Sunday, May 10 :: Berlin, Germany

Sunday, May 10 :: Berlin, Germany

Another sequence of trains had us passing through old East Germany and in to Berlin`s giant central train station around 3pm. After checking a few hostels we found one that had a double room for us... we settled in quickly, then set off for a bit of sightseeing. Already tired, we didn´t get too far, but managed to take in the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Berlin Wall. A good start to a great city.

Checkpoint Charlie, recreated to when my Dad passed through in the 60´s (sort of)

The 155km-long Berlin wall marker


Among the stelae of the Holocaust Memorial

Brandenburg Gate

Thursday, May 9 :: Goslar, Germany

Thursday, May 9 :: Goslar, Germany

First thing in the morning we went over to the Rammelsberg Mine... the main reason Goslar exists. For over 1000 years this mine produced gold, solver, copper, and other associated metals. A great tour took us underground for over an hour, seeing a mine completely chipped out by hand. What an experience!!

Back into town, we did the usual sightseeing, including the central square which is faced by the ancient Town Hall (Rathaus) where Liz's parents were married, and the facing hotel where they stayed. A great town, and nice to stay more than 1 night in a place after our opening hectic pace here in Germany.

Tomorrow... Berlin!!

Liz underground

It got very dark very fast

With the flash on

A newer section of the mine with rails for ore carts

The newly-orange Kaiserworth Hotel

The manadatory presence of horse-and-buggy

The Rathaus

Some cool guy

Friday, May 8 :: Goslar, Germany

Friday, May 8 :: Goslar, Germany

For a completely different change of pace, but no less German than the Romantische Strasse, we decided to tour Volkswagen's factory/themepark. It was fairly interesting, as car themeparks go, with some quite unique displays, simulators, and the factory tour itself. Apparently Volkswagen is having a hard time KEEPING UP WITH DEMAND and has workers working overtime... the normally 5-day-per-week factory is working 7 days/week for the next 3 months. I guess they make products that people actually want to buy.

From Wolfsburg we took the short (but 3-train!) hop to Goslar. Goslar is where's Liz's father was born, and lived until he was 13, and also happens to be where her parents were married. So, an important stop for sure - as well, Goslar is a big tourist town nestled at the foot of the Harz Mountains with lots to do... an added bonus. Tomorrow we will check out the town.

Inside one of two cylindrical car towers, serving buying customers on the spot with among 700 variety of cars and colours.

Rotating flowerpot bridge

An uber-silver Bentley

Liz and an old Porsche (original parent company of VW)

Thursday, May 7 :: Wolfsburg, Germany

Thursday, May 7 :: Wolfsburg, Germany :: 39 km / 398 km total

The end of the Romantische Strasse!

We hammered today's ride, big hills notwithstanding. Leaving the Tauber, the route climbed up and over a local watershed divide, before dropping us into the Main Valley and Wurzburg, the endtown of the Romantische Strasse. We did it! A quick peek into the church and palace, and we decided to put in a long afternoon and evening of train rides. We can't take the superfast ICE train with our bikes, so begun string of regional trainrides and transfers - 6 trains in all - to get to Wolfsburg. By the end of it all my right shoulder was aching from heaving my pannier-loaded bike up and down stairways, and onto and off of trains. But well worth it... we are a day or two ahead of schedule.

We've decided not to ride in the Rhine (as previously planned) because it looked to be quite similar to what we've experienced already. Instead, we're doing a day in Wolfsburg to take in the headquarters and themepark of... Volkswagen! A late arrival in town had us scrambling for accomodation, and we paid far too much for where we stayed. Oh well.

The Main River through Wurzburg

Waiting for a train

Waiting for a train

Wednesday, May 6 :: Tauberbischofsheim, Germany

Wednesday, May 6 :: Tauberbischofsheim, Germany :: 71 km / 359 km total

Another great ride... Germany is so awesome for cycling! An early descent to the Tauber River, and we followed it pretty much all day, mostly on bike paths, occasionally on little-used, narrow roads. Many other touring cyclists today coming the other direction, mostly in 2's, all smiles and greetings all around. A quick lunch stop at a bakery, and a quick finishing ride in Bad Mergentheim, at the 51km mark. But Liz said "51km is not enough!", so off we set down the Tauber for another pleasant 20km (actually, we were banking distance against some climbs expected tomorrow). Happy with our 71km (flat) ride, we settled in for the night.

Rothenburg-on-the-Tauber's city walls, from the elevated walk on the inside

One of Rothenburg-on-the-Tauber's city gates

Riding in the Tauber valley

Lunch time

An old royal garden complex

Central Tauberbischofsheim

Tuesday, May 5 :: Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

Tuesday, May 5 :: Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany :: 48 km / 288 km total

A hilly day (as Germany goes) that took us up out of the Danube basin (flowing towards Vienna and Budapest) and into the Main/Rhine basin (flowing to the North Sea). Things went smoothly enough... everything is smooth here in Germany. After a lunch bakery stop we rode into the uber-tourist town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This is medieval and tourist kitsch to the max, and for the first time since Neusshwanstein Castle in Fussen we saw tour buses and tour groups. Thats ok, plenty of room for all! At the tourist info there was an electronic board of all hotels in town, with a green light and red light indicating full or not. Only one of 50+ hotels was full (at 2pm). The shops along the main roads are packed with little figurines, cuckoo clocks, steins, swords, flags, pastries... everything remotely German that you could ever want to buy (and more).

After laundry we did some quick sightseeing, but after the previous 4+ medieval towns its all starting to look the same. Its all good, though, and I'm certainly not complaining. Its really a 10/10 country, in pretty much all respects.

2 more days to the end of the Romantische Strasse!! Then...

Rothenburg's main street

Rothenburg's central plaza

Monday, May 4 :: Dinkelsbuhl, Germany

Monday, May 4 :: Dinkelsbuhl, Germany :: 38 km / 240 km total

A late start and a hard day with rolling hills on an often wet gravelly road. But the short distance made things quite managable, and we rolled happily into Dinkelsbuhl - another medieval town. The food continues to be fantastic and varied - today in Dinkelsbuhl we had chili, doner, pizza, and of course locally-brewed beer.

Liz product-testing the Snug as a Bug helmet cover
Many roads have bike paths beside them - even though the road itself is almost traffic-free

A church we passed, with labyrinth in front

Onto a forested section of the Romantische Strasse

Dinkelsbuhl and its moat

Moat-turned path at Dinkelsbuhl