East Anglia -2

East Anglia - 2

Thursday 7th September - Tuesday 12th September 2017

 

Back in England - Thursday 7th September

After a very calm crossing Lucy arrived back in England at 6.30 in the morning. This was the first time I had to go through an immigration check since I left the UK and Lucy was trembling at the bottom of her pannier, but she got through OK. She decided that she wanted to spend a few days in East Anglia, where her Grand Viking Tour began four months ago. As I was in no hurry to rush home I agreed. She took one last look at the ferry and what little she could see of the sea, and I pedalled off towards Manningtree, where I knew there was a good cafe. It all seemed very strange, riding back on the left, sharing the road with cars whose drivers showed little respect for cyclists, and negotiating poor road surfaces. 

While I was eating breakfast in Manningtree, where I stopped on my way to the ferry and on the 'Round the Coast' ride, I studied the map and decided to head away from the main road and ride along  country lanes to go through some Suffolk villages. I also booked The Marquis, a country hotel, for the night. As it had excellent reviews I decided to splash out for a bit of luxury for my first night home.

I realised that I was very close to Flatford Mill, where Constable painted the Hay Wain, so I made a detour. When I visited it in about 1968 I was the only person there. Now it is run by the National Trust with a visitor centre, shop and restaurant, and it was swarming with people. The exhibition at the centre was very informative and I hadn't realised that Constable was born and grew up near Flatford. His father, who was a business man, owned several mills in the area, including Flatford. The light was good and you could see why Constable painted as he did. 

I had chosen well, and The Marquis was a perfect place to celebrate my first night back in the UK. 

Back in Bury St Edmunds - Friday 8th - Sunday 10th

I cycled to Bury along country lanes in heavy rain and thunder storms, but it was only the second time in four months that I had to wear waterproof trousers. The Tour of Britain went through Bury St Edmunds and the local TV news reported how bad the conditions were. I stayed there for two nights. I had a meal with Ann and Bob on Friday night, and cycled over to Great Barton on Saturday to have lunch with Jean, Dennis and Graham. Graham gave me details of a really good route to avoid the main road going back. 

There was a charity event on Angel Hill, 'Ladies Night Out', and there were hundreds of women wandering about in their pyjamas. 

Last day on the road -,Sunday 10th September

I took it very slowly through the lanes to Cambridge and stopped at several villages, as I was reluctant for the adventure to come to an end. Back in May I cycled through New Market but this time I went to visit Devil's Dyke, an Anglo-Saxon earthworks. The ditch and bank stretches in a straight line for almost 8 miles. The best place to view the Dyke is at Gallow's Hill where it reaches a height of 34 ft. 

I reached Cambridge late afternoon and cycled to the campsite where Dave and Little Annie were waiting with my van. We stayed in Cambridge to celebrate for a couple of nights before driving home. There was a Dutch student at the campsite who was cycling to Leeds to start a University course. He couldn't believe that he had to share the road with so much traffic and was finding it very hilly. I didn't like to say, "Hills, You wait until you get further North". I knew he would find them soon enough.

While I was packing up for the last time a very grubby Lucy sat on the panniers and  did a victory salute to celebrate the end of her Grand Viking Tour.

In total she covered 7,011 miles. (11,283 kilometres)

Cycling:  2,263 miles

Walking on the Faroe Islands and in Iceland: 405 miles

On ferries: 2,307 miles

By bus in the Faroes and Iceland: 1,313 miles

Flying across Iceland: 732 miles. 

Holland 3

HOLLAND - 3

Saturday 2nd - Wednesday 6th September 2017

I crossed the border into Holland and joined a lot of weekend cyclists who were enjoying the extensive network of cycle paths in Drenthe, a province described as, 'a fairly scarcely populated agricultural area'. I crossed the canal in Assen, the capital of Drenthe and the home of the Dutch TT.

Then I found my way back onto the rural cycle paths stopping the night at a small village inn where Lucy admired the little farm made by the landlord's sister.

Two days to Amsterdam

After studying the map I realised that, if I had a couple of long days on the road, it would be possible to cycle all the way to the ferry that I had booked for the 6th September. The weather was perfect and  I enjoyed pedalling on the wonderful Dutch off-road cycle paths, along dykes, past windmills, over bridges and across canals on little cycle and passenger ferries. Perfect.

One day I stopped to exchange travel stories with Nora, a Dutch long distance cyclist, who was adjusting her brakes by the roadside. She was riding a beautiful custom made Dutch touring bike. 

I told her about an elderly lady who stopped me and said that I shouldn't be riding a man's bike. Nora said that I was probably in a 'bible-belt' area where not only was I on a man's bike, I was riding it on a Sunday.

Penultimate Night

Monday 4th September

My route took me to the South of Amsterdam and I spent the night in a high-tech hotel opposite the Ajax football stadium in Zuidoost Amsterdam. An App on my phone acted as a room key, unlocked the cage where my bike was stored and even controlled the temperature in the shower. I didn't use it to settle the bill as I wanted to use some of my remaining euros. 

Final Day

Wednesday 6th September 

And so Lucy's Viking adventures were drawing to a close. The ferry didn't leave until 10.30 pm so I had all day to complete the final stage of about 28 miles to the Hook of Holland. I spent a leisurely day cycling along the sand dunes to the west of Den Haag on paths that I had used back in May when this adventure began. 

I passed a cycle park in a clearing with lots bicycles. So I stopped and parked my bike and walked along a footpath through the dunes to a beautiful beach and sat watching the wild sea. The beach was only accessible by bicycle or on foot, but there were quite a few people flying kites or swimming in the breakers. After sitting for a while I made my way to Den Haag's seaside resort, Strand Scheveningen. 

I had lunch in a beach restaurant, where Lucy enjoyed her last Dutch coffee, which is exceptionally good. She pushed the English menus to one side and insisted in ordering in Dutch for her final meal of this great adventure. 

I lingered for a bit and looked at the sculptures in an outdoor sculpture museum, Beelden aan Zee, on the prom.

About 5 miles from the Hook I stopped for my last ice cream and chatted to a couple of cyclists from Cambridge who were also getting the ferry. They told me that although it didn't leave until 10.30 you could go on board from 7.30. This is what I did and it gave me time to settle into my cabin, have a shower and something to eat and drink before the ship sailed. 

When we were going to Sweden, Lucy read that she would need a passport to get in. So she applied for European Citizenship, which was granted, and she is now the proud owner of an EU passport. But on the boat going home she was very worried that they might not let her back into the UK. I told her that she would have to hide at the bottom of a pannier and become an illegal sheep. 

I am writing this back in Birmingham, but will do one more post about the end of the tour in East Anglia, arriving home and also give a few statistics about our adventures. 

Germany 2

GERMANY - 2

Saturday 26th - Friday 31st August 2017

I crossed the border into Germany and spent a week cycling South-West through Schleswig-Holstein and Nieder Sachsen (Lower Saxony) to Holland. As the weather was fairly good, except for one day, I decided to press on and had several long days in the saddle, mainly riding on cycle paths. It was also good to be back in a country where I can speak the language, albeit not fluently, and Lucy sulked as she hasn't mastered German.

Sunday 27th August

I stopped for my first Kaffee und Kuchen at a windmill cafe which was full of  Sunday cyclists, mainly riding electric-assist bikes, and Lucy played in the garden. Then I visited some German war memorials in Schwabsted and had a meal overlooking the River Treene. Everything seemed so cheap after the prices in Iceland and Denmark. 

Monday 28th August

I cycled along ditches and canals following quiet lanes and cycle paths in Schleswig-Holstein as I made my way SW towards the Elbe. I stopped frequently to read the information signs along the way to learn more about the history of the area. Lucy was fascinated by the stories of the 'Witches of the Marshes' and read that     Meye Mühl, who was sentenced to death in 1619 for poisoning cattle and riding a black horse through the air, was one of 853 people sentenced for witchcraft in Schleswig and Holstein between 1530 and 1735.

Three days of Canals, Rivers and Ferries

Tuesday 28th  - Thursday 31st August 

I caught several ferries to cross canals and rivers, the first being a ferry across the Nordostseekanal. I sat for a while watching the traffic on this kanal and several large container ships passed by. Lucy couldn't believe that this wide stretch of water was a canal. One day the cycle path ended at a busy road junction that cyclists were forbidden to use. The map showed that the cycle path started again on the other side but I couldn't work out the best way to get there. A car stopped and the driver gave me some directions, then he spoke to a woman who was standing outside her house. She went inside and came out with her bicycle and led me about 3 kms so that I could rejoin the path. It was really good of her, everyone has been so kind and helpful while I have been away. 

I reached the Elbe on Tuesday afternoon and cycled along the banks to Glückstadt where I crossed by ferry early on Wednesday morning to cycle to Bremerhaven. It felt more like being at sea than on a river crossing as you could hardly see the opposite bank. Lucy is very proud of her Icelandic sweater and decided to wear it  on all the ferries.This is her waiting patiently for the early ferry on Thursday morning to cross the River Wesser. The Pied Piper lead the rats into this river, but I haven't quite finished the sketch of Lucy doing the same.

This ferry was a floating platform with only a chain at either end to stop you falling off. Lucy kept well hidden as she was scared of toppling into the water. 

Heavy rain - Thursday 31st August

Heavy rain and thunder storms were forecast for my last full day cycling in Germany, so I sorted out my wwaterproof trousers, which I only wore  twice on the whole trip. I suggested that Lucy looked for hers and after a lot of searching she appeared with her cape and waterproof hat to which, for some reason, she had attached horns.

Luckily I found cycle shelters on the cycle paths to eat my lunch etc and the rain stopped by the time I arrived in the pretty market town of Westerstede, where I spent my last evening in Germany. 

To the Dutch Border

Friday 1st September

The forecast was good so I set out early for a long ride through Neider Sachsen to The Netherlands. I made good progress and when I checked the map I realised that I should have enough time to cycle through Holland to catch the ferry on the 6th. Lucy loves going into new countries and insisted on wearing her orange sweater that she wore when she was supporting the Dutch ladies football team in the Euro Championships last month. 

Denmark - 4

DENMARK - 4

Saturday 18th - Saturday 26th August 2017

On the ferry

Thursday 17th - Saturday 19th August 2017 

The crossing from Seyðisfjörður to Hirtshals in Denmark takes 50 hours and for the first 24 it was very choppy so the cleaning crew were kept busy, but luckily I didn't suffer and Lucy didn't have time to feel sick. She was so busy that she didn't even sit in her usual widow seat.

 We stopped for about an hour at Tórshavn at 3am on Friday morning, but I slept theough it. When I woke up Lucy told me that she had taken a photo and been ashore to say 'Hello' to Tora at the Guest House where we had stayed. The photo shows how the nights are drawing in as it was almost 24 hours of daylight in Tórshavn when I stayed there in June.

Once when I returned to the cabin I found Lucy sitting on my bunk knitting an Icelandic sweater. I didn't even know that she had got any wool. She worked out the pattern from a postcard that I bought and I am amazed at what a good job she made of it considering that she is all  'sheep fingers'.

Finally we arrived in Hirtshals and after about an hour standing by the bikes waiting to disembark we were back on Danish soil and ready to start pedalling South. I said goodbye to the other cyclists. The Columbian student who was riding this heavily laden bike was heading for another ferry to take him to Norway and the other two were off to the station to get a train to the South of Germany. Nearly everyone I spoke to on the ferry had very long drives ahead of them to Paris, Amsterdam and London etc. as they had to get home in time for work on Monday. I was so glad I could just get off and have a leisurely cycle ride.

Nordjylland (North Jutland)

Saturday 19th - Tuesday 22nd August

As I rode off the ferry it started to thunder and rain heavily, but luckily it was just heavy showers. I managed to shelter each time it rained  so I didn't get too wet. Everyone I spoke to mentioned the dreadful summer they have had in Denmark. No hours of sunshine were recorded for the whole of July and so far August has been strong winds and storms. Luckily the children went back to school on Monday so the sun came out. I think it had more to do with Lucy arriving here and the weather has steadily improved as she headed South. But some of the off-road paths were still muddy or had streams running across them. 

 My original plan had been to keep to the coast, but I changed this and did some coastal rides and also headed inland to visit towns and learn more about Danish culture. Lucy discovered that there was a reconstruction of a Viking settlement (Vikingegården Fyrkat) at the end of the Mariagerfjord. The Vikings sailed up the fjord from the Kattegat. There is also a Viking Circular Hill Fort (Fyrkatborgen) near the village. This was completed in 980 AD by King Harald Blåtand. So I did a detour along the muddy track pictured above so that Lucy could visit them. She had a quick look, made a pot, said hello to some Viking sheep and spent the rest of her time playing in the 'Viking Playground' while I cycled up to the fort, which is very impressive, like a mini Maiden Castle. 

The Limfjord

I read a book that described Denmark as looking 'quite odd on a map' as it is mainly a collection of islands.  Jutland, or Jylland as the Danes call it, is the only part attached to mainland Europe, and even that is cut in two by the Limfjord, which the Vikings used to get from the Kattegat to the North Sea. It isn't a fjord in the geographical sense but the Danes call all inlets fjords. I rode over the Limsfyordbroen at Aalborg and digital sign told me that I was the 621st cyclist to cross that day. 

Cycling to Live, not Living to Cycle

Cycling in Denmark is a pleasure as nearly everyone cycles. The cycle paths are clearly marked and people ride bikes as a means of transport with rarely a helmet or any Lycra to be seen and car drives respect you and wait for you to pass. As they do in Germany and Holland. It took me ages to get used to cars and even buses and lorries, reversing at junctions so that I didn't have to stop. I passed a couple of cyclists lay- bys with air to pump up tyres, cycle tools, and seats and toilets. 

Apparently it hasn't always been so cycle friendly and in the 1980s Copenhagen was becoming choked with cars and the now pedestrianised Nyhavn was essentially one big car park. Jan Gehl, an urban planner, changed this and introduced open-plan streets and cycle lanes to the city. He is sometimes referred to as 'the patron-Saint of cycling'.

Legoland - Thursday 24th August 

For weeks Lucy has been dropping hints about visiting Legoland and bought some Lego on the boat to make a Lego Lucy,  but as I kept telling her, it is in the middle of the country and too far off our route. 

 

So she was really surprised when instead of cycling one day her dream came true. I hadn't told her that we were going there. She loved it, but wouldn't go on any of the rides if they didn't look as if they were made from Lego. She loved the Lego train, monorail, the Lego towns and playing in the creativity area. 

Strange Accommodation

While I was in Denmark I stayed in some strange rooms including a half-built leisure centre.  One night I think they gave me a child's room. Lucy loved it as it had bunk beds and every wall was painted with a fairy tale scene. I also stayed at an inn with a very small room and a toilet shared by about 15 people. It was less than a metre wide. The lock didn't work properly and once when I did manage to lock it I couldn't unlock it again. It took me about ten minutes to get out. 

But I am pleased I stayed there as I met Elizabeth who was cycling her daughter's bike back to Germany. We had a good chat over our evening meals and breakfast. (A message for Elizabeth: 'I hope you got home OK and were able to avoid that busy Route 11 to Tønder with all the motor homes returning to Germany. It was good to meet you.') 

And on to the German border

I spent several sunny days cycling South towards the border with Germany following cycle paths, on and off road, along disused railway tracks, quiet country lanes and occasionally on busy roads when there was no alternative route. The farmers were busy making use of the better weather and often the only vehicles I saw for many miles were agricultural ones. Many of the fields were lined with wild flowers and there were lots of butterflies. 

Wellington III BK 368

Lucy stopped to pay her respects to the memory of the crew of a British bomber that was shot down in March 1943 when Denmark was occupied by Germany.

Knallern forbudt

One day I rode for miles along a cycle route that, in my head, I was calling The Knallert Forbudt. Until Lucy suddenly raced past on a Vespa laughing at me. She said that the sign means no mopeds, but doesn't say anything about scooters. In Denmark, Germany and Holland you can ride mopeds on most of the cycle paths. 

Arriving in Germany - Saturday 26th August

And finally our time in the various Scandinavian and Nordic countries came to an end as we crossed into Germany. This was going to be the end of Lucy's Grand Tour as I had planned to go by train from the Danish border back to The Hook of Holland, but I am enjoying it so much that I decided to see how far I could cycle, and then get a train for the last leg.