Bremerhaven to Cuxhaven: We've completed the Weser River Bicycle Route
We have really enjoyed staying here in Bremerhaven - not because of the interesting things we saw, but because we gave ourselves time to catch up on our journal, visit with Mary Ellen's mom (on her birthday) and sister on Facetime, do laundry and just take time away from the routine of travel. That being said, there are things that interest us in Bremerhaven, and perhaps we'll return someday. We are both feeling so fortunate that we have been able to ride the Weser River along its complete length, from Hann Munden to Bremerhaven/Cuxhaven. The route is delightful in its pastoral beauty, unspoiled touristic attractions, varied landscapes, charming villages with historic value and incredible local people who are most welcoming. As well, the infrastructure of the trail and signage support a cyclist so well. We were surprised not to meet any cyclists other than German cyclists. We realize that we also would be unaware of the Weser if our German friends had not told us about this route. We have been so taken by the charm of the Weser, that we keep expecting to see people from away. But perhaps that is some of the charm - after the busy Rhine route, it is refreshing to explore an area with so few tourists. As we were leaving the hostel, we met a family from near Stuttgart who were travelling with a toddler and 3 year old. They had an interesting bike which had a carrier for the toddler on the front and a Hase two wheeler tag along for the older child. We admire their hard work in touring with two small children. As it turns out, they are also on their way to Denmark, so hopefully we will see them tomorrow on the ferry.
This bike has an unusual configuration - quite low to the ground yet it handles the father and two children.
The ride today was most interesting. As we left the Hostel, we were suddenly riding in the midst of the very busy Auto Shipping Port and the Container Port. As well as seeing huge lots of new cars waiting to be loaded on freighters, we were passed by train loads of cars, freight trucks filled with cargo and as well, we passed through two customs checkpoints. This port is the 4th busiest in Europe and the 16th in the world.
One of the busiest auto shipping terminals in Europe
Then, suddenly, we were in the charming village of Wedderburg and the chaos was behind us. We rode up on the dyke and were met with a breathtaking view of the dramatic North Sea. We are now riding the North Sea Cycle Route.
The North Sea bicycle path - wide with smooth pavement
The spirit of the many people taking a holiday in the villages along the North Sea in this area is infectious. Beach cabana loungers are along the shore, fish vendors are selling food, marinas are busy with fishermen selling their fish and lighthouses are open for tours. We stopped in Wremen to eat our lunch and were approached by a man who was from Calgary Alberta but has lived in Germany with his wife and chid for the past 14 years. He is the first Canadian that we have spoken to since we arrived in Europe. Ariel and his family were fun to talk to.
We met Ariel (originally from Calgary) who is here on holidays with his family.
We tried to ride on the dyke to appreciate the view, but we found that the wind would overpower us. The headwind was challenging enough, but when we got a sidewind, it would almost force us to go off the road. We stayed down on the trail after this and enjoyed the trail as it wound through villages and a protected forest....a most enjoyable but tiring (due to the constant wind) ride. We are planning to take the ferry tomorrow morning to Brunsbuttel across the Elbe River and then carry on to Denmark. As the ferry only runs Tues and Thurs mornings, we must stay here in Cuxhaven near the ferry. As we feared when we saw so many people taking holidays today, the hotels we visited were sold out. We were about to ride back several km to the previous town in search of a room when we found the Best Western and got their last available room with a balcony overlooking the ferry terminal. We haven't had access to a tub in a long time, so after long soaks in the tub, we wandered the scenic waterfront of Cuxhaven and happily went to sleep.
As has so often happened on our trip, people spontaneously stop and talk to us about our trip, our bike and where we are from. This mother and daughter were most interested in our bike - the daughter has been looking for a tandem like ours, but had never seen one before.
