Danish trains - Fish and Chips - Fjordy

 I was sure we had a complicated journey back to Hirtshals from Flensburg, but when I looked at our train tickets again it seems that the journey got changed somehow and was now much simpler. However this happened we are all grateful. Only three trains! 

The first leg to Kolding we split as there were not enough bike spaces on the later train. H, Y and I got the early train and had some time in Kolding for a second breakfast. We met other bike travellers who were all friendly and we all helped each other on and off the train. Danish Inter city trains are not easy to get bikes on and off as there are many steps to get up. Once on board however there is good space and excellent bike securing straps. 

We made it with easy connections to Hirtshals, where the sun was out and finally it felt like summer again. We had time for an early supper in a very nice sea side cafe /restaurant- the best fish and chips this side of Ullapool! S and I had a walk down to the beach and we watched our boat come in, while holidaymakers sunned themselves. The small group learning surfing reminded me of our wonderful holiday in Cornwall! 

We rode down to the ferry check in, about 15 minutes before ‘last check in’ and rode straight into the boat - perfect timing. A beer on deck for S and I (boys watching TV…) and then to bed. 

Now we have a short ride home and lots of washing to do! 

And back to Flensburg

 Today we closed the circle and got ourselves back to Flensburg. This was done on four train with connections usually around or just under the ten minute mark - and generally rather wet from the 12km ride to the first station under proper solid rain. Anyhow - we all made it and had a relaxed afternoon wandering around the town here. 

Proper wet - for the first time Sonja and I’s almost slick tires were found wanting on a few occasions today - the boys were fine! 

We used regional trains as you don’t need to book bikes - here we squeezed eight bikes on board! There were 9 for a few stations. All low stress. On an earlier train a youth with a e-scooter refused to make space for us, but the train manager came by and told him in no uncertain terms to move his scooter and himself to get us all in! I was quite impressed with his pro-active actions. Generally all worked well, but we had to use lifts or stairs as well to get between trains and that was a bit tight time wise as we were usually not the only people who needed them. All worked well in the end. 

One of the pretty side streets in Flensburg - formerly the red light district - those businesses have now moved on and it’s only red flowers and lovely historical buildings. We met a local who had planted a lot of the hollyhocks and they seemed to be growing out of every crack in the cobbles.

 

The historic harbour has many lovely old boats in it, and this was one of the better kept. There seems to be some active boat building / repair work going on there. 

Tomorrow it’s trains through Denmark - we at least know that worked last time - even if getting the bikes on is a bit of a pain - there will be enough place as we have booked places for each bike. 

Bothmar house - a train - a missing key and more rain

After breakfast and a short debate whether to head the short distance to the next door village of Klüz or further afield to Schwerin, we opted for the short tour. Here is an amazing ‘English Manor House’ complete with park gardens right in the middle of deepest darkest Meklenburg Vorpommern! We got there just in time for a go on the historical skittle alley. After a wander around the garden we met one of the staff who said there was a treasure hunt around the grounds for kids - so the boys did that while Sonja and I looked through the house. The story is amazing - with the man behind building it Bothmer - an advisor to the first Hanoverian kings of England, George the 1st and 2nd. He made a fortune - but couldn’t buy land in the UK. So late in life he bought up a huge amount of land here in Meklenburg-Vorpommern and had the house built. He never saw it, as he died in London, but it seems that setting up an inheritance for his heirs. This he managed in style - as well as being an ancestor to a surprising number of current European monarchs. The house was an old people’s home after the war, and has now been somewhat restored, in a simple way - but nicely done. 

The other curio in the Schloss is an important piece of natural history - the first ‘arrow stork’ or Pfeilstorch. Before people understood animal migration no one knew where summer birds went in winter - there were many outlandish theories. This poor stork bought with it evidence of its voyages. While in Africa someone had tried to kill it with an arrow or small spear. This had gone through its neck, but not damaged anything ‘important’ so it continued life with this new adornment. It came back here in the summer and was observed to be different to the other storks. I don’t know if it died or was killed, but someone interested enough realised they had something worth investigating. The arrow was identified as being of African origin and the first pieces of evidence for long bird migrations began to fall into place. 

The plan after that was to go the the narrow gauge railway for a train ride through the country. It was at this point that the day ‘derailed’ somewhat as Hannes realised he had lost his bike key. He could find the key-ring, but not the key, and the spares carefully kept in a box at home. E&Y and I went for the train ride anyway while S and H searched for the key. All to no avail. The rest of us joined the hunt. After many hours we looked for a plan B - and struck gold with the local bike shop / frame builder who had a proper bike cave. He cut the lock of for the princely sum of 10 euros. 

We then rode home, found that the local eatery was really  canteen for the holiday village and so opted to ride out once more to find somewhere nicer in Boltenhagen. This we did and after a nice ride home in the dark collapsed into bed! 

Sea buckthorn in all verities for sale in the local farm shop. It was an important source of vitamins during the Communist times, and is still grown. 

Lights on for the ride home!

Wismar again

 Today we got the bus into Wismar and went on a boat tour of the harbour, in better weather than forecast. We were slightly kicking ourselves at ‘chickening out’ because of the forecast. By mid afternoon though we saw it has been the right call. After another wander through town, a cake and a walk we went to the pool / water fun place. Here we had a swim, Sonja and I read a bit while the boys spent a long time on the slides. Apparently water without jellyfish is a distinct plus…

A day in Wismar

 The day started dry - and we had a good breakfast to start the day. We tried to call the B&B to confirm we would come, but got no answer. Once underway I rode back to the B&B to talk to them while the rest of the gang ocontinued on towards Wismar. Perfect riding and not a sign of the threatened change in the weather. The boys are even complaining that it’s too hot! 

Again the cycle paths are busy, mostly older E-bike riders out for shorter trips,  but also a good number of touring cyclists out for longer journeys. 

There are also many who escape from the big cities over the weekend either to camp or cycle. 

A lucky pig in Wismar

Approaching Wismar from the west we first came across some popular swimming spots with sandy beaches and stands selling food and drink, then past a few imposing old villas. The dominating feature though is the shipbuilding wharf - complete with a massive cruise ship in for some work. We were quickly into the old town - one of the original Hamsa towns.  It was clearly wealth and has many lovely town houses and huge churches. One now smaller after booming damage from the war compounded by the communist disregard for old religious buildings who removed what was left and turned it into a car park. It has now had the old outlines re-built in brick and you get an impression of the scale of the building. Such a shame the damage war does. 

We also went up the tower of another church which gave amazing views over the town. We then walked down to the old harbour where they have done a lot of revitalising of what must have been industrial area. It’s now busy with shops and a few interesting boats along the quay. 

We rode home after a bite to eat. This time with a tail wind, making it all the nicer. We rode our 500’th km of the trip and celebrated with a jelly bear! 

500km

We met a couple of French ladies - both from the south west near where we used to live, one doing a huge tour that started in Poland and will take in Sweden and more of the Baltic states - she had friends joining from time to time. The boys overtook these two (who were not going slowly) I lingered for a chat before we parted ways. The boys are now strong cyclists - Yannick has the most power and can just ride away from us on the hills. So much for wondering if they were going to cope with the loaded bikes! 

Back at the B&B we unloaded our gear before heading to the beach for a swim and supper of pasta salad. We then all collapsed into real beds - with  no one elbowing you in the face in the night! 

Sunshine and first hills

 It’s the weekend and local bike packers are out in force. We met many who were just ‘out for the weekend’ - but also more here that are doing longer journeys. Getting underway took a while as the tents were soaked with dew. We rolled back down to Travemunde and got the ferry over the river to start our ride East. A really nice mix of beach front and wheat or rape fields. All idyllic in the days sunshine. We gobbled up miles despite the reasonably late start. 

It’s clear the landscape is changing a bit, the coast is no longer just flat and the hills inland are more rolling. There are also stretches of beech forest which are lovely to ride through and low cliffs giving a vantage point to look over the sea. 

Some of the beach resorts are busy and a bit rowdy but on bikes we can choose to linger or not.

The forecast for the start of next week is not good and we don’t want to end the trip on a wet note - it’s been such fun so far, but two wet days in a row don’t seem like much fun so we spent a lot of the day trying to find a place to stay. 

The sea at our campsite was very shallow so it was more wading than swimming. The boys were not impressed by the jellyfish. but the sun was out and the evening pleasant. 

Tall ships and Budenbrucks

 We started the day with more heavy rain. Uff - this is getting a bit much. Luckily there was a dry place we could sit for breakfast. Next to us sat a French couple with two young kids - they are in the last few days of a tour that started in April! 

After breakfast we took the bus into Travemunde to look at Passat - one of the ‘Flying P liners’ a four masted Barque. Very interesting to go on board. It’s obviously a functional object - made for trade, but it is also beautiful. The sheer line, curves and shapes could, I am certain have been almost as effective as a set of straight lines that would be hydrodynamically almost as efficient but easier to build.  But no - the design left the board as an object of beauty - and the world is a better place for it. 

Once off the ship the day was getting warm again - we took the ferry back over the water to the west side and took a train into Lübeck. Home of Thomas Mann and marzipan! It’s also a beautiful Hansa town and was clearly very wealthy for a long time. 

The boys got the bus back early to play in the pool while S and I enjoyed tea and cake at the Niederegger marzipan cafe. Well worth it! 

Back at the campsite it was full of cycle tourist and more arrived as we got ready for supper. We shared the only bench and table with a young German couple and chatted away till late. Now bed time - but parties continue on all sides. Tomorrow we ride on- with a promise of good weather again. 

 

A mixed bag to Travemunde

 Today was a day of contrasts - from a wet start and breakfast in the tents (apart from me who was outside watching the Trangia and ferrying milk and jam between the tents!) we had some long sections in rain, the sun was very hot when it did come out - we felt a bit like we were living in a steam cooker. 

There were some lovely small villages and Travemunde and the towns before it were very nice. We had an ice cream stop in Scharbeutz which was well timed as although hot when we sat down it started raining again but we were luckily under a large sun umbrella, which did an admirable job of keeping us dry. Heavy showers are a pest as you get soaked to the skin in a few seconds and take hours to dry out again - so avoiding a second dousing was very welcome. 

After that we rode on towards Travemunde which was getting ready for regatta week. There are some very grand building on the outskirts of the town and the old harbour in the centre is also pretty. We continued a few km out the other side to the camp site. 

We were happy to see it had a pizza place and an outdoor pool, so we snuck a quick swim in before supper. We are now all tired after a 50+ km day and are looking forward to a day off the bikes tomorrow and not having to take the tents down in the morning! 

On the last stretch before Travemunde

A beautifully kept yacht in Neustadt - one of a fleet of classics that seem to call the place home judging by the plaques on the quayside. 

From holiday island to caravan city

 Fehmarn is basically a giant wheat field with camp sites and beaches around the outside. I can’t say much about the east coast as we skipped it due to the rain yesterday. It’s nice in a kind of Skegness kind of way. We woke this morning and had an easy time getting underway. The sun was shining and a tailwind promised. We crossed the bridge with a fleet of yachts sailing under it. The riding today was uneventful some in agricultural land and some along the dyke. Many of the resorts we rode through seemed a bit Disneyland  - even the one with thatched cottages as when you have fifty identical ones it looks a bit strange. 

We stopped for lunch in a village - and found a park with somewhere to sit. A few raindrops made us wonder how the day would go -  but they cleared and the day ended well. 

 Our campsite is just outside Grömiz which is a city made up of caravans and campers. Y cooked for us, which is lovely. A walk on the beach after supper was lovely and we saw a square rigger out at sea, ponies walking along the beach and people generally enjoying the calm evening. 

Tomorrow on to Travemunde - timed perfectly for the start of Travemunde Woche - one of the biggest sailing regattas in Germany. 

Rain rain…

 The day stared well, we were woken by the sun heating the tent almost instantly to unbearably warm. This is generally a sign of good things to come. This time though it did come with warnings of rain. Breakfast was made particularly good by both Emil and Sonja going shopping and somehow not meeting each other so we got a double ration of rolls. 

Although warm there was a little drizzle in the air so we didn’t linger over breakfast. We took the chance to get packed while things were mostly dry. The campsite was very long and narrow. Only a few caravans wide by very long - the recycling being by the entrance and the tents at the far end, it was a long walk to take glass and paper for recycling. I was almost back at the bikes when the heavens opened. We waited out the initial onslaught under a tree before venturing forth under a drizzle. 

As we rode on this got steadily heavier till we were riding on under solid rain. Sonja and I stopped as her brakes were rubbing and the the first lightning came… I didn’t manage to fix the brakes but we decided to ride on as the boys had disappeared into the distance. We found them under the nearest roof of a beach cafe. We spent the next hour and a bit there drinking coffee - marooned with a few other tourists and cyclists counting the time between flashes and thunderclaps. Fortunately coffee chocolate and chips helped. 

At some point it cleared a bit and we headed out - but soaked to the skin and cold we soon decided to cut our losses and head via the main settlement on the island, Burg, and directly to the next campsite on the south coast just before the bridge back to the mainland. 

We had a lunch stop (on a bench - harassed by two seagulls - a parent and juvenile who seemed to be able to mount attacks on all fronts at the same time) and a coffee in a warm cafe before riding the last few km to the campsite. By now the weather seemed to have settled down, but the wind strong from the west, giving a headwind for the last km. 

I was interested to see on the hard at the marina in Burg a well known junk rigged Vertue; Chu-Fa - a recent build made from the start with the junk rig in mind not a later conversion. I would have like to see her close up - but we had to get to the camp site before the reception closed. 

We made it on time and were allocated a nice camping spot with lovely short grass any cricketer would have  been happy with.  After the wet day we ate in the campsite restaurant and are now happily in bed. Although not a long ride it felt much longer than it was - likely from being cold for so long (for the first time this trip)

I was also very happy that my squeaky brake got fixed with a washer made from a yoghurt pot lid. I thought I had it fixed a few days ago - but it had been back and plaguing me for days. Today it was quiet again. I hope it remains so.

From flies to Llamas

 We had a very gentle start at the campsite - a good breakfast with fresh rolls from the bakery. It was also dry and warm which made a very pleasant change from yesterday. 

We were underway by about half past eleven, but the first hour or so was plagued by small flies that seemed to have chosen this day to come out in their masses. I don’t know if farmers were harvesting somewhere nearby. The overall effect was unpleasant at best and poor Emil was somewhat overwhelmed. Luckily as the day wore on they became less prominent. We didn’t have far to go, so after going to look at a lighthouse (from the outside as it was closed on Mondays) we had a beach stop for a swim. H and Y decided they didn’t want to get wet, or that their phones were more interesting. E however did make it in. Lovely clear water - the whole effect was slightly spoiled by slightly too large pebbles making up a few meters just as I got into the water which made walking rather hard on the feet. I must have looked quite silly!

We rode on to a kiosk selling ‘fish Brötchen’ which are the local specialty. Bismark herring, fish burger, battered fish, eel if you are lucky. These ones were particularly good, the whole experience enhanced by the rather nice ‘beach’ they had made - and the Llamas hanging out in the adjacent paddock. There was also one escapee that was just wandering around the kiosk - apparently the grass was better and they couldn’t be bothered to put it back inside the fence. 

A few km later and we were at our camp site. E cooked for us which was nice - not finding out you needed special coins from the now shut reception to use the washing machine less so. 

A relatively short and easy day - tomorrow will be a bit longer and rain is forecast again. Fingers crossed it’s not too heavy or long lasting. 

From wet - to summer

 The evening before we looked at the long range weather radar forecast and that suggested a big band of rain hitting our campsite at about 8 am. The camping site, though super friendly, didn’t have any shelter for campers either small tents. We decided that if  we were awake early we would get up and have breakfast before the rain arrived. 

I woke at six to sting wind from the East and intermittent drizzle. We got up and were packed in record time. A simple breakfast and then we got underway sometime around eight. We did get rain but not as much as forecast. The headwinds though were strong and slowed our progress somewhat. As the morning wore on the showers became less frequent and we started to warm up - waterproofs were discarded as we progressed through a landscape of rolling hills cereal fields and ripening oil seed rape. 

One surprise of the day was happening upon one of Germanys largest bring and buy sale - organised by a small football team for fundraising. It had got bigger and bigger each year and now the raffle sells over 40,000 tickets, with people driving half way across the country to visit. We were a bit of a nuisance on our bikes trying to get through the crowded village on our bikes!

By now we could see the bridge to the island of Fehmaan in the distance.  We lunched in Heiligehafen, Holy Harbour, which had some nice old buildings and some very ugly new ones, but seemed popular, it was busy in town and the quayside seemed to be busy with maritime activities. 

We found a good bench for a lunch stop and the headed for the bridge. We were somewhat surprised to be asked on a sign to walk our bikes on the footpath over the bridge - this is over 2km. By the time we got onto the bridge proper it became clear why. The was a very strong wind from the side and only low barriers between us and the heavy traffic on the road. 

We got over and rode the last few east km to the campsite. It is big but nice and the staff friendly. We got a good camping spot and dried all the stuff that got packed away wet this morning. 

The boys went to the beach while Sonja and I sorted tents etc. At the beach we found a windsurfing school and as we had time managed to fit in a fantastic wing surfing lesson with Jens. This was such fun - but exhausting and we weren’t finished till around 9 pm! It was great of him to fit us in while the wind was still blowing and he did a great job. Supper and bed - I think we will sleep well as we also had our longest distance on the bikes of 50km. 

Beaches - rain and a little flexibility

 The day was forecast wet and we feared the worst - imagining breakfast in the pouring rain. In the end it was windy but dry. So we enjoyed our breakfast at our bench which was sitting handily close by when we put our tents up the night before. A few minutes cycle ride into the bakery got us rolls and croissants- what luxury! 

After packing we started along the dyke (here the dyke is the high part - not the deep part) and enjoyed a lovely ride along the sea front. The path had a wide short grass ‘verge’ about 20 or 30 meters wide on the landward side - I guess the grass is there to keep the sand bound together and make it more resistant to storms. It also looked very pretty with some short yellow flowers in it. 

We cycled through a few nature reserves - and I saw signs about a type of swallow I had never heard of before with a bright blue back - but no red on its neck. I must look it up. 

 had struggled all day (and the day before) to make contact with the camp site we originally planned for - and when shortly after four we arrived at one that looked nice and had space we opted to pitch our tents there. It was just beyond another wetland nature reserve and has a restaurant close by. It’s still showery and a heavy one arrived shortly after we got our tents up - so I think we will opt for a civilised supper and keep our supplies for tomorrow. 

I also had to do a bit of a detour to get some more meths for the trangias as nowhere we have been yet had any, and we didn’t have much left. 

Over the Kieleförde

We chose our camping spot well, under a beautiful old oak tree, on high ground away from the path to the loos and with morning sunshine to dry our tents. This all worked perfectly till about 8 am when we were ‘entertained’ by the arrival of a man and teenage son arriving, driving about and then basically shouting at each other for the next three hours. They also had with them the most amazing array of half home built contraptions that had come in their trailer. Home built E-scooters, diving gear, inflatable boats, wake board the list went on and on. All the while they seemed to communicate by shouting at each other in such an aggressive manner it was hard to enjoy breakfast. 

It was a lovely day and we started with Ekernförde in the sunshine - a lovely beach resort, with at least one lovely looking small gaff cutter amongst the small yachts on their moorings. 

We rode on through a forest on what seemed to be the old main road, now a cycle path. A kiosk selling fruit stopped us for a few minutes as we loaded up with the loveliest fresh apricots and blueberries. 

We had a ferry to catch to cut off the ride into Kiel itself. These urban stretches make for tiresome navigation and are not much fun for the kids, even if I do find these town interesting- we will save exploring old towns till we get to Lübeck later. We made it to the ferry stop at Strande where only three ferries a day make the crossing to Laboe. We were a bit worried there might not be space for us. While waiting for the ferry we had fish sandwiches which are typical here. Bismark herring for S and I and fish burgers in a roll for the boys. We met a few other touring cyclists waiting for the same boat and sat in the sun watching the local youths jumping off the harbour wall. 

We did all fit and the short crossing was well worth it. The campsite a few km further along the coast is fine,  the sea somewhat full of seaweed. A late supper and bed. The next few days look wet again. Let’s hope not too bad.

 

Almost to Ekernförde

 Luckily last night I had second thoughts about leaving our stash of food in the hole in the hedge to keep cool and out of the sun. Sonja got up in the night and met the fox who bolted through exactly that hole! 

We had another good day of riding in nice weather including some lovely beach side paths through a nature reserve with salt marshes. The landscapes here remind me a lot of Lincolnshire, and we could almost have been at Gibraltar Point at times today. 

Our campsite site is at the water front and I swam after a trip into Ekernförde to get supper and some special spray to hopefully stop Sonja’s bike from squeaking. She doesn’t have a chain but a ‘belt drive’ which looks like the timing belt from a car engine. When it works it’s amazing - clean and silent, but right now it’s noisy when going up hill. To be fixed!