Cycle Tour

Sitting at my living room desk, looking out the window into my green backyard - skies are cloudy and a light rain is coming down - and I'm reflecting on my time last weekend cycling to Reicheneck. Life is awfully busy right now, with the countdown officially at 14 days, so I don't intend to write a long post. But, I do want to capture what was a spectacular time last weekend.

We had a 4-day weekend last week due to the Christian holiday of Corpus Christi. For many weeks I had debated about what to do on this particular weekend. With European borders still closed as of then, my options were limited to Germany. I had debated Dresden, or the Allgäu Alps area southwest of here for some hiking and countryside relaxation, but instead I decided to visit old neighborhood friends, Renee and Goetz Schlotterbeck in Reicheneck, Germany. And to get there, I decided to bike.

The entire journey would be about 155 miles, with moderate elevation gain. A lot of biking, but I was pretty sure I could handle it. As long as my bike didn't break down or I didn't get a flat, I figured the distance was within my reach. I think I'll summarize the trip in pictures. Here goes...

I took off immediately from work Wednesday afternoon, with my goal being Landsberg am Lech about 55 km away. The forecast called for heavy rain, but thankfully it held off. I'm excited and a little scared at this point.

A quick stop on the northern shore of Ammersee. No time to waste, though, because I wanted to reach my goal before dark. Still no rain. Chilly but dry.

I made it to Landsberg! I found a small pension and a traditional German restaurant around the corner. A quick change of clothes to make it to the restaurant before they closed. A beer never tasted so good. The owner of the restaurant sat with me for a while and gave me a book on the area to read while I ate.

Medieval Landsberg am Lech. (On the Lech River)

My room and a friend who visited me in the night. It made for a cozy night's sleep.

Heading out early the next morning. The weather's chilly and damp. A bit of mist in the air, but still no heavy rains. I've gotten really lucky.

Beautiful wheat and barley fields along the ride. This day's ride was the longest of the three. I wanted to put a bunch of miles in so that my next day could be a little more relaxed. This was a 75 mile day. The sun never came out. Stops weren't that fun because of the dampness and chill in the air. It was better to just keep biking!

In Germany, these bike routes take you directly through so many beautiful villages. These cute places are everywhere! This one is Tussenhausen. I stopped when I saw some locals taking part in a traditional Corpus Christi ceremony.

In Tussenhausen I made a couple of friends. This old gentleman, Anton, just wanted to talk with me.

This gal, Claudia, was Anton's interpreter. He dragged her over to help with our conversation. Such nice people. Throughout my travels over the past weeks, I've felt like such an anomaly. Locals are not used to seeing tourists right now, especially ones who don't speak German. They all wonder how I got here. It's amazing to travel throughout Europe and be one of the very few international visitors.

Another picture-postcard village. This one - Oberschönegg.

Stopped off in Babenhausen for a Greek biergarten lunch. Got some fish that rocked my world. The owner spent a bunch of time talking with me. He was bored. I was the only one in the whole place. Times are tough for these guys.

Spent part of the afternoon biking alongside the rushing Iller River.

I couldn't be happier to make it to Ehingen on the Danube River. I probably biked about 2 hours longer than I should've. Was exhausted by the time I finally stopped for the night. Can you see 'em? Blue skies!

Pigged out on the morning hotel breakfast. Needed all the fuel I could get.

One more - relatively easy - day to go. I had about 55 miles to get to Reicheneck. And after yesterday's 75 miles, it seemed like a breeze. Plus the sun was shining and the weather was warm - finally!

So freakin' many biking and walking trails in this country. It blows my mind!

This day proved to be the winner by far! It was a gorgeous weather day, for starters, but mostly it was the route that did not disappoint. Much of my ride was spent twisting and turning along the beautiful, meandering Lauter River. So stunningly pretty.

Biergartens and radlers are the best!

Still along the Lauter River. You can see the ruins of a medieval castle on the hill in the distance. These ruined castles dotted the cliffs above river.

I reached the summit of my ride. I had a steady, fairly easy climb all day, but after this point it was all downhill!

I made it! 155 miles later!

Renee and Goetz - old neighborhood friends from St. Louis Park - had some weissbeers waiting for me!

My beautiful home for the weekend. Renee and Goetz have an amazing house and a gorgeous garden. They treated me like royalty.

And below is my route. I am so, so glad I did this trip. It will be one of many wonderful adventures to remember from the year.