to bremen
spent a few days in colone. The idea was to have to beginning of the tour a bit more easy and relaxed so my body can get used more easily to what im asking from him. Started later then expected so I had to push it and moved the rest days to cologne. Two additional days to the ones planned gave me enough rest to tackle the Ruhrgebiet.
The densely settled area after colone with its former spelunking glory.
Think about moria from lord of the rings. The people made a profession there to harvest the earths rare minerals and coal.
The switch away from coal might have given the ppl there a better health and much cleaner air but is hard for them as their jobs have been connected even deeper then ones of farmers to their soil.
Spoke to people there and what they told me is that they went into retirement with 45. For most of them it meant looking for an alternative to make a living.
day 8
From cologne I went towards Essen trying not to go through the big towns like Düsseldorf - merely passing their outskirts while looking for a good middle ground.
The direct route would have a lot more elevation, the rhine river would take me to far west. So its a bit of town, settlements, and my first ferry on the tour - crossing the rhine river.
Went into forest areas on the way to Essen passing Ratingen, a bit of the Angertal to Kettwick, where I followed the river named Ruhr to a campsite.
It was quite late when getting there, after searching for good spots to raise my tent along the path I gave in and used the campground, with all of its benefits - more about that later.
The beginning of the day was quite boring, not much to see after leaving colone and entering settlements with houses after houses with little variation. The more you get to Ruhr the more attrative the landscape got. Was quite nice actually :)
The benefit...you get hungry, had not much with me and at the campsite was an italian restaurant and still open. Kitchen was closed but Seniore Enzo didn't want to leave me hungry and made me a vegetarian dish.
Gnocchi with a filling and a cream souce. A simple dish, made with perfection. The gnocci alone would have been an outstanding taste, soft, creamy - one of the best italian dishes I had in years, accompanied by a few slices of warmed up dark bread - Thank you Enzo for opening your kitchen. He was a bit rough and edgy but opened up very fast. He takes pride in his cousine and his price tags too...😏 He is an artist so nothing to complain😋
day 9
Drove past Castrup-Rauxel and met Thomas and Heike on the fields. They been walking their dog and I thought why not ask them if they know a good spot on the fields to place the tent - what a spot they knew about...
Turned out Thomas is a fellow biker (road & MTB), so they looked at each other and decided to grand me hospitality in their garden close by.
So I went with thomas to their home, before i knew it I had a offer for a warm shower that couldn't ne refused and was allowed to put the tent up on their balkony. We had a nice talk that evening and the next morning an amazing m breakfast together with an outstanding view on to the fields and their nicely cared after garden.
Heike and Thomas - thanks a lot for your amazing hospitality 😊. You've been my first invitstion to a home on a bikepackong trip 🙏
@Thomas: Hope you have a great time with your friends crossing the alps.
day 10
Well rested and equiped with a care package I drove through the Münsterland. Mostly flat, fields and lush greens sprinkled with trees and populations of deer. Passed little villages until the road took me through Latbergen:
The Latbergen story
After eating on a bench the road diverged from the Dortmund-Ems canal going through a few tiny villages. At one people were standing outside having a party near a tourist information. First I went past them, then saw a sign with guesthouse on it in a backyard and wanted to check it out.
The only reference to a reception was: "go to the old restaurant". Thought maybe that’s where the ppl were hanging around.
Found out the hotel is no more used as such and was converted to a refugee settlement for Ukrainian war refugees.
Talked to the ppl if they know a place where I can place my tent - social interaction worked one time, so time for the nerdish introvert to give it a second try😉
Most of the villagers been there, an active community as it turned out. They met for social interaction, food, drinks, music and... a Schnick-Schnack-Schnuck tournament.
Schnick-Schnack-Schnuck is what we call Rock-Paper-Scissors in Germany.
I've never heard about tounaments of it but love the idea. They used this as a bridge, an ice breaker to get into interaction with each other. Something everybody from the youngest to the oldest can partake - quite clever 🙂
They really wanted to show whats Latbergen hospitality is made off. Two of them Dieter and Illse asked me to come with them, so we drove like 2km by bike to their home. A place to pitch the tent would have been amazing and as it turned put they've greeted me with a freshly renovated guest bedroom I can use - way nicer then most hotels you will find.
We spent the evening talking. So Dieter told me about the events and how they are now reengaging after Corona. We talked about events and organizing things as well as succession between generations. A younger generation takes over now with organizing the activities now - so Dieter is happy to see that change and can lean back...a bit.
Latbergen - Amazingly nice and friendly people! No doubt many others were ready to show their hospitality as well. I'll take you too they said. Sry Andreas, first comes - first hospitalitizes 😁
As we talked about how Latbergen changed over the years they told me about it's role in the peace treaties ending the 30 year war, that took place in the old restaurant: Zur Post.
day 11
Drove the next day until till Lohne - Oldenburg and camped in a emergency shelter along the way, close to the fields.
When I passed that day through Osnabrück there been remnances of the old mines - as well as from cake at a bakery 😋 - mostly industrial structures such as cranes. Sadly I could not get a good view to show you the mines entrance. Just got a glimpse through the trees. Think of a large and very high brickstone building front.
Once in a while you feel a boost when doing these trips, that day i've felt one. Think it was also because of taking more regular brakes. Sometimes I make the mistake of too long uninterrupted hours in the saddle. Was able to push more and go faster more frequently - feels great when that happens. Looking forward to the moment where you're so in the flow that you just munch away the kilomters and what ever the landscape throws at you. Add good music to that and it is one of the best feelings ever.
day 12
The final day before bremen, went mostly along the bike route EV3 (euro velo 3) through the nature reserve Wildhauser Geest - in summary another lush green landscape with as it seems nice biodiversity. Forrests, lakes, fields and then there is bremen - Moin!!!
Passing through bremens city center you just can’t miss the massive and old buildings that tell tales from the past where bremen was a very active sailors town. Definatly a rich city: Huge churches, massive warehouse and storeage buildings. Don't get me wrong Bremen it still alive and active but changed a lot. If we look at the area Überseestadt - the old port district where you find loads of large storage builing and railways leading to the port from a time where bremen was a major player in cotton transshipment. Pars of these builings are now home of bremens university of arts.
Something that peaked my eye as a professional IT guy was the word "firewall" while reading through the information at the information sign about Überseestadt. Because of the burning hazzard cotton posed the buildings were built as inpenetrable lines or walls, reinforced with fire hindering materials - such as asbestos. Bet they had fun cleaning that up when it was decided to ban asbestos because of its health risks.
That change means loads of building space was available for alternative use, which leads us to the place i've stayed the second night after having a mediocre expirience with a big hotel chain.
Good job Ibis - putting so much regulations on human employees to do a job close which is so close humans that they in turn act as if they are robots is not a good reflection on a wonderful profession! Humans trying to compete on fields that a robot, software or automation system bound by tight regulations and commands will do million times better sounds like a very bad and inhuman idea. Why not embrace our strenght on beeing an human interaction expert and work as such - human says: beep boop.
... so he drifted a bit away.
The place i've stayed and enjoyed bremen a lot.
I found a indoor camping hotel, affordable, fun, friendly and amazingly human. Hafentraum took a former industrial hall and put themed and nicely secorated camper vans and huts inside. So suddely i was in Vietnam - the name of my wagon with a stray roof an selection of decorations collected from asia, nice pictures ans to give it the right amount of cheesiness - a disco light. Small wood paths between the huts, breakfast served in a little crate so you can enjoy the campin expirience while sitting in your "garden". Okay this needs pictures 😊
In the backyard is a theatre and beach bar and your in the middle pf the port area with great connection via bus or train to get to the city center.
I've asked the woman st the reception for advice on where to get good authentic food - boy was I in for a treat😋 Across the street was a litte building labled hafen casino truck stop. Simple food, deliciously and well made with authentic people and nice spots to sit outside. I'm sorry fishies - feel free to eat me...
things he carelessly said far far away from sea predators or the animal ethics commity - need to do better on that one 🙈
So what do you do with a day left. Lets go for a walk and end the stay in bremen with something i love deeply - lets go to the cinemas and watch: Guardians of the galaxy 3 - Mr. Gunn, they was fun 🤩.
James Gunn is the director of the movie.
And to the boring part, walking around...actually was a wonderful sunny day - enjoyed beeing outside ... wooosh spaceship, galaxy thingies 😜
