Day 23: Arnhem to Deventer Holland Last Day Biking!!

The bikers are on their last day biking... and I fly to Paris this afternoon with our daughter Krista. Today the guys biked to Deventer and are enjoying a toast with champagne and apple pie to a successful trip at the home of relatives of Greg. Even though it was cold and cloudy while they biked, they are now sitting around the pool. Holland's paths are so well marked with a number system that they were able to ride today without a map. The next few days are going to be relaxing and exciting as they first watch Germany vs Australia in the World Cup. The Dutch are rooting for Australia ( better yet against Germany). Tomorrow should even be wilder since the match is Holland vs. Denmark... the Guinness will be flowing in the street. Over the next couple of days the folding bikes will be packed back in their suitcases for the trip home.

After watching the World Cup matches, the bikers will train their way to Amsterdam and Joe, Jim and Greg will fly to Portland on Thursday. Dave will make his way to Paris to join Krista and me as we celebrate Krista's 30th birthday. I can hardly wait. I suspect this may be the last post. for a few days. Barcelona to Amsterdam... with wine... what a great adventure.

Lacking photos of Deventer --- here is a link for those interested.

City of Deventer Holland pictures from cityscapes photos on webshots

Map:

Deventer
The Netherlands

Lynne --- off to Paris

Day 22: Arcen to Arnhem Holland 58 mile day!!!

The Bikers are nearing the end of their trip. Today they biked 58 miles to a town near Arnhem Holland. They ended up in a business park hotel and their only choice to dinner was at a MacDonalds, since the hotel restaurant was closed. What a come down from " The best meal ever" in France. Dave reported that they had no rain the entire trip -- today it looked like rain, but they made it without a drop. Tomorrow they will bike to Deventer Holland where Greg has relatives and will get to watch the World Cup Soccer game of Holland vs. Denmark.... it should be quite a memorable event. Everyone is doing fine.

Greg working on the route for Holland
We're in Holland now....
The Ferry was full of bikes before it took off
The real bike garage!!!

Lynne

Day 21: Monchen-Gladbach to ArcernThe Netherlands

Thursday, June 10 Photos
Day 20 --- Biking along the Rhine
Church from 1280 --- along the Rhine route
"Not all German paths are the same"... this one looks pretty amazing

Day 21:
Friday, June 11

Our bikers arrived in the Netherlands and seem happy to be on great bike paths. At their hotel there is even a brick building dedicated to bike parking... a far cry from having to put their bikes in the lobby at the hotel in France. It was a little cold and looked like it might rain at the beginning of the day, but ended up better than expected -- there was some wind. They were about to enjoy a beer when Dave and I talked. Dave's fall yesterday resulted in his fellow travelers insisting that he not have a beer(this had to be quite a hardship on Dave), so he was quite pleased to be enjoying a cold one today. He shared that he had been a" little" confused... at first he did not know he was in Germany or even Europe.... after his fall. In a short time he was able to piece together the puzzle and the bike ride continued. It is so great that they are traveling together and not on their own... this solo stuff is not very good.

Trying to find their way into The Netherlands...The Netherlands at last --- Dave and Jim
Greg and Joe
Arrival in the Town of Arcen
The plan is to have two more days of biking.

Lynne

Day 20 -- Baccharach to Monchen-Gladbach

A rainy day for the bikers. They biked to Koblenz and then trained their way around Bonn and Koln... and are spending Thursday night in a small town north of Koln. They will be continuing to head north over the next few days towards The Netherlands. All seems to be going fine, though Dave did happen to mention that he took a spill today when his cleats got stuck and landed on his head ... he was a little confused for a moment, but seemed fine when we talk just now.

Mönchengladbach - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lynne

Day 19: Oppenheim to Bacharach -- 45 miles

Wednesday, June 9
I had a very quick call this morning from Dave saying they had a good ride from Oppenheim to Bacharach and stopped biking a little early on Wednesday because it was a very HOT day. They are riding along the Rhine and I am including this link to photos, since I did not receive any shots of the Merry Band of Bikers.
Bacharach Rhine river Germany Valley Lorelei rock Mainz ...

I will add more details tomorrow if possible.
Lynne

Day 18: Kehl to Oppenheim -- 45 miles

Dave sent the following email --- we were not able to use Skype today because of a bad connection, so this is a short post.

Rode 45 miles today with some time off to take the train around Mannheim. We took the train to Worms and then rode for another hour.

This morning we rode through fields of Spargle (German white asparagus). Spargle is a big deal here. A the restaurants serve it and it is very expensive. About $20 per plate. We even went by a sign for the local Spargle festival.

The famous spargel--- white asparagus

Lynne

Day 17: Neuf Brisach to Kehl, Germany 56 mile day!

The fortress walls of Neuf


Riding along the canals as they bike towards Germany

Riding across the Rhine on a freeway bridge


We continue to be flexible with our route planning. We are in Kehl which is across the Rheine from Strasbourg. We have decided to stay in smaller towns to avoid the time and hassle of riding into a large city we do not know. Tomorrow we may try to get to Karlsuhe. Joe is looking at some of the possibilities.
I talked with Dave just now and they are planning on biking tomorrow and then will most likely take a train to bypass Mannheim--- a town that "goes on for ever". They will then follow the Rhine north. Our bikers made it 30 miles before lunch and were thrilled with a 56 mile day.
They have found some good maps which will be a big help. Earlier on Monday they received some "advice" from a local that sent them on a "short cut" that was dirt paths and well out of their way --- a short-cut that did not work.

And they pedal on...

Lynne

Day 16: Mulhouse to Neuf-Brisach (rather than Colmar)

Dave called before they took off Sunday morning and shared a little bit more about their adventures. One of the constant challenges seems to be locating the maps needed for the routes. It is difficult to find the specific detailed maps that are needed as they approach a new area and it is only once they are well into the route that they are actually able to find the proper maps.... so there is a fair amount of wandering getting into and out of towns. The tourist office signs also are problematic. Sometimes signs send them off in the wrong direction. Dave said one afternoon they arrived at a tourist office at 5:55 to look for help finding a hotel --- the sign on the door said they were open until 6 pm...but the office was already closed. On the other hand, one kind tourist office clerk stayed open for them during her lunch hour... 12 pm-2 pm to help them locate the information they needed.
Hotel In Mulhouse --- there was no place to put their bike so they left them in the hotel lobby

Sunday night: Neuf-Brisach, France

The Fortress of Neuf-Brisach, France

Email from Dave:
This is where we are Sunday night. We were planning on going to Colmar, but by the time we figured out where we were this looked like a good option. We found a small hotel where the woman at the desk said they could do our laundry ( much needed-- Washing out bike clothes in the sink only goes so far) so we decided to stay. This was to have been a rest day but we decided to ride about 35 miles in the morning since we spent half a day on the train yesterday. Tomorrow we will ride to Strasbourg. We have another week to go, but it looks like we will have to do some by train since we are only able to ride about 50 miles a day
Sent from my iPhone

Dave called and added a little more to the day's adventures.... Dinner was a small hotel in Neuf-Brisach with great food and amazing rhubarb pie. ( see photos below) The chef was a biker and helped the guys plan their route for Monday as they head towards Strasbourg on the border with Germany.

Dave: We found the only restaurant open in town and it was wonderful. We are almost in Germany so the delicate sauces are left behind for large slabs of ham and sausage on sauerkraut.
The light was a bit difficult for a cell phone camera, but here we are having a great meal.

Greg with one piece of rhubarb pie!!
And also Joe... that was one impressive pie!!

Lynne

Day 15: Dijon to Mulhouse

Our Bikers took a detour today... see emails Dave sent from his IPhone today. We did talk briefly at the end of their day. They did not really start biking until about 1:30 in the afternoon on Saturday and put in 45 miles for the day. The day started and stopped several times as they were searching for the illusive route along the canal.
From Dave:

Dijon for the night Friday. Not all two star hotels are created equal. This one was very worn out and had no air conditioning and was in a remarkably noisy part of town

We started in Dijon and planned to take a train out of town a short way, but we discovered at the station that the train does not run on Saturday. So we went to Belfort and then rode the canal path ( once we found the canal) for 40 km to Mulhouse.

They plan to bike on Sunday to Colmar --- near the German border. It was 85 degrees, with no rain or reported wind, as they biked on Saturday. Unfortunately, rain is predicted for Sunday. In Colmar they hope to find a laundry ... I'm sure a well needed necessary stop.

Lynne

Day 14: Beaune to Dijon

Dave left a quick message today, since he had no Skype access. The day went well with some good size hills between Beaune and Dijon --- there was a 1,400 foot hill to climb. The day got a little hot but they that spent part of it along a canal on the way to Dijon. Tomorrow, Saturday, they plan to take a train out of Dijon --- it is a big enough city, it is hard to find a direct way out by bike and then head on to Langres for Saturday night. Everyone is feeling fine and there was no message about headwinds... good news for all.

Day 13 Chalon sur Saone to Beaune - 34 miles

Thursday, June 3
The bikers are battling with HEADWINDS --- and it is not fun. Dave said at points they even need to pedal to go down hill. It was a pretty day biking about 34 miles along canals and tree shaded paths. They especially had problems with the wind during the last 12 miles while riding through vineyards. Today's route took them through Santenay, Montrachet and a bunch of other famous wine towns.
They are realizing that many of the other bikers on the road are heading South Barcelona. The shorter day allows for wine tasting and planning what options they might have to avoid the strong winds.
The first 16 miles were along this canal... very picturesque

Lynne

Day 12: Macon to Chalon sur Saone - 50 mile day!

The fearless bikers discovered a bike path that leads towards Beaune and spent Tuesday on a mostly flat route, with no cars. It was looking like a rainy day, but once they actually got started there was low clouds, but no rain or wind. It took the guys a little while to discover where the route actually began in Macon and then there were some climbs along the way. Pictures below show the entrance and mile-long tunnel the guys road though on Tuesday. They choose not to climb up to the hilltop town of Taize but did see it from a distance. Wednesday they will follow the bike path on to Beaune and spend the remainder of the day as a “Biker’s Planning Day” and do some wine tasting in Burgundy. They want to look ahead over the next two weeks and figure out how best to bike /train (as needed) on to Amsterdam.

Entrance to mile-long tunnel near Taize
View from inside the tunnel
45-mile bike path with no cars!

Lynne

Day 11 -- Valance to Macon

An email message from Dave:

We got tired of all the big trucks so we took the train through Lyon to Macon where we are staying at the Ibis hotel in Creche sur Soane. We have found a Bike path through Burgundy that starts here and goes about 45 miles toward Beaune. We may stop in Taize along the way to see what we can. Weather is still rather cold and quite windy. Looks like more rain tomorrow and then some improvement.

Dave

Also here are a couple of photos from our bikers:
The great chefs from the amazing dinner in Viviers

Greg enjoying a well-earned beer after the 45 mile day with a headwind.

Lynne

Day 10: Viviers to Valence 45 miles with a HEADWIND

The guys sent along photos from the "Best dinner ever" in Viviers France. And a few details from today's tough ride. The guys biked through the rain Monday morning and had a really big headwind for the afternoon. It was a long 45 mile day and they were glad to be done and just leaving for a beer. They are staying in Valence and as Dave puts it the hotel reminds him of the barracks at Fort Knox Army days.
More post to come with the next Skype phone call.


Lynne

Day 9 --- A post from Dave for Sunday and Day 10 Rain/Wind on Monday

Sent form Dave's IPhone on Monday
We left Avignon about 8:15 Sunday and crossed the Rhone River with a great view of the Avignon Bridge. We were doing well until Greg got a flat tire in the rear wheel (by far the harder one to fix). After that repair we took a nice path to Orange where we saw the 2,000 year old Arc de Triumph
Total of 51 miles

Were afraid we would not find a hotel and we were beat. Found beautiful hotel but it did not serve dinner on Sunday usually. The owner said she would make us a light meal. He husband is a big time chef. She gave us tapinade, home made pate with home made bread, eight or ten cheeses from local farms, salad, omelet, fresh strawberries with ice cream and baked merangue. Great end to a long day

Le Pontiac d'Avignon


Arch de Triumph in Orange

Today, Monday -- rain and strong wind in our face. It is noon and we have gone 15 very hard miles.
Dave

Day 9 Avignon to Viviere a 51 mile Day!!

Sunday, May 30

The guys made it well beyond expected to a very small town, with one hotel, North of Bollene. They ended up in a little town with one hotel owned by a chef --- Dave reported that the chef and his wife prepared an excellent meal for the tried bikers. Our longest riding day so far. Lynne

A note from Greg with more details --
Over 50 miles from Avignon to Viviere. The accommodations are much more sparse in Provence north of Avignon, and most businesses are closed on Sunday. We rode through Orange with the original Arc d' Triumph built by the Romans.

We rode further than our original destination, so found ourselves riding through two towns with no accomodations. Started getting nervous around 3 pm. Came across a beautiful small hotel/restaurant run by a couple. They were not open for Sunday dinner, but the wife made us a fabulous meal. Every time we expressed our gratitude she brought out more food. All homemade. Tapenade, green salad, pickles, onions, cheese plate, bread, omelette, three desserts (including fresh strawberries and ice cream).

Enjoying the best dinner ever!!!
Fresh strawberries and amazing desserts

Eight kinds of cheese!!
Lynne

Day 8 -- Dinner in Avignon

The guys enjoyed a nice dinner and sent along this photo. Tomorrow on to Bollene.... or farther, depending on the roads and bikes.

Lynne

Photos from Day 8 --- Trip to Avignon and Day 9: Rest Day in Avignon

Dave sent some great photos on his I Phone. I send them on so you can see the scenery along the way to Avignon.


View of Les Baux
View along the roads


Greg and Dave in Les Baux. note form Dave: In back you can see the valley I rode up with my rear brake dragging. I thought I was just having a bad morning until I discovered the stuck brake



Greg arrives in Wine Heaven!!!


A happy Grandpa telling his Granddaughter Monica Happy 4th Birthday!

Day 9 -- Saturday is rest day in Avignon -- a quaint university town with lots of history and plazas to sit and enjoy a glass of wine and relax. Greg and Jim went wine tasting, Dave relaxed with a new book. Joe is planning the next legs of the trip and it sounds like they will ride through Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Orange. They hope to get in more than 40 miles on Sunday.

Lynne

Day 8 -- Fontvieville to Avignon

(This was their ride for Friday, May 28th ... the post will say Saturday, because the blog is based on Amsterdam time)

Our bikers had a mostly uneventful and pleasant ride to Avignon, about a 30-mile day. Dave was really feeling worn out and having to work very hard to climb the hills --- this greatly improved when he discovered that his brake had been on most of the morning. The afternoon ride was more pleasant. The guys road through the hilltop town of Les Baux de Provence - Office de Tourisme, site officiel and passed several other small towns before arriving in Avignon. They will spend two nights in Avignon and have a chance to explore the city and the surrounding area before the next leg of their trip. The tourist office was able to locate rooms and the important four beds for the night… and they sounded like happy campers (bikers). Dave tried to send some photos, but they did not come through, so stay posted for photos of today’s ride.

Avignon France

Lynne

Day 7 -- Aigues Mortes to Fontvieille .. "The Best Biking Day Yet"

Thursday, May 27th

A great day for the fearless bikers -- no flats, no mechanical failures, no falls, no one got lost, and the wind was at their backs. The guys went 20 miles before stopping for breakfast in St. Gilles. They biked though the Camargue and even saw some of the famous Camargue white horses.

It was market day in Arles when they arrived for lunch. In Arles they did some site seeing and explored the Roman Place du Forum and the Arena. Joe wandered into the market and did some exploring before they found their way through Arles and went on to Fontvieille, a delightful village town north of Arles.

They took the back way to Fontvieille and passed by Roman Aqueducts and a large windmill on the hillside. It took a little doing in Fontvieille to locate a room for the night… the challenge is finding 4 beds in two rooms for four big guys that do not want to share a bed. Dave says next time he is only going to bike with women… it is easier to find a room!!

Everyone is healthy, Greg’s scrapes are healing and they are looking forward to Avignon where they will spend two nights. Oh yes, today was laundry day.

I include some photos day sent from his IPhone.

Bike Paths in the Camargue

Gite in Servian 5/25
Joe's room at the Gite in Servian 5/25



Greg and Jim in Aigues Mortes 5/26


Jim at the Roman Aqueduct along the way to Fontvieille 5/27


Lynne