A Farm Stay at Hof Klostermann (Grossenwieden to Minden): A wonderful place to stay - and then the signage disappears... - Exploring Holland, Germany and Denmark on a Recumbent Tandem - CycleBlaze
We met another couple at breakfast who were also cycling the Weser River. They live between the Lahn River and Frankfurt. As they are heading in the same direction, we hope to see them along the trail.
Breakfast at Hof Klostermann - a selection of meats
We met this couple at the B&B at Hof Klostermann. We met them along the trail for the next 3 days, always at unexpected moments. We enjoyed getting to know them. We are so sorry that we can't recall their names - please email us!
We have been concerned about our rear disc brakes as well as some movement in the front handlebars. We wandered the streets of Rinteln trying to find a bike shop that could help us - but none of them wanted to deal with disc brakes. We were grateful that the last shop was able to recommend a shop a few km. away (in the right direction along the trail) that could help us. With this priority in mind, we decided to forgo sightseeing in Rinteln and pushed on.
In Rinteln, an interesting fountain with the stream running down a cobbled trench along the street.
The bike shop in Eisbergen, was worth the search. If it hadn't been recommended, we would never have found it as it is a bit off the trail and out of town. The woman who ran the store and the bike mechanic were very helpful and solved our problems. New disc brake pads for the rear and a new collar (old one was cracked) for the headset made our bike feel so much better - not to mention Barry who has been concerned about the handling of the bike. We also treated ourselves to new bike jerseys made by a German company, Gonzo. We haven't seen this brand in Canada, so it gives us a useful souvenir from Germany.
The bike shop - we are now on our way, in better shape than when we arrived.
The riding from this point to Minden became increasingly frustrating - poor and variable trail surface (heavy gravel, challenging cobbles, potholes) and infrequent/inaccurate signage. Needless to say we got lost more than once. Sitting in the parking lot of a Netti (discount supermarket) in Porta Westfalica was not a highlight of the day as we looked longingly at the train tracks and wondered if we should just get on a train. We gave up on the signage and followed our instincts, which led us to Minden. We had hoped to cycle further to find camping, but the bike problems and getting lost, convinced us to call it a day and stay in Minden.
Minden was also a bit of a strange place for us in terms of signage and information. The "Hotel Route" signs had led us miles to the outer areas of town and we saw no hotels. We finally found a Pension after stopping some locals for assistance.
It always amazes us at our good fortune in finding unique accomodation. The Pension was filled with amazing antiques and art. Terraces with lovely flowers and sitting areas were off the breakfast room and living room. Our "room" was more of an apartment with a huge bedroom with living area, an outer sitting room and amazing bathroom. The price was reasonable and included breakfast. After the frustrations of the day, arriving at this lovely place and meeting the interesting host reminded us why we love to travel.
