May 1st Bike Tour

May 1. International Worker's Day, Labor Day, federal holiday here in Germany and most if not all European countries.  A day off in the middle of the week this year.  Like July 4 in the US, this day is not bundled with a weekend - it is always THE day, though of course workers love it best when it falls on a Friday or Monday and hate it when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday!  No extra day off when that happens.

Way a long time ago, we went to demonstrations and gatherings, but these days, not so much.  But it is a Day Off and we try to do something a bit special.  This year, a bike trip with friends to the Arboretum in Berne.

I'd never heard of the place.  But it was bike-able - only about 20K there, 40K round trip. I can do that (and I had better since we're planning our next summer bike trip!).  But the weather.  Man!  We had a bit of springish weather and then it got cool again and it has stayed cool.  We needed extra layers and the fact that Mr. Sun was playing hide-and-seek didn't help.

Regardless, off we go.

Over the river and through the villages.  First break,  Bardenfleth. It definitely qualifies as a village.

A May Pole!  It is such an old tradition here in Germany.  It seems to be something that smaller communities cling to. I'm not sure how big the community of Bardenfleth is - maybe 400 people. The party was the night before (because you "Dance in the May"), so the beer stand was still there.

The church there is more than 800 years old - not all of course the current building, but it's from at least 400 years ago.  That aside, it is just amazing that there is this community, so very small, that has kept itself together for hundreds and hundreds of years.

We arrive at the Arboretum and I am shocked - SHOCKED! - to discover it's only a few kilometers from the Storchenstation that we've visited so many times and I have never heard of it.  Actually, I'm more embarrassed than shocked.

Wow.  It looks so modest when you first arrive.  A country house, a front yard, a side yard and then...a whole new world of trees and bushes and perennials open up.

The gardens go on and on and there are so many paths bordered by boxwood hedges.  Sometimes it's really trimmed, sometimes more natural. Here, rain of petals.

We enjoyed it, every bit.

Just 5K or so afterwards, we hit Berne and a café where we had a leisurely talk with coffee or tea with some lovely cakes.  Ahh.  We got to really warm up before heading back into the cool!!

Then there was the biking home, which was actually pretty easy.  It's flat here.

I'm ready to go back, but when it is warm and sunny!!