The pieces are falling into place now. We picked up what has become known as the BattleTandem™ on Saturday, after two long months waiting for it to be built.
What a beast it is.
After our successful Easter extravaganza around five countries, we're back with another adventure. Shortly after the new year, we will be taking another trip for 3.5 weeks in January and February.
Through Burma.
On a tandem.
The last day.
At this point, we had gotten so used to the routine of early to bed, early to rise, pack up, pack on, bike on road, and eat eat eat. We were fitter than ever. We felt as if we could ride on for a million miles.
But all good things must come to an end.
What's a ride without a visit to the local factory? A breathtaking industrial view?
Ride to Mannheim, kids. You'll see all that along the way and more, before arriving in a city where the center is laid out in the most beautiful grid (Jess gets the horn at any mention of right angles). It's so systematic that the town slogan is "Leben. Im Quadrat."
OUR REST DAY! Should have been a quick 50km ride from Strasbourg to the lovely spa town of Baden-Baden across the border. Done by lunchtime, a long and filling lunch, and an afternoon partaking in one of Germany's greatest traditions since Oktoberfest - the Sauna.
The day started off as usual - bright and early morning, pack up the bags, get up and go. We were on our way into France. Started trundling along, settling into a nice rhythm and cadence that would take us the 80km into Strasbourg.
WHIZZZZZZZZZ went the cyclist beside us.
Accomplished something big on this day. Managed to be in three countries at once, thanks to the Dreiländerbrücke, which connects Germany, Switzerland, and France. Neil has a fantastic video of Jess trying to figure out which country is where. Yes, it IS possible for France to be here, there, and everywhere.
At this point, we've pretty much acknowledged that Switzerland is the following:
- Insanely beautiful
- Very good with bike signs (Germany, take note. White lettering against a red background is easier to read than green lettering against a white background)
- SO VERY HILLY
Another heads down day that culminated in us cycling through Switzerland into Germany and back again 6 times in the course of 10 minutes due to random, miscellaneous enclaves. Stopped for lunch in Lake Konstanz, where it actually snowed for 20 minutes during lunch.
No photos taken because we were heads down. It rained all day. Jess got attacked by a dog and fell twice. Neil's brakes refused to stop rubbing, and he eventually had to ride without front ones. Hypothermia was imminent.
We left Berlin in the middle of the night on Thursday, 2 April and took an overnight bus to Munich to kickoff our journey. We were supposed to get on a train all the way to Lindau before cycling into Austria, but public transport schedule changes and random cut-off points saw us reaching Bregenz directly.