Got to Gottingen

Bremen bratwurst seller, complete with oil backdrop.

Maggie and Des enjoying the country.

Sugar beet, used for fuel.

Lots of sugar beet.

The fish cafe beside a bike path.

Horses bound for Switzerland.

Too late for harvest, probably.

Wind and flour mill, Rysum.

A bit windy...at the North Sea.

It's a long way from the North Sea to the middle of Germany, but we had a slight advantage by beginning our Weser River ride at Bremen, rather than where it meets the sea at Bremerhaven. And we didn't make it to the end of the Weser either, instead choosing various goat tracks, hill climbs and roaring roads over the hills to Gottingen from Bodenweser. But more of that later. And perhaps even Angela will hear about some of the conditions, as well.

Maggie re-joined us at Verden, very good to see her wheel her machine off the railway platform and into my waiting arms. Needless to say we couldn't get the damn thing isn't the back of the car so she rode to our accommodation - another youth hostel,this one peopled by soccer boys - the blacks and the red, the blacks being slightly older. Graeme marveled at how disciplined and well-mannered they were. He was right. I can't see 50 or 60 Australian adolescents sitting down to meals so quietly and peacefully.

It has stopped raining, too. What a relief. Now we are riding under blue skies and applying copious amounts of sunscreen. It has been about 20-25 degrees - lovely riding weather.

Sally amd Maureen at the church cake stall.

Sundays are always tricky days to ride on account of the German habit of closing everything where one might purchase comestibles. And getting out of large cities, and Bremen was no exception, was also a bit tricky. Once out though we sailed along through farmland and villages, arriving just in time for the church lunch in Verden. Folks were serving bratwurst and potato salad and the ladies had made cakes to wash down with coffee. A two-piece band was playing and everyone was having a jolly old time. God came good for us that day.

Bodenweser.

Couldn't decide if these were goats or sheep.

Some of the most beautiful farming villages I have seen we encountered just after Verden. If you want to make a movie of pre-war German farming life this would be the setting. Maggie rode with us for her first ride of the tour if we're not counting the practice day prior to departing Nierstein, and she rode like a beauty. It is so good to have 5 riding and 1 driving again. More to argue about navigation, as Graeme might say, but more fun, too. We came across a caravan selling fish several ways for lunch, a mob of specially bred horses looking on. They were off to Switzerland as they are sturdy little horse built for climbing.

Bodenweder in the moring with the mist above the Weser.

En route to Gottingen.

The next day was slated as 90kms, but closer inspection of Google maps had it more like 140kms. To shorten the ride we cut across county before re-joining the Weser, making the day only 112kms. Some hills in the early part then long and flat after Hamelin. This was also the day of markets in towns, so we took several opportunities to stop and enjoy the wares (edible of course).

The endless Rocky Mountain climb.

Planning a route to Gottingen seemed easy and all went well for the first 10kms, until we took a Rocky Mountain track that seemed to climb to the heavens. When we'd all had enough, Sally got out her Google maps and we re-routed. Our most challenging day for hills to date, climbing 650 meters over the day, most of that before reaching Einbeck. We rocked into the youth hostel, also up another hill just to add insult to injury, just before 6pm and enjoyed a cold beer!

Riders are now about half way with anywhere between 1150 to 1250kms under their belts. Next we tackle the Fairytale Route.

Lunch courtesy of the gyros seller in the market place.

Metrics to date:

14 August: Bremen to Verden; 56kms

15 August: Verden to Landesbergen; 70kms

16 August: Landesbergen to Bodenweder; 112kms

17 August: Bodenweder to Gottingen; 86kms