Hamburg - Selsingen - To France the Long Way 2009

July 5, 2009

Hamburg - Selsingen

We cycle out of Hamburg on a cool Sunday morning, the streets are empty and we cross the center of town with ease. Our route takes us through the Old Elbe Tunnel (Alter Elbtunnel), completed in 1911 to connect central Hamburg with the docks and shipyards on the south side of the river Elbe, thus giving thousands of workers access to one of the busiest harbors in the world.

Entrance to the Old Elbe Tunnel: 426 m (1,398 ft) long, it was a technical sensation when it was opened in 1911

I am very excited to be cycling through the tunnel which on the week-end is closed to all traffic except bikes and pedestrians. There are four enormous lifts to carry vehicles, today us and our bikes, to the level of the tunnel. At the end of the tunnel we are again transported by these giant lifts to street level. By today's standards, their capacity is limited and now the majority of traffic uses newer bridges and tunnels to cross the river.

On Saturday and Sunday cyclists and pedestrians have the tunnel under the Elbe River to themselves.

I enjoy our ride through Hamburg's sprawling harbor area. The bridges and industrial constructions give the scene a stark, dramatic character. Trees and flowrs are nice, but I like this too. It's exciting and interesting to find our way (with help from our trusty GPS's) between the waterways and industry of the Hamburg harbor area. However, it can be an unnerving experience if you don't have a good enough map to lead you through the maze of roads and docks.

Leaving Hamburg: Satellite view of our route weaving between the waterways, sort of like a maze with lots of dead ends

Leaving Hamburg we get a view of harbor industry and docks.

No traffic on Sunday, I don't know what it's like during the week.

After about 15 km, the surroundings change suddenly and we are in the country. We see row upon row of apple trees, thatched-roof cottages and more red-brick buildings. For quite a stretch we follow an idyllic canal path: flowers, cows, the flat land affording views of distant church steeples.

All of a sudden, we're in the country where the cottages have mossy thatched roofs.

We have a lovely rural bit on a traffic-free road along a canal

The church steeple of Buxtehude in the distance

Our first stop is in Buxtehude, a friendly place where everyone greets you. The pretty old part of town has numerous houses with exceptionally decorative brick facades and a canal with sail boats.

We continue and the weather is warm and sunny. It's good to be on the road again after our stay in Hamburg. We have some ever so slight rolling hills, just enough to prevent you from saying as flat as a pancake.

After a grey morning the day turns sunny.

The room we find in Landgasthof Martin in Selsingen is very pleasant. The hotel with restaurant is run by a young couple with a lot of good ideas on how to promote a hotel in the middle of nowhere. They do without frills but the rooms are large and comfortable and the price is right.

In Landgasthof Martin we have a comfortable room and a great meal.

Our meal there was excellent as well. This is the time of year to eat fresh matjes herring - delicious and cheap - and we order them as often as they appear on the menu. We are happy to discover them here, too. This is a specialty which you will find throughout northern Germany, and of course in Holland.

Today's ride: 76 km (47 miles)
Total: 1,230 km (764 miles)

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