Day 19_ From Miessen to Bad Schandau

Day 19_  From Miessen to Bad Schandau

 

We saw: Dresden, a surprisingly beautiful city

We ate: a lot in "Amtsblatt Sächsisch-Böhmisches Bierhaus", Dresden

We pedaled: 73 Km

Our average speed: 18 Km/h

We slept: Hotel Elbresidenz, Bad Schandau

 

Still in pedaling in Germany, probably for the last day. We are already finding road signs for Czech Republic, and even some Czech food in the menus.

The road today was absolutely beautiful, we left Miessen with the vineyards always by our side until we got to Dresden, a big architectural surprise. For a while we pedaled along with an Anglican Pastor or priest who told us he had been all over Germany with his bike. He would pedal 200 Km per day (That is what we do in 3 days!).

 

As we rode into Dresden, we thought  that good way to see the city a little bit better was to stop and eat something (obviously). We went to the main plaza and chose the best corner we could: "Amtsblatt Sächsisch-Böhmisches Bierhaus". They had Czech-German food specialties already written in Czech.

 

So we both had biers and to make the bier more fun we added some "Utopenec" (which means in Czech: a drowned person recovered from the water) and are sausages pickled in vinegar.  Then Boris ordered the Svíčková na smetaně (which is beef with sauce and semola dumplings) I ordered the Guláš with dumplings also. To remember old times with my dearest friends, Grace, Sara, Christine and Joyce in Moravia, I ordered what we baptized as "Blueberry Boobies". They are just 2 sweet dumplings with blueberry filling and blueberry sauce on top. Just delicious…but not the German ones… this were more like 2 dog balls with very little on them.

 

After the light meal, we continued our ride, now along beautiful rocky mountains and we entered the area known as the German Switzerland, which it is. All it is missing is Heidi (who I am sure was just helping Grandpa making some cheese).

We continued meeting more and more fellow riders and their age keeps actually increasing. Boris has been enjoying this trip very much, I see that he has a lot of time to think and suddenly, he tells me his conclusions: "I think that the bicycle is a very democratic thing. It gives older people the opportunity to move faster!" I couldn't stop laughing…

 

We went up hill, down hill, crossed the Elbe one more time in the small ferry and finally we arrived in Bad Schandau. We got to our new hotel "Elbreisdenz", which by its name could actually be a Seniors residence with views to the Elbe. Well it is not it is actually a SPA. But today we are not in the mood for posh things. Brazil is playing against Chile now and so we are sitting in a public tent in front of the Hotel,  watching the game in a big screen with real Germans drinking more real German beer and sausage.  Let's hope Brazil wins!!!! Prost!

 

VIKA

Day 18_ From Torgau to Miessen

Day 18_  From Torgau to Miessen

 

We saw: a church for cyclists "Radfahrerkirche" in Wessnig

We ate: bad soup

We pedaled: 76 Km

Our average speed: 14 Km/h

We slept: Park Hotel, Miessen

 

Since we left Berlin I had a soft cold that evolved into a hard one. We pedaled 76 Km and there were times where I could only hear myself breath, or better still, not breathe, due to the amount of snot in my nose. I could pedal slower but I could still pedal. Boris was patient enough with the situation and did not rush me at any point, so slowly we finally reached our destiny: Miessen. The landscape towards this town started slowly changing, the mountains appeared again, reminding us that the minute we cross the border with Czech Republic, we have to climb back again. We are 3 days away from that task, so we better enjoy the simplicity of our ride. A new feature of the landscape were the wine yards. Miessen is known for its wine. Since we entered Germany, we have been drinking a Riesling called Müller Thurgau mild, nice. We realized today it is from this town so we had some more. The food was not too good, to be honest, the food has not been good at all since we left Denmark. The Chinese food in Hamburg was so far the best. But other than that, we keep looking for a good soup and sausage everywhere we go and we do not find it. The good German food is in the south. From Mucnich, down.

 

The Park Hotel in Miessen was great, it can definitely go into the Posh Biking list. Miessen's porcelain is very famous. Even the church bells are made of porcelain and the bell play sounds beautiful.

 

We couldn't miss today's  soccer match: Germany- England. What a humiliation. The Germans eliminated the British  by 4 goals to 1! Aufwiedersehen England!!!

 

Let's see what the next day will bring us in with our pedals.

 

VIKA

 

 

 

 

 

Day 17_ From Berlin to Torgau

Day 17_  From Berlin to Torgau

 

We saw: that after Km 50 the "itch" starts

We ate: nothing worth mentioning at Herr Käte.

We pedaled: 71 Km

Our average speed: 20 Km/h

We slept: Central Hotel, Torgau

 

Ok, so after resting for 3 nights, we got back on our bikes and  started pedaling out of Berlin. We took the train from Berlin's Haupt Bahnhof to Lutherstadt-Wittenberg and continue pedaling from there. We pedaled and pedaled and today I confirmed that at Km 50, your ass (there is no other word for it) starts itching...you need to get up from pedaling and let it air, then you sit down again and so, you realize that it is not itching really, it is actually getting NUMB. So knowing this now, I will not get up tomorrow, I will just continue to pedal.

After pedaling for 60 Km, we arrived in Torgau. This town served as the meeting point for the Russians and the Americans towards the end of the second world war. The town seems quite dead to be a Saturday afternoon but we still had to discover its culinary qualities. Any boring town in Germany will serve you decent German food. We left our hotel (Central Hotel), with a reference from the reception girl where to eat well. Bad choice. It was some modern fusion German cuisine crossed with Thai ideas and very creative names for  the menu: "For the color"..(soups); "From the cheeses"..(meats) that did not match with the food you were supposed to order.

 

Unfortunately, we had no luck in Torgau. The hotel is ok, clean and the room has a big bed. To shower, you have to hold the shower in your hand but Mr. Boris the all-fixer, fixed it with some duct tape to the wall and we can have a normal shower…

 

The bicycle journey was beautiful though, the landscape is slowly changing into something else. The names of the towns sound more Polish and Czech the more we advance south.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 15 and 16_ Two days in Berlin

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Day 15 and 16_  Two days in Berlin

 

We saw: Slovakia against Italy and Spain against Chile

We ate: German sausages at Kadewe and pizza at Adlan.

We pedaled: 0 Km but walked all over the place

Our average speed: 6 Km/h

We slept: Bristol Hotel Kempiski, Berlin

 

Ok, so we rested one extra day! Our plans for Berlin were: go to see our friend Marc, (which we did) and the next day, just relax  have our laundry done, and leave the next morning. We did except that I realized as we were leaving in the morning, that I had lost my small travel wallet with my credits cards, some Danish money and some Euros. So typical of me, so we called the restaurant where we had eaten night before and they said to come by at 1:00 to see if it was found. So we decided to stay one more day with the hope of finding it, plus on top, we were not feeling to good….diarrhea, sore throat and so it was a perfect extra day to take off. We did not find the wallet but I slept through afternoon, Boris rested and then we watched the game: Spain against Chile (2:1). Both made to the next round. The match from the day  before was better: Slovakia managed to eliminate ITALY out of the World Cup. How amazing is that??? The Italians were crying like babies!! Ha! I liked it! I am not fan of the Italians in soccer…sorry my dear Sara, I prefer Brazil. They always smile while playing and they do amazing things with the ball…they really enjoy playing soccer.

 

So yes, Berlin was somehow, a soccer break and other than that, we went to have pizza to my favorite pizza place in Berlin, "Adlan". Our dearest friend Nazan took us there for the first time and told us the great story about  the owner who is actually Turkish.

 

Day 14_ From Wittenberge to Berlin

Day 14_  From Wittenberge to Berlin

 

We saw: our friend Marc, his wife Lotte and the kids, Malu and Emil, in Berlin

We ate: BBQ rump stake and gilthead bream (dorada) with asparagus in Marc's garden

We pedaled: 51 Km

Our average speed: 20 Km/h

We slept: Bristol Hotel Kempiski, Berlin

 

Wittenberge was a desolated town with beautiful abandoned buildings from the DDR period. We walked by a real estate agency where they had ads for amazing properties under amazing prices. The reason being, apparently, is because this area has still such a feeling of DDR -"grey and sad"-, that no one ones to live there! It is such a pity because it really beautiful, and would be a perfect spot for having a country house.

 

So we left Wittenberg in the morning to go to Berlin. We decided to take the train to Nauen, in order to pedal 50 Km into Berlin. This way we could advance some distance and stay 2 days in the city, since our friend Marc, a graphic-film artist who lives in Berlin with his family, had invited us to his house for a barbeque.

He bike ride was through beautiful forests and deliciously paved cycling lanes but biking into the city was awful. Smelly, noisy, crowded and impolite riders. No one said even said hello anymore. But we arrived to our destination anyhow, thanks to Boris piloting again. He is amazing at it and seems to really enjoy figuring out the map.

 

Let's not forget that the Soccer World Cup started the same day that we started our bike trip. So today, Berlin was revolutionized by the fact that Germany was playing against Ghana. Germany had to win otherwise, they would have be eliminated from the tournament. So after some German beers, a delicious barbequed Dorada fish and wine, we watched the soccer game with our friends. The Germans were dressed for the occasion, where wearing all-black uniforms with golden numbers and in the second half of the game, the Turkish hero, Mesul Özil, gave Deutschland the victory. Ironic.

 

We ended the night with some Camapri and ice and went back to our camping grounds, the Kempiski Hotel, for the sake of keeping up with the Posh Biking theme. There, resting our heads in horse hair pillows, and nice cotton sheets, we had sweet dreams. (Although my dreams were about stressfully traveling to Canada, I had gone through every security check but now, I was inside the plane and it did not know how to store my bike in the upper luggage compartment!).

Day 13_ From Dömitz to Wittenberge

Day 13_  From Dömitz to Wittenberge

 

We saw: the real east side of  Germany where nothing has changed

We ate: besides our riding snack, nothing more interesting yet.

We pedaled: 54 Km

Our average speed: 18 Km/h

We slept: Germania Hotel, Wittenberge

 

On this day, we can gladly announce that we have completed over 500 Km. Wow! We arrived to Wittenberge but there is noting to say about this deserted town. Boring and sad.

We had a very calm ride, all flat and always along the Elbe river (as it will be for the rest of the trip before we cross over to Czech Republic). It was so smooth, so tranquil, so nice. It made me realize that I miss having some music on me to listen to, I miss music a lot. So, I sang, what the heck! Why not?  I have had the same song in my head since we started pedaling…….

"Bye, bye Ms. American pie, drove my Chevy to the Levy but the levy was dry..and good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye, singing this will be the day that I die…." (I even saved a video of my performance. Please feel free to take a look. at the Picassa link)

 

While riding and singing, we saw more cows, more birds, and more fellow riders (confirming again that this is the sport for the aging ones).

 

On the other hand, somehow, as smooth as it was to ride today, I was in pain, a funny, almost tickling sort of pain. The type of pain whether you are not too sure whether it feels bad or actually feels good, the type of pain that when you change from one sitting position to another, or go up the stairs or down, or walk or talk or laugh or even think, makes you go: "Ahh!" Not "ayyayai". Not "it hurts". Not "f***ck", none of that…just "Ahh!" in a very high feminine tone with just enough volume for the person in front of you to hear it.

 

I must confess, it hurts everywhere along my body, plus after the 3 falls I have had so far, I looked like an abused woman, bruised all over. Bruises that become darker every day and get mixed up with the grease from the bike chain, so I look even dirtier. So yes, you would think that your butt hurts after so much riding but it hurts your butt, your arms, your wrists, your thighs, your knees, your feet, everything!!! Boris never complains, he is tough. (But he likes to get his feet massaged at night).

 

Anyhow, one day of complaining after 13 days, is not bad and I am sure this will be the only day of complaining because this trip is the nicest thing I have done in years to come. We are having so much fun and enjoying every minute. I can't wait until tomorrow we get back on our bikes and start pedaling again… even if it hurts some more.

 

VIKA

Day 12_ From Lauenberg to Dömitz

Day 12_ From Lauenberg to Dömitz

We saw: the border between the east and west Germany along the Elbe river

We ate: Smoked salmon and herrings on rye bread

We pedaled: 75.13 Km

Our average speed: 21 Km/h

We slept: Hotel Dömitzer Hafen

Now, today we broke all records: 75, 136 Km and here we are sitting at the bar having some Riesling wine as nothing had happened. We are getting much better at this task of pedaling. I have to confess that our segment today was soooooooooo flat. Not one single hill. We followed the Elbe line which was full of green land and Bauernhofs with animals and potatoes plantations. We also were accompanied by lot of sheep working really hard to leave the landscape manicured for the Germans. This is the "green way" to do it without using any artificial energy. We took a small boat to cross over to the other side of the river and continue to Dömitz.

Unlike in Denmark, here in this Elbe Weg, we saw many many fellow riders. All traveling in pairs and carrying wisely only 2 panniers each like us. But if this trip was to demonstrate that we were still young and could hop on such an adventure, these fellow riders we saw today, demonstrated the complete opposite.

We have become old. We are entering into the senior age. Our fellow riders were all over 65 years old. We were the younger ones feeling young. This is terrible, I was embarrassed to be so young and doing already their sport, making them all fell they were going maybe too slow! Ringing my bike ring so that they move out of the way.

I apologize to all our fellow riders of today: that was not our intention. Let's put it this way: we are just training for our seniority years.

VIKA

Day 11_ From Hamburg to Lauenberg

Day 11_  From Hamburg to Lauenberg

 

We saw: The most weird dotted horse and 2 to 70+ old gay men going for a picnic on their bikes with a trolley full of beer.

We ate: herrings and German sausage with potatoes

We pedaled: 58.5 Km

Our average speed: 20 km/h

We slept: Hotel Zum Alten Shifferhaus, Lauenburg

 

One more day of biking in German lands. After Flensburg, we have to admit that things are getting better. Leaving Hamburg was filled with industrial landscapes, first the anti-flood dam, then green houses: kilometers of plastic covering their nice flowers and strawberries. But slowly we got into a beautiful forest, deep inside, and thanks to the amount  of rain, the Germans have had, we could still smell the mushrooms.

 

Boris' invention of the day: he fixed our small tripod to my handle bar and I have officially a traveling camera with me all the time. Unfortunately do to the rain, I could not use it very much. But we pedaled and pedaled and we arrived to the nice little town of Lauenberg. Typical German. Flowers in their balconies and stone streets.

 

And the hotel: not for the Posh Biking list at all, but with some character. The owner is a woman who could also be a man. She smiles very little and wants cash up front. She likes rules and wants her guests to follow them. When she lets you get a bit closer to her, you can notice that her nails are manicured with the GERMAN FLAG!!!!!!!!!

"Willkommen", she said, "Don't be late for breakfast"

 

VIKA

Day 10_ One day rest in Hamburg

Day 10_ One day rest in Hamburg

 

We saw: the rain from the window while we rested and did nothing and some

We ate: chicken noodle soup, dim sum, pak choi, beef with vegetables, sesame chicken and steam rice at Tsao Restaurant.

We pedaled: 0 Km

Our average speed: 0 km/h

We slept: Hotel Atlantic Kempiski

 

Ok, we deserve one day of rest. We have reached our record distance and speed on this trip so, we did not need to be pedaling out in the rain. So we didn't.

We slept in, we went shopping for some extra long sleeve clothing for this awful German summer and at night we had some delicious Chinese food a Tsao Restaurant.

To avoid getting away from the concept of  Posh Biking, we decided to get a "4-hand massage" at the hotel but it was to late and they had no appointments free for the night.

So we had to go to bed, just popping some muscle relaxant pill to get ready for the next day's ride! (That was ok, too).

 

VIKA

Day 9_From Falsled to Hamburg

Day 9_From Falsled to Hamburg

We saw: the last fjord of Denmark and one man sitting quietly in the border of Germany

We ate: Local  Hamburg asparagus  with breaded sea bass and Wiener schnitzel

We pedaled: 71.5 Km

Our average speed: 18 km/h

We slept: Hotel Atlantic Kempiski, Hamburg

 

Here we are again. It was our last day in Denmark, we had to start pedaling in Falsled and end up in Hamburg. We pedaled first to Bøjden to catch the ferry and cross over to Als island. The ferry ride lasted 1 hour and all we saw was the windy sea. We arrived in Fynshav where we decided to skip the map's "sight-seeing" route and go across the normal road. It would have been a waist of time for us because with so much wind we could not have seen anything. So instead, we saw a lot of asphalt and a lot of cars…nothing interesting…plus we had a lot of hills…so combine wind and hill and what do you get? A sore ass and a burned face. But nevertheless, we did it!

 

We also had to stop at the last bike shop to get fixed a little noise Boris got in his bicycle. It turned out to be something lose in the handlebar, nothing serious. So we pedaled some more towards the border, Kruså. There, we saw the last fjord of Denmark and got lost in the forest where I fell down once again. I forgot that I had  my feet fixed to pedals and just went before hitting the floor I managed to hurt myself even worse trying to avoid falling on the ground. I now have a new bruise added to my collection of this trip.

 

Crossing over to Germany was absolutely surreal. We left the fjords behind and saw the last signs towards Flensburg, the first German city we would ride to. The first impression was strange: a forest, a regular man sitting down in a small chair and the n houses with German flags in their gardens. Good bye perfect gardens, good bye fjords, just  Audis and VW with more German flags…

 

Everything I have written so far about Denmark perhaps sounds to you a bit silly, too pretty, too perfect, too fairy tail….well crossing over to Flensburg, confirms that was true! Then we got into downtown: It was scary, dirty,  filled with hooligans and destroyed cycle lanes. We decide to take the train to Hamburg directly so that we wouldn't have to sleep in this ugly town.

 

We took the "Deutsche Bahn" to Hamburg, a 2 hour ride through Schleswig Holstein, so guess what we saw? Cows and more cows.

Under the label of "Posh Biking", we obviously got 1^st class tickets to be able to sit in the luxury wagon drinking some wine and  eating some snacks to our surprise the Flensburg- Hamburg train did not have such service. Instead, we got a German little man with his little car full of Bier and Brötchen…That worked out too. We had 4 beers and 2 Brötchen mit Käse und Schinken.

 

We finally arrived to Hamburg, where Boris once againg piloted us to the hotel. This time, Hotel Atlantic Kempiski. After such a long day, 70 km of biking , plus a ferry and a train ride, we were really looking forward to some nice warm hearty soup. But instead, and once again under the label of Posh Biking, we had some menu full of "Essence of lobster, with foam of whatever…." Give me a break! We wanted some German sausage and potatoes soup! Impossible. So Boris ordered asparagus with  Wiener schnitzel and I ordered the same with sea bass. We went to bed and since the weather was damn ugly for the next day, we decided to stay in Hamburg for one more day to let the rain passed,

while our dirty laundry was being cleaned!

 

VIKA

Day 8_From Troense to Falsled

Day 8_From Troense to Falsled

 

We saw: the sunrise at 3:30 am in Troense

We ate: a 6 course menu for dinner just to keep up with the diet.

We pedaled: 50 km.

Our average speed: 16 km/h

We slept: Falsled Kro Hotel

 

We decided to detour to Falsled thanks to the advice of  Siw, the owner of the first restaurant that we stopped at, as we left Copenhagen. She suggested that we stayed in Falsled Kro, a very nice place in Fünnen region.

 

She was right. This is the perfect place for two people riding their bikes with dirty clothes, sweaty underwear, who after taking a fantastic shower will wear some dirty clothing once again.

 

Falsled Kro, an is old typical Danish property with a beautiful courtyard and garden. It has only 11 rooms, each different from each other. The restaurant is ran by the Grand Chef Per Hallundbaeck (whoever he is), who will offer us tonight a 6 course dinner :

 

*Salad of white and wild asparagus, salted salmon and smoked eel with sorrel cream.

*Grey mullet (that is my friend's cat's name) with new potatoes, rye bread and summer truffle.

*Variation of rabbit and foie gras with peas and sprouts.

*Ro deer with sauce of musty cherry from Millinge (we passed that town today) and cauliflower.

*Selection of Danish and French cheeses from the Affineur Yves Bordier with garnish.

*Ovation of strawberries from Funnen (that is the region where we are), green as well as red with oat foam and müsli.

 

The wine will be our choice as we sit down (let's not talk about the price), in the case they actually let us inside. I guess, since we are paying to stay here, the least they can do is let us eat our 6 course menu in the kitchen.

 

So far we have enjoyed the shower with Henry Miller's soaps and creams, then we sat out in the courtyard to plan our next riding day, while having a beer and the best salmon sandwich you can imagine.

 

After this day, I am renaming this trip (and copyrighting it) "Posh Biking".

 

VIKA

 

 

 

 

 

Hay que tener la santa paciencia con la bloguera!

Sent from my iPhone

Day 7_From Nyborg to Troense

We saw: the sea along the whole ride
We ate: good herrings with rye bread
We pedaled: 60 km.
Our average speed: 18 km/h
We slept: Troense Hotel


This trip is just becoming better and better. Denmark is so beautiful, each landscape reminds me of fairy tales. The light is quite special and it seems to never leave us. We go to bed and it is light out we wake up at 6 and the sun seems to have been out for hours.

Today we pedaled the longest distance so far: 60 km plus we increased our average speed and the hills were easier to handle. I am so happy. Maybe I will lose weight after all…that would be my biggest medal!

We crossed a beautiful bridge over from Svendborg to Troense which has a gorgeous view over both towns. We got here at 3pm which gave me enough time to finally update this blog. Now, after this we will go immediately to bed. Can´t wait for tomorrow’s discoveries.

VIKA

Rommel troops in Denmark

Day 6_From Skjoldenesholm to Nyborg

We saw: another bike shop
We ate: a delicious sandwich with a granola bar and water at the end of climbing the highest peak
We pedaled: 54 km
Our average speed: 18 km/hr
We slept: Hotel Hesselet

Today we did much better! After losing all the luggage weight we were (or better said, I was) pedaling like pros. At an average speed of 18 km/hr, things were looking much better. I did not make any weird sounds climbing the hills, nor did I had to get off my bicycle.
Our legs and knees have started to realize that they are here to work hard so they have started to complain. Both Boris and I are feeling pain but it is actually not too bad.

We left the unpronounceable town of Skjoldenesholm and headed to Slagelse to catch the train over to Nyborg because we had to cross the sea (Store Baelt). During our ride, Boris noticed that my gears were malfunctioning, preventing me from going faster!!! So just before catching the train, we stopped at another great bike shop and the most nice guy fixed it. The Koga bike showed its first flaw: it has an aluminum piece that bends very easily. It probably happened during the transport from Malaga. Anyhow the bicycle goes wonderful now and I am able to climb hills like the famous Armstrong.

We had to reserve a special place for our bikes in the train plus had only 1 MINUTE to hop in and hop out. Our bikes weight is impossible to lift but Boris obviously managed to do it having 30 seconds left out.

24 minutes later we got to Nyborg, where we once again, successfully got on our bikes and rode away. Nyborg is very nice. The sea has offered us a very new landscape, since we had been surrounded by green fields, horses and cows. Riding through Nyborg felt like being in Victoria Island, Canada. Everything was identical, except that there is no one on the streets here.

We arrived at the Best Western Hotel where we had a reservation but right across the street, there was another hotel that had a very nice garden around looking to the sea. It was Hotel Hesselet. What a discovery. Beautiful. We had a great shower, sat down to have a drink and plan the next day. Then, we had a wonderful dinner, after our cycling improvements of the day we deserved the luxury.



VIKA
IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE PICTURES GO TO : http://picasaweb.google.es/boris.micka/GoodBye40Hello4002#

Day 5_From Skjoldenesholm to Kirke Hyslov

We saw: a great bike shop ran by and old lady who knew her stuff
We ate: stuffed baby rooster with pak choi, grilled tomatoes and potatoes at Skjoldenesholm Hotel
We pedaled: 16 km.
Our average speed: 16 km/hr
We slept:  Hotel Skjoldenesholm (yes again, it was worth it)

What a day. We slept like babies. Viva "el doping". We took over-the counter pain killers (muscle relaxants) strong enough to knock you out. Voltaren 75mg.
Some tiger balm (spray) all over our limbs and woke up as new cyclists! Not surprisingly, this helped us .

We decided to stay at this beautiful place and enjoy it a bit. We also went into town to by a new extra tube in case we need it again. Boris gave me some hope when he mentioned that one of the reasons why I as going so slow was the fact that we were carrying to much weight. So immediately, without thinking it over, we made the most wise decision: WE GOT RID OF 4 PANNIERS (THE 2 FRONT ONES FROM EACH BIKE)- We went to the Post office and sent back to Seville 8 kg worth of weight.

That will really help us to continue in a smoother way. We made not be as clean from now on but we will definitely pedal faster!

I saw that Boris really enjoyed this day, getting back memories from his childhood in Czech Republic so I hope that as we go, he adds his thoughts to this blog.

VIKA

Day 4_From Copenhagen to Skjoldenesholm

We saw: a baby deer and fox
We ate: a huge schnitzel with peas potatoes and salad at Koge Bugt Kro
We pedaled: 70 km west on route 6.Our average speed: 8 km/hr
We had bike accidents: 2 falls (Boris) and 1 flat tire (Vickie)
We slept: Skjoldenesholm Hotel

Today we woke up at 7:30. It was a cloudy and a very windy day. After breakfast we got our bikes ready to finally start our journey. Boris took charge of being the pilot, following his iphone GPS plus the maps we had bought for this trip. 13 km later, it was Boris turn to fall down due to the same reason that I did the day before: the damn fixed pedals. So now after all his laughs about my fall...we were even. It was nothing serious so we continue pedaling.

After leaving the industrial parts of Copenhagen, we followed the sea shore through beautiful villas. Around 1:00 pm, we took a detour from the sea coast to the interior of the Zealand region, where we saw a perfect place to have lunch called Koge Bugt Kro. (We had packed lunch, an apple and some bread with cheese) but we could not resist to the specialty of the house: Wiener schnitzel. It was a meal for a family of eight children. We were serve a tray of meat, a pot of peas, another one of potatoes and one more pot of French fries with 3 different gravies or sauces. Not to mention the huge plate of salad with watermelon, cucumber and fresh feta cheese. To hose all these food down, we use the help of 2-liter beers. What a way to start our trip dedicated to exercise and healthy eating!The owner of the restaurant, Siw, was fantastic. She suggested to change our plans and bike through the south of Fünnen Isalnd and recommended places to go. Boris mentioned that we had only pedaled 20 km from our total distance (70 km). It was 2:00 pm and so this meant that we would be at our final destination around 7:00 pm. I could not believe this, I felt like we had pedaled at least 50 km, (since we had been riding for 3 hours already). This was almost at 8 km/hour??? Walking on the would t a have been the same. What a shame, but the weight of the panniers combined with wind was making everything go much more slow and difficult.
After lunch, the worse was yet waiting for me (not for Boris): the cliffs. We chose Denmark for being FLAT. What happen to that? The following 50 km were hills up, hills down, hills up, hills up, hills up....is I sum them altogether we were climbing the Everest (with the 4 panniers and the damn wind), not too mention Boris calling me all sorts of things from his bike. "We are now at 6km/hour, we have only achieved 1% of our journey, go faster..." My goodness! I thought I was going to die on the first day
So in every cliff, I got down of the bike and pushed it. That was my solution.

The road was beautiful, we ran into horses, beautiful houses, gorgeous Danish landscapes but every time I saw a new cliff, all this beauty was ruined.
Towards the end, we had to go through the forest, what a nice spot, but just as we were coming out, I GOT A FLAT TIRE. Can you believe this? But once again, Boris, as if he did this for a living, change my tube in less than 5 minutes. Amazing.

Then we had only 5km left to Skjoldenesholm. I knew we were getting closer to our hotel, a beautiful castle Boris found in the web. I pedaled as if I were going to win the Tour de France prize and left Boris behind through the last cliff as that yellow castle appeared in the woods.

We were there. The place was just beautiful. A true castle with a lake and a the old stable. Susan, the woman in charged was waiting for us and had prepared for us the guest house. A small separate house just for us. It was perfect. All of a sudden the pain of pedaling was gone. She took us to the kitchen, served us some cheeses and bread with a couple of beers and we went to bed!


VIKA

Day 3_One day walking through Copenhagen

We saw: great bike shops
We ate: salmon burger with fries and Caesar salad at The Lot
We pedaled: 0 km

Copenhagen was for me one of the places I had very specific memories of. I came here for the first time with my best friend, Neil, about 8 or 9 years ago. I remember it as a place full of people who all look the same, very blond, very tall, very well dressed (even the small children) wearing really nice coats and shoes, and the food was just delicious. All the places were always exquisitely lit with a touch of Scandinavian design. The whole city look like it was a set for a photo shoot.

Well, I am sorry to say that somehow in this trip, the only thing that still is as I remember it, is the delicious food. The Danes are not that blond anymore, definitely not that tall either and forgot everything about fashion. The women here seem to have forgotten what suits them and what does not, confusing the idea of looking hip with looking like a cheap whore. Currently, what seems to be "in", is just to wear a pair of sheer black pantyhose, with a black sweater and ride your bike on it. Perhaps I am just getting older and so now these things bother me.

Anyhow, Copenhagen for one day was full of rain, wind but we discovered great bike stores to buy the last things we were missing like a lock, and helmets.
We were now ready to start our ride, although the weather seemed to be not the greatest.

VIKA