mid-ride had brought about cramping in my left leg and so made the balance 50km a very tedious and often painful task, which much to my annoyance required my first use of the granny gear even on flat roads! We were all very tired having spent such a long day outside and rolled into camp at about 6pm just after the ‘search and rescue’ truck had been sent to locate us!
Being the night before a rest day, we were then responsible for sourcing our own dinner, which in itself is not such a bad thing, but following a late arrival and having to put up (still wet) tents and then hike 20 minutes up a massive hill into town, it was a very exhausting task. But one made very worthwhile by finding a brilliant little French restaurant (Louis on Rue St Louis, Chaumont) with fabulous service and better food!
04-Jun-08: Always Carry Change
France: Chaumont - Rest Day
Day 4 was our first rest day and the only one of the Orient Express trip which involves camping…thankfully! Camping, in the wet, next to a freeway and a 20 minute hike from town unfortunately did not really result in much rest!
Due to the prior wet weather the first thing on everyone’s mind was laundry and so the first half of the rest day was spent trapsing the half hour across town to the laundromat, sourcing the correct combination of 20cents, 50cents and 1euro coins to obtain detergent, a wash cycle and enough dryer time and then waiting for the latter to execute.
The balance of the day evaporated as laundry was walked back into camp, dirty bikes were cleaned and serviced and shopping for on-road snack food was carried out.
05-Jun-08: Wet, Wet and Wetter!
France: Chaumont to Xertigny
134.5km, 7h 16min riding
Just incase overcast skies and the persistent drizzle had been enough to allow us to forget what rain was, it came back in force on Day 5! We rode through beautiful countryside for most of the day but it was just so wet and cold that the foremost thing on everyone’s mind was just reaching camp as soon as possible.
Much to my frustration my left leg was still causing me pain so I tried taking it easy for a while but quickly found that nursing it made little difference to the pain and with such a long distance to cover, was only going to result in my being on the bike all day. So on the basis that using it hurt no more I hopped on board the ‘tandem train’ and drafted my way for an hour into the lunch stop and made up some ground.
The ‘tandem train’ is a South African couple Carl and Rita who are riding a tandem bike. Carl is the cyclist who used to race the bike and had convinced his wife Rita to come on this trip as a passenger. Much to our amusement of often times envy, Rita has the luxury of being able to ride hands free at will and take photos while moving. And with the power of two, they can get up a great speed and are great fun to sit behind!
I found the last 15km very painful but gritted my teeth and Graeme and I pedalled very slowly into camp to maintain our EFI status…EFI…Every Fabulous Inch, and our goal for the entire trip.
To make an already very challenging day even more of a challenge, our ‘camp’ which was to be on a football field was more of a pond and tour staff had made last minute arrangements for us all to sleep inside the local sports stadium. A nice alternative to sleeping in wet tents despite the lack of showers, but the last minute planning had resulted in our 25kg bags being left 500m downhill of the stadium and up to us to re-locate…the last straw for me, being exhausted and having a very sore leg…but after an emotional moment I did manage to execute enough practical thought to get my bag, bike and person into the stadium and once dried off following a baby-wipe bath, felt much better!
06-Jun-08: Saving on Sunscreen
France: Xertigny to Munster
88km, 4h 57min riding, 889m ascent!
Today there was surprise, surprise, more rain! But compensated for by absolutely beautiful riding and due to a miscalculation in distances, a shorter day than the 115km we had anticipated. The route took us up through ski country and through beautiful little ski villages but unfortunately most of it was hidden behind rain and heavy mist all day.
We had a 10km climb at a 7-10% gradient to do, which I actually enjoyed and a challenge I had been missing from my usual cycling program at home. Riding hard was familiar and seemed to make my leg much happier as it was using muscles it was more used to using rather than the comparatively weaker ‘easy riding’ muscles.
Following the climb we had an 18km descent into the town of Munster, which was made very frightening by the wet roads and visibility of only 20m! But given I hate heights I was in a sense pleased that I could not see how high up I was and just held on tight and rode the breaks the whole way down. And it was freezing! It is supposed to be nearly summer in Europe and I have already worn more winter cycle clothing than I have ever worn in winter back home!
Camp in Munster was great (ie. hot showers, washing machine and dryer!...simple pleasures) and the weather cleared up enough to allow us to sit outside our tents and relax for the first time since departure…we enjoyed some wine and indulged in some local Munster cheese before dinner and making it into our tents just before some more of the wet stuff!
07-Jun-08: Easy Riding
France/Germany: Munster to Freiburg
69.5km, 3h 22min riding
Today we said Au Revoir to France and Hallo to Germany with little fanfare. As both are part of the borderless group of Schengen Countries we rode from one country into the next with nothing but a roadside sign to signal the change.
Due to a comparatively short distance and completely flat roads we arrived into town and our first hotel stay since day one by 1pm, despite 2 flat tyres in our group. And for the first day since day one we completed an entire day of riding without being rained upon!
08-Jun-08: Playing Catchup
Germany: Freiburg - Rest Day
And so today finally brings you up to date with my latest news. I have spent the whole morning on and off the hotel computer updating you on my movements, allowing others to interrupt to send their emails home.
After a great night sleep in a dry warm bed I am feeling restored and ready to get back on the bike tomorrow, as we have one day of riding left before reaching the Danube cycleway, which will bring us 1,400km of cycle route dedicated to cycle touring and we can hardly wait!
The tour to date has been dampened somewhat by excessive amounts of rain, however we are told now that we have crossed over the mountain pass we can expect less bad weather heading forward. Although the skies are still grey there has yet to be any real rain since we arrived yesterday so that is a positive sign.
For those that don’t know, Graeme, Manon and I registered on this trip as a group of friends, and have pretty much set out on each day of riding together accordingly. However, fellow riders have been great company and there is always someone willing to let you tag along if any of us decide we want to ride at a different pace to each other.
At 27 I am the youngest rider on tour and at 81, the aforementioned Neil is the eldest. The average age is 54. Most are couples on their touring trip of a lifetime, however there are many friends travelling together and most have done extensive bike touring before. So far they have all put we young ones to shame, arriving well before us most days and some even having the excess energy left to go running on rest days!
The group generally has a pretty good dynamic and most have formed smaller groups of association which tends to happen with so many in number. A few have been disappointed and irritated by a mis-match between their expectations of the tour organisation and what has actually occurred, particularly with respect to the quality of camping facilities. The food, with the exception to dinner which has been great since day one, also started out a little lack-luster but has improved dramatically to most of our satisfaction, although a little more would not go astray! This is the first year this tour has run with only a single style of accommodation available to all (previously there has been the option to pay a premium for hotel accommodation) and seemingly due to the number of participants has had a few teething problems accordingly. But you can’t please everyone all of the time and the staff are mostly receptive to constructive criticism and so well reasonable gripes if voiced appropriately tend to be addressed quite adequately.
There are 7 of us this Orient Express tour, which takes us through to Istanbul, who will be continuing on to do the Silk Route tour all the way through to Beijing. There is myself 27, Graeme 36, Manon 31, Dan 28, Al 28 and Stewart and Fred who are both enjoying their later-life. The group has good dynamics so I am looking forward to travelling through with all of them. As far as we are aware a further 10 or so will join us in Istanbul to do the Silk Route tour. And as far as we can tell they are mostly male. Although it rarely crosses our minds, Manon and I will be in a very small female minority from Istanbul onwards, which is interesting to some I guess.
Anyway, I will leave it there for now and will try to upload some photos from France…there aren’t all that many due to the bad weather but hopefully the mood is portrayed!
Love to all x
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