To Verden: The end of the Wesser Radweg for us

August 17, 2015

One of the good things about the hotel we stayed at last night was that it served breakfast at 6.30am so we were able to leave early as we prefer to do. It was into the old town to buy some supplies and then we hit the track. Today was much cooler, only in the low 20 and there was mist most of the time punctuated occasionally with very heavy downpours. Our coats were out for the first time. I found it lovely riding in the cool rain so much better than the torture we had endured in the heat last Monday. The ride today was really rather unspectacular, dead flat nearly all the time and through farming country with not too many little villages to add to the interest. Over the last couple of days the architecture has changed dramatically and the farm houses are now huge, made of red brick and with the most beautiful gardens. In the villages there are often rows of neat brick houses looking like gingerbread houses all ready for Hansel and Gretel to break off a yummy looking brick.

Along the route we saw storks, a hare, deer and across the path were suicidal big fat slugs trying to get to the other side. I imagine they now thought that seeing the searing sun was gone they didn't have to risk dehydration, I rode carefully and don't think I squashed many.

We found a coffee place at Bucken and much to our surprise bumped into Anika again. We had see her yesterday when about half way through the day we were also indulging our coffee habit. Our final destination was Verden which is a small town in Lower Saxony this time on the Aller River which feeds into the Weser. It was easy to find the Tourist Information but not quite so easy to find accommodation and we are in a hotel that is a little way out of town. After our showers we walked back to the pedestrian main street and visited the Dom, The Cathedral of St Mary and Cecelia a church dating back to 1290 with rather beautiful cloisters. My icecream and Ken's beer went down very easily. We will eat in the hotel tonight as we are feeling a bit lazy.

We really have ridden the best part of the Wesser Radweg now as it is becoming increasingly more industrial as we make our way to The North Sea. The only fairytale place left to visit is Bremen which we would easily get to tomorrow. However we have visited it 3 times before and in the interests of making up some of the time we have lost we will begin to cut across Northern Germany tomorrow as we head towards the Netherlands.

The Police Museum In Nienburg, I wish I knew what they used the pigs for

This was not Red Riding Hood going to visit her Grandmother it was Anika from Baveria riding to visit her Grandma in Hamburg

When Ken was about 6 he had to grow something for a school project. He wanted to grow something like a cabbage but his mother made him grow a gladioli. It has scarred his personality !

Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 617 km (383 miles)

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