While driving and camping around Icelend, Linda and I noticed something interesting. There is so much pasture lands in Icelend, and we saw hundreds of herds of animals. Mostly we saw sheep. Like Ireland, sheep are highly domesticated animals, prized for their wool and meat. We also saw dozens and dozens of herds of horses; more than we’d ever seen anywhere else.
What we didn’t see were many cows. In fact, we never saw cows at all until our third day while we were driving in the interior, near Mt. Hella. We are used to seeing cows all around while in the states. One of my favorite pastimes is to roll down my car window and moo at cows while driving by. I never got to moo in Iceland.
I was quite curios about the lack of cows there. On the second day of wandering, while stopped in a small town for a coffee break, I asked Google (who knows everything) if there were cows in Iceland. There are, as we found out the next day.
We were both curious about the vast number of horses. Do people raise that many horses to ride? Do they raise them to race? Linda asked Google if people in Iceland eat horse meat. Google responded something like this:
“Horsemeat is a staple of Icelandic meals, although when Icelandicars raise horses, they keep horses they eat separate from those they ride, and don’t usually name the horses they raise for food”.
Most of the meals we ate while there we cooked while camping. As far as we know, we never ate any horaemeat. I’d hate to think that we had a Appaloosa Stew or a My Friend Flicka Burger. But again, when in Rome . . .
Contrary to what I may have led people to believe, I did not actually steal a beer glass in Copenhagen. By nature, I am not a thief. I try my hardest to honor the 8th Commandment (thou shall not steal). I also honor the 2nd Commandment, as I have no graven images adorning the walls of our home. But back to the glass.
Linda and I wandered around the harbor of Copenhagen one fine morning. Exploring a new city was on my mind – thievery was not. The morning walk took us to the docks and beyond, and on our way back into downtown Copenhagen, we stopped for a beer. We found a small pub with an outdoor sitting area, right on the most famous street in Copenhagen. We ordered a beer. I don’t remember what Linda drank, but I ordered a Grimberger Lager. It was delicious, but better than that, it came in a really cool glass. Quite regal looking. It reminded me of the Holy Grail.
Of course, though, it isn’t the real Holy Grail (I have that at home, a rare find of mine from an office White Elephant gift exchange years ago). I joked about stealing it, but again thought about the 8th Commandment.
Luck though was with me. As we sat there, three tourists walked up to have a look. I coerced them to sit down by telling them how good the beer was and how friendly our waiter was. They sat next to us and ordered food and drink. A few minutes later, five more people did the same. I convinced them also to sit, and they did. Finally, a couple from Argentina strolled by. Once again, I mentioned how good the beer and waiter were. They sat down – with us.
By this time, I had brought ten new customers to the bar. The waiter was quite appreciative. He bought me a second beer, took away the first glass, and told me I could keep the new grail. I did.
Our new, Un-holy Grail will sit on a shelf in our home, next to the real deal.
It’s been a whirlwind of an adventure since we left Germany. We spent time in Copenhagen, a few days visiting my son Jason in Sweden, and then we went to Ireland for almost a week. We’re in Iceland now, surviving the cold weather while enjoying the beauty of this country.
After two days and nights in Dresden, we flew to Copenhagen. We had two days there, although the first day was mostly travel, flying south to Munich so we could board a second plane to fly over Dresden on the way to Copenhagen. After a few trains and streetcars, we found our apartment, dropped off our bags, and went wandering around looking for a place to eat. We found a really good pizza joint.
We went into town the next morning. Downtown was great. The harbor is what I’d always thought it would look like, with the colorful buildings, boats, and coffee and beer joints. Linda and I walked and walked and walked, and drank both coffee and beer. After a long day downtown, we went back to our apartment and chilled.
One of the highlights of my trip was traveling to Stockholm to see my son Jason. Jason moved to Sweden over ten years ago, and I’ve only seen him three times since, all in the States. When are arrived in Stockholm, and rode the train from the airport, Jason was downtown to meet us. Seeing him was especially great as it was my birthday. Being with Jason and Linda was the best gift I could want.
Linda and I spent three days in Stockholm. We found a lovely apartment in a quiet neighborhood, and found it quite easy to get around using busses and streetcars. We spent one entire day walking around downtown, visiting museums and parks.
Our last day in Sweden was short. We had a flight to Dublin in the early afternoon. We woke up early, packed, and rode a train to Uppsala, the city where Jason lives. He and I walked around while Linda watched our luggage, and then we said goodbye until the next time we meet.
If you’ve been following along, you know that Linda and I just finished a week of biking from Prague, Czech Republic to Dresden, Germany. We rode over 160 miles in five days, following the Vtlava and Elbe Rivers. It was a great trip that took us through a very beautiful place in Europe.
I have always had a bike and have always loved riding. I’ve owned Schwinn Stingrays, Schwinn Varsity derailleurs, road bikes, and mountain bikes. I still ride bikes often, for the joy and for the exercise. This bike trip we just finished has created a dilemma for me. It goes like this.
When I reserved the ride, I had, among other things, a choice of bikes. Since I ride often, am in good shape, and have always liked a challenge, I chose a 26 speed cruising/touring bike for me. It had a rack for a pannier, a handlebar bag, and a water bottle cage – all that I would need. Linda wanted an eBike. She is a strong rider as well, but because of a recent knee injury, she wanted to make sure she could finish the ride without difficulty.
We picked our bikes the evening before the ride. Mine was semi-lightweight. Linda’s bike weighed a ton. When I picked it up, it felt like it had a six-pack of bowling balls strapped to the back rack. Half of the weight I assumed was for the battery, a large black cylinder that probably could power our home back in Arizona for a month. But Linda is worth it.
The next morning we started our trip. We left the hotel in Prague and had to navigate several busy streets. I had the lead and pedaled through pedestrian-rich squares and car-rich streets. Linda by then had figured out how to use the accelerator button to zoom here and there. I’d peddle around a garbage truck that was driving straight for me. Linda would press a button and gently glide by.
We made it across the Vtlava River to a place called Trojska Lavka. The riding became quite pleasant as we rode through quiet parks and along the river. That didn’t last long. About 10 miles out of Prague we encountered a hill – a big hill. Nothing like I’d ridden before in Idaho or Colorado or even Arizona. But I was on a heavier bike with a pannier full of stuff. Plus, there was a strong head wind.
I started up the hill, using all my little gears. Linda, who was by my side, pressed the little red button, and . . . whoooosh . . . she was up ahead of me.
The sound of her bike reminded me of the sound a TIE fighter made in Star Wars when it was in pursuit of the Millennium Falcon. As it turned out, Linda’s bike has three speeds- 1) with me, 2) ahead of me:
And 3) way ahead of me.
I stopped twice on the side of the mountain. I told myself the stops were to take in the beauty and make a few photographs. Actually, the stops were to catch my breath and let my burning leg muscles cool down. Part way up the hill, I caught up with Linda. She was stopped along the side, smiling. And not breathing hard. As soon as I caught her . . . whoooosh . . . .
I made it to the top. I conquered the hill, only to be met by gale force winds. The rest of the ride, all the way into Melnik, was against the wind. The same scenario lasted the rest of the ride.
The rest of days riding into Dresden followed suit. None were as bad as the first day, but I usually found myself bringing up the rear while Linda breezed here and there. I even found myself carrying her eBike up and down stairs when necessary to stay on the designed route.
So here’s my dilemma. As much as I consider myself a strong, able-bodied bike rider, I felt that I often was holding Linda back and making her wait for me. I also think we would have enjoyed the ride more had I been able to keep pace with her. We could have explored more sights that were off the main route. We could have stopped more. We could have talked more as we rode side by side.
I think it’s time to let my ego take a break. It’s time for an eBike.
We are planning more bike trips in the future. Maybe the Mosel Valley next year, or perhaps the Douro Valley in Portugal. When we do, I will be ready. I too will get an eBike.
We finished our ride yesterday. I loved every minute of the trip, even riding up mountains into the wind and riding into the rain. I’m sad to see this part of our trip end. On the other hand, it feels good to get out of the saddle and into my walking shoes.
We are in Dresden for two days. We checked into our hotel yesterday afternoon, rested a bit, took showers, and then went for a short walk to find a place for dinner. Germany is not like the States in many ways. One is that virtually all stores are closed on Sundays. Restaurants are an exception. People need to eat.
Today was our day to explore “Florence on the Elbe”, as it is called. Dresden is a very charming city, beautiful, and mostly rebuilt after it was bombed in 1945. Linda and I left the hotel early in the morning and spent to better part of the day walking and walking and walking more. We found out that today is a holiday (something to do with Ascension Day), so most stores were still closed.
The streets were crowded with tourists, but almost all businesses were closed, so the day was quite peaceful, especially when we hiked through a very big park.
Here are some of the sights of the city.
We leave in the morning for Copenhagen, where we’ll spend two days, before going to Sweden to visit my son and spend my birthday in Stockholm.
One of the highlights of our European trip is a seven-day bike trip through the Czech Republic and Germany. Of those seven days, five are on the bike, riding between towns along the Vtlava and Elbe Rivers. We just finished the fourth day. So far, we’ve had two perfect days of sunshine and great riding. The past two days have been rainy.
Linda is such a great traveling partner. No squabbles about the rain or distance or saddle sores. She has been smiling the whole trip, no matter what has been thrown our way.
We left Litomerice yesterday morning after a hot breakfast and a few cups of coffee. The trails were dry until close to noon. When the rains started, they never let up.
The scenery was quite beautiful, and we rode along the side of the Elbe River, enjoying the sights. By 3:00 PM, we rode into the old square in Decin. We were wet and tired, but in good spirits. After storing our bikes and finding our bags, we went to our room to dry off. We rested for a bit and then went wandering, looking for dinner.
Today’s ride was short – only 12 miles, but all in a mist. We took a ferry across the river and checked into our hotel early (a bit past 10:00 AM). We’re staying in a small resort town named Hrensko. The town is the gateway to the Czech-Saxon Switzerland National Park. Like many tourist towns, the first thing we found were a plethora of open-air t-shirt stalls.
We didn’t buy any shirts. We did hike up the canyon for a while. That is, until it starting downpouring. We hopped into a restaurant for a quick beer, and then hiked back to our hotel to dry off again.
I’m sitting now in an enclosed porch, overlooking the Elbe. The rain has stopped and we are enjoying the peacefulness that is everywhere along this trip. Tomorrow morning we’ll have an early breakfast, followed by the longest ride (about 38 miles) of our journey, into Dresden.
Day one of our bike trip to Dresden is complete. Linda and I are sitting on our hotel room, feet up, drinking tea, and sharing stories from the day. What a great ride it was. Thirty-six miles along the Vltava river from Prague to Milnik.
Getting out of Prague was fun – not really. Linda was learning how to use her e-bike, and I was trying to follow my GPS app while trying at the same time not to get run over. Once, I made a wrong turn onto a one-way street, into the path of a garbage truck. Except for a few more wrong turns, we made it to the river and the Troja Chateau. Once we started riding along the river, the ride became absolutely delightful.
The only difficult parts of the ride was when we had to climb a mountain. It was like the Mount Everest of Bohemia. It wasn’t too bad for Linda. She had an e-bike. All she had to do was press a button to zoom here and there, and there was the top of the hill.
I on the other hand do not have an e-bike because I’m 1) in good shape, 2) only 67 years young, and 3) stupid. Linda flew to the top of the mountain and waited for me to trudge my way up, sweat pouring out of my body while my heart raced faster than, well, Linda on her e-bike.
Part of the reason I was slow was the fact that I was carrying most of our gear in my pannier. I had both locks, Linda’s bike charger, repair tools, two six-packs of beer just in case we couldn’t find anywhere to quench our thirst (as it turns out, that was not a problem), extra clothes I didn’t need, and two bottle of water, which I did need.
To my credit, I made it to the top and only stopped twice (to make photographs, of course). On top of that, I was only passed once. I heard a squeaky voice say “On your left”. I looked over to see a turtle whiz by.
A beer was in order after the climb, and we found a place along the river. While there, the wind started to pick up (it picked up everything on the table that wasn’t weighted down). The strong wind followed us, mostly in our face, for the rest of the ride.
One last hill, up the side of a lesser mountain to our hotel in the center square of Melnik.
Prague is a beautiful city, especially if you wander around small roads that have less tourists. Linda and I did climb the hill from our hotel to the castle. But once we looked around for a bit, we lost the crowds and ducked in and out of quiet areas.
We made our way down to the Vltava River and decided to on take a river boat cruise. Our boat was small and there was only one other couple on board.
Also, they served beer.
On a silver platter.
After the boat ride, we just wandered around. We found a park with nice paths, old trees, and a half dozen or more peacocks (and I assume peahens too).
We stumbled upon an open air restaurant and enjoyed local meets and cheeses.
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking back to our hotel so we could meet with the people who organized our trip and also so we could get our bikes and equipment.
Tomorrow morning we start our ride, down the Vltava River from Prague to Melnik.
Linda and I had a (not so close) call at the Munich Airport. We arrived early, checked our bags with no problems, made our way through security, and made our way to the gates. Our boarding passes said we were in gate K section, but didn’t have a gate number. We had plenty of time, so we found a snack bar and sat down to eat lunch.
We finished lunch and walked to the big board to see of our plane had been assigned a gate.
We found our flight to Prague. Leaving out of gate G35. Linda looked at the last column in the board. It said “12 Minutes”.
“OH S@!T!” she exclaimed. “We have 12 minutes to get to our flight.”
“OH S@!T” I replied. “We better run”.
We sprinted to the terminal tram, ran down the escalator, jumped on the tram, jumped off the tram at the G gates, ran up an escalator, ran down the row of gates, and turned a corner to find gate G 35.
There was no one there. No passengers, no gate agents, and NO PLANE.
“OH S#!T” I said. “We missed our flight.”
“OH S#!T” Linda echoed. “Now what do we do?”
We ran to the closest Lufthansa Help Desk. I showed my boarding pass to the agent.
“Your plane doesn’t leave for another hour.”
As it turns out, the “12 Minutes” we saw on the big board was the walking time from where we were to gate G 35.
Sunday was our last full day in Munich. There is so much to see here, and not enough time. With that in mind, the four of us decided to visit two places that are must sees in Munich. The first was the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial and the second was the Nymphenburg Palace.
For as many times that I visited Munich, I’d never gone to Dachau. It’s a place all who come to Munich should see. So many terrible things happened during World War II, and the memorial park helps keep the ugly past alive in hopes that what happened there will never happen again.
I didn’t make may photographs in Dachau. I did however read most of the historical displays and walked quietly through the grounds. Even though I know of many of the atrocities that occurred at Dachau, wandering around the grounds and reading about the past was still hard to grasp.
After leaving Dachau, we rode a streetcar followed by a few busses to get to Nymphenburg Palace. The palace and its grounds were a direct contrast to Dachau. The palace itself is huge and ornate, while the grounds were lush and beautiful. We sat in the gardens for a while, amongst statues of various gods, and then found a new (at least to us) beer garden.
Our next phase of our journey starts with a quick flight to Prague. We’ll stay there two days and then begin our week-long bike ride to Dresden.
