29 July 2018 Frankfurt to Chamonix via Geneva I’ve had 4 cups of real European coffee and it’s not even 6:30 am. Given that I’ve been up since 3:30 am, this seems mathematically okay. Plus, it’s my most favorite part of the day so this is a little like heaven if heaven also includes alarm …
27 and 28 July 2018 Seattle to Frankfurt “Are they crazy??” These are the three words I hear Gina exclaim while reading the in-flight menu card for her Condor Premium Economy seat. I will hear these three words again about 9 time zones from now only in a different context, one that I thankfully don’t …
24 August 2014 Freising, Germany It’s our final day in Germany (well, if you don’t count flying out tomorrow, which we don’t because it’s a travel day) so that means it was a day spent taking the bikes apart, cleaning off 5 weeks of rain-induced grit and grime, and packing the whole kit and caboodle …
23 August 2014 Rottach-Egern to Freising, Germany (26 miles; Total = 884 miles) It’s sitting at the station a solid 45 minutes before its scheduled departure time and we can hardly believe our good luck. Could that really be our train to Munich, with no crowds, double-wide doors, and not one other bicycle parked inside? …
22 August 2014 Rottach-Egern, Germany (0 miles; Total = 858) The cellist has just dropped his sheet music in the midst of a Johann Strauss piece. The percussionist is definitely laughing at him. He manages to pick it up without missing a beat, but then again, he’s playing a cello so how would I possibly …
21 August 2014 Rottach-Egern, Germany (0 miles; Total = 858) In the spirit of trying new things, we have been sampling Bavarian meals. And I must say, I think I’ll be coming home a vegetarian. The whole foodie adventure started to go south with the Weisswurst (white sausage) that at first I thought our server, …
20 August 2014 Tegernsee to Rottach-Egern, Germany (12 miles; Total = 858 miles) If we want to bike all the way back to Munich, we should be on our way north right now. But we’re not. Another morning, another rain storm, another hour spent mentally composing my Craigslist ad for my panniers. In this new …
19 August 2014 Fischbachau to Tegernsee, Germany (23 miles; Total = 846 miles) When I get back to Seattle I’m going to audition for The Biggest Loser. I’ll definitely qualify, with all of the bier and cake I’ve been consuming. And I’ll have a solid advantage in the competitions, after spending yesterday and today pushing …
18 August 2014 Bergen to Fischbachau, Germany (49 miles; Total = 823) Hills, hills, and more hills. I think there’s a reason this route is named the Bodensee-Konigsee and not the Konigsee-Bodensee; it’s implied that one should be riding in the opposite direction of us. Gina is pedaling up the double chevron hill ahead of …
17 August 2014 Lofer, Austria to Bergen, Germany (49 miles; Total = 774 miles) I didn’t mean to do it. I only looked away for a split second, but that was all it took. There he was, right smack in the middle of the path, and me with no time to swerve. SQUISH. I’m pretty …