In which Sid and Doris see gritty, industrial Germany and are surprised to visit a Hindu temple on an industrial estate.
This could have been a short day to Lippstadt but Doris felt like pushing on so these are the vital statistics.
Distance: 104 kilometres
Climb: 360 metres
Weather: A state known to Sid and Doris as N.A.R. (Which describes a grey day when it is Not Actually Raining, quite OK for cycling)
The routing is all East today as we skirt the top of the the Ruhr. A cycling tour of Lansing or Wolverhampton just is not going to feel holiday-like so we stay North of the true track to Weimar.
It still feels plenty prosaic.
I think it was just outside Olsen we saw a war memorial marking the village fallen from the Franco Prussian war and, unusually those from 1914 – 18. Later war memorials are even rarer. We are getting towards Hesse from where mercenaries went to fight for the British in America. And while on the topic of Hesse we may pass through an area of Romania that still has Hessian villages from another colonisation.
In the Netherlands we were mostly in Calvinist territory. Today we were glad of a little Catholic shrine to a recently deceased grand pater familias where the family had placed a Marian chapel, picture of the old man and … benches. The lady of the house was just replacing the lamp and was happy for the travellers to rest.
As we have not yet got on the train or ferry Sid and Doris might be developing fundamentalist tendencies. After about a half hour bashing along a wet cinder track alongside the Lippe river/canal [sorry about the smeary picture – D.] we were overtaken by a couple in full BMW transcontinental kit. They had more luggage than Louis Vuitton. And they were on electric bicycles. Sid and Doris bristled, not a pretty sight, and overtook them in a flurry of wet grit on the way into Hamm.
Hamm was a railway town and is not quite reoriented, c.f. Swindon and Ashford (where Sid’s Grandad worked in the engine erecting shop) that are now sorted. So, apart from the canal barge/railway interchange what’s good about Hamm? Food, that’s what. And though we have no picture of the cafe we can bring you this object of the day so far. A fountain with animals you can position, water running through water wheels and cast pigeons.
But this was soon to be surpassed by the Hindu Temple. Of course. And while the little Catholic Shrine has more colour than the Oude Kerke it seems unlikely we will see anything with more gaud for a few days. Or perhaps ever again.
In Germany the cars have smoother roads than the cyclists. Cycling tracks here are good for a ten k journey but Tarmac wracked by tree roots and impromptu visits down sandy lanes do not suit the earnest seeker after beer-wards progress. So we’ve been out in the traffic which has mostly been pretty forgiving.
Car of the day, frankly a scamper for last place. A 2010 Bentley or a 997 Porsche? Haven’t seen many cars so we will not make an award today. Much the same for wildlife, top spot of the day was a mouse running across the path and more activity from the World Wide Wagtail.
Bad news, good news. As the day wore on Doris’s bike began to lose the use of the rear derailleur. When we finally pulled over to try it through the gears when not under pressure the whole thing cleared itself, probably just grit in the rear mech. Which is just as well as tomorrow there is climbing and given our beginners legs that needs gears, and lots of em.
Tonight we have indulged ourselves with a top banana hotel mitt sauna and a tolerant attitude to fragrant bike gypsies.
Any smiley people?