Austin to Rockdale, Tx (Sunday 10/18) 52 miles  12.6 mph  7:30-12:30

A new adventure w/new companions. Never completed San Juan, bike East Coast, Norway or bike Germany to Denmark. Good intentions for this trip- AUSTIN to DeRIDDER, La. MARY RUTH (70) has dreamed of biking to DeRidder to visit her 96 yr old father. KORY, KAREN W & ME (all friends & triathletes) are joining her-their 1st time for this long of a trip. Armand is sad-he’s driving to New Iberia to visit family & picking us up on Fri.

Leave house at 7:00-still dark. Armand is leading us out of town-really wants to join us. Say good by-he bikes home to play golf. Bring up rear-they have been training-not me-can’t get up early to bike. Stop in little town for donut-next town 2 donuts & ch milk-feel better. Mary Ruth falls off bike in parking lot-skins knee. Now trying to keep up w/Kory. Difficult-head wind. Get to Rockdale-take picture. Comfort Inn lets us check in at 12:30. 4 women-4 bikes-we all fit-I get tub 1st-& get to wash clothes. Eat dinner at the Ranch-closed but lot us in. Walk to WalMart. Have trouble w/internet-lose blog. 9:00 & time for bed. Tomorrow is another day.

Armand,me, Kory, Mary Ruth, Karen W.
Starting our adventure

My yellow bike, Karen, Kory, Mary Ruth

NYOBING TO STEGE/KELDBY  8/11 (TUES) 50 miles 9:00-4:30

Lots of thunder & rain last night. Off to late start. Beginning of ride easy-like Denmark. We ride beside the Baltic Sea-camera jumps out of front bag into puddle. Stop to take 1 beach/sand picture. Armand doesn’t want me to get close to water-V & W bike by. Stop further up-she’s in the sand too. Go up to meet them-they take us by the water. Now I trip & drop camera in sand. Camera won’t close-full of sand. Verna swims every day-doesn’t put face in water & wears bike helmet. Get back on trail-voice asks-are you really from TX? Yes. We spent some time in AUSTIN. Can’t believe it-we live in Austin. Jacklyn & Jelle are from Netherlands (we had foreign exchange student from there) & spent 5 yrs in Africa-helps build food manufacturing plants. They’re on road bikes-pumping hard to keep up so we can visit. Only on trails now because it’s so windy on rd. Go through forest-never have seen 1 deer or wild animal. Hills-not easy biking-couple stops for coffee. 75 % of the time we are alone-unbelievable feeling of having all this to yourself. Rarely even see people or. cars in little towns. Get to ferry-V & W there, FR come up. Armand offers them M&M-wife takes 1-he says you can’t just eat 1-he’s right. Jacklyn bikes up-visit on ride to island. Can’t remember much, but really tired & just wanted to get to hotel for a nap. 4:40-we’re there-golf course next door. Suddenly I have energy-how much? She calls-can rent clubs but need to start at 5:00 if we want to play. Put suitcases in room, change clothes & get out clubs by 5. Nice course by lake-no waiting on any hole-lots of par 5’s. Finally see our 1st wild animal-hare on #6. Took notebook/computer to take pictures because camera doesn’t work. It’s gone-dropped it someplace. Later man calls out-he found it. Would be a very tragic  day to lose notebook & all evidence of trip. Verena comes out on course-saw my pink hat-takes our picture. Finish at 8:30-now I’m tired. V & W in restaurant-visit. Can barely get up & limp to room. Write email to my Mom since I ‘m not sending postcards.

ROSTOCK to NYKOBING, DENMARK 8/10 (MON) 9:00-3:30 25 miles

Best breakfast, omelette made to order, pancakes, fruit, muffins. Sat next to a man born in NY, went back to Germany & stayed. Said they loved Americans & didn’t want them to leave. Short ride to ferry-enjoyed 2 hr trip w/Verena & Wes. Can’t believe how many 18 wheelers & cars fit on the ferry. Had to pay 38 Eur because our voucher was canceled-we’re the only ones. Cool & windy ( 65-75). Went pass fields of lettuce & saw more wind power mills. Made it to Hotel Liselund. Small room, big window looking out on yard-1st time the SINK IS IN THE SHOWER! The towel is a little bigger than a wash cloth. Menu is very expensive-I go to little store buy chips, coke, & danish for dinner. Go out on nature trail pier-man goes past & jumps in lake & swims away. Go back to hotel-French are here-2 are brothers, one of the wives elementary teacher, don’t own bike-just take biking adventures. Eat dinner at hotel w/our good friends now. Armand has tiny bowl of weak tomato soup ($10), few veggies ($20)-I watch. Go back to room, eat chips & watch documentary on atom bomb in English.

GUSTROW to ROSTOCK, GERMANY  8/9 (SUN) 8:30 to 2:30 only 30 miles

Not in a hurry today-Armand has gotten bikes out of garage & made 3 trips down 50 steps with luggage. Tour bus left  by 8:00. Finally ready-man asks me where we’re from-TX. Says-I was in AUSTIN-at BERGSTROM AFB. We’re from Austin. Also in Sacramento-learning to fly jets & then Austin for phantom jets. Small world-my dad in Army & they sent him to Germany. Get to Schwaan-Verena & Wes sitting at table-stop for delicious sweet rolls-cold coke-hot chocolate. Wind is more a factor today & cool 75. High point is house with Statue of Liberty & American flag out front. Big yard w/4 BUFFALO, 2 CAMELS, GOATS, SHEEP all together-it was better than a zoo. Also met Nina & Brooks (Swiss) when we stopped & they were picking little plums off trees. Staying at Raddison Blu tonight-great room, air conditioning, tub, 4 pillows & for Armand 1st hotel that has wash cloths! Impressive East German town-large-has Pizza Hut, Mc D, Burger King-we choose Subway. See Wes-tell him how wonderful our room is- they’re at another hotel, small, no ac.

KRABOW am SEE to GUSTROW, GERMANY 8/8 (SAT) 25 miles 8:30 to 12:30

Worst bkft so far-make sandwich. FR bikers here-practice my little bit of FR-say-I think it’s going to rain today. Start speaking to me- that’s all I know. I do say good by & I’ll see you later. My favorite day so far. Absolutely smooth paved rds & bike paths-forest, fields, horses & a cat in the middle of our path. Stop for picture-hear voice-smile TOMMY! Man is mowing yard-take his picture too- prettiest yard so far. Tommy comes over & rubs my leg-rolls over so I can pet him. Get to lake-lots of people-can’t get through because a TRIATHLON is going on (sprint & Olympic  distance) Swim is finished & bikers are just coming in-starts to rain. Watch for awhile & bike on rd to hotel. Can’t check in-bike into town. Stop & feed my sandwich to ducks–swans swim over & push ducks away. Biker comes over-it’s the lady we saw yesterday with the DOG-she recognized my TX shirt & remembered I took her picture. Zerca? (46) & Ralph have 5 kids ages 18 to 23 & it’s their 1st vacation alone. Son gave them his dog Powel 3 yrs ago & now he goes with them. Take their picture again & she lets me feed the dog. Dog usually walks 6 ķ & rides the rest. She works with cancer patients in hospice. See our other friends on castle wall-go take tour & go back to Hotel Am Tierpark. No elevator-50 steps to room- eat buffet. Watch Tom & Jerry in German. Good Day.

WAREN to KRABOW AM SEE, GERMANY  8/7 (FRI) 55 K (33 miles) 8:30-5:00

See our friends at bkft-take pictures as we leave. Pass huge camping area-take picture of giant propeller-company makes largest in the world for ships. Take side trip to buffalo reserve-open at 10-feed buffalo at 11. Buffalo can tell time & don’t come in early so we leave. Now in National Forest again on a  very rough & difficult to bike dirt trail for over 3 miles-listen to music but it doesn’t help. Pass a couple pulling kid cart behind them-can’t believe it-there’s a DOG IN THERE! Take picture-can’t imagine taking DOMINIC. Finally get out, stop in little town & eat sandwich. All kinds of trails again-pass lots of fields. Stop at lookout-climb up to top-see lake-famous poet said  view was next to paradise-start to take picture of OR-yells wasps are here! The poet has not been here lately or seen the FJORDS OF NORWAY! Come to a GOLF COURSE & HOTEL BY THE LAKE. I think we have arrived in paradise. How much? 95 EUR for 9 holes, clubs, balls & cart. Just need to get off bike. Our friends bike in-they get to stay here. Course is beautiful-only ones playing. Even have herd of white cows beside lake on one hole. Finish & bike 6 miles to Hotel An der Seepromenade by the lake. No one speaks English-nothing for Armand to eat. Find grocery store-have TRADER JOES fresh salad, potato salad & TJ even makes muffins, nuts & 2 warm cokes. Eat in our hot room-no internet-my least favorite hotel (except the hostel) so far.

WAREN, GERMANY  8/6 (THURS) 8:00 to 3:30–45 miles  85 & sunny

OR went to breakfast alone again-he was 1st one. Tables all set w/white table cloths & lit candles. Have fruit & juice-make sandwich for lunch. Our group stays at different hotels-ours furthest out of town. Put my music on-started yesterday when I needed a diversion. We’re in the forest again-good trails-have it all to ourselves. Rds & bike paths much better today. Brick paths-amazing-10 across & can go on for miles-very easy to bike on. We stop at dairy farm-must be 100 cows in barn. Babies are in separate little huts-like we saw in VA. Stop at glass shop-unbelievable cheap prices & beautiful pieces. Our friends ( Verena & Wes) bike up-we go in for something to drink-have another coke. Wes reaches over & touches a dirty spot on her shirt. I laugh-tell them that Armand is always finding dirt on me. Like a little dirt matters when we wear the same clothes every day. See llamas across street when we leave. There’s a lake too-Verena goes for a swim. Most of the day we traveled through the MURITZ NATIONAL PARK. WAREN is a niçe town-Hotel Am Yachthafen is right on the lake. Nice room with tub-get cleaned up & go to museum-we have free voucher. Eat at pizza parlor for dinner-have 2 more cokes. OR has pasta. Really starting to miss ice & regular water. Sleeping w/windows open-can hear music & cars driving by.

NEUSTRELITZ, GERMANY 8/5 (WED) 30 miles 9-3:00-can’t pronounce any of the towns. Up at 7:45-enjoy breakfast together. Short but difficult biking & extra miles because OR (he’s back to wearing his OR shirt) had trouble w/directions. Start on hilly rough trail through forest-pass OR-group of French bikers from group here too.  Can’t see OR-finally stop & wait-FR stop too. I finally turn & go back a long way-see him. FR lady’s chain came off & got stuck-OR helped her. Biked on every surface imaginable today-paved, gravel, dirt, sand, brick, cobble stone-narrow & nice. In shaded forests, past lakes, corn & sunflower fields & a reindeer farm. Stopped for donuts & coke in small town-lots of families /little kids out biking-no bike lanes but cars go around. Most of time we have sidewalks beside rd. Get into town to Royal Inn Park Hotel-nice room-take shower & nap-OR reads. Bike downtown for dinner-Asian Buffet-walk around center which has 8 rds from different directions intersecting. OR fell asleep watching women’s golf in German while I finish this. Tomorrow our longest day. Our friend Jean is doing this tour in a few weeks-she will love today because she mountain bikes & is an expert reading maps.

NEUGLOBSOW 8/4 (TUES) 75K or 45 miles 8:00-4:00

He’s up at 6-stay in bed til 6:30. He goes to bkft alone-he brings bags down & gets bikes-I finish eating. We leave bags in hall & someone picks them up & delivers them to next hotel. He gets on bike-I look up & he’s gone. Bike in front of hotel-he’s left me! Start biking down the street-have NO idea where I’m going-turn around. Here he comes-ask why I left? He had to turn key in-miss our turn because he’s talking to me about staying close. Go back-find turn. Paved, tree covered bike paths most of day. Bike  by canal & couple of small towns. Stop in MILDENBERG-tour brick museum-after WW ll-6,000 East Germans worked here making bricks-most sent up canal to Berlin-largest brick factory in Europe at the time. See very few animals in fields or people-beautiful day. Stop for bratworst-he eats fries. Last path into town very bumpy-jars every bone in body. Find hotel-bikes have their own garage. Only 2 restaurants-see couple from tour-she speaks Ger-reads menu. Verena (Swiss) & Wes (Canadian) now live in Tasmania, Australia-enjoy our dinner w/them. Dinner-$40-don’t even want to know how much my 2 large Cokes (no ice) cost. Breakfast at 7:30 tomorrow-short day.

Slow to get up-busy day. Walk 20 min to bus stop to catch HOP ON & OFF bus tour-forgot camera-walked back to hotel & back again. Ride 1 hr-get off at part of BERLIN WALL-painted murals on wall. Get something to eat-pick McD-terrible. Continue on bus-stop & tour JEWISH MUSEUM-excellent & thought provoking for 2 hrs. Finish bus ride-walk to hotel-walk 20 min to train station @ 4:20. Train-bus because track under construction-train to Oranienburg. Not sure where to go now-ask for directions-couple says they’re going that way but it’s a 25 min walk! No problem-they speak English very well. Get to hotel at 6:00-which was time to pick up bikes-we’re the last ones. Get our bikes & maps for tomorrow-everyone is on their own. Very nice hotel-1st one with air conditioning-wonderful tub. Armand is snoring with all lights on. Forgot to mention dinner-grocery store across hotel-loaf of chocolate chip bread, coke (can’t believe I have several a day-don’t like coke at home) & gummy bears.