It rained a lot last night but once again by the morning it was dry and we had another good forecast for the day. Our Tour has made the news section of ligfiets.net, http://www.ligfiets.net/news/5538/vrijdagbericht-281.html We went for breakfast and it was once again very tasty with lots of choice. We had a good chat with… Continue reading Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 8: Usedom to Waldsee
Category: Cycle Tours
Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 7: rest day in Ahlbeck
Today was our rest day on Usedom. This meant the luxury of a leisurely breakfast with no mad packing of bags afterwards. Instead we chilled out, sitting outside in the garden and enjoying the view. However, by 10:30 it was time to get moving – I wanted to visit Poland which was just 4km… Continue reading Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 7: rest day in Ahlbeck
Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 6: Ribnitz-Damgarten to Usedom
After a good night’s sleep went down to check on the bikes. All was well and the weather had improved a great deal. We now had blue sky and sunshine. The hotel owner had said breakfast was from eight, but there were several tables of people eating when I was there at 7:30 so we… Continue reading Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 6: Ribnitz-Damgarten to Usedom
Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 5: Grevesmühlen to Ribnitz-Damgarten
Today was to be a new cycling experience for both of us. On Klaus’s last tour he had been to Lübeck and seen the Baltic Sea at Timmendorfer Strand but had not cycled further east. I have cycled to the UK from Berlin but had not cycled on the Baltic coast at all. This was… Continue reading Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 5: Grevesmühlen to Ribnitz-Damgarten
Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 4: Glückstadt to Grevesmühlen
Day four of the tour already!! We both slept really well and went out to check the velomobiles first thing – they were fine. Breakfast was a fine spread and we set ourselves up for the day with cereal, rolls, egg, cold cuts, yoghurt and fruit. Friend Jochen had written a report about his 600km… Continue reading Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 4: Glückstadt to Grevesmühlen
Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 3: Oldenburg to Glückstadt
After a good night’s sleep it was time for a hearty breakfast. We were ready to set off by 08:30 having refilled our water bottles and extracted the Velomobiles from the bin store. Today’s ride was to Glückstadt and involved two ferry crossings, the Weser and the Elbe. We set off with good weather and… Continue reading Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 3: Oldenburg to Glückstadt
Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 2: Bad Bentheim to Oldenburg
We slept well in the very quiet Ferienwohnung and I was woken by birdsong. Unfortunately when looking at the news we learned about the attack in London, another sobering event. It had rained very heavily overnight but the bikes were well protected under a roof overhang beneath our Ferienwohnung (the first floor of a private… Continue reading Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 2: Bad Bentheim to Oldenburg
Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 1: Kempen to Bad Bentheim
The first day of the tour! This is the planned route: Before setting off we had breakfast and then packed everything into the bikes. Klaus had much more room than last time we rode to Bad Bentheim (9 days ago) as he had the tent then, as well as an Isomatte and sleeping bag. I… Continue reading Kempen-Usedom-Berlin-Kempen Day 1: Kempen to Bad Bentheim
Christi Himmelfahrt Tour 2017
Despite having toured long distances on my trikes over the last nine years, I have only done one multi-day tour in a Velomobile which was my two day trip to Millingen aan de Rijn in Penelope two summers ago. However, this state of affairs is very much changing within three weeks, starting with a four… Continue reading Christi Himmelfahrt Tour 2017
Oliebollentocht 2016
Oliebollentocht is an annual gathering of Velomobiles, usually in NL (where most of them are built). It is named after Oliebollen which are Dutch spherical doughnut thingies, similar to Quarkbällchen or Pufferkes in Germany. I heard about Oliebollentocht in the summer and it sounded like it might be interesting, so when a list was started… Continue reading Oliebollentocht 2016
Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 6 – Roermond to Kempen
So the last day of the tour had arrived, just as the good weather had finally found us! We had decided not to have breakfast at the B&B and instead, as in the previous two days, get something on the road. We set off at eight in the morning, knowing that it was a relatively… Continue reading Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 6 – Roermond to Kempen
Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 5 – Boxmeer to Roermond
The penultimate day of our tour dawned rather too early again – I seem to always wake up at 6am even if I have had a later night. And last night had its moments as I was kept awake by a mosquito which I was unable to catch. It got me several times in the… Continue reading Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 5 – Boxmeer to Roermond
Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 4 – ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Boxmeer
Today the weather forecast was at last for a relatively dry day, a much nicer prospect than the seemingly-unending drizzle or rain of the last few days. Our hotel had a very expensive breakfast (nearly 15 Euros each) so we decided not to bother with that but to get something whilst on our way. Here… Continue reading Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 4 – ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Boxmeer
Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 3 – Nijmegen to ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Today’s plan was a 68km ride from Nijmegen to ‘s-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch) and chum Alex who lives in Rotterdam and sold me Penelope said he would join us for some of the ride. After a delayed breakfast (there was a problem with the rolls, apparently) we set off from the Boat\Circus\Funfair at… Continue reading Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 3 – Nijmegen to ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 2 – Xanten to Nijmegen
After a good night’s sleep it was time for breakfast – and what a breakfast! Everything beautifully displayed and set out – and tasty too! Today’s ride was shorter, a planned 68km along the Rhein to Nijmegen. Here is our track for the day. We set off at about 9am, heading past the Harbour where… Continue reading Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 2 – Xanten to Nijmegen
Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 1 – Viersen to Xanten
So my first long tour for almost a year has started! Originally planned as a tour from Berlin to Viersen, but shortened as Claudia didn’t feel confident tackling that distance, Klaus had organised a route taking us through some interesting cities in NL (Nijmegen, ‘s Hertogenbosch, Boxmeeer and Roermond) but our first night would be… Continue reading Rhein-Maas Tour: Day 1 – Viersen to Xanten
Ruhrtal Tour – Day 4: Hattingen to Kempen
Wednesday 9 September 2015 So this was the last day of the tour – James and I had cycled further each day than we originally estimated so it looked as though we would be back in my Wohnung this evening. We went down to breakfast which was very pleasant but the view outside wasn’t exactly… Continue reading Ruhrtal Tour – Day 4: Hattingen to Kempen
Ruhrtal Tour – Day 3: Arnsberg to Hattingen
Tuesday 8 September 2015 This was our track for today’s ride. The forecast today was a bit of drizzle at 11am and after that sunshine. Sadly the forecast was mistaken and we had drizzle and cloudy skies all day – didn’t really see the sun at all! But that is getting ahead of this report…… Continue reading Ruhrtal Tour – Day 3: Arnsberg to Hattingen
Ruhrtal Tour – Day 2: Winterberg to Arnsberg
Monday 7 September 2015 After a good night’s sleep we woke up to a rather rainy view. The breakfast was good and we were on our way by 9:30am, dressed in our waterproofs. Well, James had normal trousers on but I had gone full waterproofs due to the forecast of a day of rain. The… Continue reading Ruhrtal Tour – Day 2: Winterberg to Arnsberg
Ruhrtal Tour – Day 1: Journey to Winterberg
Sunday 6 September 2015 It’s a long time since the SPEZI Tour, which finished on 1st May, and as James planned to visit me for a couple of weeks we thought it would be nice to do a short tour together – and the Ruhr valley seemed like a good option as the Ruhr flows… Continue reading Ruhrtal Tour – Day 1: Journey to Winterberg