Visiting the old homestead

Since February and the pacemaker, my physical activity had been severely restricted. Mid-April I was allowed to resume biking on a limited scale and then when they gave the full go-ahead in May, it was almost time for our US visit.  SO:  I have not been biking so much for 6 months.

We have done a couple of 15-20K trips, but that is child's play when it comes to taking a real trip.  So we planned a visit to Affinghausen and the relatives there.

But not from home!  That would have been about 60K (38 miles) one way!  So we took the train to Syke and then biked to Affinghausen, about 45K round trip.  I can do that.

The beginning however was not auspicious.  Really solid gray overhead..

We had a guide, and maps of course, but since the guide was more colorful both with pictures and the description, we tried that first.  But we soon found the description was about impossible to follow and we did a lot of guessing at the beginning of the trip. Not fun.

 Regardless, we found a way even though it wasn't the way they explained.

We started at the old city hall, a nicely restored building that anchors other newer structures.

 And then along the River Hache, which is a lot more like a stream in most places.

See the little blue domes in the background?  They manufacture gas from organic materials and the corn in the foreground is part of that mixture.  The results of the production are still out, but at least it is renewable.  Germany keeps getting rid of their nuclear facilities and this is part of the replacement for that energy production.

If you really blow up this pic, you can see that the sign says that this was the entrance to an air raid shelter in WWII - out in the middle of NO WHERE, but across from a small rural school. It's a museum now, but only open one Sunday a month in the afternoon for two hours. We missed that.

So, remember that pic of me standing in the middle of a field of yellow flowers?  That's what it looks like now. The canola seeds are ripening so the plants are really dry and not so pretty.  They'll be  harvested soon.

Onward.  What a great shed here at a little crossroads.  The field hadn't been cultivated this year, but last year's sunflowers had left their traces along with the borage.  The butterflies were ecstatic.

Here was our lunch spot.  See the bench??  Hard to make out, but it's there.  This building was part of a group of sheds built outside the village of Neubruchhausen where the straw and such was stored.  These would sometimes spontaneously combust, so the distance from the houses kept the residents a bit safer. That was 1610 or so.  Yes, 1610.  These oak beams are well preserved!

And on to Affinghausen. Shortly before you get there, there's this old windmill, now missing its sails and totally converted to a home.  It looks great and decidedly different from the first time I saw it 20 plus years ago, decrepit and unloved. 

 

 A short stop in Nordwalde and the gravesite of Werner's mother and brother.

And finally in Affinghausen, sitting with the relatives and enjoying the blue sky!!  Coffee and cake was not bad, either.

Heading back to the train station in Syke, we passed this old mill.  Sadly, it looks way beyond salvage! But it is picturesque. 

And the fields! There was rye (here) and wheat and barley and corn.  Everything's about ready to be harvested and some has already been put away and the straw cut and baled.

It was a good day.  Not toooooo very strenuous and though it was a good 50K altogether, we took our time and enjoyed all the sights along the way.