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  • Karen Fig
  • Karen Fig

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  • Trip start
    August 29, 2019
  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    i hope we find true peace one day
    The Brandenburg gate, built in 1791, was closed between east and west berlin from 1961-1989Sunset on the spree riverDusk in Mauerpark, or "wall park."

    impressions of freedom

    August 31, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Berlin is: art and graffiti. nocturnal. a beautiful, endless world of clubs that don't open until midnight and tiny sweltering bars in run-down brick buildings. they are probably so cozy in the winter; in the summer, not so much.

    People are out drinking in the streets and sidewalks all night long, smoking hookah, watching the sun set along the river, or barbecuing in the green space that used to be the death strip along the berlin wall.

    Or, of course, dancing, probably to techno.

    It feels like a huge contrast to Chicago, where the police literally kick everyone out of the parks at 11pm sharp and fine or arrest you for doing something as simple strolling down the street with a beer.

    After my bike ride from the airport, I walked 11 miles and ended up dancing at 2:30am at a place that felt like the 90s- no air conditioning, fog machine, loud house music, literally underground. I got back to the hostel at 5am, walking past still-thumping bars and clubs that don't stop until the sun comes up, and sometimes not even then.

    It seems like an endless party here, and it definitely could be if you wanted that. But more generally, I think this is what it feels like when a city belongs to its people.    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    You have to imagine all of these photos with a serious "UNZ UNZ UNZ" in the backgroundFor a brief moment I thought there was tear gas ahead. Nope. Fog machine.

    Fuckparade

    August 31, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    I encountered thousands of people in the street today and my first impression was that it was some sort of demonstration.

    But, these people were dancing and there were very few signs. It was more like a...techno parade...

    Turns out it was both.

    "The Fuckparade is an annual summer technoparade in Berlin. The event began in 1997 as a demonstration against the increasing commercialisation of culture and public life and the misuse of the right of assembly by purely commercial ventures." (Wikipedia)

    "[In 2006], after some changes in the organizational team, the Fuckparade shifted its entire focus to political issues, ranging from violent repression of illegal parties and sub cultural activities to gentrification and new surveillance laws." (Electronicbeats.net)

    So literally - a political techno protest. Which is like the most stereotypically Berlin thing in the world.    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    Punch-a-nazi-in-the-face-eweisen
    One of these on every corner is not enoughThis is tricky to eat sober. Imagine doing it after a few beers!Currywurst: better than it looks. Not as good as it should beMy first meal in berlin was paneer served on a sizzling skillet and I probably can't top that, ever

    The only german food I've had is beer

    August 31, 2019 in Germany ⋅ 🌙 79 °F

    Seeing the ruins of fascism is cool and all, but I really just come to europe for the kebabs

    Berlin is food heaven for me. There is literally an entire park dedicated to Thai street food (called Thaipark, of course). The streets are lined with Turkish, Vietnamese, and Indian restaurants open late into the night

    The most "German" thing I've eaten, which I only did because it is apparently a drunk-Berlin staple, is Currywurst, which is a bratwurst covered in curry ketchup. It wasn't bad, but I'm probably going to stick to meat roasted on a stick    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    No swimming for fascists! (I think that's what it says...hah)

    fck afd

    September 1, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    The power of tagging is amazing. No wonder it's criminalized.

    I was planning on stopping in the next town for lunch, but on my way in, I saw two AFD tags, right on the bike lane. AFD, or the Alternative for Deutschland party, is Germany's new and quickly-growing extremely conservative party. They are German nationalists. Anti-immigrant, anti-feminist and anti-Muslim.

    Just like that, I felt chilled and decided not to eat there because it felt unsafe.

    I know even if I met an AFD member, just like a Trump supporter they'd be capable of a normal conversation and not just outright attack me. But it doesn't matter. The tagging was effective, and I understood that this place was not for me.

    It reminds me of when Andrew and I rode into Maine from Quebec, and literally the first house after the border crossing had a GIANT Trump sign.

    It's about sending a message.

    Conversely, seeing open anti-fascist and anti-AFD graffiti makes me feel welcome. It gives me some peace to know that there are people out there who are not willing to silently stand by.    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    The river spree, which I more or less followed all the way from Berlin!
    I got to see and smell this forest for like a hundred miles and I already miss itSo pretty, much beautifuli mean just LOOK AT THOSE SWANS. Holy shit it was pretty. These weren't even the only ones I saw!!The town of Lübbenau had some statues of mystical spree forest creatures in the main squareManaged to get a picture of a glowing forest sprite in its natural habitat

    Spreewald

    September 1, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    The Spree Forest is a UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve area, recognized for its fragile wetland areas and alpine forests. I spent the better part of two days riding through what felt like a magical natural wonderland. It was lovely. The trees smelled exactly like a pine-scented air freshener, and the tributaries meandering through the wetlands were beautiful enough to make me get over the fact that I had to carry my bike up and down multiple pedestrian bridges since the whole place is basically a bunch of islands separated by tiny rivers. In fact, the area used to be exclusively traveled by punts, which, in my understanding, are European canoes. I saw many of them, and they look like they would have be difficult to get a bike on, so I guess I got off easy.

    I was really hoping to see an otter, but I had to settle for swans, which are pretty fucking majestic I guess. I looked at my phone later and had (if I had to guess) many hundreds of pictures of swans and trees. I narrowed it down to one of each, cause ain't nobody got time for that

    Except me, obviously
    All I got is time to be the tree-and-swan-arazzi
    I was always meant to be

    (I have clearly been spending too much time alone. I'll show myself out now...)    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    Pickle in a punt
    Pickle trailHow the sausage gets made. And by sausage, I mean pickles and beer (cucumber flowers and hops)People were literally buying buckets'o'pickles. I opted for single servingI really wanted to use the pickle spear, but I couldn't figure out howNot pickles. But a sausage vending machine!

    Spreewald

    September 1, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    My home for the evening is (apparently) known for its pickles. Specifically for the gherkins.

    They take them like, REAL serious cause they're the best gherkins in the world or something. Hey, we all have our thing!

    Obviously i had to try one of these things.

    It was pretty good, nice and juicy and full of necessary electrolytes, everything a pickle should be...but I still think Andrew makes them better.    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler

    Just a regular Monday morning

    September 2, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Things bike touring and construction have in common:

    -hi vis clothing and head protection required
    -long, grueling days
    - you get up ridiculously early but end up running late anyway
    -the tool you just used isn't where you left it
    - you're too tired to do anything but drink a beer and pass out at the end of the day
    -no good reason to bother with clean clothes
    -people tell you not to wear headphones but sometimes you do it anyway
    -everything hurts, ibuprofen only kind of helps
    - your bag is heavy and filled with stuff you dont use but there's still something you left at home that you need
    -coffee is necessary
    - you're constantly exposed to the elements but the only real excuse to stop is lightning
    -Sense of accomplishment clouded by pain
    -You want to wash your hands at break but there's nowhere to do it
    -"i really hope that giant truck sees me"
    - you waited too long to put on sunblock
    - you're not going as fast as you think you are
    - it's hard to tell if you're really tan or just covered in dirt

    Ok I'll stop now. Cause i shouldn't be wasting time on my phone. Hey, that's another one!    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    Luckily it was all downhill to Dresden after that mess

    Obstacles

    September 2, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Near the end of the day, I encountered construction going through the main road of the town. I didn't see any obvious ways around with my map, so I asked an eight year old kid with a bike for directions.

    Well, I'm assuming there was an official detour for cars, but I definitely got the eight-year-old kid -with-a-bike version of it, which was more...direct. I ended up going up a steep, unpaved hill, through a forest with a poorly maintained single-track path, and across a sturdy but very narrow "bridge." All of this led me to a field that eventually got me back on the road. Thanks, kid. I guess.    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    1945
    2019They left a chunk of rubble as a memorialThe Dresden Opera Hoise, another building rebuilt from rubble

    Dresden

    September 2, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Dresden was bombed to complete rubble in World War II, 1945. The skyline disappeared. For 40 years, the ruins of this church in particular, Frauenkirche, were used as a war memorial and a site of peaceful demonstrations against the East German government.

    After the reunification of Germany, they rebuilt a lot of Dresden's beautiful Baroque buildings exactly as they had been. After 20 years of construction, Dresden rose again.    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler

    Elbe

    September 3, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    I left Dresden on the Elbe River path. Beautiful, flat, and perfectly paved, it's a trail that spans multiple countries in Europe for about 800 miles.

    It is full of people of all ages, from children to retirees, riding bicycles with tents and sleeping bags strapped to them, and along the way you find a lot of Cycle Camps, which cater specifically to bike tourers by having a spot to pitch a tent and outdoor patios that serve food and beer. So dreamy.Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler

    Saxony

    September 4, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    One of my favorite views along the Elbe was the Sandstone Mountains. Unfortunately they were so beautiful that I missed a turn and ended up on what barely qualified as path for a couple of miles. Whoops.

    I would have preferred to admire them from much closer, but that's the drawback of bike touring: you get to see a lot more than usual methods of travel, but you never have time for it all.    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler

    265 miles later: Prague

    September 5, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    265 miles later: Prague

    Five stars for the pastries and bread dumplings, for the gorgeous buildings and inspiring theatre and puppetry, for your resilient belief in freedom and beauty after decades of horrific repression.

    One star for cobblestone bike lanes. Ouch.

    I didn't spend as much quality time with a wifi connection as I wanted, there's much more to post. Eventually....    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler

    Things I ate

    September 5, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Most of the time I eat bread, cheese, fruit, and nuts. It's cheap, easy, and requires little refrigeration or cooking

    But obviously I gotta try the local cuisine when I can. I was excited to eat in Prague because the Czech food is more interesting than German, and also it's cheap as hell. Pictured:

    1. Pork knuckle (knee), crusty bread, pickled peppers, mustard, horseradish
    2. Sausage, potato dumplings, cabbage
    3. Braised beef smothered in pureed veggies, cranberry sauce, (unsweetened) whipped cream, and a lemon. Served with bread dumplings. Sounds weird but it was very tasty! It's called svíčková. And omg, bread dumplings are amazing.
    4. Czech pancakes. They are much smaller and denser and I'm a fan. Served with....plum? I think. And unsweetened whipped cream. Also a fan.
    5. I didnt eat this but these chimney cakes are traditional desserts. They're spun and roasted over a fire, dusted with sugar, and then filled with ice cream!
    6. Gingerbread is also very Czech, apparently. There was gingerbread everywhere. This guy was quite tasty.    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    The museum looks appropriately austere from outside
    I hope our bloody and violent US border is in a history museum somedayOne of the most fascinating things was the propaganda used during fascismCitizens who voluntarily helped the secret police were called "idiots standing next to fools"Blacklight Theatre. Picture from google images

    Communism and clowns

    September 5, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    I did not research Prague at all before going there. I was a totally blank slate, so besides eating my way through the city, I decided to focus on two significant parts of the culture: history and art.

    As far as history goes, I visited the Museum of Communism, which was amazing and probably one of the most educational and interesting museums I've ever been to. I actually spent a good amount of time this spring listening to Russian history podcasts (I watched Chernobyl and immediately wanted more), so I had a good primer as far as the USSR and what it was all about.

    Still, is shocking how little I was taught of world history in school. And it seems like, the more I try to catch up, the more there is to learn.

    Anyway, the museum gave a general history of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic up through Nazi occupation, and then focused on life under communist rule.

    Damn, man. It is frightening to see the parallels between the fascism of the late 20th century and the direction of US culture and policy today.

    Going to this museum was one of the highlights of the entire trip, for sure.

    In terms of art, I decided on a Black Light Theatre show, which is unique to Prague and uses blacklights to create visual effects resembling magic. The show also incorporated acrobatics, puppets, and was entirely mimed, so it was universally understood. It felt very creative and weird and lighthearted. Kids and adults were both laughing. There were multiple layers to the humor.

    It wasn't the kind of theatre that I typically frequent, the kind with a strong message, usually political. But all the same, it felt important to laugh after the darkness of the museum of communism, and inspired and delighted me. Art fills in so many spaces in life.

    Not bad for a single day in Prague.    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    The mountains at night
    At least most of this happened on a beautiful bike trailWell that's concerningThrough the dark czechian forestEarly in the day, i ended up going on a hike with my bike..how is this a "trail?!"Hills...hills everywhere...

    The hardest day, but harder

    September 7, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    When I planned this trip, I was a little nervous about heading from Prague into Austria. I knew the mileage was ambitious, and that the days would be long and challenging.

    As apprehensive as I was, I still WAY underestimated how difficult it would be. After the first day, I thought, "wow, that was one of the hardest days I've ever had on a bike."

    The hills of Bohemia are endless. And they are not "rolling" hills. They are the kind of hills where you are nearly vertical both ways. I often had to walk my bike going down after spending a very long time getting up one. So that was yesterday. It was rough.

    Today was harder than yesterday. By a lot.

    I climbed mountains ALL DAY. I was literally climbing between 2-3mph for HOURS. And then I got a terrifying downhill. AND THEN I HAD TO CLIMB ANOTHER MOUNTAIN.

    Also, it was raining.
    And I have a cold.
    It got dark.
    I kept going.
    I kept going until I could not go anymore, and I still did not make it to Austria.

    People. I cannot even believe today was real.

    I ended up in a hotel because my tent and I were soaking wet

    Also cause
    I deserve it    Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler

    Ahoj, Czechia

    September 8, 2019 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F

    I left the Czech Republic on a foggy Sunday morning. Though I was a mere 15 miles from the Austrian border, it did not let me go without a fight - I had to climb the whole way out.

    Damn, that place kicked my ass. But I kinda loved it.Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    This is how I thought my ride would bespoiler alert: I made it to Linz. It was fine

    It's all downhill from here, for today

    September 8, 2019 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    This is an unpopular opinion for a cyclist, but I'm not crazy about downhills. I think they're scary and I spend them worrying that I'm going to break my neck in the European countryside.

    So, while I was looking forward to being done with so much climbing, I was a bit nervous about riding into Linz, Austria, because it really appeared to be at the bottom of a cliff.Read more

  • Karen Figgermany-czechia-austria-switzTraveler
    The beautiful penzionkatze

    Fog

    September 8, 2019 in Austria ⋅ 🌧 55 °F

    Austria gifted me with about five glorious, rainless hours, but they were not enough.

    I'm feeling weary. Of the weather and the wind, of having a cold and being cold. But it is beautiful.

    I camped in the yard of a nice penzion, which is like a bed and breakfast. You know those 5,000 piece puzzles of the Alps that were really popular in the 90s? I was always like, who does those?

    The owners of penzions in Austria, that's who.    Read more

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