You do not want to be near my feet just now. Or maybe you do. If so, you only have yourself to blame. I’m horizontal on my bed in Hotel Heimfeld, in a southern suburb of Hamburg, feeling my soles tingle and steam. Continue reading
Last night we had fantasies of cycling 87 miles from Winschoten to Bremen, or maybe just 60 miles to Oldenburg, with coffee-stops at Papenburg (21 miles) and Bad Zwischenahn (34 miles). Continue reading
So we’ve made today’s plans: 56 miles including the glorious tarmac of the Afsluitdijk. That’s a massive dyke shutting off the North Sea, but the main advantage is smooth tarmac, sheltered from the wind by the polder wall. There is video of some of our route: I bought the GoPro, but I won’t upload it until we have wifi.
A gentle warm-up and shakedown today: 26 miles. Considering that this time last year I could hardly walk, I feel amazingly well. There are some niggles: my toes say they have worked. But we are working: Bruce and Elly are cycling! Continue reading
So the reinvigorated Lev is about to take his first trip abroad. Tomorrow, Elly and I take Lev and Fidel on the train to Newcastle, cycle to North Shields, take the overnight ferry to IJMuiden, then cycle to Volendam. We have no fixed plans after that, except that we have to be back in IJMuiden by 4pm on 11 August. However, Copenhagen’s only 500 miles away, and we might be able cycle on to Sweden. Continue reading
So the Riesenrad has a great scheme for making more money from visitors. Of course we succumbed:
 Happy! |
 Scared! |
 Us! |
After returning my hire-bike, we went to an exhibition about ancient gold mines in the Kunsthistorischesmuseum. Photography wasn’t allowed in the exhibition. Then, making like total tourists, we went to the Prater park (via a walk to Wien Westbahhof) and rode the Riesenrad. Dinner was in a veggie/vegan restaurant in Meidling, followed by a walk back to the hotel along the Wienfluß. Continue reading
I hired a bike from pedalpower.at and cycled out to another of our traditional haunts, the Kahlenberg (a hill just north of Vienna, with fantastic views over the city). Elly was sensible and took the U-bahn and then a bus.
Meanwhile, I failed to get up the MTB path, so cycled on to Klosterneuberg and ascended via a shallower but longer route – and cooked my arms in the sun.
Several drinks, including a verlängte Brauner (look it up!), later, we walked down to Klosterneuberg. Elly took public transport back to our hotel, while I went via the Donauinsel. Dinner was at another of our favourite haunts, the Dreivierteltakt. More Kartoffelsalat, Gurkensalat and Petersilkartoffeln. Austria does spuds! Continue reading
Elly fancied seeing the display of the Habsburgs’ book collection at the National Library. The state hall is full of books from mostly Empress Maria Theresa’s time (18th century). It’s absolutely amazing – I hope the photos do it some justice.
After a room full of books, none of which we could touch, let alone read, we headed for the Donauinsel for drinks, a shisha and (for the silliness addict) a dip in the Donaukanal. It’s rare that I’ve been so cold.
Dinner that night was at the Loving Hut – vegan Wienerschnitzel with mayonnaise-Kartoffelsalat. Totally yum! Continue reading
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