May Day Bike Trip

We had a really nice weekend, weather-wise. Warm enough, sun enough, and a holiday to boot! May 1 is International Labor Day, a federal holiday, and this year it fell on a Monday so we all had a long weekend! Of course, us retired folks always have long weekends, but anyway...

A bike trip was in order. Actually, we did a trip Sunday as well - to town to have coffee and cake with Ilsemarie and Ulli in their sunny back yard, and then back again. A 50K round trip.

It's getting more and more important to get out and go and bike since our big trip is coming up in 5 weeks. Yow.

Monday we started from home at 10:30. E-bikes. I no longer offer apologies for the power boost. Ferry to the other side and off to Hasbruch where there is an amazingly large forest for wandering and biking and picnicking and (forest) bathing.

But first, the way.  Here, some willows sprouting their new shoots. In earlier years, they'd have been clipped and the fresh branches used to make baskets for use on the farm.

And nearby an apple tree just starting to bloom.

Most of our path was along quiet roads like this.

We arrived next in Bookholzberg and looked at an old Nazi-era open air arena, the Stedingsehre. Yowza. History in your face. This was built, out here in the middle of small towns and villages, to gather folks together to literally sing the praises of the Third Reich. It could seat 20,000 people, and was last used in 1944. The bajillions of bricks used to make the arena are succumbing to age and it's no longer safe to sit on them. Just as well.

Nearby was the remains of an old drawbridge, old variety.

Onward, but first a few blooms.

The wooded area of Hasbruch seems to go on and on, and I do think I could get lost there. Most of the area is a managed forest, but part is totally left to nature - trees fall, branches fall, and they are left there (except when they fall over the paths, of course). 

The new green is just so fresh and wonderful. I could bathe in it!

But we get hungry! We each brought something - food of course, but table cloths, linen napkins, a candle for atmosphere. Fun!

There are things to examine on the way back - a field of wildflowers,

and a stand of Milzkraut. In English, it means spleen herb (or weed, depending on your point of view), but the interwebs doesn't seem to have info on how it could be used. But our friends love to find it!

Heading back, there was a stop in Bookholzberg for ice cream, along with every other person in the neighboring countries (!!) and a stop in Bardewisch to the church, along a pilgrim route, that was unusually open! 

It's old. They had their 650th anniversary in 1986. 

Hartmut played a little song on the organ for us: The May has Come. Lovely.

On the way back we again passed through the farm area where a local horse breeder has fields and there are so many new foals. 

All-in-all, a lovely day. Riding, conversation, food, fresh air.  All good.