Memoirous

Sunday June 17, 2018 I did a lot of walking today, yet hit all the hot spots. My favorite thing though was a walk through the graveyard. There I found Hans Christian Andersen's grave and where Soren Kierkegaard is buried. The most exciting thing was when I was enjoying the Nyhavn a big wind came up and tipped over a woman's rental bicycle. When she jumped up to right it, her jacket blew into the water. I looked for a net, but there wasn't one. The boats parked there are just for show or to serve drinks. So I slipped away, and kept walking. I've bought food for tomorrow and will plan my trip. early Sunday morning look up! above a doorway walk through local graveyard One of my favorite spots, Nyhavn  

Saturday June 16, 2018, 82 km (51 miles) - Total so far: 978 km (608 miles) It was very overcast when I left Fed Havn and began cycling toward Copenhagen. Let me just say right now, it was a cycling dream. Very easy navigating, only one small error that was soon righted. I had a bakery stop in Køge and then started riding well-defined paths crowned with a symbols of a crown and C. I simple rolled in and to my host's apartment. I spent the rest of the day organizing and washing out clothes. Devices are on charger. follow this sign into Copenhagen

Friday June 15, 2018, 128 km (80 miles) - Total so far: 896 km (557 miles) Very pleasant morning. Did not feel like a pedaling machine. It has occurred to me that I wasn't getting much rest at night. Even though in my tent I sleep straight through, the sun wakes me up early. I'm usually off by 7 a.m.=getting lost. on the way to the ferry on the way to the ferry on the ferry to Denmark in Denmark follow these signs Welcome to Denmark quiet roads Fed Havn This a.m. I woke up in my little house, made tea, and sat there enjoying myself. No hurry. The ferry is just down a gravel path, right by the sea, about 5 Km. The sky is a light blue and forever by the sea. I bought my ticket from the kiosk for bikes and motor cycles, it was 17 Euros. It wasn't possible to get a combined tix for Helsingborg ferry. At 1:30 I took a lunch break outside of Saksring, at almost 50 KM. Then as leaving made a wrong turn and made a big circle around the town...

Thursday June 14, 2018, 148 km (92 miles) - Total so far: 768 km (477 miles) A bit of nervous stomach a.m., but excited, hopefully Puttgarden and Denmark. Oh, I know why so nervous: no way to charge phone which I need for navigation. I've noticed a change in elevation. Yesterday -153 (below sea level), today -50. The bike path along the busy road was super smooth. Riding at first I was stiff. I had to remind myself to relax my shoulders. Plön was a great town for outdoor enthusiasts. I saw bikers, hikers, and kayakers. I took care of a few things like buying an adapter for 12 Euros and a book for 11 Euros. I find I don't like wasting Kindle battery power reading. Now I can just curl up at night with a book. After a lunch on a hillside over looking Plön, I began to make my way to Eutin and Oldenburg on forested and quiet back roads, and sometimes the busy road--as opposed to the dedicated path beside the road for bikes. After Eutin I was in for some climbing--sometimes ve...

Wednesday June 13, 2018, 146 km (91 miles) - Total so far: 620 km (385 miles) It cannot be overstated 1) I get lost a lot 2) I'm lost in Germany quiet roads thatched roof houses timbered walls narrow lanes crossing the Elbe stork's nest: I heard a clacking sound similar to oars clanking against the side of a boat, it was their bills  It's not just big cities, but also the po-dunk one I camped in last night. I swear I wasted 6 K trying to find the right road out to Bremervorde. I finally got going wearing pants, orange overshirt, and a jacket. All a.m. spit rain and wind, NW 12-15. So in my head grey and sort of feeling like a loser. When people see me, an older lady, the question is always: Alone? By yourself? There is so much between the lines. So on my way to Bremervorde I stopped at a cafe. I couldn't figure out how to open the door. I could see they were open. Finally the counter person came out and let me in. I was pulling i...

Tuesday June 12, 2018, 92 km (57 miles) - Total so far: 474 km (295 miles) So excited to wake up and get to Bremen, about 39 KM. I left camp at 7:30 a.m. under an overcast sky and arrived in Bremen around 10 a.m.--when my phone battery died. There's really no explanation. I charged it last night to 100%. The only thing I can think of is I overused it navigating into the city, but compared to the first day when I had it talking to me, it lasted 70 KM. Anyway, I found a cafe and plugged in. I bought my typical 3 pastries, eating two and saving the croissant. All for 3.80. I was sort of blue. People were mean. They wouldn't give me keys to the toilet, no internet, they yelled at me loudly in German. I was afraid I was stuck in a grimy city. In Germany! Then along come 2 Dutch cycle tourists. We sat and chatted and then I asked if I could follow them out of the city. We were all set when they stopped to read a bike sign and a woman riding by asked them if all was okay. All in...

Monday June 11, 2018, 126 km (78 miles) - Total so far: 382 km (237 miles) Okay, much slower today. But, I'm in Germany. First, specifics. Bread. My plan today was to follow route 213 to Bremen. That didn't happen. After leaving Meppen, I got a little turned around, but sorted. I could just tell, though, navigation was not going to be as straightforward as yesterday. I arrived in Hasselunne to pick up the 213 at about 10 a.m. There was a church, there was a square, and a bakery. I pulled in for my first Berliner ever! And a few other pastries. I'm in Germany! The 213 is a straight shot EXCEPT when it's not. Every town, not villages, there is a diversion, which sucks at least an hour or two. Really. Because you just can't rejoin the 213 anywhere; it becomes a major highway. I had to ride sometimes 2-3 KM further to intersect with it. Leaving Cloppenburg was a nightmare trying to access the 213. To explain: there is a bike path separate from the roadway, ver...

Sunday June 10, 2018, 94 km (58 miles) - Total so far: 256 km (159 miles) So my host's came home at 9pm. In their defense they never thought I'd make it. They'd had requests before, but the people never showed up. We stayed up until 11 pm chatting. He is a driver so could advise me on roads to take. She is an obesity coach. I know, really, both of them. To be fair there are bad sugars everywhere now and diabetes and hypertension, it's just that I see so many people on bikes. There are old people here on bikes like there are old people in the U.S. using scooters. About the different paths and signage: The mistake I made yesterday was wasting my battery by having Google talk to me. Though it helped me get out of Amsterdam, I didn't need that kind of help today, and was able to conserve my battery. Though using zigzag no-name paths sent me down remote areas. I wasliterally in the middle of nowhere. Feitspad was a strip of cement through fields and forests. I saw ...

Saturday June 9, 2018, 146 km (91 miles) - Total so far: 162 km (101 miles) I only have myself to blame. But first the good part. My phone talked me out of Amsterdam. I was living the dream, cycling on flat paths, mostly without traffic. Google map lady nudged me when to turn. I only got confused twice, once at a roundabout (of course) and again when I had to circle back and get on a path parallel to a major road. It looked like an on-ramp. Really there were long stretches where there was no one. After lunch I put on sun screen. My GPS worked up to Elburg where there was a vacation resort for campers. I pulled in for a break and ice cream cone. I pulled out my battery and tried to charge the phone. It was slow going, but at 25% I turned it back on. It wouldn't stay on, but kept turning off. After an hour I decided to go using direction I'd written down off my kindle. Signs for bikes got me to Zwolle, and there it was lights out. sheep on pathway, not dead I proba...

Friday June 8, 2018 Well. I felt very excited that my GPS got my to the location meetup,a very sketchy dockside warehouse, a perfect place to get murdered. When I arrived several people were waiting. I must have exuded confidence because I said I'm here. Those waiting surrounded me and began to ask questions. I realized they thought I was the guide. The very idea was comical, I couldn't stop laughing. Soon they joined me, and then started speaking German. We waited, in the rain. Nada. Then left. Because of the rain it was harder to follow my phone. But managed to arrive at Westerwerk Church next to Ann Frank house, for a free concert. Then because I was still wet from the rain, I found a cafe and ordered soup. I'm pretty stressed out about navigation tomorrow. Hope I can make it to my next host's house.

Thursday June 7, 2018 Today I was a tourist on foot. I barely made it to the Van Gogh museum for my timed ticket and was early for the Ann Frank house. But Amsterdam is a good place to waste time. When crossing intersections,I have to look out for cars, delivery vans, bikes, bikes, motor bikes, bikes, electric bikes, everything. Maybe it's the jet lag, but I felt very emotional at both the museums. You sort of know the end of the story. As soon as you come upon the portrait of Van Gogh with his bandaged ear, you get a funny feeling in your stomach of what's next. I did enjoy the precocious little girl asking Daddy, Why does Van Gogh wear a hat? Then as I was wandering toward Ann Frank's house a guy came up to ask directions--except he asked if Ann Frank was here. Sadly no, I said, but her house is. Tomorrow I'm taking a free riding tour. Which is okay because I did way too much walking today. bookcase concealing steps leading to the secret annex typi...

Wednesday June 6, 2018, 16 km (10 miles) - Total so far: 16 km (10 miles) Greetings from Amsterdam. I'm not sure what day or time it is, let's just say it's good to be here. Right now having a tea overlooking a verdant green courtyard. A family is dining outside and kids are playing. This is all in contrast to the getting lost, riding in circles in the heat, and getting to my host's house late. But first the good. Flights went smooth. My bike arrived with me and was waiting in oversized luggage. A guard invited me to assemble it off to the side. Assembly went fine, about 1 hour. Then I exited the terminal. Terror. I had no idea how to follow my direction. Yet I made it out of the airport and toward Amsterdam. About halfway I figured out my navigation. Feeling pretty good about everything. Snapped a pic of a windmill, then got turned around and cycled almost back to Schipotal. Sheesh. So by the time I arrived it was 4:30 and my host was not answering her bell...