Roly's Ramble

Christmas 2011

2011-12-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Roly's Ramble
In February I began making plans for a European cycling trip that would take me from Amsterdam to Constanta, Romania. My intention was to follow the Rhine as far south as Neuf-Brisach, France, cycle across the Black forest to Donaueschingen, Germany, and continue along the Danube to the Black Sea.
In April I drove to Barrie/Orillia, Ontario, and after visiting my sister, Theresa and her husband, Sandy, I helped my daughter Lise move back to Ottawa. Also, my sister, Marie Jeanne, and brother-in-law, Michael, traveled from Oakville, Ontario, to spend Easter with us. Mike, never one to sit idle, decided to fix my kitchen table which was a bit wobbly. It took a while to get it unstuck from the kitchen floor but it doesn’t wobble any more. Thanks Mike.
In May I flew from Ottawa to Toronto to Amsterdam with my trusty old touring bike, Rocky, and my cycling gear. I started cycling across Europe on May 26th. But before joining the Rhine I made a slight detour to visit Brussels (my first posting 1964-69) and stayed with Ed and Viv Kaye (Triumph Club friends). I also stopped in Bonn-Bad Godesberg where I was posted twice (1977-81 and 1993-97). On June 26th I arrived in Vienna where I stayed with Martin Harasek, another Triumph Club friend. It was then on to Constanta where I arrived on July 21st. All together I cycled/traveled through 12 countries i.e. Canada, Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, Germany (again), Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. The last two countries by train. I cycled 4,227 kms in 58 days and managed to lose 23 lbs. For further details and some photos of my adventure see my blog at “maillord1.blogspot.com”. In order to get home I took the train from Constanta to Bucharest then to Istanbul and flew to Montreal on July 25th. My friend, Barrie, was there to meet me and drive me back home to Ottawa.
Unfortunately, once I got back to Canada, I had to go to emergency as I was having bladder problems. I ended up having to have a catheter inserted as I couldn’t pee. I was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate. Eventually, after 4 months of having to put up with a catheter, I underwent a TURP (Transurethal Resection of the Prostate) operation on November 30th. Thankfully, it was a successful op and I should be able to resume cycling (SPINFIT Classes) in January to get in shape for the 2012 cycling season.
In April I have plans to cycle from Milford, Ohio (near Cincinatti), to Buffalo, NY, approximately 800 kms in 11 days with 3 other guys. We will follow the UGRR (Underground Railway Route) used by the slaves as they made their escape across the US and into Canada. I will also be cycling across Canada starting from Vancouver in late May and ending up in StJohns, Newfoundland in late August. I will be cycling with Beverly my new “partner”. I’m looking for a house sitter for the months of June, July and August. If anyone is interested or knows of someone who would like to spend some time in Ottawa please get in touch with me.
I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Roly

Lise’s Life
I spent most of 2011 completing my diploma in Therapeutic Recreation. I finished my second semester at Georgian College in Orillia, enjoying a volunteer placement where I set up a Crafter’s Circle for an Orillia-based non-profit organization that provides housing and support for vulnerable women.
The girls in my class are all fun-loving and passionate about helping others, and I made several good friends over the year. Here are me and three my classmates giving a presentation entitled TR around the World:
In May I began my internship with the City of Ottawa’s Acquired Brain Injury program, a community program for adults who have had a stroke or a brain injury. I spent my time there getting to know the participants and getting lots of practice in planning and implementing programs and activities to meet their specific needs.
In July, I attended the Therapeutic Recreation Ontario conference. There were a lot of really engaging speakers, and we ended the conference by “drinking beer on a boat”. Though, as a young professional, I have learned to refer to these kinds of activities as “networking”. There was a lot of networking.
In October I started looking at moving out to a townhouse near downtown Ottawa – and I was pretty intrigued when I saw this ad. When they handed me a Lindt chocolate five minutes into the tour , I was sold. So I now live with two wonderful roommates, Jay and Bryn! They say hi:
My cats, Figgs and Newton, have settled into the space quickly and the boys have really taken to them. Newton tends to live on Bryn’s lap, though you probably can’t tell that from the photo. Jay and I have taken up doing yoga together, and we all cook meals together whenever possible. We’ve become a big happy family, which has made for a wonderful home. As I write this we’re putting up some shelves in the dining room – the place is really coming together nicely.
Since completing my internship, I have been working a few part time jobs, getting to work with children who are medically fragile, adults with developmental disabilities, and seniors with dementia. I am absolutely loving my new career, and am looking forward to the new year and new opportunities.

Stephanie Writes:
Another year has come and gone. This year has been a busy year for us. We started off the year with welcoming in 2 new foster children Breanna and Taniqua who are still with us and will be with us for awhile longer. The boys are growing so much and doing so much. Jasper is now 3 and a half and in preschool and is excited to start school in September. Jasper is also a huge hockey fan and loves playing hockey for fun. He is also looking forward to being able to start playing hockey in little league in September. He is a busy young man. Landon is now 1 and a half and he also is a busy young man. Landon loves playing with his siblings and doesnt like it so much when they leave for school and programs in the morning. He wants to join too. Landon is starting to talk more and get into things which keeps mommy and daddy busy running after him. As for Phil and I we are extending our family in June. Baby Mailloux 3 is on its way, which makes us busy with getting everything ready once again. Phil and Jasper enjoyed their trip to England. Jasper still talks lots about the trip and how much he loves his nana and the different things he did while there. He loves when he can see Maise's pictures on facebook as well. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!!!!

Keith's Report
This has been a momentous year for me - it feels like it went past in a moment. I have finally left the nest! In the spring, I was invited by a friend from high school to replace her sister in the apartment above hers. It's a nice little house built in the 1920s, separated into two apartments. My friend has the first floor, I have the second, and the basement is a shared laundry and storage room. It's located just outside of the downtown neighbourhoods of Ottawa, in easy bus range of almost everywhere thanks to a station a few blocks away. The rent is decent, it's got oodles of space [two bedrooms, a livingroom, kitchen, and helpfully, a bathroom] and the neighbours are nice. I'm still settling in - the actual move didn't happen until September - but it's starting to feel like home.Speaking of things that feel like home, I'm still working at Lee Valley. If they haven't fired me by now, chances are they aren't going to. I've been making myself useful, helping to keep projects on track despite the crazed whims of my overlords [who decided to completely change a catalog when more than half of it was already done - I'm not kidding when I say they're crazy] and even doing a bit of first-draft copywriting when I have free time. I've gotten rave reviews from the product managers for my copy, too, even though they throw half of it away when they edit it down to the final draft. It doesn't look like I'll be switched over to writing full time in the near future, since my real job is in high demand, but it's made me realize how much I really love to write - I thought school had sucked all the joy of writing out of me. The manager of my department is retiring this year, and his replacement has started taking over the day-to-day running of the office. He's a good-natured chap, with a good sense of humour and a more sensible approach to management. He's hoping to make some improvements in the way the Publications department runs, which will probably make more work for me and the other proofers in the short run, but make our job easier in the long run.Unfortunately, my health hasn't been too good this year. A case of mono in March laid me out for a month - I thought it was just a bad case of influenza before the family doctor ran some tests on me - after making things worse by giving me the wrong medicine. I ended up covered in red spots - not the best thing to wake up to, but fortunately they went away quickly. Since then I've been in and out of doctors' offices far too often for my liking. The latest business has sent me to a hematologist because my blood platelet count is low - and he immediately sent me to a clinic to drain another pint of blood for tests. No wonder it's low, doc, you folks keep taking it! In any case, the hematologist assures me that it's probably nothing, just a reaction to the mono earlier in the year. Personally, I think it's because the mess in my room was something I created subconsciously because I need mess in my environment to be healthy; I'll be fine as soon as I get the new place as messy as the old one. Don't worry for my sake, I feel fit as a fiddle when I don't stay up late because I forgot to write my bit for the Christmas letter.Here are a few photos of my year - horsing around with one of the new Lee Valley products, a photo I took on a little adventure down the railway siding near my home, and the front view of my new place. Hope you're all having a lovely winter and a happy holiday. Give the dogs a scratch behind the ears for me!

Follow Up - Europe 2011

2011-07-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Total distance cycled was 4,300 kms in 57 days.
Countries I travelled through were Canada, Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, Germany (again), Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Canada (again)
Number of flats = 2 plus one broken chain.
Problems with disc brakes again (same as on France/England trip)
Weight lost = 23 lbs. I went for a haircut and beard trim yesterday and the first thing my barber said was "You lost some weight". I gave him a $2 tip.

Ottawa Queensway Carleton Hospital Emergency Ward
I lay on my back with my bladder still draining until midnight. There must have been a change of staff as a new nurse came in to see if I was OK. I asked if I could lie on my side (I was starting to develop bed sores on my back) and she said OK. She also said the ER was quite busy so it would be awhile before a doctor arrived to see me.
Finally, at 2 AM, a young, female doctor arrived. She asked a bunch of questions. I told her about my cycling trip across Europe, the train rides, flight to Montreal from Istanbul and the car ride back to Ottawa. She couldn't say exactly what caused my bladder infection but it could have been the diarrhea that I had had earlier. She also said the large amount of urine I had retained in my bladder had caused my kidneys to become infected and that I would have to keep the catheter inserted for 2 weeks. In spite of the relief it was providing I was not to pleased about the prospect of having a catheter stuck up my pecker for 2 weeks!!! She gave me instructions to go see my family doctor, to make a follow up appointment with an urology specialist and a prescription for some anti-biotics, etc. A nurse came in and gave me instructions on how to swap over the night and day time collection bags and how to empty them. I was then allowed to go home. I put on my shorts and went out to admitting with my daytime bag strapped to my calf feeling somewhat embarrased. I called home and asked Lise to come and get me. Lise and Keith arrived at 3 AM and drove me home. I was finally able to lie down in my own bed at 4 AM after switching over to the night time bag.
Lise got up at 7:00 AM to go to her placement. I got up and switched over to the day time bag and had a shower. The tape holding the tube in place on my thigh came loose. I had some cereal and a banana for b'fast. I called Jim Cale and left a voice mail re not beeing able to cycle and that I had to cancel out of the Ontario-Quebec-NewYork long weekend tour. I called Barrie T. and updated him on my condition and situation. I said I would call him re going to the Old F.A.R.T.S. lunch on Wednesday. I managed to get through to Dr. Nadolny, my family doctor, and got an appointment for 11:20. I sorted through my panniers and did a full load of laundry.
Due to having had to stay up so late Keith had booked off sick for the day. I got him up at 10:00 and asked him to clean up the mess in the kitchen. I called Barrie Kirk (tour leader) and left a voice mail re my having to drop out of the ON-QC-NY tour due to a medical problem.
I drove to the doctors office and parked on a side street to avoid having to pay for parking lot fees. There was some discomfort walking to the office. I should have paid for parking!!! plus it looked like it was going to start raining any minute and I hadn't thought to bring along an umbrella. I saw Dr. Nadolny at 11:30. She gave me a requisition for blood and urine samples and said I should go in 1 week but then she changed her mind and said to go in 2 weeks time after the catheter had been removed. We talked for half an hour!!! She was very fascinated by my trip. I gave her my blog address. She looked it up right away on the laptop in the examination room. When I left the doctors office there were a lot of patients waiting to see her.
I had left my admitting papers from the QCH with the doctor but went back to get them as I thought I might need them for the specialist. I drove to the Merivale Mall to get my Rx filled at the pharmacy. While waiting I walked over to FarmBoy and bought some groceries. It was tipping down when I arrived but just a shower when I left.
The pharmacist explained my new meds and possible side effects, etc. He said I should drink lots of water. I asked if beer counted as water. He chuckled and said one or two wouldn't hurt.
I drove home at 1:00 PM. Made myself a nice sandwich on Italian bread with tomato, lettuce, garlic bologna, Monterey Jack cheese and mayo and washed it down with a diet green tea.
I called Dr. Pierre (specialist) and got a recording that he would be on holidays until August 8th. I went throught the pile of mail that had accummulated since my departure. I tried to check my e-mail but discovered there was a problem connecting to the Wi-Fi router. Neither Lise nor I could connect with our laptops or her Notebook. Only Keith could access the internet using his PC. I reset the router but only managed to screw up Keith's connection. I folded my laundry which I had put in the dryer earlier. Keith worked on the router and again was able to connect to Internet. I was able to "piggy-back" on an unprotected nearby Wi-Fi router and check my e-mail.
I called the QCH re specialist and having catheter removed. The nurse said she would have to check with her team leader and would call back. I called Dr. Nadolny's re latest developments. The receptionist said I should wait until the QCH call back.
Had rice and chicken curry (which Keith had prepared for my return) and Naan bread for dinner while catching up on the news.
I was pretty shattered by now and was off to bed at 7:30 PM (2:30 AM Istanbul time). Keith was also in bed early. The cats were locked up in the basement until they learn to use the litter boxes!!!

Cheers, Roly

Day 62 - Europe 2011

2011-07-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

Day 62 - Monday, July 25, 2011 - Istanbul to Montreal (by plane) to Ottawa (by car)

I was up at 6:30 and ready to go to b'fast by 7:00. I had re-packed my bags the previous evening and they were ready to be taken downstairs. I went up to the 7th floor for b'fast. Same scenario. The seagulls were on the window ledge waiting to have b'fast. I suppose some tourists must feed them, hence the reason they keep coming back. I returned to my room and finished packing, took my bags down to the lobby and waited for the taxi driver to arrive. While waiting I brought my bike up to the lobby from the basement and fastened my rear trunk bag onto the rear rack. That would make one less bag to carry.
The hotel assistant manager, a young fellow about 30 years old, asked me about my trip. He was amazed at what I had accomplished and asked if he could have his picture taken with me and my bike. I agreed and he sent someone to get a camera. Meanwhile, I was getting all sweaty. It was pretty hot and humid inside the lobby of the hotel. The taxi arrived - a VW van. It was much cooler outside. After putting the back seat down we had no trouble getting my bike into the back along with my two rear panniers. We set off for the airport at 8 ish.
It was about a 30 minute ride to the airport in light traffic. I guess the morning rush hour had not quite started yet. It was bedlam at the arrivals ramp with taxis, buses, cars, etc all dropping off passengers and luggage. The taxi driver managed to find an opening and quickly reversed into it. We unloaded my bike and panniers and the driver took off. Apparently there are two airports in Istanbul and I still wasn't quite sure if I was at the right one. I loaded my panniers on my bike and went inside the terminal only to find out that all passengers had to pass through a metal detector and luggage through an x-ray machine before going to the departure area. I unloaded my panniers and put them on the conveyor belt along with my bike. My bike got stuck in the x-ray machine. It took 2 of us to get it free and pull it through. I then had to re-load my panniers on my bike and went off to look for the Air Transat counter. There was none!!!
While I was looking for Air Transat a Japanese lady approached me and my bike. She spoke excellent English. She wanted to know about my trip and asked for a photo. She was in the Foreign Service and was going off to a posting somewheres in the Middle East. I asked an airport employee for direction to the Air Transat counter. He directed me to the Information desk which was not far off. At the Information desk I was told that Air Transat flight to Montreal would be checking in at C 11. I went over to C 11 but there was no one there yet. It was only 9:00 AM and my flight didn't leave until 1:20 PM. I took the opportunity to go to the W/C and then found a coffee shop where I could sit down and watch for the arrival of the Air Transat ticket agents.
Around 10:00 I noticed some agents at C 11 but they were not wearing Air Transat uniforms. I went over and asked if they were checking in flight AT101 to Montreal. They were Turkish Airlines ticket agents and yes they were but were not yet ready. I asked if I could get a plastic bag in which to wrap up my bike. They gave me an oversize luggage bag. No charge.
I loosened my handle bars and turned them in towards the frame of the bike before re-fastening them. I deflated both front and rear tires. I had already removed my pedals the night before. I started putting the plastic bag on my bike at the rear like a pillow slip cover. It fit pretty snuggly. I had to lower my seat to get it past to the front wheel. The bag was to short by about a foot. I asked for another bag and one of the agents went off to get one for me. This time I started from the front and the agent helped me. I had brought a roll of packing tape with me and was able to tape the two bags together. My bike was ready to be put on the plane and shipped back to Canada.
By this time the check in counter had opened and there were a few people waiting to check in. I was told I could go to the "Club Class" check in counter because of my bike. The agent asked me to place my bike on the scales. It weighed 12 kgs. She then wasn't quite sure how much to charge me. She asked me how much I had paid to ship it over to Europe. I said Air Transat had charged me $30 from Toronto to Amsterdam and that it was the standard charge for shipping a bicycle as stipulated on their website. She asked to see my receipt but it was packed away in one of my rear panniers with all my other receipts. In the end she said there would be no charge for shipping my bike. Wow!!! Free bags and free shipping. Thank you Turkish Airlines staff.
After checking my bike and bags I went through pre-boarding security. I had two bottles of water with me and was told I either had to drink them or dump them. I chose to dump them. I found a food court and had an early lunch at the Asian Wok. I went to the departure lounge at Gate 214 but it was announced that AT101 would now be departing from Gate 304. I walked over to the Gate 304 lounge. Thank goodness there was a W/C nearby and a coke machine also selling water. I bought a bottle of water.
Finally, they started boarding passengers on a bus to go out to the aircraft. It was a very new and modern air-conditioned bus. There were several buses so there was no overcrowding. I was amazed. At 2:00 PM we were all boarded and still sitting on the tarmac. Our flight should have left at 1:20? The captain made an announcement that the delay had been caused due to the plane being over-fueled. They had to remove the excess fuel. We finally departed Istanbul at 2:30.
I was worried that it would be to cold on the plane and so I asked one of the stewardess if I could get a blanket. She said that they would be going around later to sell them for $7.00 including a mask, socks, ear plugs and headset. I told her I was having bladder problems and would be making frequent trips to the W/C just so they wouldn't get alarmed at my strange behaviour. I also asked if I could stand at the rear of the plane as I had a very sore back. She said it woudn't be a problem. She then proceeded to tell the whole rear cabin staff about my bladder problem. They were all quite concerned. A steward (former male nurse) offered me some Tylenol to help with the pain.
Thank goodness I had 2 seats to myself. I could get up and go the the W/C as often as I liked without disturbing anyone. I tried to rest. To much pain in my bladder and back. I had purchased a book in the departure lounge earlier and tried to do some reading. I tried to watch a movie but couln't find anything I liked. The others I had already seen. A meal was served which was typical airline food. I managed to eat it all and washed it down with a thimble full of Air Transat's finest red wine.
We arrived in Montreal at 5:30 PM. It was still Monday in Canada. It was announced that passengers going on to Toronto would have to change planes and that they should disembark at the rear of the plane while those getting off in Montreal should disembark at the front. There was a lot of grumbling about having to change planes. There was also a most annoying child who kept pressing the call button throughout the entire flight!!!
I cleared passport control and collected my panniers and my bike which all arrived OK. I then cleared customs. Barrie was waiting for me at arrivals. He took some photos with his new camera. I had loaded my panniers and my bike on a luggage cart. When we got to the elevators to go up to the 3rd deck, where Barrie had parked, there was a big jam up. We decided Barrie should go get the car and I would wait for him. He had to pay and go out and come back in. We had to take the front wheel off to get my bike to fit in the back of the VW Golf. Fortunately, Barrie didn't have to pay for any parking the 2nd time around.
It was now around 6:00 PM and Barrie was hungry so we stopped at a McDs. I just had some of his fries with ketchup and an ice cream cone that Barrie treated me to. We then set off for Ottawa - a two hour drive from Montreal. Rush hour was over so we had no trouble getting out of the city and onto the highway.
About half way home I decided I should go to Emergency as I was in such a great deal of pain. We had to stop twice so I could try and relieve myself. I found some Aleve tablets in the glove compartment and took two of those. I called home to let Lise and Keith know that Barrie was taking me to QCH Emergency and that he would then drop off my bike and bags and I would call again once I was ready to be picked up at the hospital. Barrie dropped me off at QCH around 8:45. I had to wait about an hour before seeing the admitting nurse. I told her my story. She made a note on my "chart" and said I should go directly to the desk in the ER. I was able to hand my chart over to an ER nurse and she started working on me right away. She checked my blood pressure, took some blood, scanned my bladder (it showed over 900 ml of fluid) and asked for a urine sample which I was glad to produce. The nurse then quickly sent the samples off to the lab for analysis. She then found an empty room where I was asked to strip and get into a hospital gown. Of coure I put it on backwards with the opening in the front. The nurse had me turn it around before getting up on the bed. She then inserted a catheter into my penis which was quite painful and proceeded to drain my bladder. Within minutes I had filled a large bag with over 12oo ml of urine. I was starting to feel some relief. The nurse had to go and get another bag. I was then made comfortable and told it would be a while before a doctor would come in to see me. It was now going on 11:00 PM or 6:00 AM Istanbul time. I had been up for 24 hours. I was feeling much better except for the discomfort of the catheter.

This blog was posted at home on Thursday, July 28, 2011

Day 61 - Europe 2011

2011-07-28T03:53:00.000-07:00

Day 61 - Sunday, July 24, 2011 - Hotel Fahri, Instanbul

I got up at 6:00. Tried to check my e-mail but had trouble getting a connection. I updated my journal. I then went down to the lobby for b'fast and asked for the hotel password for the Hotel Fahri router. B'fast was on the 7th floor terrace. Quite a beautiful view of the harbour but spoiled by a couple of satellite dishes. Very sunny and bright. Lots of fresh fruit for b'fast plus cheeses, cold cuts, hard boiled eggs, etc I had fruit and tea for my b'fast. A couple seagulls, who were sitting on the open window ledge not 2 feet away from me, also wanted to join me for b'fast. I took some photos.
Went back to my room and lay down again for a couple of hours. I again tried getting on the Internet using the password that the hotel manager had given me. This time I was able to connect to the hotel router and had a much better connection. I typed up Day 59 & 60 blogs. I had another hours rest and then decided to go out for a walk to the water front but it was much to hot to be enjoyable. The temperature felt like it was 40C plus. I went back to the hotel and asked about transport to the airport. The manager said it would cost 45E or 100 TL. I also asked if I could pay by VISA. He wanted cash only. I went back to the train station, which was not to far off, and got another 200 TL and returned to hotel. I managed to get transport reduced to 80 TL and paid for both hotel and taxi which I booked for 8 AM Monday. I also remembered to ask for a receipt.
I went out for a short walk and and had a bite to eat. It was still very hot and it didn't take long for me to work up a sweat. I stopped at a restaurant in an alleyway which was partially covered with awnings and ordered a sort of paninni/pizza and tea. While waiting for my food to arrive, the restaurant manager, who was sitting outside in the alleyway chatting with his friends, was splattered by some seagull poop. One of the waiters brought out a glass of water so he could wash his arms where he got hit. The food was not so tasty or maybe it was just my appetite as I wasn't feeling all that great after my 23 hour train trip from Bucharest to Istanbul.
I returned to the hotel and had another rest. I again checked my e-mail and Facebook. I was able to chat with my sister, Mary Jean, in Oakville on FB. I went down to the lobby and got permission to go to the basement to remove the peddles on my bike. The hotel manager introduced me to the taxi driver who would be taking me to the airport. He has a nice VW van so transporting my bike wouldn't be a problem.
In the evening, when it had cooled down a bit, I went for a walk in the opposite direction. There were several interesting restaurants and shops selling all sorts of exotic Asian paraphernalia. I tried to do a walk around a square block but ended up in a dead end. I retraced my steps and stopped at a Turkish restaurant for dinner. I ordered Chicken Shishkebab, rice, tomato, cucumber, yogurt and tea. A couple sitting near me had ordered a special Turkish dish which came in a sealed clay pot that looked like an urn. The pot came out of the kitchen on a tray with flames all around it. It was placed on a table which had been set up on the street in front of the restaurant patio. A chef who had been standing around doing absolutely nothing since I had arrived then took over. He put on a pair of heavy duty gloves and wrapped a towel around the bottom of the clay urn. He had a heavy metal rod such as used for sharpening knives and I realized he was going to lop the top of the urn off with it. I had my camera ready as did the couple who had ordered the meal. It was quite a show. I took several shots and was able to get the actual top flying off and some of the contents spraying about. The chef then flipped the clay pot over dumping the contents onto a platter and it was served to the customers. I have no idea what this special meal was called.
I returned to the hotel and after doing some research on the Internet had an early night.

Day 60 - Europe 2011

2011-07-24T00:39:00.000-07:00

Day 60 - Saturday, July 23, 2011 - Bucharest to Istanbul by overnight train

I had paid for a private sleeper. It had tripple bunk beds (2 were made up). When we arrived at the Turkish border crossing I waited in my cabin for the Passport/Customs people to come on board and check my passport, etc. like they had done at all the other borders. There was a knock on my door. It was the conductor. He told me I had to get off and go to Passport Control. It was 4 AM. I went out and got in line with about 50 other kids all in there 20s. I was the only "senior citizen". It was quite windy and bitterly cold standing out on the platform waiting to go into the Passport Control office. I was freezing!!! I had to go back and get a jacket. After standing in line for what seemed like an eternity I handed over my passport only to be told I needed a Visa!!! I had to go to the far end of the terminal to the Visa office which I had trouble finding. There was a very little sign hidden behind a pillar. I paid 45 E for 3 Visa stamps (like letter stamps). I returned to the Passport guy and he stamped my passport. I got back on the train in a hurry and waited some more. About 1/2 an hour later the Passport/Customs officers came on board and checked our luggage and passports. My ticket said that we would be arriving in Istanbul at 8:55 AM. At 8:30 I started getting ready. Eventually we arrived in Istanbul at 11:00 - 2 hours late. I was surprised to see that it was a much smaller and quieter station than Bucharest which was a good thing from my point of view. I got my bike and bags off the train with some help from the conductor. It was quite hot. I took my sleeves and leg warmers off and loaded my panniers on my bike in a shaded area. I went over to talk to the Alaska guys. They were still assembling their bikes in the hot sun. They were staying at a Pension 5-6 kms from the station and offered to take me there. I said I couldn't ride my bike because of the rear wheel rim being cracked. We said goodbye, etc. I found what I thought was an ATM, stuck my debit card in the slot and nothing happened. It turned out to be a ticket machine. DUH! I found an ATM and was able to get 200 Turkish Lira. As I was leaving the station I saw an Information Office. I went over but it was difficult getting over the curbs and around parked cars. It was closed. Gone to lunch. Back at 12:45. I spotted a Burger King across the street so went over and had some lunch while waiting for the I.O. to re-open. There were a couple people ahead of me when I returned. A very pretty, yound blond, in a full black leather motorcycling outfit ahead of me asked about hotels. She was told there were many hotels to choose from behind the train station and along some street which I didn't quite catch the name of. She was also told that the I.O. was not in the business of recommending hotels or keeping a list as there were to many of them. My questions had been answered. I went off to look for a hotel. Geez it was bloody hot and crowded. Thousands of "tourists". I found the hotels behind the train station. There were dozens to choose from including a Best Western. I asked about a single room for 2 nights but they only had a room for Saturday at 90 E. I checked several other hotels but they were fully booked. At the last hotel I checked the desk clerk said he knew of a hotel not far off that had rooms available. I asked if he could call and reserve a room for me which he did. He then had one of the staff take me there. It was a nice hotel at 45 E/night for a single room with b'fast, A/C and Wi-Fi. I checked in for 2 nights. After removing my panniers, a young lad took it downstairs to secure it. I took the elevator up to the 1st floor with my bags. Decided to have a shower before lying down for a nap. The water pressure started off OK but by the time I had gotten all lathered up with soap it was down to a mere trickle. Reminded me of a trip to Pakistan a long time ago but that's another story. I got up at 6:30 and went out to a pharmacy to get something to relieve my constipation. I was told to see a doctor about my bladder infection. I also bought some water and some fruit and went back to my room. I took 1 of the constipation tablets and about an hour later was able to get some relief. I took another tablet before going to bed at 8:00 PM. I managed to get some rest.

This blog was posted at the Hotel Fahri in Istanbul on Sunday, July 24, 2011

Day 59 - Europe 2011

2011-07-24T00:12:00.000-07:00

Day 59 - Friday, July 22, 2011 - Bucharest to Instanbul via Sofia, Bulgaria

I had a terrible night due to a bladder infection? Terrible pain when I try to urinate. I went down for b'fast at 7:30. I asked for cafe au lait and a ham omelette. I got expresso, an omelette, ham, feta cheese, tomato, bread and butter. I made myself a couple egg and ham sandwiches. I checked out at 8:30. Went for a short ride around the block but ended up having to walk my bike back to the train station due to a one way street. I was able to exchange 151 LEI for 35 E. I bought a 1.5L bottle of water for 4 LEI. I also bought 2 BigMacs for the trip (18 LEI). The board finally announced that the train for Istanbul would be departing from Track 3. I made my way over there at around 11:00. There were not many people waiting in spite of there being a train there with sleeping cars. I checked every car but couldn't figure out which one I should be on. I asked a signalman if this was the train for Istanbul and he said I should go check with Information. Nobody got on the train and it left. I sat down and waited. Finally the train arrived at 11:45. There were many more people waiting to get on now. I showed my tickets to a conductor and he indicated I should get on Car # 2. As I was about to get on the train another conductor came along and said I was not allowed to bring my bike on board. He was the conductor for the 1st class car the other guy was the conductor for the 2nd class car. I showed him my tickets for a private sleeping cabin and a 50 LEI note. He said that was not enough as he had to pay several other people. I said I would add more and he allowed me to get on with my bike. Big sigh of relief!!! As I was waiting for the train to arrive 3 other cyclists arrived (2 girls and a guy). The guy came over and introduced himself and said they were from Alaska and had been touring around Romania. He was curious about the arrangements for my bike. I said I was told I had to talk to the conductor which is the same information that he got. They were travelling 2nd class and had bought an extra ticket for their bikes which is what they had done for the trip from Istanbul to Romania. The only snag was that when the Passport Control people came on the train they expected 4 people instead of just 3. There was a lot of explaining to do about the extra seat for the bicycles. I had no trouble getting my bike on board and in my cabin once I removed my 2 rear panniers. I hung my bike on the ladder using the handle bars. The ladder was hanging on 2 sturdy coat hooks. When the conductor returned for my ticket he saw that I had added another 4 x 10 LEI notes. He was satisfied and kept my tickets. I asked if I could have them back. He said he would return them at the end of the journey. We left for Istanbul at 12:13 right on schedule. It was a very long ride. A lot of stops i.e. customs/passport control leaving Romania, entering and leaving Bulgaria and entering Turkey. There were also several stops in between including a 2 hour stop in Dubrovnik. Don't ask me why???

Day 58 - Europe 2011

2011-07-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Day 58 - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - Constanta to Bucharest, Romania by train

I was awake at 6:00 but managed to have a lie in until 7:00. After a quick shower I had some yogurt with cereal and a Nestea mango/pineapple drink and a banana which I had bought at a grocery store last night. While sorting my things for packing I put my cell phone on charge. I went out to the grocery store across the street for water, Fanta and 2 apples for the train ride (3 hours) to Bucharest. There had been quite a thunderstorm during the night and the skies were still very overcast. The lady at the cash was much more pleasant. She even helped me put my purchases in my bag and waited patiently while I got my small change out. I returned to my room, finished packing, checked out, quickly loaded my bags on my bike and headed for the train station which was about 2 kms away. While waiting for the last semaphore (traffic light) to change it started raining. I managed to get inside before it really started tipping down. There were a lot of people milling about the train station, waiting for trains, etc. Thankfully there was no line up at the ticket counters. I paid 53.20 LEI for my ticket to Bucharest departure at 12:00 noon and arriving at 14:39. I found a place to sit while waiting. At 11:30 I went up to Platform 1 and waited, along with a couple hundred other passengers, for the train to Bucharest. It was a bit of a struggle getting up the ramp next to the stairs with my bike but I managed. It was still raining lightly so every one was huddled under the canopy. The train arrived at 11:45 and there was a mad rush by everyone to get on. No baggage car. I was barely able to squeeze my bike on through the narrow door and up the 4 steps to get on the train. A young teenager, who was already on board, helped drag my bike up the steps. Not much room to manoeuvre my bike once I got inside the car. I had to remove my panniers and put the front wheel up on a seat temporarily to get it out of the way in order for the other passengers to get by. Noboby panicked!!! The train left at 12:01. A purser/conductor went by and didn't bat an eye. Same for the 2 policmen who went by. I guess if you can get it on the train and your not blocking the passage it's OK. One guy, with an oversize suitcase, was asked to tuck it in. Very nice new train and moving along at a fairly RAPID pace. I clocked it doing 138 kph with my GPS. The purser(s) came by, checked my ticket and asked for an additional 13 LEI for my bike. One collected the money while the other made out a receipt. I paid and got a receipt. There were also 230V 50Hz outlets in case you wanted to plug in your laptop or charge up your cell phone. There were several stops at various stations on the way and the train slowed down to 40-50 kph for bridges and some areas of the track that were being improved. I got my bike and bags ready to be the 1st one to get off on arrival. I managed to get my bike off OK but when I went to get back on to get my panniers I had to wait for several people to get off. A guy then handed them to me. Once I loaded my panniers back on my bike I went directly to the Information wicket to enquire about the train to Istanbul. I was told to go to International #1 wicket. I asked again and was told there was a train every day at 12:13. It cost 220 LEI for a "couchette" (6 people) or 330 LEI for a single sleeper and that there was no baggage car for bicycles. I would have to talk to the conductor about getting my bike on the train. Yikes!!! I wasn't to thrilled to hear that. I went away to think about this latest snag in my plans to get home. As I was leaving the train station I saw 2 hotels. I was just locking up my bike to go in the Andy Hotel to ask about a room when the receptionist, a 50 ish year old man, came out and asked me if I was looking for a room. I said I was and he started helping take my bike inside a sort of alleyway to secure it. I stopped him and asked him how much it was for a single room. It was 35 E with b'fast, A/C and Wi-Fi. After securing my bike I checked in. The receptionist also spoke French. It's an OK 2-3 star hotel and not far from the train station. I took my bags up to my room on the 1st floor using the elevator. It was OK. I had to go back down to get the remote for the A/C. I rinsed out my Canada jersey cause I think I'm going to be needing it tomorrow. I lay down for a nap but was to worried about getting my bike on the train to get any sleep. I checked out the Wi-Fi and was able to get a connection in my room. I typed up Day 57 of my blog before going out for a walk. It was very windy. I passed by several fast food stands but it was to windy to sit out and eat and also to much traffic. I went into the train station mall and found a KFC and had dinner there. It was very busy. I went back to the International wicket and bought a 1st class ticket for Istanbul. New lady at the wicket sounded a bit more positive about getting my bike on the train, especially since I have a private sleeper. I still have to get it past the purser/conductor though. Oh and by the way the price turned out to actually be 331.10 LEI plus 260.08 LEI. I think it must be basic fare plus private sleeper. I used my VISA to pay. I wanted to get rid of some of my LEI but she wouldn't split the bill. It had to be one or the other. I returned to the hotel and had a beer in the bar before going up to my room. I got an e-mail, with photos, from the Dutch cycling couple I met in Austria. they cycled 1,600 kms from Holland to Vienna then took the train back home. Well I'm off to bed. It's going to be one hell of a long day tomorrow. The train leaves at 12:13 (afternoon) and arrives in Istanbul the following morning at 08:55. Approximately 21 hours of travel time.

This blog was posted at the Andy Hotel in Bucharest, Romania on Thursday, July 21, 2011

Day 57 - Europe 2011

2011-07-21T07:13:00.004-07:00

Day 57 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - Calarasi to Constanta by Micro-Bus
Trip 140 kms Time 2:30

I got up at 6:00 and went down for b'fast at 6:30. Ordered tea, ham, cheese, eggs (easy over), toast and cucumber (it was choice #1). The eggs arrived sunny side up! B'fast was served out on the terrace with the mosquitoes and flies all buzzing about. I ate in a hurry. When I checked out I paid an extra 3.50 LEI for a beer from the mini-bar. I asked for directions to the train station. They were a bit vague. I loaded my panniers on my bike in the hotel lobby and proceeded to leave only to find that the marble ramp outside was beeing swabbed down by a cleaning lady. I had to carefully manoeuvre my fully loaded bike down the ramp as gently as possible. I was able to make it OK with the help of the cleaning lady hanging on to the rear of my bike rack.
The train station (Gare) wasn't to far off. I went into the main departure hall which was quite huge and had several ticket windows. There was no one about except a cleaning lady mopping the marble floor. I asked where to get a ticket for Constanta. She indicated towards wicket #3. I went over and eventually a lady showed up. The next train for Constanta was at 14:15. I decided to see if I could get on a bus as I didn't want to wait around for 6 hours.
I had seen an AUTOTOUR terminal just opposite the train station with a couple of buses in the parking bays. I went over and asked about a bus to Constanta. They suggested I try HORIZON (ORIZON) but couldn't tell me how to get there. I went over to the taxi stand and a taxi driver who spoke some English offered to show me the way for 8 LEI. We went about a block when he suddenly stopped, got out of his taxi and wanted to stuff my bike into the trunk. Of course it wouldn't go in with the panniers on. I had to convince him to let me take both rear panniers off first and then it would fit.
It was several kms to Orizon. The driver of the 15 passenger micro bus was a bit reluctant to take me and my bike to Constanta but in the end the taxi driver managed to convince him. We were able to load my bike in the back between the seats standing it on the handlebars and seat. I agreed to pay 2 fares i.e. 2 x 27 LEI for the 140 kms 2 hour trip to Constanta. We set off at 8:30. The bus was fully loaded including 2 standing passengers who got off about half way. The van was airconditioned and of course I had the seat at the very back under the A/C unit that leaked condensation on my right shoulder! It was especially bad when we went into a right curve or turn. I took the seat head rest cover off and covered my shoulder with it.
We arrived in Constanta at 10:40. The bus depot was "total grid lock". Buses of all sizes and description. I got my bags loaded on my bike and headed for the train station which was just around the corner. It was a fully functional station. Even had an information wicket. I was informed the next train to Bucharest was at 12:00 noon then another at 14:00 and it cost 53 LEI. I decided after coming this far that I should at least go and see the Black Sea.
As I was leaving the train station a very friendly taxi driver, who spoke English, approached me and asked about the strange thing on my helmet (rear view mirror). He gave me directions on how to get to the Sea. It was a few kms straight ahead on a busy main street. I found a restaurant by the sea side with a nice view of the Black Sea and the beach below. It was 11:30 and there were several people actually eating lunch and not just having drinks. I sat out on the terrace and ordered a nice pizza. I decided to find a hotel and spend the night in Constanta. I checked in to the Hotel Class a 3-star effort with Wi-Fi and A/C and b'fast for 200 LEI. I was able to get a room for 150 LEI without b'fast. I was also able to bring my bike into the hotel and secure it in a room next to the reception.
I took my bags up to my room on the 3rd floor using the elevator. I couldn't get the A/C to turn on. The receptionist sent a maid to my room who fist of all switched it to "heat" and waited until it cut out then switched it over to A/C. Who knew? Wi-Fi didn't work in the room so I went down to the lobby where I was able to get connected to the router but couldn't load any web sites in IE. After a couple re-boots including one for the router I gave up. By this time I needed a beer and there was no one in the bar downstairs to serve me. I asked the receiptionists where I could get a beer and she suggested CHAMPS just down the street where they also had free Wi-Fi.
I walked over to Champs and had a couple of draught beers while checking my e-mail and typing up Day 56 of my blog. Paid 13 LEI + 1 LEI tip for 2 large Carlsberg beers. I walked back to the hotel. It occured to me that the hotel network might be on Firefox and I remember having a similar problem back in Austria with IE and Firefox.
At 7:30 I went out to get something for dinner, some cash and some food for b'fast. I found a McDs and had dinner there. In the 1st grocery store I went into I was upset by the rudeness of the shopkeeper while I was choosing a couple of bananas. I just turned around and left. The 2nd shop was a little better but the cashier was kinda rude by throwing my change on the counter, etc.
When I got back to the hotel there was a party going on in the bar downstairs with a guy at the mic bellowing out Romanian tunes. The bar is down in the basement and I'm up on the 3rd floor so it's mostly just a dull thumping at the moment. While I was out shopping I noticed there were a lot of people walking about and in the various restaurants. There were also a lot of stray dogs. I counted 8 on the short 3 block walk back to the hotel. They are mostly passive but ....
The noise from the bar went on and on until well past midnight. It would come in waves getting progressively lounder then quitet again. By 10:00 my head was buzzing. I thought about complaining but somehow I knew it wouldn't do any good.

This blog was posted at the Hotel Andy in Bucharest, Romania, on Thursday, July 21, 2011

Day 56 - Europe 2011

2011-07-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Day 56 - Tuesday, July 19, 2011 - Oltenita to Calarasi, Romania - Trip 73.76 kms Time 4:14:54

I was up quite early at 6:00. The manager and a few other "guests" were also up. I had a yogurt with cereal, a croissant (in a package), a Nestea with Limon that I had bought yesterday and a hard boiled egg that I had saved from an earlier b'fast. I packed my bags and went to the "office" to pay. Everyone else had left except for a housekeeper who was doing some ironing in the office. She took my 50 LEI and gave me a receipt. I carried my panniers down the very steep stairs and got my bike out from under the stairs with help from Madame. I had to pump up my rear tire again. I also pumped up the front one. I bought a 1.5L bottle of water and set off for Calarasi at 7:30. It was a paved road in good condition all the way. Just a couple of minor climbs and very busy. I kept hearing a rubbing sound coming from the rear. I stopped and couldn't find anything that would be causing a rubbing sound. I noticed my rear rim crack was looking much worse and the spoke had come a bit looser. I wrapped some black electrical tape around my tire and rim and spoke. That stopped the rubbing noise but now I had a thump-thump because of the tape. It started getting quite hot and so I had to slow down. I made a couple of stops for cold drinks one at a gas station where they had fresh sandwiches, a 1st for Romania. I arrived in Calarasi at 1:00. I checked in at the Hotel Calarasi at 150 LEI including b'fast, A/C (not working very well) and Wi-Fi in the lobby. I was able to secure my bike in the hotel conference room. Later the receptionist informed me she had to move it as the room was needed so my bike ended up in the lobby in a remote corner. Took my bags up to my room in another one of those scary elevators and after a quick shower lay down for a nap. I was able to connect to the Internet, check my e-mail, etc. I updated Day 55 of my blog after doing some laundry. I complained to the receptionist about the A/C. She went up to check it as there was no one else. Meanwhile I went out for to a pizza? place for dinner at 8:00. There was no one else eating! just drinks! I ordered a snitzel. That's all I got and a draught beer and some bread for 11 LEI. I walked back to the hotel and went to the hotel cafe for cake and ice cream (8 LEI). They had a really fantastic looking selection of pastries. I updated my journal. Then it was off to bed at 9:30. I couldn't sleep because of the noise from the A/C. I got up and turned it off and opened the window. The racket was much worse now and was coming from the A/C condensation dripping on the tin roof below. Before going up to my room the receptionist said she couldn't fix the A/C and offered to move me to a different room or I could have a fan. I took the floor fan. With the window open and the fan going full tilt I was able to get through the night.

This blog was posted at Champs Bar in Constanta, Romania, on Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Day 55 - Europe 2011

2011-07-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

Day 55 - Monday, July 18, 2011 - Giurgiu to Oltenita, Romania - Trip 85.41 kms Time 4:52:29

I managed to get through the night without any more bouts of diarrhea. I got up at 6:15. There was hot water (thank goodness) and plenty of water pressure for my shower. I did some packing before going down to b'fast. Once again, no one else but myself in the restaurant. I ordered juice, tea, omelette, toast, butter and honey. There were about a dozen different menus to choose from, 3 specifically for Chinese. Very weird. I went back up to my room and finished packing. Carried my panniers to the elevator and went down to the lobby. I paid 185 LEI for room.
My bike survived the storm although it was leaning to one side a bit. I asked for directions to Oltenita but the receptionist wasn't able to help and the directions I got from 2 other guys, who happened to be in the lobby. were very vague. After loading my panniers and stopping at a nearby shop for water I headed for the main road I had come in on. I stopped at a taxi stand just before the main road and was told to turn right and keep going straight ahead. It turned out to be 11 kms before I saw the turn for Oltenita. After that the road became a bit hilly with 8 climbs before I reached Oltenita at 1:00 PM. The heat and humidity was very exhausting.
While I was looking for a hotel I saw a young girl, about 14 years old, get hit by a speeding motorists at a crosswalk in a very busy part of town. He must have been doing 70-80 kph in a 30 kph zone. He really hit the brakes but wasn't able to stop in time to avoid hitting her. It didn't take long for a large crowd to gather and an ambulance and the police to arrive. I did see her sit up on her own so I don't think she was critically injured but I'm sure she will have a broken bone or two as there was a horrible thump and she wen't flying about 2 metres just like a rag doll. My stomach started feeling funny again.
I rode around town for 1/2 hour or so looking for hotels but it seems there are only 2 hotels in Oltenita. One was above a bank and didn't even have a sign. When I asked about a room I was told it was completely reserved by a company. The other hotel was a 1 star affair called Hotel Cezare just a block or so away. I tried the door but it was locked. A young lady minding a cellphone shop next door rang the hotel manager and said he would be around in 5 minutes. I went to a nearby shop to get a cold drink and as I was returning I met up with him. The rooms were 2 flights up a set of very steep stairs. The manager, after securing my bike under the stairs, helped me carry my panniers up to my room. There were 3 single beds, a TV, a fridge, a fan, a table and chairs in the room. W/C and shower were down the hall. I asked about Internet and the manager got up on a stool and plugged in the Wi-Fi router. The price was 50 LEI without b'fast. Since there were no other hotels available I checked in at 2:30.
I lay down for a nap and later went out to get a bite to eat and a beer. I bought some groceries for b'fast and returned to my room.
I checked the guide for tomorrow's ride to Calarasi (which appeared to be not to difficult) and the following day to Constanta. The final stretch is 134 kms form Calarasi to Constanta and it sounds really tough with several hills, cobblestones, etc. I just hope my rear wheel holds out!

This blog was posted at the Hotel Calarasi in Calarasi, Romania on Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Day 54 - Europe 2011

2011-07-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

Day 54 - Sunday, July 17, 2011 - Zimniciea to Giurgiu, Romania - Trip 64.77 kms Time 4:18:16

I was up several times during the night because of an upset stomach. I took 2 more Imodium tablets at 4:40 AM. Got up at 6:30. Couldn't get any hot water so ended up having a rather cold shower. I went over to the hotel cafe for b'fast but was told b'fast was in the restaurant above. There is no inter-connecting passage between the hotel/cafe/restaurant. I was able to order a hard boiled egg, tea, bread, butter, jam and honey. I ended up getting 3 hard boild eggs! etc. I was the only customer.
I returned to my room, collected my panniers, which I had already packed and checked out. Before setting off for the day I checked my rear tire and it was a bit soft. I guess I do have a slow leak. I pumped it up and set of for Giurgiu. The day was a bit overcast when I started and I thought I might get some relief from the hot sun but that didn't last very long. By 9:00 the temperature was well up in the 30s. The road was in really bad shape which made the cycling a lot harder and slower. Not much to see. Just the usual fields of corn, wheat and sunflowers that were looking a bit droopy and desperately in need of some rain. There were a lot of watermelon stands at the side of the road. I wish I could buy one but what would I do with a big honking watermelon. I passed through many small villages and only had one hill to climb on the way. I arrived in Giurgiu at 11:30 and went directly to Hotel Sud which was the only hotel I saw ads for. It was a nice 3 star hotel with a large super market next to it. It was 45E for a single room with double beds, incl. b'fast, Wi-Fi and A/C. There was no garage to secure my bike so I had to settle for locking it up outside. The receptionist assured me it would be safe as they had surveillance cameras. I took my bags up to my room, had a cold shower (no hot water again and no water pressure) and lay down for a nap. I got up at 4:30 and went to the supermarket for some groceries. I bought some mashed potatoes and a BBQ chicken leg/thigh for dinner. I returned to my toom and did some laundry. There was a big thunderstorm at 6:30. It blew the window open. I managed to eat dinner OK. It was quite tasty and only cost 3.99 LEI. I typed up Day 53 of my blog. My tummy is starting to feel much better but just to be sure I took 2 more Imodium before going off to bed at 9:00.

This blog was posted at the Hotel Cezare in Oltenita, Romania on Monday, July 18, 2011

Day 53 - Europe 2011

2011-07-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Day 53 - Saturday, July 16, 2011 - Turnu Magurele to Zimnicea - Trip 60.76 kms Time 3:54:46

Had a bit of a rough night because of stomach cramps. The inevitable has happened - I've managed to get some sort of tummy bug. Got at 6:30 and took a couple Imodium anti-diarrhea tablets. I went down for b'fast hoping to get something to eat that my stomach could handle. I asked for tea with honey and yogurt. I also got a stale bun and some jam.
I returned to my room and finished packing. After checking out I collected my bike from the garage at the back of the hotel. While I was loading my panniers a German fellow cyclists, about my age, approached me and greeted me in German. He noticed I was from Canada as I was wearing my CANADA jersey. He was cycling towards Budapest, etc. Before setting off for Zimnicea I went to a nearby corner store and got a 1.5L bottle of water, a couple bananas and some yogurt. I set off at 8:30. It was a fairly flat ride with several rolling hills so I was able to ride at a fairly good pace. There were a lot of donkey/horse wagons on the road. Some loaded with hay that took up more than a whole lane. One was missing a rear wheel. It was running on the rear axle stub with the missing wheel in the wagon. Probably going to a shop to get it fixed. I passed through Ciuperceni, Traian, Seaca, Lisa, Piatra, Viisoara, Suhaia and Fajtanele before arriving in Zimnicea at 1:30. By this time the heat and the fact that I wasn't feeling well had pretty well exhausted me.
I stopped at the Hotel Inter, a very impressive looking, modern building. I went into the cafe and was able to get some tea, water and honey dew melon and some sort of pastry (very dry). How do they eat that stuff. Apparently I wasn't supposed to be able to get melon as it wasn't on the menu or on display in the cafe like all the other food. There must have been a special occasion and I happened to see a waitress taking some left over melon to the kitchen. I asked if I could have some and she said OK. Another waitress told her I shouldn't have any but she was overuled.
I decided it was much to hot to continue cycling to the next town which was Giurgiu that would have hotel accommodation. I went to the hotel reception to ask about a room. A single room with b'fast, Wi-Fi and A/C was 60E. I managed to get it down to 50E. The beautiful, platinum blond, receptionist got a baggage cart and helped me collect my bags. She took them inside while I went off with the parking lot attendant to secure my bike in a garage at the back of the hotel. I took my bags up to my room and lay down for a nap after taking a couple more diarrhea tablets.
When I got up I decided I couldn't face going out to eat in a restaurant so decided to find a shop where I could buy some food and water. I asked the pretty receptionist for directions to the nearest shop and she was about to take me there but I said that wouldn't be necessary as I would manage to find it on my own.
On the way I passed a bicycle shop. I went in to see if I could get a spare tube. Not a chance. He had several types of tubes but none that would fit my rims or tires. But I was able to get a small patch kit for 6 LEI. The bike shop guy spoke English and when I told him about getting my tube fixed at a VULCANIZER garage because my little tube of vulcanizing fluid had dried up he gave me a large tube of it for free. I said I had some in the patch kit I had just bought. He insisted I take it just in case it dried out.
I eventually found the "grocery shop". Went in and bought some water, fruit, yogurt, etc and walked back to the hotel. It was bloody hot. Romania is having quite a heat wave at the moment.

This blog was posted at the Hotel SUD in Giurgiu, Romania, on Sunday, July 17, 2011
We just had a terrific thunderstorm. I hope that will cool things off a bit for tomorrow's ride which has several hills on it.

Drum Bun

Day 52 - Europe 2011

2011-07-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Day 52 - Friday, July 15, 2011 - Caracal to Turnu Magurele - Trip 76.56 kms Time 4:48:44

I was up at 6:30 and just about ready to go down for b'fast at 7:00 when there was a knock on my door. It was Sofia bringing my b'fast on a tray i.e. orange juice, coffee (very strong), assorted cold cuts and cheese, a hard boiled egg already peeled, tomatoes and cucumbers, bread, butter and jam and a packaged croissant. I couldn't eat it all.
I checked my e-mail and sent a reply to Barrie. I started packing my panniers, which I had put on the carpeted floor next to the A/C, and discovered one of them was quite wet. Well the rain cover was wet. My clothes, etc were all in Ziploc bags so they were OK. When I went down to check out I told the receptionist about the leaky A/C. She came up to my room to see.
There were VISA, etc stickers at the reception but when I tried to pay by VISA they would only accept cash. I asked for directions to Corabia. It was fairly complicated so the manageress sent Sofia to show me the way. Sofia spoke fairly good English and walked with me for about 400 M before indicating that I was to follow this road to Corabia. I thanked her and set off for C.
I noticed my rear tire felt a little soft so I had to stop and pump it up hoping I didn't have a slow leak. I also stopped at a corner store and bought a 1.5L bottle of water. The road was well paved and flat all the way to C. Not much to see - just the usual farm fields of mainly wheat, corn and sun flowers. Very little traffic.
I arrived in Corabia at 11:00 and was feeling quite hungry and in need of a cold drink. After looking around for awhile for a place to eat I asked a young lady if she knew of a restaurant where I could get some lunch. She spoke very good English and tried to give me directions to a nearby restaurant but it was a bit complicated because of roadworks so she decided to show me the way. When we got to the restaurant she spoke to the waiter and told him I was from Canada and wanted something to eat. The waiter brought me a menu. I chose a vegetable soup with bread and a Nestea. The waiter went off to the kitchen to place my order but was soon back. Sorry, no soup for you! No not really - he wasn't the Soup Nazi. He suggested that I should order the Cheeseburger. I decided to take a chance and try it. It actually wasn't to bad. It was a large bun stuffed with a patty of meat, fries, cole slaw, mayo and ketchup.
Since it was still early (noon) and I had only cycled 40 kms I asked for directions to Turnu Magurele. On the way to T-M my pace was much slower because of the heat. Along the way I was passed by a large commercial van and was hit on my back left shoulder by an object thrown from the passenger window! I'm pretty sure it was an empty plastic bottle. It scared the hell out of me. It didn't leave a mark but it sure pissed me off!!! After cycling over 4000 kms to have something thrown at me was unbelievable especially since most people in Romania had been so kind to me.
I arrived in T-M at 2:00 after cycling 76 kms and since it was so very hot and there were no other towns with hotels for quite a distance I decided to stop for the day. I found the Hotel Turris - a fairly large 3 star hotel. A room with b'fast and Wi-Fi and A/C was 180 LEI. I bargained her down to 160 LEI. After securing my bike in the garage I took my apnniers up to my room on the 2nd floor. Had a short nap and afterwards typed Day 49 and 50 of my blog. I then did some laundry and had a large tin of Carlsberg (5 LEI) from the mini bar. (a coke was more expensive at 5.50 LEI).
Later on in the evening when it had cooled down a bit I went out for a walk about/ Took some photos. I couldn't find any restaurants so came back to the hotel for dinner. I sat out on the patio and a mangy dog came and settled down by my chair. Why me? I had to chase it away as they are full of fleas!!! I ordered "chicken chest" with apple sauce and a coke. The "apple sauce" looked revolting but actually didn't taste to bad. It also came with two bread rolls which were a bit on the stale side. It cost 9.50 LEI for dinner.
It was to hot to sit outside and there were mosquitoes buzzing about so I went back up to my room and typed up Day 51 of my blog.

This blog was posted at the Hotel Inter in Zimnicea, Romania, on Saturday, July 16, 2011

Day 51 - Europe 2011

2011-07-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Day 51 - Thursday, July 14, 2011 - Calafat to Craiova to Caracal, Romania, by Train
Trip 166.4 kms Time 4:39:18 Max 75.38 kph

I managed to sleep in! got up at 6:40 and went down for b'fast at 7:10. I forgot to mention in yesterday's blog that the decor in this restaurant was something like out of "Alice In Wonderland" The tables and chairs were all covered in white and topped off with red bunting. It was quite a huge restaurant that could accommodate several hundred people. There were about 6-8 people in the restaurant for coffee, etc. I ordered tea. It came with a tin of paté, two bits of cheese, a slice of cucumber, bread, butter (1 pat) and jam (1). A British lady, who looked a bit dishevelled, was wandering around looking for a toaster! I didn't dare order anything extra!
I went back to my room and finished packing my panniers and took them down to the lobby. I had to use the scary elevator twice. Even though my room was on the "1st floor" there were 3 or 4 flights of stairs between it and the main floor. After getting my bike out of the storage room and loading my panniers I asked for directions to the train station. I had previously checked the Danube guide book for my next destination and there was a "Tip: Calafat is the last town with half-way acceptable overnight accommodations until you come to Corabia about 170 kms away." Since I dont have any camping equipment and the scenery is fairly monotonous along that stretch the guide book recommended taking the train from Calafat - Craiova- Corabia (about 3 hours). There was also another suggestion but that one was 6 hours by train.
I arrived at the train station at 8:45 after stopping to buy a 1.5L bottle of water. There was absolutely no one around. I took my bike inside the station and went over to what appeared to be a ticket counter. A lady, who spoke no English, was able to sell me a ticket for Calafat - Craiova - Caracal for 31.80 LEI. The next train didn't leave until noon. Oh good! 3 hours to kill! I'm not sure if I have to change trains in Craiova? According to my ticket I should arrive in Caracal at 16:53. I went out and sat on the platform where there were a few employees and a couple of mangy dogs to keep me company.
Before boarding the train I bought a 1L bottle of Fanta at the BUFET. An engineer and his assistant (breakman I think) arrived and fired up the diesel and went up and back to swith the engine to the opposite end of the cars that were on track #2. It was a bit of a hurdle getting down off the main platform and across the tracks and up on to platform #2 but I managed. I then had to manhandle my bike with it's panniers onto the antiquated train itself. I did get a little help.
The train left for Craiova at 12:00. It was a very slow train. It stopped at every village and a few other places where there was just a shack beside the tracks. I arrived in Craiova at 15:45 a much busier station than Calafat. There was an "Express" train about to leave for Caracal on track #1. The conductor montioned for me to hurry and I would be able to get on it rather than wait for the next train. Once again I had to cross two sets of tracks and manhandle my bike onto the train, a much more modern train equiped with A/C and handicap toilet. I'm not sure how someone in a wheelchair would be able to get on the train but....
While I was on the 1st train someone came to get me to tell me that my bike had fallen. I went to the back and found it had only shifted a bit. I propped it up a little better and sat in the back by my bike to keep an eye on it. The guy who had come to get me spoke some English. We talked about my trip. He had just been to Amsterdam in June with his wife. He told me I couldn't go by train from the Black Sea to Istanbul. I would have to take the train from Constanta to Bucharest (about 3 hours) and then from Bucharest to Istanbul (about 10 hours).
Before leaving Calafat a guy got on the train with his bike. There were several empty plastic bottles in the baggage car. He proceeded to toss them into the field across from the tracks. On the 2nd train there were several children with 2 young adults. They had a kitten in a backpack with only its head sticking out of a gap. It looked very sad. It started crying. One of the older boys (8-9 years old) gave it a couple raps on the snout. I told him to be more gentle with the poor creature.
I was able to get off the tain without any difficulty. I cycled into town and checked in at the Hotel Edinburgh at 200 LEI/night with b'fast included and Wi-Fi and A/C. It was a bit hot as there was a power outage. As a matter of fact there were several more power outages especially while I was trying to do my blog.
It actually was an "apartment" i.e. bedroom, sitting room and bathroom (no kitchen). I carried my bags up 2 flights then went back down to secure my bike. I was able to bring it inside and put it in the restaurant which wasn't yet open. I lay down for a nap and later went out for a walk to get some money and find a place to eat. It was much to hot to enjoy a walkabout and I was quickly able to find an ATM. I returned to the Italian restaurant not far from the hotel and had a Heineken beer and a pizza for dinner.
As I said earlier, while I was typing my blog, there were several power outages. My Notebook was still OK running on battery backup but I couldn't see my notes! After several outages lasting anywheres from 1 to 5 minutes I was able to finish a day's blog and decided I would get a good night's rest.
Drum Bun (not sure what it means - it's on all the signs as you're leaving town and must mean good bye - I think)

This blog was posted at the Hotel Turris in Turnu Magurele on Friday, July 15, 2011

Day 50 - Europe 2011

2011-07-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

Day 50 - Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - Orsova to Calafat, Romania - Trip 132.82 kms Time 8:19:44

Up at 6:30 after a quiet night. I went down for b'fast at 7:00. B'fast was a-la-carte. I was allowed 15 LEI. I ordered orange juice, tea, plain omelette, bread, butter and jam. When I checked out I had to pay "a little extra". I never did get to see a final bill for my room, dinner and "a little extra". I paid with a 100E note and got a lot of change in LEI. I think it was 400 LEI for 100 E.
I asked about buying a patch kit so I could patch my tube but no one had any idea where I would find such a thing let alone patch a tube. I went across the street to a taxi stand and they suggested going to a "Vulcanizer" shop. They are all over the place. I found one not to far off and after a bit of discussion one of the guys found a tin of "contact cement". After a good sanding he applied a coat of the blue stuff and blew on it for a good 10 minutes or so out in the hot sun. Finally it was tacky enough to apply a patch which I provided from my kit. After pressing it firmly I put some air in the tube and he put it in a water bath to test for leaks. It was OK. I offered to pay him some LEI but he refused to accept any money.
I went over to a Penny Market and bought some blood oranges, orange juice, trail mix and some figs. I also bought some sun block at the Apoteke next door. I set off for Drobeta-Turnu Severin at 9:15. On a nice wide paved highway with a paved shoulder all the way. It was amazing and a bit cooler than the previous days. When I got to Hinova instead of turning right and following the Danube I kept going straight ahead on the 56A for Vanju Mare where I thought I might find a hotel. There were no hotels or pensions until I got to Cetate at 5:30. I tried to check in but it was full. I pushed on to Calafat. I had to stop several more times for 1) a Fanta 2) a Nestea and 3) a large 1.5L bottle of water. I ate trail mix and figs for lunch and snacks. I stopped earlier at a cafe/restaurant for lunch. There was no menu. A guy offered to BBQ some sausages for me. I only wanted 2. Sorry, he said, you must have 5 or none at all.
There were 3 climbs on the way to Calafat. I had to get off and walk the last one. A Roma with a horse and wagon loaded with hay overtook me! The children were very friendly calling out hello as I passed and running out into the road to wave at me. The adults were also very vocal. Not sure what they were saying but it all sounded very encouraging.
I arrived in Calafat at 7:00 and found the Hotel ..... at 90 LEI/night including b'fast and Wi-Fi. I checked in and proceeded to take my bags up to room 108. The elevator scared the shit out of me. First of all the door wouldn't open at the ground floor. One of the girls went to get a lever to get the door open. I got in with my bags and pressed 1 and closed the inner doors. As I arrived at the 1st floor I opened the inner doors to soon and the elevator stopped about 2 feet short. It then proceeded to go back to the main floor. I pressed 1 again and waited until I had stopped at the 1st floor before opening the inner doors this time.
After putting my bags in my room I went back downstairs to secure by bike. This time I took the stairs. I went down 3 flights of stairs and ended up in the restaurant. The main lobby was down one more flight of stairs. When I got to the lobby my bike was gone! I checked with the receptionist. She showed me where it had been locked up in a small storage room. I wanted to get my water bottles.
I then went to the bar/restaurant for a beer and dinner. After getting a cold beer I asked for a menu. I wanted fish and chips but there was no fish. I then asked for a grilled porc chop with rice and mixed vegetables. There was no rice. I had to settled for a porc chop with fries and dry bread. It was all very dry but the beer helped wash it down. The waitress was very nonchalant and more interested in chatting and smoking with several other young girls all around 20 something. There was no ice cream in spite of it being on the menu.
It was now 9:00 ish. I went up my my room. Had a shower and did some laundry. I was able to set up the Notebook and get an Internet connection in my room. I typed up Day 47 of my blog. While I was typing I could hear a dripping sound coming from the A/C. I turned it off and was off to bed at 11:30.

This blog was posted at the Hotel Turris in Turnu Magurele on Friday, July 15, 2011

Day 49 - Europe 2011

2011-07-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Day 49 - Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - Coronini to Orsova, Romania - Trip 101.19 Time 6:17:06

I was hoping it would rain and cool things down a bit but no such luck. It was a very uncomfortable night. The room was like a sauna. I did manage to get some sleep in spite of the heat and noise. I got up at 6:30, did some packing before going down to b'fast. A young fellow who spoke good English, that I had spoken to while fixing my flat, was having b'fast. He asked if I had managed to fix my flat OK. I said I had to use my 2nd spare tube. I wanted to patch the punctured tube but found out the small tube of glue in my patch kit had completely evaporated! This was not a good omen. It meant I would have to travel without a spare tube or complete patch kit. I figured if worse came to worse I could put a patch on my tube and hold it in place with some black electrical tape. The young fellow had no idea where I could get a patch kit.
For b'fast I ordered orange juice, coffee, fried egg, sausage, etc. I didn't realize I had to pay 8 LEI extra for orange juice and coffee! There was also a mug of lovely tea, bread, butter and jam.
I left Corinini at 8:00. The road was flat, smooth pavement and followed the Danube pretty much all the way to Orsova. There were a couple of climbs on the way to Dubova and Orsova and an 8 km stretch of very rough gravel, pot holed road where there had been several rock slides. Very little traffic. Very hot. No shops or restaurants until I got to Dubova. I went into a shop to get something for lunch. All I got was cookies and a couple jam rolls and a cold drink. Restaurants were another 5 kms or so down the road. I arrived in Orsova at 4:00 after a couple more stops for drinks. I checked into the Hotel Meridien for 50 E per night including b'fast and Internet. After carying my panniers up to the 2nd floor I returned to the lobby to secure my bike in a broom closet. There was a really super huge covered patio with misters and fans trying to cool things down a bit. Tried a local beer but it tasted a bit skunky. Filled in my journal. Tried a Stella. There was no draught beer, just large bottles or cans of beer. The Stella beer tasted skunky also! You can't beat a good draught beer!

This blog was posted at the Hotel Turris in Turnu Magurele, Romania, Friday, July 15, 2011

Day 48 - Europe 2011

2011-07-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

Day 48 - Monday, July 11, 2011 - Bela Crkva to Coronini, Romania - Trip 74.89 kms Time 4:57

I was up at 6:45 and since my "private accommodation" didn't offer any b'fast I had to make do with a banana and an apple. I took my panniers down to the car port and checked my front and rear wheels. The disc brakes are rubbing now and then. I pumped up both tires and left the pension at 8:15 after saying goodbye to the "boss lady". I stopped at a "Mechanica" and exchanged 10 E for 1,000 CSD and went over to the bakery for b'fast. I was able to get an egg and cheese pastry and a sugar bun filled with Nutella and coffee. I also got a submarine sandwich with ham, cucumber and mayo to go. In hindsite because of the very hot temp. mayo was probably not such a good choice.
I set off for Kaluderovo and the Serbian/Romanian border at 8:30. It was 11 kms to the border. I arrived at 9:00. It was very quiet. No traffic at all. I met Michel, a cyclist from Paris, who was just clearing customs ahead of me. He was also travelling solo and was equipped for camping. After clearing customs we discussed the two routes to get to Pojejena. One way was to go directly over the mountains (about 12 kms) or to take the longer, flatter route around Zlatita, Socol, Divici, Belobresca and Pojejena. I said I was going to take the longer route as I didn't like climbing hills. Michel went off to find a shady spot to put some sleeves on to protect his arms from the relentless sun. I left on my own.
I stoped at 10:30 for a break and Michel caught up to me. He started complaining that it was so much longer then going directly over the hills. I didn't want to listen to his complaints so left him behind. He was going much slower up the not so difficult hills with his heavier bike and load. I had to stop several times for cold drinks and to get out of the hot sun. I arrived in Moldova Noua at 2:30. I asked several people about where to find an hotel. They all said I had to continue on to Coronini where I would find a Pension. It was another 6 kms further down the road. I bought a diet coke at a gas station and set off for Coronini. I arrived at the Pensiunea Happy Fish at 3:30. A single room with b'fast cost 25E/night. There was no Internet and no A/C. I made the mistake of leaving my bike in the hot sun while I was putting my bags up in my room. When I came back down for a beer one of the customers told me I had a flat front tire. I think the hot sun may have caused the tube to burst. I decided to have a cold beer and that I would deal with the flat later when it cooled down a bit. I saw a team of horses pulling an old style hay wagon with two guys riding on it. One of them was talking on his cellphone.
To many power failures will try and finish this later....
I was able to fix my flat tire by using my 2nd spare tube. I wanted to patch the puncture in my other tube but discovered that the vulcanizing fluid in my little tube in my patch kit had completely evaporated.
My next challenge was to get through dinner. It was quite a battle between myself, the flies and the dogs. In the end I managed but... I forgot to mention that Michel arrived at 4:30 ish while I was almost finished my 2nd beer. He wasn't to keen on the "Happy Fish" and said he would go on into Coronini where he had been told of another Pension. I offered to buy him a beer but he wanted to keep going. There was quite a storm brewing off in the West. Lots of thunder and lightning. Quite a spectacular sunset over the Danube. I took some photos.
As I was paying my bill for dinner the waitress mentioned something about Scorpio. I said no I was a Leo. She said "NO NO A SCORPIO!" but she didn't say where.
I had a very restless night's sleep because of late customers, the wind blowing plastic bottles around in the parking lot and the dogs barking at whatever and my room was like a sauna.

This blog was posted at the Hotel Edinborugh in Caracal, Romania, Thursday, July 14, 2011

Day 47 - Europe 2011

2011-07-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

Day 47 - Sunday, July 10, 2011 - Pozaverac, Serbia to Bela Crkva, Serbia - Trip 59.44 kms Time 4:22:53

Once again I'm going to be brief as it's quite late and I must be off to bed soon.
After a horrible breakfast served by Attilla the waitress I loaded my panniers on my bike and headed for Kostolac. I had to take a detour as the more direct route was being resurfaced. I ended up at a Sunday farmers market where fruit, vegetables, chickens, etc were being sold. I needed to get some water so went into a discount store. The shop in the hotel, where I had planned to buy some water before leaving, was closed on Sundays. I asked for directions to Kostelac and set off at 8:45. It was a nicely paved road all the way to Ram with some pretty rough patched up stretches. The section between Kostelac and Drmno was especially bad. I really needed mountain bike tires! I think I was on a road closed to cyclists which I didn't realize at the time.
On the way to Ram I was passed by a farmer on his tractor pulling an empty wagon twice. About 5 kms further up the road he had pulled off into a field and parked in the shade under a tree. There was another farmer with him who came out to the side of the road with a picnic hamper and motioned for me to come join them for somethng to eat. It was around 10:30 and I needed a break. They had a large baking pan with about a dozen pastries which looked very tasty. They also had china plates (3), forks, serviettes, etc. I was served 2 pastries which were a bit salty but very tasty nevertheless. They hardly spoke any English but wanted to know where I was from, Where I was going, etc. They were about to do some combining.
I arrived in Ram at 11:30. There were several other cyclists there including one with a flat tire on his mountain bike which he was in the process of repairing. The tube he had wouldn't fit because the valve stem was to large. He had to make the valve stem hole in the rim bigger using some sand paper.
I went into the cafe for a cold drink while waiting for the ferry. Two of the cyclists invited me to join them. They bought me a Fanta (small). The ferry for Stara Polanka was about to leave so I had to rush off in order not to miss it. The guy fixing his flat tire still had his rear wheel off and had to gather up all his parts and carry them onto the ferry where he was able to finish his repairs. It cost 250 CSD for the ferry crossing.
The ferry landing was just a gravel bank and we had to wait while a deck hand filled in the trough gouged out by the ferry. I set off for Bonatska Polanka/Bella Crkva. It was quite hot but with a bit of a breeze. The guy with the flat tire and his buddy caught up to me. They were on their way to Bela Crkva to go swimming. There are several lakes there and it is a popular tourists destination or so I was told.
I arrived in Bela Crkva at 1:30 and saw a sign for a hotel. There didn't appear to be any possibilities for another town with hotel accommodation for quite a distance so I decided I whould stop for the night. I went through the town but could not find the hotel. I stopped at a Cafe and the manager, who spoke some English, told me the hotel would be fully booked because of all the tourists. But, his next door neighbour had a private room where I could stay. If I cared to wait 5 minutes he would finish up and would show me the way. I had a nice cold beer while he got ready to go home. I followed him for about a km. As we arrived the "boss lady" was just disappearing down the sidewalk on her way to do some shopping.
While waiting for her to retun I was able to plan my route for tomorrow with the help of ...... I never did get his name? Soon the "boss lady" returned. She spoke a bit of German. She showed me the room upstairs. It was more like an apartment with a kitchen, dinning room and bedroom and bathroom. There were also several other rooms. The room cost 1,000 CSD for the night. No b'fast and no Internet but it would have to do.
After a short nap and doing my laundry I cycled into town to look for a place to eat. There were a lot of cafes but they only serve drinks and ice cream. I finally found a bakery and was able to get a pizza and a Nestea for 130 CSD and a huge slice of cake for 100 CSD.
When I got back to the apartment The boss's son was busy cleaning out the pool. He spoke quite good English and said if I needed anything to just let him know. He lived on the 3rd floor while his mother occupied the 1st floor. Quite a huge house.

This blog was posted at the hotel ........ in Calafat, Romania, on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
where I have a lovely A/C which has just started to drip on the carpet!!!

Day 46 - Europe 2011

2011-07-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

Day 46 - Saturday, July 9, 2011 - Belgrade to Pozarevac, Serbia - Trip 75.44 kms Time 5:19:43

Since I'm posting this in the lobby of the Meridian Hotel in Osorva, Romania, I won't bore you with all the details of my daily ritual.
I left Belgrade at 8:40 AM after getting a map and directions from the desk clerk. I set off for Grocka and started climbing as soon as I left the hotel. It was a 2 km climb! I then headed for Smederevo and Pozarevac. There were 3 more difficult climbs before I arrived in Pozarevac at 3:30. I was really feeling the heat so stopped at a Restaurant about 5-6 kms outside of Pozarevac for a cold drink. There was some kind of reception going on. When I tried to park my bike in the shade I was chased away by a camera guy. I went over to the opposite side and got a cold drink at the service station next door. There were not many choices in the way of hotels as a matter of fact the Hotel Dunav is the only one listed in my guide book. After asking for directions I was able to find it. The hotel marquee was blocked out by trees.
After putting my bags in my room and storing my bike in the basement I returned to the lobby to try to connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi. I had no trouble establishing a connection. There were several drink coolers in the lobby so I helped myself to a LAV lager beer while I checked my e-mail.
After doing some laundry and having a short nap I went for a walk down Main Street. It had been closed off to traffic including the main square. I found a fast food restaurant and had was able to get some dinner. There are a lot of cafes that only serve drinks and icecream - no food. The Serbians don't seem to be big on eating out at restaurants. On my way back to the hotel the kids were riding battery operated cars around the square.
I couldn't get a Wi-Fi connection in my room so went down to the lobby and the desk clerk showed me where I could plug in my Notebook. She also turned up the lights so I could type up Day 45 of my blog.
Cheers, Roly

Day 45 - Europe 2011

2011-07-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

Day 45 - Friday, July 8, 2011 - Ruma, Serbia to Belgrad, Serbia - Trip 76.64 kms Time 4:50:48

I had a good night's sleep in spite of a dozen or more kids hanging out in the lot behind the hotel. I closed all the windows and turned on the A/C. I got up at 6:40 and went to the restaurant also on the 3rd floor for b'fast. I ordered coffee (not to strong), orange juice, scrambled eggs, bread and butter and jam (only one choice - marmalade). The waitress asked me to call the reception when I was ready to leave and someone would come up to help me carry my bike down. I went back to my room and called the receptionist who asked me "Do you need help?" I said "I could manage OK on my own." I started down the stairs with my bike and a guy met me on the 2nd floor and took over. I carried my panniers down to the lobby. Paid 3,050 HRK when I checked out. Before leaving I asked for directions to Putinci/Stara Pazova. The young fellow, who was still hanging about, indicated I should follow the main road in front of the hotel all the way to the Danube at Stari Banovci. When I came to Hwy 21, which I had to go over, the sign indicated Novi Sad left and Sabac right but nothing for Stara Pazova. I couldn't get either Putinci or Stara Pazova on my GPS just Belgrad and the directions were very vague! There was no one around to ask for directions so I took a chance and went up on the Hwy overpass where I was able to see another sign which indicated Stara Pazova straight ahead. It was pretty flat all the way and very boring. Not to much traffic until I made the turn at Stari Banovci. I got stuck behind a tractor pulling a wagon loaded with loose hay. Good thing I don't have any allergies! A guy pulled up beside me in his car and asked me where I was from. I told him CANADA. He invited me to come to his house for cold water and olives? I said "No thankyou - I'm OK". My main objective was to get to Belgrad as quickly as possible and hopefully find a bike shop where I could get my disc brakes fixed. The road became very patchy and rough at Batajnica. I had to make a right and a left turn. I must have managed the right turn OK but went through the lights at the left turn. I quickly realized my mistake and made a U-turn. I asked a local if this was the way to Belgrad and he pointed straight on. It was a very busy road - lots of trucks and buses and not very wide with a lot of rough patches and sunken drainage grates that would totally wreck a bicycle wheel if you were not careful. On the way to Stara Pazova I stopped at a corner store and bought a cold drink, a chocolat bar and a huge pastry with cheese. It was very filling! When I arrived in Belgrad I went into a corner store and bought some apples, oranges, bananas, water and a cold pop. I had a banana and some more cheese pastry with my cold drink. It was around 12:30. I asked a few people where I could find a bicycle shop. No luck. There was nothing listed in my guide book either. After cycling around for an hour in the very hot city I found a car parts shop that sold Thule stuff. I went in and asked the parts guy if he knew of a bike shop that could fix disc brakes. He wasn't to busy and after doing a bit of research on the Internet and making a couple calls he was able to locate Planet Bike shop about 2 kms from his shop where I could get help with my disc brakes. He said his colleague would soon arrive and he would take me to the shop. All I had to do was follow him on his scooter! His colleague soon arrived and together they also found a room for me at the Hotel Serbia and printed off a map with directions on how to get to it. Going to the bike shop was OK. Lots of traffic lights, crosswalks and only 2 kms. I was able to take my bike in around the back and a mechanic adjusted the back and front brakes. The front were really out of whack and it took him 1/2 an hour to get them adjusted properly. They were amazed that I had cycled from Amsterdam and that I was going to Instanbul. The mechanic asked how old I was. When I told him I was 67, soon to be 68, he shook my hand. I still had to pay 250 HRK for the adjustments which was OK by me because a bike with no brakes is pretty scary especially when you're going down hills at 45 + kph. The parts guy then took me over to the very busy main road and pointed me in the direction of the hotel. It was about 5 kms away. I had to stop once after crossing the bridge and asked for directions again. It was a very tricky exit ramp that looped back over the main road then continued on on the opposite side parallel to the main road. The Hotel Serbia was another 3-4 kms along. It was quite a big hotel (18 floors). I went in and asked for a room. A single room with b'fast and Wi-Fi cost 4,200 HRK or about 45 E. I checked in at 3:30. I was able to store my bike in the baggage room by the front desk. I took my bags up to the 13th floor using a baggage cart and the elevator. Did some laundry. I managed to knock a glass over wrapped in a sanitary bag so not to much of a mess to clean up. I lay down for a nap after my shower. I got up at 5:40 and tried to connect to the Internet. No luck. I went out in the hallway and found the router by the elevators. There was a coffee table, sofa and chairs so I was able to set up my Notebook and get a Wi-Fi connection. It was very slow in spite of a reading of 54 Mbps and Excellent connection. I went down to the outdoor patio bar for a beer. Only small bottles of beer at 130 HRK. I filled in my journal. I ordered Penne Ortolana at 450 HRK and a 1/4 L red wine. It came in a small 1/4 L bottle. It was a very nice local wine. After settling my bill I went back up to my room. In spite of having an Internet connection I was not able to download or upload anything in my room so I went out in the halllway and sat by the elevators where I was able to type up Day 44 of my blog. It was very hot. No A/C in the hallways. I was off to bed at 10:30.

Note to self - always finish off the whole chocolat bar - otherwise it turns to mush in the very hot temps. Luckily there was a Mini Bar fridge and i was able to put it in the fridge to get it solid again.

This blog was posted at the Hotel Dunav in Pozarevac, Serbia on Saturday, July 9, 2011

Day 44 - Europe 2011

2011-07-08T12:26:00.001-07:00

Day 44 - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - Ilok, Croatia to Ruma, Serbia - Trip 75.85 kms Time 4:55:55

I woke up at 2:30 and the noise had stopped or somebody had finally put that guy out of his misery! I opened my window again hoping to get a bit of a breeze coming off of the Danube but all I got was a dog barking! I got up at 6:40 and went down for b'fast at 7:15. It was all the usual b'fast stuff. I was even able to make myself a ham and cheese sandwich on some very nice fresh sliced bread. I must say Croatia and now Serbia really like their bread.
After b'fast I went around back and collected my bike from the storage room. I checked out and paid 300 KN for the night of much noise. I complained about the terrible noise (music). The receptionist apologized and said it was coming from Serbia and there was nothing they could do about it.
I left for Novi Sad at 8:30. There were a lot of hills (10 altogether) during the day's ride. The last one before Ruma was especially long and difficult. I passed through Hungarian/Serbian customs at 9:00. They were very friendly. Not much traffic on this quiet back country road.
I passed through Nestin, Susek, Cerevic, Beocin and Sremskikamenica. Had I followed the directions in the guide book I should have gone to Petrovaradin but I turned off towards Ruma on the 21. Not by choice but because of poor signage or lack of it! I stopped to ask if I could continue along the road I was on to Belgrad and was assured it was OK but it was a difficult way to go on a bike. At least that's the impression I got. Which is what I found out. It was a very difficult climb that took me well over 2 hours. Very hot with temps at 35 C +. No breeze. I had to get off several times and walk. Once I started coming down I was doing well over 45 kph with the brakes on! or what was left of them. There was a lot of traffic and I didn't want to get going to fast in case I suddenly had to stop. My brakes were not working all that well.
I stopped in Irig and after talking to a local about my trip, etc he told me about his dream of one day cycling to Paris/Barcelona. I got directions to a "hole in the wall" where I could change Euros to Dinars at 10-1. I went to the cafe next door and got 2 small bottles of water and a Nestea. Why do they only sell small bottles in Serbia?
I continued on to Ruma which was mostly downhill on a good well paved road. I arrived in Ruma at 3:00. It was very hot. 38C+ and after all the difficult hills I decided to find an hotel for the night. I checked out the Vila Hit and was able to get a room with b'fast and Internet for 31 E. I asked about a bike shop where I could get my brakes adjusted. They said they would do some research and get back to me. I locked my bike up outside the hotel/cafe and a guy helped me carry my bags up to the 3rd floor. I went down to the cafe for a nice cold beer and filled in my journal.
I worried about leaving my bike out on the street overnight. There was no garage or storage room. After 2 beers and sitting in 38C heat in the shade I decided to go up to my room which had an A/C. But first I asked about the safey of my bicycle and said I wanted to put it in my room for the night. There was a big discussion between the receptionist, the waiter and a young kid (around 20) who appeared to be in charge. The receptionist wanted to put it in the kitchen but it would have to be out by 7;00 AM. In the end the young fella carried it up to my room followed by the receptionist and myself. She removed a small area carpet and I was able to keep my bike by my bedside for the night.
I did some laundry. Checked the Internet which was OK and had a nap. I was very tired. The hills and the heat had really zapped me. The shower turned out to be a bit of a challenge. It's all brand new state of the art but already falling apart. I managed. I went out for a walk to find a restaurant. I apologized to the receptionist re having my bike in my room. She said it was hotel policy not to allow bicycles in the rooms but for me they had made an exception.
She recommended a local restaurant not far from the hotel. There didn't seem to be any other choices around. I asked for spaghetti bolognese but was told only "grill". I chose the "Cordon Blu" with a mixed salad and pommes frites. The local LAV lager beer is very nice. There were "No Smoking" signs on the main door but they don't seem to mean anything. The manager just brought out fresh ashtrays. I had a huge meal. The portions are supersized. I couldn't eat all of it! I walked back to the hotel. Bought a coke from a street vendor. Did Day 43 of my blog and was off to bed at 10:30.

This blog was posted at the Hotel Serbia in Belgrad, Friday, July 8, 2011

Day 43 - Europe 2011

2011-07-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

Water tower in Vukovar, Croatia

Day 43 - Wednesday, July 6, 2011 - Osijek, Croatia to Ilok, Croatia - Trip 85.57 kms Time 4:38

I got up at 6:40 after a good night's sleep. Very quiet in spite of room being on busy main street. I went to the restaurant on the 1st floor for b'fast at 7:15. There was plenty of everything to choose from including fresh fruit i.e. watermelon, Honey Dew melon, etc. Also scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, etc. and ketchup! After a hearty b'fast I went back to my room and finished packing. On the way to my room I spotted a water cooler in the hallway. I took my 2 water bottles and filled them with nice cool water. I carried my panniers down to the lobby. Paid 758 HRK (1 HRK for insurance and 7 HRK for taxes).
I left my bags in the lobby and went across the street to a local bank to try and change my KN to Serbian and/or Euros. The bank teller would only change Euros to KN. I went to the next bank and was able to exchange some of my excess KN for 200 Euros. No Serbian (Dinars) currency. They would not take any Ft.
I went back to the hotel and collected my bike from the storage room. I asked the receptionist for directions to Nemetin. I just had to take the main street in front of the hotel all the way out of town which turned out to be about 5 kms.
I stopped to take photos of the "mine field signs" just outside of town near Nemetin and a water tower in Vukovar which was used for target practice during the civil war. It's been left standing as a reminder of the futility of war. I had lunch at a pizza place just outside of Vukovar. I actually got a pizza with proper pepperoni sausage on it plus bacon and ham which I had not asked for plus a separate pitcher of tomato sauce to pour on it!
After Vukovar I had several tough hills to climb in very hot 35 C + temperatures. There was no breeze at all. I arrived in Ilok at 3:00 and checked into Hotel Dunav, a three star hotel by the Danube, at 300 KN/night including b'fast and Internet. I put my bike away in a storage room around back and went to the bar overlooking the Danube for a beer (2). Filled in my journal. On the way back to my room I passed by an ice cream freezer. I had 2 scoops for 10 KN. Back in my room I set up the Notebook. I had no problems connecting to the Internet with a cable. Did some laundry including 2 pair of cycling shorts, arm & leg warmers, etc. The water was pretty black by the time I finished. There is a lot of black smoke coming from most the big trucks that pass me. Lay down for a nap after a shower.
I got up at 6:00 PM and typed up Day 41 of blog before going down to the patio for dinner. The hotel was quite isolated and there were no other restaurants within walking distance. I ordered Chicken Breast in Parisian Style with a glass of white wine. I had passed many vineyards on the ride from Osijek to Ilok. The guide book also mentions that Ilok is the center of one of the most fruitful wine producing areas in Slavonia which include Riesling, Savagnin and Burgundies. The white wine was excellent. The chicken, on the other hand, was a bit tough and came with 5 scoops of mashed potatoes and pommes croquettes. Whoever heard of a Parisian dish with so many potatoes? I ate it all! Plus another 1/4 L of white wine. It really was a good wine.
While I was in my room I could hear a guy singing accompanied by accordion and drums. When I was sitting in the outdoor patio restaurant I couldn't hear him. I took several pictures of the sunset over the Danube and one for 2 couples at the table next to me who were having quite a feast. I bought a large bottle of water (750 cl for 15 KN) before going back up to my room. Once again I could hear the guy with his b... caught in his accordion or so it seemed. It was coming from across the river in Serbia! I typed up my blog for Day 42. The music/noise went on and on 'til way past midnight. I had to close the balcony door/window and was able to drown out most of the it.
Cheers, Roly

This blog was posted in Ruma, Serbia, on Thursday, July 7, 2011 at the Vila HIT Hotel

Day 42 - Europe 2011

2011-07-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

Day 42 - Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - Mohacs, HU to Osijek, Croatia - Trip 90.77 kms Time 5:14:55

Got up at 6:30 after a good night's sleep once the ferry stopped running at 10:30 except for a bunch of drunks who came by on their bikes at 12:30 and made a hell of a racket for 10 minutes or so. I'm not sure if they heard me yell at them to F... Off!!! but they soon left after that.
I went up to the 4th floor looking for b'fast as I had been told by the desk clerk that's where I would find it. A maid took me down in the elevator to the 1st floor and showed me where I could get b'fast.
I checked out at 8:30 after paying 11,415 Ft (415 Ft for taxes). I cycled to a drug store not far from the hotel hoping to find some maps for Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Turkey. There were none. Oh well, I would surely find some on the way.
I left for Udvar and the Croatian border at 8:45. It was a nicely paved quiet country road through mainly farm land i.e. corn, wheat, sunflower fields, vineyards and orchards. I passed through Hungarian and Croatian customs without any problems. Both custom agents asked for my passport and stamped it.
Before crossing the border I had stopped at a gas station convenience store and was able to buy maps for Croatia, Serbia and Romania and a large bottle of water. I dumped the water from the hotel as it stank of sulphur or some such chemical and filled my water bottles with the water I had just bought.
I cycled through Dubosevica, Topolje, Gajic and Batina. I had to stop and get directions several times especially at Batina. Apparently my GPS maps of Europe did not include Croatia!!! The road from Batina to Majevac/Suza was especially difficult to find. It was barred to traffic because it was being resurfaced with asphalt and the Ruta Dunav sign was hidden behind some trucks. I tried 2 other directions before coming back to the 5 way intersection and spotting the sign for Suza. The trucks had moved on. The road had only been paved for about the 1st km the rest of the 7 kms or so were pretty rough gravel that had been passed over by a grader and was being prepped for paving. After that he rest of the route to Osijek was well paved and I was able to arrive at 3:00 after a short stop at an ATM to get some local currency, the Kuna. I'm a bit shaky when it comes to math. I checked my guide and it said 1 Euro = 7.2 KN. I figured I only needed enough KN for 2 days so got 3,000 KN. Later I realized I had gotten around 400 E worth of KN. Me and my lousy math skills. I had a feeling I was going to be stuck with a lot of KN!!!
On the way in to Osijek, which is quite a big city, there were several signs pointing to various 4, 3 and 2 star hotels. I'll be damned if I could find any of them. I ended up at the main train station where a taxi driver noticed I looked a bit lost. When he offered to help I told him I was looking for an hotel. He said he had a room to rent for 240 KN I think with W/C and shower. No b'fast. Maybe Internet. He would have to check with his son. He said it was 900 M from the main cathedral. I agreed to go and have a look. I had a little trouble keeping up to him even though he said he would go slowly in his taxi. It was several kms before we arrived at a nice house in a quiet street. It was a very nice apartment but a bit of a hike from restaurants, etc and after checking with his son no Internet. I decided to look for an hotel.
On the way I had spotted a hotel so retraced my steps. It was a 3 star at 45 E/night with b'fast but no Internet. I decided to try elsewhere. I eventually found the Waldinger a 4 star hotel at 105 E. with b'fast and Wi-Fi. The desk clerk spoke both English and German fluently. I decided to check in in spite of the high cost of the room. the clerk helped me carry my two heavy rear panniers up to my room on the 1st floor after securing my bike in a storage room for the night.
I went down to the bar for a local beer (bottled). A draught beer would have been nicer I'm sure. I started filling in my journal. Went back up to my room and did my laundry. Showered and went out for dinner after checking Wi-Fi. It was OK. I walked towards the cathedral in the main square and found a shop where I was able to buy a note pad and scotch tape. There wasn't enough space in my journal for all my notes and I was having to add pages which were starting to fall out all over the place. I had dinner at McDs, walked back to the hotel and typed up Day 40 of my blog. Finished filling in my journal for the day and was off to bed at 9:30
Cheers, Roly

This blog was posted at the Hotel Dunav in Ilok, Croatia, on Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Day 41 - Europe 2011

2011-07-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

Day 41 - Monday, July 4, 2011 - Kalocsa, HU to Mohacs, HU - Trip 90.05 kms Time 5:03:55

It was a quiet night and I managed to get a decent night's sleep. I was up at 7:00, packed and ready to leave by 8:00. There was no restaurant in the hotel so no b'fast. I needed to get more Forints so I went to the bank ATM next door to the hotel. The ATM refused to accept my debit card. The security guard called a young lady to come over and assist me but even after rubbing the magnetic stripe on her shirt and rubbing the chip with her magic thumb even she couldn't get it to work. I went across the street to the ERSTE Bank and had no problem making a withdrawal. Next, I had to find a restaurant or cafe where I could get something to eat. The cafe next door to the hotel only served coffee and ice cream. I cycled a bit further and found Hotel 52 (where I should have stayed). It had a bakery next to it. I went in and got an orange juice, apple strudel pastry and a small pizza which was still quite warm. I sat outside on the steps and ate the strudel and drank the orange juice. I saved the pizza for later.
I left for Batya at 8:45. I followed Hwy 51 to Fajsz, Dusnok and Baja. Once again I got sucked in by the guide book which said there was a lovely 12 km, nicely paved, very smooth section along the Danube from Szeremle to Dunafalva after a 2 km stretch of gravel. It turned out to be more like 7-8 kms of gravel. The paved section was boring as hell with one exception. I passed a guy walking with his German Shepherd dog. The dog had his own set of saddle bags on it's back. I'm pretty sure it's the same guy and dog I passed on July 1st. I had my Canada jersey on. I remember him calling out CANADA! July 1st I was on my way to Budapest. How is it I passed him again? He must have hitched a ride!
At the end of the paved section it was gravel again for 12 kms to Mohacs. No way I was going to ride 12 kms of gravel. I got my map of Hungary out and was able to figure out an alternative route via Szabadsagpuszta and Sarhat to get to Mohacs. It was a nice quiet paved back road but my GPS again wanted to take all sorts of "bunny trails", etc. I then realized it was having trouble finding a way to Mohacs because it was on the other side of the Danube and there was no bridge, just a ferry! I stopped at a roadside cafe for a cold drink. I got quite a few stares from the locals who had never seen such an outfit as I was wearing and a helmet with a mirror stuck on it to top it all off.
I arrived at the ferry just as the cars were going on so I just rode right on to the ferry also. A guy came over and asked for my ticket. I got some money out to pay but he refused to take it. He motioned back to a kiosk where I was supposed to get a ticket before getting on the ferry! I think I mumbled a bad word and was about to get off and go get a ticket when he said OK, never mind. The other guy was closing the barriers and the ferry was setting off. I got a free ride!
There was a nice hotel at the ferry landing. I went in to ask for a room. It was 11,000 Ft or 41 E including b'fast and Internet in the room. I checked in at 3:30. I set up the Notebook and was able to get a connection OK. I chatted with MJ (my sister) in Oakville on Windows Messenger. Doris (my sister in Burlington) also left me a message but I was having a nap after having done my laundry. Earlier I had opened a window to get some fresh air and a damn fly got in! It kept buzzing me and all my attempts to flatten it were futile.
I went out for a walk looking for a book shop to buy a map(s) for Croatia, Serbia and Romania. The shops were all closed after 6:00. I had dinner at a Chinese Fast Food Restaurant. I had to wait for fresh food to come out as it was buffet style. I had stir fried noodles with vegetables and chicken chili. It was very good and very reasonably priced.
On the way back to the hotel I stopped at an ice cream shop for a treat. There sure are a lot of ice cream cafes in Hungary. They do like their ice cream. I went up to the 4th floor hotel restaurant. It had quite a view of the Danube and the Mohacs city rooftops. I took some pics. Back in my room I typed up Day 39 of my blog while taking the occasional swat at that damn pesky fly. I think I got it after the 3rd or 4th swat. He kept coming back and landing on the same spot! and pushing his luck.
Cheers, Roly

This blog was posted at the Hotel Danuv in Ilsok, Croatia, on Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Day 40 - Europe 2011

2011-07-05T10:24:00.001-07:00

Day 40 - Sunday, July 3, 2011 - Rackeve to Kalocsa - Trip 85.68 kms Time 4:40:58

After a pretty good night's sleep I got up at 7:00 and while waiting for b'fast did some packing. At 7:50 there was a knock on my door. Madame had brought me my b'fast on a tray. There was a hot sweet drink which could have been some sort of herbal tea with sugar added. Very strong coffee with cream and sugar and 2 biscuits. Two toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and the obligatory white paprika. After b'fast I finished packing, tried to get a receipt but there was a language problem. I left for Domsod at 8:43. Crossed over the bridge again and took the 51 south. Before setting off I set my GPS for Domsod and made a note of the distance i.e. 8.34 kms. By the time I reached Domsod I had done 13 kms and that's not counting several bunny trails that my GPS wanted to take! I of course ignored it and took the most direct and smoothly paved route.
I passed by Tass and kept on the 51 to Szalkszentmarton, Dunavecse, Apostag, Dunaegyhaza, Solt and Harta where I stopped for lunch. There was not much in the way of scenery. Just the usual farm fields of corn, wheat, sunflowers, some orchards i.e. apples, appricots, etc. I actually saw a few farmers working in the fields, one plowing, one trying to fix a wheat combine, etc. I stopped at a garage on the way to Harta and was able to buy a map of Hungary which I probably won't need as tomorrow I hope to be in Croatia. I paid 1070 Ft for it!
After going into a cafe, buying a cold drink and making a pit stop I found a park bench in the shade in a small park. I made myself a cheese and ham brotchen (instead of ham and cheese for a change) for lunch.
While I was eating an apple a young mother and her 10-12 year old son arrived on their bikes loaded down with camping gear. They were also stopping for lunch. I invited them to join me as I had the only bench in the shade. They were quite happy to do so to get out of the hot sun for awhile. They were on their way to a nearby lake to so some camping. I told them about my trip. They were suitably impressed. The mother spoke very good English.
I left at 1:00 to continue on to Dunapataj and arrived in Kalocsa at 2:00. The guide book also mentions that this is the world's biggest paprika growing area and that in the fall when the paprika is ripe and ready to be picked the fields are on fire. I would love to have seen that. I'm sure it would have been quite spectacular.
I had now cycled 80+ kms against a fairly strong headwind all day and my legs were feeling a bit tired especially after yesterday's discouraging marathon. I asked for directions to an hotel and was told to get off the 51 and go into the Centrum. I found the Hotel Kalocsa, which was a wellness hotel, but it was full. I noticed it had a "Wi-Fi Zone" cafe. I asked for directions to any other nearby hotels and was told to go a bit further along the main street where I would find 2 pensions. I stopped at the 1st one. It was 4800Ft/night. No b'fast. No Internet. Nevertheless, I checked in. Once I was in my room I checked for an "unprotected" router and on 2nd attempt was able to check my e-mail and send a short situation report to kids, etc. Did some laundry and lay down for a nap. The Wi-Fi connection was to shaky to attempt typing up my blog. I went out with my Notebook and checked around the hotel for an Internet cafe but ended up walking back to the Hotel Kalocsa cafe. I bought a Nestea and was able to log on to the Internet and type up Day 38 of my blog. I also got a reply from Doris so I now knew that my earlier e-mail had gotten through. I then looked for a place to have dinner. I had to settle for a pizza/gyros place across from my Hotel Piros Arany. I had a nice cold beer with my cheese and pepperoni (two very hot string bean like chili peppers!) sitting on top of a plain cheese pizza. When will I ever learn that "pepperoni" in Europe has a totally different meaning than in North America!!! I returned to the hotel and finished writting my journal for the day. I checked on my bike on my way up to my room. It was still locked up in the inner court yard at the back of the hotel. Oh and BTW did I mention it was raining again - just a light shower, but....
I hope to make it to the Hungarian/Croatian border tomorrow or to Mohacs which is not far from the border crossing.
Cheers, Roly

This blog was posted at the Hotel Waldinger in Osijek, Croatia, on Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Day 39 - Europe 2011

2011-07-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Day 39 - Saturday, July 2, 2011 - Budapest to Rackeve - Trip 114.57 kms Time 6:49:53

I was up at 6:30 and since b'fast wasn't until 8:00 I decided to do some work on my bike. I needed to rotate the tires since the rear tire tends to wear quicker than the front one because of the extra weight on the back wheel. They both looked about the same to me. No cuts in spite of all the rough gravel paths I had cycled over. I also took time to clean the rims and discovered that there were some stress cracks on the rear rim at one of the spoke holes. After reading about how difficult the Phase 4 ride was going to be I am somewhat concerned about whether or not to take a chance with my rear rim and skinny tires. There is also the problem of finding hotels, restaurants and safety is a big issue.
When I got up there was no electricity. After rotating the tires I went back to my room and had a luke warm shower. I would have thought the hot water would have been heated by gas and not electricity! I went down to the restaurant for b'fast at 8:00. There were no lights and no one around. There was food and juice set out so I helped myself. A waiter showed up and was surprised to see me. He brought me some coffee that was thick as mud and cold. I couldn't drink it. There was no power.
Went back to my room and finished packing. Checked out and paid 40.60 E for the room. I had to pay with a 100 E note and thought I would get my change back in Forints. I asked for my change in Euros and surprisingly the desk clerk didn't make a fuss.
I left for Tokol after getting directions on how to get out of Budapest. The guide book recommended taking the train, which was a 90 minute ride, to avoid heavy traffic when leaving Budapest. Actually, it was quite simple since traffic was light because it was Saturday and I was at the South Eastern side of Budapest already. I passed through Szigletujfalu on my way to Rackeve where I stopped at a Tesco for groceries. I bought ham, cheese, brotchen, some fruit, chocolate milk, etc. I found a quiet spot near the river and fixed myself a sandwich for lunch.
It was threatening to rain so I stopped at a bus shelter on the way out of town to put my rain covers on. It turned out to be only a passing shower. I cycled on to Szigetbecse and Makad. I had trouble figuring out how to get on the cycle path that runs along the dyke besides the Little Danube. I went up and down every which way and finally on the 3rd attempt I stopped to ask a local, who was also checking his BlackBerry GPS, for directions. He wasn't sure so he suggested asking at a nearby local house. A lady came out and assured me that I could cross the river with my bike at the dam. I went back down the same pot hole bumpy road again and followed the path along the river dike. It was a bit smoother once I got on the dike. There were a lot of people camping and fishing along this stretch of the river which went on for 6-7 kms. I was heading for Tass then Dunaujvaros where I planned to spend the night. Once I crossed over the dam I stopped to ask some young people for directions to Dunaujvaros. They pointed me in the general direction and assured me that the route was well marked with Danube 6 signs. Unfortunately these signs don't tell you in which direciton you are going! Somehow I managed to turn the wrong way and ended up in Domsod. I had followed the Route 6 signs but in the wrong direction! It was taking forever to get to Dunaujvaros so I again asked for directions. The guy got his BlackBerry GPS out and showed me I was headed back towards Rackeve only on the opposite side of the river! That was very discouraging news! By this time it was going on 4:00 and I had done almost 100 kms. I had to go back to Rackeve as it was the nearest place where I was most likely to find a place to stay and something to eat. The path along the river was gravel and very bumpy. I was not in a very pleasant mood.
Eventually I was able to get off the terrible gravel road and onto Hwy 51. But my GPS kept wanting me to turn right to go to Hwy 51? Once I did and it started out as a nice paved road for about 1 km then it went over a canal turned left and became a farm field road. Two dogs came after me. I made a U-turn, stopped to talk to a local fisherman, who assured me the way to Rackeve was back the way I had just come from. As I was approaching the turn off for Rackeve I saw a sign for Oasiz Motel. It took me a while to find it. It was like Fort Knox. Someone came out to the 8 foot high steel gate and let me in. I could have a room for 3,500 Ft or 14 E/night. I asked to see the room. It had a bunk bed, a double bed and 2 single beds all in one room. W/C and shower(s) were across the hall. B'fast was another 500 Ft. It was now going on 6:00 and I was to tired to go looking for anything else. I checked in and paid in Forints. I ordered b'fast for 8:00 since tomorrow was Sunday. After putting my panniers in my room called "Anna" I cycled back into town to have dinner at a local restaurant recommended by the manageress. It was 6:30.
It turned out to be quite good. A bit of a western style restaurant. I ordered a cheeseburger with fries. The burger came topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato and fried onions. The bun was a little over toasted but otherwise it was very tasty. In order to cheer myself up I decided to splurge on dessert and ordered the Profiterole, which I had seen another customer enjoying. It was over the top but like the customer said "I could cycle it off tomorrow".
I cycled back to my Motel, brought my bike inside my room, and filled in my journal for the day. I read up on the following day's route and decided one of my main priorities would be to get a map of Hungary so I don't end up getting lost, hopefully not, again.
Cheers, Roly

Posted at the Szent Janos Hotell, Mohacs, Hungary, Monday, July 4, 2011

Day 38 - Europe 2011

2011-07-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Day 38 - Friday, July 1, 2011 - Moca, SK to Budapest, HU - Trip 114.94 kms Time 6:28:37

My bed was very uncomfortable and because of cramps in my lower legs I slept quite poorly. I was up at 6:30 and went down for b'fast at 7:00. No one else about except for the cook. After saying good morning in Slovak I signed that I wanted my eggs scrambled. He just grinned and nodded his head. There was a salad, bread, orange juice and butter already on the table. Madame brought me a tall glass mug of hot water so I could make some tea. She then brought a plate of ham and eggs (3) all sunny side up and runny! I sent them back and said I wanted them well cooked. There was some discussion in the kitchen and eventually the cook brought my ham and eggs back. They were still sunny side up but not quite so runny. The bread was very nice and fresh. I made myself a ham and egg sanny for latger. I went back to my room and finished packing.
I left for Budapest at 8:00. It was quite chilly, overcast and a light rain was falling. I put on my rain gear and covered my panniers. I was able to stay on the road most of the way. Traffic was very light. I cycled from Moca to Kravany to Muzla to Sturovo and crossed over the Danube at Esztergom. Before crossing over to Esztergom I stopped at a gas station hoping to buy a map of Romania and Turkey. There were none available. I ended up buying a Nestea and a submarine sandwich. I forgot I had a ham and egg sanny!
At Esztergom I took a photo of the basilica which is the largest church in Hungary and "dominates the views from the countryside". Once I crossed over the Danube bridge I was back in Hungary again. The road ran along beside the river and I passed through Pilismarof, Domos, Visegrad, Tahitotfallu, Szentendre (where I stopped for lunch and 2 Canadians passed me. I noticed the guy was wearing a CANADA jersey as was I. I caught up to them when they stopped to fix something. I wished them a Happy Canada Day and said I would see them in Budapest.) They caught up to me and passed me as we were approaching the outskirts of Budapest. They wished me a Happy Canada Day and kept on going. They were going much faster than I was. The road into Budapest was quite busy. I spotted a sign for the bike route. It said it was 18 kms to Budapest. It was a lovely paved, smooth path. I cycled along the Danube for 2 kms and came to a fork in the path but it was going to some town I didn't recognize. About 100 M further I came to a T-junction. I chose to go right. I stopped after another 100 M to ask a pedestrian if I was going in the right direction for Budapest. He spoke a little English and pointed back in the direction I had just come from. About 20 feet away there was a sign pointing to Budapest and it was now 20 kms! Of course I didn't see it until I had turned around. I reluctantly cycled back the same way I had just come. When I got back to the main road I checked the sign again and realized I had misread it. The correct path was 20 M further and it was a gravel path. I decided I'd had enough of the cycle path and would take my chances on the main road. But first I had to get on it. It was 6 lanes wide, 3 in each direction. There was a lull in the traffic and I was able to scoot across. I was only able to go about 2 kms as the traffic became quite heavy and several motorists had honked at me. I saw there was a path along the road so I crossed a culvert to get on it and continued on my way.
The path wasn't in the best of shape but it was safer and the honking horns had stopped. I came to a sign that indicated a left turn and 8 more kms to Budapest. I made the turn unto a quiet residential street. I stopped to set my GPS for a hostel that was listed in my guide. The GPS said it was 8 or so kms. I set off going through side streets for quite a ways until I had to cross the bridge over the Danube. It was huge. I saw a 4 star hotel so went over to check it out. It was 100 E/night. A bit out of my league. I found a way over the bridge and was at the street for the hostel but couldn't find it. There was a Wellness Hotel but it also looked quite expensive. I asked a taxi driver for directions to the hostel. He dialed the number listed in the guide and it was no longer in service. I asked if he knew of any cheap hotels nearby. I showed him the listing for Anna Hotel, a category III hotel, but he didn't know where it was. He called the hotel and booked a room for me at 41 E/night including b'fast. I put the address in my GPS which said it was about 5 kms away. I had to go back over the bridge.
I eventually found the Hotel Anna. It was more like 10 kms by the time I got there. When I checked in the desk clerk remembered that the taxi driver had called to reserve a room for me. It was a nice room on the 1st floor plus Wi-Fi in the bar. I went down to the bar with my Notebook, got an excellent connection at 54 Mbs but could not access any websites? I tried the hotel PC and was able to check my e-mail, etc using FireFox. IE would not work on my Notebook? No beer! Just pop.
I went back up to my room and did some laundry, had a shower and went out for dinner. I walked for several blocks to an area recommended by the receptionist. I found a nice quiet International restaurant and had Dijon chicken breast with wild rice and a glass of Portuguese red wine. It was very delicious. The exchange rate on my Euros was not so good though @ 245/1 Euro.
I walked back to the hotel. On the way I stopped at a corner store and bought some bananas, pop and a chocolate bar. Once back at the hotel I was able to go on their PC and once the desk clerk turned on the lights I was able to type up Day 37 of my blog. Did some reading of Book 4 (final guide in the 4 Danube guide book series). It sounded pretty scary. Off to bed 11:30.

This blog was posted from a Wi-Fi cafe at the Kalocsa Hotel on Sunday, July 3rd
Cheers, Roly

Day 37 - Europe 2011

2011-07-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

Day 37 - Thursday, June 30, 2011 - Gyor to Moca, SK

I arrived in Budapest today, July 1st, but wasn´t able to get my Notebook to work on the Internet so I´m using the Hotel Anna PC which has a very weird keyboard so please bear with me.
I had a very quiet restful night except for the stale smell of cigarette smoke. I was up at 6:40 and after a quick shower, a bit of packing went down to breakfast at 7:15. There were a few other guest already in the restaurant. I had cereal with a banana, yogurt, tea with milk and sugar, brotchen with butter and jam. I took a packaged croissant filled with jam and a package of cheese for later. As I was checking out I asked the receptionist if he knew where I could get some lead for my mechanical pencil. He pulled out a packet and offered it to me. I helped myself to a piece of lead which was the right size. I paid 43 E (40 for my room and 3 for beer and ice cream).
I set off for Györszentivan at 8:45. Once I reached G. I set my GPS for Böny. The GPS wanted me to turn right then left, etc. I ignored it and kept going straight, heading East all the time, and ended up in Nagysyentjános where I saw a sign indicating a right turn for Böny. I followed the highway directions and arrived in Bóny after cycling 35 kms at 11:00. As I was looking for directions to Komarom I heard someone shout CANADA. It was the California couple I had met yesterday having a break. I went over and joined them. They had followed the guide book route but found it quite rough and poorly marked. I had an apple. They went into the co-op to do some shopping while I figured out which way to go next. I left my card on one of their bikes and headed for Bana, Babolna, Acs and Komarom. They were going to take the route to Nagysyentjános, the way I had just come from. I then realized I hadn´t needed to go to Böny, I could have continued directly on to Acs. Gave myself a smack on the forehead!!!
On the way to Acs it started raining so I stopped and put my rain covers on, etc. It turned out to be just a 20 minute light shower. I stopped in Acs and checked out a co-op store for something to eat. I ended up just getting a Nestea cold drink and ate my croissant and piece of cheese.
By this time it had stopped raining, the sun came out and the humidity went up. I cycled on to Komárom arriving at 1:30. I checked my Danube bike guide and decided to take the left side (North side) of the river to go on to Budapest. I crossed over to Komárno which is in Slovakia and continued on to Iza. Just before crossing the bridge near Tehelna I came upon a nice restaurant. I stopped for a break and had a bowl of cream of brocolli soup and a small Nestea. It cost 957 Ft. I continued on to Iza hoping to find a hotel. I gave the Roman ruins at Kelemantia a miss as I didn´t want to cycle on gravel and besides I´ve seen several other Roman forts in Germany and England. On the way to Patince I passed a ˝Zimmer Frei˝ sign. I had to go off the main road and up a steep hill to check it out but there was nowhere to go for dinner, etc. I continued on to Patince where there was a Wellness Hotel. It was about 1 km off the main road. As it was getting late I decided I should go and check it out. It was in a gated community by a thermal lake and they wanted 85 E/night. I decided to go on and take my chances on finding something in Radvan or Moca.
The sky was getting darker and darker. There was nothing in Radvan. I arrived in Moca at 3:30. It started spitting so I pulled into a petrol station. As I was getting my rain gear on the attendant was going around ˝battening down the hatches˝. I asked him if he knew of a nearby hotel or a pension. He showed me where there was a pension just 100 M down the road. I started for it but had another 20 M or so to go and the storm let loose. I quickly ducked into a bus shelter as I could see there was no shelter at the Pension and waited for the storm to pass. It really came down - just like a monsoon. I had to wait about 15 minutes until there was a lull and walked over to the pension. A room with shower and w/c and breakfast was 27 E or so I thought. There was also a restaurant on the premises but no Internet. I checked in at 4:15. The manageress helped carry my panniers up to my room. Nothing to fancy but it would have to do for the night. Right now as Í sit in the bar having a beer and filling out my journal it is still tipping down.
I managed to stay, relatively speaking, quite dry in spite of all the rain. Right now my bike is still sitting out on the veranda waiting for the rain to let up so I can put it away in the garage for the night. I checked the menu. A 500 cl Zlaty Bazant (local beer) only cost .80 or 1.00 E depending on whether you get the 11% or 12%.
Along the way I noticed several fruit trees, I think they were appricot trees. The fruit was quite ripe and was falling off. I was quite tempted to stop and try some but wasn´t sure what type of fruit it was.
I ordered Fish and Chips with a salad for dinner or so I thought. When the manageress brought out my dinner on a huge platter I just couldn´t believe it. It turned out the dish I ordered was for 2 persons. There were 3 kinds of fish (x2) salad (x2) and enough fries for 2. I could only eat half. I sent the other half back. There was a bit of a discussion about having it for breakfast but I nixed that idea.
In order to avoid any hassles when checking out and paying (I only had 2 100 E notes) I asked to pay for my drinks (2 beers) dinner and room and showed her I only had a 100 E note. This didn´t seem to surprise her at all. She went off and did some calculating after asking me what I wanted for breakfast i.e. ham and eggs, juice, tea, etc. She brought back 2 bills, one for the room 27 E and one for the food and drinks. The total came to 45.55 E. She had the correct change for my 100 E note. That´s when I realized there had been a misunderstanding about breakfast being included. We were dealing in German and her German was worse than mine.
The rain had stopped and I remembered I still had to put my bike in the garage for the night. When I mentioned this to her she pointed out that my bike had been brought inside the Pension and was in the TV viewing area. It was OK to leave it there for the night.
I went up to my room and as I was getting into my jammies for the night I discovered I had a bite on the back of my right thigh!!! I put some anti sting on it. I also noticed the shower was an open floor type and there was only one very thin well worn towel. Oh well, you get what you pay for. I plugged in my GPS to charge it up for tomorrow´s ride to Budapest which should be about 110 kms. Did some reading or as the Dutch couple referred to it ˝some homework˝ to see what I was in store for on the way to Budapest.
Cheers, Roly

Day 36 - Europe 2011

2011-06-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

Day 36 - Wednesday, June 29, 2011 - Rusovce to Gyor, etc - Trip 113.06 Time 6:07:33

Add Hungary to the list of countries that I've cycled through. Today after checking out I left for Cunovo, SK - Rajka, Hungary and was there in the blink of an eye. But first let me tell you about b'fast at a 4 star hotel in Rusovce, Slovakia. I went down for b'fast at 7:20 AM. There were just 2 other guest in the restaurant. B'fast was a-la-carte so no chance to make a sandwich or whatever for lunch later. I ordered orange juice, scrambled eggs with crispy bacon, toast and hot chocolate. The OJ was freshly squeezed, the hot chocolate was so sweet and thick you could almost stand a spoon up in it and they had two more packets of sugar with it in case you didn't find it sweet enough. The crispy bacon was not so crispy and the scrambled eggs were sunny side up and a bit on the runny side. Eggs and bacon were fried up together. Oh and the toast were OK but no butter. Ketchup, which I had to order, came in a cream server. The bacon and eggs also came with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red, yellow and green peppers.
After b'fast I returned to my room to finish packing. I realized I had forgoten my blue bandanna in room 106 when I moved over to 108. I went down to the reception and asked if I could get back into room 106 to get my bandanna. The receptionist called the cleaning staff on her walkie-talkie and asked them to let me into room 106. My bandanna was still hanging up on the shower stall where I had left it to dry. I paid 60 E plus a tax of 1.65 E when I checked out. The receptionist was curious and wanted to know what I was doing in Rusovce, Slovakia. I told her I was on a cycling tour that had started in Amsterdam on May 26th and that I was going to Istanbul. she almost fainted.
Once I got out of the hotel lobby it was quite cool due to a nice breeze. I set off for Cunovo at 8:45 AM. It was a lovely morning. The sun was shinning and I had a tailwind. I arrived at the border crossing at 9:00 AM. It was like a ghost town, broken windows, tattered, torn curtains flapping in the breeze. Not a soul in site. I stopped to take some photos. I continued on to Bezenye and wanted to stay on the 150 to Haliszi but there was a "no bicycles allowed" sign. I was able to cycle on a path beside the road that was not in the best of shape and which was covered by 2 or 3 day old mown hay. This was quite dangerous as it was slippery and covered some of the more severe bumps. After about 3-4 kms of that nonsense I got off the path and rode on the highway. It really wasn't all that busy, as a matter of fact there was hardly any traffic at all!
I arrived safely in Halaszi and continued on to Arak, Darnozseli, Hedervar, Asvanyrar, Dunaszeg and eventually Gyor where I stopped for lunch at the main town square. On the way I saw a couple of huge fields of sunflowers. They were all facing East towards the sun. I also saw some farmers harvesting wheat and bailing the left over straw. Some of the wheat fields had been severely affected by the high winds yesterday. Also, on the way, I had stopped for a break at 11:00 AM. An American couple from California, who saw my Canada jersey, stopped to say hello and have a chat in English. They had bought used bicycles on arrival in Germany and had cycled from Passau and were on their way to Budapest. They were only cytcling 30-40 kms/day so I wished them a safe ride and went on ahead.
For lunch I had 2 small Cola Light and a bowl of chicken vegetable noodle soup which came to 1290 Ft or 5.16 E. I paid in Euros 5.20. After leaving Gyor I set my GPS for Nagyhegy or Szolohegy. I can't remember which now. In any case I ended up getting thoroughly lost and ended up in G......... which wasn't on my Danube guide maps. I had to back track several times after resetting my GPS for Bony. At one point my GPS told me to turn right onto a nicely paved road which became a badly paved road, which became a very loose gravel road, which became a muddy, loose dirt road. I was slippping and slidding all over the place. I almost fell over several times. I made it back to the main highway OK. I wanted to go right but the GPS wanted me to go straight ahead. I ended up in G........ again. I tried a different direction but that came to a dirt/gravel road that went into a forest so I made another U-turn. Eventually I ended up back in Gyor! It started tipping down. It was 4:00 PM and I had now cycled over 100 kms. I saw a sporting goods store and was able to pull right in to the front entrace to get out of the rain. I put my rain gear on and set my GPS for the nearest hotel which was 3.5 kms away. It started pouring again. The hotel turned out to be fully booked. The receptionist told me there was a Pension not far away but her direction were rather vague and I couldn't find it. I tried the next hotel listed in my GPS. It turned out to be a 3 star hotel at 40 E with b'fast and Wi-Fi included. The receptionist showed me where I could store my bike for the night and helped carry my panniers up to my room on the 2nd floor. He was quite out of breath by the time we reached my room. He had taken the 2 heaviest bags.
I checked out the Internet and was able to log on without any problems. I went downstairs to the bar and had a nice cold beer and filled in my journal. Before going out for dinner I went back up to my room and had a shower. I walked for about 400-500 M and found a nice restaurant which I thought looked a bit pricey but I wasn't in the mood for any more walking. It was a huge restaurant with room for about 200 people but there were only a handful of customers. I ordered "Gordon Bleu" with a salad and a 1/2 L of white wine. When my food arrived I couldn't believe the size of the snitzel. It was enough to feed two people and still have some left over. I ate the whole damn thing. My next suprise was when I got the bill. I expected to pay over 15 E. The bill came to 10 E. or 2540 Ft at 250/Euro. When I got back to the hotel I checked the exchange rate on the Internet and it is 267/Euro so I guess I got a pretty good deal.
Well it's getting a late and I have to try and find Bony again tomorrow.
Cheers, Roly

Day 35 - Europe 2011

2011-06-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Day 35 - Tuesday, June 28, 2011 - Vienna to Rusovce, SK - Trip 94.25 kms Time 5:26:30

Well that now makes it 6 countries I've cycled through since beginning my Europe 2011 cycling tour i.e. Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, (Germany again), Austria and now Slovakia.
I woke up several times during the night. Once to close my door as it was banging in the breeze. I guess I was anxious about not oversleeping and making Martin late for work. I got up at 6:30. Martin was having his shower so I had a bowl of cereal and a banana for b'fast. After showering I finished packing, made myself a cheese and turkey breast sandwich since Martin insisted I have something to take with me for lunch. He then helped me carry my panniers down to the bicycle storage room. I loaded my panniers on my bike, thanked Martin for his wonderful hospitality and set off for Bratislava at 7:40 AM.
That is the earliest I've ever started cycling on this trip. But in the end it turned out to be a good thing as I avoided most of the morning rush hour traffic and was able to get on the Danube bike trail without to much difficulty. Also, the maps Martin had printed off for me the previous evening proved to be very helpful as I did miss a couple of turns, the sort of keep right or keep left turns.
I had come to the traffic ring where I had to get on the Hauptallee but wasn't sure how to go about negotiating the twist and turns. I had to stop at a traffic light and a nice young lady pulled up beside me on her bike on her way to work. I asked her if she knew where Hauptallee was. She said she was headed in that direction and to just follow her. Hauptallee was a very long and quite wide stretch of road that went on for about 5 kms. No cars, no motorcycles, no mobilettes, just bicycles, joggers, people walking their dogs, etc. As I was cycling along I noticed a convertible car coming towards me with a camera on the front of it. They were filming a guy riding down the Hauptallee riding his bicycle. I had my camera ready so I took a picture of them. I may end up in their movie so watch for me in my Viannese cameo role coming to a theatre in your neighbourhood soon.
I missed the turn at the bridge and had to backtrack about 1 km. Ran into the film crew again. This time the director was waving at me to get out of the way. I totally ignored him.
I found the path leading along the Praterbrucke and crossed the canal. It was quite an impressive view from up on the bridge. Got in trouble for not keeping to the right!!! as I was to busy gawking at the spectacular view of Vienna off in the distance.
Once I got across the bridge I headed for Lobau but ended up at the entrance to a National Park. There was a map at the entrance to the park and it showed a path that zig zagged all over the place. I wasn't up for that kind of an early morning ride so I backed out of there and set my GPS for Schonau. I ended up on the B3 going through Wittau, Probstdorf, Mannsdorf and Orth a. d. Donau. Which was OK because I needed to find a bank so I could get some Euros which I was able to do in Orth. From there I was able to get on the bicycle route again. It was a long stretch, very flat, isolated and rough pebbly cement. It went on forever, I thought it would never end. Eventually I arrived in Hainburg at noon. I had covered 60 kms by this time. I found a bit of shade by a warehouse along the road and had my lunch. The wind was really starting to pick up. I thought it was going to knock my bike over it was blowing so hard.
I set off for Bratislava at 12:30. It was only 10-11 kms away and arrived at 1:00 PM. Bratislava is a very large city, pop. 427,000 plus. I decided it was to early to stop cycling so gave it a miss and continued on to Rusovce. Crossing over from Austria to Slovakia there was no border crossing, no customs, just rolled right on through.
I couldn't find the cycle route so ended up cycling on a fairly quiet road. I arrived in Rusovce at 2:00 PM. I stopped at a Pension. They didn't speak any English or French, just a bit of German and Russian. It was 30 E for a room. Not to sure about b'fast and surely no Wi-Fi. I decided to go on and see if there was any thing else available. I went right through Rusovce and was on my way to the next town when I saw Hotel Ponteo in the middle of nowhere. It was a brand new 4 star hotel in a sub-division that was still under construction. I stopped and went in to check it out. They wanted 89E for a double but I bargained it down to 60E with b'fast and Wi-Fi.
After having my shower and doing my laundry I set up the Notebook on the desk in my room and checked out the Internet. It worked fine. Then I discovered I had little red ants crawling all over the place!!! Why me??? I went down to the reception and told them about the ants. They quickly arranged for me to move across the hall to room 108. So far no more ants.
After cheking my e-mail I lay down for a nap. Somebody started boucing a basketball. Just like the kid across the street back home. Whenever I lay down for a nap in the afternoon he starts boucing that damn basketball. It actually turned out to be a bunch of guys playing volleyball. Then there was the little yappy dog. I got up and went down to the bowling alley, yes a 10-pin 6 lane bowling alley, but that was to noisy (screaming kids, loud music) so I went up to the restaurant and sat out on the patio. Ordered a large beer and filled out my journal and tried to ignore the constant ringing of cellphones.
Later on I had dinner. A nice meal of roast pork (very tender) with horse radish (whipped cream on top of it), vegetables, fried potatoes and onions. All very tasty. Oh yes, and tatziki sauce. The whipped cream really fooled me though. I didn't know there was horse radish hiding under it and took a large dolop to taste it. That's where the tatziki came in real handy to cool things down a bit. It was all very tasty though along with a nice glass of red wine.
Well folks that's all for tonight. I'm off to Gyor or possibly Komarom or Komarno, which is just north of Komarom, tomorrow.
Cheers, Roly

day 34 - Europe 2011

2011-06-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Day 34 - Monday, June 27,2011 - Vienna - No Cycling

I slept OK through the night until they came to empty the bottle bins at 7:00 AM. One for green, one for brown and one for white. What a racket!!!
Martin was up early and left for work at 7:10 while I had a leisurely b'fast, a bowl of cereal with a banana.
I decided I would focus on getting my blog up-to-date so started typing Day 32 of my adventures. I also needed to do another load of laundry i.e. trousers, shirts, T-shirts, etc. Also checked my RBC bank account and noticed that two goverment cheques had been deposited that I was not expecting. One Federal for $237.++ and one Provincial for $100.00. I'm not sure what that's all about - will have to figure it out when I return home.
I was on a roll. Got the laundry hung out on the drying rack and started on Day 33 of my blog. After that was done I checked on directions for getting from Martin's place on Gassergasse to the start of the Danube bike path at Hauptallee. It was a fairly complicated route but between Google Maps, my cycle guide book and Martin's map of Vienna I was able to work out a route.
It was soon lunch time so I decided to go out for a walk to see what I could find. As I turned the corner I discovered there was a grocery store at ground level. I was awfully tempted to go in and see what I could find for lunch but decided I should do a bit of exploring first.
Before setting off I had decided not to put any plasters on my sore toes, just the ointment I had gotten from the Apoteke. It was much better and I was able to walk for several blocks without any discomfort. I found a Restaurant Sarajevo and the pictures of the food on the menu outside looked very tempting. I went in and ordered the Cevapcici (5 pieces of minced lamb in the shape of small sausages), some bread and a salad for 3.50 E. It was 12:25 PM and I was the only customer other than one other guy watching the "Hit Parade" in Slovakian I think? The restaurant was just a bit smoky from the smell of cigarettes but otherwise it was OK.
I walked back to the apartment. Had to be careful where I stepped as they were putting fresh asphalt on the sidewalks. I went into the grocery store to buy a few things, i.e. apples, bananas, snacks, bar of soap, etc. In the wine section I saw a bottle of Bordeaux for 2.69 E. Well, who could resist a bargain like that!!! Groceries ended up costing me 32 E.
I returned to the apartment and did some more work on my blog i.e. uploaded several photos. It was hard work and by 4:30 I needed a nap.
I got up at 5:30 and uncorked the red wine and had myself a nice glass of Bordeaux while reading up on my next day's ride. Martin arrived home at 6:30. He had to go to the grocery store to get some supplies for the office but quickly returned and joined me for a glass of wine.
Martin offered to treat me to dinner and it was up to me to decide where we should go to eat. I chose Italian. Martin knew of a nice Italian restaurant in the neighbourhood within walking distance and since it was a pleasant evening we decided to walk there. It was several blocks but my foot was doing OK. The restaurant featured a large outdoor garden patio with lots of trees and shade. I had a spaghetti bolognaise while Martin chose to have a pizza.
I had discussed the route I planned to take to find the Danube bike trail with Martin and once we got back to the apartment Martin got on the Internet and mapped out the route for me using Google Maps and printed it off on his colour printer. At the time I thought it wasn't really necessary and a waste of paper but...
Since Martin had to leave by 8:00 in order to get to work by 9:00 I needed to make an early morning departure. Did some packing and was off to bed at 11:30.
Cheers, Roly

Day 33 - Europe 2011

2011-06-27T00:53:00.000-07:00

Where I got lost in Vienna. As I was leaving this complex my GPS told me to turn right at the next roundabout. I looked up to see if I could spot the roundabout and the next thing I knew I was boucing down some steps. Thankfully they were very short steps but they sure gave me a scare!!!

Day 33 - Sunday, June 26, 2011 - Klems to Vienna - Trip 98.13 kms Time 5:30:26

I had a good night's sleep for a change. No church bells. No street noise. No leg cramps. Ummm must have been that 1/2 L of white wine that did the trick. I got up at 6:30 AM as I wanted to get an early start for Vienna not knowing what to expect once I got there. Bandaged up my sore toe and went down for b'fast at 7:30 AM. Quite busy in the restaurant. I returned the modem and paid 67 E for my room. Returned to my room and collected my panniers, etc. Loaded them on my bike and set off for Vienna at 8:40 AM.
After finding the cycle path along the Danube I crossed over the bridge and followed the route on the Right Bank (South side) of the river to Hollenburg. I then had to make my way around the power station at Altenworth and on to Zwentendorf, through 4 other small villages, then Tulln. I stopped at a Gasthof on the Danube at Muckendorf for lunch at 11:50 AM. At this point I had managed to cycle 63 kms since leaving Krems. The route was very well signed, paved and no hills all the way. Also there was no one, or hardly anyone else on the route. Not like yesterday. Although after lunch there were more people out cycling, jogging, walking their dogs, etc. I noticed that the houses along this stretch of the river were all 2 level homes probably because of flooding. The main living quarters were above the garage/car port.
I crossed over to the Left Bank (North side) of the river at the Kraftwerk Greifenstein. (After dark you have to use the speaker phone to ask the attendant to open the gate). I arrived on the outskirts of Vienna at 2:00 PM. As I got nearer to Vienna I could hear very loud musiic coming from a park across the river. Later on I was to find out from Martin and Book 3 of the Danube Bike Trail that this was the venue for the "Donauinselfest" the city's annual mega-party. The music (noise) could be heard for miles around. As expected it took me and my GPS 1.5 hours to find Martin's apartment on Gassergasse. I rang the bell but got no answer. Martin had said he might be out as he had to pick up some people at the train station. I went down the street a little ways to the Cafe Poesie and asked the barmaid for help re calling Martin on my cellphone. I couldn't figure out how to do the + sign. Because the cellphone was in French she also has some difficulty but suggested I try 0043... and that worked. I was able to let Martin know that I had arrived and that I was waiting for him at the Cafe Poesie. While waiting I had a beer and started filling in my journal for the day.
Martin arrived at 4:30 PM and we walked back to his apartment. I put my bike away in the ground floor storage room and we took the elevator up to Martin's apartment on the 5th floor. A very nice 2 bedroom apartment. I had a shower and a beer before we went out for dinner.
We took the tram into centretown to the University area and had dinner at a local restaurant which featured a nice patio overlooking a park. I had chicken brochette with rice and tzasiki sauce and 1/4 L of white wine. Afterwards I noticed there was a basket on the table with an assortment of bread rolls and huge pretzels. I shared a pretzel with Martin. When I asked for the bill the waiter added 2 E on for the pretzel!!!
My foot was to sore to go walking about to do any sightseeing so we took the tram back to Martin's apartment. Martin very thoughfully asked if I had any laundry to do which I did. Did a load of laundry and put it on a clothes rack to dry. I was able to check out the Internet after plugging into the router with a CAT 5 cable. No problem making a connection.
Martin had to get up early for work the next day and I was quite tired so it was off to bed at 10:30 PM.
Cheers, Roly

Day 32 - Europe 2011

2011-06-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Stein Tor at Krems

Day 32 - Saturday, June 25, 2011 - Grein to Klems - Trip 83.05 Time 4:32:54

In spite of a nice quiet secluded private house I was up during the night/early morning 4 times because of cramps in my lower legs. I got up at 7:00 AM when I heard the Backerei delivery van arrive with fresh bread, etc. I went down for b'fast at 7:30. I was the only guest, just me and the cat who took off as soon as I entered the room. There were the usual cold meats, cheese, dark bread, brotchen, butter, jam and hot chocolate. I made myself a sandwich for lunch before going back up to my room to finish packing after paying 26 E.
Frau Johanna had changed and was waiting at the door for her son to pick her up at 8:30. I came down at 8:20. She was very pleased to see me and had already gotten my bike out of the garage for me. She was going to the Tyroll for her 36 year old nieces funeral. It started spitting so I put my pannier covers on.
I tried to set my GPS for St. Nikola but it couldn't find it. May have been a spelling problem I think. I set off in the general direction and soon found the Radweg Donau signs indicating Emmersdorf. It was a smooth well paved path along the banks of the Danube through such small towns as Struden, Sarmingstein, Hirschenau, Weins, Persenbeug, Hagsdorf, Marbach, Klein-Pochlarn and Emmersdorf. The scenery went from steep forested banks to farmland and finally the famous Wachau vineyards, Austria's best-known wine producing region.
There were no hills to climb today just weather. Wind and rain!!! Thankfully it was mostly a tailwind and the rain storm only lasted 15 or so minutes. I found shelter under a tree like several other cyclists and was able to keep from getting thoroughly soaked. I stopped for lunch at a town square where I could get a cold drink from an outdoor vending machine. As I sat down on a nice long bench in the shade to eat my sandwich several other people decided to join me including a local lady who was having a smoke break while walking home with a 6L pack of bottled water. She commented on my helmet mirror.
After Emmersdorf I went on to Aggsbachmarkt, Spitz, Weissenkirchen, Durnstein, Stein and arrived at Krems at 2:00 PM. I had now done 80+ kms and decided it was time to start looking for an hotel. The 1st Gasthof I tried was full. I think they don't like single guys on bikes. They prefer couples? I checked out the Hotel Unter den Linden next and it was 67 E/night (double room) with b'fast and free Wi-Fi included. I checked in at 2:30 PM. Also it was getting quite hot. My room was on the 2nd floor. I took the elevator up to the 2nd floor but couldn't find room 217! I left my panniers in the hallway and went back down to the reception to get some help. The receptionist took me back to the elevator and showed me I had to get off at the 1st floor then take the stairs up to the 2nd floor to get to room 217. Go figure!!!
After settling in I went down to the reception again with my Notebook, etc. to check out the Internet. I sat in the bar and ordered a beer. I had no problem with Wi-Fi connection. I was able to type up my blog for Day 30 and call Martin in Vienna using Skype without any interuptions.
I went back up to my room. While paying for my beer the recptionist insisted I take a modem so I could use the Internet in my room. I said I was quite happy to use Wi-Fi in the bar but he insisted. I was thinking it would be a 54 baud modem and slower than molasses in January. The modem came in a little black satchel with 3 cables: 1) Internet cable 2) CAT 5 cable 3) power cable and 3-way outlet adapter and it was a state-of-the-art modem. Once I got it plugged in along with my Notebook I had wires going all over my room!!! But it worked extremely well.
I lay down for a nap before going out for dinner. I got directions at the reception to the Steiner Tor and pedestrian mall where I would find restaurants. As I was going through the Tor I passed a Japanese/Chinese/Thai restaurant. The cooking odors were to much for me to passby. Plus the menu prices were very reasonable. I ordered a 1/2 L of Reisling to go with my meal. It wasn't on the menu. 1/8 L or 1/4 L or 750cl but not 1/2 L. I insisted. The waitress brought me a 1/2 L of white wine in a tall beer glass!!! I kid you not. She even showed me the mark on the glass indicating 500 cl. I then had to ask for a wine glass. She managed to produce a Spitzer glass. I ordered Sushi (6 pieces) with chicken Satay in noodles with vegetables in peanut sauce. It was delicious. Thank goodness I spotted the marble size ball of WASABI!!! and didn't eat the whole lot in one mouthful. I had a bit of a discussion about the peanut sauce. I was expecting something like what you get with a Malaysain satay. I'm guessing the peanut sauce was the oil used for stir frying the noodles, etc. In any case I assured the waitress and manager that it was very tasty since I had eaten the whole thing.
I filled in my journal while enjoying my 1/2 L of Reisling. I walked back to the hotel. Had to use my key to get in main entrance of hotel. The reception was closed. No one about! How do they do it? I went up to my room, typed up Day 31 of my blog and was off to bed at 11:00 PM.
Cheers, Roly

How I was served a 1/2 L of wine in an Asian restaurant in Krems, Austria

Day 31 - Europe 2011

2011-06-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

The view entering Grein, Austria, on the Left Bank

Day 31 - Friday, June 24, 2011 - Linz to Grein - Trip 69.36 kms Time 3:55:13

Had a pretty good night's rest. No church bells after 10:00 PM. No street noise, etc. No cramps. I got up at 7:00 AM and went down for b'fast at 7:30. After b'fast I walked about 200 M to a nearby Apoteke which opened at 8:00. I explained to the pharmacist that I was from Canada and had a nasty blister on my toe. She spoke very good English and asked to have a better look. I was wearing sandals - no socks. She recommended a very dark, molasses like, ointment that would dry up my infection. I also bought some plasters (20) as I had exhausted my first aid kit ones. The ointment and plasters cost 9.95 E. I walked back to the hotel, finished packing, put some ointment on my toe blisters and checked out. I paid 70 E for the hotel.
On the way out of Linz there is only a bike path on the Left Bank (North side of the river). I had to cross over the Nibelungen-Brucke which was directly opposite the hotel. Once across the bridge I turned right and headed for Wien (266 kms) or so the Radweg Donau sign said.
Since I had a late start i.e. 9:30 AM my plans were to cycle 70-80 kms for the day and see where that would get me. In my guide book there is a TIP i.e. "after 2 Ks it is possible to ride up to the embankment and down to the Pleschinser See (Lake) with its beaches, camground, restaurant, NUDIST AREA, etc." Well I kept my eyes wide open but never saw any NUDIST. As a matter of fact there was no one about. Perhaps it was to early or just a tad to cold to be running about in the NUDE!
I passed by Steyregg. To my right was the river and on my left forested hills. Very smooth paved path. At Abwinden I had to leave the Danube and go through St. Georgen then back down to the Danube at Mautthausen where there was a slight deviation to get across the Aist River and on to Au. The terrain now changed to farmland. At Scheigen there was an option of crossing over the Danube and continuing on through Wallsee. I chose to stay on the North side and headed for Mitterkirchen or so I thought. The path was blocked by road works so I had to go back 200 M or so to follow the Umleitung signs. Somehow I ended up in PERG (short for Perguatory I'm sure). I was not using my GPS and Perg was not shown on my bike guide maps. I went into an auto parts store and asked for directions. The parts guy got out a local map and showed me where I was and how to get back on the Donau Weg. I was only 8 kms North of Mitterkirchen where I wanted to be. He let me keep the map. I set my GPS for Mitterkirchen and arrived there at 12:30 PM. I was getting hungry and needed to make a pit stop. I found a Gasthof that was open and had a delicious Goulash with Semmel (brotchen) and tea for 7 E. I think I was over charged as I'm pretty sure the menu said the goulash was 3.60 and not the 4.80 I was charged!
I continued on to Mettensdorf, Mitterhaufen, Dornach and Grein. The stretch of the Danube from Dornach to Grein was especially scenic. By this time I had done 65 kms, it was 2:00 PM and my foot was bothering me a bit. I decided to look for a place to spend the night. I tried 4 or 5 places but they were all fully booked. I went back to the Tourist Info Office and she was able to call a Privat Gasthof and booked a room for me at 26 E with b'fast included.
I didn't think there would be any beer or cold drinks waiting for me at the Privat Zimmer so I stopped at a Backerei to get a cold drink and a sticky bun before setting off to find Bruckner Strasse 19. It was uphill all the way for about 1 km. Just what I needed to finish off my legs for the day. Frau Johanna Hametner was waiting for me at the garden gate. She was very welcoming. We had a nice chat in German about where I was from, where I was going to, how old I was, etc. She told me was 82 and that tomorrow she had to leave early (8:30) to go to her 36 year old niece's funeral. I said that I was sorry for her loss and that it would be no problem for me to get up early and be off before 8:30.
She helped me carry my panniers up to show me my room. It was a room with two single beds. She asked me which bed I wanted to sleep on. I chose the bed on the right. She then covered over the bed that I would not be using with a blanket.
I filled in my journal. It started raining at 4:00 PM. Very steady downpour for 15 minutes then it cleared up again. I lay down for a nap before going out for dinner but a fly kept buzzing me! Then there was a big thunderstorm with lightning. I got up and went downstairs to put my bike in the garage.

The view from my room at Brucknerstrasse 19

Frau Johanna offered me an umbrella for the walk into town so I could go and have dinner. I said no thanks. I had a bit of food with me and would make do.

The rain stopped so I put on my arm and leg warmers, jacket and cycled into town (2.43 kms round trip). I had dinner at a Doner Kebap restaurant which cost 6 E for a Doner Kebab and a large beer. I got all my change (4 E) in .50 & .20 pieces.
I cycled back to my Privat Zimmer which I thought was going to be a lot easier now that I didn't have my heavy panniers to deal with but I still had a tough time getting up that hill!!!
Played some solitaire on the Notebook and watched Pratice 2 of the Spanish Grand Prix before going off to be at 9:30.
Cheers, Roly

Day 30 - Europe 2011

2011-06-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

Leaving Obernzell, Germany,on the ferry.

Day 30 - Thursday, June 23, 2011 - Obernzell to Linz - Trip 79.44 kms Time 4:21:03

I slept fairly well. Maybe it was because of the 2 Paracitemol tablets I took before going to bed. No church bells. No traffic noise. Very quitet. I got up at 7. Did some first aid on my toe and some packing before going down to b'fast at 8:00. I was the first to arrive for b'fast. The Dutch couple then came down and joined me. There was also a German couple. The guy had really bad signs of alcohol abuse. His face and nose were all red and puffed up. There were also an elderly German couple and another Dutch couple who were also cyclists.
I asked for the Dutch couple's names and they wrote them out on a post-it note that I provided. They asked if they could take my photo which they said they would e-mail to me. I had given them my card last night.
After paying 26 E for the night I set off to find the ferry to cross over to the right bank of the Danube. I arrived just as the ferry was pulling away. I called out "Bitteschon" and they allowed me to get on. I paid 2 E for the ferry crossing. Once across I set off for Engelhartszell. The paved cycle path soon ran out and I had to cycle on the road. It turned out to be quite hilly. Two girls passed me - one was wearing a New Zealand jersey. I called out "Canada" but they probably didn't hear me and just kept on going. They weren't carrying any panniers. A third cyclist from the same group caught up to me and said "passing". I asked if he was from NZ. He said he was Australian - that his wife liked to wear the NZ jersey. They were on a supported camping tour from Paris to Istanbul! I said I was also headed for Istanbul but I was doing it the hard way. He also said one of the girls in the group was from Canada. Because of my heavier load and the hills I was never able to catch up to them. We did agree to meet in Istanbul but I doubt if that's ever going to happen. It was nice to know that I was not the only idiot cycling all the way to Istanbul.
I cycled on to Wesenufer and Schlogen where I was able to get on the cycle path along the Danube again. From then on it was paved and flat. some barge traffic on the river. A lot of swans. They make quite a racket when they take off. I stopped for lunch at Aschach. Just a Cola Light and a noodle soup (5.80 E). At Withering I once again had to cycle on the road. Since it was a holiday there was not much traffic and thankfully no lorries.
I arrived in Linz at 2 PM. The first hotel I tried was not open until 3 PM. The 2nd was a 3 star at 70 E including b'fast and Wi-Fi. It had started raining and I needed the Internet so I could use Skype to call Johnson Ins to extend my coverage beyond 40 days.
After checking in I went looking for the bicycle room. I had a bit of trouble finding it as it was located about 100M down a sort of alleyway. It looked like a dungeon with huge black oaken doors all along the cobbled stoned alleyway. I had to carry my panniers up the first flight of stairs to the hotel lobby but from there I was able to take the elevator up to the 4th floor.
I was unable to connect to the Internet in my room. On my way down to the reception to get help I discovered that once I was out in the 4th floor lobby I had a connection. There was a coffee table with very low chairs so I set myself up there and was able to call Johnson using Skype. Of course the Johnson operator gave me a 1-800 number to call. It was in Edmonton which is an 8 hour time difference from Austria. I would have to wait until 5 PM local time to call them. In the meantime I typed up Day 28 of my Blog.
I called Johnson Ins. in Edmonton at 5 PM and was able to speak with an agent who said she would look into extending my coverage. Went back to my room and did my laundry. I lay down for a nap but the damn church bells kept waking me up.
I went down for dinner at 7 PM. It was still raining. I found a nearby Greek restaurant and had a nice Mousaka and a beer for dinner. When the waiter brought my bill he served me a complimentary shot of Ouzo. Wow!!! that stuff is like fire water.
I forgot to mention that while cycling along the Danube I saw a couple who were holding hands while cycling. How romantic is that!!! I went back to my room and typed up day 29 of my blog before going off to bed at 11:00 PM.
Cheers, Roly

Arriving on the Right Bank (South side) of the Danube before setting off for Linz, Austria.

Day 29 - Europe 2011

2011-06-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

A view of Passau from the Schanzlbrucke (I think).

Day 29 - Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - Deggendorf to Obernzell - Trip 74.83 Time 4:18:47

I had a good nights sleep for a change. No church bells. No street noise, well, not until 4:30 AM! I got up at 7:00 and went down for b'fast at 7:30 after doing some first aid on my sore blistered toes. Made myself a ham and cheese brotchen for later plus a large orange. I took my panniers down to the lobby in the elevator then continued on down to the garage to fetch my bike. Several other cyclists were already busy putting their panniers on their bikes. I didn't recognize the language they were speaking. It could have been Scandinavian or Czech? I took my bike up to the lobby in the elevator which was far easier than loading panniers on in the basement garage and then having to push a heavy bike up the steep garage ramp. I paid 45E for room. Put panniers on my bike and set off for Deggenau, Niederalteich, Winzer, Mitterndorf, Hofkirchen, Windorf, Gaishofen, Maierhof, Passau, Lindau, Erlau and Obernzell.
The route, which was paved, followed the Danube up to just before Winzer where I was able to take a short cut. I stopped at 10:30 for a break at a park bench in the shade by a cross. They are all along the route. An elderly German couple joined me. We were able to have a nice chat in German about our cycling and children, etc. They warned me about a bad stretch up ahead. I should have got off the cycle path and gone on the road but I missed my chance. I soon found out that they weren't kidding. A big shovel was busy widening the path. What a mess it was making. Then the path was blocked and it was an "umleitung" over very loose gavel for 300-400 M. I barely made it. It then became nice pavement again with a couple of hard packed gravel stretches. The corn, wheat, etc. fields became more pasture like and there was a lot more barge/boat traffic on the river.
I stopped at a Snell Imbiss on the cycle path for a Cola Light and a bowl of fish soup with brotchen. I went inside to order and was told I could sit at a table on the patio as there was "service". I was told this by a 50 ish year old guy who I thought was a customer. Turns out I was the only customer. While I was having lunch the Aussie couple went by. I waved but they just kept on going. I passed them later on as they were taking a break in a shady spot. She was really feeling the heat!
I arrived in Passau at 1:30 but decided it was to early to stop for the day and much to hot to go sightseeing. That was the end of book 1 of the Danube cycling series. I had to get book 2 out in order to go on. Book 2 is Passau to Vienna so look out Martin here I come.
It recommended taking the left bank route as it was in better shape and flat. In order to get to the left bank I had to back over the busy bridge I had just crossed. Fortunately there is a seperate lane for cyclists. Once I got over the bridge I set off for Obernzell. I arrived at 2:30 and stopped at a gas station for a cold drink and kuchen. I asked about a zimmer frei just on the off chance that she might know of one nearby. She got the phone directory out and called Gasthaus Zum Freishutz and reserved a room for me at 26E including b'fast. No Internet though.
I continued cycling down the main street for about 1 km and found the Gasthaus. I checked in and put my panniers in m y room. I checked the blisters of my right foot toes. They didn't look to bad. It was a very hot day - much to hot to stay in my room. I went down to the garden patio for a beer. I took my watch off to check the temperature. It was 35.8 C in the shade. When I took my watch off it was registering 33 C! I filled out my journal. To hot to do anything else so had another beer.
Two other couples arrived including the Dutch couple at 4:30 and 5:05 PM! It started raining with thunder and lightning. I asked about dinner. I was told "18:00 uhr". I went up to my room, had a shower and did my laundry.
When I went down for dinner the Dutch couple were already in the restaurant. I joined them and we had a nice chat in English. I gave them my card. They didn't introduce themselves. I still don't know their names! I guess I should have asked. While having dinner we were treated to an Umpah Pah band that went marching by in the street. The Dutch couple went out for a walk. My foot was to sore.
Before going up to my room I asked Frau about b'fast. Since tomorrow was a holiday b'fast would be at 8:00. I tried for 7:00. Nein! I tried for 7:30. Nein! She said something about being on her own ... I read the section on cycling from Passau to Linz following the right bank. Early night. Off to bed 9:00!!!
Cheers, Roly

Does anybody know what these strange looking plants are? I saw several patches of the eerie looking things along the route.

Day 28 - Europe 2011

2011-06-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

Day 28 - Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - Regensburg to Deggendorf - Trip 95.03 kms Time 5:35:10

Another terrible night. The church bell kept waking me up every couple of hours. I had to get rid of the duvet as I was to hot - then I was to cold... Went down for b'fast at 7:00. It was quite busy so no chance to make myself something for lunch. I checked out of the hotel at 9:00 but before setting off I had to go to the bank to get more "geld" and also I wanted to go back to the shop where I saw the track suit last night. I eventually found the shop which was just opening for the day. After having a closer look I decided the material was to heavy and the jacket didn't have a full zipper.
I set off for Reinhausen just North of Regensburg in order to get on bike route to Passau. It felt like I was going in the wrong direction for the first couple of Ks but eventually I found the Passau route. It was very well signed and I was able to make it all the way to Deggendorf without getting lost. I passed through Tegernheim and Donaustauf. Saw the WALHALLA modelled on the Parthenon. When I stopped to take a photo with telelens (I'll be damned if I was going to climb all the way up there) a father and his 10-11 year old son arrived on their bikes. They noticed my helmet mirror. The young lad was curious about my mirror so I let him try on my helmet. They were doing a 100K timed ride to practice for an upcoming competition. I continued on to Demling, Bach a. d. Donau, Frengkofen, Kiefenholz (took a shortcut), Oberachdorf, Tiefenthal, Leitenberg, Pondorf (looked for Snell Imbiss but in spite of "Geofnet" sign there was no one about so had a banana and the last of my granolla bars that I had brought with me from home. Then it was on to Pittrich, Kossnach and Straubing. As I was passing through Straubing I saw a McDs so went in for a McFish, etc. It barelly filled that empty hole in my stomach but it would have to do until dinner time.
After lunch I headed for Hornstorf, Reibersdorf, Bogen, Pfelling, Mariaposching (caught up to the Dutch couple, that I had met earlier, who said they cycled from Holland leaving June 7. Madame seemed to be struiggling. They had camping gear but were looking for a Zimmer Frei). I made the mistake of following a bike sign to Metten which turned out to be the wrong direction. I had only gone about 100M or so before turning around and getting on the proper route to Deggendorf. I arrived at 4 ish. I ran into an Aussie couple also looking for an hotel. The first hotel I tried was full. He sent me to the Hotel Stadthotel where I got a room for 45E with b'fast and Internet. The Aussies arrived a bit later I guess they had gone off to check out some other hotel first.
I took off my panniers and left them in the hotel lobby before walking around the back to garage and locking up my bike for the night. I was able to take the elevator up to the 3rd floor with my bags. Showered and did laundry. I discovered I had a nasty blister on my 2nd toe which had been causing me a great deal of discomfort all day long. I drained it and put some Bag Balm on it. I had trouble figuring out where to plug in the CAT5 cable for the Internet so went down to the reception. No one there. I found a young lady in the restaurant and explained my problem to her. She came up to my room with me to show me where to plug in beside the phone jack under the bedside table!!!
I was able to check my e-mail, etc. I sent an e-mail to Jim Rogers asking him if he knew the correct procedure for extending my health coverage beyond the 5 weeks with Johnson Inc. as I was not getting a response to the e-mail I had sent them several days ago.
I went down to the hotel restaurant for dinner. As I entered a waitress said my "Frau" was waiting for me in the "garten". I was stunned. Another waitress came over and said I was the wrong guy!!! I ordered "sweinbratten" (roast pork) which came with a huge dumpling and salad and a cold beer to wash it all down with. I saw the Aussie couple paying their bill but they didn't bother to come over and chat. Just paid their bill and went out.
My foot was to sore to go "walk-about" so I returned to my room and was able to get a couple of days of blogging done.
Cheers, Roly

Day 27 - Europe 2011

2011-06-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Day 27 - Monday, June 20, 2011 - Ingolstadt to Regensburg - Trip 84.55 Time 4:59:12

Had to get up several times during the night because of some leg cramps. Then I was to hot - then a bit to cold. One of these days I'm going to get it just right!!! I got up at 6:45 and went down for b'fast at 7:30. It was quite busy in the restaurant. The b'fast goodies were laid out in the main lobby of the hotel - a bit helter skelter - between two eating areas. I couldn't find the cold cuts or sliced cheese, etc. As I was leaving I noticed they were on the other side of a large island pillar about 10 feet in circumference. I paid 65E when I checked out and collected my bike in the garage passageway where I had left it yesterday. I loaded my panniers on my bike and before setting off asked a delivery man who was picking up some chairs for directions on how to get to the Danube cycle path. He pointed me in the right direction. I found the path, which was just a couple of blocks away, OK but wasn't sure which direction to take for Grossmehring. I asked another fellow for directions to G. First he told me to go West and just as I was about to set off he changed his mind and said it was in the opposite direction which turned out to be correct.
The path was a mixture of hard packed gravel and pavement, mostly flat with some short hills. I passed near or through Vohburg, Dunzing, Wackerstein, Pforring, Wohr, Neustadt, Badgogging, Sittling, Staubing and arrived in Weltenberg at 11:30. This is where the guide book recommended taking the boat to Kelheim otherwise it was a tough climb over the hills along a busy road. There was a boat leaving at 11:45. I paid the 7E fair to see the "spectacular scenery" through the gorge. It was a 20 minute, 7 km boat ride. I must say I was a bit disappointed at the so so scenery. But on the other hand I did give my legs and my butt a bit of a rest.
We arrived in Kelheim at noon so I looked for a place to get some lunch. I found an Asian Snell Imbiss which had quite an extensive menu. But mostly I think it was a pizza take out place. I ordered a "brotchen with kase and schinken". A young Asian girl taking orders asked me how big. Still thinking I was going to get a submarine like sandwich I held my hands apart showing 7-8 inches. I ended up getting a medium sized pizza with tomato sauce, cheese and ham on it. It actually was quite tasty but I could only eat 3 of the 6 slices so I asked for some aluminium foil to wrap up the left over pieces. Eventually she understood what I wanted "allo..." in German and I was able to save my leftover pizza for later. I had also wanted a Cola Light but they only had 1 L bottles of Coke. As I was leaving she offered me a bottle of nice cold sparkling mineral water on the house. I filled up my water bottle and drank as much as I could.
I was able to set off for Herrnsaal at 12:30. The route was hard packed gravel, very rough in some spots. I came upon a group of cyclists all in their 40s. One fellow had fallen off his bike and landed on the gravel path. He had several cuts and bruises. He wasn't wearing a helmet!!! I offered First Aid as I had a kit with me but he refused and thanked me just the same. Apparently his front wheel had collapsed? and jammed and he was catapulted right over the handlebars. His front wheel was so badly damaged he wasn't able to ride his bike. He had to push it along and ride it like a scooter with one foot on a pedal and the other pushing him along. He was able to make it to the boat at Weltenberg and hoped to find a bike shop in Kelheim.
At Kelheimwinzer I crossed over the Danube where the route was paved all the way to Bad Abbach then it was patches of gravel again. I chose to ride on the quiet road until I reached the outskirts of Regensburg at 3:00 PM.
The first hotel I checked wanted 110E for the night but for a single they would only charge me 99E. I said as politely as possible that this was much to expensive for my budget to allow. He suggested I try the Karmeliten across the square. It turned out to be 59E with b'fast and free Wi-Fi in the bar area. I unloaded my panniers and put my bike in the storage room after checking in. The place looks just like what I imagine an abbey or a convent would be like. Upstairs in the hallways all one sees are the doors to the rooms which stick out an inch or two. Not like most other hotels where the doors are either flush or recessed.
After putting my panniers in my room (211A) I went down to the bar to chek out the Wi-Fi. I had no problem logging in - not like the previous hotel in Ingolstadt where I thought I might be having a problem with my Notebook. After checking my e-mail, etc. I went back to my room and did my laundry for the day. I then lay down for a nap before going out for dinner but the damn church bells just wouldn't let up. I found a McDs (it's cheap and quick) and besides I wasn't terribly hungry as I had finished off the leftover pizza earlier. I returned to the hotel after doing some window shopping. I saw a nice track suit that I thought I might go back and check out in AM before setting off for the day. It started raining so not much incentive to enjoy the lovely city of Regensburg. Sorry Tony. Maybe some other time. I was able to sit in the bar and type up Day 26 of my blog while sipping on a beer. There was also another guest with his laptop in the bar otherwise the place was deserted.
Hope tomorrow's ride goes as well as today's did. I didn't get lost once.
Cheers, Roly

Day 26 - Europe 2011

2011-06-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Day 26 - Sunday, June 19, 2011 - Hochstadt to Ingolstadt - Trip 90.14 kms Time 5:03:29

I was up bright and early - the church bells started at 5:00 AM!!! Got up at 7:00 and went down to b'fast at 7:40. The manager was surprised to see me there so early. I said the hotel notes said b'fast on weekends started at 7:30 and I had a lot of kms to pedal. He laughed. I poured myself a bowl of cereal but there was no fresh milk. The manager went off to the kitchen and came back with a big tub of yogurt and one of quark. I chose yogurt to put on my cereal. There was a nice selection of fresh fruit plus all the other usual b'fast goodies. I was able to make myself a ham and cheese brotchen for lunch later and took a hard boiled egg and a portion of pre-wrapped cheese.
Went back to my room and finished packing. Checked out and paid 43 E for my room. I took my panniers down to the garage. The manager helped me. I met three other cyclists who were already getting ready to leave for the day. They were first of all washing the previous days muck off their bikes. I said I would bring mine around in a minute. It was raining so I didn't see the point in washing off my bike it would just get dirty again. I loaded my panniers on my bike and put on my rain covers and my rain jacket. We chatted in German. I was complimented on my German!!! There were 2 guys and one lady in their 60s. The lady had a battery operated bike. I'm not sure where they were headed for. When I asked one of the guys said they were going 50 kms. I said I was heading for Ingolstadt.
Around 9:10 the rain let up so I set off for Blindheim. The rain stopped. It was a nice smooth hwy - no traffic. I passed through Gremheim, Rettingen, Donauworth, Zirgesheim, Altisheim, Graisbach, Marxheim, Bertoldsheim, Rennertshofen, Stepperg, Riedensheim, Neuburg an der Donau, Weichering and Ingolstadt. Along the way I passed a sign which pointed to "Submissionplatz". I wondered if this is where the locals took their dates for an evening of smootching!!! The route was mostly flat and paved with just a few minor hills. I had to get off and push my bike up a very steep short climb for about 200 M. I was climbing at about 5-6 kph when my front wheel hit a 1" thick branch on the path, which was wet and muddy, and caused my front wheel to skid out from under me. I didn't fall - I just had to get off in a hurry!!!
I stopped at Neuberg for lunch. The wind was really picking up and the rain kept drizzling off and on. I was able to find a bit of a shelter with a bench outside of someone's home. There didn't appear to be anyone home as no one came out to chase me off. Thank goodness I had brought a lunch as there were absolutely no shops open it being Sunday a "rutag". I was also fortunate that it was a tailwind all the way which helped make the going a lot easier.
There was not much in the way to photograph. It was mostly rural farming land and as mentioned above the occasional village.
I arrived in Ingolstadt at 2:00 PM with 80 kms on the clock. I decided to start looking for an hotel for the night. The first hotel I checked out was the Hotel Konig, The room was very small at 35E with w/c down the hall. The shower was in the room. I asked about Wi-Fi but the guy was so pissed I couldn't get a straight answer out of him. I decided to go look elsewhere as I didn't feel very comfortable about this place. I tried a few more places i.e. The Adler was 65E with 3E/hour for Wi-Fi, The Kult 95E (4 star). I eventually found the Hotel Domizil at 75E but was able to get it down to 65E with b'fast and Wi-Fi. I checked in at 3:30 PM and stopped the clock at 90.14 kms.
I put my bike away in the garage entrance which was open at both ends. I locked my bike up as well as I could. Carried my panniers up to my room and went back to the bar for a beer and filled out my journal for the day. During the day I had met several cyclists on the Donau Radweg. Two families in particular, one family of four and another of five. The youngest, about 3 years old, was riding on the back of the father's bike. Both families had their bikes fully loaded including camping gear!!! I must have passed them 3 or 4 times as I would have to stop and check my guide book and set my GPS. They just kept rolling along.
The hotel restaurant was closed on Sundays so I had to go out for dinner. The manager recommended a Croatian? restaurant a couple blocks away. He also mentioned a nearby Italian restaurant but I wasn't able to find it. The Hotel was just on the outer edge of the map that he gave me and the route he sketched in was pretty sketchy. I ended up having a nice Hause Special Spaghetti" with a salad and 1/4 L of red wine. The waiter/owner brought me a shot of Croatian snapps? Wow was it ever fruity and strong. I said if I fell off my bike tomorrow it would be his fault. He laughed. There was also a local Bierfest going on at a local park but it was a walk of a couple kms and it was really threatening to rain which it did start to do as I was walking back to the hotel.
I couldn't get the hotel Wi-Fi to work even with the help of the hotel manager and Brian, an American hotel guest, who, I guess, was supposed to be the expert on Wi-Fi connections. The manager let me use the hotel PC to check my e-mail which I did thank him for but I was reluctant to impose myself insofar as doing my blog.
Tomorrow I hope to make it to Regensburg a distance of about 93 kms. The guide also recommends taking the boat from Weltenburg to Kelheim to avoid the difficult climb through the hills and the busy roads. I think I'll give the boat a try as it also promises to be much more scenic going through the gorges on the boat. I just hope the weather cooperates.
Cheers, Roly

Day 25 - Europe 2011

2011-06-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Day 25 - Saturday, June 18, 2011 - Langenau to Hochstadt - Trip 72.84 kms Time 4:21:02

Got up at 7:00 as per usual. Day didn't look very promising as the skies were very overcast. Went down for b'fast at 7:30. No one else around except for the waiter. I did see a family of 3 heading back to their room after having had their b'fast. I was able to make myself a ham and cheese sandwich for later along with a pre-wrapped portion of Brie an apple and a hard boiled egg. Returned to my room and finished packing my panniers. The baggage cart I had used earlier was still in the hallway so I loaded my bags onto it and took them down to the lobby. The waiter (now receptionist) was waiting to collect my 69 E for the room. I paid him and went off to collect my bike in the garage where I had left it yesterday. It was still there all by itself.
While checking out I had asked for directions to Leipheim in order to get back on the Danube trail. While checking my Danube Bike Trail Guide I noticed that Weissingen was much closer to Langenau and on the Danube trail. I set the GPS for W. and headed out at 8:50. I missed a turn and had to turn around and go back about 1/2 a km which was no big deal as the road was paved and flat. After W I headed for Leipheim, Gunzburg, Reisensburg, Offingen, Petersworth, Gundelfingen, Lauingen, Dillingen and Steinheim. It was all pretty well flat farm land mostly paved with some hard pack stretches. Lots of dark clouds and rain off and on. I stopped at a Backerei in Dillingen for lunch. In spite of the miserable weather I decided to sit outside at the sidewalk table and chairs to keep an eye on my bike. The wind started to pick up and I had to go inside as it was to cold to sit outside. The young girl asked if I was going to be much longer or something to that effect. I had bought a cheese brotchen and a chocolate milk and was struggling to finish the large bottle of chocolate milk. I noticed there was a sign on the door saying that the shop would close at 12:30 on Saturday. It was 12:15 and I guess she wanted to close up. I quickly finished off my drink and she didn't waste anytime locking up and leaving early.
It started raining just as I was leaving for Steinheim so I had to find some shelter outside a bank and put on my covers. I also put on my leg and arm warmers and my rain jacket.
On the way to Steinheim the trail split up. I checked my guide and it said there were two routes to follow. I chose to take the trail on the right but somehow I managed to end up at the Dilligen Golf Course which was quite deserted due to the rain. I found shelter in the Practice Range shelter. There was actually someone having a lesson. I reset my GPS for Steinheim and set off in the rain. Apparently I wasn't to far off track - about 8-10 kms - but unfortunately it really started tipping down. I found shelter under an overhanging tree where there was a bit of a dry spot and waited for 10-15 minutes before setting off again for Steinheim which was only another 2-3 kms away. I finally made it to Steinheim only to discover there was only one Bett and Breakfast but there was no one home. I found shelter at a BierStubbe, went in and asked about finding an hotel. The guy told me I had to go to Hochstadt which was another 3 kms further down the road. The rain had tappered off a bit so I set off for Hochstadt which sure enough was just 2 and a bit kms away. I saw a lot of signs for "Zimmer Frei" but the first place I came to was Hotel Berg. It looked very inviting so I went in to check it out. A single room with b'fast and Wi-Fi was 43 E for the night. I decided I'd had enough foul weather for the day and checked in.
I was told to take my bike around the back where I would find a garage. The lady who had checked me in was waiting there for me to guide me back through the hotel and up to my room. She also offered me an ISOKIRSCH SPORTIVE-DRINK which I gladly accepted. I would much more have appreciated a beer but she said the bar in the Italian restaurant next door wouldn't be opened until 5:00 PM.
I was able to connect to the Internet without much trouble and checked my e-mail. I also e-mailed Johnson Ins. and asked them to extend my coverage as I was approaching the 5 week minimum length of time I was allowed to be away on a trip at the normal rate.
I did my daily laundry and lay down for a nap but the church bells were making such a racket plus there was a lot of traffic noise.
I decided to go out for a walk since the rain had stopped. Saw a huge church and a couple of drunks sitting on a bench in the main square with a bag of beer bottles. They had already managed to smash one of the bottles. I now had a decision to make - would I go back to the hotel for dinner at the Italian restaurant or would I try the Asia/Chinese Restaurant. There didn't seem to be any customers at the Asia restaurant and I had noticed that the Italian restaurant was busy. I headed back to the hotel and ended up having a pretty good pizza and a glass of red wine for dinner plus ice cream for dessert all for 8.10 E.
Went up to my room and typed up my blog for the day. Hope the weather improves for the ride to Donauworth and hopefully on a bit further tomorrow. My room smells like a laundromat!!!Cheers, Roly

Day 24 - Europe 2011

2011-06-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

Day 24 - Friday, June 17, 2011 - Allmendingen to Langenau - Trip 64.80 kms Time 4:29:23

In spite of it being a very quiet hotel (no traffic noise, no church bells, etc) I had a bit of a restless night due to some leg cramps from all the previous days hill climbing. The girls woke me up at 6:00. I later found out from Jurgen Dietz (the manager) that they were working on a local Telecoms? project. All quite young - in their 20s. by the time I got down to b'fast they were all gone. Checked out. Paid 48 E. When I went to collect my bike I asked Jurgen if he had a bicycle pump. He helped me check front and back wheel tire pressures. I left for Schelklingen (5.40 kms according to my GPS) at 8:20. The GPS took me up a very steep hill. The path was paved at first but after about 1 km it became loose gravel through very dense forest. At one point I came upon a couple of forest workers. They just stared at me as though I was some kind of an idiot!!! The hill became a mountain and I just kept climbing and climbing. I had to get off and push my bike up the hill for about 1 km twice. After about 9 kms I reached a village - no idea what it was called. I was able to ask an old gentleman, who was just about to set off for a ride on his bike, for directions to Blaubeuren. He pointed me in the right direction where I was able to find a sign for Schelklingen which said it was 7 km down the road. Fortunately it was paved and all downhill at 40 + kph most of the way. Because I was very sweaty I was quite cold going down the mountain. In S. as I was coming out of an underpass and going up a steep ramp I stood up to pedal and my chain broke. I had to go back 10 M to pick up my chain which had completely come off. I walked over to an ice cream place (it was closed) and found a bench in the shade and was able to repair my chain. It was 10:00 when I started and by 10:40 I was back on the road again heading for Blaubeuren. The repairs were good and my chain and shifting were working quite smoothly.
I reached Herrlingen at noon, saw an Asia Snell Imbiss and decided it was time for lunch. I hadn't stopped for a snack as I usually did around 10:30-11:00 so I was quite hungry and thirsty. I had a huge chicken noodle stir fry and tea. It was delicious but man was I ever stuffed. I decided to push on and give Ulm sightseeing a miss. I had just passed Thalfingen around 2:00 when one of my brakes stopped working. I thought it was the rear brake as my pannier was rubbing on the brake. I continued on to Oberelchingen where I asked for a bike shop. I was told I must go on to Langerau (7 km) which was not on the Danube trail. On the way I met Alex, a young student, who spoke very good English, and he took me to a bike shop in Langerau.
I was able to take my bike into the shop where a mechanic adjusted my rear rack support so that my pannier no longer rubbed on the rear brake and he also fixed the front brake. He said the brake pads were almost done!!! No charge. I left a 5E tip at the cash for the mechanic. Alex then helped me to find an hotel. The first one we tried was Gasthause Linde but it didn't open until 17:00. It was only 15:00 so we went around to several other hotels where there was either no answer, on vacation or only a bed (no hot water, etc). I finally went to the Hotel Lobinger and was able to get a room at 69 E including b'fast and Wi-Fi in the room. I thanked Alex for all his help and said goodbye. He had to go to the police station to report an accident where he had been forced off the road by another motorist who refused to pay for the repairs for all the damage that had been done to his car.
After putting my bike in a garage and locking it up I carried my panniers up to my room on the 1st floor. Very nice 3 star hotel. I washed out my cycling outfit and hung it up to dry in the armoire where I found a small fan. Thank goodness for the fan as there is no air circulation at all in this room and it is quite hot. I was able to connect to the Internet and check my e-mail. After a short nap I went out for dinner. There was a Queens Pub just across the street but they didn't serve food. They recommended the Gasthause Shinke? just 500 M around the corner where I was able to get a nice French Onion soup and a small Pils. As I walked back to the hotel it started drizzling. As I said earlier I walked into the hotel and there was absolutely no one around. I was able to complete Day 23 and 24 of my blog.
Cheers, Roly

Day 23 - Europe 2011

2011-06-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Day 23 - Thursday, June 16, 2011 - Mengen to Allmendingen - Trip 73.72 kms Time 4:39:39

Re Tony's comment: Thanks for the vote of confidence.....
Had a bit of a restless night. Some cramps in my left thigh. Got up at 7 and went down for b'fast at 7:30. Several others already in restaurant. They look like local tradesmen most likely working on a local building site. Tried to connect to Internet but no luck. Went into bar area after b'fast where I had a good connection yesterday but again no luck. Hotel manager rebooted router and I was able to log on and check my e-mail and RBC account. I paid my hotel bill (38 E) and laundry bill (12E). Manager said he would bring my laundry up to my room later. I waited until 8:30 - still no sign of my laundry. I went downstairs and after eventually finding the manager I asked him if I could please have my laundry. I followed him down into the bowls of the hotel basement and there was my laundry still hanging up on the clothes lines. The manager started folding my clothes but I said I would fold and pack everything up in my room. He gave me a laundry basket and I quickly threw everything in it and took it up to my room. That was a mistake as my room was very hot. The basement had been much cooler. Anyway I got my clothes folded and packed and checked out of the hotel. Or so I thought. I had to go looking for the manager again to get my bike out of the garage. It's amazing how they run these hotels. There is never anyone around. This evening I walked into my hotel in Langerau at 8:30 and met no one at the reception, in the restaurant, in the bar, in the hallways, etc.
I was able to leave for Hundersingen at 9:30. I found the bike route which was mostly paved and flat until I missed a right turn and started up a hill towards Beuren. I stopped after 200 M and checked my cycle guide. I went back down to the bridge over the Danube and followed the correct route along the river. The pavement became gravel but hard packed and smooth. This lasted for 30 kms or so then it was all hills and more hills after Binzwangen. I went through Riedlingen, Zell, Zwiefaltendorf, Obermarchtal, Untermarchtal, Algershofen, Munderkingen, Rottenacker, Dettingen and Ehingen. This is where I lost the trail. I didn't notice at the time but the next page in the guide was through the BLAU VALLEY (A VARIANT). Using my GPS I headed for Allmendingen. It was all uphill. By the time I got to A. it was after 3 PM and I had done 73 + kms of pretty tough climbing in 28-30 C temps. I found a nice hotel for 48E with b'fast included and Wi-Fi (in the hallway).
After checking in and before putting my bike away I mentioned to the manager (about 30ish) that I was having trouble with my rear derailleur. He just took off!!! In a few minutes he returned with a bike stand and proceeded to check/clean my rear jockey wheels, etc. There was a lot of "smutz" on the lower wheel which he removed with a popsicle stick and a toilet brush. He then gave everything a good spray with WD40. Shifting was a lot better. I think I might also have a kink in my chain and/or it also needs a good cleaning.
I carried my panniers up to my room and went out for a walk. First thing I came to was a Bakerei. Went in for a cold drink and a piece of Rhubarb/cherry tort. I walked on a bit further and found a Biergarten. Went in for a "ein grosse Pils" (3E) and filled in my journal. The temperature was now up to 31 C (29.1 C in the shade). I'm glad I had stopped cycling for the day. I had hopped to make it to Ulm but that would have to wait until tomorrow.
Walked back to the hotel and washed the days cycling outfit. Hotel laundry charges are a bit to high!!! I called the manager (Jurgen Dietz) and asked about Wi-Fi. He said he would call me back in 10 minutes with a username and password. He had to go to the computer to generate them. A few minutes later he called back but I wasn't able to connect in my room. He said sometimes it's better closer to the door. I ended up in the stairwell about 20 M from my room before getting a connection. Oh well, at least I was able to check my e-mail, etc.
I lay down for a nap before going out for dinner but there was a large group of girls in the hotel and most of them had gathered in the room next to mine. They were really whooping it up. Must have been about 20 of them. I went out for diinner. Light rain. I saw a farmer bringing in the cows on the main street. One of the cows just stopped and starred at me. She was probably wondering who this strange looking character was who was wandering about in her village?
I went back to the Biergarten that I had found earlier (there were no other choices) and had Schweinbraten, Spaetsle(?) and a salad with a glass of white wine (Trocken). There were not many, if any at all, people about.
When I got back to the hotel the girls were still going at it and making quite a racket. It was only 8 PM. I thought to myself that I was going to have another rough night trying to get some sleep. I decided to ignore them for the time being and set up my Notebook in the stairwell where there was a nice comfy chair and typed up Day 22 of my Blog. The manager stopped by on his way to deliver 2 bottles of beer. We had a nice chat. He was quite fascinated by my blog, etc. By 9 it was getting pretty dark in the stairwell (lights on a timer) so I packed it in and hit the sack at 9:30.
Amazingly the girls all settled down at 10:00!!!
Cheers, Roly

Day 22 - Europe 2011

2011-06-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Day 22 - Wednesday, June 15, 2011 - Tuttlingen to Mengen - Trip 73.26 kms Time 4:28:30

Had a nice quiet room except for the plumbing in the next room. I got up at 7:00 and went down for b'fast at 7:30. The waitress, with one helper, was already very busy. In spite of that I was able to order a hot chocolate to go with my b'fast which she had the young lad bring right away. I was able to make myself a ham and cheese brotchen and also took a hard boiled egg, a banana and an orange for lunch.
There was a table with six women and a handicaped guy next to me. The 60+ year old guy had much difficulty getting about with only the help of a walking stick. He asked the waitress for a towel which he placed across the seat of one of the 3 extra chairs he had gathered around himself. He then started cutting up some ham on a plate that he placed on the chair with the towel on it. This was all very fascinating. Why couldn't he eat at the table like all the others? A few minutes later another lady arrived with a small yappy dog. It jumped up on the chair with the towel and the guy started feeding it the ham!!!
When I went to check out I found out I had to pay 52 E and not 42 E as I'm pretty sure I was quoted on arrival. But this was a different receptionist and she insisted the lowest room rate they had was 52E. I didn't want to make a big deal of it and felt I was probably being charged extra because of all the goodies I had taken for my lunch.
I set off for Nendingen at 9:00 but couldn't find the cycle path along the Danube in spite of retracing my route from yesterday. After a couple of kms I gave up and set the GPS for Nendingen. It took me around the block and right back to the Hotel Schrack where I had just set off from. This time I made a right turn. It was only an extra little tour of 4 kms.
After Nendingen I passed through Muhlheim, Fridingen, Beuron, Hausen, Gutenstein, Inzigkofen, Sigmaringen, Sigmaringendorf, Scheer, Ennetach and Mengen. I was able to get on the Danube cycle path most of the way but it was mostly wet, muddy, hard pack through forest like terrain. Quite hilly. Lots of cyclists. I chatted with several along the way. My bike needs a good cleaning especially the chain and rear cassette, etc.
I arrived in Mengen at 2:45. Dark clouds were threatening rain. I had cycled 73 kms so decided to look for an hotel and possibly get some laundry done. I checked into the Hotel Baier at 3:00. A room with b'fast and Wi-Fi cost 38 E. I got the receptionist to write it down this time so there would be no misunderstandings. I asked about a laundromat. Small town - no laundromat. But he said he would ask his wife if she would do a wash load for me. I went up to the 2nd floor with him to see her. She was busy cleaning rooms but agreed to do my laundry. Not sure how much it was going to cost me though. I went downstairs to the bar for a beer and was able to hook up to the Wi-Fi. I filled out my journal and did Day 21 of my Blog. I returned to my room and lay down for a nap before going out for dinner.
Walked the whole length of the Hauptstrasse. Only one café open with several customers sitting outside on the sidewalk terasse. I went inside as there were no more tables available outside. It was much hotter inside. I ordered a cheese burger with a hot chili sauce (not) a salad and pommes frites and a beer. On the way back to the hotel I stopped at a Volksbank and was able to withdraw some money to keep me going for another week.
It was very hot in my room. I wasn't able to get a Wi-Fi connection in my room in spite of having a seperate code that would allow me to make an Internet connection. The signal was to weak. Unable to get the TV to work either. Off to bed 9:30.
Cheers, Roly

Day 21 - Europe 2011

2011-06-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

Day 21 - Tuesday, June 14, 2011 - Titisee to Tuttlingen - Trip 74.20 kms Time 4:19:50

Had to get up through the night a couple times due to cramps. My legs don't like all this climbing all the time. Went down to the restaurant at 7:40 to check my e-mail and started Day 19 Blog while waiting for b'fast to start at 8:00. The waitress came by to let me know that b'fast would be ready at 8:00. A German fellow came in at 7:50. He couldn't wait and went directly into b'fast. He was back out in less than 10 minutes. I was able to make myself a cold cut and cheese baguette sandwich for lunch and a hard boiled egg. I paid for my night's lodging (44.50 E) which included a beer. Loaded my panniers on my bike and was about to set off for Donaueschingen when I remembered I hadn't returned my room key. Went back into hotel to drop off the key and asked the receptionist if he had a map of the local area from Titisee to Donaueschingen. He shuffled through a drawer full of maps and pulled one out. He then made a photocopy of the section that I had to travel and highlighted the correct route to follow. I set off at 9:18. Pretty tough climb most of the way to ......... I reached 965 M on my watch altimeter. I stopped to reset my GPS. A local pulled up and asked if I needed help with directions. I told him I was going to Donaueschingen via ........ He said I was headed in the right direction but warned me about the Umleitung which I would be OK to take with my Rad. Turned out he was right. It was a very nice smooth, well paved road. I only had to get off my bike to cross 8-10 meters of very lose sand. The road crew guys just waved me on through.
I arrived in Donaueschingen at 11:30. I found a quiet spot by a river (Danube?) and had a picnic. While eating my lunch I was entertained by a mother duck and her ducklings swimming about on the river. I left for Pforen at 12:30. Passed through Neudingen, Gutmadingen & Geisingen. I was heading for Moringen where I hoped to find lodging for the night. I was travelling on the B311 when I went over an expansion joint on a bridge over the Donau and got a puncture in my rear tire. It was 1:40. I had to walk 200 metres before I could get off the road to fix my flat. I couldn't find any signs of what caused the flat.
I set off for Immendingen at 2:30 and passed through Mohringen. Some light rain, lots of dark clouds. I decided to start looking for a place to spend the night. Nothing until I reached Tuttlingen. I checked into the first hotel I came upon, the Hotel Schlack, a 3 star hotel at 42 E/night including b'fast and free Wi-Fi, at 3:45. At 4:30 there was a terrific downpour complete with lightning and thunder.
After locking up my bike in the garage (there were no other bikes there) I carried my panniers up to my room on the 1st floor. Very nice room. Checked out the Wi-Fi and went down to the bar for a beer. I filled out my journal and completed Day 19 of my blog which I had started earlier before leaving Titisee.
I asked the receptionist for directions to a Chinese restaurant. On the way I went into an Apotheke to buy some nail clippers. My Swiss Army Knife nail clippers were just not up to the task. I found the Chinese restaurant and had a nice meal of Spring Rolls and Nasi-Goreng. The chili sauce was extra hot!!! Washed it all down with an Export beer. There were no customers - just one who came in to pick up a take out order. The waitress brought me a shot of apple Schnapps on the house. I walked back to the hotel. Streets very quiet. Went up to my room and did Day 20 of my blog. I was also able to upload several photos. Off to bed 22:00.
Cheers, Roly

Day 20 - Europe 2011

2011-06-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Day 20 - Monday, June 13, 2011 - Freiburg to Titisee - Trip 49.94 kms Time 4:03:39

Yesterday I was able to get on the flaky Internet terminal at the Hotel Sonne just long enough to log into my RBC account and check out what was happening. I noticed there were 2 withdrawals of 400 E one on June 2nd and one on June 6th and my balance was down to $48.00. I was able to transfer $1000 into my account from my Line of Credit. Later on I checked all my receipts but couldn't find a receipt for the 2nd withdrawal yet all my hotel and meal expenses justified a 2nd withdrawal. It wasn't until later when I was on my way to Donaueschingen that I remembered stopping for lunch (I even took a photo of the lentil soup with 2 sausages that I had) and going to a bank machine across the street afterwards to get some cash. I didn't get a receipt and thought at the time this is not a good idea. I should have gotten a receipt but there was no one around as it was a local holiday.
I set off for D. at 9:30 and hadn't even gone 3 kms before running into an Umleitung. There was a gas station convenience store nearby so I went in and had hot chocolate, sausage pastry and choco croissant for b'fast. I asked for directions and was told that I could continue straight on to get on the road to D. I ignored the "No Bicycle Signs" and managed to make my way through the road works. Soon it was uphill all the way at 6-12 kph. I must have climbed for about 2 hours. At 885 metres (according to my new watch altimeter) I stopped at a gas station and went in to get something cold to drink and a bite to eat. The road (B11 I think) was very busy. I later found out it was a local holiday.
Just as I was about to leave it started drizzling. I put on my rain gear and covered my panniers. The temperature had dropped quite a bit or maybe it was the higher altitude but whatever I was feeling quite chilly in spite of still climbing and having to push hard. At 30 kms I stopped to check my GPS. It said I still had 27 kms to go to get to D. A few kms later I passed a sign for D. pointing in the opposite direction. It said it was 32 kms to D. I reluctantly trusted the lower distance of my GPS and continued on in the direction it indicated.
I arrived in Titisee at 2:30 quite exhausted. It was clouding over and threatening to rain. I found an hotel with Wi-Fi, b'fast included, for 42 E. Only problem was my room was on the 3rd floor and there was no elevator!!! It's only a matter of time before the hills or the stairs do me in!!!
After getting settled in I went down to the reception to log on to the Internet. The receptionist was very helpful. She set me up at a quiet corner table in the restaurant where I could plug in my NoteBook and showed me how to log on to the Hotel Wi-Fi service and served me a beer. I had a very good connection and was able to to Days 16 & 17 of my blog.
I decided to go out for a walk (the sun had come out again) and check out the town. It was full of tourist due to the local holiday. Lots of hotels, gift shops, restaurants, boats for hire, etc. the usual tourist town stuff. Cuckoo Clocks started at 300+ E. I took a few pictures down by the lake, found an Italian restaurant and went in for dinner. A 1/2 L of Lambrusco (to sweet & fizzy), Knoblauchtoast (garlic toast) and Penne Al Forno cost 20 E. 19% Mwst. included. (I assume this is the service?)
I walked back to the hotel. Most of the tourist had left for the day. It was only 8:00 PM. I was able to to Day 18 of my blog before climbing up the 3 flights of stairs to my room and hitting the sack for the night.
Cheers, Roly

Day 19 - Europe 2011

2011-06-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

Day 19 - Sunday, June 12, 2011 - Marckolsheim to Neuf-Brisach to Freiburg
Trip 53:06 Time 3:16:03

Had a good night's sleep for a change. No noisy kids. No church bells until 7 AM. Went down for b'fast at 8 AM. Ordered juice and hot chocolate to go with the fresh croissante, baquette, butter, jams, cheese, etc. Paid Madame 40 E for my nights lodging. Carried my panniers downstairs to the courtyard and got my bike out of the garage. Lots of antiques just lying about in the garage!!!

My chain was sounding a bit rough from all the rain and dusty trails I'd cycled through so I put some oil on it before setting off for Neuf-Brisach at 9:30. The British cyclist I had met last night had told me about a fantastic old fort there that was well worth exploring.

I stopped at a bank for another 400 E withdrawal. Oh Oh - insufficient funds. I tried for 300 E and that worked out OK. Must top up my chequing account again!!!

Saw a bunch of Old Timer cars (early 1900s) heading for Strasbourg. What a sight and sound. I should have shot a movie.

I arrived in Neuf-Brisach at 10:30 and went directly to the Fortifications de Vauban a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A young lady said it was free to tour the ramparts and that I could take my bicycle. But first I had to negotiate a set of very steep steps with a ramp on the side for bikes. The extra weight of the panniers caused me to lose my balance, the brakes didn't grab and I came down in a hell of a hurry. I wasn't hurt but I did feel a bit foolish. I went around the fort on my bike and came to a steep gravel exit. Rather than attempt to cycle up this steep path I decided to get off my bike and walk up. Unfortunately, as I was getting off I slipped and fell on my tush. A paserby just kept on going - didn't even bother to ask if I was OK! Decided it was time to take a break and found a quiet spot with park benches and sat down to eat an apple.
I continued on to Breisach. Started seeing mountains looming in the distance a glimpse of what was to come. Crossed over the Rhein and stopped at a McDs for lunch at 11:50.
I continued on to Freiburg arriving at 2:00 PM. Stopped at Hotel Sonne (45 E w/c & shower in the hall & b'fast 12 E) to check it out. No Wi-Fi in the room - just a station set up opposite the reception. I decided to go on and see what else I could find. There was a kiosk about 2 kms further down the road with a list of hotels and how much they cost. The cheapest was 65 E with Wi-Fi but it was fully booked. I went back to the Sonne. As I was taking my panniers to my room on the 3rd floor I saw this twit come out of the shower with a towel wrapped around him that was far to small exposing his butt. He quickly slipped into his room. After locking up my bike at the back of the hotel under a lean-to I went into the bar for a beer. I ordered a Ganter Freiburg Badisch Weizen Bier. Tasted like smoked ham. Not my kinda bier!
I did a tally of how much I have cycled so far and came up with a total of 1357 kms. Heading for Donaueschingen tomorrow and the start of the Danube.
I went out for dinner and brought my Notebook along with me hoping to find a Wi-Fi Cafe. Must of walked 3-4 kms until I came to the Banhof and saw a McDs and a BK. McDs had Wi-Fi but you had to have a Telecom account to access it or pay .90 E/minute for an account. I went over to the BK. They had two terminals which cost 1 E for 10 minutes. They looked pretty beat up so decided not to bother as it would just be to frustrating. Walked over to a Kebap restaurant across the street and had a terrific Doner Kebap sandwich and coke. Stopped for icecream on the way back to the hotel.
I asked the manager if I could watch TV. She said OK. I found the Canadian GP on WDR. The race had been delayed after 30 laps due to heavy rainfall. Eventually the race was restarted and I was able to watch the last 40 laps of much chaos as it was still raining and the track was very wet. I won't say anymore about the race in case someone reading this blog has taped the race and hasn't watched it yet.
Finally hit the sack at 11:30. Lot's of traffic noise in spite of my room being on the backside of the hotel. I woke up at 3:30 AM all sweaty because of the heavy duvet....
Cheers, Roly

Day 18 - Europe 2011

2011-06-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

Day 18 - Saturday, June 11, 2011 - Strasbourg to Marckolsheim - Trip 106.51 Time 6:41:29

NEVER AGAIN!!! will I stay in a 4-bed Youth Hostel room. Felix (German) has a bad cold and had to blow his nose all night. The 2 other guys (I found out they were Quebekers later on) kept coming and going until 2 AM. One came in at 1:30 he was so pissed he couldn't get the swipe card to work to get the door open. He had to go downstairs and get the night receptionist to come and help him get the door open. I'll be damned if I was going to get up and let him in!!! He stumbled around for 5-10 minutes then fell into bed and soon started snoring. Not to loud thank goodness. There were also several football teams (ages around 12) staying at the Y.H. They were up until midnight running amok. Then to top it all off there were several volleys of very loud, rapid gunfire (probably fireworks) at 11:30. Probably to culminate the concert in the park.
In spite of all the racket I did manage to get a few hours of sleep.
Went down for b'fast at 7:00. No sign of any activity in restaurant. I checked at reception. Told b'fast wasn't until 7:30. I showed him my welcome note with b'fast highlighted in pink and it definitely said b'fast was at 7:00 to 10:00. He went off to get things started I think. I waited another 15-20 minutes before going in to restaurant to start b'fast. It was a disaster. No juice. The tea was very weak. Should have had a hot chocolate. Brotchen with butter and jams and a croissant. Two choices of cereal corn flakes or coco puffs. And of course the noise and shouting of the football kids. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Felix had joined me for b'fast. He had a pretty bad cold. He was supposed to cycle all the way to the Bodensee and then back home. Not sure if he made it or not. I said goodbye and wished him a safe trip.
When I went to the "Velo Garage" to collect my bike I noticed two bikes with trailers. One of them had a Quebec and a Canada flag on the back of it. That's when I realized the two guys who were still asleep were most likely Quebekers.
I set my GPS for Illkirch-Graffenstaden and set off at 8:20. The GPS took me over a bridge towards Kehl which was on the German side of the Rhine. I wanted to stay on the French side. I reset the GPS and went back over the bridge towards Strasbourg. Eventually I started heading South towards I-G. I saw a bike path (paved) along "Canal du Rhone-au-Rhin" with a sign indicating Eschau. This looked like the cycle route indicated in my Rhein-Radweg guide. It turned out to be an on and off again path and eventually I got lost and somehow ended up back in Strasbourg. It took me another hour to figure out how to get out of Strasbourg. I ended up passing the same sign for Eschau again. This time I kept to the road and eventually was on my way. (3 hours and 30 kms to get out of Strasbourg)!!! Needless to say I was not a happy camper or cyclists for that matter. I swore I would not have anything more to do with "Canal du Rhone-au-Rhin". I passed through Krafft, Gersheim, Boofzheim, Diebolsheim, etc. and eventually arrived in Marckolsheim only after going to Mackenheim which I confused for Marckolsheim.
I checked out several Gites de France along the way but all were fully booked or no answer. I lucked in in Marckolsheim. Found a nice Gites for 40 E including b'fast. No Wi-Fi. Madame who was running the Gites was very friendly and chatty.
After lugging my panniers up to my room I went out around the corner to a horse betting bar. Had a couple beers and updated my journal. It was now 6:00 PM and I decided to have a pizza for dinner at the restaurant next door. Only they didn't start serving pizzas until 6:30. Went back to my room to freshen up and change before returning to Raphy's Grill for wine and a pizza paysanne. It was OK but deffinitely not up to Christopher's standards.
I noticed my thumbs are taking on the shape of my handle bar horns. Instead of being straight they are taking on an S-shape!!! I noticed another cyclist in the restaurant checking out a Rhein-Radweg cycle guide. I went over and introduced myself. He turned out to be a Britisher from London cycling from Basel to Rotterdam? along the Rhine for the 3rd time. He's writting his own cycle guide which he says will be published in 2013. Unfortunately I didn't get his name. He didn't think much of the Rhein-Radweg guides. He felt they were very innacurate. I couldn't agree more after my Canal du Rhone-au-Rhin experience.
Cheers, Roly

Day 17 - Europe 2011

2011-06-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

Day 17 - Friday, June 10, 2011 - Rheinau to Strasbourg - Trip 39.57 kms Time 2:37:04

The itchiness from whatever caused my rash on my arms and knees is almost gone. Getting to sleep last night was a bit of a challenge. Someone was boucing a ball sort of like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape everytime he was put into isolation in the Gestapo POW camp. Finally someone took the ball away and I was able to get some rest.
I went down for b'fast at 8:00. No one else around. Even the waitress was out on the terrace in the "Biergarten" wiping down tables. She finally showed up and brought me some tea. A Dutch couple then arrived with a 2 year old. He must have been the little bugger that kept boucing that ball!!!. They turned out to be a nice young couple from Utrecht on their way to Italy for a holiday. Lots of goodies for b'fast. I was also able to make myself a ham and cheese brotchen for lunch later plus a hard boiled egg.
Finished packing and and went down to restaurant to check out. Paid waitress 40 E for room. First Beer wasn't on bill so I told her I owed her for a large Export that the chef had served me on arrival. She charge me 3.50 E. Next time I'll just keep my mouth shut or ....
I left for Strasbourg at 9:20. GPS said it was 18 kms but by the time I reached the outskirts I still had another 17 to go after resetting my GPS. I saw a bicycle sign for Robertsau (which is a suburb of Strasbourg). The sign said it was 14.5 kms so I decided to head in that direction. It turned out to be a nice quiet ride through a forest and into the centre of Strasbourg.
I followed the signs for "Centre Ville" hoping to find a Tourist Information Centre. I had to stop at a gas station to ask for directions and was told I would find "Service de Tourisme" at the Cathedral. I could see the Cathredal not far off but getting there was a bit of a challenge. So many narrow, cobbled stoned, one-way streets. Eventually I found the Office de Tourisme, locked my bike and went inside and stood in a queue for about 15 minutes.
Finally it was my turn and the lady asked me in German what I needed help with in spite of the fact that I was wearing my Canada jersey. I said I would prefer French or English. She was embarassed! I got directions to a laundromat, Youth Hostel and several other hotels. Paid 1 E for a map of Strasbourg.
I managed to find the laudromat but had no change for the machines and there was no change machine. Went next door to a pizza place and asked for change for 10 E. Sorry no change!! A young lady waiting to be served kindly offered to give me change for 10 E. I went back to my laundry. Put 2 E in the machine for 1 E of soap. Got just a trickle of soap and no change. Just then the manager appeared. He checked out the soap dispensing machine and found it was plugged up with a chunk of soap. He gave me back my 2 E and enough soap for 4 loads of laundry. I ended up doing a huge load of laundry for 7 E and 2 E for the dryer. I had lunch while watching my clothes go round and round ...
Set off for Youth Hostel at 1:30. On the way I passed a mobile shop. Went in to see if I could get on of my mobiles working. I ended up paying 10 E for a new SIM card for my Belgian Mobistar with 7.50 E credit I added another 10 E of credits. I was assured this would work in all of Europe. We'll see. So far I haven't had to use my mobile and I've stopped getting text messages from Mobistar about my credits having run out. I guess that's because there SIM card is no longer in the phone.
The Youth Hostel was rather difficult to find. It was way off the beaten path. A room with 4 cots in it cost 22 E with w/c and shower in the room and b'fast. A large towel cost 3 E. No Wi-Fi but there was Internet available for 2.50 E/hour. I carried my panniers up to the 2nd floor. No one else in the room. YET! I then found out that the YH had laundry facilities after reading the welcome note. I checked it out but there was only one small washing machine and one dryer and they were both busy. It would have cost me a bit more to do my laundry at the YH as I would have had to do 2 loads.
While I was settling into room a young German fellow arrived. We had a nice chat in German and English. He had cycled from Manheim in 2 days. He was exhausted. He made up his bed and went to sleep. It was only 4:30!!! I went out to see if I could find a Wi-Fi connection and something to eat. Ended up at a Middle East restaurant. I had a very nice couscous. It was far to much. I was a bit nervous while eating. There were a dozen or so young punks hanging out outside the restaurant drinking Jim Beam and dealing drugs. I went out and locked up my bike. Took some pics. Where are the polizei!!!
On the way back to the hostel I stopped at an open air concert in the park. People were coming from all directions with picnic hampers, blankets, etc. I stopped and listened to the full size orchestra for a while but it was getting a bit chilly and I hadn't brought a jacket so I headed back to the hostel. Locked my bike in the "Velo Garage" for the night.
While I had been out two more "guest" had arrived. It was a full house. Went off to bed at 9:00
Cheers, Roly

Day 16 - Europe 2011

2011-06-13T07:08:00.002-07:00

Day 16 - Thursday, June 9, 2011 - Rastatt to Rheinau - Trip 84.64 kms Time 5:15:58

After checking out of the Best Western went across the street to the Burger King for b'fast. It was closed until 11 but the gas station convenience store was open so I was able to get some juice, etc for b'fast before setting off for Iffezheim at 9:00 AM. I hadn't gone far before I hit an Umleitung. I hate Umleitungs!!! I missed a right turn and ended up going up a very steep hill for about 2 kms before my GPS told me to "make a U-Turn when possible". I reluctantly turned around and went back down the hill at a much fast rate than I had climbed it. I found the proper route and was once again back on the main road after 7-8 kms. I headed for Sollingen but once again ended up going up a very steep hill with a sign saying "Anleiger Frei". I think that means local traffic only. But often it is OK for cycles to pass. I had to get off and push my bike up part of this hill it was so long and very steep. I finally reached the top and the road turned to gravel with lots of pot holes filled with water and went on through the woods for about a kilometer. I finally came out to a nice view of the vineyards and a village below. I stopped for a snack and admired the scenery. It was a little hairy going down as the road was badly paved and very narrow. I was on the brakes all the way down. Later I had a look at my Rhine Cycle Guide and I think I might have gone around the backside of the Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Flughafen. A very small airport - no signs of any planes though.
Around noon I stopped at a Backerei for lunch. I know - I know - I'm supposed to avoid the backereis but there was nothing else available for lunch. I went in and bought a slice of very healthy looking rhubarb custard pie and a 1/2 L of chocolate milk to wash it down with. There was a table and chairs outside so I was able to sit and enjoy my lunch which also consisted of a sausage pastry which I had bought earlier at the gas station convenience store.
I continued on to Rheinau arriving at 3 PM. Since I didn't want a repeat of last night I started looking for an hotel. I found the Waldorn but it appeared to be closed. A sign said it was open from 17:00 to 23:00. It was only 3 PM!!! I went around the back to the "Biergarten" and found the chef who checked me in and served me a nice cold beer.
After checking in and updating my journal I went up to my room for a short nap before coming down for dinner at 6:30. I asked about Wi-Fi and the waitress gave me the code so I could get on the Internet. I had a nice snitzel with rahm sauce, pommes frites, salad and beer for 14 E. Went back up to room and read Tim Sparling's blog re KNBC Paris/Nice trip. Also worked on Day 14 & 15 of my blog.
Cheers, Roly

Day 15 - Europe 2011

2011-06-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

Mirrors on the bedroom ceiling

Mirrors on the ceiling in the hallway

Day 15 - Wednesday, June 8, 2011 - Schwetzingen to Rastatt - Trip 106.3 kms Time 7:02:51

Had a pretty good nights sleep. Some cramps in my legs but nothing to serious. Got up at 7:00 and went up to dining room for b'fast. Had a big bowl of granola cereal with fruit cocktail and a strawberry yogurt and an apple and a packaged pastry to go.
I asked about a laudromat but none to be found. As a matter of fact I've been looking for one since I left Brussels. I guess the Germans are all very well off and can all afford washing/drying machines so no need for landromats. Had there been a laudromat I would have stayed on another night to give my butt and my legs a rest.
It was overcast while I loaded my panniers on my bike so I decided to put my rain gear on and cover my panniers also.
I set off for Rheinsheim (my GPS couldn't find Phillippsburg). It started drizzling. Good thing I had put on my rain covers before setting off. I had decided to stick with GPS navigation and roads. No cycle paths today. The roads were good and smooth, not to busy, so I was able to make pretty good time. I stopped for lunch at a Gastate and ordered some goulash with bread and tea with lemon for 5.20 E. The waitress was reluctant to let me set off again in the rain. She suggested I should take the bus!!! I convinced her it would be OK since I had already cycled all the way from Amsterdam.
I arrived in Karlsruhe at 2:00 PM but decided to push on to Forcheim as hotels in K would be quite expensive? At 3 PM I started looking for a place to spend the night. I tried every hotel/pension between Forchheim and Rastatt before I was finally able to get a room (smoking) at 5:30 PM at a Best Western @ 92 E/night with b'fast. I said I didn't want b'fast so ended up paying 82.50 E with Wi-Fi which turned out to be pretty flaky. I had to go down to the reception to ask for help with getting on the Internet. I seemed to be getting a much stronger signal at the reception and was able to establish a connection.
Earlier in the week I had gotten stung on my right breast while riding along the Rhine just before arriving in Koblenz. It left a large red splotch on my chest. Today, after checking into my room and taking off my arm warmers, I noticed I had a rash on the inside of both arms at the the elbow joint. I also had a rash on my knees. It was very itchy!!! I put on some "Calmoseptine" ointment that was given to me by Christina on my Quebec trip last summer. It seemed to help relieve the itching a bit. I also took two Paracetemol tablets. They helped a bit too.
I washed a couple of outfits before going out to a Burger King just across the street for some good Ol Merican food. The BK was attached to a gas station which also had a convenience store so I was able to get a Dominikaner Pils for .99 E for .5 L to go plus .25 E deposit.
Once I got back to my room I settled in for the evening and was hoping to get caught up on my blog but had trouble getting on the "Free Wi-Fi" which kept crapping out. I started typing Day 13 and about 3/4 of the way through got cut off. I thought I had lost everything but luckily because of "autosave" I was able to recuperate most of what I had typed. I kept getting knocked off the Internet so eventually gave up and went to bed at 10:30.
Cheers, Roly

Day 14 - Europe 2011

2011-06-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Scenery along the Rhine

Nuclear power plant where Polizei came out of nowhere to check on me!!!

Day 14 - Tuesday, June 7, 2011 - Erfelden to Schwetzingen - Trip 86.95 kms Time 5:03:34

The church bell kept waking me up every hour on the half-hour but I finally did manage to get some sleep after midnight. There was also more rain during the night. I got up at 7:00 and went downstairs for a shower. The workers had all left earlier. After my shower I went down to the garage to collect my laundry. It was all dry except for the socks which were still a bit damp. I finished packing my panniers and carried them down the very steep, narrow stairs. Herr Maul was waiting for me in the courtyard to collect the 27 Euros for my night's lodging. I went into the garage to fill up my water bottles at the laundry tub. Herr Maul insisted I fill up with bottled water that he got from a nearby fridge. He wasn't such a bad guy afterall. Later on when I went to take a drink from my water bottle it exploded in my face!!! It was fizzy water.
I set off at 8:30 with overcast skies but since I hadn't had b'fast yet I quickly found a backerie and went in to see what I could find for a suitable b'fast. It was the usual assortment of breads and pastries. I picked the healthiest looking pastry I could find and a Capri-Sona to wash it down with. I went out to sit on the front step to eat my b'fast but the manageress came out and told me I should sit on the chair inside the shop.
I eventually set off for Manheim. I managed to get on the cement cycle path along the dike along the Rhine. There was not a lot to see as the dike hid the Rhine from my view. I must have covered over 30 kms from Klein-Rohrheim to Manheim and only encountered 3 male cyclists, one rather buxom jogger and a POLIZEI car that came out of nowhere to check on me as I passed a Nuclear Power Plant!!! I crossed over to Worms hoping to find a Snell-Imbiss for lunch. A couple of workmen pointed me towards a grocery store just 500 M away. I was able to buy some fruit and when I looked for something to eat I once again ended up in the attached bakerei. I was able to get some tea and a pizza Margerita. Yuk!!!
I decided it was best to cross over the bridge again continue on to Bruhl. Somehow I ended up in Schwetzingen!!! But luckily I spotted a nice looking hotel with a huge banner outside advertising rooms at 40 Euros/night. Of course all the 40 E rooms were taken but there was a room available at 55 E which included b'fast and free Wi-Fi. I checked in. I was having difficulty getting on the Internet so went up to the reception to ask for help with registering for a "HOTSPLOTS" account. Davida, the receptionist, was most helpful. She also informed me that the price of the room also included dinner. What a bonus!!! The hotel was very flamboyantly decorated with mirrors all over the place including the ceilings. The lighting was also quite spectacular. The halogen bulb hasn't made it to Germany yet.
I sat down at a table in the dining room to make sure I had the Internet working OK and ordered a beer while I checked my e-mail. The next thing I knew I was being served dinner which consisted of a cold pasta entrée and a snitzel with pommes croquettes. No salad. No dessert. Although when I asked Davida about dessert she brought me a coconut yogurt. Paid for another pils which I took back to my room in the basement and worked on Day 11 & 12 of my blog. More rain during the night.
Cheers, Roly

Day 13 - Europe 2011

2011-06-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

The Frau Maul Gastezimmer

The church bell that kept me awake!!!

Day 13 - Monday, June 6, 2011 - Winkel to Erfelden - Trip 68.06 kms Time 4:17:03

Got up at 6:30. In spite of last night's thunderstorm my room was still very hot and humid. Went down for b'fast at 7:30. No one else about except for me and the waitress. Asked for orange juice and black tea. She brought me a huge glass of orange juice and a nice pot of black tea. Before leaving I also asked if she could fill up my 2 water bottles. She got the Gourmet Water out and used up 2 bottles filling my water bottles. No charge. I also made myself a ham and cheese brotchen sandwich with the 3rd brotchen. I set off for Eltville at 8:40 AM. After going only 3-4 kms I came upon an "umleitung" (detour) and missed a right turn. I ended up going up a very nasty hill (5 kph) for about 2 kms when my GPS started beeping at me "Make a U-Turn if possible". I turned around and went down the hill at a much faster clip!!! I found the right turn I had missed and continued on to Eltville/Wiesbaden. It took about an hour to get throught Wiesbaden. Once again I missed a turn and ended up in Hochheim. I stopped at a Bacherei and went in for a cold drink. They had Gatorade and some Danish pastries that I couldn't resist. I bought a second Gatorade to fill up my water bottle and made sure I got my deposit back on both bottles before setting off for Ginsheim which turned out to be 5-6 kms further down the road and nearer to the Rhine. Most of the time it is difficult to stay by the Rhine mostly due to heavy duty industry and small rivers that feed into the Rhine. So today's ride was mostly country roads usually with a paved path alongside. I passed through Astheim on my way to Erfelden. Just after lunch it started pouring. I had to stop and put my rain covers on my panniers and my rain gear. I made it to Geinsheim where I found shelter at a Backerei (it was closed) under an awning. It was really tipping down. A lady arrived at 1:30 and opened up. I went in for a cold drink and a strawberry parfait!! I asked about hotels but she wasn't from the area and didn't know of any hotels. A customer came in and told me I would find an hotel in Leeheim. Not!! I pushed on to Erfelden. Passed a "Zimmer Frei" sign. Stopped and rang the door bell. A room on the 2nd floor with 3 single beds cost 27 Euros. No b'fast. No Wi-Fi. Great cable TV though. It was all very clean plus there was a huge garage where I could store my bike and hang up any wet clothes that needed drying out. I washed 2 outfits and went down to the garage to hand them out to dry. Herr Maul, who was sitting at a desk at the very back of the garage, spoke to me very gruffly in German. I explained that Frau Maul had told me that I could hang out my wet clothes to dry. He seemed to be satisfied with this explanation and went off to finish dealing with his laundry.
I went out for dinner and while looking for a place to eat ran into Frau Maul who was out walking her grandson in his stroller. She pointed me in the right direction. Went in for a pils (2) and a Zigeuner Snitzel with pommes frites and a salad. It was far to much - the snitzel was huge. I had quite a struggle finishing the whole thing. I walked back to the pension. There's not a lot to see in Erfelden. There were several guys hanging out in the courtyard. They appeared to be workmen from a nearby construction site who were staying at the pension. Watched a bit of TV then went off to bed at 9:30. The church bell rang every hour on the half hour. So much for getting a good night's rest!!!
Cheers, Roly

Day 12 - Europe 2011

2011-06-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Day 12 - Sunday, June 5, 2011 - Koblenz to Winkel - Trip 79.46 kms Time 4:38:06

Slept poorly!!! City Hotel Metropole has to be the noisiest hotel that I've ever stayed at and I've stayed a lot of hotels all over the world. I think there was a taxi stand right under my window and not one of the taxi drivers could talk in a normal voice. Everything had to be shouted at a level that the whole city could hear. In spite of all the noise I did manage to get a few hours of sleep, but... Got up at 7:00. Did some packing. Went down for b'fast. Very busy. Quite a crowd. Had a full b'fast including a ham and cheese sandwich which I wrapped in my serviette and stuffed in my handlebar bag for later including a hard boiled egg and a small packet of cheese. Went back to my room and finished packing. Carried my panniers to the elevator. It was busy. Finally managed to get my panniers down to the reception. I asked for the key so I could go "find my wheels". The other cyclists had already gone ahead with the key to fetch their "wheels". I was able to catch up to them before they entered the labyrinth. We collected our "wheels" and returned to the hotel. The other cyclists were headed for the Banhof to take the train back to Aachen. I loaded my panniers on my bike and set off for Spey. I tried to follow the directions in the Rhein-Radweg guide but just got totally lost. The directions are from the south of the Rhein to the North and I was having to follow them backwards. Eventually I gave up and set my GPS for Spey which got me headed in the right direction. I had only done an extra 4 kms or so before setting off on the correct route.
I stopped several times to admire the scenery, for lunch, for snacks, for photos, etc. I met a group of classic cars on a tour including a 1965 TR4A, Ford Model ?, 1960s Cadillac. Even saw Elvis who was sitting in the back of the Caddy. It was a very nice cycle route most of the way to Bingen where I decided to take the ferry over to Rudesheim (no charge?). As it was only 2:30 PM I decided to go on for a bit. I saw a nice hotel in Winkel called "Schorsch Eger's Weinstadl" at 3:30 PM. Went in to check it out. The manager/manageress spoke French. It was 45 Euros for a single room with b'fast. The owner of the establishment turned out to be a very famous German musician. He had an unbelievable collection of musical instruments, pepper mills, paintings, old flat irons, etc. The place was just covered with memorabilia. I had a couple of beers (a bit warm) before going up to my room which turned out to be a tad warm also. There was just no air circulation in spite of the window being wide open. While I was waiting for my room to be prepared I noticed some locals who had come in for dinner had ordered a dish done up and served in a frying pan. This looked really good. Later on when I went down for dinner I decided I would have to try this dish but first of all I had to get the waitress to help me identify what it was called on the menu. It turned out to be "Putensteak (Chicken) mit Frischen Champignons Sauce Hollandaise und Kase Uberbachen auf Pommes Frites inder Pfanne Serviert mit Gemischtem Salat" all that for 13.50 Euros. I was terribly thirsty and asked the waitress for some ordinary cold water to drink. She brought over a fancy bottle of Sodenthaler Gourmet Water compliments of the house!!! I had also ordered a 1/2 L of red wine. The owner uncorked a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. The portions in Germany are just huge and it was very tasty. Earlier when I was checking in I had told the manager that I was from Canada and had cycled all the way from Amsterdam and was making my way down the Rhine, to the Danube and hopefully would cycle all the way to the Black Sea. He was most impressed and must have told the owner about my adventure. I had also shared my photo of Elvis in the big honking Cadillac with the owner as knowing that he was a musician he would appreciate my sighting of Elvis.
I was able to connect to the Internet and wanted to cut and paste my Day 10 Blog but wasn't able to do this so I had to re-type the whole darn thing. (Thanks for the tip Heinz re using Open Office. I will have to try that next time). It was pretty stinking hot in the room. Later on there was a huge thunder/rain/lightning storm during the night. This did help cool things off a bit and I was able to get a few hours of sleep.
Cheers, Roly

Day 11 - Europe 2011

2011-06-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

Day 11 - Saturday, June 4, 2011 - Bad Godesberg to Koblenz - Trip 67.65 Time 4:17:44

Had a fairly good night's rest in spite of yesterday's long and difficult, at times, ride. No cramps during the night. I started packing my panniers and took one of the rear panniers and my trunk bag down to reception then went for b'fast which wasn't served until 8:00 AM on weekends. There were a few other guest already having b'fast - very unusual. Once again there was a full assorment of goodies so I really pigged out.
Before setting off for Koblenz I decided to take a quick tour of Plittersdorf (former American community) where I stayed in an apartment on my fist posting to Bonn in 1977-81. I was able to find the Bonn American School, the "Baseball Park". the Elementary School, my apt. at 13 Europe Strasse. There was someone in a big black Mercedes parked out in front. But I couldn't find any signs of the American Cinema, PX, Garage, etc. As I was leaving Plittersdorf I passed the Hof Von Holland which sure brought back a lot of memories of kuchen and pommes frites their specialty and many a glass of Kolsch after baseball games, etc. Now that's where I should have spent the night!!!
I rejoined the Rhine and set off for Koblenz at 9:45 AM. I had also planned to pass by Blumenau Strasse in Rungsdorf where I lived on my second posting to Bonn in 1993-97 but somehow missed the turnoff at the French Economat which I thought met with the Rhine. Oh well I was running a bit late so best to get on with my trip to Koblenz. There were quite a lot of people out on the very wide path along the Rhine - people riding their bikes, roller blading, walking their dogs or just walking. There were several rough patches i.e. cobble stones, crushed stone, etc. As I was crossing a covered wooden bridge a couple who were on the bridge were looking over the side into the stream below. The gentleman spoke to me and all I managed to understand was the word "forellen". Which I knew meant rainbow trout. I stopped to have a look and sure enough there were 7 or 8 foot long trout just treading water in the shallow stream. And I thought he was giving me s--t for riding my bike across the bridge!!!
I arrived in Koblenz around 2:30 PM hot and very thirsty. I found a hotel just around the corner called City Hotel Metropol. A single room with b'fast cost 65 Euros. No Wi-Fi. But I was told their was an Internet Cafe just across the street. First I had to put my bike in the garage. I was given a set of instructions in broken English (perhaps I would have been better off with the German instructions) and a key. After half an hour I was finally able to locate P 124 on level -2 (not 2) and with much apprehension parked my bike. There were all sorts of expensive cars in the underground parking including a Z4 so surely my bike would be OK. I had to go back later with my lock and sure enough there were 7-8 more bikes parked with mine. At least "Rocky" wouldn't be lonely. I looked for the Internet Cafe, finally found it after asking twice for directions, had a couple beers, checked my e-mail, updated my blog (Day 9), etc.
Went for a walk-about, found a Chinese restaurant with a nice patio where I could sit and watch the people go by. There were several groups of young ladies who were out for a stroll. They were wearing sashes and seemed to be in some sort of beauty pageant or something.
Took some photos and went back to my room for an early night.
Cheers, Roly
PARKING FOR BICYCLES
1st = Please go back, cross the road to the zebra crossing and turn right
2nd = IRISH PUB on the go by
3nd = 2nd Glass doors open (it was a barred glass door)
4th = Follow the corridor to go six small steps down
5th = green door open to a deck 1
6th = go trough a Deck 2
7th = go straight to the parking lot (left side) with No. 124!!!
and your wheels are on the right Toward the wall and seal it. Thank you

Day 10 - Europe 2011

2011-06-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

Day 10 - Friday, June 3, 2011 - Kohlscheid to Bad Godesberg - Trip 116.05 kms Time 7:07:15

I heard Tina arrive on her Harley at 6:30 AM but decided I would have a lie in as I had asked for b'fast at 8:00 AM. Did a bit of sorting before going down to b'fast. No one else around except for the cleaning lady, Tina and myself. Tina had already prepared a ham omelette for me, It was swimming in grease - typical German cuisine - I ate the whole thing as I didn't want to offend her. There was also cheese, cold cuts, juice, tea, fresh from the oven hot buns, jams, etc. I quickly finished my b'fast and went back up to my room to finish packing my panniers as I wanted to get as early a start as possible. I wanted to get to Bonn - Bad Godesbert and I had a feeling it was going to be over 100 kms.
After paying 48 € for my room and b'fast Tina presented me with my beer coaster from yesterday with 2 marks on it which meant I owed her for 2 beers. This is the German custom for keeping tabs on how many drinks one has consumed. Tina helped carry my panniers out to the garage where my bike had been locked up for the night. I removed the broken pump bracket which I kept catching on my inner thigh, loaded my panniers and set off for Duren at 8:50 AM. My GPS had calculated a distance of 31 kms but by the time I got there I had done 40 + kms including one very serious climb. I thought I was going to have to get off at one point and start pushing my bike up the hill. By this time it was getting quite hot and I had worked up quite a lather. It seems there is never a direct route with the GPS. Its always zig zagging through all the back/side streets.
I stopped at a gas station (they seemed to be the only places open where one could get a cold drink and a snack) and downed a bottle of Gatorade. I also bought a brotchen with mozarella cheese, tomato, lettuce and some other unrecognizable ingredient. It all tasted quite good although the brotchen was a bit crusty. I stopped at a 2nd gas station, again for a cold drink. This time they had provided nice comfy garden chairs in the shade so I was able to sit and have a pleasant break. This time I took my empty bottle inside and was given a .60€ refund. I had just tossed my Gatorade bottle in the trash bin at the previous stop!!!
On the outskirts of Bonn I stopped at a fresh fruit stand and bought 2 large oranges and ate one on the spot. Boy was it ever refreshing. I also sampled a cherry and a strawberry. Both were very tasty. For some reason fruit always seems to taste so much better after cycling in the hot sun all day.
I didn't fancy staying in a hotel in Bonn so kept on going hoping to find something more reasonable in Bad Godesberg which I was more familiar with having lived and worked there for 7.5 years. The first hotel I tried was fully booked for a bridge tournament. It was suggested I try the Park Hotel just around the corner. It was 80 € for a single room with b'fast. No amount of haggling could get her to lower the price. It was getting rather late, 6:00 PM, so I decided I had to pay the price. When I asked about storing my bicycle I was told I could bring it into the hotel. What a struggle I had getting it up the front steps and through the glass doors. The receptionist finally came to my aid and held the door open for me. After removing my panniers I was able to store my bike in a storage room just opposite the reception area. Once settled in I went downstairs to the reception to ask about Wi-Fi service. I was told it would cost 4.95/hour for the Internet. I decided to go and get something to eat and update my journal while waiting. I found a Bavarian restaurant just around the corner and although I had to wait for quite some time before getting any service I did manage to get a nice cold frosty beer and a Chicken Cordon Bleu dish which was nothing to rave about but I was so hungry it didn't really matter.
Must get an early night's rest as it's off to Koblenz bright and early tomorrow.
Cheers, Roly
Because I had no Internet service I thought I would be clever and type this up in NotePad then just cut and paste it into my Blog. No way. Notepad is a .txt document and my Blog is HTML. Tried to cut and paste and save my document in Word but that didn't work either. Anybody have any clever ideas about how to prepare an HTML draft???

2011-06-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

Day 9 - Thursday, June 2, 2011 - Tongeren to Kohlscheid - Trip 65.71 kms Avg 14.86 kph

Had a bit of a rough night due to leg cramps. I guess I have to lay off the alcohol!!! I was up at the crack of dawn and went down for breakfast. No one else in the dining room. Everything was fresh. You get what you pay for. Was even given the choice of decaf coffee plus orange juice, cereal with banana, etc... I was about to take a hard boiled egg for later on my way out when I noticed a sign which said "these eggs have not been cooked yet". Grabbed some BabyBel cheese instead.
Before checking out I wanted to find an ATM where I could get some cash to pay for my hotel bill. I was told to go about 10-15 minutes walk to the Town Hall and there would be an ATM behind it. I set off on the cobble stones and walked for about 10 minutes and once again asked for directions from a local who was about to have his morning cuppa coffee. He said I needed to keep going another 500 metres and I would find a bank on the right. Found the bank but the ATM spit out my card. Went inside and tried a 2nd time and was able to get some cash. Back to the hotel on the cobble stones, pay the bill, collect my panniers and my bike and set off for Bonn at 9:15 AM. Oh by the way, I did manage to talk the hotel receptionist into reducing my room rate to 80 €. A savings of 10 €.
Lots of loooong hills plus steady head wind made for slow progress. Lots of cyclist, hikers, etc. Must be a holiday? Stopped in Maastricht for lunch. Saw a very nice BRG Triumph TR3 and a guy with a set of whiskers that could win any moustache contest hands down.

Passing through Kohlscheid I was running low on water so decided to go into a hotel/bar and get my water bottles re-filled. It turned out to be a biker bar. The manager, Tina, was all dressed up in Harley Davidson gear and had her HOG parked out front. I had managed to cycle 65 kms at this point so decided if the price was right I would stop and spend the night in Kohlscheid. A room with breakfast turned out to be 48 € so I parked Rocky and went in for a beer. Only problem was, because of the holiday (Father's Day) the bar was very noisy and full of smoke. But it had Wi-Fi which I was eventually able to get set up after Tina gave me the proper code.
NB Ron & Tony & Lynda: This bar also featured JagerMeister on tap. A total of 4 l in the chilling tank and 3 l in reserve on top.

Fortunately the "Fathers" went home early and the Oompahpah noise died down around 10:30 PM so I was able to get a good night's sleep.
Tchuss, Roly

Day 8 - Europe 2011

2011-06-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

Day 8 - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - Brussels to Tongeren Trip 109.21 kms Time 7:04:39 Avs 15.23 kph

With the help of all the meds I was able to get a decent night's sleep so decided I would pack up and set off for Bonn. I had checked the route out on Google Maps and knew that it was going to take me at least 2 or 3 days to reach Bonn as it was over 200 kms which translated into my GPS usually turns out to be much greater.
By the time I got up at 7:20 AM Vivien had already left for work. I quickly had some breakfast, packed my panniers and after loading them up on my bike set off for Kortenberg which my GPS told me was only 16 kms away. By the time I finally did get to Kortenberg I had clocked 26 kms. I stopped and went into a Super Mache DelHaize to get some bananas, chicken sandwich, choclate milk and a slice of rice custard pie. 7.32 €.
Next I set my GPS for Leuven which was a further 26 kms down the road. Not so. By the time I got to Leuven I had covered 56 kms and my tummy and my butt were telling me it was time to stop and take a break and have some lunch. The BBQ chicken sandwich and custard pied washed down with chocolate milk was a very refreshing lunch which I had in a park along the route.
At 6:00 PM I had reached Tongeren after passing through Sint-Truiden. As it was getting rather late and I was pretty tired I decided to find a place to stay for the night. The first hotel that came up on my GPS was the Ambiotel just a couple of kms away. I did eventually find it in the town square which was taken over by vendors. So pedestrian traffic only. I had to walk through a very crowded cobble-stoned square for about 200 metres before reaching the main entrance to the hotel. Eventually the receptionist, who was doubling as a waitress, came over and informed me that it would be 90 € for a single room for the night including breakfast. I decided to try my luck elsewhere. I managed to find the "Chemin De Fer" hotel not far off but it was fully booked which was probably a good thing because it did look a bit dodgy. I returned to the Ambiotel deciding that since I had had several nights free accommodation and I had cycled 109 kms I deserved a little pampering. After checking in and locking up my bike in the shed around back of the hotel I carried my bags up to my room.
I needed to find an ATM so I could get some more cash to pay for my food and lodging. I walked around the square and so on and eventually asked for directions to the nearest bank/ATM where I could get some cash. I was pointed back in the direction I had come from but a slightly different route where I was able to find a KBC ATM but it was out of cash. Turns out it was right behind my hotel and I could see it from my room.
I had enough money for dinner so decided I would wait until morning to do my banking and hopefully by then the ATM would be replenished.
Went past the hotel into the main square and had dinner at the Grand Cafe Royal. I hate walking on cobble-stones especially in sandals. Dinner turned out to be OK except for the smokers in the room next to where I was seated. Three beers, a shnitzel natuur, frieten and mayo cost 20.60 € I began to feel somewhat better.
Went back to my room and tried to get on the free Wi-Fi but I was to exhausted to do any typing on my Blog.
More to follow

Day 7 - Europe 2011

2011-06-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Day 7 - Tuesday, May 31, 2011 - Brussels
Had a very rough night due to a sore throat and runny nose. Decided to postpone my departure for Bonn until tomorrow. First of all I had to see a doctor to see if I could get something to kill my throat infection. Vivien was able to get the name of a nearby doctor from her friend that she met on the NATO shuttle bus on her way to work and sent me a text. I called the doctor's office at 8:30 and was able to get an appointment for 3:00 PM. It was a long time to wait to see the doctor but much better than going to the hospital clinic and waiting in line for who knows how long. I got to the doctor's office 20 minutes early (it was a lot closer than I thought) and was given shit by the receptionist for not ringing the bell before entering the doctor's clinic. I told her I had an appointment to see Dr. Catherine Liétaer. I noticed several more people came into the clinic without ringing the bell and they didn't get in trouble. What's up with that, heh! Eventually the doctor came to get me. She turned out to be much more pleasant than her receptionist who had disappeared. After a very thorough examination of my breathing, ears, throat, blood pressure, etc. the doctor prescribed a course of Amoxicilline and Paracetamol. She then wanted me to pay her 28 € for my visit. I assumed she wanted me to pay at the reception on the way out but she insisted on collecting the fee herself. I guess she didn't trust her receptionist. I was able to get my Rx filled at the pharmacy next door for a mere 13 € and returned to the apartment to start taking my medicine. I was starting to get antsy about getting on with my tour and not overstaying my welcome at the Kaye's. Vivien also gave me some Rhini-San, a nasal decongestant, and that really helped me get a good night's sleep.
Since I had used up all my credits on my new Mobistar mobile trying to contact Medoc who told me I first of all had to call Mondial Assistance to open a case file I decided to install Skype on my daughter's NoteBook which I did but then I couldn't remember my account name. It had been a while since I'd used Skype. By this time Vivien had arrived home and since she had Skype installed on her laptop she was able to track me down and give me my username "rdmailloux". Once I got logged in to Skype I was able to purchase 10 € worth of credits and made the call to Mondial to let them know that I had been to see a doctor and had gotten an Rx for medication. Well what an ordeal that was. The guy on the other side of the pond didn't have a clue about what he was doing. I guess he was having trouble hearing me. But he wouldn't shut up long enough to let me finish what I was saying. In the end we finally managed to get all the information that he needed. I must have been on the "phone" with him for almost an hour and it only cost me .50 €. I love Skype.
Cheers, Roly

2011-05-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

Day 5 & 6 - Sunday/Monday, May 29/30, 2011 - Brussels

Sunday was a rather quiet day staying in all day just resting up and catching up on old times. We did watch the Monaco Grand Prix which was really great as we were able to get it on BBC1 with uninterupted coverage for the entire race with the announcers Martin Brundle, David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan, etc who really know their stuff and make watching the race all that more interesting. Compared to the Spanish GP, which I watched on TSN before leaving Ottawa, which was covered by SpeedChannel for the first hour or so then BBC for the rest. The Speed guys really don't have a clue about what is going on.
Later on in the evening we went out to a local Chinese restaurant for dinner. Spring rolls (2 each), Special House Noodles (for me), Chicken Chop Suey (for Vivien), a glass of white wine (for Vivien) and a 1/4 l of red wine for me cost 39.50 €.
While at the restaurant I asked the manager/waiter if he knew of a nearby shop where I could get my "Orange" mobile unlocked. He recommended a shop called TPH (The Phone House) Tongres at 20 rue de Tongres an area which Vivien was familiar with and which was within walking distance of her apartment on A.J. Slegers.

Monday I decided I would cycle to the TPH shop and see if I could get my French mobile sorted out. After a short ride of less than 2 kms I arrived at 20 rue de Tongres using back streets there was very little traffic.
I stopped at an Apothek (drug store) on the way to get something for my sore throat which I seem to have gotten from my freezing flight on AirTransat and the subsequent chilly, windy, rainy bike ride from Amsterdam to Rotterdam. I asked the pharmacist for Strepcils and she produced a rather large box from behind the counter. I asked if there were a smaller size and she replied everything comes in a large size in Belgium. While she was ringing up my purchase she started coughing so I offered her one of my Strepcils - at a price of course!!!
Unfortunately TPH was not able to unlock my mobile. I was beginning to think that the Orange phone was not such a good purchase after all. It seems I would have to go to France to get it unlocked. He recommended the Mobistar shop next door who had some sort of connection with Orange France. They might be able to unlock this Albatross.
Once again after fiddling with my mobile for 5-10 minutes I was told I would have to go to France, possibly Lille, to get my phone unlocked. Or I could try calling the Orange Customer Service number and ask for the code that would unlock my phone. I said how can I call them when my mobile is not working thinking that she might volunteer to call them for me. People were starting to line up behind me so that didn't get much of a reaction.
I then asked how much was it going to cost me to get a simple mobile that would work in all of Europe that wasn't locked as I planned to cycle all the way to Turkey. She didn't even bat an eye lash and said she had a Samsung mobile for 15 € plus whatever amount I wanted to put on it. In the end I paid 40 € for my new Belgian unlocked Samsung mobile which I was assured would work anywheres. We'll see about that.
I had specially chosen to wear my Canada jersey and sure enough a gentlemen who was hanging out in the Mobistar shop (I think he had the hots for the salesperson who was pretty hot herself) approached me and asked me if I was from Canada. I said yes. He then told me he was married to a Canadian from Montreal who worked as a locally engaged political officer at the Canadian Embassy. He turned out to be a Greek taxi driver and a bit later when I was standing on the corner trying to figure out which direction to take in order to get to Saint Josse Ten Noode, my old neighbourhood, he was able to point me in the right direction.
It was only a short 3 or 4 km ride to Pl. Saint Josse Ten Noode but nothing seemed familiar expecially along Ch. de Louvain. Once again I thought I had been transported to the Middle East. I wandered around on my bike for about 1/2 an hour until I came to a square that looked liked it could possibly have been where my apartment had been. Sure enough it turned out to be Pl. Armand Steurs. These were the two names I remembered from my past (1965-67) when I lived there.
I rode into the park on my bike, which was totally deserted. Stopped in the middle of the park to take a picture and out of nowhere (he must have been hidding in amongst the bushes) came a park warden who told me I wasn't allowed in the park with my bicycle. I explained that I was from Canada and that I had lived in one of the apartments across from the park in the 60s and that I just wanted to take a couple pictures. He and his partner who came to help said OK and left. After taking a few snaps I went over to a nearby café for lunch and a couple beers. They had Jupiler on tap (I would have preferred Stella Artois) but when your thirsty you have to make do. By this time I had worked up quite a thirst. The temperature was in the high 20s.
After lunch I cycled back to Slegers, had some hot tea with honey to sooth my sore throat and lay down for a nap.
I've mapped out my route for tomorrow from Brussels to Bonn. I've decided to skip Dusseldorf and Cologne having been there several times in the past. I'll probably have to stop around Maastricht as I don't expect I'll be able to cycle it all in one day. On the other hand the weather forecast for tomorrow is not looking very promising. It's dropping down to 14C tonight with thunderstorms and high winds, etc. Vivien has said I can stay as long as I like but I don't want to overstay my welcome.
This Notebook is tuning out to be quite an asset. I'm not sure if I like that or not but it sure is handy for keeping in touch and keeping my blog up to date.
Cheers, Roly

Day 4 & 5 - Europe 2011

2011-05-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Day 4 & 5 Sunday/Monday May 29/30, 2011 Brussels

Sunday was spent mostly resting catching up on old times. We did watch the Monaco Grand Prix on BBC1 which was uninterupted coverage with Martin Brundle, David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan and company. What a change from the Spanish GP which I watched on TSN before leaving Ottawa. The Spanish GP was covered by SpeedChannel for the 1st hour or so and by BBC after that. Those guys from Speed don't have a clue what's going on!!!

Later on in the evening we went out to a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner. Our meal of spring rolls with chicken (2 each), Special House Noodles (for me), Chicken Chop Suey (for Vivien), a glass of white wine for Vivien and a 1/4 l of red wine for myself cost 39.50

Day 3 - Europe 2011

2011-05-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

Day 3 Saturday, May 28, 2011 Breda, NL to Brussels, BEL
Trip 127.62 kms Time 8:29:59 Average 15.28 kph (I think I spent about 20 kms getting lost)

Having had a good night's rest I was up bright and early (6 AM) to get an early start for Brussels. When I went to the breakfast room at 6:30 it was still locked up. I went over to the restaurant next door and the manager told me breakfast wasn't until 7 AM on weekends. I went back to my room and did some packing while waiting. At 7 I again checked the breakfast room and it was still locked up. Then I noticed a sign that said breakfast wasn't served until 8 AM on weekends. I went back over to the restaurant/hotel thinking I would ask for a refund and go somewhere else for b'fast. When I told the manager that b'fast wasn't until 8 AM next door he said I could have b'fast in the restaurant. Wow!!! what a spread. There was juice, bread, buns, baguette, cereals, eggs, bacon, cheeses, cold cuts, fruit, yogurt, etc. Needless to say I had a very good b'fast.

I then went back to my room to finish packing and just as I was loading my panniers on my bike noticed that my handlebar pannier was missing. I had forgotten it in the restaurant in my hurry to leave once I had stuffed my jersey pocket with a hard boiled egg, etc which I would save for lunch later. I quickly went back to the restaurant and my pannier was still sitting on the chair where I had left it. Wew!!! What a relief.

The night before I had gone on Google Maps and checked out the route from Breda to Brussels and had written down all the villages, towns, cities that I would be passing trough on my way. Using the list I had made I set up my GPS for the next village which was Rijsbergen about 16 kms down the N263. I had to negotiate my way through several side streets before reaching the main road but once there I was only able to cycle at around 18 kph due to a head wind which I was to have to put up with for most of the day.

Some of the towns I passed through were Zundert, Gooreind, Merksem, Boom, Meise, and finally Brussels. Progress was quite slow due to that damn head wind, road works (usually in town) and detours. I managed to reach the Dutch/Belgium border at around 10 AM. The road conditions changed quite dramatically. Much rougher and not so well maintained as they were in Holland. I stopped for a break at 10:30 to eat a sausage pastry which I had bought in a bakery in Holland. It had a rich spicy tomato ketchup like sauce baked into the pastry with the sausage which was very tasty.

Eventually I reached the outskirts of Antwerp. This is where the Belgian road works began. When the Belgians tear up a street to do repairs they block it off completely. Well almost. I was still able to get through with my bike but eventually paid the price for ignoring the detour signs. I ended up having to negotiate several stretches of very rough gravel. Getting through Antwerp took about 2 hours. Very complicated GPS directions. Had to reset it several times. It was quite a relief to finally get out of Antwerp. By this time I was getting pretty hungry so decided to stop at a corner gas station to see if I could get a snack. There was a sandwich bar but it was closed on weekends. The attendant very kindly directed me back down the street to a Snack Shack which was just 50 metres away. It was set back from the main road and somehow I had missed it when passing by earlier. I was able to order a very tasty ham, cheese, vegetables, mayo sub on a baguette with a large diet coke for 3.45 E. There were tables and chairs set out on the patio in front of the shop so I was able to sit outside and enjoy a pleasant lunch. It was a very popular place as a steady stream of customers kept coming and going while I sat and enjoyed my meal.

I had told Vivien, my friend who lives in Brussels, that I would be arriving around 4 PM. I stopped to take a picture of the "Welcome to Brussels" sign at 10:09 AM which would be 4:09 PM local time. I then set up my GPS to find 397 ave. AJ Slegers which was about another 8.6 kms or so my GPS reckoned. I somehow managed to get way off track and after cycling 5 or 6 kms was still no where near Woluwe St. Lambert the district that Vivien lived in. That gave me the idea to reset the GPS for Woluwe St. Lambert which was still 8.3 kms away. This seemed to be the right way to go as soon I was not far from my destination. But by this time it was getting quite late, going on 6 PM so I stopped at a corner bar and went in to call Vivien to let her know that I had run into some difficulty finding her place and should be there in another half hour or so. With about 3 kms to go my GPS battery started giving me a warning that the battey was about to die. At this point I had covered over 120 kms and so was I about to die!!! I stopped to write down all the directions that were left to do (about a dozen of them) and continued on my way. With about three more turns to go the GPS died. I stopped several people to ask for directions to Slegers since I was so close. The third person I asked was able to help out and I finally arrived at 397 ave. A.J. Slegers at 6:30 PM.

I've tried to upload a couple of pictures that I've taken so far but it was taking forever so had to give up.

Tot Straks, Roly

Day 2 - Europe 2011

2011-05-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

Day 2 Friday, May 27, 2011
Rotterdam to Breda - Distance 91 kms Duration 5 hrs Average Speed 17.84 kph

I left the 2 star hotel at 10:00 (can't remember the name of hotel as I paid cash and didn't get a receipt) and cycled around the block to the cellphone shop. The manager wasn't able to unlock my phone even with the access code. He said it had a special SIM card and only "Orange" could re-activate my SIM. He then tried to sell me a cellphone for 20 E with a bunch of minutes for 20 E which he assured me could be used anywhere in Europe. I decided to wait until I found an Orange dealer, possibly in Brussels before buying another cellphone.

I then set off for Brussels at 10:30 after trying to program my GPS to take me as far as Antwerp. The GPS froze up so I again tried to program it for Dordrecht. This seemed to be OK with the GPS which told me Dordrecht was only 16 kms away. I set off in the general direction and while waiting at an intersection for the lights to change I asked a local if I was headed in the right direction for Dordrecht/Breda (which I thought was in Belgium). He said I needed to follow the bike path along the river to the 2nd bridge and cross over to the south side then continue on to Dordrecht. I eventually got to the 2nd bridge but had a little trouble trying to figure out how to cross it. I ran into a couple of Telecom guys who were making a "pit stop" under the bridge. They were able to give me directions on how to cross the bridge.

There were several more bridges to cross before I finally began to see signs for Breda. By this time I had covered about 32 kms and the sign for Breda said it was another 34 kms to go. Never trust a GPS!!! Eventually, after several more stops to ask for directions, I managed to arrive in Breda at 3:15 PM. I decided that was enough cycling for the day which hadn't been to bad. Much better than yesterday with mostly a tail wind and sunshine but still a bit cool. Saw quite a few cyclist on road bikes praticing for the local "Tour de France". Both male and female but none bothered to acknowledge me. The Dutch tend to mind their own business unless you approach them and start the ball rolling.

I eventually was able to get a room at a Premiere Classe Hotel with Breakfast included and w/c and shower in the room for 60 E. I placed my bike and panniers in the room and went over to the restaurant/bar for a beer. A very large beer cost 4.50 E. I was able to log on to the free wi-fi services and check my email. Later I decided to have dinner in the restaurant. A glass of red wine, green salad and Lasagne Bolognaise cost 12.45 E.

The chef noticed I was wearing my Canada jersey and came over to chat with me. He was very curious about my cycling trip, where I was from, etc. He told me that recently a Canadian girl had been working in the kitchen but had recently returned to Canada. He was going on a tour to the USA and Canada in September but was not sure where he would be visiting. Probably NY and Niagara Falls.

Well that's all for today. Must get some rest for tomorrow's ride to Brussels.

Cheers, Roly

Day 1 & 2 - Europe 2011

2011-05-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

Day 1/2 Wednesday/Thursday, May 25/26, 2011
Ottawa to Toronto to Amsterdam to Rotterdam
Cycling: Trip 73.79 kms Time 5:40:07 Average 13.01 kph

I have a bit of time to spare before setting off for Brussels today, Friday, May 27, 2011, so I thought I would take the opportunity to start off my first report of how my trip is going so far.
My daughter dropped me off at Ottawa International Airport at 6:30 Wednesday, May 25. When I checked in at WestJet for my flight to Toronto, Jennifer, the WestJet agent, asked me how many bags I was checking. I said "3 bags and my bicycle". She then told me that the first bag was free and she would have to charge me $20 for the 2nd bag and $50 for the 3rd bag. She wasn't sure how much to charge for the bike. I mentioned AirTransat allowed 23kg for baggage and charged $30 for the bike. She then agreed to charge me $50 for the whole lot. Since I had only paid $79 plus taxes for my flight to TO I decided not to argue with her and paid the $50.
My bike and bags were waiting for me to be picked up when I deplaned in TO. I then had to wait 3.5 hours before I could check in at AirTransat for my flight to Amsterdam which departed at 18:20. Fortunately I was able to put my panniers and bike on a trolley which only cost $2.00 to rent.
Eventually when AirTransat ticket agents arrived I was 3rd in line waiting to check in. As expected I was charged $30 for shipping my bike from TO to Amsterdam. I then had to take my bike and panniers over to "oversize baggage" which was right next to the AirTransat checkin counter and put them on the oversize belt so they could be put through the x-ray machine for scanning. The security agent was a petite Philipinno lady and she asked me to do all the heavy lifting including having to go around the back of the x-ray machine to fetch one of my panniers as it hadn't properly registered on the machine.
There were a few empty seats on the Airbus A-300 and since I had pre-booked my seat at the rear of the plane where there were only two seats together I ended up sitting by myself. This allowed me to get a bit of sleep/rest before arriving in Amsterdam at 7:45 AM Thursday as I intended to cycled from Amsterdam to Rotterdam on arrival. The flight arrived 30 minutes early. After retrieving my panniers and bicycle, which all arrived in good shape, I cleared customs but not before being stopped by a customs officer who wanted to know where my bike came from. After telling him it came from Ottawa/Toronto he waved me on through.
It took me almost and hour to unwrap my bike, put the pedals back on and reset the handlebars and pump up the tires. I then changed into my cycling gear in a nearby washroom, programmed the GPS for Rotterdam (it took forever to calculate the route) and by 9:00 AM local time I was ready to set off.
Temperature was around 14 C but with the windchill factor it felt like 5 C. Man was it ever windy. Especially on one strectch of the route where I had to circle around a lake. I was almost blown off my bike several times. At times the head wind was so strong I could only pedal at about 12 kph. I had to stop several times to rest my legs which were becoming quite sore from the extra effort of having to constantly pedal against such a strong head wind. Add to that the fact that it would start raining for 10-15 minutes then clear up again. This happened several times. I eventually arrived in Rotterdam at 4 PM after a very strenuous cycling trip. Thank goodness it was all flat with well paved bicycle paths and quiet rural roads all the way. I must say though, that going through intersections and round-abouts was quite an ordeal, especially when making a left hand turn.
I cycled to a B&B which George Steeves had recommended but unfortunately it was fully booked. I then tried to find the local Youth Hostel but for some strange reason it was not to be found. GPS problem I think? On the way I had spotted a couple hotels so decided to go back and check them out. The first, The Bernier, was a 3 star hotel and they wanted 95 Euros for a single room with breakfast. I was able to negotiate the price down to 70 Euros without breakfast but still felt that was a bit to pricey. I then cycled to the next hotel which was a 2 star and only charged 50 Euros with breakfast for a single room. I decided that this was acceptable and checked in. The single room turned out to be up on the 4th floor with the elevator only going up to the 3rd floor. Negotiating the steep rather narrow stairs with all my baggage was to be my next challenge. I did managed to drag my sorry ass and my panniers up my room which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. It was so small you couldn't even swing a cat around in it. Even a monk's cell was larger than this sorry excuse for a single room. By this time I was so exhausted from the cycling and the stair climbing that I decided it would have to do and after all it was only for one night.
Well I'll have to sign off for now as I want to go back to the shop I found last night while I was out looking for a place to eat. I have to go back and see if I can get my European cellphone re-activated before setting off for Brussels.
I must apologize for any spelling errors, etc. I am using my daughter's NetBook which she has so kindly agreed to loan me for my trip, and it is proving to be quite a challenge. It keeps skipping back to a previous spot for some unexplicable reason. There it just did it again!!!!
Bye for now.

South Shields to Ottawa

2009-08-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law, Malcolm, had offered to drive me to Gatwick an offer I could not turn down. On Saturday, August 1, he came over to my mother-in-law's and we tried to squeeze my bike into the boot (trunk) of his Jag. There was no way it was going to fit even after having removed both front and rear wheels. I took the rear mudguard (fender) off. Still it wouldn't fit. I took the front mudguard off. No go!!! Finally I removed the rear carrier and with a bit of a shove we managed to get the boot lid shut.

Of course I could not leave without having one last dinner (lunch) prepared by Nana. Malcolm came over at 12:00 and joined us. By 1:00 we were finished eating and chatting, well, except for Nana. Nana, of course, was sad to see me leave. She had really enjoyed my helping her out with various odd jobs around the house and was sorry to see me leave with still many more projects that she needed a handy man to do for her.

It was a lovely sunny day and the drive down to the Hurtwood Inn Hotel in Peaslake was uneventful. We made good time and arrived at our lodgings for the night at 6:30 with the help of my GPS which took down some rather narrow but scenic roads. After checking in and carrying our bags up to our rooms we met at the bar for a pint of beer. After taking a few photos there wasn't much else to do so we had another pint and ordered dinner. I had just recently finished reading one of Agatha Christie's mystery novels and as we were sitting in the hotel pub I could just imagine Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple walking in and asking that all staff be assembled in the main dinning room so he/she could announce the results of their investigation into the most recent murder. Fortunately, no murder had been commited and we were able to enjoy and quiet, peaceful evening.

The following morning, after breakfast , Malcolm drove me to Gatwick Airport. I had considered putting my bike together and cycling from Peaslake to Gatwick but a second check of my GPS indicated that the distance was 26 miles. In the end it was a good decision to have Malcolm drop me off at the airport. On arrival at Gatwick Airport we found a quiet spot in a nearby McDonald's parking lot so I could put my bike back together. I said goodbye to Malcolm and thanked him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to drive me to the airport.

I arrived at the Thomas Cook check-in counter at 10:30 only to find out that I couldn't check in for my flight to Ottawa until 11:40. I joined the queue waiting to check-in. At 11:40 TC staff appeared and check-in began. There were several people ahead of me so it was after 12:00 before I finally managed to get to the counter. I had counted on TC having a plastic bag in which to wrap my bike (same as Air Transat provided me with in Montreal prior to my departure for Bordeaux) but this was not the case. I was told I might be able to get one from Oversize Baggage but first I had to go to TradeEx and pay 30 Pounds for shipping. I had trouble finding TradeEx and had to return to TC for further directions. On my second attempt I was more successful and after paying the 30 pounds went off to find a plastic bag. I tried several Oversize Baggage counters but they did not have any materials for packaging oversize objects let alone a bicycle. One guy suggested I try Left Luggage which was near the Arrivals exit. I made my way over there and asked the guy at the counter if he could help me wrap my bike for shipping to Ottawa. He promptly informed me that they didn't wrap bicycles. I told him I had tried everyone else and that I was desperate. He said I should wait 10 minutes for his colleague to return and he might be able to help. Eventually the 2nd guy arrived and he asked me to wait 10 minutes while he went off to look for a bag. He came back with an AirTransat bag and informed me it would cost 20 pounds!!! This was the same plastic bag that I paid $5 for in Montreal. What could I do. I had no other choice than to pay. After removing my pedals, loosening the handlebars and deflating the tires they proceeded to wrap up my bike. I must say they did a good job. Now all I had to do was walk it back to the TC counter to get my baggage label so I could then walk it over to the Excess Baggage counter and get it sent off to the baggage handlers. What a carry on. Needless to say by the time I got my bag over to EB I had worked up quite a sweat. I was quite releaved to see my bike disappear on the conveyor belt into the bowels of the baggage handling area.

My checking in ordeal was not quite over yet. I still had to clear the carry-on baggage security check before proceeding to the departure lounge. Now I have been in a lot of airports during my career with the Department of Foreign Affairs but I have never seen a queue as long as the one I had to join in order to get on the plane for Ottawa. Getting through the security took another hour. Thank goodness I had driven to the airport and not cycled I would never have had time to check-in, find a plastic bag, clear security, etc. otherwise. I had brought a spanner (wrench) with me in order to remove my pedals and had put it in my carry-on bag along with my pedals. When the security officer saw this wrench he immediately said that any sort of tools were not allowed on board airplanes in case I should get bored during the long flight back to Canada and start dismantling a wing or something. So my wrench was confiscated for the safety of all and I was allowed to proceed to the departure lounge.

The rest of the journey was non-eventful. We left on time, arrived 10 minutes early and my daughter eventually showed up at the airport to drive me home. When I collected my bike at oversize baggage I noticed that a couple of holes had been torn into the plastic wrapping. I also noticed that the valve caps and valve nuts had been completely removed and were now in the bottom of the plastic bag. Why the baggage handlers had to remove the valve caps and nuts is a mystery. Unless it was an internal security check and they removed my tires/tubes to check them for drugs/explosives???

All in all it was a fantastic trip and an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. The only thing I would do differently is try to travel a lot lighter next time. Pushing 50 lbs of extra weight up the mountains in France and the hills in England was not my idea of having a good time.

TTFN Roly

South Shields 27July09

2009-07-27T03:14:00.000-07:00

Continued from last post... From Boulmer, I set off on a narrow paved road which soon turned into two narrow rocky ruts mostly used by farm machinery. Nevertheless, I pressed on and soon arrived at a sandy beach where I had to get off and walk. There was a gate which I passed through, more sand and then a short narrow wooden bridge to cross. Once on the other side I was on a narrow uphill foot path for about 200 yds which then became two narrow rocky ruts again. All in all it was a stretch of about 1 km. There were quite a few people on the "beach" who had come by car. I was never so happy to reach the narrow paved road which eventually led me through Longhoughton and on to Howick. I had to negotiate a couple more gates, pass through a couple farm yards, complete with sheep dogs sunning themselves by the barns, before arriving at the Howick Hall Gardens. I cycled across a parking lot of sharp stones and stopped at the kiosk to enquire about my niece who lives at The West Lodge on the Howick Estate. The gentleman looking after the kiosk tried to call the nursery, where my niece helps out, but could not get an answer. I asked him if he knew where the West Lodge was. He said yes he knew where it was. When I asked if he would kindly point me in the right direction he hesitated. I then realized he expected me to pay the £5.00 entrance fee to the gardens before he would tell me how to get to the West Lodge. I was quite stunned and left in a huff. A few minutes later a guy wearing a Howick Gardens shirt showed up and asked if he could help me. I explained that I had cycled from Canada and was visiting my niece, Lindsey, who lived at The West Lodge with her partner Steve Tennant. He knew both Steve and Lindsey and agreed to show me the way. No charge!!! The Lodge was located about 1 km away on the other side of the gardens along a rutted rocky road. I arrived at 2 PM. After putting away my bags and bike we drove over to the nursery where Lindsey had to help out for awhile. I went for a walk into Craster about 2 kms away. There is a castle there and from a distance it looked very much like the castle on Holy Island which I had visited on a previous visit to England. I decided to go for a beer instead. On the way I passed a building with smoke coming out of it. The sign read "We smoke kippers". Sure smelled like it to.... After a nice pint of lager I walked back to the nursery where Lindsey was just about finished for the day. We drove back to her quaint little cottage where I was introduced to Steve who showed me the generators that were used to provide electricity for the cottage which dated back to 18?? There was a cast iron oven with a log fire burning in the fire place. When I asked Steve if the fire was to keep the damp off he explained to me it was used for heating and for providing hot water.
The following day I cycled back to South Shields stopping off in Alnwick to check out Barter Book Shop which, according to the Cycle Britain guide, is the largest 2nd hand book store in England. It was huge. I did manage to find a rare book that my son Keith asked me to look for. It will remain a surprise until I get home??? The day started off a bit drizzly but by the time I had reached Alnwick the skies had cleared up and the remainder of the ride home along the main roads was a very pleasant one. I arrived in North Shields at 1:20, waited for the ferry for 5 minutes, and sailed for South Shields at 1:30, arriving back home at 2:00. Total distance was 93.52 mi. (150 kms) Time 8:23:35
Saturday, before cycling to Sunderland for the annual airshow on the beach with my brother-in-law and nephew, I checked over my bike. There was a squeaking noise coming from the rear derailleur and the chain was skipping when in the lower gears (larger rear cogs). I also decided to clean up the front and rear rims. As I was wipping down the front rim I notice the tube was sticking out about 1/4 inch from a cut in the side wall of the tire. I can only think that this must have happened when I was cycling over the sharp rocks in the parking lot at Howick Gardens or along the rocky rutted paths along the Coast or through the gardens. Fortunately, I had brought some tire patches and was able to make the necessary repair before setting off for the ride to Sunderland.
Well that's about all the cycling I plan to do for now. I will be leaving South Shields on August 2nd driving down to London (Gatwick) with my brother-in-law, Malcolm. My return flight to Ottawa leaves at 15:40 on August 3rd and arrives in Ottawa same day at 18:25. My daughter, Lise, has agreed to meet me on arrival so, Barrie, thanks for the offer to pick me up but that won't be necessary.
Cheers, Roly

South Shields to Howick (near Alnwick)

2009-07-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

Thursday July 23rd. Finally got some decent weather so decided to cycle to Howick to visit my niece, Lyndsey, who lives at West Lodge at Howick Hall Estate. I left South Shields at 8:45 and cycled to the ferry crossing for North Shields. Only had to wait 5 minutes for the next ferry to arrive. The ferry crossing cost £1.10 and left at 9:15. It only took 10 minutes to cross over to N. Shields. I had my GPS on and noticed that the ferry was travelling at 10 mph. Once in N. Shields I followed the road along the coast passing through Whitley Bay, Seaton Sluice, Blyth,East Sleekburn, Ellington, Lesbury, Boulmer, Longhoughton and arriving in Howick at 2:00. A very flat ride with only a few easy climbs and a lovely tail wind to help me on the way. At Boulmer I came to a fork in the road and saw a sign forbiding cars from proceeding along the coast but allowing bikes. I asked a local if I could continue if I could get to Howick by going along the coastal route. He said I could but I would have to walk my bike for several hundred yards as there was no road/path and a narrow wooden bridge to cross. To be continued....

South Shields 18July09 Part V

2009-07-18T03:01:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, July 1st, I put on my Canada jersey (after all it was Canada Day) and cycled from Hartlepool to South Shields via Sunderland. When I set off I tried to set my GPS for Sunderland but for some unexplicable reason it couldn't seem to find it. I tried South Shields with the same results. I decided to follow the road signs for Sunderland and ended up on the A179/A19. I had wanted to follow the coast road but wasn't sure how to get on to it. Eventually I came to a sign pointing to Blackhall Colliery which, after checking my map, I found was on the coast. I turned right and headed for it. Somehow I ended up going south instead of directly east and ended up crossing over the A19 again, going through Hutton Henry and Wingate. In Wingate I tried setting my GPS for Ryhope which is just a bit south of Sunderland. My GPS was able to compute the route and eventually I was able to get over to the coast road but not for long. For some weird reason my GPS just didn't want me to go along the coast road!!! I arrived on the outskirts of Sunderland at noon and decided I would stop in at Jean and Ron Shaw's (Margy's aunt and uncle)home on Dovedale Road. They were expecting me and had saved a bit of lunch for me. After lunch, Ronnie who is 72 years old, decided to cycle the remaining 3.5 miles to South Shields with me in case I got lost. It was a fine sunny day with a bit of a tail wind so it only took us about 25 minutes to get to Nana's house on Leafield Crescent. Ronnie couldn't be persuaded to come in for a cup of tea as he had to get home to help Jean with the grandchildren and their paper routes. I put my bicycle away in the garage and brought my bags in the house. About an hour later, around 3:00 PM, the heavens opened up with a terrific thunderstorm. Talk about timing. I was glad to be safe and sound in Nana's house.
Hartlepoole to South Shields (+ detour) 57:51 kms time 3:25:40
TOTAL DISTANCE CYCLED: 2,832 KMS (1771 MILES)
That's all for now folks.....

South Shields 15July09 Part IV

2009-07-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 30th, I cycled from Whitby to Hartlepool. I just finished reading Barrie's comment to my last post. He wished me no more hills!!! Unfortunately this was not the case. In order to get on the highway towards Hartlepool I had to negotiate quite a steep climb up ChubbHill Road and I had only cycled 5 kms or so before I reached the first of several major hills. On the 2nd or 3rd climb as I was pushing my bike up the hill a girl passed me on her road bike. She had all the right cycling gear on and offered me encouragment. Jokingly, I asked her to throw me a tow rope. As she was cresting the hill she called back that she would carry one of my bags.... I suppose I would have had to catch up to her for that to happen. Anyways it's the thought that counts...so they say.
After crossing the Tees River I came to a large roundabout and took the wrong exit for Hartlepool. I had only gone a couple hundred yards when I came upon a barrier. It was the entrance to some sort of factory. I turned around and went back to the roundabout, stopped and decided to reset my GPS. A couple of teenagers on bikes stopped beside me and the lad asked me if I was going for a beer??? At least that's what I thought he said. I looked at him like he was from some other planet and of course I was thinking 'What kind of scam is this?' He pointed to his girlfriend's rear tyre (it was a British bike) and said did I have a patch. At this point I had cycled over 2500 kms and had yet to have a puncture (British for flat). I of course did have several patches and offered him one. The puncture was quickly repaired and once again I set off for Hartlepool. When I mentioned to my brother-in-law that I planned to stop in Hartlepool he told me that the countryside in this area was mostly industrial and therefore quite drab. He was right about that. Until I got to Seaton Carew, a lovely seaside resort. I must have passed about a 100 B&Bs but since it was only going on 2:00 PM I decided to push on for Hartlepool which was only another 10 or so kms up the coast. Another hill, push, push, push, hairpin turn, push, push, push. Finally made it up the hill. What a climb and what a spectacular view of the beach down below.
I arrived in Hartlepool at 3:00 (it was a really tough hill) but after that it was mostly flat. I rode around for 1/2 an hour looking for the T.I.C. There were several signs pointing to it but I'll be damned if I could find it. Finally I gave up and went back to a hotel/pub I had passed on the way into town. At least I thought it was a hotel and might have a room for the night. I went in and asked the barmaid if she had any rooms for the night. She informed me that they didn't do rooms. I asked if she knew where I might get a room for the night. She of course didn't and asked a couple of drunks sitting across the room if they knew of any hotels. They appeared to be in their 70's. One of them was wearing a skirt and was so pleased to help me find a place to stay for the night. I couldn't wait to get out of there. The barmaid suddenly remembered there was a hotel up the street and pointed me in that direction. I cycled to where she had directed me but again I'd be damned if I could find a hotel. I checked my GPS for hotels/motels and came up with the Grand Hotel not to far away. It was a Best Western. After locking up my bike, I went in to ask for a room. I noticed a sign on the reception desk stating rooms started at £75/night. That was a bit more than I wanted to pay but then I thought, after all it was my last night in a hotel. Unfortunately, or perhaps luckily, they were fully booked. The receptionist suggested I try the Hill Carter Hotel which was a three star hotel. I looked it up on my GPS and selected it. I ended up right back where the barmaid had sent me but again I'd be damned if I could find the entrance to the hotel. I went around front to the main street where there was an entrance to a pub. Locked my bike up (Hartlepool did not inspire a sense of security) and went up to the barmaid to ask about a room. She said I would have to go through several doors, etc and enquire at the hotel reception. What a carry on but in the end I did manage to get a room for the night with breakfast at £60. It turned out that there was a side door entrance to the hotel but there were no signs to indicate this. I have a feeling they must be missing out on a lot of customers seeing as how difficult it was to spot the entrance to their hotel. I was able to lock my bike up in a garage behind the hotel and carried my bags up to my room. Went back down to the pub for a couple of beers and updated my journal before going out to a Chinese restaurant across the street for dinner. By this time, 7:00 PM, the streets were virtually deserted. The OPEN sign outside the restaurant was lit up so I went in. Two ladies were sitting at a table which still had signs of a recent meal having been eaten there. I was quickly informed that they were closed. But I said your OPEN sign outside is lit up indicating that you are in fact OPEN. They assured me this was a mistake and that they were in fact closed and one lady kindly offered to give me direction to Timbuktoo where I might find another Chinese restaurant that might possibly be OPEN. I noticed there was a Thai restaurant a few doors away and said I would try it. It was OPEN and I had a wonderful meal including a dessert of deep fried bananas with ice cream. Walked back across the street to the "hotel" for a night cap. Not a soul in sight.
The next morning went up to the 4th floor for breakfast. Looked out the window at the church clock tower in the center of town and on the very top was a flag pole with the "i" symbol of the T.I.C!!!! Whitby to Hartlepool 79.31 kms Time 5:16:44

South Shields 12July09 Part III

2009-07-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 28th, left Dunswell at 9:20 after a very nice continental breakfast in my room. There was bananas, yogurt, cereal, juice, croissant, jams, tea or coffee. I cycled to Berveley (A1174) to Bridlington (A1035/A165) and stopped for lunch at 11:30. It was an overcast day and the route was quite hilly. I had hoped to make it to Whitby but by 2:00 I had only made it as far as Scaroborough. It was starting to get a big foggy so I decided to stop for the day. I found a nice hotel for £30/night with a nice view looking down a street towards the sea front. I put my bike away in a passageway below the stairs and took my bags up to my room. I went back down to the bar and asked about internet access (no luck) and a launderette (just down the street but closed on Sundays). So I had to settle for a beer. A small bus load of senior citizens arrived but otherwise I seemed to be the only guest in the hotel. I went for a walk into the centre of town to find a place to have dinner. It felt like a ghost town and of course with the fog coming in pretty thick I had an uncomfortable feeling. I managed to find an Italian restaurant and had a pleasant meal. I decided to walk back along the sea front to return to my hotel. By this time it was really getting quite foggy and I could barely make out some people down below on the beach walking their dogs. I made it to the funicular which was still in operation and after paying 70p rode up to the top of the embankment and walked up to my hotel. Had a glass of red wine to calm my nerves before going off to bed. Dunswell to Caistor 68.42 kms Time 4:03:04
Monday, 29June09. Before setting off for Whitby I decided to go to the lauderette and do some laundry. While there I met a mother and her 30 year old son who were also getting their laundry done before heading off to Whitby. I asked them to watch out for me as I would be cycling there. I set off for Whitby at 10:45, a bit late in the day, but it was only a 35 kms trip according to my GPS. What a ride though. There were several very steep hills 3 of which I had to get off my bike and walk. A cyclist with a small satchel on the back of his bag passed me on one of the hills. I later on caught up to him when I stopped at a holiday trailer park cafe for lunch. We had a nice chat and he warned my that there were still a couple more wicked hills to go before arriving in Whitby. I arrived in Whitby at 2:00 and headed straight for the T.I.C. to see if I could get some information on B&Bs for the night. On the way out I ran into the son who I had met at the launderette in Scarborough. He was quite pleased to see that I had arrived safely and said he would let his Mom know. Whitby was a far more interesting looking seaside resort compared to Scarborough and the weather was much improved. What a crowd of people wandering about the sea front. I had to get off my bike and walk it was so crowded. At the T.I.C. I was told that most of the B&Bs were located up Chubbhill Road so hopped on my bike and headed over there. By this time I was pretty tired and rather than try to go up to the top of Chubbhill to find a cheaper hotel stopped at the first one I came up to. Instead of £35 I ended up paying £40 but it was worth it to avoid having to cycle up one more hill. After settling in for the evening I walked into town for dinner. I was amazed to see that all the people had disappeared!!! and all the shops had closed with the exception of a couple hotel bars/restaurants. I managed to get some fish (Whitby Cod) and chips for dinner. Walked back to Big Sky B&B and watched a bit of Wimbledon on the telly. Scarborough to Whitby, N. Yorkshire 35.62 kms Time 2:28:29

South Shields 04 July 09 Part II

2009-07-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 27th. Left Caistor at 9:25 AM and cycled to Barton Upon Humber via Brigg. Arrived at 11:30 AM and stopped at a petrol station convenience store for a sandwich and coke. Cycled across the Humber Bridge which had a seperate path for pedestrians and cyclists. When It was first built the Humber Bridge was the longest single span bridge in the world. After crossing the bridge I ended up in a huge car park. It took me 1/2 an hour to figure out how to get out of there and back on the proper road heading towards Bridlington. It took awhile to get through Kingston Upon Hull and as a result I ended up arriving in Dunswell at 2:00 PM. I saw a sign at the Ship Inn advertising rooms so went in and booked a room for the night. As a bonus there was a Chinese Restaurant not far away across the street. I was really looking forward to some nice chinese food for dinner that evening. After a couple of beers and getting my journal up-to-date I walked over to the Chinese restaurant. They were fully booked for the evening. But, I said, I've cycled all the way from Canada just to taste some of your fine Chinese cuisine. A young manager overheard me mention "Canada" and said something to the hostess in Chinese and the next thing you know she had a table set up for me in front of the bar and I was able to order. It turned out to be a really excellent meal. They were so nice to me and kept checking to see if everything was OK and if I needed anything else. After paying my bill the hostess came over and asked me all about my cycling trip. After dinner I returned to The Ship Inn for a nightcap. It was packed out but inspite of that I was able to get a drink and find a spot to sit down before going off to bed. The bar was decorated with all sorts of maritime/shipping artifacts and one in particular was a ships plaque taken off the engines which had NEWCASTLE stamped on it. I asked a couple of people sitting at the bar if they wouldn't mind moving so I could get a picture of the bar and the plaque above it explaining that my final destination was South Shields which was right next to Newcastle. Of course they were all very curious about my cycling trip and wanted to know where I would stop next. When I said Scarborough they all recommended that I go a little further to Whitby which was much nicer. By they I mean the bartender, waitress, cook, and patrons who were in the bar at the time. One gentleman, who worked for the railways, also offered to drive me from South Shields to London, Gatwick, if I needed a drive to get to my return flight to Canada. He gave me his name and phone number and said I could call upon him at any time if I needed help. Caistor to Dunswell 57.39 kms Time 3 hrs 49 mins Weather sunny mid 20's C. Some difficult hills.

South Shields 04 July 09 Part II

2009-07-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

South Shields 04 July 09

2009-07-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken me so long to getting around to updating my blog. I finally reached my final destination, South Shields, on Wednesday after leaving Hartlepool and stopping at Aunty Jean's and Uncle Ron's for lunch on the way.
Since leaving Ipswich on June 24th I cycled to Ely, Cambridgeshire and stayed at a lovely B&B managed by Mrs. A. Coupe. According to her she started the first B&B in Ely 35 years ago. They had a very lovely back garden, big enough to have a game of crocket. After securing my bike in the garage and taking my bags up to my room I sat out on the back patio enjoying a drink of coke and updating my journal. There were vines all up the side of the house as high as the roof. Several times I had to duck as a couple of Collared Doves kept buzzing me. The next day when I came down for breakfast I noticed the security light was hanging down much lower than the day before and that there was a nest with an egg in it that had been exposed. So that's what that ruckus was all about. Ispwich to Ely 108 kms in 5 hrs 52 mins. Weather sunny mid 20's C.
On Thursday, June 25th, I cycled from Ely to Boston. I stoppedin Wisbech for lunch and arrived in Boston at 4:00 PM. Very strong cross-head winds especially from oncoming lorrys which nearly ripped my helmet off on one occasion. After that I kept my head down when an uncoming lorry passed me. When I arrived in Boston at 4:00 PM the streets leading into the centre of town were blocked off and police were re-directing traffic. I explained to a policewoman that I was trying to get to the Tourist Information Centre so I could get information on B&Bs for the night. She said I could walk my bike over the round-about and across the bridge and the TIC was on the right. Once over the bridge there was no traffic and I saw a hotel about a 100 yards ahead so I went in and asked if they had a room for the night. They were fully booked. The manageress explained there had been a couple of bombs go off in the town protesting a military parade or something like that. She took me over to the TIC which was across the street but it was closed. She then told me about another hotel a few blocks away that might have a room for the night. I cycled there and again they were fully booked. They told me to go a little further down the road but I saw a hotel across the street/parking lot so decided to give it a try and was able to get a room at £60 which included b'fast for the night. It was getting late and because of the situation re bombs I decided to take the room for the night. After securing my bike in a back shed and taking my bags up to my room I went down to the bar for a beer. The manager/bartender said she had been called in on an emergency basis and had to come home and change before starting the night shift. I was left all alone in the bar and in the whole darn hotel I think. I must have sat there for about 1.5 hours before she returned. I was hoping no one came in and asked for a room or a drink. What would I do??? Eventually she returned and I ordered dinner. Spent a quiet night with the exception of the occasional emergency vehicle going by with its siren blasting away. Ely to Boston 94.36 kms Time 5 hrs 27 mins Weather sunny/windy mid 20's C.
On Friday, June 26th, I cycled from Boston to Caistor. At 4:00 AM before getting up I heard my mobile (cell phone) ring once. When I got up I checked to see what sort of message I had been sent. It was a message informing me that Michael Jackson had died at age 50 of a heart attack. After b'fast I collected my bike from the back shed, loaded my bags, and set off for Horncastle arriving at 11:00 AM. To early for lunch so I just had a snack and pushed on for Caistor. On the way I passed a chip wagon on the B1225. Pulled in and had a nice cheeseburger and coke before setting off for Caistor again. I suggested to the owner that she should have a picnic table to people could sit down and enjoy there food. She said if she had a table then she would have to provide toilets. Go figure!!! Arrived Caistor at 2:00 PM. No hotels listed in GPS. Cycled to local library to see if I could get info on accommodation. Itwas closed. Went a little further into town and stopped at a local convenience store. There someone was able to direct me to the White Hart pub who might have a room available. Once again I got lucky. They had a room above the pub with the biggest HDTV I had yet to come across in all the hotels I had stayed in. Mind you could still only get 4 TV stations. Met several people in the bar one who had been to Canada on a business trip and had not wanted to come back. I went up to bed at 10:30 PM. The bar was really doing a roaring business but fortunately by 11:30 the noise had all but died off and I was able to get a good night's sleep.

2009-06-23T03:38:00.000-07:00

First day I haven't gotten up at the crack of dawn and started cycling. Decided to take full advantage of Sally and Rich's hospitality and get some serious Internet time. Have managed to catch up on all my e-mails and have also managed to figure out how to post pictures on my blog. It's a bit slow pulling an image off of the SD card but it does work. It's a beautifully sunny day so I think I'll take advantage of the nice weather and go for a walk about and take some more photos. Cheers, Roly

Departure Day

2009-06-23T02:42:00.000-07:00

Ottawa, May 23, 2009

Getting ready to start the cycling trip.

Calais to Ipswich June 18-21

2009-06-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Arrived at Sally and Rich's home in Ipswich this morning at 1045. I first met Sally in Bonn in 1977 when she was working with Margaret at the British Embassy. She has invited me to stay for as long as I like but I think she may change her mind in a day or two. We went for a walk on the common today with their dog, Cody, who had a great time playing with other dogs, terrorizing local golfers, chasing rabbits/birds and going for a swim in the local pond.
Since leaving Calais on June 18th I have travelled by ferry to Dover (1.5 hour crossing). I left Calais at 9:30 and arrived in Dover at 10:00 local time. There was an hours difference between France and England. I was amongst the first to get on the ferry but on arrival in Dover had to wait until everyone had gotten off before I was allowed to get off. I was the only cyclist. I was told to follow the red line until I got to a gate where I had to press the buzzer and someone would come and let out of the dockyard area into the customs area.
The customs officer was very curious about where I had come from and where I was travelling to. We had a 10-15 minute chat and he wished me well and warned me about keeping to the left. I cycled to Canterbury where I was eventually able to find an cash point (ATM) so I could get some English pounds. I had stopped at a petrol station earlier on the A2 but they wouldn't accept Euros. I found a pub and went in to have lunch. A bowl of soup and a coke cost me £5. Wow have prices ever gone up since the last time I was in UK. I know I should have taken more time to take in the sights of Canterbury but I thought it would be cheaper to find a place to stay for the night if I was in a smaller village so I set off for Sittingbourne. I couldn't find and B&Bs or hotels and eventually after talking to a couple of bus drivers was directed to the Premier Inn about 4 kms out of town. At this point I had done 78+ kms plus the 1.5 hours on the ferry so when I was told that a room for the night would cost £64 I just capitulated and thought of it as 64 dollars. If I had waited to arrive on Friday the rate would had been £59. Go figure. I refused to pay £8 for breakfast and thought I would take my chances with breakfast at the nearby McDonalds.
Had dinner in the nearby Bobbing Apple and went off to bed for a good nights rest.
The following morning went over to McDs for sausage McMuffin breakfast, hot chocolate and cost me only £3.
From Sittingborough I cycled to Brentwood crossing over the Thames at Gravesend to Tilbury. Only pedestrians and cyclists allowed on this small ferry which cost £2.70 and took about 15 minutes to make the crossing. Before the Dartford bridge and tunnel were built this was a major ferry crossing point. Arrived in Brentwood at 2:00 PM. Found a room at the Holiday Inn for £59. Once again I had to decline the breakfast at £12.99 and decided to stop at a Tesco or petrol station convenience store to get a bite to eat for breakfast. Cost to use the internet was £3 for 15 minutes.
There was a wedding function going on at the hotel that evening and of course several of the wedding guests decided to make a night of it and carry on into the wee hours of the morning. Finally at midnight I'd had enough. My room was right next to the main reception area which was next to the bar. I called the reception desk and complained about the excessive noise and told them if they didn't do something about it I would have to demand a refund. About 10-15 minutes later the noise stopped but I was so pissed off I had a difficult time getting to sleep!!!!
Saturday, June 20, it was off Colchester. But before setting off I called a B&B there to make a reservation for the night. The 2nd one had a room for me for the night at £45. According to my GPS it was a 60 km ride to Colchester. As I approached Colchester I plugged in the address of the B&B and was told it was another 14 kms. I ended up taking some very narrow country lanes and eventually came to a cul-de-sac (dead end) which lead into a forest. I tought there must be something wrong so chose to ignore the GPS and went the opposite way for about 2-3 kms. No sign of Colchester or the B&B. I returned to the dead end and went around the barrier and through the forest for about .5 kms. It came out on a paved road. Still no sign of the B&B. I gave up on finding the B&B and programmed the GPS for Colchester. Ended going over some of the route I had already cycled. I arrived in Colchester at 4:00 PM. By this time I had done 95 kms and it was only supposed to be 60 kms!!! A light rain had started to fall. I called the B&B and was told that they were located in Earls Colne about 8 miles outside of Colchester. They just had the same postal code!!! Since I had already booked and given them my credit card info I set off in search of the B&B. I did eventually find it and was given a nice comfortable room for the evening. Total distance cycled 114.89 kms 6 hrs 49 mins. Freshened up after unloading the bags and walked into town to the Lion Pub for dinner where I'm sure the locals enjoyed watching me eat a very hot lasagne and burning my mouth. Oh by the way no McDs or petrol stations available for breakfast so had to paid £8 for a cooked breakfast.
On Sunday I set off for Ipswich a short ride of 57 kms which took me 3 hrs 35 mins very hilly and a bit of rain slowed me down quite a bit. I did arrive at 12:00 but by the time I managed to find a suitable hotel for the night it was 2:00 PM. I stayed at the Carleton Hotel at £39 for the night which included a full English breakfast. Go figure.
I managed to catch the last 20 laps of so of the British GP at Silverstone. Possible the last F1 race at Silverstone - not sure why?? I looked to a lauderette and found one just a half a block away but it was closed at 2 PM on a Sunday. So had to wait until this morning to get my laundry done. There goes the smoke detector so I think"tea" is ready.
Cheerio, Roly

Calais 17June09

2009-06-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

Well I finally made it to Calais. I arrived at 2 PM qnd first stop was at Office du Tourisme where I was able to get information regarding a Cyber Cafe, hotels/B&Bs and a Lavarie (laundrymat). I booked a room for the night at a B&B and went off to find the Cyber Cafe. Of course it was no longer there. After asking a few people in the neighbourhood I found out it had moved a couple blocks away. What a carry on. I decided to spend one more night on French soil and get a fresh start in the morning for Dover. Besides I do need to get some laundry done so that will be my next stop before heading for the hotel and trying to get a good nights rest.
Since my last post in Troyes I have stopped in Soissons, Ham, Bapaume and last night at a Chambres d'Hotes in Auchy-au-Bois. This was a working dairy farm but the house with four rooms to let was like a museum. The lady who runs the B&B likes to go to "brocante" or garage sales and has quite an interesting collection of bric-a-brac.
The cycling from Troyes to Calais has been quite difficult mostly because of hills, some bad weather i.e. head winds and a day of miserable rain. I waited under a petrol station shelter for an hour or so and again in a McDs for 2 hours for the rain to let up.
Not much choice in the way of hotels in the smaller villages. Had to take what I could get.
Well must go and get some laundry done before I get on the ferry/hovercraft for Dover tomorrow. Cheers, Roly

Troyes 11June09

2009-06-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

Well Iève think I've just died and gone to heaven. Arrived in Troyes this afternoon at 2:30 and went directly to the Office du Tourisme. There I was able to find a decent hotel at a reasonable price in the centre of town called Hotel Splendid at E 32. Mind you the WC and shower are in the hall but not far away. Also the young lady at the O de T showed me where there was a laundrymat with internet cafe all in the same operation. So I packed all my laundry in one of my paniers and walked about 3 blocks through the centre of town. Very old buildings. Lots of sidewalk cafes. Many people sitting out having a late early afternoon drink. I wish I could upload pictures but it would be quite complicated especially using cyber cafe facilities. Since leaving Bourg-en-Bresse the rides have been less difficult with some hills but mostly flat. I stopped in Louhans, Dijon and Chatillon-sur-Seine last night. Yesterday I had a lovely tailwind but today it was a headwind. At least it didn't pour. There have been several nasty storms the last couple of days but mostly in the evening. On the way to Chatillon yesterday I had a stunt pilot entertain me for about 1/2 an hour as I climbed some hills he was doing loop-dy-loops. Man could he ever fly that plane. Sorry I can't tell you what sort of plane it was Gary. Keep up the comments. I appreciate reading them. Glad to hear the Rideau Lakes ride went well this year. I sure would like to have been there with you guys. I think my laundry is just about ready to go in the dryer now so will sign off for now. Cheers, Roly

Dijon

2009-06-09T11:59:00.013-07:00

My lastpost was in Les Echarmeaux. Since then I have passed through Bourg-en-Bresse, Louhans and today arrived in Dijon. I managed to find a cheap hotel at 37 E which included breakfastbut notowels.
that was E 2 extra for a towel a packet of shampoo and a plastic cup. Iam accessing the internet on a really terrible PC in the lobby of the hotel. the keyboard really sucks!!!! Got to go Cheers Roly

thier

2009-06-09T11:59:00.012-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.011-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.010-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.009-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.008-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.007-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.006-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.005-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.004-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.003-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.002-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.001-07:00

2009-06-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Thiers to Roanne

2009-06-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

Up early for a quick breakfast before leaving Thiers for Roanne. But first I wanted to go to Office du Tourisme at 1 place Pirou in Thiers. It was quite an almost vertical climb. I ended up walking quite a bit of the way. Just as I was parking my bike someone arrived to open up the office. I asked for information on cycling to Bourg-en-Bresse. She didn't have any info and was only able to give me a map of the city of Thiers and direct me towards the route to follow in order to get out of town.
I cycled to Noirétable which was a bit south but eventually I turned north and headed for St.-Just-en-Chevalet. Much climbing but a bit cooler. Had to stop and put my vest and sleeves on.
After lunch as I was getting ready to set off a couple on bicycles came over and chatted with me. They were just visiting the area of St-Just-en-Chevalet and were curious about where I was headed.
I arrived in Roanne at 3 PM and wanted to check out hotel in centretown but door was locked and no one about. The couple I had met earlier after lunch passed by and we again had a chat. Found out they were from Cannes. I decided to go check out Hotel Terminus which turned out to be OK except for the E 1 charge for parking my bike behind the hotel under the stairs!!!
On my way over to the Terminus I passed by a cafe called Le Blog. Went in and found out they had an internet terminal set up for the use of clients. I said I would be back after checking in to hotel.
It was a dark and stormy night but I was determined to make it to Le Blog. It was a 15 minute walk from the hotel but by sticking close to the sides of the buildings I didn't get very wet. The PC had crashed and the manager was having a bit of difficulty re-booting it. Eventually he succeeded and I was able to post a couple days journey.
The walk back to the hotel was much quicker in the dark and the rain was really tipping down. Went into bar next to hotel and mentioned to bartender that I had just come from Le Blog where I had been able to access the internet to update my blog. He said I could have used his PC to access the internet!!!
Well I only made it as far as Les Echarmeaux today. Suffice it to say the climb was fairly difficult and I also had to stop for about an hour to wait out a downpour.
Cheers Roly

Issoire to Thiers

2009-06-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Left Issoire at 9:00 AM after mopping up bathroom floor again. They really need to do something about the floor drain!!! Took highway direction Orbeil. After climbing for 3 kms realized I was going the wrong way. Stopped and asked local family sorting freshly picked cherries for directions to Thiers. Husband went into house to get his map and glasses and together we were able to figure out which way I had to go. Turned around and went down the hill at a much faster pace than coming up. I should have taken the hwy for Montpeyroux which eventually took me to Vic-le-Compte and Billom where I stopped for lunch. Had a very nice potatoe, ham and cheese omellette. After lunch it was more climbing until eventually the last 15 kms or so were downhill or flat. I passed an Hotel Etape on the way into town at 3:00 PM and decided I would stop for the night. After checking in lay for a nap. Later on went out for a walk to nearby bank and got some Euros. No problem using my RBC client card. Decided to walk a little further to a bar/restaurant I had seen earlier. It was now 7:30 PM. It was closed. Go figure. As far as I could tell it only opened for lunch during the week and Friday and Saturday evenings. I walked back to the hotel where I had seen a shopping complex behind the hotel. Went into supermarket and was able to get some dental floss (50 m) for 3.20 Euros. I also found out after standing in line for 15 minutes to pay for my groceries that you have to get your bananas weighed before going to the cash.
I think I'm going to have to get out of this place. It's full of kids in their late teens and it's getting quite loud. My head is pounding ...... but the internet was free.
Bonne nuit

Massiac to Issoire

2009-06-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Up at 7 AM. Pretty well slept through the night. No nightmares about closing down the tunnel. BTW it is 1.5 kms long and it took me about 10 minutes to cycle through it. Before leaving for Issoire went into local Spar Supermarche to do some shopping. I especially wanted to buy some dental floss and a bar of soap and some bananas. No problem finding soap and bananas but no dental floss. Cycled a little further into town and went into Pharmacie. Asked for fil de soie dentaire. The clerk had to unlock a bottom drawer to get two different types of floss out. One was priced at E 5.80. The other had no price and was plain so I said I would take it. It was a small package of about 50 metres of floss. The price was E 6.90. I decided to look elsewhere for dental floss. No wonder they kept it locked up in a safe at those prices!!!
I cycled to Blesle, Lempdes-sur-Allagnon, St. Germain Lembron and Issoire. See previous post re Cyber Cafe and loss of about one hours blogging.
I found a nice Hotel Ace on the other side of town at a reasonable price and checked in for the night. Decided to cycle back to cyber cafe. Had a little trouble finding it but eventually after asking for directions was able to get to my blog. This time I posted each day as I finished typing and the manager assured me that I had unlimited time.
I cycled back to the hotel and decided to check out the Buffalo Bill restaurant nearby. YEEHAW!!! country and western music. Tried some Texas Chili. Real big chunks of beef. But I don't think Marshy's has anything to worry about.
I asked for a room on the main floor and permission to keep my bike in my room. I was given a handicap room. Lot's of room. Only problem was the shower just flooded the whole bathroom floor. The floor drain was a bit plugged up. Otherwise it was great.
Right now I'm in Roanne at a cafe called Le Blog. Internet access is free as long as I keep drinking beer!! Typing is a challenge - have to keep up with the beat of the quite loud music!!!

June 2 Polminhac to Massiac

2009-06-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

My previous post should have read "heading for Murat" not Aurillac.
I left Polminhac at 9:00 AM and in spite of a wicked head wind was able to reach the Lioran Tunnel by 11:30. There was a sign with a bicycle on a white background and a red circle around the outer edge. It did not have a red diagonal stroke through it so I assumed it was OK to go through the tunnel with my bike and there was no one to ask. No sooner had I started going through the tunnel the truck drivers started honking at me like crazy. Bloody truck drivers. I kept on going. Eventually there was no more traffic coming through the tunnel!!! On arriving on the other side of the mountain pass "Les Flics" were there to meet me and pulled me over. Because of the danger they had closed down the tunnel. Oh so that's why there were no more idiots blowing their horns at me. I'm not very proud of what I did but on the other hand there really wasn't that much traffic and the tunnel was only shut down for about 10-12 mins. Luckily I was given a warning and a lecture about the meaning of the red circle around a bicycle or a white background sign and allowed to continue on my way. Big sign of relief!!!
Once on the other side of the tunnel the going was much easier. Mostly downhill but still with a very strong head wind which almost blew me off my bike at one point. My feet came right out of my clips!!! I arrived in Massiac at 3:30 PM and started looking for a hotel. A sign at the outskirts of town said there were 2 hotels and 12 restaurants and xxx parking spots. Checked out both hotels one was E 54 the other E 40 which was a little further out of town. Checked into La Colombiere. Very clean very modern. Had to put my bike in the laundry room. Went out for dinner. Could only find 2 restaurants open the very expensive other hotel and a Creperie Le Montel restaurant on a side street which a bartender directed me to. So it was a pleasant walk about looking for a place to eat and a still more pleasant walk back to the hotel. Oh I almost forgot to mention that the "bar" at the hotel consisted of a vending machine that dispensed beer in a can. You insert E 1.50 select 33 and watch the can drop to the bottom of the dispensing machine. You retrieve your beer can from the slot and when you open it guess what happens ... yes right the whole thing fizzes all over the place. Duh!!!
TRP 70.66 AVS 15.02 STP 4:42:07

June 1 Montsalvy to Polminhac

2009-06-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

I was up during the night several times because of leg cramps. Two days of climbing had really been hard on my legs. Nothing to severe but still had to get out of bed to shake off the cramps.
I went down to the main part of the apartment complex that M. Fau lived in. It was a veritable museum with several tables spread around all covered with all sorts of papers and odds and ends. M. Fau made cafe au lait, bread (he apologized that it was a day old but it was a holiday and the boulangerie was closed), orange juice, butter, jam, honey and an orange. Euros 3.50. Again M. Fau helped me carry my bags down, wished me "bonne route"and off I went this time hoping to get to Polminhac.
Arrived in Aurillac at 11:10 after a quite pleasant ride. Found an Information Office and was able to get a more detailed map of the "Cantal" area. I looked for a book on Cycling in France but no luck. Had some difficulty finding my way out of town. I wanted to take the N122 but ended up having to take the D117 in order to get to the N122. It was a bit of a climb and a bit circuitous but eventually I hooked up with the N122. The ride to Polminhac was not so difficult but nevertheless, because of the previous night's leg cramping I decided to take it easy and make it a short ride. I found a Hotel/Bar/Restaurant called Les Parasols and decided to stay for the night. Because I had arrived quite early I was able to do some laundry. Washed a couple of my cycling jerseys, pants and socks in the sink and hung them out on the balcony railing to dry. I went down to the bar for a beer and asked if I could use the internet to update my blog. Of course, not a problem, there was a computer in a corner of the dinning room that I could use. I was able to do a days blog and probably could have kept on but didn't want to abuse the hotel manager's generosity. It was a most pleasant hotel and very quiet. I was the only customer for dinner and again for breakfast although I had seen several other guests on arrival they obviously did not care to eat in the hotel or were not hungry.
As I was leaving the following morning I asked the hotel manager/chef for his name. He said it was Raymond Fau same surname as M. Fau who had lodged me the previous evening. They were somehow related but not close relatives. Raymond was very fascinated by my Rocky Mountain Sherpa 10 Touring bike with disc brakes, etc. He was especially intrigued by the GPS. We exchanged business cards and he asked me to keep in touch and let him know how my trip trough France was progressing. He also wished me "bon courage et bonne route" and so off I went down the road heading for Aurilac ....
TRP 54.76 AVS 15.60 STP 3:30:38