Day Four of the tour: Gemünden to Kreuzwertheim (Updated)

Shortly after leaving Gemünden, we saw a line across the bike path with a stone marker. Turns out it was the 50th Parallel. So we stopped to take some pictures. We were headed south at the time so we actually crossed it going north yesterday but didn't see any indication.






Tuesday is actually a bad day to be riding in this area -- there are three breweries we passed that are closed on Tuesdays. So we didn't stop much for beer. But I did take some "postcard" photos so you have something to look at. This is a church that was across the river. For some reason a canal freighter was docked out in front.




And a little further down the river a castle on the hill overlooking a village.






As we road into Marktheidenfeld we could see the Martins Bräu brewery in the distance. In the foreground is a small circus that was in town.




When riding thru Marktheidenfeld we saw a place named "Bräustubla" so it seemed a good place to stop for lunch. They had a bike rack but it didn't work too well with small wheels.




The had Martins Pils and Dunkles on draft. I had the Pils, the others the Dunkles. The Pils was pretty much what I've come to expect in this region. The Dunkles was very good with a nice roasty finish,




They also had a bottled Märzen so we tried one for desert. It tasted very much like the Pils despite the color.




Once we left Marktheidenfeld we passed some vineyards. I didn't take any pictures of them in the previous area, so I stopped for some here. A lot of serious work had been done in the terracing and it looked quite old.














We decided to stay in Kreuzwertheim, a little shorter (60km) than usual. First, there were really strong headwinds the last 30km or so and we were tired. A the next town with with hotels seemed be 20 km farther which seemed a bit too far.

Kreuzwertheim has one of those "closed on Tuesday" breweries, only it turns out they are on holiday until Sept 7. I don't know if that makes me happy or sad, I guess I'm glad I didn't try to reschedule things so we were here on a Wednesday.




Our hotel had Kauzen beer from Ochsenfurt which we had just tasted two nights ago. But they had the Pils which we haven't had. We did and it was blah.




They did have the Weissbier as well, only not the cool glasses. No matter, the beer was still good.




We went for a walk thru the village and noticed this nightclub looking place. The had a sign for the local beer (Spessart) and the door was open so we went in. The place was empty -- literally -- because the bartender was out the back on a smoke break. I don't think he expected customers then, certainly not folks like us.



He only has bottled beer in the summer so we had a Spessart Pils and a Dunkleweizen from Lohrer Bräu (sold under the Keiler name). We had passed Lohr on the other side of the river today, but it is a large brewery with no tap room so we didn't make a detour.

The Pils was very good -- the best of the trip so far. I was doubly disappointed we didn't have a chance to taste it on draft. The wheat beer as OK but not as good as the Kauzen.





Walking back to the hotel we passed the most interesting store I've seen in a long time. They sell carnivorous plants (the sign translates as "meat eating plants." They are only open Friday from 2-6pm or "by appointment." My guess is most of the business is mail order/internet, but I'm not putting any sensitive body party near any strange plants until we are well out of town!






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Location:Hauptstraße,Kreuzwertheim,Germany

Day Three of the tour: Ochsenfurt to Gemünden

Since the bridge over the Main is being rebuild, the town of Ochsenfurt has sponsored a ferry just a bit downstream from where the bridge was. It is for pedestrians and bicyclists only. Cost for a bike is 50 cents. We road up just as the ferry was leaving with a large load of cyclists.





We were the only cyclists on our voyage.




Once on the other side we made good time -- it was cool but still humid. Then came the first few drops then more and finally it was a full fledged rainstorm. We were in a park and managed to find shelter under a some trees (with a few other cyclists). Whenever there was a lull we'd ride a bit. We came to bridge were there appeared to be the annual meeting of the local cyclists club -- at least that is the way it looked with all the bikes parked underneath the bridge.

Finally the rain let up enough that we decided it was time to push on. As we pass thru Würzburg we looked for a place to stop for beer and/or coffee. I'm sure there were plenty of places open in town but everyplace along the bike path was not yet open. This continued for quite a while. Monday must be a popular rest day ("Ruhetag") in these parts.

Finally about 1:30pm in the village of Himmelheim we pasted a place just off the bike path that was open -- Biergarten "Down Town." It was sort of a permanent tent, done up in a Western (US) theme - wagon wheels and old wooden junk scattered about. The beer was Würzbuger Hofbräu Pils, And at Schnitzel with fries was just €4.50, so we were watered and fed.




We continued on and when we reached Gemünden we decided to stop for the day. It was 68km or so (my GPS lost satellite track a few times while we waited under a bridge) in about 4:30 hours of riding. A little slower pace, but the rain made for slower going.

Our hotel sold beer from Schlappesepple in Aschaffenburg -- it used to be a brewery but now the beers are contract brewed someplace else. Didn't matter, we were thirsty. I had the Pils, the others the Dunkles. The Dunkles was better. If you had called the Pils a "Helles" or even "Lager" I would probably have liked it better -- something with "Pils" in the name should have some hops.




We wandered about the town looking for a place to eat and settled on the Ratsschenke -- fresh Steinpilze (Stone mushrooms) was the clincher. The beers were Würzburger Hofbräu Pils and Werner Landbier. Tom had the Pils and my dad and I the Landbier. The Landbier followed what seems to the pattern around here -- well made (nothing significantly wrong) just sort of bland. Beer number two for me was the Pils.





Tomorrow is an if-y day. It should be nice riding weather if the rain stays away. But we are feeing worn and my bike is making some noises that I hope are just mud in the wrong places but I may have the bike shop across the way take a look.

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Location:Obertorstraße,Gemunden,Germany

Day Two of the tour: Wipfeld to Ochsenfurt (updated)

To cross the Main at Wipfeld you take a ferry. It is run by the community and a bike costs 50 cents (including the rider). A car is €2. I don't see how they make any money but it was quaint. We passed 3 or 4 more ferries as the day went by.















Somebody complained that there weren't enough pictures of the countryside, so here is one I took of some swans cruising by at a quiet spot on the river.




The route was much hillier than yesterday. No great big ones, just lots of steady rises. By 11am we reached the village of Sommerach and there was a gasthaus with tables outside and a beer I hadn't tasted, so we stopped for a "freshener."

The brewery was Distelhäuser and they only had a Pils on draft there. It was better than the Roth Pils and not as good as the Krautheimer Pils we'd had the day before. It was well made but lacking.





By 12:30 or so we were feeling kind of peckish so we started looking for a place for lunch. We came to the village of Mainsondheim and found a very nice gasthaus but all the outside tables were reserved or taken and there were people waiting, so we rode on. It may have been a mistake. We soon found another place and grabbed a table. Our Kesselring PIls came quite quickly (again, well made but not that interesting) but the food took forever.




Back on the trail we soon passed Marktsteft (home of Kesselring) and were supposed to cross the river at Marktbreit according to my bike map. There was a new bridge under construction but an old foot bridge beside it and you could see people crossing. But when we road up towards the bridge the road was seriously blocked -- huge chain link fences. The alternate route on the map was to stay on this side but it was along a highway marked "heavy traffic." While we were pondering what to do, a large group (20+) of cyclists headed towards the bridge and we decided to tag along in case they knew something we didn't. They didn't. They sent a few people out to investigate while the others just stood around. We started talking and when they asked us where we were headed, they said to reach Ochsenfurt there was a bike path on this side of the river. So we bade them farewell and headed for Ochsenfurt.

It turned it is was probably a good thing -- when we reached Ochsenfurt their bridge was closed as well. There were alternate routes marked but it would made for lots of backtracking.

Our optimistic goal was Würzburg -- another 80 km but the combination of hills, heat, humidity and the delay at lunch had slowed us down, so we decided to stop at Ochsenfurt -- 20 km short.

As we were riding down the main drag in the old town, I saw a hotel with a "Zimmer Frei" (rooms available) sign and this out front:






It seemed a good omen so we stopped and booked a room. Shortly we were back outside tasting the kellerbier




It is from one of the two local breweries Kauzen and again it was well made but not up to the standards of the kellerbiere around Bamberg.

We decided to walk around the town before eating and it turns out there is a bit of the old city walls that have be preserved. The area between the inner and outer walls has been converted to a playground.






When wandering we came across some outside tables for a gasthaus advertising the other local brewery, Anker Bräu but sold under the name Oechsener. We ordered the Pils and it was the same: well made but lacking in bitterness. The restaurant turned out to be Italian and we ordered a light meal to end the day. This restaurant must have been related to the one in Mainsondheim because it again took and hour to get our food,






We wandered back to the hotel and decided to have a nighcap of the Kauzen Weissbier. I don't usually drink wheat beers but this once was very, very nice: the right combination of clovey spiciness and sweatness without tasting like a banana smoother. A good way to end the day.




The tally for the day was 60km in about 4 hours. The forecast for Monday calls for a bit cooler but maybe some rain,

Location:Obere Redersgasse,Ochsenfurt,Germany

Day One of the tour

We rode 80km thru the heat and humidity -- from Bamberg to Wipfeld (south of Schweinfurt)

Only stopped for beer twice -- sometimes ice cream was more important!

Not many pictures because we didn't stop much. Tomorrow should be easier.




















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Location:Mainstraße,Wipfeld,Germany

Bamberg Day 3 -- To Freudeneck and back

Too busy drinking beer to write much (actually, anything). Enjoy the pictures...

Bamberg Day 2 -- to Forchheim

First the pictures, words as I write then...

Ferry cross the Regnitz

Bamberg Day 1 -- to Merkendorf and back

When transporting bikes there is always some adjustments to be made upon arrival. This is especially true with foldable bikes. So we planned an easy day to start, figuring we'd need to stop for adjustments.

First stop was Cafe Abseits for some warmup beers. The Beer of the Month was Hummel Kellerbier from Merkendorf -- where we were heading -- but I figured it was worth trying here in case the brewery was closed. We also had the ever great Mönchambacher Lager from Brauerei Zehender and the Huppendorfer Vollbier from Brauerei Grasser.

Hummel Kellerbier and Mönchambacher Lager

Huppendorfer Vollbier

Suitably refreshed we headed for Memmelsdorf, home of two breweries: Brauerei Hohn and Brauerei Drei-Kronen. We saved Brauerei Hohn for a possible visit on the way back and stopped at Drei-Kronen for lunch. We had one of each of their beers: Lager, Keller-pils and Stöffla (a rauchbier). The Stöffla was much smokier than in the past. Before there was just a hint of smoke but now it is smokier than Spezial (but not even close to Schlenkerla). The Lager was clean and crisp but the Keller-pils had a bit of diacetyl as it warmed up.

Drei Kronen Lager, Keller-pils and Stöffla

A few kilometers  down the road (and up a small hill) is the village on Merkendorf, also home to two breweries, Brauerei Wagner and Brauerei Hummel. I knew Wagner was closed for summer hoildays so we were hoping that Hummel would be open, and they were.

Fridays in front of Hummel

They had three beers on draft, Kellerbier, Pils and something called Cowboy Schwartzbier. So we ordered one of each.

Cowboy Schwartzbier, Pils and Kellerbier

The Pils was the best of the bunch. The Kellerbier we'd had earlier at Cafe Abseits was actually better -- this one had a bit of diacetyl -- which I should mention is not uncommon in the summer months. Because beer demand is up, many breweries reduce the amount of time they cold condition the beer ("lagering" we'd call it) and this shorter time can increase the amount of diacetyl.  For you non-beer-geeky readers, diacetyl mostly comes across as a buttery taste in the beer. It is appropriate for some styles (mainly British Ales).

The Cowboy Schwartzbier wasn't anything special -- it really tasted like the kellerbier with color beer added.

Hummel brews a pretty wide range of beers and had another 5 varieties available in bottles, including a Weizenbock. I've enjoyed this beer when I've had it, but it is not a good beer to drink when doing a bike ride on a warm day.

Beer menu at Brauerei Hummel

The ride back to Bamberg was un-eventful. We passed by Brauerei Göller in Drosendorf and Brauerei Hohn in Memmelsdorf, but did stop at Brauerei Fässla back in Bamberg. It was too had to pass up. I left the camera on the bike, so you'll just have to take our word for it. Both the Lager and Pils were fine.

Distance ridden: 30 km

Arrived in Bamberg

We had a good tailwind (which made for a rough flight) so we actually made it in a little early. Which was good, since the easiest train connection would have been tough to make if the flight (or baggage) was late. We found Tom and made our train with plenty of time to spare.

We put our bike suitcases in the bicycle car. I'm sure we got some negative thoughts headed our way as the bike car (later) filled up, but hey, it's for bicycles and they don't specify the form.

Three Bike Fridays in their shells

We were taking a relatively slow train as to avoid changing in Würzburg where the lack of a elevator makes for a hard time if you have heavy luggage. In good time we arrived, found a taxi to hold all our stuff and were are our lodgings for our Bamberg stay.

The first order of business was to assemble the bikes, to make sure there wasn't anything damaged in transit. I takes about an hour for me to get everything together. The bike itself is about half that -- putting on the racks and other accessories takes awhile. Soon the bikes were ready...

Almost a month of Fridays

We needed liquid energy after the tough trip, so next stop was Schlenkerka for a beer or three.

Obligatory picture of the first beers in Bamberg -- Schlenkerla

We took a walk around the part of the Altstadt where the Sandkerwa will take place, making note of all the importance places (the brewery stands).  After getting one need fulfilled (beer) we decided on filling another (food) before the getting to the most important (sleep). Klosterbräu is right around the corner from out apartments so we wandered over.

Klostbräu Braunbier

It is Pfefferlinge (chanterelle mushrooms) season so we all ended up having a Schnitzel with Pfefferlinge cream sauce with Spätzle. It was delicious. 


Wednesday we are going to take a short ride out to Merkendorf -- which is a bit of risk as I know one of the two breweries is closed for holidays. But there are 4 other breweries on our route and I'm sure at least a couple of them will be open (I'm an optimist)
more

So far so good...

Sitting on the plane to Frankfurt and all looks good. But after my experience with the Icelandic volcano this spring I won't relax until I'm there!


-- Post From My iPhone

On my way...

... at 30,000 ft over New Mexico, on my way to Atlanta where I'll meet up with my Dad and continue on to Frankfurt. Hopefully Tom will be there already, waiting for us. Then the train to Bamberg where, in less than 24 hours I'll be drinking a fresh from the barrel Schlenkerla.


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Getting Ready for the Bike Ride Across Unterfranken (BRAUF)

I was hearing an occasional funny sound on my left pedal downstroke. It's seemed to come and go and appeared after my local Helen's Cycle's had done a tune up. After repeated trips to Helens they could not find the cause. They even replaced the plastic bottom bracket cup and that helped for about 5 miles and then the noise was back.

Strange sounds from my bike make me paranoid and since a two week trip to Germany was coming up,  I decided to send the bike back to Bike Friday so they could check it out. After removing, lubing and re-installing the bottom bracket all seemed fine. I've done 60-70 miles so far and no strange noise. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

But after getting the bike back there was a problem with shifting into the lowest and highest gears on my rear cassette. Obviously the derailleur and gotten knocked during transportation.

Chris at Bike Friday pointed me towards a relatively new co-op bike shop in my area - -Bikerowave in Mar Vista. For a low hourly rate ($7/hr) you can use their well equipment shop and have a volunteer mechanic help you with your repairs.  So I headed up there and with Eric's help (actually he did most of the work, I just turned the crank when he asked or handed him a tool when he asked).

It looked like such a cool place to hang out (even though Eric and I were probably twice the age of anybody else there ) I bought an annual membership.  I gotta learn to fix these things myself.

Anyway, all is good with Friday and he is about to be packed back into the travel suitcase for Monday's departure to Germany. We'll spend a few days in Bamberg getting over the jet lag and getting the bikes ready. Then next Saturday (August 21) we'll head off down the Main River towards Achaffenburg. The plan is spend 5 days on the trail and then take the train back to Bamberg, where we'll spend a few days recuperating.

I hope to post daily updates (internet access permitting) so Watch This Space!

EcoShopper Trailer and Community Supported Agriculture

CSA -- Community Supported Agriculture -- is a way people can support local organic farmers. In LA we have the South Central Farmers a not-for-profit group that grew out of a 14 acre community garden in South Central Los Angeles. After the City sold to property to a developer the group leased a farm in the Bakersfield area to grow produce.

On a weekly or bi-weekly basis you can subscribe and receive a box of produce, picked the previous day. There are pickup points all around the city, one of which is Culver City about a 5 mile ride (each way) from my house.

My Doctor says I should "Eat Less Crap" which translates to more fruits and veggies.  So I signed up for a box. Their website said the box would feed a family of four for a week and some of the pictures on the website show some quite large plastic crates -- I was a little worried if the box would fit in the trailer. Not to  worry, it fit nicely

When I got back with my haul I ran into my first problem -- as a "city boy" I had no idea what some the vegetables were! In some cases it was clearly some kind of squash, but I had to prowl the produce department of my local grocery to figure out which kind.

One of the nice things you can do with South Central Farmers is pay extra, which will buy a produce box for a family in need, of which there sadly are too many these days. So this really is a win-win all around: I get some exercise and some healthy food a local family gets healthy food instead of living off of junk food.

So check out Local Harvest and see if there is a CSA in your area.