Berlin to Copenhagen Bikeway Continued: Denmark Stage

Berlin to Copenhagen Bikeway Continued Part 3:         Denmark Stage

A note of exasperation before resuming the story. Bless it's little heart, Blogger is fairly user friendly and up to now has not made my life miserable. An attempt to go beyond the basic format has resulted in losing the draft twice now. After the first loss, both DW and a buddy in the tech business both advised backing up periodically in another platform- Word lends itself well to this.  Misguided optimism led to neglecting the back up step upon starting this account with- guess what.  So, here goes again after blowing off this little activity  for several weeks.

Rostock to  Nykobing Falster and Gulborg

Ferry rides have been as close as DW and I have gotten to a cruise like experience and, for the most part are a novelty for us. The ferry was, at least as large, if not larger, than the ones we've taken to cross over to Victoria BC from Anacortes. Boarding a ship this size added to the high spirit of departing for Denmark- a new country for both of us and one we had long had on our bucket list.

The group kibitzed for a bit after taking in the view of the shoreline. Sophie, who had branded me as a paparazzi at the start of the trip, turned out to be sufficiently interested in photography to use a film camera in addition to the trusty phone camera. 

We talked shop and I predicted she would take up using a rangefinder camera. We also traded posting and sharing info.

Bicycling tours, along with experiencing new places and getting some exercise in the great outdoors, also makes for opportunities to get to know people and have conversations outside of what one encounters in everyday life at work and at home. 

V, our oldest group member was legally blind and eminently qualified to have a service animal. She was retired from a career in academia as a psychologist and has done multiple bicycling tour vacations. 

Her dog was just as noteworthy. Garnet is the end product of a very selective training process. As previous mentioned she has better manners and discipline than a lot of humans. Her love and caring for her human was just touching and admirable.  

As the novelty of the ferry wore off, I felt obliged to go in the cabin and took a nap. Tired though I was, my inner clock was still sufficiently functional to have me wake up shortly before landing ashore and in time to locate the group and make our way to the van. It was great fun to see evidence of Danish character in general and signs of its bike-centricity so shortly after arrival.

The landscape was different as well-groomed forests for open farmland and shorelines which better suited my respiratory tract in its condition at that time. 

DW had been looking forward to visiting the Medieval Center (Middelaldercentret) and had been building it up as likely to be one of the highlights of the trip. I had just figured on seeing some folks in period costume and good for a few photos. There was some haggling over how much time to allow as some wanted to keep it short to have more time to go for a swim. We decided for at least an hour.  DW indeed knew her husband as with my interest in woodworking and architecture it was an absorbing experience. 

Denmark would continue to provide sufficient woodworking-centric experiences that I'll write a post specific to that in Lumberjocks. Surprise, surprise that a seafaring culture would emphasize woodworking and forging.

Surveying the fancy crowd and facilities at the Bandholm hotel, DW and I began to consider the possibility of being the underdressed rubes at dinner. When packing DW had advocated for taking coats in the event more formal attire was appropriate, but given the weather forecast and activities we favor, packing sport coats did not seem to be worth the bother. Fortunately, the Danes- at least the ones attending dinner that evening- were in casual attire.

The food was consistent with a four star hotel. D (one of our fellow cyclists) however, was most disappointed that the staff did not know how to make a proper martini. His explanation of the deficiencies was beyond my mixology ignorant grasp.

Bandholm to Mon

We arrived at Stobbekobing well before ferry boarding time. The town was sufficiently large to look for a pharmacy as I was using an albuterol inhaler pretty frequently and was hoping to add a steroid inhaler and try antihistamines for my respiratory issues. Thankfully, there was a pharmacy within walking distance from the ferry loading area. But steroid inhalers in Denmark need a prescription just like in the US and I was advised by the clerk that I should see a doctor if I felt sick enough to need one. OK. Zyrtec and saline spray are OTC, so I bought those in the can't hurt might help spirit. 
When returning the group was lining up for ice cream; anyone who has my slightest acquaintance knows that I'd have to be feeling seriously ill to pass up ice cream. 

A full day of bicycling in Denmark revealed more contrasts to the portion of Germany we had traveled through. The countryside provided plenty of photo ops as farmland so close to shore was a new visual experience for us.

While there is some evidence of the effect of time on structures, by and large the Danes have the discipline, energy and resources to keep entropy at bay. The buildings may be centuries old but there is little evidence of wear and tear.







This attention to upkeep can be seen in the vintage cars seen while riding through the countryside. The difference was striking in comparison what we saw in the former GDR. 

The rural churches were very appealing in their quality of construction, modest scale and lack of ostentation. 

Today was when we first saw small sailing ship models used as an interior motif- makes sense given the perils of seafaring especially then and even now.

Noted earlier was the scarcity of roadies in spandex zooming by. Well, we crossed  paths with the Tour of Denmark today (our paths would cross again 2 days later. One of the locals quipped that it would be a perfect day for criminal activity as all of the local police were involved with traffic control.

The days ride ended with a little hill climb to Liselund Ny Slot, a small castle restored and converted to a hotel. The climb left me gassed but I got over that once we set eyes on the hotel and grounds. Captivated by the regalness of it all, DW did her best royals wave.

                   The ever attentive Martin captured the moment.

The five course dinner that evening was among the best I’ve experienced. Unfortunately, it was followed by a particularly restless sleep. I dreamt being hospitalized and DW the following morning commented that my breathing sounded horrible. At that point, it was only a matter of time before checking in for medical care.

Mon to Praesto

Another part of the trip advertised as a highlight was the white cliffs of Mons Klint so a doctor visit was going to have to wait especially as it was a Sunday in rural Denmark. Thus off we went to Mons Klint which was indeed a spectacular sight and we were fortunate to be there on a sunny days which makes the cliffs even more striking. 

Then it was time to climb up the 497 steps.  
But, hey- I only got one “are you alright?” 

inquiry from a concerned bystander.

The vegetation along the stairway was an attraction by itself along with the graffiti along the way. In keeping with Scandinavian civility, it was confined to man-made structures and in chalk white. 

The stairs did me in however, and taking note of my bicycling speed on the way to the next town, the Freewheeling staff informed that, even though it was Sunday,  I needed a visit with a doctor. So Frank, our SAG wagon driver, and I drove off. We did not find any place open along the way. The concierge at Hotel Frederiksminde we were staying was able to make an appointment for me at a hospital ER not too far from the hotel.

Medical Tourism.

The ER waiting room was nearly empty and I met the on-call doc shortly after checking in. He was a most collegial gentleman, a fellow Family Physician, who diagnosed me as having an asthma exacerbation, which I expected, but also a right lower lobe pneumonia, which I was not expecting but in retrospect should have been obvious. Denial as a working strategy could be replaced at that point. In Denmark he noted outpatient pneumonia is treated with amoxicillin,  acknowledging that in the States, azithromycin is the drug of choice.  “You’re the doc” was my reply, although I did nudge him to prescribing a short course of prednisone as that was going to be more helpful in improving my exercise tolerance in the short term. 

Insightful gentleman that he was he made no suggestions regarding activity restrictions and I did not ask. Turns out that he travels to Florida for CME courses almost yearly. His medical bag had almost immediately caught my attention. 

He was quite proud of it noting it had been in his family for three generations. He slightly ruefully noted there not be a fourth as his sons had gone into dentistry.

I had resigned myself to a rather stiff charge, being an ER visit on Sunday. He cheerfully noted that my medicines were from the samples supply as he did not want me to risk not starting treatment if I could not find a pharmacy open on Sunday. The cost of the visit under the “tourist fee" was the equivalent of $40.00. Like earlier noted, a most collegial fellow.

Recounting the experience with my woodworking friend in Copenhagen, he noted that Europeans dread the prospect of becoming ill while in the US as our hospitals have a reputation as being downright predatory. He did note that when he became ill and received treatment in New York, his bill was pretty manageable. He joked however that for the next several months he dreaded going to his mailbox in fear of finding an “adjusted” final bill along with extradition papers.



When meeting up with DW and the rest of the group, they informed me that, while I had only missed 34 Km of the route, they had to deal with rain and a headwind.  Oh, well.
I made sure to thank the concierge at Hotel.
Another great meal this time as our hotel had a Michelin starred restaurant. We were served in a separate dining room which left some of us wondering if due to our informal attire we had been segregated from the more elegant dressed guests. WTH, it was a great dinner and breakfast even though they kinda went overboard on the taxidermy.

Praesto to Koge

Another day of well cared for, scenic and relaxing (seldom encountering motor vehicles). DW was most patient with me in my suboptimal state and I was relieved in a way to have an explanation for my pokiness. Another reason it was great to have V in our group was being able to draft a tandem.

Interesting sights along the way were the immaculately maintained thatch roofs

And an over-sized chess board set on a boardwalk- I’d venture to say small to nonexistent chance of finding this in a US beach town.

There was also what appeared to be a decommissioned barracks and a large estate both of which had atmosphere reminiscent of The Shining.

Also along the way was another, smaller area of limestone cliff, also accompanied by a stairway; mercifully not as long as yesterdays.

We also had another crossing with the Tour of Denmark. This time we had time to stake out a good viewing spot, were provided with noisemakers and got into the spirit of things.

I made sure to get a photo of the Lanterne Rouge (I could relate).

We began to feel a bit nostalgic as this would be our final group dinner. Our meals together were one of the many great memories of this trip.

Koge to Copenhagen

The wistfulness developed further our last day. Our stalwart Freewheeling guides gave us our T-shirts (great company, but some of us would prefer a, em- more understated design) that morning  and we took our group photo at a location Martin chose.

We then had our last swimming break. In my state of health at the time I passed but DW joined in the fun.

The countryside gradually became the Copenhagen suburbs. I was not subtly reminded by a roadie in spandex whizzing by that side by side riding was verboten (in English of course but with a German affect). Once in Copenhagen, other members of our little group were educated in no uncertain terms by the locals on bicycling etiquette.  Duly educated and a bit stressed with the abrupt transition mwe arrived at our hotel.

Just a few doors from the hotel was a bike shop which  displayed a bike with the local heritage.

Berlin to Copenhagen Part Two. Bikeway: Mecklenburg Stage

Berlin was a wonderful experience and our stay there too short. As our time there was coming to an end we were already  making plans to return. Much as we were enjoying the city, the impending start of the bike trip leg of our trip began to intrude our thoughts. For us we had planned the 

trip, Berlin and Wetzlar were appetizers, the bike tour was to be the main course and Copenhagen  dessert. The bike tour's title was Berlin to Copenhagen but we were to meet our group in Neustrelitz. Boarding the train at Berlin HBF we were struck by the number of bicycles on board. 

Turns out, the Berlin to Copenhagen bikeway is a major tourist activity. and Neustrelitz, while not part of  the bikeway route serves as a regional train access point. Seeing the wide age, relaxed attitude

and BMI range of the cyclists on board, we began to wonder- what would our fellow tour travelers and guides be like? Kinda like first day of school low grade anxiety. Out of several tours, we've onlyhad one suboptimal experience (great guides, high-maintenance-roadie mindset fellow riders). Otherwise, the company of our fellow bicyclists and guides have made for great memories and are one of the many reasons why bike tours are our favorite vacation format.

Whatever worries were accumulating, were promptly resolved. As we stepped out of the train station street entrance, a millennial couple having figured out we were likely part of the Freewheeling tour walked up to introduce themselves. We then met one of their parents also on the tour and then two other solo members. All of us had been on multiple bike tours and were of a similar mindset about what we enjoyed about them: the degree of engagement  compared to other forms of travel, the company of fellow cyclists, being physically active while at the same time speed/watt output not the priority, good food and nice places to sleep.

We traded bike trip stories and other get acquainted small talk thinking we would be waiting awhile for our van given that we arrived two hours early. The van, however arrived about a half hour later.

On the way to our hotel, the guides filled us in on the remaining group members- an elderly lady who was legally blind and an additional company guide who would ride with her on a tandem. Another bike tour first- two riders had opted for e-bikes. 

Germany

Neustrelitz is a regional tourist attraction in its own right. There's an interesting mix of urban redevelopment consistent with Germany's prosperity along with plenty of reminders of not so benign neglect of many parts of the former GDR.

It was reassuring in a way to see the locals express themselves,although not as proficiently

or as artistically as Berliners.

Some of our group were up for a swim, thus Zeiker Lake was suggested as an activity and a should see item even if not up for a dip. It made for a nice walk and a contemplative setting.

Neustrelitz to Waren

In addition to another tour guide, our senior member provided yet another bonus, her service dog who promptly became a center of attraction and was very much one of the gang. Garnet's manners, discipline and disposition would put any number of humans to shame.

The train ride to Neustrelitz served as a good preview of the bikeway- relaxed riders, family oriented and mostly car-free. One of the contrasts observed in seeing cyclists in general on this trip was the scarcity of roadie culture. One of the irritating aspects of American's approach to physical activity is how wound up people get about it, especially the roadie crowd. As a result, Americans are either professional wannabe athletes or sedentary. Contrast this to the presence of  young and old, BMI's from the low 20's to the 30's, and mostly on modestly priced bicyles, but out in large numbers and it seemed often as families or other social groups.

Day 1 was, to quote our direction sheet, on quiet roads and rural farmlands.  

Our last bike vacation was self-guided. It was a great treat to have three guides, Sophie on the tandem, Frank,  an avowed, self described non-cyclist manning the sag van and Martin, who seemed to generate duplicate at the front of the back, then bringing up the rear, then socializing with the middle pack.

Waren was another small lakeside town with an appealing mix of well-worn and renovated. It was happily busy in tourist season. A great benefit of the bicycling tour format is not having to book hotels during the high season. One of our favorite vacation activities is checking out the local bookstores. Even in Berlin and in Copenhagen, there was so much to do and see that we did not get to do much of that during this trip

This is as close as I got to addressing our bookish bent during the bike tour. As far as reading, the relaxed pace, frequent stops for photo-ops and long, social dinners combined  with a decrease in stamina from what I initially thought was an asthma flare-up due to dusty country roads and the prevalence of smoking in the former GDR made for early bedtimes.

There was more tobacco smoking in Berlin than what I normally have to deal with (basically none in my usual surroundings). It was even more prevalent in these small town and harder to avoid.

It seems one of the legacies of the former communist culture- the memo that smoking is a health hazard arrived much later in this part of Germany. 

Waren to Gustrow

As a tourist one usually is exposed to the more accessible destinations- large cities or resort areas. Here was a more isolated and, while still very scenic and tranquil, more economically modest. East German cars hold an attraction in part as another GDR legacy. 

Like many other material aspects, the
cars were not as well maintained
in the rural former GDR













compared to the former GDR
as a tourist attraction.











The degree to which the land itself was cared for, however, was impressive. Granted, we were on a major tourist attraction; still how well the roads were maintained and marked was a contrast to what we have in the States. Note the e-bike zipping by ever so effortlessly.

The forest trial roads even though not paved could have been driven on 28c road bike tires, although

30-32c would have been optimal. Hopefully Freewheeling will transition to the newer road bikes with clearance for wider tires and drop handlebars. Apropos, I had requested drop bars on this trip and was offered that option but with a different route in some sections as the drop-bar equipped bikes had skinny tires. I went with the standard bike so as to conform to the mean. It was reassuring to find out that another group member had made a similar request for much the same reasons- old cyclotouristes think alike.

The meticulously groomed German forests brought to mind Trump's admonishment of how last summers California forest fires could be have been avoided.  How to pay for that was a detail  left out given the GOP's disinclination for government spending for the public good or a legacy for future generations.

Gustrow to Rostock

Sophie had promptly (day 1) labeled me as a paparazzi . Indeed one of the many attractions of bike tours combining photography and bicycling. To put in perspective, not too many PBP anciens took  two cameras along with them; one of many reasons I barely finished the ride on time. Taking photos is kind of a Fartlek activity when done in group rides- stop, take a photo, then pedal fast to catch up.

As it turned out, most of the group were shutterbugs (Sophie included) and we stopped often for photo-ops. This was fortunate, my respiratory tract being sub-par, as it did not take much added effort to catch up or several of us stopped to take in the sight.

A variety of roadside attractions.



















Before arriving to Rostock, we had fun negotiating this terraced ramp.

Martin our intrepid tour leader was the only one able to negotiate all the turns w/o dismounting.







Churches along with libraries have always held an attraction being cultural artifacts of the highest level yet accessible to and used by the general public. Below is a striking church interior scene- a peek into the mindset of a time and people.

Our hotel was close to the beach which gave it and the surrounding area more of a beach town feel.

We were on our own for dinner that evening. Our priority was healthy food in a quiet, no-smoking setting as my coughing and wheezing were getting worse. Asthma had been severe as a kid, but is now pretty much a thing of the past, except in certain environments. Turns out Northern Germany with dusty roads and lots of second hand smoke was one of them. Fortunately we had brought two inhalers. Finding a restaurant with said criteria in a tourist beach town setting took a while. we made our way in a circular direction and were headed back somewhat dispirited to our hotel when we found what we were looking for less than two blocks away from the hotel. If we had started in the opposite direction, we could have dined at least a half hour earlier.
Due to an order mix-up we wound up having a glass of wine and a glass of port with dinner. A serendipitous event, our very pleasant experience and account of it to our group the next day resulted in port being part of dinner by us and others  on several occasions there after.

In addition to being hungry, the delay in eating dinner was irritating because we wanted to return to our hotel in time for sunset as we had scoped the hotel after cleaning up and found it to be a great location for that. It was a bit rushed but we made it on time.

To be continued...