Sue4Don

The air was really fresh after last night’s rain. The hills were more gentle, the scenery beautiful, the sky was blue but it wasn’t too hot. I had replanned my route last night and it proved very easy to find, so that I only cycled 48 kms. instead of 64 and I was here by 2:15. After a relaxing afternoon, my hosts wanted to show me Dresden (a beautiful city), so we cycled there and I reached my 64 after all. We are in Dresden here, but it’s still a long way into the centre.
Thursday 31st July Oberschöna-Dresden, 63,81 km., 508 metres climb, 5:31:28 bike-time.

I set off at 8 a.m. to avoid the thunder storms (there had also been one on my free day). It was a lovely start on marked cycle routes, firstly on quiet roads then a proper cycle track. I had put the last third together myself on quiet roads. It had been grumbling in the mountains to the south since mid-morning, but just as I was going up a hill through the forest, it got really close. There was nowhere to shelter apart from under the trees, which is what I did. I covered my panniers and put my cape on and just stood there. It rained so hard that I could feel my shoes filling up with water. As soon as I thought the thunder and lightning had stopped I got on my bike and pedalled furiously with a head-on wind and torrential rain I could hardly see. Then suddenly a flash of lightning was followed almost immediately by a clap of thunder. I imagined feeling something hot on my back. I pedalled even faster to the Waldschenke, but it was closed. There was another close strike just before I got there, so I waited in a garage till it had completely stopped (apart from the rain, which was still pouring down). I set my navi to cat-med (it only has that and pedestrian – no bike-mode) and went on as quickly as I could. Fortunately there are many bike lanes or wide pavements, where you are allowed to cycle, as some of the roads were busy.

Tuesday 29th July, Plauen-Lößnitz, 62,47 km., 853 m. climb, 6:22:19 bike-time

Yesterday started with a beautiful stretch slightly uphill along a brook, then I turned off towards Schwarzenberg on the road. I think there must have been a cycle track somewhere but the road wasn’t busy. It became very steep and I had to push a couple of times. At the top I got a surprise – there was a cycle track, which gently meandered down the other side. In the valley I stopped to consult my maps, when a lady with a bike asked if she could help me. She seemed confused by the way I wanted to go and offered to accompany me and show me the way. Apparently the way I had chosen would have taken me onto a main road (although I doubt it very much. She took me about 10 kms. on a very hilly route and we had so much to talk about. She had done several longish cycle trips herself, when she was younger (she is now 72!). She asked me if she could hug me as we parted! Shortly afterwards I had to push up a very steep hill, which she had warned me about but it would have been an almost perfect day if it hadn’t been for the thunder storm, which started about 14 kms. before Plauen. I sheltered until the thunder and lightning had stopped, put my rain covers on and set off in the rain, but it was coming down so hard that I stopped again in the next village at a bus shelter. There was a man in there already, who insisted on showing me a good way into the town. Despite the weather I was here at about 5 p.m.

Sunday 27th July, Wallenfels-Plauen, 76,33 km., 897 m. climb, 6:21:19 bike-time