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For the last few weeks before I returned to the US, I worked in Copenhagen (København). I flew there every Monday morning, and home to München every Friday afternoon.

A bicycle tour from København to München

Dave Hood
2004-02-19 20:21:47

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a gas station for calories and a map of Schleswig-Holstein. I don’t know which is Schleswig and which is Holstein, but this part of the country, along with its cattle, is Holstein. The land is flat and open, one or two kilometers of very gentle climb, followed by an equal descent.

All the wind turbines were running by now. A crossing headwind from the left. A good thing about riding a busy highway: strings of cars broke up the wind, let me gear up half a step. When a bus led the string, I could gear up a whole step.

I liked the farm advertising the sale of eggs from happy hens.

As we got further from the point, it got hillier, though still ‘flat’ – like Denmark. Glad to get into some bushes and trees to break the wind.

Bundesstraße 207 becomes Autobahn at Oldenburg, bikes not allowed. Took the side roads to Neustadt, where I had to find water. The big old church in the center of town didn’t have a cemetery, which is my usual source of water, but there were public WCs on the town square with running water. Much better.

Then down along the coast. Bathing beach, tourist country. Reminds me of …what? the New Jersey beaches? But not as tacky.

Getting tired and sore. I’m in triple digit kilometers – but when I convert to miles, it’s embarrassing how few I’ve done. I really am out of shape. Lübeck should be interesting and worth seeing, and it’s only another 20 km or thereabouts, 15 km, 10 km… but it’s 4:00 and I’m tired. Cold, too – the sun made a valiant effort, but you had to use real imagination to see shadows today.

At Pansdorf, I picked up 207 again. And bonked. In a matter of about five seconds, my legs turned to jelly. Stopped immediately for food, of course, but too late. Now, if I were ten km from home, I’d just ride the distance on the bonk, and think no more about it. But I can imagine riding into Lübeck, in the dark, getting lost in a strange ...