Pedal...Paddle

To Winsen (Aller), Germany -- 36.7 miles, 11.5 mph, 300 ft

It rained again last night, so was another wet morning. None of us were terribly motivated to get out of the tent though the rain held off as we packed up and ate our breakfast at the nearby bench. The gray skies dampened our moods, but I couldn't help think of our ride a year earlier in Idaho when the same weather had energized us, having been preceded by seven days of 100F plus.

The rain was light rain as we retraced our path from yesterday back into Hanover. We got a chance to see, in passing, a few of the tourist attractions we had read about the other day -- the Maschsee man-made lake, the Landes Museum, the Sprengel Art Museum, and the Eilenriede open space.

We deliberately planned a short day. Although we could have made the trek from Hanover to Hamburg in 2 days, we decided to spread it out over three. As a result, when we started to feel hungry at 12:30, we were already 20 miles into our 36 mile day.

Dirt roads and rain 

One of the best, and unexpected, parts of the day occurred while we were eating our picnic lunch at the edge of the beautiful town of Fuhrberg with its tree lined streets, large half timbered farm houses and horse pastures. Our perceptions were likely influenced by the long-awaited appearance of the sun accompanied by a few patches of blue sky.

As we ate our picnic lunch, a man walked up the street, greeted us, and asked where we were from. His name was Peter and he offered the use of a bathroom and a cup of coffee (yes please!) after we were done eating. We ended up spending the better part of an hour at Peter’s place just across the road.  The farm was originally owned by his grandfather who raised pigs, goats and cows. The current farmhouse was built in 1855 -- after the previous structure burned -- and is surrounded by numerous other large work buildings and manicured lawn.

Peter’s wife, Astrid, was away at a spa for the afternoon, so Peter was busy working on a small brick courtyard, fountain, and rose garden he had promised her. They had just recently held a huge celebration for their 25th wedding anniversary and now needed a spot for the many potted roses given as gifts.

While the kids investigated the chicken pen, Peter brought out coffee, Sprite (no Coke Light) and chocolate Smarties to the small backyard.  It was wonderful to chat. We shared travel stories and Peter recommended activities for us in Hamburg before showing us the inside of the renovated house. Dex and Kylie felt compelled to try out the many comfortable couches and reclining chairs.

The rest of the ride passed by quickly allowing us to settle into our new camp, Huttensee, by 4:00.

We had a nice grassy area with our own electrical box, and even better, a few extra hours to spare. Dex and Meg headed off for a game of mini golf while Kylie and I took a dip in the small lake, swimming to the huge inflated hotdog and big ball anchored in the water.

As there was a small camp restaurant next to the lake, we didn't have to walk far for dinner. Dex and Kylie played on a paddle board until the food arrived. Meg and I had fun visiting with the two Polish waitresses very keen to practice their English. To celebrate another day in the saddle, albeit short, we splurged on a glass of "rottwein" and "weisswein."