Hamburg-Germany 13,
July 19, 2023,
Hi Everyone,
I left Wilhelmshaven under sunny skies and it remained that way for the whole day. Yesterday, I had planned to change my GPS to secondary roads instead of tertiary roads, but in the end I decided to stay with the original plan at least in the beginning of my days journey. The German countryside, at least in the area that I am visiting, resembles the countryside that I am used to riding in, in Southern Quebec across from the Mercier Bridge. However, these are German roads and although narrow, there are no pot holes.
All of the countryside consists of endless farm land. There are no forests to speak of. All of the land is exploited one way or another. The country gives one the definite impression of being wealthy. The farm houses resemble one another to some extent while at the same time, each one is different. Most of the houses are 2 story structures, made of brick and having peaked roofs. Nothing is run down like you see in upper New York State or Vermont. Everything is spotlessly clean. Even the farm houses have nice gardens. There are some huge estates with beautiful large houses.
The villages however, resemble an endless suburb. There is nothing historical to speak of. Was Germany a poor country before the war and were all the houses knocked down to build newer structures? I came across no castles and only the occasional newish church that did not merit a visit. The towns are few and far between. I don’t know where people do their shopping for food or dry goods. Do they all go to a big city once a week?
I rode for 3.5 hours before finally finding a cafe-bakery where I could get a cappuccino and a croissant. This certainly is not like France where there is a village every 10k with a cafe, a bistro, a 500 year old church, a castle, a cross in the middle of town and a monument to the fallen soldiers of WW1. The drivers are extremely polite, especially to me. Maybe my white hair sticks out of the back of my helmet.
I still had 2 more hours to ride to get to Munster. The whole trip was 225k and was scheduled to take 5 hours. At this point I had had enough of cows. I changed plans and took to the secondary roads. The final part of the ride took 30 minutes as I could ride at 100k/hr. My GPS lady was disappointed and kept giving me directions to turn left or right to get me back on the side roads. I just kept on following the major over head signs until I got to Munster. Then I followed her directions. I will apologize to her tomorrow.
I am staying at place called Factory Hotel. It is a 4* hotel with 2 restaurants and a bistro. The outside resemble an old factory. The inside of course has been completely redone to resemble a hotel. I even have in door parking for my bike. I was really sweaty when I arrived, resembling a motorcycle bum. I am wearing my black ski jacket with grey pants which more or less resembles a motorcycle outfit. Anyway, it keeps me warm and dry.
Love, Brian
gobriantravel 