Tag: Cycling
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45. Last whirl of the wheel. (July 31)
It has taken me a week to get around to writing to you, because baby Elia and I have been so busy catching up and playing. This is a last look at the stats after finishing… 55 sunny days of pedalling from morning till night + 2 days of heavy rain when I stopped +…
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43. A Rolling stone gathers no moss for 4000 kms (July 23)
The terrain rose up and became beautifully hilly. Massive piles of mossy granite boulders pushed up through the oats fields while balancing trees on their heads. These hills are perfectly spaced to allow cyclists to whizz down a steep slope for 10 seconds before starting up the next for 10 minutes. Up and down like…
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42. Swedish bitters (July 21)
Apologies to the Swedish for putting these dull pictures on the blog, it was the only cloudy day they’ve had in a long time. Most days they are either fighting fires or lying on the beaches. After a very pleasant rest near Ängelholme, I made my wiggly way up the coast. The cycle route was…
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41. Copenhagen magic (July 19)
It was the hottest day of the year. Even so, it’s always a pleasure to be in this city. We spent the day rolling around enjoying the scenery. Bruce and Kealena treated me to an all insclusive personalised tour. Meals, a chat with the little mermaid, and a new lock for my bike. So…
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39. Bridging the Baltic Sea (July 17)
The great crossing began with a blue sun. Our posh hotel elevator, being slightly too short for a bike body, had the girls doing a circus trick by balancing the front wheels up on the golden hand rail. It was a frizzling hot day, so we had ice-cream at the beach and a large Döner…
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36. Hamburger sophistication (July 11)
What do you order for dinner in Hamburg? Sweet-potato chips. But ask any Hamburger citizen and they will tell you with pride that the food here is highly sophisticated and exquisite. From rich and savoury to spicy and sweet, luscious meats, delightful veggies, free range biofriendly everything under the sun and rain. I began the…
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32. Goodbye my friend, Rhine. (July 5)
This is yesterday’s post. Hotel’s and hostels offer very poor wifi, so the blog cannot be shared when it should be, it has to wait for the next stop, just like many things in life. The sun is dragging his billowing sky down to the smoking chimney stacks. A giant storm growled through dinner, but…
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30. Loreley. (July 3)
Simon came to see me at the Loreley section of the Rhein for the weekend. A short relaxing break from riding my bike. We visited 5 castles on Sunday morning. The Bellevue Rheinhotel, a historic place to stay, if you’re looking for a bit of pampering. Riesling wine tasting and gourmet cuisine. I think…
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29. Painting at the riverside. (June 29)
The morning was exuberant with fresh vineyards. Riesling grapes still budding on the vines. The Rhein is becoming greener too. My little paintbox made happy colours and manifested this naivety. Someone had set up the perfect table and chairs on the riverbank just for me. I felt very happy under my number. Would a…
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27. Big Green Umbrella. (June 28)
Today the wind came up against me. The tall poplar trees along the river bank clapped their silver leaves, making a high sound like a standing ovation at an opera. It was a blue sky day, with puffy clouds dotted about. Birds of prey skimmed over the golden bristles of the harvested wheat fields looking…
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25. Strasbourg. (June 25)
Sunday was a celebration day for us, our precious Elia turned ONE. What a joy it is to have two fabulous grandsons, and a baby on the way! Now that my feet are firmly in socks and sandals on German soil, I can talk about practical issues without embarrassment. The question I am asked the…
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24. A Bicycle is a marvellous machine (June 24)
Riding a bike along the banks of a river has a profound effect on the rider. The river softly massages away one’s knotty moods, while the bike carries you along at a pace neither fast nor slow…it goes at the exact speed you need to be propelled, so as to see most of the beauty,…
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23. Black Forest Gateau. (June 22)
No sign of the famous Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte so far. Maybe the world famous Black Forest Gateau will make an appearance at my next destination, which would be Freiburg, although I doubted I would make it that far in one day. The journey was not without highs and lows, although the terrain was flat. Steel works,…
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21. Emerald River blues. (June 19-21)
19 June 2018. Early morning ride along the southern shore of lake Constance (Bodensee in German) which forms the border between Switzerland and Germany, was so calm after the turbulent river that feeds it, unlike me who woke up in the night with vertigo! I was horrified of course, and so worried that I would…
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20. Singing down to the Bodensee. (June 18)
I dropped down from the mountain ice, with the river misting at my side. From Stuben to Bludenz to Nenzing to Feldkirch. My wheels spun fast between the trees, until the land began to plain, and the white stream expanded into a calm turquoise lens. The tunnel panic wasn’t so bad this time, being Sunday…
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19. Arlberg Pass to Stuben (June 17)
It was the first day of my 3 week trip so far, that I had absolutely no idea where I was going. The thought of a steep pass made me anxious, so I delayed along the way and dabbled with my paint and took leisurely photographs of flowers. Dilly-dallied all the way along the valley,…
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18. How to ride in heaven. (June 15)
First of all, the man did not make another appearance. At Burgusio, where I escaped the man and spent the night, there is the magnificent Marienburg Monastery. We have visited before thanks to Susanne, Simon’s sister. Incredible to see, the highest Benedictine monastery in Europe. The library there has recently been renovated and the book…
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16. Truck spray. (June 13)
This morning some of the Everest Hotel guests vanished with the key to the dungeon where the bicycles are stored overnight, so I had to wait for them to come and open the lock. It was an imperfect start to a few other annoyances that came up first thing. I pedalled out to the river…
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15. Going into the Alps. (June 13)
Lucy Lui gave me breakfast in her back garden, and waved me goodbye. All my hosts and hostesses so far have been truly generous and kind. Mantova was just waking up when I passed along her northern shores, sneaking along a little path in the woods. A large sticky spider web attached itself to my…
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14. Po River flats. (June 10)
I was thrilled to have an egg for breakfast at Pico Hotel. Usually it’s a matter of cornetti with jam and a coffee. Set off a bit late this morning, due to it being Sunday. Lesson 3. Don’t sing with your mouth open when riding a bike. Hum, because insects can get in your lung.…
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9. Poggio Pratelli. (June 4)
The evening was lilac with pink roses, from the high terrace of the village called Radda our glasses of red wine held up in the sun, and the moon floated like a white petal between them. A choir was singing in the church so we sat on a pew and closed our eyes for a…