Week 3: To Steinsdorf: One final hill to end the day

April 15, 2015

"I'm not wearing my smarthwool shirt today. We'll wear them out before we get to the Himalayas", Patrick wears riding shorts for the first time, Rachel is down to two layers instead of three.

The Labyrinth Hostel in Weimar is a great place to stay, right in the city center and bus lines. Great rooms at a good price, breakfast for 4 euros. To get our gear down from the second floor, instead of using the stairs, we lower our gear with the clothesline that has a caribiner on the end.

The day progressed the same as previous days with following bike routes and shifting to following the roads until we get to a high plateau. We get to 3 kms of our warmshowers host, when the bridge is out sending us on a detour and ending up on an interstate-like road. We get off this road by unloading the bikes and carrying all of it over a guardrail and down stairs to another road. Then the 3 kms to Steinsdorf is a 11% grade, so close yet so far. We make it and find Ronny and Anke wonderful hosts.

To get our gear down instead of the stairs, Patrick clips the gear to our clothesline and lowers the stuff down

Germany's biketrails. A great system to get from town to town on quiet sideroads and beautiful paths, but almost always more miles and sometimes frustrating trail searching and steep little hills.

On the outskirts of most towns we see these large concrete apartment buildings, left over from the communist era. Most of them have been spruced-up with colors.

They shingled this house with local flatstone in 1855, still looks great.

Rachel meets a Trabant, remnant automobile from the DDR.

Rony and Anke cycled around the world ten years ago with a one-year old child. They have now settled in Steinsdorf and are keeping bees and selling honey.

Today's ride: 82 km (51 miles)
Total: 954 km (592 miles)

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