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Cycling Europe 2022
  • Jim Cochran
Jul – Aug 2022

Cycling Europe 2022

Change of plans: Lisa and I are cycling 1,900 miles from Glindow (Near Berlin), Germany to 💕Mol, Belgium.💕 July 4 - August 10 ❤️🚲🚲❤️ Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 4, 2022
    Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Testing Touring Bikes without Bags

    May 9, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Lisa and I did a 10 mile test ride to check racks, fenders, and general overall bicycle feel. 2 weeks until departure!

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Disappointment! 🥲

    May 25, 2022 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Our trip is going to have to wait until 2023! About 26 hours before we left for the trip and with all of our bags packed, Lisa and I decided to go for a little casual ride in Iowa City. Unfortunately, Lisa hit a little patch of sand when making a right hand turn, and she went directly down onto her hip. The MRI results today confirmed two fractures in the pelvic bone and one in the sacrum. Luckily these are not displacement fractures, and it will not require any pins or surgery. The estimated time for recovery is six weeks, but I’m sure there will be some strength rebuilding needed after that. Thank you all for your interest in the trip and your support! ❤️🚲Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022
    1

    Healed and almost ready!

    June 30, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    After 6 weeks of healing and the help of a lot of family, friends, doctors, therapists, and colleagues we’re ready for our new tour! Lisa even conquered “hip-cracker turn!” We hope you enjoy following along with us. We depart Chicago on July 4, and our first day of riding will be July 7.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 1: Chicago O’Hare

    July 4, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Driving through about 2 1/2 hours of rain, we made it to O’Hare with plenty of time to spare. Thanks to our gracious Warmshower connection, Paul and his son, we got the car parked at his house, and made it through TSA with only one minor hiccup. I left my Swiss Army knife in my carry on. 😬 Unbelievably, they let me exit TSA and take it back to the bicycle box. Departure is at about 7:30 PM.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022
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    Day 2: Icelandair to Berlin

    July 5, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We tried a new airline (Icelandair). They offer a free stop over in Iceland for a maximum of seven days. We weren’t able to take advantage of it this time, but will likely next time! When we exited the baggage claim at the new Berlin airport, Ulrich was waiting for us like an angel from heaven. It finally felt real! We actually made it to Europe! We loaded the bikes on the back of his car and headed to his house where his wife, Heidi, was waiting for us with snuggly hugs and cold drinks. We took some time to begin assembling the bikes while Heidi prepared the best spaghetti dinner we’ve ever eaten . We shared stories of the past few years since the last time we saw each other. The evening ended with more stories, and some local cherry wine and Liquor in their beautifully landscaped garden. We got to bed pretty early in the hopes to quickly shake off any jet lag. A great flight, safe bikes, and seeing old friends was a perfect closure to the end of Lisa’s healing and a start of our long awaited tour.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 3: A Day touring Glindow with Ulrich

    July 6, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    We had a cozy night sleep to wake up to a homemade European breakfast (soft boiled eggs, salmon, cheese, fresh bread rolls, jams, tea and coffee). YUM! Afterward, we finished the bicycle assembly, and then headed out for a test ride. Ulrich planned an 18 mile ride around Glindow which included a walk through an outdoor museum of a hospital in a forest. It had rich history, but has since become ruins after WWII. Since then they built tree line walkways to view the different ruins. It was fascinating to see the trees growing out of the bricks, and how much vegetation and trees grew from the rooftops of the abandoned buildings. In true European fashion, they had several playful components for both children an adults alike. We tried them all! On our way back home, we stopped to have ice cream, cake, tea, and coffee at a local restaurant overlooking the lake. When we arrived home, we worked on packing our bags, had a lovely meal of chicken cordon blue with vegetables and potatoes. Lucky for us, Wednesday night is Archery club so we got to participate in a tournament. Jim won first place and Lisa second. The evening was wrapped up with local wine and liquor in the living room with stories of family and wedding memories!Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 4: Palitz, Germany

    July 7, 2022 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    The day started out rainy and slippery and I took Lisa on a bunch of cobble, sandy trails, and steep shortcuts to some lookout towers to get her ready for the rest of the trip. 🤪 Lucky for us, some of the shortcuts led to some ripe raspberries, and a curious fox. We stopped at a roadside tourist area that specializes in local produce, especially berries, cheese, Liquor , and different salamis. We bought a couple different kinds of salami, some cherries, and a blueberry flavored beer. Since it was a cooler day, no one was occupying the beer garden, so we took a vantage of that and had a picnic with the sandwiches that were left over from breakfast and all the goodies we bought. The day was filled with many of the things we love about to rain in Germany, sunflower fields, produce stands, cobbles, Shortcuts in the forest, Bakeries that actually serve pastries that they made and coffee with cremé, beautiful steeples always gracing the horizon, and of course more than can be explained!
    We arrived at Katrin and Tomas (Warmshower host) at about 5 PM enjoyed a cold beverage and wine on the patio with Katrin.
    For dinner we had spietzl (potato pasta) and mixed vegetable salad. It was a perfect dinner after a perfect day of riding!
    After dinner we took a mosey around their town and through the forest, The walk was concluded with a tour of their beautiful garden. We dreamed of swimming in the pool and using the sauna, but it was too cold! We shared stories and cocktails until about 11 PM We even sampled Mongolian vodka together!    Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 5: Cottbus, Germany

    July 8, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We woke up to the smell of fresh bread from the local bakery and coffee. We had vegetables, cheese, several home made spreads, and meats to eat with delicious rolls. We shared a few more stories with Thomas and Katrin before hitting the pavement towards Cottbus. It was a tough day of riding on gravel, single track, sand, and a few trails. But we made it to Thomas’s place just in time to pick up his wife, Negar at the train station and head to the beach for a picnic and swimming. They swim every day, even in the winter, cutting through the ice to take a plung! Jim was brave enough to get into the lake, while Lisa stayed snuggled up in her parka! It was about 55° F outside (and windy)🥶. Afterwards, we went back to the flat of Thomas and Nager’s for a night cap and more stories. Nigal entertained us with her beautiful music. We walked back to our tiny house in Thomas’ garden accommodation where our bed had a view of the stars. From the sky light in the loft. We fell asleep to the sound of the neighbors socializing and slept peacefully under the blanket of stars.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 6: Zgorzelec, Poland

    July 9, 2022 in Poland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    They are all the best days,but today was really the best day! After sleeping under the stars, and a tiny little house in this beautiful garden, we had a wonderful breakfast (eggs with onions, avocados, berries, bread cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese (all of our favorite things!) with our hosts Thomas and Nagell.
    We headed out on our 70 mile day to ride to the border of Germany and Poland. We stopped at our first German beer garden and talked to some local hunters.
    Afterwards, we stopped for a relaxing lunch picnic at the beach after getting 29.95 miles before noon!
    We continued on and before we got to our final destination Jim surprised me with a stay over apartment in Poland! What a treat! There is even a street festival going on that we enjoyed watching the performers having traditional Polish and German food and beer.    Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022
    1

    Day 8: Dresden, Germany

    July 11, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    After breakfast with Carola and Ingolf (Warmshowers), we rode in the cool (56°) morning air to explore the amazing architecture of Bautzen. We always enjoy the slow morning spins, often bouncing along the cobbles, and avoid collisions with tour groups, bicycle commuters, and walkers. We picked up lunch about 1/2 way on our nearly 60 mile day, and looked for a sunny area to enjoy a nice picnic. We found a countryside picnic table overlooking the historic13th century medieval castle🏰 if Stopen. Another amazing moment of our first week of riding. Lunch was followed with more sunny riding, exploring around the castle, swimming in a lake. and some adventurous trail riding.. Jim’s route also took us on a hidden little trail with waterfalls and a huge statue with classical music playing in along the trail. We arrived to the Elbe River at the 40 mile mark and rode along it to Dresden. The Elbe is nearly 650 miles long and flows from the north of the Czech Republic🇨🇿 to the North Sea in Hamburg, DE🇩🇪 We made it to Dresden to Nico, Sabine, and Lukas’ flat about 6pm, after a brief spin through the city center. Nico stayed with us in 2017 when cycling around the world. We visited his parents in 2018 in Paris, and him in 2019 in Munich. We give Nico the credit for motivating us to explore bicycle touring in Europe. ❤️ The evening was spent sampling wine they brought bank from their three week tour in Burgundy, FR 🇫🇷 We also enjoyed homemade soup and quiche. Nico is originally from France and teach French, and Sabine grew up in East Germany and works in HR for designer watch company. Beautiful sites and riding today!Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 10: Most, Czech Republic

    July 13, 2022 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We left Nico & Sabine’s About 8 AM after having breakfast. We had a great ride through the changing terrain of the Elbe river valley to the hills separating Germany and the Czech Republic. We had some of the longest climbs of the trip so far, but after entering the Czech Republic, we were graced with a beautiful over look into the Czech Valley below. We stopped at the Lookout point for a bratwurst which was served with a large dollop of horseradish, mustard, and a slice of bread. We were over halfway for our 63 mile day around noon, but we managed to mess around and take our time. We got to Most, CZ and checked into our Airbnb. After a bit of relaxation, re-organizing, and cleaning up, we are going to adventure out to a recommended restaurant.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 11: Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

    July 14, 2022 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Another amazing day. We got on the road early, hoping to get to our destination of Karlovy Vary early. We wanted to have time to go to a restaurant that I had scouted out before leaving, and take a nice stroll through the city. I highly recommend that you do a Google search of Karlovy Vary, and read a little bit about the history of the city and look at the images. It’s crazy beautiful! The riding has been quite tough, as I try to take us on some of the hidden little trails, and this has led to some difficult horse trails with large gravel. So far, we have had two flat tires. I cut my sidewall on a jagged rock, the patch has been helping a bit, but I need to pump up the tire a couple times during the day. I am going to have to take some time for a better repair. Yesterday, Lisa got a cut on her tire from some glass, but it seems like the sealant is holding well. The crazy part of the day was having to navigate around some road construction, and carrying our bikes over a set of railroad tracks. We ate lunch about halfway and made it to Karlovy vary about 4:30 PM. We had enough time to have a romantic evening together!Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 12: Mehlmeisel, Germany

    July 15, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    I walked down about 7 AM to take a morning stroll in Karlovy Vary and find a morning java. The nice lady at the front desk (actually the owner of the hotel) said it would be hard to find one that early. She then Said she would make me a traditional Czech coffee and also offered me some tiny pastries that were from her niece’s wedding. I sat on the front terrace and did some people watching, and the owner chatted with me for a bit about the history of the area with the Russians and Russian tourism. Lisa got ready and joined me for a walk and we spent about one hour walking around the city. We were seeing people drink something out of these strange drinking vessels, and realized that they were drinking the natural hot spring water from different taps around the city. The different waters are supposed to have different types of healing effects for the body. I guess that’s why the coffee shops weren’t open. It was a peaceful walk around the city, and everything seemed to move in slow motion until the hustle and bustle started around 9 AM. We had a great breakfast and got on the road around 9:30 AM. About 2 miles into the day I hit a sharp stick and that was it for my rear tubeless tire. I put on my trusty continental spare tire with a tube, And we rode on along the river and giant rock pillars to Loket, CZ. We spent a lot of time exploring Loket, which caused us to reach or hotel (Gausthaus)in Mehlmeisel, DE at 8 PM. We watched a beautiful sunset from the back deck, and relaxed with a picnic style dinner in our room. A lot of nice riding today, but it felt like we were moving in slow motion for the nearly 70 mile day.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022
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    Day 13: Bamberg, Germany

    July 16, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    It was a tough day of cycling with a lot of ups and downs, and a headwind. When we arrived in Bamberg we took a spin through town to see some of the sites. Since it was Saturday, and there was a magic show festival going on, it was super busy and difficult to get through the crowds. We arrived at our Warmshower hosts at 7:00 pm, And got cleaned up quickly, started some laundry, and headed out for a walking tour and dinner. It was another fun day, but we were definitely exhausted and ready for bed after eating some traditional Bavarian food and beer.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022
    Warmshower host in Bamber (Albert & Judith)

    Day 14: Nürnberg, Germany

    July 17, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    The temperature was a lot hotter today, but the riding was much easier. We spent most of the day riding along one of the canals leading into Nürnberg. Since it was Sunday there were tons of tourist, and it thousands of cyclist out enjoying the nice weather. We arrived Nürnberg at about 5 pm, did some site seeing, and met our Warmshower hosts Magdalena and Andrew (US Citizen) at 6 pm. We had a nice dinner near the center of the city at one of their favorite restaurants. We had some great talks about the education system of the United States and Germany. Andrew is getting his PhD in American studies. He said it’s amazing that he can get his masters degree and PhD in Germany and it’s basically free. Magdalena is a French and English teacher at the high school, and she just has two more weeks until it is finally summer break. We have talked and most of you about how much we enjoy the network Warmshowers, and we are still amazed at how much we can learn from others in the hospitality we see every time! ❤️Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 15: Neumarkt, Germany

    July 18, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    The morning was spent touring the city of Nürnberg, As we had a shorter day of only about 50 miles today. The temperature is getting much hotter in Germany and it was nearly 95° today. Definitely the highlight of the day was the morning . Although, we did have some nice riding along bike trails, some beautiful castles, and a climb to the ruins of in castle as our day was coming to a close. On our morning tour after visiting the city center and having a coffee while we did some people watching, We visited the Nazi political rally area. It was quite eerie to stand in some of the same places that I had seen Hitler stand in documentaries. We stayed at another Warmshower, With Natalie and Jan. Jan (58) Has been a teacher in Bavaria for over 20 years, and in two weeks he is leaving for Malaysia to teach in a German school for three years, He seems very excited for his adventure! His wife is also a teacher, and will remain in her job in Germany. We had a great vegetarian dinner, followed by a large platter of different cheeses, and we sat around the picnic table in their shaded garden until about midnight chatting.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 16: Ingolstadt, Germany

    July 19, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    After a great rest at Natalie’s and Jan’s we had breakfast with Jan before heading out in the heat for Ingolstadt. Natalie had to work early and since Jan had the day off, he rode with us for about thirty miles. It was awesome having Jan as a tour guide. We had a drink at an Abbey that specializes in organic products, and we bought some salami and cheeses to sample. After parting with Jan, Lisa and I pedaled on through the the heat to get to Ingolstadt before 5 pm. We were excited to visit Ingolstadt for the 2nd time, and excited to catch-up with Meike and Herbert are Warmshower hosts from 2019. The evening was spent at a near by lake swimming and having a picnic dinner just before sunset.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022
    1

    Day 17: Munich, Germany

    July 19, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    After an energizing evening and morning with our good friends Meike and Herbert, we were ready for a wonderful day of riding to Munich!
    The 60 mile route from Ingolstadt to Munich was filled with rolling hills of hops, corn, and full bloom sunflowers! We had 45 miles by noon, and it was another beautiful ride! The last 12 miles were along a crushed gravel bicycle trail paralleling the Isar River. About 5 miles from our destination of the Japanese area of the English tea garden Jim had a rear flat tire. It was luckily along the river where we could repair it then cool are feet in clear water. After we cooled off, we arrived and drank a few cold beverages, and filled our bellies with Bavarian sausage, sauerkraut, and of course a giant pretzel! After cleaning up at our AirBnB we did a 8 mile ride to some sights in Munich. The City center with the famous Glockenspiel was a relaxing area to soak in the atmosphere, and the hot weather had thousands of people picnicking, partying, and jump in the River of the English Gardens. We are always amazed at the quietness and respect of others in large crowded areas. We stayed in the English Garden until the darkness ended another special day.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 18: Peißenberg (Siglhof), Germany

    July 21, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Morning was spent getting our bags organized in case the rain came as predicted. We had a delicious breakfast at the AirBnB, and went out into the cloudy 68° weather about 9:15 AM. We took another little spin around Munich, and decided since it was 15 minutes before 10:00 we would watch the Glockenspiel in the Marienplatz. Nearly a 1000+ people gathered to watch, and were disappointed when 10:00 came, as the first show of the day is at 11:00. We headed on to exit Munich, and in search for the best weißwurst in Munich 🌭🤤. We found Gaststätte Großmarkthalle, and enjoyed two of the famous whites sausages with sauerkraut, pretzels, mustard, and some cheese bread ( Lisa tried to order cheese spread for the pretzels, but some times things are lost in the translation and accent 😂.) The riding was cooler with a bit of mist falling from the cloud covered sky. We rode along the Stranberger Lake and stopped to wade in the cool water. We ate lunch at a beer garden along the lake. Near the end of our day of riding the clouds broke and after some large climbs we were graced with our first view of the Alps. Our Warmshower hosts Martin, Velena, and Florentine (almost 2) live in the countryside outside Peissenberg. It is a beautiful old German farm workers residence that has been converted into a more modern multi-resident home. We had a great dinner of pasta salad, bread, other vegetables, and ice cream for dessert.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 19: Roßhaupten, Germany

    July 22, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Wow, some days are perfection! Probably too much to try to explain, but I will give it a few of the highlights and you can look at the pictures. We had a lot of riding in the forest, beautiful views of the Alps, picturesque churches, castles, Swimming in a crystal clear lake, an awesome warm shower host, and a Bavarian Street festival in the evening.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 20: Lustenau, Austria

    July 23, 2022 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    A lot of climbing in the rain today, but it was refreshing. A longer day for us at nearly 75 miles. He picked up local things along the way to make dinner at our Airbnb. We grab some pasta at a little roadside stand, some cheese from the market, some tomato pesto from another stand at the market, and some bread from the bakery. We also visited a wine shop and cut a recommendation for the most popular Austrian wine. We made good time and we were into the Airbnb by 5 PM, had a good dinner and made it to bed quite early. We are both amazed how every day seems to be more amazing than the last. We are also amazed at how each day has been uniquely different, and are looking forward to the second half of our trip.Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022
    1

    Day 21: Winterthur, Switzerland

    July 24, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    After our short stay in Austria we have now entered our fifth country. 🚴🏼🇩🇪🇵🇱🇨🇿🇦🇹🇨🇭🚴🏻‍♂️. A beautiful sunny day of 60 miles of riding. We rode through huge Apple orchards listening to the sounds of the church bells chime mean in the countryside. One of the biggest highlights was the lunch spot we found that overlooked the valley below. We had some tough climbs, but less than yesterday. It was quite quiet today as it was Sunday. A lot less cars on the road, but many cyclists out for a spin. We stopped for a snack and across the road was a castle with a moat filled with giant koi. The day ended with an awesome dinner with the Warmshower host Dominique. Her husband, Andreas, is on an epic tour from Austin up to the Arctic Circle and then back to Austin. He is currently in Alaska and heading back towards Austin. We ended the evening with a scenic hike to a zoo and playground. We hit 1000 miles today!Read more

  • Jim CochranTravelerCycling Europe 2022

    Day 22: Lucerne, Switzerland🧀❤️

    July 25, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We had a great breakfast with Evelyne of muesli, homemade bread, jams and honey, and a variety of cheeses. It was a hot ride to Lucerne , but when we got to the city we found a place to jump in the lake and Cooloff. We had a great night with Sandro, talking about bicycle terrain, and especially his adventure from Switzerland to Japan. He made us a traditional Swiss dinner of wheat pasta, cheese, sautéed onions, and boiled potatoes. As all of our experiences so far are warmshower hosts have been so kind and accommodating. We love sharing stories with them and talking about our passions of life. Tomorrow we are off to Zaziwil in the Canton of Bern, this is where my great great grandfather and grandmother came from. We will be in search of the Shüpbach bike shop, the Zaziwil cemetery, and possibly some information about the Biglers.Read more

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