The blog of our current trip, Geneva to Stockholm 2011, is at http://2gonetravelling.blogspot.com/
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Thursday, August 6, 2009
GPS Iphone tour mapping
See where we have been.
http://www.trackmytour.com/353
The last word
We have seen mankinds greatest works of art and natures best efforts in the richness of Tuscany and the drama of the Tyrol. Our ride has been accompanied by the everpresent sounds of birdsong and running water and with church bells announcing the towns and cities. How could you see a country or countries better than by biking? I suggest only by walking. Would we do things differently next time? Not much, only a few tweaks. Cycling rules in Europe and I have to say that the courtesy and patience towards all cyclists by European motorists has played a large part in making our trip a success. We will be glad to get home but sorry to leave.
http://www.trackmytour.com/353
The last word
We have seen mankinds greatest works of art and natures best efforts in the richness of Tuscany and the drama of the Tyrol. Our ride has been accompanied by the everpresent sounds of birdsong and running water and with church bells announcing the towns and cities. How could you see a country or countries better than by biking? I suggest only by walking. Would we do things differently next time? Not much, only a few tweaks. Cycling rules in Europe and I have to say that the courtesy and patience towards all cyclists by European motorists has played a large part in making our trip a success. We will be glad to get home but sorry to leave.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Lauenburg to Hamburg - August 1
We made it to Hamburg, the end of our long ride. My bike computer tells me we have ridden just over 3700 kilometres since we landed in Rome nearly three months ago.
This morning after a very good breakfast at our hotel in Lauenburg we set off with the sun shining and a gentle breeze at our back.
It was a fairly uneventful ride of about 65km. After Rod's experience riding this section on the Elbe route, and also on the advice of our waitress at dinner last night, we crossed the river first thing this morning and rode along the south bank as far as we could, crossing back by ferry at Hoopte.
Looking back at Lauenberg from the bridge over the Elbe.
Looks pretty good, doesn't it?
Our last ferry crossing.
The bike path approaching Hamburg - not as good as we expected.
We rode right into the centre of Hamburg and to our hotel without any trouble. There appear to be bike paths along all the major roads in the city. Mostly they are in the form of a red paver path running along the footpath.
Hamburg bike path on the way to our hotel.
We are in the Pacific Hotel which is fairly central and quite comfortable. Rod stayed here earlier and booked a room for us.
The view from our hotel room in Hamburg.
August 1 Schwarzenbek Hamburg
Rod’s solo tour
After a good night’s dining and sleep I decided the place was OK and that another night in situ might be the way to go. Unfortunately not only was the place fully booked I could not get anything else in town.
Back down the main street I decided that I would check out the place with the cut up firearms in the window. Inside I met a very affable Michael Brandt, who I guess could be described as a master gunsmith. Had a long chat with Michael about the cut up weapons, it seems they are his protest at the way the Germany government treats gun ownership. Leaving that aside he took time to show me quite a number of collectable weapons and his own handmade rifles. Beautiful examples of the gunsmith’s craft. Ended up buying a German police/rescue knife for my son, Joe, after Michael offered me a good deal on it. It is a folding knife that features one-handed operation. An excellent gift for a climbing instructor/guide. This was a bit of luck as I had purchased presents for all my daughters but until then had not found the ideal present for Joe.
That afternoon I headed into Hamburg and back to the hotel I had previously stayed at and where I had booked rooms for Tracey and Pat. They were in the foyer when I arrived (I kept running into these guys). Short story was they were full I so stayed down the road at a much more expensive venue until rooms I had booked for next day were available.
This morning after a very good breakfast at our hotel in Lauenburg we set off with the sun shining and a gentle breeze at our back.
It was a fairly uneventful ride of about 65km. After Rod's experience riding this section on the Elbe route, and also on the advice of our waitress at dinner last night, we crossed the river first thing this morning and rode along the south bank as far as we could, crossing back by ferry at Hoopte.
Looking back at Lauenberg from the bridge over the Elbe.
Looks pretty good, doesn't it?
Our last ferry crossing.
The bike path approaching Hamburg - not as good as we expected.We rode right into the centre of Hamburg and to our hotel without any trouble. There appear to be bike paths along all the major roads in the city. Mostly they are in the form of a red paver path running along the footpath.
Hamburg bike path on the way to our hotel.We are in the Pacific Hotel which is fairly central and quite comfortable. Rod stayed here earlier and booked a room for us.
The view from our hotel room in Hamburg.August 1 Schwarzenbek Hamburg
Rod’s solo tour
After a good night’s dining and sleep I decided the place was OK and that another night in situ might be the way to go. Unfortunately not only was the place fully booked I could not get anything else in town.
Back down the main street I decided that I would check out the place with the cut up firearms in the window. Inside I met a very affable Michael Brandt, who I guess could be described as a master gunsmith. Had a long chat with Michael about the cut up weapons, it seems they are his protest at the way the Germany government treats gun ownership. Leaving that aside he took time to show me quite a number of collectable weapons and his own handmade rifles. Beautiful examples of the gunsmith’s craft. Ended up buying a German police/rescue knife for my son, Joe, after Michael offered me a good deal on it. It is a folding knife that features one-handed operation. An excellent gift for a climbing instructor/guide. This was a bit of luck as I had purchased presents for all my daughters but until then had not found the ideal present for Joe.
That afternoon I headed into Hamburg and back to the hotel I had previously stayed at and where I had booked rooms for Tracey and Pat. They were in the foyer when I arrived (I kept running into these guys). Short story was they were full I so stayed down the road at a much more expensive venue until rooms I had booked for next day were available.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Travemunde to Lauenburg - July 31
Early this morning we arrived in Travemunde on the ferry from Malmo, Sweden. The ferry ride was very good. The ship left Malmo at about 10pm. By the time we watched the departure from up on deck, then had a few very pleasant drinks in the bar, we had a fairly late night. The cabin was surprisingly spacious and very comfortable. We had a very good night's sleep, if a bit short with an early start this morning.
Arriving at Travemunde on the ferry.Tracey and I rode to Lauenburg, back on the Elbe River. Rod has been here before so he rode with us until lunch at Ratzburg then went his own way.
In the first section of the ride, as we were finding our way from the ferry terminal to Lubeck, we had stopped at an intersection to work out which way to go. As has happened many times on our travels, a local rider stopped to offer assistance. He advised us which path to take, and told us there was a free shuttle bus to take us through the tunnel under the river.
On the shuttlebus.Over coffee in a sunny spot in Lubeck we got the map out to plan our route for the day. We decided to ride to the north end of the Ratzburg See and catch a ferry along the lake to Ratzburg.
LubeckWhen we got to the lake we couldn't find the ferry terminal so started riding along the lake shore. This turned out to be the best part of the day's ride, a good gravel track through forest along the lake for about 15km.
The path around Ratzberg See.
Tracey at the top of a steep hill.
Part of our hotel in Lauenburg.One highlight of the day was our second puncture for the whole trip. The Schwalbe tyres have performed outstandingly.
It was a sunny, cool day, and not too windy.
89km today.
Tomorrow we complete our journey to Hamburg.
July 31 Travemunde to Schwarzenbek
Rod’s solo tour
After a good nights kip on the ferry we arrived in Travemunde at first light and headed generally in the direction of Hamburg. In my case I wanted breakfast which proved not such an easy thing to find at that hour. Unsuccessful with a breakfast venue we headed for Ratzberg through winding dirt forest paths along the Ratzberg See, not a quick ride but worth it for the scenery.
On the approaches to Ratzberg we came across a very large Celtic renactment/display/market site but Tracey and Pat were not keen so we kept pushing on.
Separated from Tracey and Pat after they decided to head for Lauenberg where I had already been. I headed for Hamburg via Schwarzenbek. After about 20 kms I found that roadworks had closed the highway and that a considerable backtrack would be needed. Fortunately though the guys manning the barricades let me through so that I had an entire highway to myself, great riding.
In Schwarzenbek I found a really nice hotel (not super cheap) which served up one of the nicest meals I had in Europe.
An after dinner stroll turned up a shop in the main street with an interesting array of cut up rifles and shotguns in the window. I resolved to investigate in the morning.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Helsingborg to Malmo - July 30
Our wedding anniversary.
We had a pretty good night's sleep in the tent at the Raa campground. The wind was already blowing strongly before we got up, and we ate brekky sheltering in the tent.
Our plan for the day was to ride to Malmo, about 60km away. We were booked on the 10pm ferry from Malmo to Travemunde, back in Germany.
We started riding with a very strong headwind. The wind was coming from the front and side so that there was little assistance to be had from riding as a group. It was going to be a long 60km.
After 20km of grinding into the wind we stopped for a coffee in Landskrona, a pleasant old town with a beautiful park. As we were heading into the cafe it started raining.
After a couple of coffees and some very nice cake the rain eased and we headed for the railway station.
Swedish trains are very good, with excellent facilities for bicycles. We arrived in Malmo with plenty of time to have a look around. Tracey found the Tourist Info office, in the station building, and returned with a map and some pointers for a quick tour of Malmo.
It wasn't far out to the ferry terminal so we rode out there first so we knew where to go later. We left our luggage in a locker at the station and rode into town for lunch and a look around. The food was good and significantly cheaper than that in Denmark, with prices more comparable to Australia.
Next to the main square, which is quite impressive, a smaller square called Lilla Torg is lined with interesting old buildings and full of restaurants and people. When we were there there was a transparent squash court set up in the middle of the square.
After a pretty good look around the town centre we retrieved our bikes from where we had locked them and rode out to Vastra Hamnen. On the short ride out there we nearly got blown away, and were very happy with our decision to catch a train from Landskrona.
We found shelter from the wind in a bar on the waterfront with a fantastic view with the huge bridge to Copenhagen in the distance and yachts and sailboards battling the wind.
After a while Rod headed off to look at a U-boat and Tracey and I settled in to use up our kronas. It was a very pleasant afternoon.
We went back into Lilla Torg for dinner at the Steakhouse before meeting Rod at the station and heading out to the ferry terminal.
We had a pretty good night's sleep in the tent at the Raa campground. The wind was already blowing strongly before we got up, and we ate brekky sheltering in the tent.
Our plan for the day was to ride to Malmo, about 60km away. We were booked on the 10pm ferry from Malmo to Travemunde, back in Germany.
We started riding with a very strong headwind. The wind was coming from the front and side so that there was little assistance to be had from riding as a group. It was going to be a long 60km.
After 20km of grinding into the wind we stopped for a coffee in Landskrona, a pleasant old town with a beautiful park. As we were heading into the cafe it started raining.
 |
| The cafe in Landskrona |
After a couple of coffees and some very nice cake the rain eased and we headed for the railway station.
Swedish trains are very good, with excellent facilities for bicycles. We arrived in Malmo with plenty of time to have a look around. Tracey found the Tourist Info office, in the station building, and returned with a map and some pointers for a quick tour of Malmo.
It wasn't far out to the ferry terminal so we rode out there first so we knew where to go later. We left our luggage in a locker at the station and rode into town for lunch and a look around. The food was good and significantly cheaper than that in Denmark, with prices more comparable to Australia.
Next to the main square, which is quite impressive, a smaller square called Lilla Torg is lined with interesting old buildings and full of restaurants and people. When we were there there was a transparent squash court set up in the middle of the square.
After a pretty good look around the town centre we retrieved our bikes from where we had locked them and rode out to Vastra Hamnen. On the short ride out there we nearly got blown away, and were very happy with our decision to catch a train from Landskrona.
We found shelter from the wind in a bar on the waterfront with a fantastic view with the huge bridge to Copenhagen in the distance and yachts and sailboards battling the wind.
After a while Rod headed off to look at a U-boat and Tracey and I settled in to use up our kronas. It was a very pleasant afternoon.
We went back into Lilla Torg for dinner at the Steakhouse before meeting Rod at the station and heading out to the ferry terminal.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Kobenhavn to Helsingborg 29th July
Headed North out of Copenhagen again without any difficulty. The bike lanes are clearly marked, separate from the traffic and they even have their own traffic lights.Good riding following the coast from Copenhagen, a great route mostly bike tracks. Ocean views all the way to Sweden.
We stopped after about 40km to visit the famous Louisiana (Denmark) Museum of Kunst (Art). Before we went in we were very lucky to see a very brave and intelligent little squirrel eating an acorn in a tree just above our heads. We'd never seen one before and he was absolutely gorgeous - just like in the cartoons. Must be that time of year, because Rod also had his first real close up with Euro wildlife in the form of a hedgehog (a first for him).
We pressed on for coffee in an extremely busy Helsingor - a very pretty bustling city packed with tourists. Some great ice-cream to be had also!
We jumped on a ferry to Helsingborg, Sweden. Another lovely town, with a fortress right in town that commands good views of the city & the sea.
We camped the night in a campground on the southern edge of Helsingborg.
We stopped after about 40km to visit the famous Louisiana (Denmark) Museum of Kunst (Art). Before we went in we were very lucky to see a very brave and intelligent little squirrel eating an acorn in a tree just above our heads. We'd never seen one before and he was absolutely gorgeous - just like in the cartoons. Must be that time of year, because Rod also had his first real close up with Euro wildlife in the form of a hedgehog (a first for him).
We pressed on for coffee in an extremely busy Helsingor - a very pretty bustling city packed with tourists. Some great ice-cream to be had also!
We jumped on a ferry to Helsingborg, Sweden. Another lovely town, with a fortress right in town that commands good views of the city & the sea.
We camped the night in a campground on the southern edge of Helsingborg.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Kobenhavn 28th July
Rod arrived at 10 and we set off with our pannier-free bikes to explore Copenhagen - past the famous Tivoli Gardens, through the Old Town Square, which currently has a large digital TV, screening highlights of the World Outgames 2009, and into Nytorv Square, with the Courthouse and gallows platform still in evidence. We cycled along Copenhagen’s busiest streets with hundreds of other cyclists, pedestrians and motor traffic. The Danes have a brilliant system and it appears to work very well, even for semi-confused tourists, stopping to check maps every 2 blocks. The canals that run through the city are lined with palaces, museums and grand public buildings or cafes and filled with yachts, tourist barges and power boats. The city is very busy with Danes & tourists.
We ate our picnic lunch beside the harbour and then visited Princess Mary. Unfortunately, she was otherwise engaged but the young guard promised to give her regards from Oz.
In the middle of the city is the King’s Park. It is a generous, well-used, well-proportioned Renaissance garden - gorgeous spot! - Chess games, children’s (double entendre) puppet shows, a few cafes - a lovely peace-filled place.
We checked out the little “chapel” where Mary & Fred got hitched and were delighted to note that it was bedecked in rainbow colours for the Games. In the distance we could see an unusual tower that wound its way upwards, like a soft-serve ice-cream. It proved to be a climbable tower (25K) with great views over the city. As we climbed back down, the glockenspiel was being played. Rod made into the keyboard room to check it out.
The food in Denmark is excellent, based on an admittedly very small sample. We have found our first skinny cappuccino in Europe & the dishes are more cosmopolitan and modern – more like Oz. In Italy, you eat Italian, in the Czech Republic, you eat Czech, in Austria…. and in Germany…….. Denmark definitely seems less tied to tradition and freer in its culinary offerings. Having said that, it’s also incredibly expensive.
We were very pleased to find a good little Indian restaurant with nice hot curry for K70( only $17). Dinner cost us K313 - $26 each for a hot meal and a beer or wine – great value for Copenhagen. We liked the city. It is a place where you could live & cycle, but not eat!
We ate our picnic lunch beside the harbour and then visited Princess Mary. Unfortunately, she was otherwise engaged but the young guard promised to give her regards from Oz.
In the middle of the city is the King’s Park. It is a generous, well-used, well-proportioned Renaissance garden - gorgeous spot! - Chess games, children’s (double entendre) puppet shows, a few cafes - a lovely peace-filled place.
We checked out the little “chapel” where Mary & Fred got hitched and were delighted to note that it was bedecked in rainbow colours for the Games. In the distance we could see an unusual tower that wound its way upwards, like a soft-serve ice-cream. It proved to be a climbable tower (25K) with great views over the city. As we climbed back down, the glockenspiel was being played. Rod made into the keyboard room to check it out.
The food in Denmark is excellent, based on an admittedly very small sample. We have found our first skinny cappuccino in Europe & the dishes are more cosmopolitan and modern – more like Oz. In Italy, you eat Italian, in the Czech Republic, you eat Czech, in Austria…. and in Germany…….. Denmark definitely seems less tied to tradition and freer in its culinary offerings. Having said that, it’s also incredibly expensive.
We were very pleased to find a good little Indian restaurant with nice hot curry for K70( only $17). Dinner cost us K313 - $26 each for a hot meal and a beer or wine – great value for Copenhagen. We liked the city. It is a place where you could live & cycle, but not eat!
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