Photographs to be put in some how. Work in progress Dec 12th 2024
Introduction:
Following the surprising success of last year’s journey from Calais to Basel, this year’s cycle ride was intended to be a practice for next year’s seriously challenging ride to Vienna, and possibly beyond into the Balkans.
Calais-Basel was just over 500 miles.
This year’s journey, Prague-Amsterdam Ferry would be 578 miles
Rotterdam Ferry-Vienna is 800 miles
The big questions to be answered were going to be:
- Can he do it?
- Does he want to?
The route from Prague-Amsterdam would go over the mountains bordering the Czech Republic and Saxony. This part of the journey would be completed in the first week to get the hardest part of the journey completed first.
There follows an edited account of what happened.
Friday 9th September 2022 17 days to go. The route is finalised, the trains, ferries, bus, and accommodation are booked and largely paid for.
Yesterday I looked at the route over the mountain (day 3) in some detail. It is going to be a challenge. Marci’s brother came to visit on Sunday. Me: What are the mountains called? Something in Czech. Ondrej: The very steep mountain in English. The track seems to be “compacted gravel”. I will take some sticking plasters. I guess there’s a fair chance it will rain. Or be misty. And cold. And there will be no phone signal. But once over the mountain and back down onto properly surfaced roads it will get easier. A lesser man would worry about the mist.
Friday 23rd September Day –2 Once again I am bewildered by my email apps on phone and tablet. It may be some days before I can work out what is going on. Messages appear and disappear without warning. After failing to resolve the email problem I decided to use WhatsApp. I had reluctantly allowed Martin to install it on my phone. It is part of the Evil Empire. Another set of conventions to be managed. A reminder if one was needed that he that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith.
On the platform of Newcastle station I met a Dutch couple who were also cycling to the ferry. All went well. I didn’t get as lost finding the ferry this time. There was plenty of time so it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.
And there they were queuing to get on board with me. They helped me tie up my bike. Even after Akela’s patient instruction I still can’t do knots.
Here I am looking out of the ferry window at the end of a lovely autumn day
It is the autumn equinox. Which brings to mind a song that Judy sang about equinoctial gales. Hmmm
Another odd thing about Judy was this – while she never said “I love you” to me, and we can only speculate, she only once in 55 years apologised for something. It was so unusual that I made a mental note of it, to see whether this was the beginning of something new. It wasn’t.
I had adopted a highly unorthodox layout of some code on my screen in order to align logical sub-structures. She came across it, sat down, and reformatted in in the conventional style. The sub-structures were lost. Ooh I was cross. When she understood what she had done she was mortified. That was it. On the other hand, hardly a day passed without me needing to apologise for something I had done wrong.
The schedule for tomorrow is to cycle the 20 miles into Amsterdam to catch the overnight bus to Prague.
Saturday 24/09/22 Day -1 I must have slept for 10 hours last night. It was almost certainly as a result of getting up at 04:00 yesterday morning. Too excited to sleep.
In my cabin I spent some time deciding what to wear today. The distance from the ferry to the bus station has reduced to about 12 miles overnight. Odd, that. It seems too short to wear full cycling kit. As supplied by a most excellent relative who wishes to remain anonymous. I then went for modified Sunday best, omitting the white shirt and tie. It was quite apparent from the dress of all the other people at breakfast that I need not have bothered. There they were in their fancy clothes with flimsy shawls and cravats and coloured trousers- and that was just the men. So after a more than adequate breakfast I put on the full cycling disguise again. And felt a lot better.
After breakfast when it was time to go the Dutch couple had already untied the knots tying the bike down and we chatted away. There would be a delay of 5 to 10 minutes while the captain worked out how to open the bow doors. They took my photo. A quarter of an hour later the captain really didn’t know how the doors opened but they were working on it. Pedestrians on level 6 could walk down the gangway. We were on level 4.
They were serving free coffee on level 9.
Half an hour later if cyclists could get their bikes to level 6, they could escape. Jan, and Jenni (we had become familiar) helped me get my heavy bike up several flights of steps … and I was free. About 9 miles towards the bus station they passed me in their car with their bikes on the top, pulled up and wished me well. I at last remembered about taking photos. We exchanged email addresses. This was all just wonderful. It all goes to show that there are still people who defy the fundamental beliefs of the Tory and Republican Parties and do not live entirely to promote their own self-interest.
Sunday 25/09/22 Day 0 Prague. It is the end of an exhausting 48 hours. Phil told me that a FlixBus is not the most comfortable mode of travel. He could well be right. But it does offer a direct service from Amsterdam to Prague, and will take a bike. When I told him I had booked any way, he shrugged his shoulders most continentally. Again.
But I did it, and arrived 15 minutes earlier than schedule. And 15 minutes later Zdena came to greet me to her country. Of which she is very proud.
The arrangements were that we would go to the Hussite St. Nicolas Church and she would stay outside and look after my bike while I attended the Holy Mass on offer.
Any of you who are even remotely interested can have a complete account of the extraordinary survival of the Hussite Church since they set fire to Jan Huss 100 years before Luther. Just ask. He was a hero. The leaders of the Roman Church had just whittled the number of Popes down from 3 to 1, and decided to celebrate by finding someone they could all vent their spleen on.
The service was almost entirely in Czech – one of Huss’s requirements for Church services was that they should be held in the native language of the congregation. This was one of the reasons they set fire to him. I could only understand what was being said when they reverted to Hebrew and managed to sing Hallelujah Amen with the rest of them. The service was led by a well-coiffured Priestess. She sang the service amazingly well in a fine mezzo voice. She preached with great clarity of diction, and could be clearly understood by any Czech speaking member of the congregation. Huss was keen on gender inclusion which in 1415 was ridiculous. The lady priests came later, though.
Back to Zdena and she kindly showed me some of the splendid architecture of Prague, not realising my limitations.
And then to see her daughter Helenka and her 2 sons and their various attachments, and we ate a massive meal. I talked too much.
They are all welcome to come to Brid again. They have stayed at 1, Mayfield Rd in the past.
They could not understand why I preferred to cycle to the evening’s accommodation rather than get a lift. It was less than 10 miles but very hilly.
Monday 26/09/2022, Day 1 to Louny
Pronounced as in the Loney Ranger, not as you might expect.
Slept predictably well. They do not serve breakfast on Mondays at the hotel I was staying at so I made do with a sandwich which Zdena had brought for me yesterday. It was not delicate and served well. I have already lost my gloves and a pair of pants.
I tried the Garmin in parallel with Komoot to see if it had improved. It hadn’t, but was still useful as it said that I was in for 4 climbs.
Once again it was difficult getting out of the hotel and on to the right route in the right direction, but that was a brain problem.
Intermittent rain was correctly forecast for the morning. Progress was uphill and slow, but not a problem until Komoot gave me highly implausible directions off the road and on to a cart track which became almost impassable when it degenerated into thick mud
The bike wheels wouldn’t turn round as the mud clogged the space between the mud guards and the wheel.
I had several goes at clearing them
Eventually the track emerged on to a proper road. The mud washed off in puddles by the side of the road.
It may be that this alternative route bypassed climb 2 as it did not feature again.
After a bit more pleasant cycling, my average speed was up again to a reckless 9 mph. Every so often I would have a drink which curiously didn’t convert to a full bladder 20 minutes later. And on. And up. And up.
It was quite a while before I saw the very steep mountains in the distance
Maybe they were covered in mist before. After halfway I stopped at a seat and had a sugar rush from a children’s highly unsuitable chocolate bar which Zdena had brought for me yesterday.
And on and up.
I have never understood the information displayed by Komoot. Sometimes it tells you how far you have gone, sometimes how far you have got to go
It started giving both, which was much appreciated. Hey, I can complete the journey by 16:00 at this rate
And so it proved. I am going to check my bike now to try to unclog it
27/09/2022, 13:16 – Tuesday 27th October. I think. 14:00 and I am already at Blatno
It was a tough ride. The worst bit was about 5 miles along a route agricole. Once again my wheels clogged up with mud. I spent ages trying to unclog them – not entirely satisfactorily in the end. One good feature of the journey was that it went through Chomitov which features in my Plan B for tomorrow. If the weather forecast is very discouraging, I will race down the mountain to Chomitov and get a train to Chemnitz.
The climb up to Blatno was certainly challenging. It went on relentlessly for over 5 miles. I pushed on the steepest bits. The surface of the cycle path is terrific, though. If I have to revert to Plan B, the ride back down will be exhilarating.
Tomorrow’s official itinerary starts uphill. Then down with further sections of up a bit. It would be a pity if I had to cancel because of heavy rain, currently forecast.
And a bit later …
I am in my room
It is cold up here in the mountain and the radiator is on.
When I gave the lady my passport she wrote the details out, then looked at me, then said something in foreign, then wrote down on a piece of paper “79”. I said “yes” and nodded. She clapped and laughed. Ooh I was pleased
I am still not entirely convinced that I am not going to catch something from WhatsApp.
28/09/2022, 12:17 – It is 13:00, I am about 8 miles from Chemnitz, and it is pouring down with rain
The excellent authorities have installed a sheltered bus stop at the side of the road giving me an opportunity to recall the day’s events so far. The forecast this morning was showery. Who would take the easy option down to the station when they could cycle through a few showers?
I seem to have been the only guest in the hotel. The most excellent young lady who booked me in yesterday had washed all the mud of the bike with a hose. I set off in a shower which went on for 90 minutes. More like a monsoon
The route was reasonably easy to follow. Up climb 1. Out of 6. I pushed. Then through the forest along a route agricole…
Most of the other climbs were magnificently achieved by pushing. Except the last one which was a mere hill.
I didn’t exactly soar up it, but it was less than a mile, and manageable.
And then wheee down to Chemnitz.
After checking in I looked around for a restaurant. There wasn’t one that I could see, and I went out in the pouring rain to find something to eat
The best I could do was a baker’s shop which was about to close, which had a bread roll with food in it and a bun. That would have to do. On the way back to the hotel I noticed a McDonald’s. It didn’t take long to eat the stuff from the bakery, and the rain had eased off a bit, so I went across to McDonald’s. Now I have only been to a McDonald’s 4 times in my life before. In Bradford in about 1975, Tokyo in about 1980,
Bridlington about 10 years ago with our Scouts and Lille last year when I was cold and soaking wet and desperate.
I went into McDonalds and watched what you do. That seemed easy enough. Cheeseburgers looked pretty harmless, so I ordered one with an orange juice. It was very affordable. Apart from the orange juice
When it came I was surprised to find some meat like substance with the cheeseburger. It was OK, but included a rather unpleasant sauce. It reminded me of the McDonald’s burger I ate in Bradford
You would have thought they would have been able to get it right by now.
Anyway I ate a decent breakfast this morning and set off uphill for the first of today’s climbs
At about 11:30 I came across a splendid looking hotel and ordered a drinking chocolate, some (excellent) soup, and a death inducing ice cream dish
It was wonderful
The next 2 hours were a bit of a slog. I was getting more tired by the mile. It wasn’t helped when I turned into a cycle track when a man in a yellow coat came out of his cabin waved his arms and pointed to a sign including the word verboten
I managed to get out “ich muess zu Boelen gehen ” he just crossed his arms.
Me:”Wo?” And pointed down the road. He nodded
Eventually the sat nav came to terms with the real world and I reached tonight’s accommodation.
It will be am easier day tomorrow. Maybe
29/09/2022, 15:55 – Jill Bowden: Good to hear of your travels. You suddenly popped up on the screen. I had been wondering where you might be. Hope you reach journeys end whenever that may be. Go well brother.
29/09/2022, 16:38 – Ooh it’s good to hear from you again
You will get a full report in time
This is the practice journey from Prague to Amsterdam.
On Sunday I was with the Hussites in Prague. Next Sunday I hope to be with the Lutherans in Eisleben (you may remember the hymn tune) and the following Sunday is in the Good Lord’s hands
Now for today … I slept well. Some of you know – I have 2 separate sat nav systems. They both have different features. The Garmin is good for climbs. It gives a profile of the hill, and information about how far you have reached. It (a Garmin device) is rubbish at navigating. Like today – I followed the route faultlessly on my mobile with Komoot. The Garmin immediately said “make a U turn” and a large Right Arrow flashed all over the screen. The Komoot application could not find any fault with my navigation, and made no complaints. It carried on like that for the rest of the journey, except the one time when I did miss a turning and Komoot started showing me on a map where I had gone wrong.
Together with each day’s route, Komoot includes phrases like “The route includes sections where cycling is not permitted” Today this probably meant the 12 steps I had to climb. There seems to be a lot of roadworks going on. Another man leapt out at me again today. I was following the map impeccably, but the road ahead was dug up. He waved, probably saying “bloody foreigner”. I smiled benignly and said “Bloody Stalinist”, this being the old E Germany. He waved and it looked as though I had to go round by another route. 3 minutes later I came across him about 200 yards along from where we parted. He could not cope, and let me carry on. That was where I came across the steps. The route was pretty much through industrial suburbs for a couple of miles, then out into the country again. I sang Linden Lee. This cheered me up a lot. And on through the flat Saxon countryside. There was not much of a wind, and whole cities of wind turbines stood idle. And on. It’s always the last 5 miles that are the longest, and the very last mile is longer than any of them. But here I am, warm and well fed and still not washed.
“And what about the photos?”
Forgotten again.
Maybe when I’m at Eisleben I’ll get Phil to take some.
The surprising good news is that the bluetooth keyboard that I bought for using email on my tablet works with WhatsApp on the phone. Who would have thought it?
“Any 11 year old”
Humph
30/09/2022, 17:36 – half an hour later … I could not get out of my room. The window would not open wide enough for me to climb out. With admirable strategic planning I found the hotel on booking.com and rang it. “Sprachen sie Englisch?” “Nein”. Ich bin in zimmer 2 und ich kan die tuer nicht oeffen.” (something in foreign”. The young man who served an excellent meal knocked on the window. I showed him the door stuck. He laughed, and pointed to the other door. Which opened.
01/10/2022, 13:18 – That has been an exciting day. Up at 05:00 as normal, and ready for an easy day. Only 21 miles and then a free day at Eisleben
Looked up the forecast for the day. It would rain for 6 hours after 10:00.
Then prepare the bike for the ride. The front tyre was flat. It is just possible that was the reason for feeling so tired for the last 5 miles yesterday
Still, no matter, turn the bike over and pump. I had 2 new tyres fitted before the journey
The man said that one of them was self-healing. If it gets a puncture it mends itself. Let’s hope it is the front one. I pumped it up and went for breakfast. This would last until I met Phil off the train at 17:00.
Back outside, and the tyre was still hard. I would cycle hard to miss as much as the rain as I could. And hope the tyre stayed firm.
The route was easy to follow. Up a bit then along a bit then down a bit.
It started raining before schedule, but no matter. 15 miles along and the tyre was flat again.
Bother. I would pump it up again. But my pump had gone missing. It was attached to the frame when I started. I was in good time and could walk to Eisleben if necessary.
A mile along I decided to cycle again and came across 2 work men by a van. ” Ich habe ein problem”. They came to look, laughed, and got a pump out of the van. And then I was off again, only about 3 miles from Eisleben. Once there, the tyre was pretty flat again. I went into a sports clothes shop and spoke to a non- English speaking assistant. “Mein rad hat ein problem. Wo kan ich gehen?” She looked doubtful and gave me directions with actions.
Her instructions included the word Feuer. Up the road, round the corner, was a fire station and down the road from that was a cycle shop and a happy man. I did the routine about a problem again and said “Ich will es bringen”
When I brought it he was delighted. He liked the Rohloff gears and set to.
Everything is in good order with a new pump properly fitted this time and no problems. Until the next one
02/10/2022, 15:37 – It is 17:00 on an excellent Sunday afternoon.
Phil arrived yesterday and I just reached the station in time to meet him
We wandered around Eisleben for a bit, observing the house in which Luther was born and the one in which he died
There are those in the world who think he was liberating, those for whom he caused the collapse of all that was good and true, and those who cannot see what all the fuss is about. Instruction is available for anyone who wants to hear. Just ask.
The E German government didn’t know what to do with him. He was anti- revolutionary, but good for trade
So it is that Eisleben is listed as Lutherstadt, as is also the nearby town of Mansfeld where he grew up and went to school
This morning after a hearty breakfast I went to der Annenkirche. The history of German Protestant churches in Germany in the 1930’s and 1940’s is interesting, if you are interested in that sort of thing. The Nazis wanted a state church modelled on our own, dear, Church of England. Their own version of the C of E as “the Tory Party at prayer”, except that in their case it was “the Nazi party at prayer”. Arians only. There was heroic resistance to this. Church leaders were (not unreasonably) hanged for treason. After the war, the Evangelical Church came together, and this is now the more or less the unified German Protestant church.
I’m glad you now know that.
It was harvest festival. The church was packed. Children brought fruit and vegetables and sang. We all sang. Starting with the one we all know … Nun danket alle Gott. “Now thank we all our God”.
The service was led by the shepherdess who did her best to encourage us all to be thankful. She was roundly heckled by a determined company of 2- and 3- year olds who would have none of it. Her general theme was “while the earth remaineth seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease”. This seemed to entail waving long ribbons in the colours of the rainbow.
We then sang “Wir Pfluegen und wir streuen”, which you will immediately recognise as “We plough the fields and scatter …”. Sadly they omitted the Manx Fishermen’s hymn which we always sang at Totnes Methodist Church at Harvest Festivals.
Harvest Festivals should always be happy, thankful times. They tend now to be run through with guilt at the unfairness of the world, and coming ecological disaster. There is plenty of time to worry about that next week. Today be thankful.
Back to the hotel; we made our way to the train station. This was a mistake as the service to Mansfeld was by bus. Never mind. We saw Luther’s family house and what pretended to be the school he attended, and climbed to the Schloss which did not seem to have anything to do with the man. It was a good day. I failed to take any photos of any consequence. Again.
On the way back to the hotel we found a curious war cemetery. The inscriptions were all in Cyrillic with a red star at the top of each stone and date of death June1945-June 1946. That’s funny, the war ended on May 8th 1945. Hmmm
03/10/2022, 19:55: Today is Reunification Day when everything closes. I was surprised how few cyclists were on the very quiet roads. It makes you wonder whether in these parts Reunification Day is a bit like Boris’s Liberation Day – a bit of an embarrassment. I did see one German flag out. But only one.
The route for the day entailed one 5 mile climb, and then a reasonably easy 30-odd miles ending in another mini-climb. With a will I conquered the first climb magnificently. For me. Did not get off and push once. This pleased me more than made sense. It did mean, though I arrived at the empty inn where I was staying the night 3 hours early. I had the presence of mind to send a message to the property that I had arrived early and could not get in. The weather was dry, and I
sat down in the sun to read the Independent on my tablet. After 20 minutes a message came back that my keys were in a key safe at the back of the property, and included the code to break in. That was all very well, but the keys would not open the front door. Send another message. This time the reply took longer to arrive. You have to use one key to get through a side gate into the Biergarten. The other key is for the back door. It all worked. The accommodation is in a separate area
of the Inn. It was warm, and my room included a Tassimo machine to make a hot drink. Only, though, if you could work out how to use it. It looked as though the Inn was going to celebrate Reunification Day by not opening. That’s OK, I’ll find somewhere else open. All the restaurants in town close on Mondays. I walked all the way down the steep hill I had come up, and did not find a single cafe, restaurant or even shop open. In the centre of the town the lights were on in just one restaurant. I had a most excellent pasta dish with ratatouille.
Tomorrow will be a challenge if they don’t serve breakfast.
I will survive
04/10/2022, 10:45 – More of a surprise than expected. I am in hospital.
I can remember racing down a hill. Who knows what happened next?
A young man in an emergency vehicle had stopped, and told me he knew where a bike repair shop was nearby, but first he would ring for an ambulance. It arrived with 3 young (to me) people who insisted that they took me over
They brought me to the hospital and it was very weird. I had no idea what happened, and could not remember where I lived.
But had a card which said 1, Mayfield Rd. I knew it was not Bradford but could not think where else it might be.
They put my bike somewhere. This will have to be rediscovered.
One of the doctors knew about as much English as I knew German. We managed to have some sort of a conversation. I told him that I remembered nothing. He said that was normal, he did all kinds of tests. By this time I could remember that I lived in Bridlington. Another man came and did more tests. My blood pressure was at world-beating levels. They will keep me in overnight.
04/10/2022, 10:47 – Karol Whettlock: Oh no! Is Phil still nearby?
04/10/2022, 10:49 – They have got Phil’s contact details
I of course expect to be fully fit tomorrow
04/10/2022, 10:50 – Karol Whettlock: Do we assume you fell off?
04/10/2022, 10:52 – I must have done but don’t remember it
04/10/2022, 10:54 – Karol Whettlock: Hope you are fully fit by tomorrow and can find your bike.
04/10/2022, 11:27 – Heather: Fingers crossed for a fast recovery for you and the bike
04/10/2022, 11:32 – Judy would have told them “There is nothing wrong with me” That may well be true.
04/10/2022, 11:43 – Alison Harvey: What a shame. How are you feeling now?
04/10/2022, 11:55 – My right shoulder aches, but that is all. I must have fallen on my right side as I have a plaster over my right eye. Now to find my bike
The second selfie in my life. Achieved by putting the camera on the floor, kneeling down and selecting night. Advice needed
04/10/2022, 13:44 – People are very kind of course. Up to a point.
I wanted to find my bike to see whether I could fix it.
A clinical lady in the emergency department asked if it was red.
It is.
She took me to it and asked if that was it.
It was.
She would not let me stay with it.
(This was all in a unique form of German). “How long are you staying for?” “Just one night” “You will be able to get it tomorrow, then”.
Maybe they don’t trust me not to run away
04/10/2022, 13:45 – Karol Whettlock: Very perceptive of them!
04/10/2022, 13:46 – Lesley: I don’t trust you not to run away 😀
04/10/2022, 14:59 – Alison Harvey: So glad you’re OK
04/10/2022, 18:23 – Jill Bowden: Oh dear David.You sound to be battered. Rest up please.
04/10/2022, 18:28 – Alison Cox: Oh no. I just read this. Am so sorry to hear this. We send lots of love and hope you make sure you’re well before being discharged into a strange world! When you are up to it, please get back in touch & let me know if I can help with any arrangements.
Xxx Alison
04/10/2022, 19:07 – It is always possible that I am entirely unrealistic, but I fully expect to be restored to life and health and thought as soon as they see me tomorrow. They took all kinds of blood tests, said that my blood pressure was abnormally high, and have put me up for the night. They will be amazed at my recovery tomorrow
I then hope to get the bike repaired if there is anything much wrong with it, and get the train about 30 miles to the next destination.
Come on, my partners in distress.
05/10/2022, 07:24: Yippee.
An Army of medical staff has just been and confirmed the diagnosis that there is nothing wrong with him medically at least.
Now to find the bike, see whether I can fix it, and take it to a repair shop if not.
It’s at times like this that we can all sing “mit freuden zart”
“Sing praise to God who reigns above”.
Well, some of us can.
My German vocabulary is very strange, from the Methodist hymn book, German opera, and Luther’s translation of the Bible. None of it exactly colloquial
05/10/2022, 08:26 – And my other German resource is, of course, Bach. Many of his texts are derived from Luther anyway. But are still not street German.
Leaving is not as easy as hoped. They have to give me a letter.
Meanwhile a kind young lady unplugged the drain on my arm that they had left in case I needed another blood test. All good evidence that they want to be rid of me.
05/10/2022, 08:42 – Alison Harvey: Lots of vocabulary to choose from but in the present circumstances would need some imagination – don’t think Luther et al. are the best resources in your present situation.
05/10/2022, 08:58 – PJB: Here I stand. I can do no other.
05/10/2022, 09:31 – Well, I hang around and wait until they give me a letter.
A most excellent young nurse in the emergency section has just tried and failed to fix the bike.
I will now ring a cycle shop
05/10/2022, 09:31 – Karol Whettlock: Is Luther useful for “Can you repair my bicycle?”
05/10/2022, 09:32 – Not that I can bring to mind
05/10/2022, 17:25 – This journey has turned out to be more extraordinary than expected when it started.
I was given a full bill of health, sort of, before 08:00. 5 doctors came round the bed and were willing to be persuaded that I was a fine specimen of British manhood. I waited. At 09:00 I asked the woman in charge of the ward if I could go, now. “Not until you have got a letter”. At 10:00 I asked if I could go to see to the bike. “Do you know where it is?” “Yes” “I suppose so”. I went down to the accident and emergency department and told them I had been discharged and was waiting for the letter. Could I go to see to my bike?
A really splendid accident and emergency specialist, by the look at her competence in recreating otherwise dead things came with me, sucked her teeth and pulled. I took off the brakes. No, this was beyond her mechanical skills. In the crash the wheel had been buckled and would have to go to an orthopaedic specialist. I thanked her for her considerable help and advice, and decided to ask at reception where I could find a local bike repair shop. They gave me a number. No-one answered. I had now decided to get a series of 3 trains near to the place I had intended to stay the night.
At 12:00 the letter came. I clocked out and found I could barely drag the bike and 2 full pannier bags. I found a tram going to the Railway station. Here I found 2 young men in their early 20’s. One of them had a go at bending the wheel so that it would run more smoothly. He and his friend were keen to help. They then told me the best place to get the bike mended. It was miles away but was good and cheap. One of them then offered to take me. He came with his bike, helped me on the tram, paid for a ticket for himself which I spotted and could correct, and we went the most unmemorable route. We went down side streets and a full flight of 40 steps. He had me take the bags while he carried my bike down. Then ran back up and cycled all the way down. At the repair shop there was much vigorous debate. They would take the bike, and do it tomorrow morning. The young man would find me somewhere for the night. He tried a refugee asylum centre, but I did not qualify. He should try the Youth Hostel. The manager of the asylum centre called one of his refugee assistants to take me there. I have booked in for the night. This was all most heart warming. A mixture of Pilgrim’s Progress and the Good Samaritan. In a hard cruel world like our own.
You might think I am past Youth Hostels. In one of his negotiations, the 20-year old described me as “ein jung Mann”. That sounds like “a young man” to me.
My shoulder is a lot better.
05/10/2022, 17:57 – Alison Harvey: Are you in the Youth Hostel? Can you get something to eat somewhere?
05/10/2022, 18:04 – I am, and I can. I have been down the road for an almost excellent fast food creation. The Youth Hostel will serve breakfast at 07:30 to the genteel elderly and at 08:00 to the Young People who are here in abundance. I have a 6-bunk room to myself
06/10/2022, 07:37 – 08:30 on 6th October.
Katy and maybe Jeff are doing the JBMemorial swim in the sea today, beating Avril to it.
The Youth Hostel here is highly reminiscent of Scout Hostels I have known and loved. There seem to be at least 2 separate parties here
The leaders are all heroic. They are all grown up in a way I never managed. They are imaginative and authoritative. I could always manage the first of those.
If all goes well and I get the bike fixed by 12:00, I will be off to Detmold, and then back on the original schedule, having skipped 100+ miles.
It has done me good being here.
Just to remind you all, the best thing about a new day is that you haven’t done anything wrong yet. Today will be different from all the earlier ones. We shall see.
I will make my way to the cycle repair shop to make sure it can be found, and then find a cafe and wait for a phone call.
06/10/2022, 13:18 – You will all know that it is with much tribulation that we enter the kingdom. Well, you wouldn’t want it any different, anyway. Here I am at Nordhausen station with a bike whose wheels turn round, and a new tyre and new brakes, and 3 tickets that will get me to Detmold at 18:39.
Tomorrow the tour is due to resume as if nothing had happened.
The men in the cycle repair shop were unbelievably good. They spent a good 3 hours getting me a new wheel, a tyre, brakes and nuts, and only charged me €60. In used notes. This cannot have been a commercial transaction. I end up with not many Euros left, but a cash machine in Detmold will sort that out.
The repair shop was some distance from the centre of Nordhausen, so I have done a bit of cycling today.
So remember the kindness of strangers, again, and remember to do a good turn. Today while it is called today
06/10/2022, 14:17 – Heather: So heartwarming to hear how well looked after you were
06/10/2022, 14:27 – Jill Bowden: I read your messages with a grin and say ” Go on David, live an exciting life” it can be done, but what are a few bruises on the way!
06/10/2022, 14:39 – The commendation to “Take care” always annoys me. “Go wild” is a better one.
06/10/2022, 15:40 – Katy Wheelwright: It was a very bracing dip in the North Sea for the Judy memorial swim today …Jeff did follow me in after taking a photo ! Lots of wave jumping and a bit of swimming….lots of shrieks !
Hope all well with you David
06/10/2022, 18:23 – That is extraordinary. As you both are.
I have reached tonight’s accommodation after a 4-hour journey on 3 trains, most of which were on time. Tomorrow’s route will prove that it takes more than a little knock to push him off course. Or not. It is one of the longest legs of the route and starts uphill
Perhaps it’s not the uphill bits that are a problem, though. I will examine the route in detail, and try to identify a good staging post half way along.
And there I will rest a while. Am really pleased to be on the grand tour again.
It’s odd that people would rather have a package holiday
07/10/2022, 16:14 – It gets better by the day.
Contrary to expectations today’s ride was a doddle. Uphill for 7 miles, then down the other side, then bobble up and down a bit for the next 30 miles.
In the pleasant October sun.
Everything worked
The wheels went round, the legs went up and down, the brakes braked, and the heart was free.
This is the life. There were more cyclists around than earlier in the ride. We cycled through Autumn forests. The ride was a bit unadventurous really. No routes agricoles, just cycle paths for most of the way. Nothing wrong with that. I arrived at the hotel early. It was warm and the room is fine. The town is terrific. Ah, the lady has just come with my pizza. More later…
07/10/2022, 17:34 –
So where are you? I could not remember when I was typing the last episode, but it it is Warendorf. By the look of it, it is an old market town with a central square which is filled with tables from the cafes which surround the area. I wanted something more substantial than tea and cakes so ended up in what looked like a Turkish restaurant. I ordered a vegetarian pizza believing that not even the Turks can do unspeakable things with that. It was OK.
The schedule for the next few days is …35 miles to Rosendahl, which may be in The Netherlands. Sunday rest day (as though I haven’t had enough of them) then through The Netherlands to the ferry in stages. Having been to a Hussite Church in Prague, and a sort-of-Lutheran church in Eisleben, I will try to find a Calvinist church in Rosendahl. It amuses some of us.
So what did you think about when cycling along today? There were the forests to enjoy and the acorns and chestnuts on the path to avoid, but then there was that extraordinary woman Grandma Whiteley who had such a formative influence on Judy. I never met her, but Judy talked about her a lot. She was a strict Wesleyan Methodist who impressed on Judy from the beginning that you must always be totally honest to yourself and to other people. For the Lord looketh on the heart. You fool yourself if you lie. Judy took this on board without question. It made for brutal relationships, but led to a gold standard. Curiously everyone loved Grandma Whitely. There was a simple integrity about her. Well, that’s what it seems like at second hand.
07/10/2022, 21:17: Hey, now we’re on to selfies ..
If you are not squeamish, just see what I discovered this evening. “Didn’t you notice yesterday or the day before?” I never looked.
07/10/2022, 21:19 – Heather: Ouch
08/10/2022, 15:53 : Today started with a forecast of showers from 10:00. That’s OK, I’ll put on the waterproof. This was not so easy, although the young lady on Reception had no problem getting it over my head. I may have found a new chat-up line. It may be not so new. It was definitely colder and darker this morning. I have no problems with the cold, having plenty of layers to retain the body heat, but am not sure what cyclists are supposed to do about lights. A number of cyclists passed, some with front lights on, others with them off. After mature deliberation I switched mine on.
The route today was 10 miles shorter than yesterday, but ended in a climb. The climb was only for about 3/4 mile, but I decided in advance that I would need to push.
The ride was disappointing. I felt weary as I navigated through Muenster. Partly through going through miles and miles of city streets, but partly through feeling tired.
It was becoming increasingly obvious that Rosendahl doesn’t start to be in The Netherlands. It then occurred to me to get a bus or train from Rosendahl to Muenster tomorrow. There are 2 things I remember about Muenster – it is where the treaty finishing the 30 years war was signed in 1640 something, and it was where a radical protestant sect, the Anabaptists founded a socialist state in 1530 something. The End was Nigh. To facilitate the coming of the New Jerusalem everyone was to be naked.
It will be good to go to Muenster tomorrow. Having started in Prague where the 30 years war kicked off, I could celebrate its ending in Muenster. It is theoretically possible that an Anabaptist congregation still meets there. I will not over-dress.
The climb was a big success. As I laboured up the hill a group of cyclists came down the other way and shouted encouragement. I think that was what it was, but it was in Foreign. With a new heart I ploughed on to the top.
What a star.
09/10/2022, 13:28A fitting end for Lefties
09/10/2022, 13:29 – Karol Whettlock: Lovely building.
09/10/2022, 14:04 – If you look carefully, you can see the 3 cages in which the 16th Century Socialists were imprisoned until they died. The Lord Jesus must have been delighted.
It has been an odd Sunday.
After a huge breakfast I managed to book a ticket from Rosendahl to Muenster using the DB app which Phil must have set up on my mobile
Better than that, I found the bus stop, and waited on the right side of the road for a bus to the train station. This was all accompanied by a certain unnecessary lack of nerve.
Then to Muenster in the warm October sun.
The church above is the one from which they hung the Socialists in cages until they eventually died
Mind you, they were crazy. Who were? They all were
I was unable to find an Anabaptist Congregation where I could take my clothes off, so made do with walking around the centre of Muenster
Here there was a deconsecrated Dominican Church in which was a fully functional demonstration of Foucault’s Pendulum.
A long chain hung from the top of the nave. A metal sphere was attached to the chain which swung continuously over a huge circular base.
This was marked in 12 subdivisions. If you watched long enough you could see that the circular base was turning.
What can this be? None other than the rotation of the earth.
There were also 4 large rectangular mirrors at either side of the pendulum. The reflections in these were seriously significant, but I felt inadequate.
I am now maybe on the right train making my way back to Rosendahl in stages. 2 trains and a bus. Ooh it is exciting.
09/10/2022, 15:33 – 1. I omitted to say that the cages are over the clock in the photo
2. And that the train I was on didn’t stop where I expected. I am therefore somewhere else. A group of 4 12(?) year olds have just come to my rescue and commended a train then bus to get me to where I want to be. They are very helpful, and I trust them. The world is full of cheerful comrades. I hope.
09/10/2022, 16:39 – Alison Harvey: Not nice keeping the cages up and I think I read that during the war they were down and put back up afterwards. I thought I also read it was the remains hung up, not live people but I may be wrong. I think Robert Aske was caged and hung up.
09/10/2022, 18:28: Well, that all went well. Those young people were exactly right.
I will check up on the cages when I get back home. It sounds a bit miserable of the Marxists to celebrate the disgrace of their fore- runners.
Now (19:30) to try to stay awake until 22:00. Not necessarily as easy as all that.
10/10/2022, 13:39 : Monday 10th October 14:00 and all is well.
The night’s hotel is a bit up-market for me, and it pleases me to appear out of place. It’s a good hotel, though.
The excellent young lady on reception tells me that I have booked 2 rooms and there is nothing she can do to cancel one. How many keys do I want?
This may well have been true once, and I was most impressed when booking.com drew my attention to the fact that I probably didn’t mean to book it twice. I therefore immediately cancelled the second (or first) booking. This was about 5 weeks ago. And lo! I don’t need to pay for 2 rooms any more.
It was a good ride today. Up and down for a bit, then a steady flat ride. Most unadventurous, and none the worse for that.
I noticed that rain was forecast for the area from 16:00, so hurried on a bit after a leisurely break mid-day.
So I have been in The East for the past fortnight. There is obviously quite a bit of reconstruction going on – roads being upgraded and factories rebuilt. The EU continues to be a force for good. It is such a pity that we ran away.
10/10/2022, 17:40 – Alison Harvey: Why did you have to stay awake till 22.00 on 9th October?
10/10/2022, 19:08 – Easy
If I had gone to bed as my body recommended, I would wake up 8 hours later and it would be ages before breakfast. A similar situation has arisen this evening.
I have just eaten posh for the first time since we moved to Bridlington. It was OK eating posh with Judy because she was so awkward, and no-one minded. I could then break all kinds of rules of polite society, and no-one noticed. It’s harder on your own, as I have just discovered. I managed by watching a couple who were 5 minutes ahead of me.
It was certainly an excellent meal, if a little short on volume. No bad thing that
I am booked in for breakfast as well, already paid for, so can fill up in the morning.
Tomorrow is the last stage over 40 miles. After that it’s a mere stroll each day.
I have been trying to avoid thinking about next year until this is all over. It does come to mind, though.
This was going to be a trial run to see whether next year I could try Amsterdam to Vienna, with an option of pressing on into the Balkans. It seems to make sense to consider that while the crash is fresh in my mind. Except that it isn’t. Other than pedalling hard as I went downhill I remember nothing. However I do remember the lack of mobility in my arm afterwards. Including now. I will pedal hard tomorrow, on a flat Netherlands route, and see whether I am getting past it.
The weather forecast is trouble free for the next few days.
I have been asked to speak to the Ladies’ Meeting next Monday evening about travels on my bike. I told the organiser that they would be much more interested in the story of Judy’s life. “Do what you want”.
I still think my first reaction is probably right, but the high drama of last week may amuse.
10/10/2022, 19:15 – Alison Harvey: I think that the fact you coped and overcame the crash is more positive indication that you’ll be fine for next year than if everything had gone smoothly.
11/10/2022, 07:07 – 08:00 I have just eaten the most amazing breakfast. It looks as though the general ethos of the hotel is not the same as the one I grew up in: “be thankful for what you have, and remember the little boys and girls in Africa”. The amount of waste here is outrageous. As the staff clear away the plates loaded with perfectly good food, I want to say “I’ll eat that up for you”. Maybe they wouldn’t understand.
I will wait for another 30 minutes to allow my food to digest and then on to the North.
It feels an age since I last lived like this. Then I was on the road for BUSS focused on talking to customers, without giving much thought to my surroundings. It was another world.
11/10/2022, 07:38 – Alison Harvey: One would suppose that you didn’t travel to potential customers on your bike.
11/10/2022, 13:57 – No. When we first started I did not drive, so went by train and bus and taxi. That was not very convenient.
But today, who would need anything more than a bike? It is a beautiful sunny day without much wind. The route was along tracks through deciduous forests, and mile upon mile of cycle track by the side of all kinds of roads. It did include a “climb”, although this being the Netherlands it wasn’t in the same league as The Very Steep Mountain. It turned out to be a reassuring ride. It might have been unwise to have a long ride with a long hill near the end of the journey, but, hey, I can do that.
The next 2 days look to be a bit of an anti-climax. Relatively short and flat. However tomorrow it ends up near Naarden which is where Jan Komenski (my hero) ended his days. He was the extraordinary 17th century Moravian educationalist who thought that all we have to do to rid the world of bigotry is to ensure that all our children receive a good education. “All our children?” Yes. “Including girls?” Yes. “Ridiculous. What happened to him?” He was hounded out of his own country by the bigots.
I had intended to go to an exhibition dedicated to him in Prague, but Zdena took me over. Another day.
I am spending the night in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere.
The people with the B&B will let me have some bread which I will have and enjoy with the rest of the cheese I bought in Eisleben. Much more suitable than the fancy stuff I ate yesterday.
11/10/2022, 16:16 : I now remember the 2 visits to customers that persuaded me to get a car. The first was to Rugely in Staffordshire. Train to Manchester. Walk to Manchester Piccadilly, then train to Stafford. Bus to Rugely. And back.
Then Bradford to somewhere in darkest Leicestershire where British Gypsum had their factory (?). Train to Leeds. Train to Loughborough. Taxi to somewhere in the wilds. Happy discussion with Dr. Someone with a Russian/Polish sounding name which may yet come to me. It was very adventurous, but not necessarily commercially astute.
12/10/2022, 12:24 – After a leisurely breakfast and an unhurried morning ride I am sitting in the warm sun in Naarden waiting for a little something. It looks as though Comenius is still dead. There would surely be more excitement if he wasn’t. But his soul goes marching on. One of his most imaginative publications was an encyclopaedia of human knowledge for children. It was, of course, well organised. 2 facing pages contained a picture of men and women doing things. There were farmers and book binders and fishers and teachers and dentists and whatever else he could organise. It was a celebration of human skill. There was a page with a naked man and woman. All the parts were numbered. You could read the text below, and relate what you read to the pictures you could see.
And this was the immensely imaginative part of the project… There was a Czech language version of the text and a corresponding Latin one, and English, each referencing the objects in the pictures by number.
Learning to read could be fun, and learning Latin was even better. Sadly at the end of the 30 years war the World Powers (Romanists, Lutherans, and Calvinists) sold the Czechs down the river, and they were dominated by the Austrian Imperialists for a few centuries.
Comenius became disillusioned with this world that he had celebrated with such enthusiasm, and sought refuge in another better world.
13/10/2022, 06:48 – You will realise that the journey recorded has been planned and executed with the most meticulous attention to detail. That has been the huge improvement between last year and this.
Almost.
I arrived at last night’s accommodation an hour early. Ah, an hour and a day early. I had got my dates wrong.
No matter. Maria found me another room. I slept well (of course), and am ready for the final Continental leg of the tour
It is raining. It is forecast to rain all day. Who cares?
13/10/2022, 09:09 – PJB: I think you may be looking at the execution more than the planning
13/10/2022, 14:56 13:30 It did rain. Heavily. Hour after hour.
The problem with the rain is that my mobile, now almost essential for navigating, is liable to get wet. I imagine this is not a good thing. I have contrived a make-shift solution covering the mobile with a freezer bag. It works.
So I arrived at the ferry terminal with drenched shoes and socks but a good feeling of having got here.
It had been difficult getting off the ferry 3 weeks ago. It is going to be difficult getting back on today. Then they could not open the door. Now they have no electricity.
“Come back in 2 hours”. The problem was that I was getting cold. No matter. There was a fish and chip shop nearby which had a set of toilets. It was possible after a statutory refill to swap wet clothes for Sunday suit and extra layers and a pair of Judy’s soft shoes. I guess that with appropriate military training you do this kind of thing without fuss. The rest of us make heavy weather of it.
15:00 – They have mended the fuses and will soon be letting vehicles on board. And it started to rain heavily again. They had opened up a building nearby for pedestrians, cyclists and dog owners. They brought round bottles of water and sweeties. Maybe they are expecting more trouble. But at least it is tolerably warm. We are all being very British and cheerful in adversity. It’s in circumstances like this that I always think “Someone’s in bother”. It will be a big relief to be on board and able to hang up my wet clothes.
Some well trained young women are exercising all their skills of seeming to be able to deal with circumstances. I have just received my third chocolate. Is this where I start to remember my old Scout songs?
13/10/2022, 19:09 – 20:00 only just in my cabin warming up.
Earlier information about systems restored was a hoax. The power on the boat was OK. It was the power on land that was still off. They needed to check everyone in by hand with no access to their online records. They then wrote your cabin number on a provisional boarding card which you took on board and exchanged for a real one. All the crew are being most solicitous. A happy man tied my bike up.
A most helpful lady showed me to the cabin and explained how to get back to my bike once back in England. But the best bit is my feet are warming up.
And my shoulder is mending itself. That has always seemed to me to be extraordinary. How does it know how to do that?
14/10/2022, 08:42: It is now tomorrow. I am warm, well fed, and very content.
There is something unreal about sitting in a restaurant at 7 o’clock in the morning surrounded by more food than you could possibly eat. “Fancy Kitty Butland’s little boy doing so well”. She might have been a bit proud, but she wouldn’t have been over-impressed.
We started off well over 4 hours late, but are now expected to arrive less than 2 hours behind schedule. Almost giving time to get to the station for the train I have booked. As long as I pedal hard. That, of course, depends on the cooperation of the customs officials.
I have had a massive breakfast, giving plenty of time to observe the other passengers. Funny things, other people. Some aloof from each other and grumpy. Some just solitary, and some in love. They are the best ones.
I will have to duck and dive today according to circumstances. The train I have booked leaves Newcastle at 12:27
Originally that was going to be more than enough time. We shall see
If I do make it, it will only be because of a whole army of people labouring to sort me out.
Up the workers. And the management a bit. Apart from whoever forgot to plan for the electricity being off at the ferry terminal.
13/10/2022, 21:40 – Alison Cox: Glad you have ‘discovered’ the fix to your handlebar mounted phone getting wet that Nick ( he of only half a leg, having apparently cycled too hard, or badly, in his racing years……and other slightly wobbly tales!!) suggested to you a month ago – put a bag on it and secure with a rubber band! Glad it’s trickled down! You are a stubborn but resourceful man! I was going to offer you some private and delicate advice in response to your request for same at the time, but given you’re sharing it all out there, and I may not be the only one too traumatised and scared now to open any further selfie, from anyone, ever, with love I beg, please don’t do that any more!!
Otherwise, go wild! Enjoy the return leg and congratulations on all the good stuff. Xxx
14/10/2022, 09:47: That, then, explains why I have got a rubber band in my box of emergency gadgets.
14/10/2022, 15:22: We might well live in a wicked world, but that doesn’t stop me from being in York on the train to Bridlington.
It took some time to get off the ferry and through Customs, and I decided to get the Metro train into Newcastle. People were extraordinarily helpful once again. Particularly Caroline, originally from Whitley Bay, who took me through the Monument station complex and pointed me towards Newcastle Central Station where I arrived almost in time for the train.
She could not have been more helpful.
But I missed the train. Just.
Then to the LNER office and bought a ticket for me and the bike on a train that was cancelled by the time I got out of the booking office. No matter. Someone then exchanged the ticket for a train that was going to run, and still almost get into York in good time for the Bridlington train.
Other people muscled in – members of the public- who heaved my bike on to the rack, and later helped me get it back down again.
Maybe I do look in need of care and attention.
Even better, the train in York stopped next to the platform for the Bridlington train.
Well, that has been a terrific journey. Inevitably spoiled by the loss of 3 days riding, but much compensated by the willing assistance of strangers.
What next?
It is more difficult than it needs to be, as flying would be wholly unprincipled. Caroline (see above) suggested walking. Maybe from Wallsend to WallsOtherEnd, wherever that is.
There’s always the option of Amsterdam to Vienna. It is a bit annoying that it has to be Amsterdam which is much less convenient than Rotterdam, but that would entail rewarding P&O. What I really need is a local fisherman to take me across the sea to somewhere foreign
and then bring me back again 3 or 4 weeks later. I know some local fishermen
14/10/2022, 15:58 – Alison Harvey: Does this suggest you have got back home?
14/10/2022, 17:52 : Not only got back home but am on my way up to the minor casualties department at the hospital to get official confirmation that there is nothing wrong with me
14/10/2022, 18:16 – Alison Harvey: What’s the verdict?
14/10/2022, 20:20 : They had me doing various yoga postures, and couldn’t relate my ability to do them with the swelling in my shoulder.
They will X-ray it tomorrow
14/10/2022, 21:17 – Jill Bowden: Sorry about your pain and falls. Shoulders seem to take a long time to recover. If you want an adventure closer to home, what about the Northumbrian coast and Hadrian ‘s wall. We walked it many years ago and really enjoyed it.
15/10/2022, 16:44 – Alison Harvey: Think I may have seen you cycling down Bessingby Hill this morning so the X-ray department must have let you out.
15/10/2022, 17:59 : Better than that. They took the x-rays, sucked their teeth, and thought that on balance there was no obvious bone fracture. However there might have been a chipping of the bone. I like the idea of having a chip on the shoulder. They would refer the x-ray to a higher authority in Scarborough. They would phone me later in the day. They did, and my problems will be solved by an exercise leaflet.
There must be still a strong possibility that they will want me to pose demonstrating yoga postures. The nurse was most impressed by my physique. Maybe. He’s an old man, you know.
While waiting in the queue while they processed my x-rays I watched a series of presentations about managing falls for the elderly.
They missed out the option of getting up and cycling into the distance. They seem to be a bit short on the BP spirit. “A Scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties”
jbrip 