Mam Vëlo duerch Toskana 09/2011

Toskana 2011

Fir Toskana mam Vëlo ze erliewen, hunn ons a puer interessant Stied gesicht, vu wou mir verschidde kleng Tir organiséiere konnten. Eisen éischten Ausgangspunkt war den Hotel Casa Lemmi zu San Quirico d’Orcia.

1 San Quirico

Den éischten Tour huet eis vu San Quirico op Bagno Vignoni geféiert. Bagno Vignoni ass haaptsächlech fir seng Therme bekannt, déi scho vun den Etrusker an dono de  Réimer besicht goufen.

Mir waren ons scho bewosst dat Toskana alles anescht wéi flaach wär, me dat déi Knuppen esou gëfteg wären hu mir eréischt „sur place“ gemierkt.

No Bagno Vignoni goung et weider op Castiglioni d'Orcia an iwwer Gallina a Spedaletto nes zeréck op San Quirico.

No enger éischter “mise en jambes” goung eisen 2ten Tour vu San Quirico op Pienza.

Leider hate mir hei en Accident „rupture du tendon d’achille“.

Nodems mir de Kolleg heem bruegt haten, konnte mir onsen Tour awer weider féieren.

PIENZA

Vu Pienza si mir weider iwwer  Monticchiello op Montepulciano gefuer. Montepulciano läit op enger Kopp vun 600 Meter, an ass vun enger Befestigungsmauer ëmginn. Bekannt ass et duerch seng pittoresk Lag, a sei gudde Wäin de Vino Nobile di Montepulciano respektiv déi méi gënschteg Versioun, de Rosso di Montepulciano.

MONTEPULCIANO

Vu Pienza si mir weider iwwer  Monticchiello op Montepulciano gefuer. Montepulciano läit op enger Kopp vun 600 Meter, an ass vun enger Befestigungsmauer ëmginn. Bekannt ass et duerch seng pittoresk Lag, a sei gudde Wäin de Vino Nobile di Montepulciano respektiv déi méi gënschteg Versioun, de Rosso di Montepulciano.

Zu Montepulciano hu mir decidéiert iwwer Regolo zeréck op San Quirico ze fueren, fir no dem verletzte Colleg ze kucken.

Eise lëschten Tour an dëser Géigend war eng Rundfahrt nord-westlech vu Montalcino. Grad wéi Montepulciano ass Montalcino bekannt fir säin excellente Wäin, de  Brunello di Montalcino.

2 Gaiole in Chianti

Vu San Quirico si mir mam Auto weider op Gaiole in Chianti gefuer, wou mir an der Casa al Vento e flotten Agro-Center als nächste „Stützpunkt“ fond hun.

Eisen éischten Tour goung vu Radda in Chianti iwwer Lucarelli, Panzano op Grewe in Chianti. Hei war eng grouss Dégustatioun vu Chianti. Dat huet eis net onbedéngt gehollef fir de Bierg erop op Lamola ze fueren, mir hunn trotzdem misse erop.

Eng Visite vu Siena war eist nächst Zil. Dofir si mir op Pianella gefuer wou mir den Auto stoe geloss hunn.  Vun do aus mir, iwwer San Giovanni, mam Vëlo op Sienna gefuer. Siena gellt als eng vun dene schéinste Stiet aus der Toskana, me et ass  absolut keng Vëlos-Stat. Bekannt ass Siena fir seng Pärdscours de Palio di Siena, déi op der zentral Plaz (Piazza del Campo) ausgedroe get.

Zeréck op Pianella si mir iwwer Vico d’Arbia gefuer.

Pianella- San Gusme –Pianella

Eise leschten Tour an dëser Géigend ass südlech vu Gaiole verlaf. Hei goung et eng laang Montee erop op San Gusmè. Mir hunn hei mir op engem Volleksfest eng Paus gemaach, eng Klengegkeet giess an dobäi fir Jiddereen a „Mignon“ bestallt. Dat war en halwe Liter Wäin den seng Wierkung net verpasst huet, besonnesch wëll et dono nach stramm de Bierg erop goung.

3 Villa San Giorgio

No Gaiole goung et weider op Poggibonsi. Nördlech vu Poggibonsi hu mir ons an der Villa San Giorgio an de Bierger niddergelooss.

Nodeems mir ons installéiert hate goung et nach dur fir en Tour iwwer Tavernelle Val di Pesa-Barberino Val d’Elsa-Poggobonsi zeréck an d'Villa Giorgio. Well et ons zu Barberino sou gutt gefall hat si mir owens dohin zeréck gefuer, fir op enger Terrass mat enger super Vue iwwer de Vald’Elsa zu Nuecht z’iessen.

Florenz

Wann en Toskana besicht ass Florenz e Must. No eiser Erfaarung mat Siena, hu mir zu Florenz ganz op de Vëlo verzicht. Mir hunn d’Stat wéi déi meschte Leit zu Fouss besicht.

San Geminiano –Volterra

San Geminiano läit wéi déi meescht Klengstiett an der Toskana op enger Knupp, a gett och „mittelalterliches Manhatten“ oder Stad vun den Tierm genannt. Vun deenen 72 Tierm aus dem Mëttelalter sinn der nëmmen 15 iwwereg bliwwen. Am Mëttelalter goung et dorëms seng Macht Duerch d’erbaue vu groussen Tierm ze beweisen. Vun hei aus si mir a Richtung Volterra gefuer, deelweis op klenge Stroossen deelweis op Mountainbike's Pisten. D’Montee op Volterra war net vu schlechten Elteren. Zeréck op San Gimignano si mir iwwer déi normal Stross gefuer. Dat war méi langweileg me dofir manner ustrengend.


4 Pisa

Eisen nächsten „pied-à-terre“ war den Airone Pisa Park Hotel an der Entrée vu Pisa. No enger kuerzer Visite  mam Vëlo si mir duerch kleng Dierfer bis un d’Küst um tyrrhenesche Mier gefuer. Vun Tirrenia si mir zeréck iwwer Marina di Pisa an Stat mam schifen Tuerm gefuer, wou mir am spéide Mëtten ukoumen. Zu dem Zäitpunkt stoung d’Sonn schonn niddereg, wat eis erlaabt huet den Dom vu Pisa mat dem schifen Tuerm an engem ganz besonnesche Liicht ze gesinn.

Nordseeküste-Nordostseekanal-Lübeck-Wismar-Rostock-Berlin

2011-06 Emden – Wilhemshaven – Bremerhaven – Hamburg - Nord-Ostsee-Kanal – Kiel-Lübeck – Travemünde – Wismar - Rostock – Berlin

Day 1 : Emden – Jever

An eight hours train ride took us up to Emden where we spend the first night . The next day  we headed North until we hit the coast of the North Sea. Opposite to last year the weather was rainy which gave a special atmosphere to the coastal landscape.. As we arrived in Jever we were told that the famous advertising for the non less famous Jever beer, was not made in Friesland and the actor was Swedish. The beer is tasty all the same.

Day 2 : Jever – Wilhelmshaven - Nordenham

From Jever we drove to Wilhelmshaven and cycled all around the “Jadebusen” to join Nordenham just before Bremerhaven.

Day 3 : Nordenham – Hamburg - Wedel

In the early morning we crossed the Weser to Bremerhaven. From here we  intended to go on to Cuxhaven where we planned to take a ferry going to Brunsbüttel. In Brunsbüttel we were supposed to meet our friend Alain. Unfortunately we were told on the phone that the only week in the year the ferry does not operate was the week we had chosen.  In a hurry we phoned Alain that our date was not Brunsbüttel anymore but Hamburg central station, since we had to take the train. We arrived nearly at the same time and immediately went on cycling along the river Elbe to Wedel.

Day 4 : Wedel- Brunsbüttel

During the night Luss suffered from sever stomach ache. We told Luss to have a rest for one or two days in Wendel and then follow us by train. He preferred to head homewards.

Alain, Jacqueline and I continued our trip to Brunsbüttel in spite of very very strong headwinds. In Brunsbüttel we visited the sluices of the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal. We were impressed by the size of the big container ships and how they manoeuvred through the sluices…

Day 5 : Brunsbüttel – Rendsburg

We followed the canal for about 50km. Then we left the canal to cycle a bit through the beautiful landscape of “Schleswig-Holstein“. We spend the night in Rendsburg in a hotel close to the canal. During the night we could hear the ship horns of the big container boats. Watching them through the window of the hotel, gave us the impression of seeing a 12 floor building passing by. 

Day 6 : Rendsburg -  Kiel – Plön

We started in Rendsburg by rain wearing our full raingear, looking dreadfully attractive in it, so that the landlady of our hotel asked us “do you want to frighten away the rain???”

After 30 km  we arrived in Kiel, where the “Kieler Woche” took place. The “Kieler Woche “is an annual sailing regatta that was first organised at the end of the 19th Century. It is considered one of the biggest sailing events in the world. Being old sailors it was a pleasure for the eye to watch the huge 3 masts gliding majestically away towards the horizon…..

KIEL

Day 7 : Plön – Travemünde

Alain left us in Plön. We cycled South until we had a break, a delicious one with lots of calories in the Lübecker “Marzipanhaus”. Along the border of Schleswig-Holstein – Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the former DDR border runs a cycle path which we followed to reach the “Ostsee” in Travemünde
.

LÜBECK

Day 8 : Travemünde – Wismar

We arrived in Wismar totally fed up feeling hot and exhausted. As we hadn’t made up our mind how to go one, we spontaneously decided to spend the night in Wismar. This turned out to be an excellent decision since we discovered Wismar  to be worth the while with its harbour its beautiful timbered houses, the old market place and the oldest hotel in town, “der alte Schwede” where we, as a special treat, spent the night.

KIEL

Day 9 : Wismar – Rostock

From Wismar we followed the Ostsee-coast with some stunning views over the dark blue Ostsee on one side and a sea of beautiful wildflowers on the other side. Since it was the hottest day of the whole trip , I could not resist to have a quick dip into the Ostsee.

Day 10 - 13 : Rostock - Krakow/Linstow  - Neustrelitz - Zehdenick  - Berlin

 Mecklenburger Seenplatte rain rain rain

In Rostock we took our train tickets from Berlin to Luxembourg. The next four days we cycled through the “Mecklenburgische Seenplatte” passing Güstrow, Waren, Neustrelitz, Zehdenick down to Berlin. The landscape was fantastic but unfortunately it was raining cats and dogs during the whole trip. We arrived in Berlin completely soaked and miserable. Before returning home, we spent the next two days with my daughter and our three little grand-children.

GÜSTRWOW

BERLIN

Niederrhein + North Sea Coast Netherlands

2010-07 Koblenz – Rotterdam – Harlingen – Emden

On the 12.07.2010 we took the train to Zeebrugge where we wanted to head for Edinburgh with the night-ferry in order to do the English part of the NSCR (North Sea Cycling Route). Unfortunately there was big storm in the Ardennes. The train could not go on and the passengers were asked to continue by Bus.  We could not join them because there was no place for our bikes. So our whole trip with the ferry and hotel reservation was cancelled. We had to go back home and our mood was rather depressive. We decided to meet at Alain’s place and see how we could go on with our holidays. To lift our morals Alain started by serving us a 21 year old Whisky (Lagavulin). So my suggestion was to take the train the next day to Koblenz and follow the river Rhine to the Netherlands and afterwards go on by following the Netherland North-Sea-Cost to the German border.

Day 1: Koblenz - Köln

Done as said we left Koblenz in the early afternoon and headed for Cologne. Despite our late departure from Koblenz we managed to reach Cologne (+/- 100km). The whole road was on good cycling routes on the left bank of the river.

Day 2 : Köln - Duisburg

From Cologne to Duisburg cycling is possible on both sides of the Rhine. We stayed on the left side where we visited the harbour of Neuss-Düsseldorf. After Düsseldorf we passed a lot of industrial zones like Krefeld Uerdingen , not so pleasant. We crossed the Rhine in  Alt-Homberg to visit Duisburg and spend the night there.

Day 3 : Duisburg – Kleve

After leaving Duisburg we could enjoy the typical landscape of the Lower Rhine. We made a first stop in Xanten, a resort rich in history. Before reaching the Dutch border we left the Rhine to make a short side trip to the beautiful town of Kleve where we spend the night.

Day 4 : Kleve – Utrecht

Shortly after Kleve we crossed the border to Netherland, and kept on following the northern branch of the Rhine to Arnheim. Here like everywhere else along the Rhine we could witness the damages the storm had done to the forest and the trees Before reaching Wijk bij Duurstede we left the official Rhine Cycle Route to join Utrecht.

Day 5 : Utrecht – Rotterdam

From Utrecht we cycled through Woerden in the direction of Gouda where we crossed a typical Dutch landscape with plenty of little canals, ponds and lift bridges. 

In the late afternoon we arrived in Kinderdijk with the famous Mill Network. The windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the most famous sights in the Netherlands. This is a group of 19 windmills that serve to pump the water occurring from the polders, in order to make the soil usable for agriculture. In Rotterdam we met our friends Hester and Donato who had organised a surprise for our accommodation: we spend the night aboard of the old transatlantic cruise ship, “The Rotterdam”.

Day 6 : Rotterdam – Zandvoort

Our friends advised us not to follow the Rhine to the “Hoek van Holland”place where you mainly see refineries but to visit the beautiful town of Delft. After Delft we crossed Den Haag and reached the coast of the North Sea.

Day 7 : Zandvoort – Den Oever

The bike trail along the Netherland coast was not flat at all, like we first thought. Cycling here was more like riding on a rollercoaster. Actually the cycle path followed the natural line of the sand dunes.

Day 8 : Den Oever -  Afsluitdijk – Holwerd

After leaving Den Oever we started to cross the huge “Afsluitdijk”. This dam of 32 km  separates the “Ijsselmeer” from the “Wattenmeer” respectively the North Sea. The Dutch province of Friesland starts just after the crossing of the dam. The landscape is very flat and the main attractions are sheep and canals.

Day 9 : Holwerd – Delfzijl – Emden

Our last full cycling day took us from Holwerd to Delfzijl where we took a ferry to bring us to Emden in Germany. Since we had some 3 days left we decided to take the train to Hamburg. With the bike time would have been too short to cycle to Hamburg and get back home by train.

Day 10-11 Hamburg

On the first day in Hamburg we tried to familiarise with the surroundings of the city… we cycled almond the Alstar to the outskirts of Hamburg and nearly all the way to the spring of the river and back to town.

On the second day we visited Hamburg and enjoyed a show at the theatre.

Hamburg

Western part of the Donau cycling trip

Strasbourg - St. Nazaire

Once we had finished the cycling trip that took us from Luxembourg to the Black Sea (Tulcea), (blog: stong181.blogspot.com), we decided to do the Western part of the Eurovelo 6, in order to join the Atlantic to the Black Sea.

Day 1 : Strasbourg-  Mulhouse

Early morning train to Strasbourg. From here we followed the “canal lateral au Rhin” which lead through the charming Southern part of the Alsace down to Mulhouse where we hit the cycling route Eurovelo 6.

Day 2 : Mulhouse - Baume-les-Dames

From Mulhouse we followed the “canal du Rhin au Rhône” through the Franche Comté to Belfort and Montbéliard. Here we joined the river Doubs to finish our 2^nd day in Baume-les-Dames.

Day 3 : Baume-les-Dames - Dole

After a short visit of Besançon, we kept on following the river Doubs to Dole where we saw the birth house of Louis Pasteur, place of interest for our two pharmacists.

Day 4 : Dole - Chagny

From Dole the river Doubs led us to Verdon sur-le-Doubs, where it flows into the Saône. After a short ride to Chalon/S. we crossed the river Saône to find the “Canal du Centre” and settled down for the night in Chagny, the heart of the Bourgogne. Poor vegetarians: you get advised to have some good red wine instead of food!

Day 5 : Chagny - Digoin

After leaving Chagny we kept on following the “Canal du Centre” through Monceau-les-Mines and on to Paray/Monial with its famous "Basilique du Sacré-Coeur". Spending the night in Digoin at the Hotel Canalou.

Day 6 : Digoin - Nevers

In Digoin we passed the “Pont du Canal” which crosses the river Loire, that was going to be our companion for the rest of the journey. Rain and sunny moments kept on alternating for the rest of the day.

Day 7 : Nevers - Bonny-sur-Loire

Leaving Nevers in heavy rain we were soaked in 10 minutes .Obviously we had made the bad choice and should have left half an hour later….But in the end our bravery was rewarded with some sunshine so we continued our tour enjoying pleasant little villages and towns along the banks of the river Loire.

Day 8 : Bonny-sur-Loire – Orléans

On our daytrip to Orleans we passed through some beautiful villages, but outstanding was Gien with its famous pottery as well as the splendid Chateau de Sully.

Chambord

Day 9 : Orléans - Amboise

As far as the “châteaux de la Loire” are concerned, the highlights started after leaving Orleans. An entertaining picnic just facing the magnificent “Chambord”, after that Blois, Chaumont…until we arrived in Amboise.

AMBOOISE

Day 10 : Amboise – Saumur

Shortly after leaving Amboise our cyclometer showed the magical number 1000!! 








We couldn’t resist making a joke by changing the sign on the cycling-panel...

Seeing the beautiful castle of Ussé, we could understand why it did inspire the writer M. Perrault for his “La belle au bois dormant”

Day 11 : Saumur – Ancenis

This was the hottest day of our trip, blazing sun in the beginning of September made the cycling even more enjoyable, certainly with the coolness of a soft breeze that rose up from the banks of the river Loire

Day 12 : Ancenis – Nantes - St Brévin les Pins/St Nazaire

Our last real cycling day took us to Nantes, The former headquarters of the Dukes of Brittany, whose castle is the symbol of the city.

In Nantes we organised our return by train. After crossing the Loire on a ferryboat to the south bank we arrived in St. Brévin in the late afternoon, where the bravest took a bath in the Atlantic remembering the dip we had at the end of our trip to the Black Sea.

Day 13 :

Return via the famous  Bridge de Saint-Nazaire spanning the Loire estuary to Saint-Nazaire  and back home by train.