Heritage Tour

Bike tour visiting European roots. En savoir plus

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Jour 51
lundi 29 juillet 2019 à 19:53
⛅ 22 °C
Altitude: 377 p
Allemagne Halberstadt 51.89805, 11.0445651°53’53” N 11°2’40” E
Routine Day Riding Around
29 juillet 2019, Allemagne ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
We didn't get as far as expected today. We rode against a stiff wind out of the west and there was not a straight path for us to follow. We zigzagged all day long through farmland, towns and villages We are definitely on our own now as we've left the cycling tourists on the Elbe.

We are in what used to be East Germany. Locals talk of the East and the West as if there is still a division. Tomorrow we plan to ride to Goslar, in the West. Goslar is a 1.000 year old mining town on the north side of the Harz Mountains that has World Heritage status. We may take a day off there.

Today, for the first time, we are seeing half-timbered buildings and they are now common. Photo 1 is our hotel for the night. Scored again! Photo 2 is a Soviet WWII memorial. Photo 3 is a race track that we came across.En savoir plus
Linda BeirneThanks again for taking us along on this incredible journey! I keep forgetting to ask, where is your final stop planned?
29/07/2019Répondre
VoyageurWe probably will go to Hamburg then up the Jutland Peninsula, crossing by ferry to Norway and Sweden, but not positive yet.
29/07/2019Répondre
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Jour 52
mardi 30 juillet 2019 à 20:12
⛅ 27 °C
Altitude: 453 p
Allemagne Vienenburg 51.95339, 10.5640151°57’12” N 10°33’50” E
Crossing The Iron Curtain
30 juillet 2019, Allemagne ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
We crossed over to the West this morning. We knew approximately where the border was but we pinned it down by the change in lampposts. Photo 1. Stalin built the Iron Curtain to isolate the Soviet Bloc countries from the West. Winston Churchill used the term in a speach he gave in 1946 at Westminster College in Missouri, where Susan and I have visited.

Photo 2: Halberstadt Cathedral holds the first pipe organ to be installed in a cathedral, year 1205. Photo 3 is of the Harz Mountains. Photo 4 was taken in Goslar, a World Heritage site because of the timber- framed structures in the Old Town area.En savoir plus
Kim SchwabI was at the wall in 1965ish. So sad! I have a piece of CheckPoint Charlie.
30/07/2019Répondre
VoyageurWe crossed into East Berlin in '83 on a tour bus. It was like going back in time.
31/07/2019Répondre
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Jour 53
mercredi 31 juillet 2019 à 20:24
🌧 17 °C
Altitude: 230 p
Allemagne Oebisfelde 52.43088, 10.9841552°25’51” N 10°59’3” E
1
Iron Curtain Trail Gets Two Thumbs Up
31 juillet 2019, Allemagne ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
Were on the Iron Curtain Trail (aka EuroVelo 13) and is has nicest riding we've had in Germany yet. Pretty landscape, varied topography, a mix of riding surfaces and no people. It was wonderful, except I forgot to load the route in my Garmin and this is one route where I could use turn-by-turn guidance.

The route is under development but when completed it will run the entire length of the Iron Curtain. We did a segment in the Czech Republic and liked that too. Too bad I didn't know more about it before we left.

Look closely at Photo 4. It shows the side and back yards of a home built on the outskirt of a village since the wall came down. The photo shows one of the monuments marking the border between East and West. Look closer - there is a guard tower visible under the roof of the carport. Photo 2 doesn't show the actual fench, which was double-rowed, tall, with barbed wire. The fences were mined. Dogs and guard stations were in the middle.En savoir plus
Linda BeirneAnother great history lesson 👍. Thanks!!!
31/07/2019Répondre
Voyageur This is what I picture when I think of East Germany during the Cold War.
31/07/2019Répondre
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Jour 54
jeudi 1 août 2019 à 20:20
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 62 p
Allemagne Landgraben 53.10063, 11.0993553°6’2” N 11°5’58” E
1
Approaching Hamburg
1 août 2019, Allemagne ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
A nice day of riding but not much to talk about because we had to take time out out to handle the business side of our lives. However, the schnitzel lunch gets special mention.

Tomorrow morning we'll be back on the Elbe trail going into Hamburg. At that point, we will have crossed the European continent. FYI, riding mileage so far is 2836.

The lead photo was taken at last night's pension. The wall used to be the back fence, with guard tower to boot.. The second photo was taken on the trail. Tanks and troop trucks - watch your speed!En savoir plus
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Kim Schwab Happy bikers!
01/08/2019Répondre
Linda BeirneLooking good you two 😍 Have fun tomorrow!
01/08/2019Répondre
VoyageurYou look amazingly fit and trim!
01/08/2019Répondre
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Jour 55
vendredi 2 août 2019 à 18:30
🌧 19 °C
Altitude: 43 p
Allemagne Elbe-Lübeck-Kanal 53.37065, 10.5579653°22’14” N 10°33’29” E
1 1
On The Elbe Just Outside Of Hamburg
2 août 2019, Allemagne ⋅ 🌧 19 °C
We got a late start this morning due to heavy rain. Now we're back on the Elbe almost to Hamburg. This afternoon we went through Hamburg's outlying villages. Upscale country properties, lots of horses.

We're staying in a riverfront tourist town that appears to cater to people looking for a getaway from Hamburg. Very old and very cute. Photos 1 and 6.En savoir plus
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Graciela WomackHi Susan and Roger - I've been following your absolutely amazing heritage tour. Gorgeous scenery and little beautiful towns, wow. Susan, how is your knee doing? I can't wait to get all of your stories in person when you return. We will do lunch.
02/08/2019Répondre
Kim Schwab The trail looks wonderful through the forest.
02/08/2019Répondre
VoyageurIt's country western night in the bar tonight. These Germans have their heads on straight "Like a rhinestone cowboy ...
02/08/2019Répondre
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Jour 56
samedi 3 août 2019 à 21:51
🌙 18 °C
Altitude: 30 p
Allemagne Wittenbergen 53.56375, 9.7673353°33’50” N 9°46’2” E
We Made It Across Europe
3 août 2019, Allemagne ⋅ 🌙 18 °C
We followed the levee into Hamburg this morning making our way to the BallinStadr Emigrant Museum. Millions of people poured out of Europe through the museum's buildings and boarded vessels on the waterfront for America, including three of my grandparents.

The city of Hamburg was a surprise. It's busy, modern and has energy you can feel. Heading out of town we went through an area of homes, mansions, parks and at least one embassy that is as nice as anyplace that we've been. Hamburg is worth coming back to.

Not too far downstream we found a campground. We've spoiled ourselves with the hotels and pensions, but the campground is ok and we are on the river. Tomorrow we turn north to Denmark.En savoir plus
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Kim SchwabI bet my great grandparents, from the Vogel area, came the same way.
04/08/2019Répondre
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Jour 57
dimanche 4 août 2019 à 18:09
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 49 p
Allemagne Elmshorn 53.75686, 9.6470753°45’25” N 9°38’49” E
1
A Day On The Farm
4 août 2019, Allemagne ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
A short day today; it's a day to rest and eat. We kept the miles down and only went 30 through flat, open farmland. There isn't a hill in sight. The roads are quiet and the villages are pretty. Thatched roofs are common in this area. It's serene country.

Photo 2 is a new home with copper flashing and thatched roof. Photo 4 is of a newborn calf still wet from birth and wobbly on its legs.En savoir plus
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Kim Schwab I could live in that house.
04/08/2019Répondre
VoyageurBeautiful! That almost looks like ice on the water. Slime? I’m heading this weekend to the Baltic countries with OAT for two weeks. Happy cycling.
06/08/2019Répondre
VoyageurIt was low tide so that is the channel bottom.
06/08/2019Répondre
VoyageurThe obvious now that I looked at a larger picture. You folks are making the miles now that it’s flat and hopefully cooler. Heading to the Baltic on Sunday for two weeks.
10/08/2019Répondre
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Jour 58
lundi 5 août 2019 à 19:42
⛅ 20 °C
Altitude: 23 p
Allemagne Linnbek 54.28911, 9.6628654°17’21” N 9°39’46” E
EuroVelo 3 Is A Sweet Route
5 août 2019, Allemagne ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Since Hamburg we've been following EuroVelo 3 which runs fromTrondheim Fjord in Norway to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. From what we've seen of the section in Northern Germany, this is one nice bike route. It winds in and out of villages, sticks to backcountry roads and the riding is easy.

Everyday we see something interesting. Today we saw a robot lawn mower. It runs around the lawn and somehow manages to stay on the property. Photo 1. Other sightings: nice homes, a grandmother out with her grandchild and dog, and a pedestrian/bike tunnel under the Kiel Canal/River Eider in Rendsburg. The Kiel Canal links the Baltic and North Seas. Photos 2-5. The prices are going up but the hotels are nice and the food is good. Photo 6.En savoir plus
Voir la traduction
Kim SchwabLooks like cool weather. Nice country trail.
05/08/2019Répondre
David MagawRegarding the robot mower, there is a perimeter wire that it senses to keep it confined. They are becoming very common. I have one for my place in Italy. What a great ride you guys have done, and continue to do!!!
07/08/2019Répondre
VoyageurNice photos. The lawn mower looking interesting. I wonder if it composts all the clippings and does not use a bag. Rode by your home a few days ago and all looks good.
09/08/2019Répondre
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Jour 59
mardi 6 août 2019 à 20:02
⛅ 19 °C
Altitude: 75 p
Danemark Årup Skov 55.02507, 9.4147955°1’30” N 9°24’53” E
Hello Denmark, Goodbye Germany
6 août 2019, Danemark ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
We passed through the German city of Flensburg, and into Denmark. No too long ago Flensburg must have been something to see. We went past old homes that could stand shoulder to shoulder with anything in Pacific Heights. Unfortunately, the city is haunted. It was the seat the Nazis goverment after Berlin fell on May 1, 1945, until surrender on May 23rd.

In Denmark we came across a WWII prison camp for Danish resistance fighters and subversives. It's been preserved as a museum.

Our last stop in the Danish city of Aabenraa., where we got out first view of the Baltic. Costs have soared so we are in a campground, but it's a nice one.En savoir plus
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Jour 60
mercredi 7 août 2019 à 20:04
⛅ 17 °C
Altitude: 243 p
Danemark Bække 55.56767, 9.1371855°34’4” N 9°8’14” E
1
Denmark So Far
7 août 2019, Danemark ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
This is our first time in Denmark. If you had asked me what Denmark is famous for, I would have said: Lego, Neils Bohr, a hippy commune in Copenhagen, pastries and Nicholas Copernicus. But I would have been wrong: the danish was created by Viennese bakers and Copernicus was a Pole.

Our first impressions are the countryside is pretty and litter free, properties are well maintained, and the people are nice with a PC mindset. The villages are gone, instead we have towns spread apart and suburban tract housing. The pensions have been replaced by B&B's and hotels and they are expensive. Seriously, except for the weather, we could be in California.

Nonetheless, Demark is a beautiful country and a great place to ride a bike.

Photos: 1) the Baltic; 2) old inscribed rock that is a national treasure; 3) stone bridge circa 900 AD; 4) outrunning the weather: 5) topiary.En savoir plus
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Kim Schwab Serpentine?
07/08/2019Répondre
VoyageurThe rock is inscribed but the meaning is lost to time. The Germans took it to Berlin but the Danes got it back. It's gneiss.
08/08/2019Répondre
Dave AbbottYes, it’s very nice!😜
08/08/2019Répondre
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Jour 61
jeudi 8 août 2019 à 18:33
⛅ 16 °C
Altitude: 174 p
Danemark Bryrup 56.02283, 9.5089956°1’22” N 9°30’32” E
The Oxen Trail
8 août 2019, Danemark ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
In Denmark EuroVelo 3 follows a 4,000 year old trade route named the Haervejen, or Oxen Trail. It's a great route: very well marked, marvelous scenery, and good riding surfaces. Signage along the way explains the natural history and the archeology of the area. Both trekkers and cyclist use the route and along the way there are camping areas with covered shelters.

This has been the easiest riding of our trip, both on and off the bike. Most Danes are fluent in english and we are culturally similar. The only difficulty is working with a different currency.

Photos: 2) "Stone Ship" Viking burial site; 3) field of heather; 4) Danish nachos are good; 5) World Heritage burial mound and church site attributed to Viking King Harald Bluetooth circa 965 AD. Harald converted to Christianity but he is mostly known for being the namesake of the electronic device.En savoir plus
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Jour 62
vendredi 9 août 2019 à 17:38
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 164 p
Danemark Viborg 56.45194, 9.4123656°27’7” N 9°24’44” E
Look Who We Ran Into!
9 août 2019, Danemark ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We're in old town Viborg, a city that was settled by Vikings in the 8th century, where we caught up with Al Yarber. We met Al commuting on the ARBT several years ago and he has been a good friend since. Al rode out of Carmichael in February, crossed the US, jumped over to Finland, went up and over to Norway, down to Denmark and is on his way to Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. Then it's back to the East Coast to cross America, again. We're going out to dinner to plan our next adventures.En savoir plus
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VoyageurOur tentative plan is to end the cycling trip in Hirtshals then ferry to Trondheim to view the Fjords and proceed by rail/car from there. We will keep you posted.
10/08/2019Répondre
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Jour 63
samedi 10 août 2019 à 18:32
🌧 18 °C
Altitude: 69 p
Danemark Støvring 56.89886, 9.8380856°53’56” N 9°50’17” E
Serious Rain Today
10 août 2019, Danemark ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
Heavy rain today. We tried to take cover for the big cloud bursts but gave up and dead headed it in a downpour to the first motel we came to outside of Aalborg. We did manage to get in lunch at a good restaurant on the waterfront in Hobro.En savoir plus
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Jour 64
dimanche 11 août 2019 à 17:02
☁️ 17 °C
Altitude: 30 p
Danemark Hirtshals 57.59152, 9.9573757°35’29” N 9°57’27” E
1
End Of The Ride: Istanbul to Hirtshals
11 août 2019, Danemark ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
3,353 miles, 11 countries, 64 days across the European continent. Now, we are bringing the bike tour to an end, but we are going on to Norway by ferry and from there we will using cars and trains on the Scandinavian Peninsula. We are ending the daily blog but may add a postscript or two if we find something interesting.

Many thanks to all of you for following us. We appreciate your interest and support. Your comments, both posted and private, were enjoyed by both of us. We look forward to seeing you all in September.En savoir plus
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Linda BeirneCongratulations to you both! What a great accomplisment!! You must feel so proud. I know I'm proud of you. Looking forward to seeing you in September. Safe travels 🙏
11/08/2019Répondre
Kim SchwabCongratulations to you both!
11/08/2019Répondre
Jim DoddsWOW What a wonderful trip.
11/08/2019Répondre
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Jour 68
jeudi 15 août 2019 à 12:42
⛅ 14 °C
Altitude: 1 542 p
Norvège Kanthaugen 61.12661, 10.4917561°7’36” N 10°29’30” E
JUMP!
15 août 2019, Norvège ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Greetings from the '94 Winter Olympic venue: Lillehammer, Norway.

Norway is spectacular. You gotta get here.
Voir la traduction
Kim SchwabIt's on my list!
15/08/2019Répondre
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Jour 69
vendredi 16 août 2019 à 14:45
☁️ 13 °C
Altitude: 2 165 p
Suède Storbo 61.85167, 12.2861°51’6” N 12°16’48” E
Reindeer Own The Road In Sweden
16 août 2019, Suède ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
And the moose are bigger in Norway.
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Jour 74
mercredi 21 août 2019 à 06:45
⛅ 7 °C
Altitude: 1 545 p
Norvège Bjørkhaugen 62.125, 7.17562°7’30” N 7°10’30” E
Geiranger Fjord
21 août 2019, Norvège ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
Look for farmhouse in Photo 3, inhabited up to 1941. Photo 5: campsite for the night.
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VoyageurThe farm house seems to be in the 5th photo. There is a dark colored vehicle in the 6th photo. This area looks more like a scenic parking spot, rather than a campsite. Are you renting a car for awhile?
25/08/2019Répondre
VoyageurThe cliff faces are dotted with farmhomrs as shown in 3. Children were tethered for safety. The cliffs are no longer farmed but some homes have been preserved. We rented a car for Norway.
25/08/2019Répondre
VoyageurNorway is an amazingly beautiful country that was very poor. Hence, my great grandparents emigrating to America. Today Norway is very wealthy from oil. It is 4th largest exporter of oil and has the highest cost of living in the world.
25/08/2019Répondre
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Fin du voyage
2 septembre 2019