Lucas and I rode our bikes the short ride from the hotel in Fribough to the train station at about 645 Friday morning in the pouring rain. As we pedaled over the slick cobblestones, over curbs, through pedestrians and with traffic we were in our element. Lucas is safe and confident in an urban setting, although, I must say I don't trust US drivers any more now than I did three weeks ago.
Fortunately I had bought tickets for us and our bikes the day before. I found out that had I not done that, we would not have been able to bring our bikes for such a long (7 hour) train ride. Lucas and I have discussed the impact of planning as a means to relaxed travel. Everyone has a different style, for sure, but for me, I would rather read a good book while waiting than sprint to the train in a sweaty panic.
As we rolled north, we passed bikers in paths we had followed.
We ate salami sandwiches from the rolling cart in side the train and played blackjack and go fish.
Our only train change was in Zurich. Traveling with two bikes and one kid is a breeze once you've done it with four and three.
Once in Munich we weighed our options: go to Charlie's friend, Henrick's, office, where our bike bags had been stored, and disassemble them there and cab it to the airport hotel, or have Lucas wait with bikes while I picked up luggage and then train it to the airport and disassemble there.
My initial thought was the later option as I thought I would be more relaxed once settled and that Lucas could chill and watch a movie.
My spidy sense said stay together, so we did and biked to Henrick's office. It was another gorgeous day in Munich and the city was rocking. Again, we felt at home and relaxed biking in the congestion.
I spread the bike bags and tools out in the lobby, put on some tunes (Al Green to start). Lucas and I worked together for about an hour, including a ice cream break to turn our two transport devices into a heap of metal, chain, pedals and flat tires. We wrapped them with a variety of materials we'd brought along and then stuffed three paniers into the cases along with them for extra padding.
Due to the good weather forecast (no snow), Charlie asked me to take a few things back for them which made repacking things, albeit completely manageable, require a bit more strategy.
We took a cab to the 'airport Marriott;', I know I am an optimist and all, but I assumed the hotel would be located AT THE AIRPORT.' ah, no. The hotel was 15k from the airport! That's where those spidy senses came in. Had we taken the train to the airport we would have had to schlepp all our luggage and bikes around way too much just to end up in a cab to the hotel., which was lovely and had an airport shuttle. We were starving and sat outside in the fresh air. I had Salad niçoise and Lucas had pork in a brown sauce.
On the way to the room, we walked passed the fgym and the MASSAGE sign. I felt like that was a very clear message that I had a duty to follow, so i booked 60 minutes for 8pm. When working on my legs, the masseuse asked 'have you been doing some new exercises lately? Your IT bands and hamstrings are pretty tight.' Reflecting on the numerous climbs and daily 4-6 hours on the bike the last 13 days with Charlie, Sho, Saya and Lucas, I said 'I've been playing a bit more with my teenage son.'
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Day 13
Last Day -
I can't count! Today is our 13th and last day. Thirteen is a lucky number for me. Always has been.
First - a parents' guide to frustrating your teenage son is 5 or 6 easy steps:
1) break it to him that the next 5k is pretty much all up hill.
2) comment about flora and fauna mid gasp while asking him what he most appreciates about the BE-Utiful surroundings. Coo at Lamas and Baa at sheep.
(#1 and #2) can be combined for efficiency and may even be so effective that numbers 3+ become irrelevant.
3) 'whoop' mistakingly at summit, which turns out to be a switch back and revert to #2.
4) At 80% there, tell son that the GPS indicates we are off track and ride halfway down only to discover that halfway down, GPS now agrees and inform son that we have to re-experince #3.
5) comment on small number of his friends who have biked this course once, let alone twice
6) experience solid 30 minutes of cold shoulder.
......
So, the forecast was for rain everywhere. I got myself in mental shape by buying a bottle of wine for Charlie and me to share. I made it through 1/2 a glass and fell sound asleep (no coffee today).
The SUNSHINE (!!) woke me up and we were all delighted to see blue skies. We hit the road quickly since all the weather forecasts said rain, rain, rain. As we were leaving the hotel I leaned over to Lucas and gave him a big kiss on the cheek and told him how proud I was of him and how much I had enjoyed the time with him. As I looked up a man in a white BMW was waiting patiently in the small cobblestone street which was slightly blocked by our bikes. I waved him through and he stopped right in front of me. 'You have to take those moments', he said in Swiss 'they won't be around much longer by the looks of him' he added, jesturing at Lucas. 'I'll do that'.
Today was our hardest ride by far. Our total mileage was around 37 miles. The climbs kept coming and we had to soldier through them. The longest was the 5k one, I mentioned above. After a while we just expected them. We had a mix of the easy and the hard from the last two weeks in one day: wonderful straights surrounded by shire-like rolling hills and beautiful flowers, alps, swiss chalets, closed restaurants when we needed food, helpful people who served us despite the 'drinks only' sign, 5 minute descends with attentive and patient car, truck and bus drivers and, of course, the local bakery! After a few minutes of a light rain, the clouds left and we had lovely skies and a light breeze.
One climb was similar to Monteagle, when coming from Nashville, and halfway up there was a red light because one side of the road was closed. As we approached it I thought 'nice, that'll give me a reason to give my legs a break', but even just two weeks in, I wanted to keep going. My leg muscles have changed and simply last longer when there is not another option. On short breaks, we ate honey and apples and left over chocolate cake that Claudia had baked us.
At 4:51 (Lucas had estimated/wished 3:45 and Charlie had guestimated 4:45) we crossed the bridge into Fribourg and took a break to tell the kids 'Danke' was now 'Merci'. Actually it is the city of many languages; everyone, and I mean everyone, speaks fluent French, German and Swiss. I just decided to speak whichever one the person started with; at the Information Bureau everything was in French. But then the lady I was working with to find a hotel room, asked her colleague in Swiss about something. I was envious of the lack of thought required. My language switching works but I often get caught and say something like:
Est-ce-que vous pouvez me dir ou se trouve le Hauptbahnof. Merci vielmals. A mix of all three, which results in a look like, 'what type of hybrid are you?' I just keep tissue in my pocket for when the language starts dripping out of my ears.
We were all starving and found a great asian food place a few minutes from the hotel. I bought train tickets for Lucas and me to get back to Munich. We leave Fribourg at 7am and will be in Munich by 2, giving me plenty of time to take the bikes a part and pack them before we head to the airport. Our flight leaves at noon on Saturday.
I would like a massages
Sent from my iPa
I can't count! Today is our 13th and last day. Thirteen is a lucky number for me. Always has been.
First - a parents' guide to frustrating your teenage son is 5 or 6 easy steps:
1) break it to him that the next 5k is pretty much all up hill.
2) comment about flora and fauna mid gasp while asking him what he most appreciates about the BE-Utiful surroundings. Coo at Lamas and Baa at sheep.
(#1 and #2) can be combined for efficiency and may even be so effective that numbers 3+ become irrelevant.
3) 'whoop' mistakingly at summit, which turns out to be a switch back and revert to #2.
4) At 80% there, tell son that the GPS indicates we are off track and ride halfway down only to discover that halfway down, GPS now agrees and inform son that we have to re-experince #3.
5) comment on small number of his friends who have biked this course once, let alone twice
6) experience solid 30 minutes of cold shoulder.
......
So, the forecast was for rain everywhere. I got myself in mental shape by buying a bottle of wine for Charlie and me to share. I made it through 1/2 a glass and fell sound asleep (no coffee today).
The SUNSHINE (!!) woke me up and we were all delighted to see blue skies. We hit the road quickly since all the weather forecasts said rain, rain, rain. As we were leaving the hotel I leaned over to Lucas and gave him a big kiss on the cheek and told him how proud I was of him and how much I had enjoyed the time with him. As I looked up a man in a white BMW was waiting patiently in the small cobblestone street which was slightly blocked by our bikes. I waved him through and he stopped right in front of me. 'You have to take those moments', he said in Swiss 'they won't be around much longer by the looks of him' he added, jesturing at Lucas. 'I'll do that'.
Today was our hardest ride by far. Our total mileage was around 37 miles. The climbs kept coming and we had to soldier through them. The longest was the 5k one, I mentioned above. After a while we just expected them. We had a mix of the easy and the hard from the last two weeks in one day: wonderful straights surrounded by shire-like rolling hills and beautiful flowers, alps, swiss chalets, closed restaurants when we needed food, helpful people who served us despite the 'drinks only' sign, 5 minute descends with attentive and patient car, truck and bus drivers and, of course, the local bakery! After a few minutes of a light rain, the clouds left and we had lovely skies and a light breeze.
One climb was similar to Monteagle, when coming from Nashville, and halfway up there was a red light because one side of the road was closed. As we approached it I thought 'nice, that'll give me a reason to give my legs a break', but even just two weeks in, I wanted to keep going. My leg muscles have changed and simply last longer when there is not another option. On short breaks, we ate honey and apples and left over chocolate cake that Claudia had baked us.
At 4:51 (Lucas had estimated/wished 3:45 and Charlie had guestimated 4:45) we crossed the bridge into Fribourg and took a break to tell the kids 'Danke' was now 'Merci'. Actually it is the city of many languages; everyone, and I mean everyone, speaks fluent French, German and Swiss. I just decided to speak whichever one the person started with; at the Information Bureau everything was in French. But then the lady I was working with to find a hotel room, asked her colleague in Swiss about something. I was envious of the lack of thought required. My language switching works but I often get caught and say something like:
Est-ce-que vous pouvez me dir ou se trouve le Hauptbahnof. Merci vielmals. A mix of all three, which results in a look like, 'what type of hybrid are you?' I just keep tissue in my pocket for when the language starts dripping out of my ears.
We were all starving and found a great asian food place a few minutes from the hotel. I bought train tickets for Lucas and me to get back to Munich. We leave Fribourg at 7am and will be in Munich by 2, giving me plenty of time to take the bikes a part and pack them before we head to the airport. Our flight leaves at noon on Saturday.
I would like a massages
Sent from my iPa
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Days 8-9- Zurich to Einsiedeln
We had a great night's rest in Zurich. After speaking with Claudia in Einsiedeln, we decided to take the day off and take the train the 45 minutes to Einsiedeln. The ride would not have been long, but we would have had a 30 minute + climb. Traveling with bikes on trains is another new experience for Lucas and me.
Stairs and heavy bikes don't go well together so we had to chill and miss a connection so that we could ride/walk the bikes around the station and back up to another platform. Getting the bikes and kids onto the train while feeling the 'tick-tock' of the train's schedule was a bit stressful, but fortunately everything went off without a hitch. We would make sure Saya and at least one other person were on the train and then begin to load the bikes. All 4 bikes take up some serious space. We need at least 5 minutes to load them.
As we made the climb up to Einsiedeln I both wished I had done it on my bike and was glad we had not had to stop due a flat and push the bikes up. We made plans to visit a bike shop to confirm that the 3 flats on Sho's rear wheel were unrelated.
Claudia met us with big smiles at the train station and we biked the short 5 minutes to her house.
In 1972 my family spent a year in Switzerland and 6 months of it was in Trachslau where, in April, I had a snow birthday cake due to the 6 feet that was still hanging around. We rented an apartment which was a part of the house where the Muellers lived. Across the field was where the Kaelin's farm was. We made quick friends with their kids who were about the same age as we were at the time and with whom we were in school every day. We were mesmerized by milking the cows and picking wild blueberries; they were equally astounded by American kids and homemade pancakes with maple syrup. I brought some pancake mix from Nashville as a gift for Claudia. I am pretty sure it is the only box of Cracker Barrel brand pancake mix in Europe right now.
Claudia's house smelled of freshly-baked cake. She had just pulled a vanilla/cherry cake out of the oven as we arrived. We consumed it immediately.
Coffee just tastes better here. I had given up caffeine in January but have indulged several times since arriving in Europe. The result for me was great late night discussions with Claudia about the depth of childhood friendships and when she was coming to Nashville. My 'swiss brother', Markus, and his wife Lisbeth stopped by and it was super catching up with Markus. I reminded him that at 16, on a solo trip to Switzerland to visit them, it had been with him and a friend that I had had too many Radler (beer with lemonade) and that I always remembered that experience as one of both youthful stupidity and safety since he had made sure I made it some safe. He had had fun asking me how my head felt the next day, back in 1981.
This blog should be named 'the great food stop'. We seemed to happily go from meal to meal!
Breakfast with Claudia and family - 3 kinds of fresh bread, local cheeses, meats, homemade apricot and strawberry jellies, fruit, yogurt from the farm on the nearby alp and homemade granola.
We took an easy 30 minute ride to Franz Kaelin's bike shop. Franz is Claudia's cousin and visited us in Nashville back in 1987. We descended upon Kaelin Velos, his bike shop, where, thanks to all the latest bike tools and machinery, we did some minor maintenance on all the bikes. I had a lump in my rear wheel which could have been a flat soon, so we replaced the tube. On of Charlie's wheels was out of true due to a fall near Neuschwanstein and Franz corrected it, greased up our chains, checked our tires and sent us on our merry way. See picture of Lucas in his new biking jacket from Franz's store - very chic! All our bikes now have Kaelin Velos stickers on them which are sure bring good biking mojo.
Lunch - Chicken in a mushroom sauce with some of the freshest and most delicious egg noodles I have had along with salad that was picked moments before from the Swiss raised bed I have become obsessed with. These beds would work super in Nashville. They are pretty much weedless and need almost no watering even in super hot temperatures. My Nashville neighbor, Kat and I will soon be sharing one!
Dessert - more homemade cake, this time chocolate. Woops - I said yes to one of her great espressos....
We road our bikes the short 20 minutes from Einsiedeln to Trachslau where we went immediately to the Kaelin's farm. The youngest of 5 kids, Jorg, runs it now. He has replaced the very intensive milk cows with a cow boarding and day school; i.e. people send him the babies and he cares for them lovingly until they are ready to go to a milk farm. There were 10 or so young cow and goats waiting for us and expecting attention (see pic). We petted them and were rewarded with sandpaper tongues and gentle nudges for more attention. Their soft brown eyes and sweet smell are irresistible!
Saya (5) and Julia (5) do not share a known language, but they were quickly communicating and playing on the swing and picking strawberries together. They were chatting and giggling non-stop in two different languages!
The boys had been talking about playing in the hay for days. The enormous barn must have a 20 foot mound of hay onto which they could jump. After their fill of barn time, they, of course, started a pick up soccer game which would have gone on for hours had the dinner bell not rung.
Our bikes feel so light biking without luggage, but after the last 4-5 meals we were carrying a bit of weight, albeit in our bellies; The Muellers fixed a wonderful dinner of salad with mozeralla, tomatoes and orange peppers, followed by Lebekaese (looks like a baloney loaf, tastes like heaven) and a cold macaroni salad. Erwin knows his wine and paired it with a regional red that was light but flavorful.
It is light until almost 10 pm so we were able to ride home (burned off one bite of Lebekaese) without using our bike lights. Claudia's husband, Harry, is a bike riding enthusiast and a manufacturer's rep for several sport clothing companies; the majority of his product come from a Qloom. They have great colors and designs and the fabrics are soft and feel great on. Harry called us in and asked for our sizes and then began to cloth us! We have great new tops and shorts and jackets, and, if I do say so myself, look pretty cool.
Did I mention that I had a coffee? So, and for those of you who know my bedtime routine, you understand how different this is for me; the adults stayed up visiting until 1 am or after. The only thing that got us to bed was knowing that we had a 745am sharp departure time.
Again, thanks to suggestions from our local friends, we took a train for a section to avoid this time, not a climb, but an intense descent. We are airing on the conservative side with the kids due to the weight they carry on the bikes. It is sometimes hard to shake that American competitive side ('oh come on, just do it') , but where the kids' safety came into play, it was an easy decision. We will bike from Interlaken towards Thun and Fribourg. It is likely that Lucas and I will leave for Munich (on the train) from Fribourg. We have settled in to our routine, and although we miss family and friends, our departure is looming like a dark rain cloud.
Stairs and heavy bikes don't go well together so we had to chill and miss a connection so that we could ride/walk the bikes around the station and back up to another platform. Getting the bikes and kids onto the train while feeling the 'tick-tock' of the train's schedule was a bit stressful, but fortunately everything went off without a hitch. We would make sure Saya and at least one other person were on the train and then begin to load the bikes. All 4 bikes take up some serious space. We need at least 5 minutes to load them.
As we made the climb up to Einsiedeln I both wished I had done it on my bike and was glad we had not had to stop due a flat and push the bikes up. We made plans to visit a bike shop to confirm that the 3 flats on Sho's rear wheel were unrelated.
Claudia met us with big smiles at the train station and we biked the short 5 minutes to her house.
In 1972 my family spent a year in Switzerland and 6 months of it was in Trachslau where, in April, I had a snow birthday cake due to the 6 feet that was still hanging around. We rented an apartment which was a part of the house where the Muellers lived. Across the field was where the Kaelin's farm was. We made quick friends with their kids who were about the same age as we were at the time and with whom we were in school every day. We were mesmerized by milking the cows and picking wild blueberries; they were equally astounded by American kids and homemade pancakes with maple syrup. I brought some pancake mix from Nashville as a gift for Claudia. I am pretty sure it is the only box of Cracker Barrel brand pancake mix in Europe right now.
Claudia's house smelled of freshly-baked cake. She had just pulled a vanilla/cherry cake out of the oven as we arrived. We consumed it immediately.
Coffee just tastes better here. I had given up caffeine in January but have indulged several times since arriving in Europe. The result for me was great late night discussions with Claudia about the depth of childhood friendships and when she was coming to Nashville. My 'swiss brother', Markus, and his wife Lisbeth stopped by and it was super catching up with Markus. I reminded him that at 16, on a solo trip to Switzerland to visit them, it had been with him and a friend that I had had too many Radler (beer with lemonade) and that I always remembered that experience as one of both youthful stupidity and safety since he had made sure I made it some safe. He had had fun asking me how my head felt the next day, back in 1981.
This blog should be named 'the great food stop'. We seemed to happily go from meal to meal!
Breakfast with Claudia and family - 3 kinds of fresh bread, local cheeses, meats, homemade apricot and strawberry jellies, fruit, yogurt from the farm on the nearby alp and homemade granola.
We took an easy 30 minute ride to Franz Kaelin's bike shop. Franz is Claudia's cousin and visited us in Nashville back in 1987. We descended upon Kaelin Velos, his bike shop, where, thanks to all the latest bike tools and machinery, we did some minor maintenance on all the bikes. I had a lump in my rear wheel which could have been a flat soon, so we replaced the tube. On of Charlie's wheels was out of true due to a fall near Neuschwanstein and Franz corrected it, greased up our chains, checked our tires and sent us on our merry way. See picture of Lucas in his new biking jacket from Franz's store - very chic! All our bikes now have Kaelin Velos stickers on them which are sure bring good biking mojo.
Lunch - Chicken in a mushroom sauce with some of the freshest and most delicious egg noodles I have had along with salad that was picked moments before from the Swiss raised bed I have become obsessed with. These beds would work super in Nashville. They are pretty much weedless and need almost no watering even in super hot temperatures. My Nashville neighbor, Kat and I will soon be sharing one!
Dessert - more homemade cake, this time chocolate. Woops - I said yes to one of her great espressos....
We road our bikes the short 20 minutes from Einsiedeln to Trachslau where we went immediately to the Kaelin's farm. The youngest of 5 kids, Jorg, runs it now. He has replaced the very intensive milk cows with a cow boarding and day school; i.e. people send him the babies and he cares for them lovingly until they are ready to go to a milk farm. There were 10 or so young cow and goats waiting for us and expecting attention (see pic). We petted them and were rewarded with sandpaper tongues and gentle nudges for more attention. Their soft brown eyes and sweet smell are irresistible!
Saya (5) and Julia (5) do not share a known language, but they were quickly communicating and playing on the swing and picking strawberries together. They were chatting and giggling non-stop in two different languages!
The boys had been talking about playing in the hay for days. The enormous barn must have a 20 foot mound of hay onto which they could jump. After their fill of barn time, they, of course, started a pick up soccer game which would have gone on for hours had the dinner bell not rung.
Our bikes feel so light biking without luggage, but after the last 4-5 meals we were carrying a bit of weight, albeit in our bellies; The Muellers fixed a wonderful dinner of salad with mozeralla, tomatoes and orange peppers, followed by Lebekaese (looks like a baloney loaf, tastes like heaven) and a cold macaroni salad. Erwin knows his wine and paired it with a regional red that was light but flavorful.
It is light until almost 10 pm so we were able to ride home (burned off one bite of Lebekaese) without using our bike lights. Claudia's husband, Harry, is a bike riding enthusiast and a manufacturer's rep for several sport clothing companies; the majority of his product come from a Qloom. They have great colors and designs and the fabrics are soft and feel great on. Harry called us in and asked for our sizes and then began to cloth us! We have great new tops and shorts and jackets, and, if I do say so myself, look pretty cool.
Did I mention that I had a coffee? So, and for those of you who know my bedtime routine, you understand how different this is for me; the adults stayed up visiting until 1 am or after. The only thing that got us to bed was knowing that we had a 745am sharp departure time.
Again, thanks to suggestions from our local friends, we took a train for a section to avoid this time, not a climb, but an intense descent. We are airing on the conservative side with the kids due to the weight they carry on the bikes. It is sometimes hard to shake that American competitive side ('oh come on, just do it') , but where the kids' safety came into play, it was an easy decision. We will bike from Interlaken towards Thun and Fribourg. It is likely that Lucas and I will leave for Munich (on the train) from Fribourg. We have settled in to our routine, and although we miss family and friends, our departure is looming like a dark rain cloud.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Day 8 - Konstanz to Zurich
Today was our longest ride so far. Although I indicated we had ridden 68k a couple days ago, that was what mapquest said; Lucas' and Charlie's Garmins indicated more like 50k. Today, we are close to 70k.
The heavy rain stopped at 9. We had a nice 65 degrees with complete cloud coverage: perfect! After a quick discussion with the kids about safe riding on wet terrain we headed south.
Within a couple kilometers we crossed the border from Germany to Switzerland. We stopped a bit back and gathered our passports. As we crossed I asked the Swiss border guard, in my best Swiss, if he needed to see our IDs. We must not look very threatening - 2 adults, outnumbered by luggage, bikes and kids. He sort of sighed and said 'where have you been and where are you going?'
'Ah, we started in Munich and are headed to Zurich. Do you have a bike -friendly suggestion from here?'
'Go up that, he pointed. Once you're up it's pretty much flat or down.'
I am thinking, we have 70k to go and it's mostly down or flat after the climb?? I don't remember Zurich being in a pit. Wonder what sort of climb we have ahead of us...
I was pleasantly surprised with the 2k climb - we are all getting stronger. It felt like the world tipped a bit in our favor and for 2 hours we had long stretches of flats.
Then came the rain. I am going to have to ask my parents about some deep, hidden positive rain experience I had as a child. We put on our rain gear (great pic of Saya) and kept pace. I was simply joyful in it. It pelted and soaked everything which just made me happier. Maybe I just liked knowing my bike was getting a bath. The next two hours were in nature's shower. I could feel my feet pickling.
We stopped in Wintertur for lunch, and, of course, came upon a festival: ARMINFEST. Ok. Key was, lots of food. I ate a fruit kabob dipped in chocolate and nuts. Yes, I would like extra chocolate and nuts. As the pic shows, there was one ride and as we stood in line for tickets to the 'throw you up in the air ride' a couple asked if we wanted a couple of free tickets -ah, yes!
The boys loved being tossed and thrown; Charlie and I were cool
watching.
Sho got a flat at the base of a long climb. We patched it, but 15 minutes later it flatted again so we changed the tube.
With less than two miles to go, that tire gave way again and we stopped under an overpass out of the downpour. Saya was getting cold, so while CR played mechanic, I added another layer and played 'how many jumping jacks can we do.' Soon she was saying how hot she was. The bike was unresponsive, so Charlie went ahead with Lucas and Saya (goal - get Saya in warm bath) while Sho and I waited for a break in rain.
We walked the bikes the two miles to the hotel playing 'you choose'. Sho chooses eating slugs over beetles, by-the-way.
We were treated to an amazing dinner at the Buehlers! Our three bonded quickly with Karolina who is just over two and a delight. She and Saya played 'run around the table' ; her laugh was infectious! Our time with them was too short - but we had promised the boys they could watch the Eurocup and it was past Saya's bedtime.
Tomorrow we head to Einsiedeln and Trachslau, where I spent my 2nd grade year and where I have returned many times . It is a second home to me. I cannot wait for the familiar smells and the sound of the cloister bells.
The heavy rain stopped at 9. We had a nice 65 degrees with complete cloud coverage: perfect! After a quick discussion with the kids about safe riding on wet terrain we headed south.
Within a couple kilometers we crossed the border from Germany to Switzerland. We stopped a bit back and gathered our passports. As we crossed I asked the Swiss border guard, in my best Swiss, if he needed to see our IDs. We must not look very threatening - 2 adults, outnumbered by luggage, bikes and kids. He sort of sighed and said 'where have you been and where are you going?'
'Ah, we started in Munich and are headed to Zurich. Do you have a bike -friendly suggestion from here?'
'Go up that, he pointed. Once you're up it's pretty much flat or down.'
I am thinking, we have 70k to go and it's mostly down or flat after the climb?? I don't remember Zurich being in a pit. Wonder what sort of climb we have ahead of us...
I was pleasantly surprised with the 2k climb - we are all getting stronger. It felt like the world tipped a bit in our favor and for 2 hours we had long stretches of flats.
Then came the rain. I am going to have to ask my parents about some deep, hidden positive rain experience I had as a child. We put on our rain gear (great pic of Saya) and kept pace. I was simply joyful in it. It pelted and soaked everything which just made me happier. Maybe I just liked knowing my bike was getting a bath. The next two hours were in nature's shower. I could feel my feet pickling.
We stopped in Wintertur for lunch, and, of course, came upon a festival: ARMINFEST. Ok. Key was, lots of food. I ate a fruit kabob dipped in chocolate and nuts. Yes, I would like extra chocolate and nuts. As the pic shows, there was one ride and as we stood in line for tickets to the 'throw you up in the air ride' a couple asked if we wanted a couple of free tickets -ah, yes!
The boys loved being tossed and thrown; Charlie and I were cool
watching.
Sho got a flat at the base of a long climb. We patched it, but 15 minutes later it flatted again so we changed the tube.
With less than two miles to go, that tire gave way again and we stopped under an overpass out of the downpour. Saya was getting cold, so while CR played mechanic, I added another layer and played 'how many jumping jacks can we do.' Soon she was saying how hot she was. The bike was unresponsive, so Charlie went ahead with Lucas and Saya (goal - get Saya in warm bath) while Sho and I waited for a break in rain.
We walked the bikes the two miles to the hotel playing 'you choose'. Sho chooses eating slugs over beetles, by-the-way.
We were treated to an amazing dinner at the Buehlers! Our three bonded quickly with Karolina who is just over two and a delight. She and Saya played 'run around the table' ; her laugh was infectious! Our time with them was too short - but we had promised the boys they could watch the Eurocup and it was past Saya's bedtime.
Tomorrow we head to Einsiedeln and Trachslau, where I spent my 2nd grade year and where I have returned many times . It is a second home to me. I cannot wait for the familiar smells and the sound of the cloister bells.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Day 7 - Lindau to Konstanz - beginning with a special blog for Mom...
After days of gasping and gawking at the amazing arrays of flowers, I realized I now expect to be impressed at every turn.. As we biked through a more normal, much less abundantly floral area I wanted to find the mayor and ask what was up - I mean seriously, what is wrong with your inhabitants; they are very unimpressive with their gardening skills. I saw only one to two shades of purple and several green only abode - unacceptable!
So this first part of the blog is dedicated to my Mom, who both appreciates and has a green thumb. We have seen a vast array of flora - flowers hang from windows and decks; lavender apparently 'belongs' in every rocky krag.
As the pictures will show, roses of every size and color are everywhere. Where there is a phone pole, is, clearly, the most appropriate place for an overflowing basket of begonias or melon-sized peonies.
We have biked by train tracks that, instead of being ugly and metal, are surrounded by yellows and purples, reds and pinks, and yards of wild baby's breath.
The fields of fruit trees are equally impressive: apples, apricots, plums and pears and berries galore. Today's snack was local cherries, blue berries and johannesberren - and honey (Lucas drank it from the jar).
When not tended to by a careful hand, the flora cared for by mother nature is equally gorgeous. We are surrounded by nature at it's best and most beautiful...check out pics.
So, the ride. Once again, the gods of the path, who are wise and all-knowing, smiled upon us and we had an easy ride to the Bodensee (Lake Kontance). We took the catamaran to Konstance where we checked into a small hotel. The water is a beautiful turquoise and the lake is full of sailboats. The ride was no more than 30 minutes.
So, I really like to experience different cultures and I got my wish at the hotel. First, I need reading glasses, second, I figure it'll all work out - ok, so we have two rooms; while CR is getting settled, I fill out the paperwork: Name, Address, okay. I go back Down to the receptionist desk to get a wireless code and the lady is having a bit of a fit. Here is how it went; we will refer to her as 'OATDCIL' = overly attentive to detail check in lady .
OATDCIL - I was reviewing your paper work ( say this like colonel Klink at it's much more realistic) and I noticed that you entered your name on the registration papers for both rooms.
Me, in fluent German ( I. E. it's not because I didn't get something) - yep.
OATDCIL-but you are only staying in one of the rooms. I must have papers which show exactly who is on all the rooms.
Me - my brother, Charles, is in one room with his two kids and I am in the other with my son. Would you like me to get my brother?
OATDCIL - no, but that is not represented on this paperwork.
Me - would you like me to correct it? I can cross out my name on the paperwork for his room and write his name there, in that space.
OATDCIL - no, no. We cant cross things out. The papers must match the reservation. I must know who
is in the rooms. I must have the correct birth dates for everyone.
Me ( very fascinated by her obsession) - my son and I are in one room and my brother and his two children are in the other. Would you like me to have my brother come down? I know everyone's birth dates. I can fill them in.
OATDCIL - no. Under normal circumstances I would need to see him and some ID. I will have to have you fill out another form - oh! We have wasted a form. This is not good. You are not staying in both rooms but your name is on both forms.
Me - I can cross out the information on the original form and enter the correct information. Are you sure you don't want me to get him?
OATDCIL - Under normal circumstances I would need to, but I am working this out. We can't cross things out. Okay, I am going to get a new form. But you have to focus. You can't make any mistakes, okay?
Me - ok. Ummm. Was he born in 67 or 68?
OATDCIL - she takes the paper from me. Please, can you get your brother and have him fill this out - I have already used one form and these HAVE to match the reservation.
Me- yes. I will get him.
OATDCIL - all 5 of you need to sit at the same table and eat at the same time for breakfast . And we have a very strict policy against smoking.
Me - okay! Neither of us smoke. But, I don't know about the kids. You may need to talk to them.
OATDCIL - No! They cannot smoke. Our policy is clear.
Me - I am kidding. They are 5,11 and 14. No one smokes.
OATDCIL - our policy does not allow smoking.
I go upstairs and give CR the scoop about OATDCIL. His experience, although shorter, is equally fascinating.'j
We are both disturbed as we think about her upbringing or how she is managed. WHEWWW.
We spent a couple of hours walking around and came across a children's dance performance which was wonderful.
Tomorrow we will make it to Zurich and dinner with friends there.
Don't miss the flower pics!
So this first part of the blog is dedicated to my Mom, who both appreciates and has a green thumb. We have seen a vast array of flora - flowers hang from windows and decks; lavender apparently 'belongs' in every rocky krag.
As the pictures will show, roses of every size and color are everywhere. Where there is a phone pole, is, clearly, the most appropriate place for an overflowing basket of begonias or melon-sized peonies.
We have biked by train tracks that, instead of being ugly and metal, are surrounded by yellows and purples, reds and pinks, and yards of wild baby's breath.
The fields of fruit trees are equally impressive: apples, apricots, plums and pears and berries galore. Today's snack was local cherries, blue berries and johannesberren - and honey (Lucas drank it from the jar).
When not tended to by a careful hand, the flora cared for by mother nature is equally gorgeous. We are surrounded by nature at it's best and most beautiful...check out pics.
So, the ride. Once again, the gods of the path, who are wise and all-knowing, smiled upon us and we had an easy ride to the Bodensee (Lake Kontance). We took the catamaran to Konstance where we checked into a small hotel. The water is a beautiful turquoise and the lake is full of sailboats. The ride was no more than 30 minutes.
So, I really like to experience different cultures and I got my wish at the hotel. First, I need reading glasses, second, I figure it'll all work out - ok, so we have two rooms; while CR is getting settled, I fill out the paperwork: Name, Address, okay. I go back Down to the receptionist desk to get a wireless code and the lady is having a bit of a fit. Here is how it went; we will refer to her as 'OATDCIL' = overly attentive to detail check in lady .
OATDCIL - I was reviewing your paper work ( say this like colonel Klink at it's much more realistic) and I noticed that you entered your name on the registration papers for both rooms.
Me, in fluent German ( I. E. it's not because I didn't get something) - yep.
OATDCIL-but you are only staying in one of the rooms. I must have papers which show exactly who is on all the rooms.
Me - my brother, Charles, is in one room with his two kids and I am in the other with my son. Would you like me to get my brother?
OATDCIL - no, but that is not represented on this paperwork.
Me - would you like me to correct it? I can cross out my name on the paperwork for his room and write his name there, in that space.
OATDCIL - no, no. We cant cross things out. The papers must match the reservation. I must know who
is in the rooms. I must have the correct birth dates for everyone.
Me ( very fascinated by her obsession) - my son and I are in one room and my brother and his two children are in the other. Would you like me to have my brother come down? I know everyone's birth dates. I can fill them in.
OATDCIL - no. Under normal circumstances I would need to see him and some ID. I will have to have you fill out another form - oh! We have wasted a form. This is not good. You are not staying in both rooms but your name is on both forms.
Me - I can cross out the information on the original form and enter the correct information. Are you sure you don't want me to get him?
OATDCIL - Under normal circumstances I would need to, but I am working this out. We can't cross things out. Okay, I am going to get a new form. But you have to focus. You can't make any mistakes, okay?
Me - ok. Ummm. Was he born in 67 or 68?
OATDCIL - she takes the paper from me. Please, can you get your brother and have him fill this out - I have already used one form and these HAVE to match the reservation.
Me- yes. I will get him.
OATDCIL - all 5 of you need to sit at the same table and eat at the same time for breakfast . And we have a very strict policy against smoking.
Me - okay! Neither of us smoke. But, I don't know about the kids. You may need to talk to them.
OATDCIL - No! They cannot smoke. Our policy is clear.
Me - I am kidding. They are 5,11 and 14. No one smokes.
OATDCIL - our policy does not allow smoking.
I go upstairs and give CR the scoop about OATDCIL. His experience, although shorter, is equally fascinating.'j
We are both disturbed as we think about her upbringing or how she is managed. WHEWWW.
We spent a couple of hours walking around and came across a children's dance performance which was wonderful.
Tomorrow we will make it to Zurich and dinner with friends there.
Don't miss the flower pics!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Lucas' dining experience, continued
1. This pizza is as big as my head!
2. I can't get enough goulaschsuppe Or Spaghetti!
3. At this Point, i will Eat anything.
2. I can't get enough goulaschsuppe Or Spaghetti!
3. At this Point, i will Eat anything.
Day 6 - Mittelberg to Lindau (68K)
Even after a couple beers outside while watching the Germany v. Italy soccer game, I was awakened to the lightening. I ignored the first few strikes but then found myself in 'Poltergeist' counting the seconds between the strikes and the thunder...sometimes 15, sometimes 2. Seeing the alps lighted up by lightening is different. Fortunately, by the time breakfast rolled around all had passed. The sun was out and the mountains called.
As usual, after breakfast, we loaded up our bikes and headed out. It was hot and sunny, but thank goodness not as hot as in Nashville!
We had been warned that this was going to be a day of climbing. Climbing we did, but there were many more down hills and flats. The intensity of the climbs was enough to leave me (47) thinking about how they would get my corpse back off the country roads if I were to have a heart attack in route. The picture of Lucas and me (close up of faces) is just after we crushed a major climb. My mantra on the way up was 'just don't die'.
That climb was precipitated by another that was a teaser. It ended at, of course, a castle. There, were met by a merry band of middle aged bikers who immediately cheered and gave us gummi bears. Lucas and their most extraverted got into a conversation about riding a Cannondale right away. Lucas said it was his 'soccer legs' that got him up the climb.
On the down hills, I wished for my Cervelo (fast bike). With this much luggage, you have to break and I longed to lean forward and hit 40. Lucas whooped as we went down a 2k run that brought us closer to the Bodensee (Lake Constance).
In Lindau, we decided to bypass the expensive, touristy section and go an additional 5k. We found a reasonable hotel 10 minutes from the Bodensee. After much needed showers, we headed there.
We had our first accident here. I was a bit ahead checking out a swimming space when I noticed that the rest of the crew had stopped. When I focused, I saw someone was on the pavement. Sho had hit some gravel and gone down fast and hard. He was bruised and his helmet was cracked in two places (wear a helmet !!) but otherwise he was fine, thank goodness.
The place where people swim would shock most Americans, and be restricted due to the likelihood of drowning. But, we loved it: an expansive lawn leading to the slippery steps into immediate 6 feet of cold water. Lucas and I swam out and back several times. It was not safe for Saya, who desperately wanted to get in. Charlie and I had to work together to give her a water experience. The boys kicked the soccer ball around until we left for dinner.
The hotel gave us a recommendation and we walked 10 minutes or so to a restaurant that had a soccer field behind it - ah, yeah!
It was so amazing to see how the boys made quick friends had a pick up game with 6+ local boys (see pic). Lucas told me all their names. If only we could get adults to find synergies so quickly!!
We met a lovely couple, Anita and Armando, we hope will visit. We also met a pug. They are the same in all cultures :)
Sent from my iPad
As usual, after breakfast, we loaded up our bikes and headed out. It was hot and sunny, but thank goodness not as hot as in Nashville!
We had been warned that this was going to be a day of climbing. Climbing we did, but there were many more down hills and flats. The intensity of the climbs was enough to leave me (47) thinking about how they would get my corpse back off the country roads if I were to have a heart attack in route. The picture of Lucas and me (close up of faces) is just after we crushed a major climb. My mantra on the way up was 'just don't die'.
That climb was precipitated by another that was a teaser. It ended at, of course, a castle. There, were met by a merry band of middle aged bikers who immediately cheered and gave us gummi bears. Lucas and their most extraverted got into a conversation about riding a Cannondale right away. Lucas said it was his 'soccer legs' that got him up the climb.
On the down hills, I wished for my Cervelo (fast bike). With this much luggage, you have to break and I longed to lean forward and hit 40. Lucas whooped as we went down a 2k run that brought us closer to the Bodensee (Lake Constance).
In Lindau, we decided to bypass the expensive, touristy section and go an additional 5k. We found a reasonable hotel 10 minutes from the Bodensee. After much needed showers, we headed there.
We had our first accident here. I was a bit ahead checking out a swimming space when I noticed that the rest of the crew had stopped. When I focused, I saw someone was on the pavement. Sho had hit some gravel and gone down fast and hard. He was bruised and his helmet was cracked in two places (wear a helmet !!) but otherwise he was fine, thank goodness.
The place where people swim would shock most Americans, and be restricted due to the likelihood of drowning. But, we loved it: an expansive lawn leading to the slippery steps into immediate 6 feet of cold water. Lucas and I swam out and back several times. It was not safe for Saya, who desperately wanted to get in. Charlie and I had to work together to give her a water experience. The boys kicked the soccer ball around until we left for dinner.
The hotel gave us a recommendation and we walked 10 minutes or so to a restaurant that had a soccer field behind it - ah, yeah!
It was so amazing to see how the boys made quick friends had a pick up game with 6+ local boys (see pic). Lucas told me all their names. If only we could get adults to find synergies so quickly!!
We met a lovely couple, Anita and Armando, we hope will visit. We also met a pug. They are the same in all cultures :)
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Things Lucas has eaten
1. Crepe
2. Not pot, but pudding cup
3. Knoedel
4. Schnitzel with sauerkraut.
5. Strawberry and cream cheese cakes
6. Nutella
7. Tomato soup with croutons
8. Spaghetti
9. Pork with knoedel
10. Lemon torte
....more to come!
2. Not pot, but pudding cup
3. Knoedel
4. Schnitzel with sauerkraut.
5. Strawberry and cream cheese cakes
6. Nutella
7. Tomato soup with croutons
8. Spaghetti
9. Pork with knoedel
10. Lemon torte
....more to come!
Day 6 - Mittelberg to Oberstaufen (47k)
The gods of the bike path smiled down upon us today. Although we started with a bit of a climb (half mile pretty steep), thereafter we had mile after mike of nice, clean concrete. There were 3k stretches of flats. We promised the boys we would stop at any 'epic soccer fields' which are also known as 'any soccer fields'. So along the way we had two great finds (see pic). Saya prefers to be in charge of all things, so I took her to a nearby field where we made purple and white clover necklaces
so that the boys could play uninterrupted. There was a pond of incredibly clear water there where she created 'an underwater garden' by planting the flowers in the silt.
As usual we found some incredible restaurants along the way - I have included a bonus blog titled 'things Lucas has eaten'. We have learned to take a few packets of nutella from breakfast with us as a snack.
Our goal today was to increase our mileage a bit without causing the kids any issues which we did no problem. If we had had more climbs, it would have been more difficult. Tomorrow, we've been warned, will be steep.
In Oberstaufen, we are about 45k from Landau which we hope to make tomorrow, weather and terrain depending. We found a great hotel with a pool. The kids love swimming after an all day bike ride, and ice cream. They got both.
Tonite we are watching Germany v. Italy in the semifinals. Slightly sunburned, but happy, we will sit in a beer garden and soak it all in.
Conversation:
Charlie- asking Saya to write/draw in her journal about the day.
C- 'You could draw a picture of the horses we saw.'
S -' Uh, Daddy, I can't draw a horse. I can only draw Unicorns.'
so that the boys could play uninterrupted. There was a pond of incredibly clear water there where she created 'an underwater garden' by planting the flowers in the silt.
As usual we found some incredible restaurants along the way - I have included a bonus blog titled 'things Lucas has eaten'. We have learned to take a few packets of nutella from breakfast with us as a snack.
Our goal today was to increase our mileage a bit without causing the kids any issues which we did no problem. If we had had more climbs, it would have been more difficult. Tomorrow, we've been warned, will be steep.
In Oberstaufen, we are about 45k from Landau which we hope to make tomorrow, weather and terrain depending. We found a great hotel with a pool. The kids love swimming after an all day bike ride, and ice cream. They got both.
Tonite we are watching Germany v. Italy in the semifinals. Slightly sunburned, but happy, we will sit in a beer garden and soak it all in.
Conversation:
Charlie- asking Saya to write/draw in her journal about the day.
C- 'You could draw a picture of the horses we saw.'
S -' Uh, Daddy, I can't draw a horse. I can only draw Unicorns.'
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Day 5 Schwangau to Mittelber (35k)
We staretd the day feeling very lite: we left our luggage at the hotel and biked to the base of Neuschwanstein. It was great to get some speed under our wheels! Our hotel was only 2k from the base. Unfortunately, the gondola ride was 2 1/2 hours, time we did not have. So, we enjoyed the view for a bit and then headed back to the hotel to load up and roll out.
Our routine has been: 1) check in 2) remove 200 pounds of luggage 3) bring bikes to storage area 3) haul luggage to room 4) shower and eat or eat then shower, depending on our hunger level 5) update blog while kids chill 6) sleep 7) wake up and eat 8) load bikes with luggage 9) head out
Today as we 'headed out' we were, once again, greeted by wonderful weather. The good news is that it was 65 and blue skies. The bad news was, due to the light, cool breeze, we forgot the sunscreen. We weren't badly burned, but we learned our lesson - Lucas and I both have farmers' tans and our faces are pink.
We had a day of lovely paths today. I would say that less than 2k of our 35 was on gravel or rock. That said, we had some major climbs. We were close to the clouds and the kids did a great job 'spinning'. The key is biking in a low gear and keeping your breathing and heart beat in check. We all appreciated the spectacular views at the top of all of the climbs. At one (see pic), we ran through the field and sang 'The Hills are alive with the sound of music, ah ah, ah, ah'. I'm serious - it looked just like that.
Lunch...hmm...seems so long ago. Oh yes, we stopped at a pizzeria on a lake. Very lovely. In Nessling, we took a food break and had green grapes, nutella, a ritter sport and water. That helped us for the looming climbs we had not anticipated. Our recent sugar intake helped a lot and we made it without tears, but with lots of spinning and deep breathing.
We found a great hotel with an indoor pool, dinner on site, a playground which included a pingpong table and trampolene.. Saya got to pet some horses, so all is good in 5 year old land. I have not seen so much food consumed in a while. I'm not kidding. The kids ate and ate: soup, salad, wurst, cheese, grilled pork, mushrooms, knoedel, spaetzli, duck, fish, all the bread and butter on the table. Tomorrow we are going to try to start a bit earlier and see if they can handle a longer day. They key will be the climbs. It's funny how hills can impact your mood.
Sent from my iPad
Our routine has been: 1) check in 2) remove 200 pounds of luggage 3) bring bikes to storage area 3) haul luggage to room 4) shower and eat or eat then shower, depending on our hunger level 5) update blog while kids chill 6) sleep 7) wake up and eat 8) load bikes with luggage 9) head out
Today as we 'headed out' we were, once again, greeted by wonderful weather. The good news is that it was 65 and blue skies. The bad news was, due to the light, cool breeze, we forgot the sunscreen. We weren't badly burned, but we learned our lesson - Lucas and I both have farmers' tans and our faces are pink.
We had a day of lovely paths today. I would say that less than 2k of our 35 was on gravel or rock. That said, we had some major climbs. We were close to the clouds and the kids did a great job 'spinning'. The key is biking in a low gear and keeping your breathing and heart beat in check. We all appreciated the spectacular views at the top of all of the climbs. At one (see pic), we ran through the field and sang 'The Hills are alive with the sound of music, ah ah, ah, ah'. I'm serious - it looked just like that.
Lunch...hmm...seems so long ago. Oh yes, we stopped at a pizzeria on a lake. Very lovely. In Nessling, we took a food break and had green grapes, nutella, a ritter sport and water. That helped us for the looming climbs we had not anticipated. Our recent sugar intake helped a lot and we made it without tears, but with lots of spinning and deep breathing.
We found a great hotel with an indoor pool, dinner on site, a playground which included a pingpong table and trampolene.. Saya got to pet some horses, so all is good in 5 year old land. I have not seen so much food consumed in a while. I'm not kidding. The kids ate and ate: soup, salad, wurst, cheese, grilled pork, mushrooms, knoedel, spaetzli, duck, fish, all the bread and butter on the table. Tomorrow we are going to try to start a bit earlier and see if they can handle a longer day. They key will be the climbs. It's funny how hills can impact your mood.
Sent from my iPad
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