Final Countdown

Final Countdown
We find ourselves in Prague with just five days of riding left. We have spent our last week or so riding from Berlin south meeting up with the Elbe River, which runs from the Czech Republic to northwestern Germany. We had no intentions of going to the Czech but when Em informed us that with the amount of riding time and kilometers left we would have ample time to shoot over to Prague on the way to Munich, we thought why not. Riding along the Elbe, which is a famous and very popular bike route has had it's ups and downs. Downsides include what we have come to refer as "death cobble," which falls far out of the reaches of nice cobble (new age take on an old tradition, relatively smooth) and normal cobble ( small to medium rocks, smoothed from consist wear, bumpy but doable). Death cobble is large jagged not well designed, buried rocks placed in sketchy sections, at the bottom of a hill or a narrow drop of section. More intense than death cobble or long sections of pothole dirt roads scattered with mud puddles, due to recent t-storms are the stairs! That's right a popular famous bike trail has multiple sets of stairs one has to climb to continue on. Since it is a bicycle route many of the stairs have small ramps (a little bigger than thr width of a bicycle tire), the ramps do help but rampless stairs are a pain. Our last staircase was up over a small river via a massive pipeline system in the middle of no where. Up four flights of stairs, they weren't full but when carry a fully loaded touring bike up steep stairs it doesn't matter and down three we had made it to the other side. The alternative was 3km on a cobble dirt road to a ferry, we'll take the stairs.
But with all the epics of dirt roads and large obstacles riding along the Elbe was amazing. We knew nothing about it when we started and it's amazing bueaty, landscapes, nestled towns and grand cities blew our minds. We only road a three day section of it, and I want to believe it was the best section to ride. We started near Dresden in Germany and were ultimately blown away by it's grand buildings dating back hundreds of years. The Elbe is a twisting river with a large flat plain that buts up against steep cliffs and rolling hills. On the river side hills and cliffs we often spotted castles and mansions that put any Hampton summer home to shame. Another twist and turn we would find ourselves in a small town with perfect old houses. When we weren't battling un-paved maddness we were rolling along perfectly paved paths with bicycle tourers aplenty. What was most breath taking was the shear cliffs and magical rock formations scattered all along the rivers. There was a Jurrasic Park feel, mist rising from the green forrest surrounding colorful cliffs jutting hundreds of feet in the air.
After a stop off in Prague to take in one of the most grand cities in the world we are southern bound for our last bit of bicycle riding. How strange it will be to end. Even though we haven't left and living in the now is the way to ride we have started to think about the adventures of home. Dawn patrol ocean swims, Tate's coffee, clothes, more then one outfit, bagels fresh garden vegetables and much much more. But for now an open air train ride into Prague's main station.

Photos: a roller balding path; a castle on the Elbe; Lucy hits 4,000 miles; welcome to the Czech republic.

More Photos

A Word from the Parents

A week ago we left the girls in Waren, Germany to start the long trip home after a wonderful week of bicycling and camping in Denmark and Germany.  It all began in Copenhagen.  We arrived from New York lugging our bikes in large boxes to catch up with Emma, Gen and Lucy who had cycled in from Sweden.  Our hotel was centrally located.  By the time we arrived the girls had already found the local cycle shop for minor repairs etc. No time was wasted putting together the cycles and finding a place to eat dinner. Over a vegetarian smorgasbord (buffet) we decided to take the next day off in Copenhagen. The girls had been camping for a month solid and loved the idea of a little break. We agreed.  With our departure planned for Thursday, May 26^th, we discussed plans for a day of sight-seeing.  First on the agendaWednesday morning was Gen's desire to see the famous statue of the Little Mermaid. Hilary longed for traditional Danish open faced sandwiches (smørrebrød) and Emma requested a canal boat ride. Lucy was neutral and Eric looked for a hot dog.  Everyone agreed to go to Tivoli in the evening.  We found a ferry canal tour that allowed us to get on and off wherever we desired. Next to it was a pølser (hotdog) stand.  We took the boat to the Little Mermaid where the girls posed for photos with the mermaid herself.  Can you tell which the real Little Mermaid is?  We found a restaurant filled with real Danes (not tourists) for the open faced sandwich and afterward stopped at a bakery (not to forgo famous Danish pastries). Tivoli in the evening is wonderful. It is filled with little ponds and gardens all lit with tiny colorful lights. The rides and games add to a truly magical place. Hilary had her first ever roller coaster ride after which she retired from roller coaster riding and found a tea booth. The girls went on every scary ride they offered while Eric and Hilary watched them drop, twist and speed, mouths hanging open in wonder.  We all tried our skills at shooting balloons.  Gen was the winner of some great prizes (small enough to carry on the bike)

The next day found us packing up the gear, getting ready to roll out of town.  After a couple of quick runs to the corner bike shop as well as to the local grocer for picnic stuff, we were off.  Due to some bicycling repair glitches in the first shop, we stopped at another bike store a block from the hotel.  Gen found out there that they would have to keep her bike until 3:30 in the afternoon.  Thus began our day of waiting. We were to later find out that waiting for something is not unusual when bike touring. We picnicked on a grassy promenade near the bike store. Eventually, we found ourselves once again in the hotel lobby since it conveniently had a computer for our use. After a series of good strokes finding the cycle part she needed (the store didn't have) at another store across the city, we finally left Copenhagenat 5:30.

Here, I must describe briefly how it is to bike in Copenhagen.  Every major street has a bike lane and they are heavily trafficked. Bikes are respected. Motorists give way to the cycles by law.  Most do not wear helmets. All are dressed in their street or professional clothes. It is all exhilarating and so polite at the same time. So it was on these great paths that we departed wonderful Copenhagen winding our way into the suburbs all in a line behind Emma, the navigator.  The weather was rather sunny with strong winds, but began to turn grey.  By the time we got to the campground about eight miles out, it was beginning to blow and rain. Our first night of camping with the girls found us in a squall putting up the tents.  This damp, windy weather was to accompany our whole journey south.

Our ride on Zealand toward the ferry to Germany, we passed through quaint hamlets nestled among countless farm fields. The small thatched roof cottages painted red or gold and the cream colored manor houses were in beautiful repair. Cows and sheep kept us company, especially a very friendly herd of bulls on a road called "old times" road (Hilary's translation). This 3 mile stretch seemed a microcosm of the Danish countryside. With thatched cottages, the friendly cows, a hillside of sheep and a stately manor house, it was a beautiful mini trip through this storybook country.

Out of our three nights cycling south, we camped twice and stayed in a Dansk Hostel once.  Our days centered on breaking camp first thing in the morning, making an oatmeal breakfast in either the campground kitchen or on girls' gas stove and checking the day's route. Of course cycling was next on the schedule. Somewhere around mid-day, we found spots to picnic; then relax a bit.  They ranged from a little park to a grocery store parking lot. Other daily activities included finding a grocery store and/or tourist information center and hanging around while decisions were made about where we would camp next.  Luckily, we all were agreeable.

We finally got to Germany after a ride on an amazing, but typical, Danish ferry.  Complete with a restaurant, cafeteria, a snack bar and three stores, you would think we were to cruise for hours, but in 1 hour and 45 minutes we were back on dry land.  And luckily, it was dry land. The rain seemed to have been left behind.

We debarked in Rostock, Germany, a port town with a big main square where we found the tourist information center.  There we learned of the Copenhagen t o Berlin bike way.  Since the girls were headed to Berlin, Eric bought Emma the book of route maps of the way. Next stop in the city was the train station for more information, a public restroom and possibly a good map.  All three were found plus a farm stand next to the main entrance where a young woman sold fresh strawberries grown locally.  They were delicious!

Our next two days in Germany were a cyclists dream. The weather though still windy was sunny.  The bike way took us through forests, fields and small towns.  We found a wonderful campground in Schwan where we ate schnitzel accompanied by excellent beer at the camp restaurant. One friendly older gentleman engaged Gen in a lively discussion neither understood with his side being in German and Gen's in English. We played on the playground after dinner and retired early to our tents. Eric had ordered the campgrounds breakfast service. Emblematic of the German take out service, the roll with cheese, butter and jam was served on white porcelain complete with egg cup for the egg, which he returned to the office when finished. No throw away garbage, there.  And so civil!

Our last night found us at the lakeside resort of Waren where we booked a hotel near the town square.  This picturesque town was the ideal setting for a final evening and morning of some relaxation.  It actually felt like a movie set, it was so perfect with half timbered buildings in pristine condition and cobbled streets.

We enjoyed the comforts of a good shower with real bath towels.  The next morning we took some time to walk about for a few souvenirs. Then with a very tearful goodbye, we hopped on our bicycles to head to the train to Hamburg as the girls hopped on theirs to head to Berlin. At last report, they had left Berlin and were nearing Prague, another beautiful city.

Photos from Parents

Photos (top to bottom): our proposed album cover for our soon to be released single; the tallest man on record statue; all of us at the famous Copenhagen little Mermaid; our fist morning departure.

Lame Update

Sorry for this absolutely lane update. We have been busy. Denmark and Germany with our parents which was a blast. Reconecting in Berlin with an old friend and shopping! New ortlieb gear (back rack bags) and maps to get us to Prague and then Munich. Let the race begin.

Photos: Em and the mermaid of Copenhagen; royal Danish guards; we are up next, adventures at Tivoli, riding in Rostock, Germany; and a short cut blockade.

Summer Fun!!!!

As many as you may know we will soon be ending our tour (late June), the question arises what do bicycle tourers do when they are not touring? When Em, Gen, and I end our tour we will soon be off to spend a wonderful four week in Maui all working different jobs at the amazing summer camp Maui Surfer Girls. http://www.mauisurfergirls.com/ This camp is truely unique, it has changed my life and the life of many people. If you have any teen girls in your life who are looking for a fun summer adventure check out Maui Surfer Girls. Read about the exciting life of Dustin and the Maui Surfer Girls here http://mauisurfergirls.typepad.com/maui_surfer_girls/

Em will be working as a van driver, which means she will have to switch from bicycle navigation to mini van navigation, driving all over Maui with a van full of teen girls, precious cargo. Gen will be working in the kitchen helping surve up healthy and delicious meals for hungry surfer girls as well as acting as videographer for surf coaching and camp film. I (Lucy) will be returning as a surf instructor, and am so excited to get back to the warm waters of Maui spreading the stoke to all the eager students. I just hope our funny bike short and farmers tans will not be made fun of too much. Georgia gets to go on a month long sailing trip from Flordia heading north, helping deliver a sailboat with her sister and her sisters boyfriend. As you can imagine leaving the adventure behind is hard to do right away.

A Month and Some Change with out a Bed

Photos (top to bottom): we passed by Lego Land, Legos were invented in Denmark, if you didn't know. Em decided we could skip over this amusement and leave it as an amazing childhood memory. Em and I visited Denmark when we were young, Em was really into legos; this is just half of the trail mix reload Em and I made, buying bulk is the way to go, we think; our Danish shelter, a free campground; our camp spot on the beach in Sweden, it is legal to camp pretty much any where is Sweden (not private property), which is really awesome and helpful for sticking on budget; on the train that travels over the Øresund Bridge which connects Malmö, Sweden with Copenhagen, Denmark. The auto and train bridge is the longest in Europe 7,845meters. Part way across the bridge it becomes a tunnel which helps avoid conflict with shipping routes and Copenhagen Airport. Bikes are not allowed, yet, the bridge only opened in 2000.

We calculated yesterday that it has been a little over a month since we have slept in a bed. This is not the longest for all of us nor do we really mind. Our sleeping pads and sleeping bags are often more comfortable than beds. However here we are in Copenhagen meeting up with my parents to enjoy a week of cycling with them before we make our final push to southern Germany.

We left off arriving in Denamrk. As soon as we started biking the rain began and the temperature dropped, the wind never stopped. Having had enough of the wind, coming predominately from the north and west, we decided to go with it. With this decision arose a problem. If we were to bike with the wind we would make it to Copenhagen way before my parents were to arrive plus we wouldn't see much of Denamrk. We decided to continue heading north with a hint of east. Miles into our late start and rainy day we stopped for lunch in a sheltered glass bus stop. We enjoyed our lunch watching the rain clouds roll over. Wet and cold we muttered to ourselves. When we sat down and thought about it we realized we were tired. We had pushed hard into the wind for a week and hadn't really gotten much rest. Sleep is what we needed. The sun poked out for a bit and we road off to the nearest campground. Em passed out for 13 straight hours.

Well rested we began again the next day with the rain still taunting us. One second blue skies and sun minuets later down pour. Clouds raced across the sky, we hid in bus stops. After our first grocery stop we discovered that Denamrk was expensive. So after one budget bulk store stock up I went to throw away our trash I re-discovered dumpster diving. Danish dumpsters are delectable. For those who don't know or might find this horrifying dumpster diving really isn't that bad. For us it is actually better, ripe bananas rather than ones we have to carry around for a couple days and the best part it is free. With a new found energy of free food we were able to push on.

We continued across Denmark taking a couple days off at a campground with a TV and English channels a luxery that we haven't had way longer than a bed. Ems bike got a bit of fixing, a necessary hub tune up. We used Internet at the library and one day decided going to Sweden might be to expensive, ferries, trains, campgrounds and new money. But the next with a push from my mom we made the decision to go. We researched, I discovered free camping in Sweden really is free and legal. Gen searched the ferry prices they weren't that bad. All we could hope was the dumpster were just as plentiful.

We arrived in Sweden and began our slow southern journey. We took four days to bike about 60 miles. We enjoyed the short days and free camping. We were even able to get in a bit of antique shopping. The wind taunted us from the south so going slow was fine. The scariest however was the day before last we arrived in a wooded reserve seconds before a storm rolled in. We quickly set up our tents and got a tarp shelter built. We flew into our tents and within seconds the lightening began. We yelled to each other is it time for lightening position? I don't know ahh? What do you think? Yes let's do it. We met up in the tarp shelter and stayed squatting for a good half hour counting the seconds between light and boom. The count was averaging around four seconds but out of no where the sky lit up and flashes zoomed around the forest. Insanely the crack was heard. Holy cow bell! That hit inches from us. We shivered in fear. Who knows how close it really was but it was close enouh to keep us sitting there counting seconds between flash and crack. After a while they lengthened and the time became ten seconds and more. One by one we returned to our tents happy we made it through the storm.

Now hopefully we can find our parents.