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September 16 Saturday Bicycle touring Germany The sky was clear as we packed up our bicycle touring equipment. Little did we know we had camped almost at the summit and were above the fogs and clouds. After a short climb we swept downhill into a swirling mass of cloud. By the time we pedalled into Klingenthal, Germany there wasn't one bit of blue sky to be seen. We wanted to ride our bikes back up above the mist. By the time we finished grocery shopping the sun had burnt off the morning mist. We merrily mounted our touring bicycles and continued on our way down the road, looking for a pleasant lunch stop. We found a great lunch stop by a little stream in Zwota, Germany. Many leaves were already taking a watery ride downstream, helping to remind us that summer is pretty much over. I thought the stream too small for fish, but I was amazed to see splashes as an errant bug floated past and was quickly gobbled. Bicycle touring in Europe continues to amaze me with my preconceived notions often being totally proven wrong. Tried to phone a hospitality family in Bad Elster, Germany, from our bicycle touring hospitality book, but there was no answer. Looks like no showers and sleeping in the tent for us tonight. Met a touring German couple, Peter and Andrea,
complete with red Ortlieb panniers. Almost all the Germans we
come across cycle touring have Ortlieb waterproof panniers. I
have spray-painted my pannier covers red- Sharon calls them Dorkliebs. Sharon and I planned on camping in the forest past Regnitzlosau, Germany, just on the west side of the old east-west German border. As we were cycling out of town toward the forest, I saw a fellow out in his yard washing his car. I stopped to ask for water. When Sharon saw that I had stopped, she pulled her touring bike to a stop about half a block ahead. The fellow asked if I wanted a coffee. I said I'd check with my frau. Sharon cycled back. We leaned our bikes against a wall and went inside his house. His wife gave us water, bottled of course, even when we insisted that water from the tap was just fine. Coffee was served along with slices of scrumptious cheese cake. Shortly thereafter, their daughter arrived with her boyfriend, Hank. She had studied languages. She spoke English very well. She told us that she and Hank were off to New York in a week for vacation. She works in Hof at the airport for a travel agency. With our water bottles filled, out the door we filed. But by now it was dark. "You have lights?" they asked. "Oh, no," we cheerily replied. "Boy, it sure is dark out here, isn't it? I hope that forest is nearby!" "Would you like to stay?" they asked. "We can't let you leave without lights." We quickly stowed our bikes in their garage. We are shown to an upstairs bedroom. Showers! This bicycle touring isn't so tough after all. "Would you like to have supper with us?" they asked. This bicycle touring in foreign countries is getting better all the time. We have a special Bavarian sauerkraut. They warn us of what they term "sauer-power." We have roast swine and potato balls. When I ask how they get the potato balls so uniformly round, Hank says they roll the potato in their armpit to make them round like that. They are delicious. I think he just doesn't want to share the potato balls and wants to eat them all himself. No chance of that with two hungry touring cyclists sitting at the dinner table. Everything was washed down with a couple of beers. Then, as a meal cap, peppermint schnapps was served. As their daughter left she gave me an fuzzy orange-haired bookworm book-marker that she had made. |
