Almost too tired to blog

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Susan

Quite honestly I am really ready to go to sleep, but I did promise to keep you informed when I can & here the internet is free! I ended up doing over 100 kms today, because there just wasn’t anywhere to stay! Again I am inbetween planned stops as I had the day off on Monday and have made up a lot of it since. The hotel is a bit dearer than I would like, but good quality and the food was excellent – 3-course meal for €18. I am in Raon L’Etappe

101,72 km. 765 hm.time in saddle 7:12:38

More tomorrow!

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5,5 target reached

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Susan

It stopped raining yesterday evening but started again in the night. It had stopped again before I left but I donned everything because of the spray. However I soon took it all off and didn’t need it again all day! The roads toward the end were wet and my host said it had only just stopped raining!
I went further than originally intended as it was much too early in Selestat so it no doubt will be similar tomorrow. Hopefully I can make up yesterday’s rest day . Again I spent quite a lot of time looking for the right way and this made itself notocable in the distance.

Tour stats fot today 96,65 kms, 289 hm., 6:13:38 in the saddle.

I’ve now done 465 kms instead of the planned 384 – at this rate I’ll be totalling nearly 1500!

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Thanks for all your comments – Danke für alle eure Nachrichten!

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Susan

Vielen Dank für alle eure Glückwünsche und Nachrichten.Leider kann ich nicht alle einzeln beantworten.  Bitte verzeiht mir, dass ich nicht alles 2-sprachig schreibe. Many thanks for all your comments and wishes: Sorry I can’t reply to them all individually.

Da ich 2x jetzt einen “richtgen” Computer benützen konnte, war es mir möglich diese Fotogalerien hineinzustellen. Bitte seid mir nicht böse, wenn es in Zukunft nur ein paar ausgewählte einzelne Fotos gibt. Ich versuche euch, auf jedem Fall mit meinem Nokia N97 mini auf dem Laufenden zu halten.

As I twice had the use of a “real” computer, I was able to put in these complete galeries. Please forgive me if I only post single chosen pictures on the rest of my trip. But I promise to try and keep you informed with my Nokia N97 mini.

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Day 5 = 1st. day off

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Susan

After a total of around 370 Kilometres in 3,5 days I think I have earned a day off – anyway it is pouring with rain – so I am staying here with my friends Helmut & Christel in Freiamt.

We went shopping to a village not far from here (actually on my way tomorrow) and it was DRY there!!! Then we went for coffee and cake with a friend and this evening for a steak, which was about 2 inches thick!!! I hadn’t really earned it today, but will provide a good energy supply for tomorrow!

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Video of the start

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Susan

Peter (my husband) videoed the start

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Stage 4 succesfully completed

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Susan

Today was a very interesting experience: Olli and Polyana accompanied me for the first 2,5 kilometres to make sure I was on the right path, then I set off through the woods. I wondered why I was making such slow progress, then I looked at the altimeter and realised I was cycling uphill, very gradually. The wet forest floor and my 20 kilos of luggage obviously made this more noticable. Eventually I found I had climbed 250 meters, then it was a thrilling ride downhill, before a stretch on the almost flat, then back up again………….. However, after that it was 20 kilmetres downhill, before the final ups and downs of the Black Forest. I had to push 3 or 4 times and my shoulder started to ache because of the weight of the luggage! The 50 Kilometres turned out to be almost 60. At this rate I’m going to be totalling about 1500!

This is only after the first 9,? Kilometres, when I decided to switch Sportstracker on. I don’t have it on all the time, because it uses too much battery.

Trip stats 59,23 Kms., 720 hm. 4:24:05 in the saddle.

 

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Arrived 3rd destination safely

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Susan

I am in Villingen instead of the planned Bräunlingen, as I finally decided to join warmshowers and had an invitation to stay with Oliver and Polyana. This meant cycling 100 Kilometers instead of the originally planned 91, but I’m glad I did it. It was a wonderful day, first cycling along Lake Constance, then along quiet roads and cycle tracks. There was a fair climb too, but I really enjoyed it. Here I received a very warm welcome from my warmshowers hosts. They had invited a female friend, Karo, who is a keen cyclist and did a very unusual raclette. I wanted to buy a bottle of wine, but Olli insisted on opening one of his, even though neirher of them drink wine! Needless to say, Karo and I managed to finish it off. then I collapsed into bed again tired but very happy.

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What a surprise

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Susan

Sorry this is out of chronological order, but I have wireless lan for the first time since leaving home. I wanted to tell you what a surprise I got when arriving at the Fernpass on Thursday. Even though it was pouring with rain, seven of my friends were there to see me off and even had prosecco and glasses with them. Although they had said their goodbyes the previous evening,  4 ladies from our Aktivclub were there wearing their club tricots and helmets and held their club scarves in an arch for me to cycle under.when I eventually left at 8:30.

I will now add a bit more to my two previous  posts.

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Arrived safely 2nd target

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Susan

Today was VERY, VERY hard. I had let myself be persuaded to take a bike-route instead of the minor roads I was planning to travel on. Helmuith, my host from the first night, accompanied me for the 1st 10 Kilometres. Apparently the route was well signposted, so I thought the extra 20 kilometers would save me searching all the while. HOWEVER it was NOT well signposted and I spent a lot of time looking. I went in completely the wrong direction twice (I don’t have a compass and the sun was not shining) and both times it was UPHILL!!! When I got to Lindau, I asked 5 people (most of them on bicycles) and no-one could tell me where the Bodesee (Lake Constance) cycle path was!

After cycling on a fairly busy road I finally found it in the next village, but I must have miscalculated and that part was further than I had expected, so I ended up cycling 120 Kilometers and nearly fell asleep in the saddle. I think I would have given up earlier if I hadn’t planned to spend the night with Peter (my husband) in a hotel in Immenstaad! However I survived even though I was “streichfähig” as they say in German, but being extremely hungry (I had only had a light lunch) stopped me from going to bed straight away!

Trip stats :120,75 km, 663m. Elevation, 8:00 on the saddle, 10 times asking for directions, total trip time 10 1/2 hours

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Arrived safely at 1st target – Blaichach

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Susan

View from the Gaichtpass

Just spent quite a while writing 2 posts

Haldensee

using the application and wasn’t successful publishing them. Will try again when I have wireless lan.

Two day later:

I left the Ferpaß in pouring rain. 

I missed the turning on the cycle path at Lermoos and went through the centre of the village. That was good as I found they have a public toilet – clean and free- much better than going behind the bushes in the pouring rain! It stopped raining just after this and stayed dry until Schattwald at the end of the beuatiful Tannheimertal. The climb over the Gaichtpass had proved relatively easy with very little traffic, mostly cars only 2 small lorries and 4 motorbikes coming the other way. The only snag was that the sun decided to shine exactly for the duration of the climb! The last hour was alos in torrential rain, so I arrived at my friends looking like a bedragled poodle.

I think I was to be really tested on the first day. Despite the weather I enjoyed it very much and arrived to a warm welcome at the home of my aquaintances Helga and Helmuth. There was a very warm welcome and I had a VERY good night’ sleep. I was in bed by 10!!!

Trip stats: 84,06 Kms., 734 hm. 6:02:10 in the saddle (total time 9:15)

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