June 2017

Day 28-29 Tunbridge Wells

Saturday 24 June 2017

A stop off at Martin's mum's in Tunbridge Wells and then home. 2250 mile travelled and this was the final route:


Day 27 Groede

Wednesday 21 June 2017



Another very hot day but we cycled out to Oostberg but had a stop at a beautiful cafe opened in a private garden that Martin had passed. Everything was home made.


 

Day 26 Groede

Tuesday 20 June 2017

After a leisurely start we went to Breskens and had a fish lunch. It's very hot. 
A very quiet afternoon so a ride to Groede this evening followed by a paddle.
  



Day 25 Groede

Monday 19 June 2017

Another beautiful day and a ride out to Cadzand. There has been a lot of investment and change to the harbour and the Strandpavillions.
There are some new beach houses for rent too. In contrast to yesterday it's not nearly so busy on the beaches.




Day 24 Groede

Sunday 18 June 2017

After about a 3 hr journey we are back where we started. Strandcamping. It is very hot and the beaches are packed. We thought there was a market at Breskens so we cycled over only to find it was a car boot type sale in the centre! It was so hot we thought we ought to have an iced coffee.
We spent a couple of hours on the beach in the afternoon, and had an evening walk through the polders.






Day 23 Groesbeek

Saturday 17 June 2017

We cycled into Nijmegen today. About 20 km round trip. We were surprised at how big a city it was. There was a market in the main Street.
The river that runs through it - the Waal is known as the Rhine as it crosses the border. 
  
In the afternoon we visited the war museum. This area was part of the 'operation market garden' and the film 'A bridge to far'.
In our field on the site is a floating eco house built on a pontoon on a small man made lake.
 
Had a walk down town in the evening. It was very quiet.



Day 22 Groesbeek

Friday 16 June 2017

Hank and Ada if you are following this-we have crossed the border back into the Netherlands. There are interesting murals in the shower block.


We cycled into town this afternoon and saw the actual old windmill.



 
In the evening we went to the restaurant at the camp site entrance and had their surprise  meal! You choose meat fish or veg and they just bring your food! We had asparagus and salmon soup, talapia, veg, chips and salad and panacotta- lovely.

Day 21 Brilon

Thursday 15 June 2017

And we're off to Brilon. A short journey but one that gets us closer to the Netherlands border.
We were allowed on site early so we made camp and headed for the town. Another camp site on a hill!

So it was a short cycle downhill to a quiet and shut town - Bank Holiday Thursday!. It was a religious holiday. We had coffee in the town square where a parade through the town finished and they held a religious service.
 

Had a short thunder and lightning storm in the early evening


Day 20 Kassel

Wednesday 14 June 2017

A relatively early start as we're cycling to see Hercules. We rode through the university city which is hosting an arts festival.     A bit of an awkward ride to the car park at the base of the park and then a long walk up to the castle. Water is released from tanks and falls from the statue downhill for 350 mts of waterfalls, grotto 's and other man made features. There are 534 steps to Hecules base. You can walk down following the water and see it filling each feature. It ends with a 50 mt jet in the bottom lake.  
Picked our way back to the site. Shower and out for a Chinese meal. Too tired to do anything else.








Day 19 Kassel

Tuesday 13 June 2017

Today we left the lake at Oberhof and headed north west to Kassel.
On the way we stopped at Eisenach, home of Bach, the first BMW and Martin Luther. We visited the castle - Wartburg where he hid from the Catholics. 
 



Then on to the university city of Kassel where the site is next to the Fulda river. Mart had a ride into the city to check out how we are going to get to Schloss Wilhelmshohe tomorrow.











In the evening we had a ride out to a local mall which was very nice indeed: new looking with lots of good eating places. An American/German who was on the site to meet with his daughter who is doing her PhD in Kassel brought her over to help with directions for tomorrow. Both very nice and helpful.

Day 18 Oberhof

Monday 12 June 2017

We went to look at the biathlon stadium!! We could go over the bridge - which was almost vertical to walk over so how on earth they ski over it I have no idea.




We couldn't quite go on the range but wow it's a long way and those targets are very small.
Beautiful campsite and a great position overlooking the reservoir.
 
We rode around the lake.


Martin went for a scary and steep 10k ride up over mountain trails to Oberhof town - no phone signal!!





Day 17 Grossbuchlberg

Sunday 11 June 2017

A quiet day at the site sitting by the pool and an occasional swim. Mart did cycle down to the local town for cake!! 

Day 16 Grossbuchlberg

Saturday 10 June 2017

A fairly early start with a ride downhill of about 3 km to Mitterteich. Ah..... the bread and cakes in the bakeries.

 After a coffee stop and a walk around ( and I bought a jumper) it was off on the bikes again about 8 km to the amazing town of Waldsassen with its Basilica. A stop off at tourist information and it turns out the town's twinned with Pencoed!! The library in the cloisters included a talk (in German) but with English printed info. Wonderful.
 




Another church 3 km uphill past 15 religious icons included a ride through the forest.


And we came out to see this:



About 20 km cycled but there was an awful lot of up on the way back. I nearly had a few heart attacks and had to get off and push a few times but Mart despite his cold never seemed even to breath heavy. 

Day 15 Grossbuchlberg

Friday 9 June 2017

We've crossed back into Germany.  Some motorway driving but then on Czech country roads through small villages before we crossed the border. It was very pretty but noticeably changed when we got to Germany to be more wealthy looking.
Checked in for a few nights at a very nice terraced site with lovely views and a very warm heated swimming pool. Sian and Paul you'd hate it!
 



Day 14 Prague

Thursday 8 June 2017

And another train trip. We are unable to speak a word but everyone's very helpful and has some English.
 
Walked another 15 km today just seeing the sites and looking at the lovely buildings.






Day 13 Prague

Berlin to Prague 1200 miles out and our furthest point. Stopped at the border to get a vignette to allow us to drive on Czech roads. It's a very pretty country.
The camp site is lovely great facilities very clean and lots of flowers. One of the nicest we've been to. 

Had a bike ride to the nearest town Zbraslav to get some currency koruna.

 Had a meal in the camp site restaurant spicy prawns and Mart had chicken skewers!
   



Day 12 Berlin

Tuesday 6 June 2017

And it was back on the train but a bit further to Sanssouci palace and park. Of course the only day the palace shuts is a Tuesday but that gave us plenty of time to see the other sights.
Part of Potsdam uni was opposite and if anything looked grander than the palace that was having loads of renovations done to the outside.
 
The grounds were enormous and had an  orangery, castle, water features, botanical gardens, and was unlike anything we'd seen before. Had lunch in KaTeWe an extremely upmarket and huge department store. Walked about 16 k





Day 11 Berlin

Monday 5 June 2017

A cycle through the woods to the station to catch a train on time of course to Berlin. We walked 18 km and saw all the sites. The Reichstag, Brandenburg gate, the Jewish memorial , Checkpoint  Charlie, some of the wall that's left standing and Hitler's bunker that is now a car park!   

  



Day 10 Berlin

Sunday 4 June 2017

Woke up to rain but we were mostly packed up. Headed for Bergen Belsen first. A dull drizzly stop which felt quite fitting.
 
We then set out for Berlin to a site near a lake in the wood.

 
It has stopped  raining and is a quite pleasant evening.


Day 9 Winsen

Saturday 3 June 2017

Due to the weather forecast and the length of the journey we decided to get a bus to Celle.
A lovely town with beautiful old buildings. The oldest (and green one in the PhotoCollage) was 1520.
 
The machine was for peeling and washing the spargle or white asparagus.
And we saw otters near the palace!
When we got back we decided to cycle to Belsen but after 2 1/2 kn I had another puncture!!! Mart is now an expert!!


Day 8 Winsen

Friday 2 June 2017

About 2 1/2 hour drive to Winsen (Aller) and a lovely pitch next to the river. Went into the town in the afternoon and we were going to head off to Belsen when Martin got a puncture! 

 


Day 7 Bad Iburg

Thursday 1 June 2017

A long journey today after Sian and Paul cooked us bacon rolls.  About 5 1/2 hrs including a stop for lunch. The speed on the autobahns is mad. Lovely site in the middle of nowhere.
Drove into the town - a bit hilly for me to cycle. Very pretty.