Day 18 Dokkum

 39 miles to Dokkum

The morning started out overcast but dry.  I noticed this rainbow in the distance and thought it might be the sign of a good day.

Unfortunately, rainbows usually come along with rain and I was heading in that direction.  At the beginning of this trip, back in Prague, I bought a can of sunscreen.  So far I've used it once!

Below are 2 pictures that represent what I've seen in so many small towns in The Netherlands - as far as housing goes.  Small, square, simple brick structures.

Below is a picture of cows grazing on a polder.  A polder is land that was reclaimed from the sea.  From what I'm told, once the water is drained and the mud dries, the soil is not good for growing much of anything but grass.  The soil in these polders is a slate gray color as opposed to the regular brown earth.  Apparently there are certain minerals in that gray soil that are good for grass - then the cows eat the grass - and then The Netherlands gets famous for making cheese.

I eventually got to the small city (one of the residents corrected me when I called it a town) of Dokkum and it was thoroughly charming.  Many restaurants, cafes, and shops lining the canals.  Just beautiful.

Later I rode a few kilometers out of town to get to my host's home.  Tonight I stayed with Siewart and his family.  He has ridden a motorcycle in the Himalaya mountains in India and also in New Zealand.  It was fun listening to his stories.

Siewart and his wife Tanya.

 

Day 17 Groningen

 40 miles to Groningen

Today I cycled to Emden to catch the ferry to Delfzijl, Netherlands.  The focus of this trip has been The Netherlands.  First to see a friend that I cycled with along the Danube a few years ago.  And second because I want to see this bicycle crazy culture.

The day started out overcast and misty, but mild in temperature.

This is the boat that took me to The Netherlands.

Goodbye Germany.

Beautiful bike lanes, protected from traffic.

If you look you can see the bike lanes, on the right, are about as big as the two lanes for car traffic, on the left.  The bike lanes also had their own barrier bars to prevent you from crossing when a train is coming.

Flag of The Netherlands.  And, yes, the wind was blowing pretty strong.

Now in Groningen

Bikes parked everywhere.

This is Martinikerk.  Named for St. Martin of Tours.  The church is now used for conferences and other events - which I was about to find out.  The church is 13th century and the organ dates to 1450.  Much of the art on the walls and the ceiling have been preserved - much of it from the 16th century.

With that history I was surprised to go inside and find hundreds of people involved in a gaming competition!!!

Beautiful preserved artwork.

This is the entrance to the University of Groningen.  One of the most historic and prestigious universities in the country.  Has about 30,000 students.  Tuition for EU students - 2060 Euros - A YEAR!!!!!

Day 16 Hinte

 48 miles today

Today required a change in plans because I found out that the ferry from Germany to the Netherlands only runs once on Saturday and once on Wednesday at this point in the season.  If I missed it I would probably need another 2-3 days of riding to get back to my trail.  So off to Hinte for the night and then I will catch the ferry first thing in the morning.

I noticed a few days ago that my legs had decided to join my journey and stopped complaining about riding 50 miles day after day.  It's nice now to have them along for the ride!!

Riding along paths on a network of canals.  If you notice, almost all the bike paths are made from various paver stones.  I can't imagine the labor involved in making these paths.

Found this very interesting specimen tree in someone's yard along a canal.

Passed through the lovely village of Aurich.  They had a wonderful pedestrian thoroughfare leading to a central market.  I couldn't get over how many people were out and about at 10am on a Friday morning.

So now I am in the town of Hinte on my last night in Germany.  Tomorrow I will take the ferry to The Netherlands and head to Groningen.

Day 15 Sande

 54  miles to Sande 

Another day of sunshine and a nice ride.  First thing in the morning I rode downtown Bremerhaven to catch a ferry - but not without getting stopped by police 3 times.  First time they stopped me for riding the wrong way on the bike path (which is on the sidewalk).  Second time they stopped me for riding on the sidewalk and not in the road.  And the third time they stopped me to make me walk down a 20 foot ramp - then I could get back on the bike.  This all happened within 10 minutes!!

I eventually did make it on to the ferry to Nordenham

Passed through several villages with canals that led to the sea.

I stopped on the dike overlooking the Wadden Sea to have a snack and these folks came along and asked a bunch of questions about my trip.  And we talked about their travels and what part of Germany they were from (Bremer).  Very nice folks.

I rode through a lot of farm land today.  A lot of cows, a lot of sheep, and wind farms everywhere you looked.

This is the charming town of Varel.  It might be hard to see in the pictures but each property has a wooden flag hanging out front with either a family name, if it is a residence, or a person's name and occupation if it is a business.

Finally I got to my host's home.  This is Bernd and his cat Freddy.  His home is right alongside a canal and was the quietest home I had ever been in.  In the evening there was absolutely not a sound.  Very remote.  We shared nice meals and good conversation.

Day 14 Bremerhaven

 Woo hoo!  Another beautiful day to ride - and another day with a change in plan.

I had thought this was going to be a short easy day since I put in extra miles yesterday.  So I lollygagged around in the morning and didn't hit the road until 9:30.  Even with that and a bunch of sightseeing I was at my campground at 1pm.  When I tried to register for the night they said that registration did not open until 3:30.  So instead of sitting around I went another 20 miles before finding a place to stop.

Anyway - again, a lovely day.  Started off about 48 degrees and I had a sweatshirt on under my windbreaker.  But the sweatshirt came off soon enough with the sun being out and heat building up from riding.

A nice shadow means the sun was shining bright.

Passed lots of sheep grazing along the sides of the dikes.  For a while I thought I was in Ireland!!

I made it to Cuxhaven and the terminus of the Elbe River.  This structure marks where the Elbe ends and the North Sea starts.  I was so happy to see the Elbe flow into the North Sea.  1st, because it was a lovely day.  2nd, because it's the North Sea.  And 3rd, because after traveling 2600 miles along the Danube River a few years ago Brian and I had some bike trouble and we did not see the Danube flow into the Black Sea.  So this was gratifying.

Lots of these little stationary huts along the waterfront.  Apparently people own these things.  They open up and form seating for two with some protection from the wind.  I saw a few people had theirs open and they also store extra chairs and blankets in there.

Then rode on the Bremerhaven which is a pretty big shipping center.  There were several cargo ships being loaded/unloaded.  Trucks and trains everywhere carrying shipping containers.

  

So many trucks and trains were loaded with new cars.  And huge parking garages loaded with new cars.  Anyone out there waiting for a new vehicle?  It's probably here somewhere!

Day 13 Grossenworden and Otterndorf

 Today was scheduled to be an easy day after sitting around in Berlin and Hamburg.  So I started out to my campground 39 miles away.  It was a beautiful day.  Started riding this morning 46 degrees.  Got up to 60 degrees in the afternoon - and SUNNY!  Woo Hoo.  What a difference the sun makes.  It was great to get out of the city and back on bike paths through little towns and villages.

I passed miles and miles of apple orchards being harvested.  The trees, however, were not like back at home.  They were much smaller and very skinny - but yet loaded with apples.

Many homes in these villages still have thatched rooves (roofs).

Even saw one thatched roof being re-done.

Anyway - I got to my campsite only to find it was just a rest stop for a car or camper.  It was just a patch of grass; no water, no shower, no bathroom, no nothing.  So I got back on the bike and did another 25 miles to the town of Otterndorf where I got a room for the night.  This is really a delightful, charming, small town.  Looks like a very nice place to live.

This extra mileage today really cuts down how far I have to go tomorrow so I'll try to sleep in a bit. 

Tomorrow I make it to the end of the Elbe River as it empties into the North Sea.

40 miles to Grossenworden to campground.  Short ride today.  Spent the morning in Hamburg.