Postings from Germany

Sunday Ride

It turned out to be not awful today, weather-wise.  OK, even.   Pretty good, even.  It has been awful of late - very, very cool, lots of gray and lots of wet.  Wet does not necessarily mean rain, since wet comes in so many different forms here.  I think sometimes that north  Germans have as many words for rain as Inuits have for snow.

The sun was between the clouds but after sooooo long being cooped up, we opted for a bike ride.  Werner had bought a new frying pan for Mutti (she seems to burn them out regularly!) and when he saw the direction the wind was blowing, he said Let's bike to town and take Mutti the new pan and have coffee and cake and then take the train home.   OK!  What a great idea!  The coffee and cake thing will always get me going.

It wasn't a very different route than usual (though it's easily been 6 months since we did this), but in the last year or so a new trail has opened between Lemwerder and the Octum right along the Weser.  Before, we had to bike through villages and neighborhoods - very pleasant - but this is nice too.  From our house to hers - about 25K.

Just on the other side of the river, we noticed a new tower - climb up and get a view . Of course, we did - that's something special since getting a view isn't easy to come by in our flat land. Here's a picture from the top of the tower that we could feel swaying in the wind.

And here's a view of the wind - demonstrated by a sailboat on the Weser tacking up-river.  Heel!

This was by far the our easiest and quickest trip ever to the city with a strong wind at our backs. 

Being out and moving was such a pleasure.  The smells are so fresh - lilacs are blooming along with apple and pear trees and the grass and ground reek green.  We've waited a long time for this.

It's Sunday, so the bakeries are not open, but the Airport is; they have to serve the travellers so they always have a selection of goodies regardless of the day or hour.  Mutti had the coffee ready and we sat and snacked and talked for a while.  She always has a story or two to tell and of course she enjoys the company.

But it was time to head back, so we biked to the Main Station and got there in time - we thought - for our train back to Vegesack.  We always look at the display of Departures even though the train to Vegesack is (almost) always on Track 5.  But Vegesack wasn't on the display at all - it was a weird sensation.  What's wrong?  Why isn't it there?  It was as if something had gone a bit off in the world. 

Then we read the ticker beneath - that with the red circle.  All trains between the main station and BremenBurg are cancelled due to work on the rails. NOT good news for my legs or my rear end. But there was no choice.  Back  on the bikes.  Bike on and on and on.

And please remember - the wind.  The wind.  We had it with us going to town and it was against us now.  The quick trip to became the long trip back.

Perseverance is key and thank goodness there's always Werner to keep me going, the half-full-glass guy to counter balance my half-emptiness.  We made it to the interim station and got to sit and be carried the rest of the way home. 

And who can rightly complain?  Sunshine.  No rain.  Fresh air.  Cake and coffee.  Nice company. 

It was a Good Day.  Hope yours was as pleasant.