tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66395617663968931752024-03-05T13:57:46.625+00:00Moments on my bike and other stories...VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-74395756336068158122014-08-31T17:48:00.000+01:002014-08-31T17:48:09.309+01:00To cycle or not to cycle....in Brazil!When telling friends and family about your holiday I often get asked 'Did you cycle?'<br />
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With that I assume either they think I had a Cycling Holiday or I just couldn't live without a bike and had to hire one to get my 'kick'. This time was no different.<br />
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About eighteen months ago we decided that we wanted to do a different kind of holiday and instead of going to South Africa where we go regularly, the choice became Brazil. Brazil because of the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 Olympics and a friend who lives there.<br />
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We never planned to cycle whilst on holiday in Brazil but we were on the lookout - as always- for any type of evidence that cycling was popular. And to be honest, I don't know! There are certainly lovely cycle paths along the beaches and you can even rent bikes, but the worst thing about Rio de Janeiro (where we spent most of the time) was the traffic. Absolutely horrendous. It is overwhelming and loud with a lot of older cars which I am sure will never pass an MOT and the drivers usually follow their own set of rules. I decided after a few days that it was organised chaos!<br />
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I couldn't for one moment imagine cycling in Rio apart from along the beach on the promenade.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">There were some highlights though. We ventured to a distant beach one late afternoon which is close to a National Park. All long the road were markers on the road showing caution for cyclists. Also see the yellow traffic sign above reminding drivers to allow at least 1.5m passing distance between their car and the cyclist.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">We did briefly see a group of cyclists one Sunday when we went out really early around 7.30am. They were just at the bottom of one of the longest hills in Rio about to start the climb.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the rental bike stations along the promenade</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike lane along the Copacabana Promenade</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rental bike station at Copacabana Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More cycling fun along the promenade at Copacabana</td></tr>
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VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0Rio de Janeiro - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-22.9082998 -43.197077299999989-23.376327300000003 -43.842524299999987 -22.4402723 -42.551630299999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-72520690537667231762013-08-13T20:42:00.003+01:002013-08-13T23:38:06.096+01:007 Easy tips to save on your grocery billI usually get a extreme drawn-of-breath from some women when I mention my tips on how to cut your grocery spending in half. Let's face it - we all have to tighten our belts and pull up our socks as the world is in austerity right now and so are most people's budgets. Not even mentioning the big drive to not throw away food.<br />
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I am an extreme planner. I really mean extreme.<br />
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On the MBTI chart I am wayyy over towards preferring the 'Judging' dichotomy. Couple that with the 'Thinking' preference and you get an extreme event or holiday planner. I am not a type that would be able to easily set off on an unplanned holiday drifting from one place to the other and just enjoy the moment. I can if I have to but generally I would be so out of my comfort zone it would be dreadful rather than enjoyable.<br />
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A few years ago I stood at a local supermarket waiting for my queue to move forward towards the check-out when I leisurely glanced at my shopping piled into my trolley. I started counting and found about fifteen possible meals in there. You would probably think 'Ok - so what?'<br />
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Fact is that I do the shopping every week (supposedly to feed us for that particular coming week) so having fifteen meals in my trolley didn't quite make sense. And trust me; this happened every week.<br />
This is where the 'throw-away' food culture comes from. It comes from NO meal planning.<br />
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I went home and my brain went into overdrive. I developed a system which is easy to follow and guaranteed to make you save money on food by following a few simple rules. Most people already do it either in this way or in a lesser way. If you are one of those, skip this post. If not - I hope you read on. You don't need to be super organised, just committed to start saving money.<br />
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1.<b> <span style="color: red;">Plan your meals in advance</span>.</b> I always start at the freezer/fridge to check what I still have available to eat. So if you still have chicken and mince in the freezer because you bought bulk the previous week, they can form part of your menu for this week.<br />
Here is a sample menu:<br />
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<b>Friday</b>: Sausages and Mash with veg (usually peas or mixed veg)<br />
<b>Saturday</b>: Pizza<br />
<b>Sunday</b>: Roast Chicken with veg<br />
<b>Monday</b>: Spaghetti Bolognaise<br />
<b>Tuesday</b>: Pork chops with veg<br />
<b>Wednesday</b>: Leftover chicken with pasta (lovely creamy chicken sauce with pasta)<br />
<b>Thursday</b>: Fish and chips with peas<br />
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My shopping list will then have all the regulars on for the lunch boxes, the ingredients to make these meals and also the rest of the items e.g. cleaning materials, drinks etc. If you run out of ideas then there is also the option of consulting with your family to see which meals they like (and which not!). Compromise if they suggest something too expensive like steak.<br />
I have also started to buy more frozen vegetables. I used to buy everything fresh but remember that comes at a premium so if you are going to use vegetables in e.g. a casserole, then frozen is just as good. Frozen veg has really moved on and there is not really a big difference in taste and quality.<br />
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2. <span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Use a website to compare prices. </span>I use <a href="http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/">www.mysupermarket.co.uk</a> to put all the things I need for the week in a shopping list. This website is really clever as it uses different providers to check prices e.g. Tesco, Waitrose, ASDA and Sainsburys. Once you get to the end, you can either send the list to your phone or print it (which I do). And here comes the clever part: it actually asks you if you want to split it between stores to get the most from the bargains available that week.<br />
My Supermarket has a couple of tabs on the website which shows Offers and Savvy buys. Using those saves you a lot of time because all the offers from across those stores are at your fingertips.<br />
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3. <span style="color: red;"><b>Use the shopping list to drive down prices.</b></span> My next step is to visit alternative low cost stores e.g. Aldi, Poundstretcher and Farmfoods. They sell a lot of groceries that you will find on your list for about half the price. Other stores which fall into that category are Lidl, Poundland and Iceland. I usually buy about 75% to 80% of my shopping now at these low cost stores without compromising on quality. The quality is excellent and the price of the shopping has dropped by about 50%!<br />
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4. <b><span style="color: red;">Use cash to buy groceries.</span></b> I used to buy my groceries with a credit card to get more 'points' which then converted into vouchers (yes you know which store is that!). It is just not worth it. The fact that you spend on a card doesn't really give you that 'saving' feeling because it is very psychological to see real money being paid over in exchange for the items you've put in your trolley. I now get an allowance which is meant to last for two weeks. This enables me to spend maybe that little bit extra in the first (or second) week on a savvy buy or offer which will stretch e.g. some bulk mince or chicken.<br />
It really makes an impact if you use a little purse with your food cash in to go to the stores. Trust me on this one!<br />
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5. <b><span style="color: red;">Have some fun!</span></b> Make it a challenge to see if you can make your money stretch further. If you decide on a food allowance and there is some leftover money after the two weeks are up, use that money for something nice e.g. a contribution to a night out or another treat. You don't have to but it is an incentive. Alternatively you can start building up a fund which you can spend at a bigger store like COSTCO or Macro where the buys are really in bulk!<br />
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6. <span style="color: red;"><b>Save your receipts and your shopping lists</b></span>. I have stapled all my receipts of the week together with my printed shopping list. It reminds me of how much I spent that week as well as what I bought. It is a good record of your success!<br />
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7. <span style="color: red;"><b>When buying in bulk - talk to your friends and neighbours</b></span>. If there is a good buy somewhere e.g. two bags of apples or bread for the price of one, talk to your friends to see if you can split the costs and the produce. That way it is cheaper for both of you and you won't sit with apples (or bread) that will go off if you don't eat it fast enough.<br />
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I hope this works for you as it works for me.<br />
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<br />VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-50699977964282971632013-08-11T16:14:00.000+01:002013-08-11T16:14:09.372+01:00TfL and valuable advice on cycling safetyCycling in London isn't made for the faint hearted and you need to be vigilant at all times. I follow some golden rules when I am out and about on my Brompton in London.<br />
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Transport for London (TfL) recently published a very good video aiming to make the Capital's road safer for both cyclists and drivers. I am happy to share this as it is relevant to everyday cycling wherever you are.<br />
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<br />VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-82319524501382686832013-08-11T16:03:00.001+01:002013-08-11T16:03:29.050+01:00Silly season for pedestrians?The amount of times that I had to either ring my bike bell frantically or slam on the brakes to avoid pedestrian collisions are endless. I have definitely stopped counting.<br />
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The counting rocketed sky high when I started cycling in London but do also tick over when cycling closer to home. Mostly pedestrians do the safe thing and look left and right and then cross the road but I have find that a large percentage just cross without looking. Whatever happened to rules taught at a young age which say look left, then right and then left again before crossing? It is almost like those are made for the young generation and now that you are older - you are invincible. Searching for this via a search engine resulted in over 8,080,000 hits.<br />
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I recently admired a brand new electric car. As thoughts go, mine wandered from me being on my bike swerving to avoid a near collision with a non-looking pedestrian to wondering what will happen to these non-looking pedestrians when the electric car becomes more familiar on our busy roads, especially the city roads where it makes a lot of sense to drive (one of those)? I know there were talk about making the electric car more '<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/6615340/Silent-electric-cars-should-carry-cowbells.html">sounding like a car</a>' because at the moment it is very quiet!<br />
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So if a pedestrian just walks off the pavement to cross the road, he or she might want to have a bicycle approaching them rather than an electric car as I think your chances of getting less hurt are better with a bike than with a noiseless electric car!<br />
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VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-13830729569033984482013-07-09T09:01:00.000+01:002013-07-09T09:01:50.238+01:00It's been a little while...since I blogged. Sorry to all that either follow or stumble upon this blog.<br />
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Things seem to be happening at a lightening speed these days and time is done even before it started.<br />
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The last three days in the UK has been like summer in South Africa. Hot and fabulous, always with a knowledge that tonight will be sultry and offer a guaranteed late afternoon sit in the garden, with or without a glass of wine.<br />
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I did a fabulous 60 miles on my bike on Sunday. It was time for the annual Liverpool to Chester ride which causes great excitement amongst cyclists as they can legally cycle through the Birkenhead (or Queensway) Mersey tunnel. This year the organisers put on a total of seven routes. There were the Wirral Circular 25mile, Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool (50 miles), the Liverpool - Chester (25 miles), the Chester to Liverpool (25 miles), Chester challenge (50 miles), Liverpool Challenge (100 miles) and the Tunnel Family challenge (6 miles).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the start of the Chester Liverpool Cycle - Countess of Chester Hospital</td></tr>
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I live in Chester so I found it difficult to warrant a trip to Liverpool just to start there and then to cycle all the way back to Liverpool when getting to Chester whereas I could've started from Chester to Liverpool and cycle back. I did ask the organisers and they said they were 'thinking about doing a Chester-Liverpool-Chester route'. So decision made; I will do the official Chester to Liverpool and the cycle back anyway.<br />
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My bike's gears were slipping for a while - since I've changed a back tyre - so I was rather pleased when I saw The Bike Factory had a maintenance hut at Wirral Rugby Club (our refreshments stop). Dave quickly tuned the gears and they are better than they were. Thanks Dave!<br />
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Cycling through the tunnel was surreal. It is quite dark in there, not really helped by my continuous wear of my sunglasses, and cold. The down part into the tunnel was fast and furious and the uphill part was not too bad. I managed to complete the official section in 2hr10 (25 miles).<br />
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Returning was different as we opted to go by Ferry back to Birkenhead. I had vivid memories of our Basel to Rotterdam cycling trip as Ferry crossings were so regular on the Rhine.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Ferry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View towards Woodside Pier - Birkenhead</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of people enjoying the sunshine</td></tr>
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Sonia and I were cycling together so midway through the return we decided to stop following the official route and head for The Harp Inn at Neston instead. The place was heaving with walkers, cyclists and other patrons. After a pint it was time to dash off towards home back over the new Burton Marshes Route to watch Andy Murray win Wimbledon.<br />
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I have a mild case of sunstroke at the moment due to the severe heat of Sunday and time spent on my bike. I will soon recover.<br />
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Work is difficult at the moment. There is upheaval through redundancies whilst you need to cling on to your own motivation to get your job done, not knowing whether you will survive this round of cuts. Working remotely aids my insecurity so life isn't a nice place to be in right now. There are 'what ifs' and 'why nots' floating through my mind clashing with moments of realism and absurdity. All I know for sure is work as I know it is about to change. Whether it is for the better of for worse I will have to wait and see.<br />
<br />VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-26076740359391498752013-02-07T11:53:00.000+00:002013-02-07T11:53:38.186+00:00Dieting, toning and fitness musingsIt is a shame that I have taken so long to write my next blog post. Can't even blame anything in particular just maybe lack of inspiration. I often wonder if what I say would really interest other people but then maybe others will be in the same situation and could draw some benefit from what I post.<br />
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Well, like many out there, I have been critically looking at my appearance, or shall I say, lack of body tone! I am not getting any younger and they say the longer you put it off the harder it gets to get back into shape. I have an incentive to get more toned and lose some (hard to lose!) weight. We are off on holiday soon to a place where it is summer. Needless to say that a swimming suit will be used as pools will be frequented, so to avoid any serious embarrassments, I really need to lose some pounds and tone up. <br />
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I have increasingly been looking at diet supplements and reading (raving) reviews. It is a confusing market! There are so many providers and each provider, sells a truck load full of products which all seem to be doing the same. Reviews seem to be only from men (are there really no women like me that have tried these before??) and they all seem to be body builders. Surely these products are more than just for serious body builders? If it can help me shed 7 pounds then that will be good. Diet supplement products are really expensive so not only do you not know which to take, which to combine but you risk spending money on a product that will ultimately not be working for you. I wish they can make it simpler to understand. I need to know that they actually work. I don't want to spend all that money or something that will not deliver. Similarly I will happily spend the money if it DOES work - I have a deadline so all help is needed!<br />
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I have been in touch with a well known company to see if they can help me understand these products better, so we will see how quickly they respond. So watch this space!<br />
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On the exercise front I have been increasing my activity to the level that I am aching in places which I have forgotten about. The muscles for instance attaching your arm to your body? You know those short ones left of your left shoulder? And right of your right shoulder? I did some chest crunches in the gym earlier this week which reminded me that I have muscles there. <br />
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I have gym membership but I guess like everyone else who has a busy life, I struggle to find time to go. I run sometimes between my village and another, but as it is a public road it is often a frightening experience when cars pass close. Cycling has been reduced to time on my turbo trainer (yes, I actually do use mine!) which has been set up permanently in my back room. I found that as it is now permanently (well semi-permanently until better outdoor cycling weather arrives) set up, I have less excuses not to use it. To make it exciting I have signed up to a website called Turbo Training see <a href="http://www.turbotraining.co.uk/">http://www.turbotraining.co.uk/</a> to use some of their plans and design my own. A cheap £12 to join for a year makes it very attractive. I also bought a Tacx video to which you can cycle the Cape Argus Tour. See <a href="http://www.tacx.com/en/products/films/cycle-tours/the-argus-tour-2010">http://www.tacx.com/en/products/films/cycle-tours/the-argus-tour-2010</a><br />
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I set up the bike and position the laptop on top of the TV which will then play either the turbo training session or the Cape Argus Video. I noticed that there is a short video of this Tacx video on You Tube. Here is the link: <a href="http://youtu.be/5j0WfJvKJFY">http://youtu.be/5j0WfJvKJFY</a><br />
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The Cape Argus is undoubtedly the most scenic of all Cycle Tours. An unforgettable experience and well worth doing.<br />
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I have 45 days left to lose my flab. Pulling out all stops will have to happen.<br />
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VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-65299894883044681012012-11-25T07:57:00.001+00:002012-11-25T07:57:24.817+00:00Solitude cycling<p>'UK hit by severe floods' greeted me this morning when I opened my newsreader app. It was with a sad feeling that I realised the lovely autumn cycling days were finally over. When we woke up yesterday morning, the first sight was houses with frosty white roofs. The road glittered in the early morning light and it didn't look particularly like a good cycling day. Winter days leaves me wary of skidding on the ice and the possibility of broken bones, so I usually play it safe and stay put unless the day brightens up. I don't mind the cold, but I do mind getting hurt.</p>
<p>We recently went for two weeks to South Africa. Needless to say that the weather was superb. We had on average 24C as the day temperature and the nights were lovely and warm. I didn't see many cyclists though. </p>
<p>The ones I did see created a stir. We found a group of cyclists on the N2 (national road from Cape Town going east) and it seemed that they were on a cycling tour. In South Africa, you are allowed to move into the emergency lane when you are the slower car to allow others to overtake safely, so I was very worried about this group who were cycling in the emergency lane on a national road.</p>
<p>The second interesting pair I saw was on our way back to Cape Town, when we stopped in Swellendam. A couple of touring cyclists was travelling through the town, packed to the hilt with kit and panniers. I've never seen touring cyclists in South Africa, not like the regulars you would find in Europe.</p>
<p>The third place where we saw quite a lot of cyclists was along the promenade in Strand. Strand is a very popular seaside town with high-rise condos and apartments. There were many cyclists. Some recreational and others on a fitness mission with road bikes.</p>
<p>Reflecting on my days when I was still living in SA, I cycled regularly as a child in the town where we lived; home to town and visiting friends. My cycling stopped abruptly when I went to university and only picked up again when we moved to the UK. </p>
<p>So winter is here. Last year Christmas I got a turbo trainer for Christmas which will now be used more frequently until we are back to brighter days.<br>
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VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-34962063418832482312012-08-11T20:52:00.001+01:002012-08-11T21:44:43.588+01:00Back to normal?<div><p>So what will cycling life after the Olympics be like in Britain? Will attitudes towards cyclists change? </p>
<p>I've read a number of articles over the last few weeks suggesting that the success of the GB team in cycling, will actually influence driver behaviour on the road. I'm maybe a cynic but I think that is unrealistic. There is still a massive amount of ignorance out there towards cyclists ad cycling. Taking today for instance. We had our regular Ladies ride and I lead the faster group. Cycling along an open straight road, a car came squeezing passed, nearly colliding with an oncoming car which in turn furiously started hooting at this ridiculous driver that couldn't wait until there was enough time to pass. No doubt that us cyclists will also get a tell off for just being on the road.</p>
<p>What does the Highway code say?</p>
<p><i><b>Rule 163 : give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you  would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211-215)</b></i></p>
<p>Surely that means a car width!? There are very few drivers that actually apply this rule. Usually they squeeze passed you compromising the oncoming car as well as the cyclist they are overtaking.</p>
<p>Enough negatives. Casual riding is in full swing in my household. We have even discovered the odd early morning ride when you can drag yourself out of bed at 7am as well as lovely evening rides after work. Nights are drawing in and thoughts are dwelling on good lights and hi-viz clothing. Our regular Wednesday evening club ride is getting darker and darker. Whilst it is quite exhilarating to do some night riding, it is both scary and fun!</p>
<p>We are already planning the next bike adventure, cycling from Santander in Spain to St.Malo in France. Mainly because we want a sunny cycling holiday and secondly because it is so glorious cycling in France. We had so much fun along the Rhine and what an adventure it was. Our picture frame in the lounge has been loaded with all the holiday snaps and they bring back so much memories. Such good memories. Even though the weather didn't always play along, it was still overall fun and spectacular.</p>
<p>All our routes along the Rhine have been mapped with GPS so if anyone needs them, give me a shout and I will pass them on.</p>
<p>Happy cycling and enjoy the last of the summer days.</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJ8kAmKB16xoWhJWbYdxzuroiLCN4J78LJzmd2C0Q-TCzSeOiBPAVDxGw5R5JAdHvAbbei4Y3IE4ssLyUmbZJxVXNEUgna7CGzQwuk7TwNfHy-3K3jG-c_u0sR6uZy9awY62_ExOxvAEM/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzMAiXNWvrVNAB3nyFH4kd-ZO2B7cCrwfW1mGfDQ4KrL9f8y_Uxe-_4_y2Dv-qGrXinT92IBIywNbfpldi902lOkhr-syiIzI8tBQWORScm5-iD4HxxBjI88aYhcBCTbg9kOjwSprCaAB/' /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-26780331582832267612012-07-28T01:21:00.001+01:002012-07-28T01:21:43.387+01:00Epilogue of The Rhine Cycle holiday<div><p>Highly recommended!!</p>
<p>I thought that I ought to write an Epilogue to this fabulous, adventurous and totally interesting holiday. Thoughts are mingling through my mind, verging on telling you how to organise a similar holiday, to just emphasising the sheer beauty of taking such a journey and frankly, I don't know even where to begin.</p>
<p>It was thoroughly enjoyed. From the planning of it to the riding and stress that always accompanying such an epic journey. </p>
<p>I aim to tidy up each post as I know that there are several spelling mistakes coming from predictive text, upside down photographs and missing words. I also want to add the Garmin routes to each post hoping to help other cyclists who are planning to cycle along the Rhine in the near future.</p>
<p>All that I can say is that it was a brilliant holiday, brilliant with scenery, generosity from locals, encouragement from my brilliant and gorgeous husband and finally, sheer determination from both of us to see this through regardless of the weather.</p>
<p>Thank you Stephen. You made it very, very special.</p>
</div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-49612179054203991772012-07-20T21:15:00.001+01:002012-07-26T21:06:04.677+01:00Day 13 Gorinchem to Rotterdam - last day of the Rhine tour<div>
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It was a brilliant day, no wind and no rain and that is such a fabulous thing to finish our unbelievable tour on such high note. We saw Rotterdam approaching in glorious sunshine, welcoming us to its folds.<br />
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Lovely cycle which took us through great countryside, took no less than 5 ferries to cross rivers! Could even have been the same river several times but I lost track. One ferry was so fast with white water churning from its engines; felt like we were on a speedboat. Ferry crossings were good as gave us breathing space to look at the map and take stock of where we are. Saw some really intersting stuff, like once coming off a dyke there was two garden chairs, table and a bottle of water at the side of the road inviting travellers to refresh themselves.<br />
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We had a very early lunch in Papendrecht and several Dutch people stopped whilst we were eating to say 'smaaklike ete' which means enjoy your meal; everyone was so friendly.<br />
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We are in the Cubic houses near the middle of the city tonight. This afternoon we went to 2 huge bike stores which we passed on our bikes as we were coming into te city, and I bought a great big bell for my bike. A good reminder of our trip overtime when I ring the bell!<br />
Tomorrow will be a lazy start to the day. We have a short lie in planned, breakfast is later as it is Saturday, then off into the city for a quick stroll and hop onto the bikes with the luggage to pedal the 27 miles to Europoort in a lazy fashion. Lots of time to stop and take photos and arrive in good time to get the ferry.<br />
I will be hitting 700 miles when we cycle onto the boat! Not bad for a 14 day holiday ;-)<br />
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<img height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9ktJqfYjOWM3Ykw-J9gfNKfxJsqcpECoX8pli79_q7-z5xKvcSJm8TCuuUTF-4-eh_M9XXy8A3sm45PYwAhoacUUw_N3EuCB31qqinC6UX1Mjr8x31C5HvUMDsejvbqGJl7jWhF9fXuk/" width="640" /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0Stayokay Rotterdam, Overblaak 85-87, Rotterdam51.920177 4.490717tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-87591267742467289422012-07-20T06:48:00.001+01:002012-07-27T15:21:02.117+01:00Day 12 Doorwerth to Gorinchem<div>
This day was so bad that I tried to obliterate it out f my mind by delaying the blogging ! Hence why I am writing it 24 hrs later.<br />
It started raining as we were having breakfast basically it didn't stop. The rainshowers were very heavy and almost torrential at times. There was not enough time to dry out between one when the next one would set in.<br />
I saw some really interesting stuff along the way but if it was raining, the picture got lost :'(<br />
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Gorinchem is really lovely. We are in the old part which is almost like an island with walls around it. The place where we are staying is a lovely self catering unit with beds for 4, a small kitchen and a porch that faces onto the canal. Last night we watched some dragon boat racing. Boy can she beat those drums!!<br />
Dinner was some beers, a lovely pasta and some choco marshmallows cakes that we all found in Aldi for €8·74. Cheap!<br />
This morning will start with another ferry ride to Sleeuwijk before we get cycling. Then into Rotterdam and into the famous Cube Houses for our last night.<br />
Ok, I have to get packing now so we can get the 9am ferry!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out of your car, put off your lights and pull your handbrake up!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtb_UWaHxMM0cevpIXXsEt8OsK-Wdu8v9otlDsAL9GymmFebhjTnSppVpvOxkM4lm-TadiGA_k06h7xGxzgNiZ0i56qNv5Vxek6jOET8rgRR2AK5VGM90krouftkxXy1-Ib8ROUE40U7g8/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely long quiet road on our way to Gorinchem</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlB7w52gzsUJtk87JAkMeGkuRjUM-icciOX8o111ijAify_B4WuJtqwVXKYhVM5nTETl39X9QISS3wSREDfzJlOVkkNPoaKngCgpAvYhZLx85QIvd-1eB-z1MKqAXKJ8TS9VKCAYEgSZg1/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our accomodation in Gorinchem</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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</div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-40941049644092517372012-07-18T15:05:00.001+01:002012-07-18T16:16:16.501+01:00Day 11 Rees to Doorwerth<div><p>Crossing a national border on your bike is always a highlight so today was no exception. We pulled out maps last night to double check when the actual crossing will happen so it was rather disappointing today to find at Millingen an de Rhijn that the only indication of crossing the border is that the language changed from German to Dutch. I expected at least a signpost or something!</p>
<p>Leaving Rees this morning was fine, we got on the bikes at around 8.30, weaved our way out of the town and down to a people ferry (personen fähre) to cross to the other side of the river. Reading the board revealed that it only goes between 10am and 19pm on Wednesdays. Hmmm. A quick look at the map and we are off to take a detour, trying to beat the ferry. Note to self: this antics will come back to haunt you!</p>
<p>Pedalling like mad, the route went north then west, then north and then west (you get my drift?). Times when it went west my speed dropped to about 8 miles an hour due to the strong gusts. When the wind subsided it bounced back to 11, 12 miles per hour. </p>
<p>The cycle route changed as soon as we went over the border, and so did the amount of cyclists! Lots!! The signs started to display the 'knoop punt roetes' or knotted routes on the signs and I felt more at home. I was back in a country where the language is very familiar :-)</p>
<p>Coming to haunt us was the extra mileage did. As the route was planned, it provides you with some sort of idea of now many miles to expect and as we did a detour, we added miles this morning. Our expected 39 miles came and went and instead we got 46 miles! Not good for your frame of mind at the end of a challenging day.</p>
<p>We arrived near Arnhem where the Stayokay is (Doorwerth suburb) and have had showers, did the familiar washing of clothes and is now sitting with a beer relaxing. Tomorrow will be a very long day with 68 miles to do (usually that turns out mire like 73 miles), and adding to that the wind that is forecasted again. We have really been unlucky with this week's weather. Next time...</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrOCGZJnFrD39rzJVxE2Bei3Z5S8_ECpse6Ly4Tl4sf-OcN7wpvr4l6uICgGZn756ThAqtQyoDfnP2TBs7jXfTHWv9OQDkvJTOHWgn4z90EAoktwVRLCVO50Vohk6eIBDpKwdj6OnIb7A/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lvEGG5JPmhA5rTk_InSPqbVItdsDHQTL7pU6jlhwyw0wgqMbVCMf8pOPRKGr9gMfirfCMZLgQNeXHDYokyjwy-QAJohyphenhyphenQsDkIhhA9mEpJb5mWCyd7CqVgaX0kjG7eGHckcRfUloiY8sZ/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7H-0O6M2o1grkR1jR2TEJl5t7DcVzUNIU2-qkXvo_bxlNf1K25sPiE_J1XPtZyguaoFdvCYk5Bls5uQea7_ObslI37PQ2qB92IkTHbFq77RJZ8bbwK5krjg6iyjVr8oHM_aBd1V3CeJxw/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGBudM_mjuyJBPFk-8_xJ6COAmDB_IH-DUTjhGWwBepjLs-WkQRpGqz11SU5X2T3SdM4CkeDSIKqBV_-4p_2eC0UvP-dvxd02L6AoGCzq-1tizu7PMr4m3RffTm7NAyt7IK-fC-ZAwKV_/' /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0Doorwerth, Doorwerth51.978813 5.7958617tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-36872303391466827542012-07-17T21:56:00.001+01:002012-07-26T21:13:35.159+01:00Duisburg to Rees for Day 10<div>
Goodness, I could've slept 6 hours longer this morning. Fabulous bed, and a much needed rest. But up we had to go and pulling away the curtains revealed rain. I just couldn't believe it. I can actually not remember when it was just a sunny day here in Germany.<br />
It was drizzling as we left the hostel. As usual the road out was difficult, especially when we were directed down steps with our bikes! The road that followed were atrocious, consisting mainly of tractor tracks full of mud and when it eventually turned into tar, it was all broken up. Nope, this part of the cycle way can really be repaired. Not good enough. A bridge became shelter again but we had to govern when the rain eased off.<br />
We lost the route twice, found it twice and eventually settled in to battle a strong head wind. Lunch was bought in Rheinberg and ate near Xanten. Fun was getting on a people-only ferry with our bikes. As the ferry approached us, it battled with big waves on the river and it swerved from side to side. I was apprehensive about our crossing but it went well in the end.<br />
We ventured into town to buy a bike lock as ours was accidentally left at the previous hostel. I also bought myself a cheap rain cape, hopefully it will keep the rain out of my eyes.<br />
Tonight we are staying in a lovely bed and breakfast with very friendly owners. Another couple from Holland also arrived who is on their way to Prague and Vienna. Lots of great talk in 3 different languages during dinner :-)<br />
Sleeping is now priority number one as we booked breakfast for 7.30am. Goodnight!<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTttZzRnhyphenhyphenoTnYjm3UyclAUwnCDNj5gd67DYSK6_1OQhPLzsV9wMbKfLa2Pkna7Al45lhdPsNeyOJZF1G7kXwzVULeO016LvUV5v6x1Rqpjvhhf7ijFOs7zqk123iYn0kAUnX-xeKLUDc/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZD2qrFNzepV4D_pxpBymDGKAZ22ESFqjMcPwxuKMjG5vvCxKY3csanUIAEtXj9HaHuTVSKQKgeQQcXz_H40Cm9jDCZseeaIuDg-a2J4zt9ZGgdAUqz7LguKLlmhGtNI740PtigDaFK4FS/" /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUYAX6d9J1CP3_1JviZ7Hv7X99jARORs6mri_QxSA9rFLupzQ1NWFCSs2CEN5lQwm5LAy-bOJHLhnrWNkpTvpRE0l_pWRUYCXOoX0hx4colaJEz6Y1YS4ljOP0qM5RYeHxBoVAkUdHsT0/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferry on our way into Rees</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_fGxY5Gd2YCsEVlA6J2YP27EhhvbsVo21BygLVEWMp3nIsn3eV-0diCe5tcHndpYmOVsLPiP5wQj1Gi-rhVKe5LlNfKWHhOIYExyXYVEz3tKD2VGFGN3bmm_ziIExbnk1WSMlyG0SNnW/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_BN8iCUT9ChOk4XQD20OWMXcGt0q2q6c1IVueDl-npoFY5SXQoxEPG0mCbZhyphenhyphenT6YAubu_Gfm5d06SOZlyeryeqXyCEWso1AX3ty98SRxy9dpsS9KAfDU-XUJiZQJAXzf8_Pv3kWmloB2/" /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-52353397635277517402012-07-16T20:45:00.001+01:002012-07-26T20:35:19.400+01:00Day 9 Dusseldorf to Duisburg<div>
A very short day!<br />
We had a semi lazy start and found our way out of Dusseldorf. The cycle way along the Rhine mostly took us through an industrial part of Germany. At times it was quite windy and with the panniers on, it was difficult cycling but at least we avoided getting wet (until tonight). We had to take a few detours to avoid some flood defences and roadworks, which added another mile.<br />
We found the hostel which is in North Duisburg, but unfortunately the area is less nice. No food was available the hostel so we had to walk and id the U-bahn. By the time we came out of the restaurant which we found in the old part of Duisburg, it was bucketing it down! So got SOAKING wet!<br />
Tomorrow we are off to Rees of which I know nothing so I better check Google!</div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0Jugendherberge Duisburg-Meiderich, Lösorter Str. 133, Duisburg51.478836 6.780292tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-3918718949028673442012-07-15T20:10:00.001+01:002013-08-13T23:39:50.830+01:00Day 8 Bonn to Dusseldorf<div>
Wow ! Day 8 already!<br />
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Ok, got up, went to breakfast and left at about 8.30. <br />
A bit of a disappointing day until 3pm. The first 15 miles was dry and the rest was super wet. Why does Germany have so much rain? I thought it will be sunny. Although I have to say, when it rains, it is still warm.<br />
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We went without stopping into Köln, or Cologne, and had a lovely hot chocolate at the old town bit. Cologne had a spectacular light (fireworks) display last night which saw on television in Bonn, but the aftermath was broken glass galore on pavements. Several times we heard crunching noises and it was just blessings that our tyres didn't go. With the result that we took much longer than anticipated to get out of the city.<br />
As I said, we arrived at 3pm, got our room (fabulous by the way) in this very modern hostel. They even have underground parking facilities! There is a Fair on just on the other side of the road, this side of the bridge, something we gave a skip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv76DU20RsLU6DTar8YvULR-9jaShzG2TgRLNL-rxZlTtDUtQbvdav41uZ5_6M-1uq-t3TpSeIw-vyKU2OCcWf4mzpBrQgPC5FNFfGfJbB7vWYPkhKQjgOMqbMn7RhpoohoOS-beuVhgje/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The huge Fair at Dusseldorf</td></tr>
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Walked over a spectacular bridge over the Rhine and off to the Rheinturm. Costs was €8 per person to go to the panorama deck which is 168m high. Gorgeous! See the photos below. After that we went along the promenade to the waterfront where we boarded a Rhine tour riverboat for an hour long trip. Great views and high time to do this as we've been alongside the river now since Basel but not yet ON it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWv9VAk0MYN88vhnddnUnSDVj964MarEM5N185Qx3U5ojitV5yXI323Y-0lBAnHbk-_rvxSuF62h-okTAsIA4DkgkwqHuF05_EQ0vyDuNVCL4RJZjWcycfewW139EM2v4mKpfY0hU59mFs/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our riverboat cruiser!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I want to say something about the German allotments tonight. We've seen a system here where it seems everyone as a small piece of land to plant stuff. Some plant obviously vegetables and some plant just gardens. Almost all of them have summer houses on them, fully equipped with satellite tv if you can judge by the dishes on the roofs. I saw one of the summer houses yesterday where they were just getting ready to host a big BBQ. YUM !<br />
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Even if you haven't got an allotment, and you have space at your house, you still grow vegetables. I think they are so self efficient here, it is a wonder that the supermarkets still sell 'gemüse' or vegetables.<br />
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The pictures below show the Rheinturn, the bridge we walked over and the Fair on the right hand side. Another show the boat we've been on. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6LX5_meU1s2Brw41YmvDp6NtzF2vPcZpKGrF2e-yA59MIlEgPUQFGEfS1jXiFUdZaWB2uw_TdaEkbFbEzTmvhOnIkmDs7tyCzNPksn0Eajlwxbw9YKJ-Zq5sG3SEqS7MhSDZ9fnqf_IX/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the Rheinturm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLthpkuAfAGOZLiaATMMoQwCRpMNzBD3mNTM3EJNUL-B9_m-fGtHolojI-7ugv7SYaUGqqzHAIP7ATESZ3Wy8B0fVM5DpfkDZM0fNQ5bc9HdBNmYnL049dM5QlcFa8rvFqP_mMyXuevG6R/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drinking beer at high altitude!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aPga1OMD-PJRsikE0lQnUqz_kRKbWeLKBUTVGMXfnNJzFxIUX5jdB7z5OwXpqPFbF5xy8NqghRV-Aw_KjP8LGPTexN6Gdb81uAOenfwYhABgbf_5_r3AHVzeczQ4lBAugww8Wmn9oB8M/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhine view from our riverboat cruise</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCgNcBKwlTCUsY0PGO6APyDPaGshl1nQr326VwaFyilwY1cK25Kos3u7Mb0BS6ZejbKCW0nonxpgnTKTWSbHbTz7OmTikEs9izqVEceDvQAUTgX5u36yOnGd4KlstMknlx_XJzy9bz5jb/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking along the Dusseldorf promenade with the Rhienturm in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMR4s9L3-KUF8oJWFBV225kHzFp31ZsjF8NsdrJIFkLtZd2huSjPFDAi9IQZAFmWxjDuH3psv6MRJA9tkbAutMkJ38vk4S0VO9Frso0UBWVaLyuHuEY_AMEZf9RAfsb1KizUUk0l3OdR8V/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another riverboat and the big fair on the embankment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_qxCPvYwjgHnrFG6L6wosRqrDQTBJ2N5QOUG9gwcHoWh4gir8aRAz0aW3lqIH-yJzoj4DtwWavlN-Ah16V0EEJ4h2FEp9WU-cAFQ5SIHgqVM6vubn_kXQs4nlECCNEv3BubnA97ipUY3/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More views from the Rheinturm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-45009051865283552252012-07-14T18:58:00.001+01:002012-07-14T18:58:59.573+01:00Day 7 Koblenz to Bonn<div><p>The slow start to the day made us lose our rhythm this morning. The cable car, that took us up to Ehrenbreitstein, was only opening at 10am, so decided to have a 'lie in' which meant that we got up at 7.30 instead of 6.30 as usual.</p>
<p>We had 20miles less to do today so we were pretty relaxed when we waited to get the cable car down. It did upset our usual planning to complete at least half the distance by lunchtime. </p>
<p>Opening the curtains this morning I drew a breath of despair and it was pouring with rain. At one time it was coming down so hard during the <u>ride</u> that we had to seek shelter under a bridge, a cyclist's best friend in bad weather :-)</p>
<p>The ride went well and we saw a huge amount of boats again, some vineyards and a lots of touring cyclists, but not as many as yesterday when we counted 80 coming towards us.</p>
<p>Two tips for a trip like this: a site called Bett und Bike or Bett & Bike is an excellent source to find accommodation that takes cyclists and their bikes. <br>
Second tip: when in doubt where to go, follow the locals! On several occasions we've been shown the way especially in towns, by local cyclists.</p>
<p>Lunch was chocolate French bread like brioche, Snickers, Salami sticks and cheese slices. </p>
<p>The weather was rainy most of the day, often just a drizzle. Bonn soon appeared on the horizon and our hotel got in sight. The clouds looks extremely black this evening, I hope for some sunshine tomorrow.</p>
<p>Distance done so far since starting this Rhine challenge, 400.3 miles.</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7IWgjxJE86NQKpfrMMJgRztLE44aRtfWVbwoJTjZVVSkui9S-2jwJKnl01AFxjIvX_f1r2eulAns_5caNrynIepwsP4MsRMkNZTAv-lkKC9MdMlywihdz26XeT7ZK52gc_JzndJx980j/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aeKmCKG6U2wXjW6iouvkaxg74mKWq1KdMVcQkPXvgsj-yN2ww7cFtmQPmgN9BmJdf52H8GRHZAAydqJobAFU-vjz91AEvf_FOU-JSzwNwa1PlROgoNyl4xo9GahwBMNPhhEEQ3UP7PA1/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexzRWuMbjbCUoZxonEO9M2M-D7JrLwawpU9DaxCdpXNDSE_tHo3SBnADnhftiUTlwuLMhSv7FNuPch42MQ7_Db_ERICjUEG461k9evOL5E4p_TCUZLYXE8GV0TwVWT56ZPvrk01zcq2pG/' /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0Bonn, Bonn50.68306 7.0768228tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-53003088045050349302012-07-13T19:13:00.001+01:002012-07-26T21:00:31.630+01:00Day 6 Mainz to Koblenz<div>
A truly spectacular day! <br />
It just shows you shouldn't judge a day how it starts as more miserable it couldn't have started. The rain wasn't heavy, but very persistent, which made me feel very clammy. My pocket rocket hasn't got any vents, so it got steamy!<br />
The hotel where we stayed was excellent. Breakfast was as usual, but again a search for some black tea.<br />
I wasn't really in the mood for cycling when I saw the weather, yes, I have to admit that thoughts of getting a train did cross my mind, but people thatknow me will vouch that I am not someone who usually give up. So off we went.<br />
It rained for pretty much the whole morning so most of the photos I took looks quite bleak. But then the landscape changed and we went into the valley. Oh my word, spectacular!!<br />
The angle at which they planted their vineyards are truly remarkable. It seems that 70 degrees is the norm, sloping down the hillside. We even saw a digger halfway down one of the steep side of the hill. In every town we cycle through were Weingoet (wineries) and most of them seemed like family businesses. No, we didn't stop as we knew we had a pretty long day ahead and we had a later start than usual (not by much but 8.30 seemed late). That said, we did stop about 5 miles from Koblenz when the sun was briefly out to drink a Koblenzer beer. That tasted so nice!!<br />
There were a large number of cruise boats on the river and the most frequent company was Düsseldorfer - Köln. This is a company that does day trips along the Rhine between those two cities (Dusseldorf and Cologne), and boy did that sound appealing. But unfortunately my suggestive talk didn't help; Mr Bowden said No. I know he was right as the cycling was beautiful. <br />
Now let me tell you about our stay for tonight. We are again in the Jugenherberge, the German Youth Hostel, but this one is very special. It is situated inside an old German fortress called Ehrenbreitstein Festung. There are 2 ways of reaching this fortress which is on the opposite side of Koblenz and that is via a very steep road up the mountain or via a cable car. We took the cable car, see below!<br />
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The bikes fitted in well and we all arrived safe and well at the top. The hostel is very modern and we have our own bedroom with proper beds, not bunk beds, an ensuite bathroom and even towels and toiletries were supplied.
Tomorrow is a similar day through the valley and we will end up in Bonn. Let the days roll on!<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHZmCNHwxUwY9IF3d2VWhXUHHppJx-3TDTyjRa1nhyyfRWM48zFo5OlSE73tUs_nxVwhAL6n7PdBCmLLd_26uG6atLLfOhfZwgXZrmstK0Pm5gmfJc4uQN-w77dhYKbbftAuNFCHG1RE_/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96yttInIpJoviSscAkeLBkqrwGRM1Me7whHNA-EkThva5h3aMN35M77a9Wy92dFKTUFi76FGUpafWJYcpt3mlzK_P0U2unVDZvKsenRockdFnwO13a53xEinye8Sa6pXxtFTv_zQEz75w/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93pKj8ucVTjaj-Ay8LkMA4hoSq2jVAQDoXO4lR4kXWZ24CD76iydve-LBVM4a2zGmR6W2cVkWTT5if9fukN1aJ533Se-IyuPBb2Btj3cpQ7WHjsGXkpJ-0DVrO9UERH0JiWVL_xpBd4Ir/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRpSpGExFamu2cX2cOYlHsikBp6KPMzoejxso8fC7faN_rJo0yKkgvAyUEMxBzLx88dXy8THrLDf_F2paCQBYTu5cv1v6xotLGA031jBunbl6W34t_P34Uc3t-5yFIXrqrRIwpxomMl-s/" /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdWKac-eDfrEWtzquuAiLy81e73j6sM_WBV-2cFRQLQgl10sJt8rVaolJrqt9r2_7HjPeg_V0jEhSklpMnMTtqcvDuM6Jn3Wb_OCr-3s4eOyP76bnrY7AVbqj9eZErF5IUzKxrB4MPf8B/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cable car at Koblenz</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcdnN06VSeP2hFqydpKktn-5wWKc6Bte5WPs9k1oelZq_IndiVJZZIDW0SOkGZajDplse8_e_YzumJM7j0KoEdlODHyouDrM4gJMiIlFxgKQ1VIos-2Hf33SEzVSe4DZUoXSzlI6y0Zdf/" /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTp3YZSKdBuQCHvX4aNLcSJ-5PZZL2n3XjcLxc2mCEQRA2_x7lszYb1Jg5FeybbD1xFMbyP4EdcWVnBuLb1YEqDVcOb_ocuNbW5EuGL1dikNo18oS1B24sWZTKGfjCFzrSuwg1i5uvywDU/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">70 degree vineyards!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbskF-s21T8LHPpkBpmCJx5b6h39AKuXdErgZrfckGwaDKoNXaK4q3jDFrxR299Y1q2eNl2Bdrzpu2plnMMYD8MxnpTbNnQnfSnpVB_KtOIAItS-Lm6LbsFdirPGc94RdbGvtZu5hjGa8/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UWkhqwZ0Hxp1Mt5aEfFLoOhiB5Fl_SFL7GvBGg1D_c_7kn6SwOzat4PezdJq0TQFQHs3h-AwDj7d4mwkdyH83n_gap-nOnqyt7xjduhiXBhIzF0XOA4-QzEbRKFtFe35a984rCASPnN5/" /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-34022126241098316212012-07-12T19:51:00.001+01:002012-07-12T19:51:15.939+01:00Fruits plentiful!!<div><p>It isn't surprising that the Germans invented apfel strudel ! Since we've started this trip, one of the amazing things is the amount of fruit trees, in particular apple trees, that are planted along the way.</p>
<p>EVERYWHERE!!!</p>
<p>If I've seen 300 apple trees it would be understated. These are not in an orchard but just growing along the route, wild. Mostly small apples, looks like crab apples, but a good amount were proper sized apple trees. Even some pears and plums.</p>
<p>Unfortunately they are not ready yet, but if you plan your trip well, you won't need lunch LOL!!</p>
<p>Amazing.</p>
</div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-12351397726036579892012-07-12T15:49:00.001+01:002012-07-12T19:43:05.336+01:00Day 5 Mannheim to MainzOur bikes were still safe this morning, thank goodness for that! Although the youth hostel has opened their new building in February, they still haven't got their act together. Their was no bike store room last night and when we got to our room, we had no curtains. Hmmm.<br />
Breakfast was early at 7am and we set off just before 8. All along the promenade until we got to the bridge or Rheinbrücke as they call it, where we had our first of the day disagreement. Stephen went off straight and was convinced that's the way although I had the route on my Garmin. I just stopped and waited for him to find his senses! I think I know why his Garmin doesn't want to display the route. It is complaining about too many tracks which means its memory's full. When I bought it for him, I also bought the Europe Navigator map with it. Four years ago, I got mine and that was the map I bought with it. The Garmin does come with a base map but it is really useless. You need a better map which you can insert via the SD card slot. Stephen's Europe Navigator map was a proper one whereas the one that I got 4 years ago, I suspect is a pirate copy (bought on Ebay). Mine just look like a normal SD card (2GB ) so it has Europe Navigator on it plus some spare capacity. Stephen's map is probably write protected so the only place for him to store his history and his routes is on the base unit. Obviously both takes up too much space, pity.<br />
This has now resulted in only me being able to view the route whilst we are riding.<br />
Breakfast is where the Germans get their chocolate kick! At each of the places where we had our breakfasts, there were chocolate spread and hot chocolate available. I struggled this morning to get black tea (normal ceylon, Assam, or English breakfast tea) at the youth hostel. There is coffee, but I don't drink that, and there are all sorts of herbal teas available. The Germans like their green and lemon teas. Then there are lovely fresh buns with a variety of cold meats ad cheeses available plus cereals and yoghurts.<br />
Whilst we were in Strasbourg doing sightseeing, I saw that there were lots of memorabilia available about Storks. It seems that this is Stork country. I've seen several today, quite an imposing bird! I also saw a black squirrel. <br />
We saw a few Ferries today but didn't go on them although we nearly changed our route and thought we will but didn't in the end. We cycled for a long time along vineyards and almost every town we went through had wine estates where you could buy some wine. Pity the bottles weigh so much! The rain eventually caught up with us but luckily there was a shelter along the way where a few other cyclists were hovering. This was the first time we had rain since leaving England!<br />
There was along stretch today which was off road along tracks again today. Not really my cup of tea as my bike wheels are thin. Generally the German cycle paths are well marked but in a town they suddenly vanish and then you find yourself along a road with cars just to see the cycle path suddenly appearing alongside. Several times today we had to either make a u-turn or dash across the road to get on the path.<br />
Mannheim to Mainz is 46.89 miles, I burned 2295 calories and we arrived at 2.15pm. Not too bad for time! We do try to get at least halfway by lunchtime.<br />
My body is holding up although the nerve in my left hand that runs up from my wrist into my palm has gone dead. It has been stinging the last few days and since yesterday, it is totally numb.<br />
Tomorrow we are off to Koblenz. A much longer day with 63 miles planned. Hope you enjoy the photos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMvlktRnNi0Wxz5ypQGQhd5i2MXr7oc3hnJdBn34ayI7c7i_gUvxEREMa-l6FVCmGe0JvrAG0BDAmVV4dHbyJPqBFs9eCt1Fl945QlOdIsVmitYpmzMeb_h1rS5y5eCmJBWXWXJQkS82l/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cyclists are seeking shelter!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_ZQOuRFLwwjF1AyWFswWiQeTmoJ8YQMEfHJtgvGPQmFui4SexFUnYwIcMxsgjhcT5MZATgKTamx_SWxEOZ8BhBW59xM6rWMPGwmRhkNcXhEleKFJKSkpJ5kqfvsp2xWmiadwYiXABPuJ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Kornsand Ferry having lunch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhks8DnNXtx1DdDRrjhOzJOvLkuuJ-6XswEBu4SlG0U6X2_czagwUlOqj0T2WcsEPCNV20Hr1HV-e4QyoQEvHqPkWsDOKAWxufa51p4hOGDkjuBCcItWqXIlL8zxiawjGuRJZ06IP1zAkoU/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mannheim Youth Hostel - still very much a building site</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXVkZg5jjcdILbHZv-YXRUfjFpfDWaAV84OzyqGosbYhsShDtanEetgW2vjrPKSuTvgByayIvc7YYOMTvUyo2sg_kz_OPEBsudq_rfGXk-EhdDGv0qsnFI0kjKaMxf7C9FibnvNp-TxAi/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our accommodation tonight</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UxpUJbrpr-0zLu68iSdDYtARuK6SJjE_62RJoD1tozM9xYaSGkxbQU9cZLuYuw9bJXZx4D4XxJgBtr4u5TX2wT4wwIO5gbIrLpCFZhCEWI5tv6buDmRNw10NiSYWUqeERQRwFrxhSQOW/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miserable off road path along the Rhine!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigadyAbeT4mEXpZu7TSqwKjnAkTF6XJCcB6vtuNZJnlF8CO_e-xk2Yflg8vLY8Hn1aEzj6O6OhV9a5zQlkUE6SxzGw9WH3uWIvIxthze_6fIkrVPVHxHhcIfYhRBCXrzf52wCpOsoKu7rr/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vineyards galore!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAR7TtDEM5F4SFzmH_VfUiKkI9ttyECqLyzvoVhTN37ZIoQ5hPeQzfKdJWVc7Xmuvk3x4B5nk9Y1PNYMpe3uFsX9l_kAYFAVKtbgLt6j-LJTo61I1RNFOYmhoIsIIr2nVlPto9KXCLyVEg/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only 14 kilometres to go!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMTgiNeIaypcVTn0z70ZbxpI_YuS-2sQ0bmL9exbfIQNJavA7p7NqeXlv2VdUNXBdpGPRyrRq8-acEKu1AydaDYUobRgbxSfhm4iRzF_CTdJWmQBPVAQ6BPzlfhR-kPEcAbqsaSU5wsBM/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big river cruise boat going past</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKc_SvQnsBsBHg5IEg7AGJuG9ymZNnOg3rSxVttVWZP7W7A11CLDUTpOm026j0tvOw8vmh6CU4m61Offj-ub3rTl31uVgQClTq-qNpJ3iDTHLV5EpiZKRJB1WPOSp_RcCxiivdyATRF2h/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3Kt5uQTlMhRGxHGQ3uZrsqexGL4zdIkGDfxIbBX_X1Av5J7U_YGEMVj4Y5_Ii380FT-4Puw-LrrnD_3Kmvq9Jyx9ejsYuDrBCfU2GGqSSippYNxTNKL1zn9r_6j1foPtMjW0RNspeDTn/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figs at our destination</td></tr>
</tbody></table>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-44235467739498376312012-07-11T18:45:00.001+01:002012-07-11T19:03:05.331+01:00Day 4 Karlsruhe to Mannheim<div><p>It's official, France has better cycling routes than Germany.</p>
<p>We went twice wrong today and both times were because the cyclepath turned into a tractor track. We did 59.95 miles and it was supposed to 55.7miles. I burned 2995 calories which always good.</p>
<p>The day started on an exciting note as we got up really early, went to breakfast, and left about 8.15am. The route gradually took us out of the city and soon we were on our way. At 15 miles we got too ferry to get us to the other side of the Rhine where our route continued.</p>
<p>Some pictures below. The Rhine flows extremely fast and boats and ships that goes against the stream uses probably three times more fuel than those going down stream. We saw some river cruise boats, barges and Ferries today as the route at one time followed te river right next to it.</p>
<p>One of the exiting bits yesterday that I forgot to mention was that we went through the France Germany border on a cyclepath. Quite something.</p>
<p>It was a hard ride today. The weather was humid but not as sunny as yesterday. Having to double back twice was not good and the wind didn't always play along. My lower anatomy can also feel that this is my fourth day in the saddle. Ouch !!</p>
<p>Mannheim Youth Hostel is very new, but we were not impressed as they don't have a bike store room so our bikes are sleeping outside.<br>
We also did a short walk to the city - not really city to write home about as they say. Their palace or Schloss looks unkempt and everywhere is graffiti. No, Mannheim doesn't get any points, sorry!!</p>
<p>Anyway, as they say, a picture tells a thousand words so here are some to look at.</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoMOZPzvTEAuKzlCrd_ipZ_GCEPCYfxV0ezcBTIJvll9YIHLcPETrUFdQ70mZWt3xpmwm0pUD7qeS8WsN_wtCVF-Y7WN5pSrT9EVwVRl2SKbnB5prcdRuhAusDOrzivTwIeJnxFkzlmSa/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjToOItbbExfdZTgeIGaCNgdTTwU_hfpiF4iCLSUX7LbupMBEv5-rH2rw6DA89jG6FGh-6g_XNImHAe-LG4OUludfKseWl6uDiES2VOUXP3cCdxocg24hMX0qBEmRh1vdXJSOnGBNq40pKf/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogQIrPsQVwhyMXGC1d3qHGu1qT0RR2ZFmSQRy-NwEXz3ggwTuxqMLinbjF_HUpIU6qHALjNCLNM9aYZA5UK9_2p93NtZTMaERfHE1tpZFcDLui22P_nYqPZ9Plp12Jju8E5ug1TQra2k0/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJWzcbjsav0OEbR1kiVma6tbaZAlYX7cKvG_icQ9YuGMhW-IKCofRkGM1txjcidu8WfxoCGEQizDsOyE-cnzO9Y08laH-eyfRc9yprrnUd6uwiwXC-aY6RyDH_eWj3vHtDO1Vh8Wej3bx/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh2LNwb4D-9Bxu0S3wM0_-icIxWafCFJWq5lA8jG_xDcu3lMEZ6SFLp65CO_TxCgf8h4Y1a_e0ikkQPgd2yDK4y37At4CiLdlDE0aZ0HBCsKSvSOz4Mpdvz8YFglMs8SPOnY2ix6jjgaW/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43jVmus7OZhkyubBejtRW4UZPB7vetmRuL3V6xm0FoIsX2d8sqSns78HkJZup6ANCKeUV_dnO76FsBEVv3HysC_H7F4qjUuE6VeoIh_bMeCeT2lgqQz3yTKDGgSYS9Kd8cw121sb1QMUc/' /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-67888447723223985542012-07-10T19:14:00.001+01:002012-07-10T19:32:23.338+01:00Day 3 Strasbourg to Karlsruhe<div><p>A ride couldn't be more different. It was very hot and sticky. We were seeking shelter everywhere ! It was an anticipated difficult getting out of Strasbourg situation, but turned out to be good and easy. Within 5.5mi we were out of the city and on our way north along a beautiful shady cycle path. </p>
<p>This didn't last though as we joined a fabulous but relentless cycle path along the Rhine which was just going and going. We managed to build up speed so our average today is 12.4mi which is good again. The total distance was just more than 65 miles. </p>
<p>Something which is really not nice on a bike is to go over railway tracks and there seem to be a lot of them here. Something which isn't here (but in England) is roadkill. I has seen only one so far. Maybe to be expected when you are on a cycle path?</p>
<p>We got into Karlsruhe just after 3pm, a good run. The hostel is less modern than Breisach and Lörrach and there are a lot of Chinese schoolchildren around. We took a walk to the Schloss and then to mid town to find food for tomorrow lunchtime and for dinner tonight.</p>
<p>Oh, major lesson today - plan ahead with water!! We nearly ran out of water twice due to the heat. Once we managed to buy water from a French village shop (just had the foresight to buy some) and the second time was an emergency when we did run out and had to get water from a campsite along the way.</p>
<p>We're planning a very early start tomorrow, firstly to avoid any breakfast queues from 7am and secondly to get out of the city when it is still relatively off-peak.</p>
<p>Calories burned today: 3280</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagXAkv0XwkklISQV8lr3tpO2hb_aj6EdzEBMNuCCYPF5VdXco7MttKoJJWVsExfNAAyelbIxBHoJbh2oPBb_edPBLNYPcrGXlm49YBZUZyA0pWsDMyhnwe1jtjVWDpjcnZyVf9yb92HJJ/' /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-47172110501688336142012-07-09T20:28:00.000+01:002012-07-26T21:07:12.713+01:00Afternoon fun in the German sun - Breisach am Rhein<div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPBFqU0dXpCy6wdjGJdhAm0tFHQPKMXnAbGdjwgPCi3AXrI3bTn6pv84n6OqLh9wKI3-reVKqOV4E8FI-Xvbb5Kw1Fp8cHbjEzQn3UuV4mWXYuMS2bjQR0X0jMfPP81bP1Vm9IiX11MSh/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnB9psCh134uAI1fhARbRm5T-tqnaFXEiKZTTI0KKqCbifDxiSllyAh-JH4hkOql6Mk4eEnhpQquowlQj_cQGbEyp27P611xsi9Y6jDmOk_9p55srzWmd_bZIWR71cN0I-glO0tc6TGP8/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgouIbJEHCsv0hWWZCAARF6RzfTTkEbmLdEglK31xx2IwV7AGjXHKhUSGC4Kmms1-36NacVy2OY84vtqPg33nqs-8qXjS_V6EDiVYDhNXZ6dbfizM_bOb6txp8isSeyDY4CqzEXjwgltw/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdRXnApu_f8dvgvoQz3m2Z-s40xE04qAKceOxI2zOTq57zKe2bblTiHDq8IoJhxPe43Htkc9ctA6awaO92pVf-oh0X58zutbjlKlT6m2trruPTHckWNFCuOUdw-5OppKhvAQMbfuUASUC/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx80jckSF11nTm2JXDCBoN87_73Ezn5QLWgDG6JHafAjdWN3vBPPxIRbUbxf35sLdClS7rtvAUussEDIdqJHacBLIXlurRe1d0hO-U4QxPk2Gem1QMAmYqgdDh-qIOpxJ00SLAu1boh9eX/" /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-89896945199574848502012-07-09T14:38:00.001+01:002012-07-09T14:38:40.639+01:00Photos from Day 2<div><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VKAJHoI0RrppUajDBrSk8DZh-9IHfGJDLazrvGQGfiWqUla_bzp6d-0Q0smvp2nAVOhvmWizqZW6SPNcf1e_iDma7NLCq7Wi1kKrg7EzMJg5bu1ZcpTz1oabQSTFeGwnJEtzDwHLv1Rq/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6VBrGzEcpVp_EOnmX-fz2l0y3M2_DKZkDpS-_wvTvTm0jcDzLBT2bMNgneHFeLurlFbsPSkpgnewNcWlnNe_9GPJkQnV5hrJN-IcoBM6Be8o6J-5j4Ss6mTGOHv4snFVxyLQ_UrfASDy/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJL_gV1T9Unf8SSf1jleS8w6lazkqhaoJ6tRwIEoE_evAkAaRGkVYejETJ21wySAvuGi2VD8wPUIdSfQnAMecFMp5twOem15_d-AdbRiMkyQgkNSNums_QYhJZfKdL1VwueGPJK2lXuyX/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzjRWD1IpUEX6U1ZgbQeHnXd6KnKIRHNvE7UxOw0kjXlx52LbXieLVlNKsugQCqxr_GGnKWJ_x8sOAWYI2OkwzYal11GKvH_DaA4BsprRQVpcZ99k9dd1GZpsNGdNy1nVvDSnw-RiZocO/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZa9iUjA7y8BL5YRbLBMMOyqpqVjXiPJf3Tu7dkYuFJ_Si9YZ84v7B-gWn1jAwPhrpoEtoYIXw_mqYBAtQnh6Cr4nslv3juV0EGSozCSuDnoTjTRe0-dODvK40nzKwh5dWL9v5JD6aS7ET/' /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0Comfort Hotel Strasbourg, 14 Rue des Corroyeurs, Strasbourg48.57279 7.728601tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-92059309211990481812012-07-09T14:35:00.001+01:002012-07-26T20:44:40.891+01:00Day 2 Breisach am Rhein to Strasbourg<div>
Ok for those interested in stats: 55.10 miles, 2688 calories burned and 4hr 24 cycling time with an average speed of 13mi an hour. Not bad!<br />
It was a brilliant cycling day. The predicted rain was gone and instead we had cloudcover - which we needed after yesterday's sunburn. It was hot and humid and spectacular.<br />
The small French villages are very quaint. They all have German names e.g. Bindernheim, Witternheim, Schwobsheim but in reality they are very French! This stems probably from a time when this region went from Germany to France due to either border disputes or wars. We saw some really spectacular houses with lots and lots of flowerbaskets drooping over windowsills and beautifully painted houses, particularly 2 purple ones.<br />
The pictures to the blog post will follow later as I have them separate on my phone. Marckolsheim was very special and it got 4 stars on the Villages Fleurie competition. After weaving our way through the villages, we turned onto the towpath along the Canal du Rhône du Rhin which took us straight into Strasbourg. Lovely tarmaced surface, the only problem here are some tree roots which made some surfaces a bit bumpy.<br />
Lunch was from a supermarket in Boofzheim and were 4 Herta sausages, 4 doughnuts, 2 bananas and 2 Heinekens. Shared between 2! A good carbo cycling lunch.<br />
We are in good accommodation tonight, our first hotel (Comfort Inn). The youth hostels were so far very kind to us as even though we were booked into female and male dorms, we've been sharing a bedroom at no extra cost.<br />
Tomorrow is an even longer day with 63 miles planned. But having got to Strasbourg in such good time, gives us now the opportunity to go and do some sightseeing in Strasbourg. <br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xuBqbyeN0wgQUxGJdapLKY4yAlR03wdbOxEK-9o3e_tv_JXEDMVEmUZEq5MtgK1gdMFzQU6GORcpK6C30HQ0kGtTDcqCRHP8Ncgm4i4J-DIughxUIBMmiVCxUQTSyy8rP-EaxpRIEwDr/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuI6zP59h_h04PThmFa5U0l2PbN2__IONqYu2d_Aq_HTFRVrEJLTMAzsZ8BNd-DI6r7_e1mXvaQijksqTKlnF7NVB7d7vPXvvZRpVWfSOmx3vR53CepdUTvMdASC6HM4ORK1R2wpmeEhmh/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeKAKR7NLp8C4DiYr9oaecEoPwhO5_Nt_2Nl2RwdmwIP21T97pa8VnZhKassYl_hXTPcMvUwel0RxOnZYyai22OEEBXDIXer_ZBd9lzcOxzajA5bxaAwSWLruR_SDXzhml7yTFc9fuhvV/" /></div>VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6639561766396893175.post-47431091740258874542012-07-08T21:50:00.001+01:002012-07-08T21:52:31.785+01:00Day 1 Basel to BreisachAfter a fabulous night's sleep with an equally lovely breakfast it was time to go. The Garmin played up (why does this always happen on a big ride?) so I had to revert another way of getting the route displayed which is show on map instead of navigate.<br />
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A quick photo shoot on the bridge and we were off. The route was very mixed today, some major off road sections with difficult wet bits to navigate and fabulous French cycle ways alongside the main road. For a change we also had a tailwind for the last 10 miles so we made up with some fast riding.<br />
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Breisach is delightful with lots of holidaymakers, watersports and fabulous Rhine cruise boats. There was also an impressive lock system, but not as impressive as the water regulation we saw at Kembs which took about 200 years to build. It also has an impressive church on top of a hill in the town.<br />
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The day started with rain but it stopped before we left Lörrach and then the sun turned hot. I definitely have sunburn and so does Stephen. A bit of suntan lotion tomorrow will be needed.<br />
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47 miles done today and 51 miles waiting tomorrow.<br />
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<br />VeloVixenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01428014698626566924noreply@blogger.com0