Introduction

After surviving our first cycle tour together in 2014, we (Greg and Wendy) decided to chance another one. We decided to stay in one country this time.  As Germany has such great cycling infrastructure, we picked it and decided that instead of doing the whole country, we would concentrate on the South Eastern parts. Additionally, we decided to invite a few fellow cyclists; Gunther and Yvonne (from Howard, we cycle with them regularly), Stewart & Alison (from Hervey Bay, we cycle with them occasionally) and Mick & Kate (from Canberra, Greg has ridden with them on tour on a few occasions). Cycling is just so much more fun (and safer) when it is shared with like-minded people. We fly into Frankfurt, will do a loop around South Eastern Germany then fly out of Frankfurt six weeks later.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 38 - Tue 7 Jul: Mainz to Frankfurt

Image
Estimated km: 40; Actual km: 45; Total km: 1574; Ride time: 3h04m; Av speed: 14.7 kph   21-33deg, fine and pleasant.   Our last day on the bikes for this tour, where has the time gone?   As Maccas was across the street from the hotel, some (who shall remain nameless) had to wait until they opened to have brekky.   Maccas opens very late (8am) here compared to Oz. They actually serve a nice bacon and eggs breakfast in Germany so it's not too bad for you. Greg had brekkie in the room.   We rode away at 9am and headed back to the city centre of Mainz for a look around.   As it was a short-ride day there was no hurry to make tracks. Market Square, the main square in Mainz, by this time was bustling with fresh food stalls, shoppers and cyclists.   What a lovely way to buy your weekly food supplies.   Market Square is right next to the Mainz Cathedral, yet another massive old church from the 11th century.   About this time in history the Bi...
Read more

Day 12 - Thu 11 Jun 15: Nuremberg

Image
25km (Greg only), 14-26 deg C, cloudy but fine   Poor old Nuremberg was punished for being Hitler's favourite city and the centre for his Nazi regime. The allies bombed it mercilessly leading up the end of WWII. However, the Germans are a resilient bunch so over the decades since then they have re-built this place to somewhere near its former glory.   The city centre has a lovely mix of old and new and the Old Town walls from the 15th century are just about fully intact.   After a wholesome brekkie we caught the tram (#9) out to the partly completed Nazi Rally Centre, now called The Documentation Centre which chronicles all things Nazi.   And they don't pull any punches but say it exactly like it was, warts and all. This place is massive, the parade ground was designed for 100,000 troops and the Congress Hall for 50,000 people.   The commencement of the War brought the whole project to a halt.   The Congress Hall (not finished as designed) now houses Th...
Read more

Day 13 - Fri 12 Jun 15: Nuremburg to Rothenburg ob de Tauber

Image
Estimated km: 77; Actual km: 88; Total km: 550; Ride time: 5h22m; Start time: 8am; End time: 3:05pm; Av speed: 16.3 kph   16-34 deg C, (still pleasant though) fine and sunny.   We awoke to bright sunshine streaming into our motel window; a cycle tourer's dream.  After another lovely Holiday Inn brekkie we headed out into an already warm day. It took 13km to clear the city traffic and noise, and what a relief that was!   If there's any such thing as a perfect touring day this goes close. Apart from a dodgy downhill gravel section (which was a mistaken shortcut) it was smooth cycle paths or back roads all day.  There were a few "lumps" in the journey which got the heart going and blood flowing, but in the main the hills were kind and gentle. The ride was predominantly through farming country, mostly grain, sugar beet and canola, with some nice sections of forests and quaint villages. Our morning tea stop at Dietenhofen appeared precisely on time and had a gr...
Read more