Crasher goes North: The Pancake of Europe

Map of Day 23

Thursday 6th August 2015

I slept well, and woke with the dawn at around 5am. By the time I had decided to get up the sun was blazing down . It was only seven in the morning and, I was baking already. No wonder everyone on the campsite had a mahogany perma-tan!

Mark and a few of the other campers were stirring by the time I had showered and changed. Making breakfast and packing up was now a well drilled routine. Everything had a specific place in each of our panniers.

Today ride was not going to be a long one. We had less than 200kms to go today if we took the main routes. So, I was in the hands of Mark and one of his TomTom's magical mystery tours. Set to winding route-avoid all boring things mode, we headed off into the German countryside. 

Almost instantly I noticed two things. Firstly there was no air. As soon as I closed my visor the heat was stifling. I already had every vent on my jacket and helmet open, and my summer gloves on. I put on my sunglasses for eye protection, and rode with my visor open. This was much more pleasant. How I wished for my open face helmet.

The second thing was that my Garmin satnav was going absolutely mental. I had told it our destination for today, and it had planned a route. But, by our second junction and refusing to follow its recommendations to change route it had thrown in the towel. Little Miss. Garmin told me to f#ck off and the map screen went blank! It was a good job I have the sound on mute, as I imagine her language may have been a little fruity! But, after ten minutes or so she was back, and trying to constantly redirect us.

The ride started with some nice rural tree lined roads. There was quite a bit of farm traffic to contend with. But, with the roads being empty of other traffic, we could just nip past on our mighty steeds. The shade of the trees provided a nice cooling effect, and was most welcome.

One of the popular pass times in this part of Europe is their love for cycling. It makes perfect sense though. The landscape is flat. And, the government has invested heavily in the provision of cycle paths. But, the thing I find odd is their choice of bicycles. Rather than choosing only to be seen on the latest full suspension mountain bike or a road race bike straight from the Tour de France, here the young lovelies prefer to ride bicycles Miss. Marple would approve of. The Dutch influence is obvious. The upright riding position, comfy seat and modest gearing are probably ideal. It must be purely the `coolness' factor that has prevented them catching on elsewhere.

There was a good mix of architectural design in the houses and buildings of the little villages we passed through. I could see the Danish, German and Dutch styles all combined in some of the buildings. The Dutch bell shaped windows were familiar to me. They are common place back in Lincolnshire where many English folk had fled to Holland during the time of the Pilgrim Fathers, and then returned many years later to make their homes and cultivate the land.

Our route crossed over the autobahns as we headed towards the German/ Dutch border. I had not enjoyed yesterdays autobahn exploits much. They are an efficient way of covering distance quickly. They are just not the most fun way of doing so. I also felt I was rushing to quickly end my trip, rather than enjoying the ride. I would be home in less than 48 hours. And I wanted to make the most of what time I had left.

Another thing that I found strange was the fact that mopeds could ride on cycle paths. I assumed it was a safety thing. As teenagers can ride at an earlier age than in the UK, I suppose it keeps the slower, inexperienced riders away from the rest of the traffic. It was just a little distracting, as I would normally only see a moped riding on the pavement in the UK, if a little yoof was up to no good!

Wind farms started to appear as we rode further west. They were not turning though. I could of done with a gentle breeze to cool me down. The air hitting my face was like having a hair dryer blowing at me.

We got the thumbs up and a wave from a couple of guys at a set of traffic lights in Oyten. They had a serious looking BMW S1000RR track bike on a trailer with a supply of extra tyres. They must of had a fun day planned.

A large girder bridge took us over the wide river Weser below, and on to Thedinghausen. The traffic had all but disappeared by now. I was getting low on fuel, and it was also nearly our normal morning coffee stop time.

We stopped in the next small town and found a filling station. The temperature display on the supermarket opposite said it was 36 degrees. Mark and I sat in the shade with an ice cream and a drink. We both thought that this must be a great place for the Germans to retire. Everyone was cycling around doing their shopping and daily chores. They all seemed healthier and fitter than the older people back home.

Suitably refreshed we hit the road again. Signs warned of over hanging trees along the sides of the road. Some of these had formed tunnels that had been neatly trimmed by passing trucks. They provided a welcome relief from the blazing sun, which was now at its highest.

A few kilometres on, and a huge brick built church appeared on the horizon. The church had been built in a tiny village. There was a strange mix of houses in the village ranging from very modern chalet type bungalows to a thatched cottage that was perched in between.

We turned off onto some smaller roads. These had a 50kph limit, no overtaking, and signs warning of farm traffic. We saw none of this though. We were the only traffic for miles. Eventually we encounter some traffic ( two cars and a truck ) when we hit some road works and a diversion route. But, as it turned out the diversion route was the way Mark was being directed by his satnav anyway.

We caught up with a very speedy lady cyclist who had shot passed at the road works, and scared the crap out of me. She was on a `normal' bike, rather than the traditional European type, which accounted for the rapid rate of travel.

On a darker tree lined stretch of road, a headlight appeared on our side of the road. It seemed to be heading straight for us! Fearing the worst, and preparing for a head on crash with another motorcycle, I was relieved to see that it was just a moped rider making their way along the cycle path. I was still not used to them using the pavements and pathways.

Mark then discovered that his satnav was just as capable of leading us up the garden path as my Garmin was. Well, less of a garden path and more of a dirt and gravel track across a farmers field! His TomTom insisted that the track was a road. It didn't even show up on my Garmin. With a quick U-turn and a fit of the giggles, we were back on the right road, taking the next tarmac road instead.

I noticed some interesting road signs over the next few kilometres. They seemed to depict military vehicles and speed limits. We didn't spot any tanks cruising around, but I couldn't imagine they would be for anything else.

Crossing over the border into Holland the roads became straighter. The tarmac was often repaired to look like a patchwork quilt, and was very bumpy in places. The roads were lined with very thin silver birch trees. The trees became older and the trunks thicker the further on we traveled.

About ten kilometres from our overnight stop, we stopped at a supermarket for some supplies. I caused a bit of a problem at the till when neither of my cards worked. It turned out that my whole basket of shopping was less than the minimum card payment limit. I had plenty of Euros though, so I sorted things out with cash. I was so used to the inflated prices of  Scandinavia, it was a pleasant surprise to find the food here was less than half the price. I appologised to the queue of people at the till and quickly left!

I downed a whole two litre bottle of flavoured water while I waited for Mark. I was boiling, and there was no shade in the carpark. We got on our way, and luckily large trees gave a shaded ride for the rest of our journey. Several young ladies appeared on their bicycles along the way, to provide a welcome distraction from the straightness of the roads.

Arriving in Gasselternijveenschemond ( try saying that three times with a mouthful of jelly babies! ), we found our overnight stay. I had chosen to stop at De Motorschuur since my first stages of planning the trip. I had heard good things about it from other adventure travelers on various internet forums. I was also hoping to meet up with my friends Pete and Allie who were about to start a motorcycle trip to Australia. Unfortunately they had become delayed waiting for travel visas back in London.

I had booked a couple of bunks for Mark and I, so that we didn't have to bother with packing up on our last day tomorrow. But, as it was a hot summers day, Mark wanted to camp instead. I think he was a bit scared about sharing the bunk room with a bunch of ruffty tuffty bikers! But, as it turned out the place was going to be pretty much empty.

De Motorschuur is run by Gijs and Madeleine. There was a blackboard on the entrance door with a message from Gijs. " Gone for groceries. Pitch your tent or choose a bunk,and make yourself at home. Back soon"

Mark and I set up our tents on the rear lawn. There were two other tents set up already. One of the tents belonged to a Danish couple on a pair of immaculate Kawasaki Z1300's.

They were on a European tour and had stopped here for two nights before heading back to Denmark in the morning. They travelled all over Europe to attend owners meetings. The huge fuel tanks and low revving engines of their bikes probably made them a good choice.

We would not meet the owners of the other tent until later that evening. They were an older couple riding a Triumph Rocket 3. They were not your normal bikers to look at. He was dressed like he was taking part in the Distinguished Gentlemans ride, with a cravat and a tweed jacket under his demin waistcoat. His wife was also well turned out. They had a cute little trailer to carry all their camping gear fitted with a wheel from the tail of a light aircraft.

Gijs arrived about an hour after we had arrived. He introduced himself and we had a chat about our trip. He is very well travelled, and has been to the Nordkapp many times in his sidecar outfits. He now goes every winter for a sidecar rally in his special winter outfit. It is a red, hydraulic driven, three wheel drive outfit powered by a Volvo five cylinder car engine.  It has a heated sidecar, and boasts a modest 270bhp! On snow and ice it must be some weapon.

Gijs also has a Honda Goldwing "daily driver" and an old BMW R90 rat bike outfit. He doesn't own a car.

I have a look around the campsite, and take a shower. The bathroom of De Motorschuur is well documented on the internet. There are stickers from all of the previous visitors and clubs. They have come from all over the world. I ask if I can stick one of mine on the wall. I can, but only if I take some of Gijs's stickers with me.

There is a large barn at the site which is the main community area. There is a stage for bands to play, tables for eating, a bar and a kitchen.

I am looking around at all the posters, and artifacts hanging on the wall and the ceiling, when Gijs asked if we will be joining them for dinner. Gijs cooks up a meal each evening which the guests can join him for if they chose.  I consult with Mark who is busy tucking in to some soup. But, he is hungry so says yes.

There are a couple of pot bellied pigs in a pen behind the barn. They start making one hell of a racket, squealing away like they are being attacked. It turns out that Madeleine is home from work. The pigs, like cats and dogs, recognise the sound of her car and can tell when she gets home. They know it is feeding time, as so go crazy!

Mark and I wander over to the bar for a couple of beers. Gijs says to help ourselves, and settle up when we leave in the morning. The other guests are there too, and we have a chat about each others travels. A couple of young guys on a pair of Harley Davidsons are also in the bar. They have popped in for a couple of beers because it has been a hot day. They end up over doing things a little and both of them have mild heat stroke. Gijs offers them a couple of bunks to sleep things off.

Our evening meal was a feast of chicken satay, noodles, and salad. It was just the ticket. We relaxed for a bit after dinner, with a nice cup of coffee. Madeleine then goes off to give some training to her two Border Collies. They are nuts, and never seem to run out of energy. They try and round Mark and I up later as we make our way to our tents. It's been a great day.

Tomorrow Mark and I catch our ferries home. The end of my trip is nearly here.

Here is part 21 of my vlog:

Crasher goes North: Visiting the home of Lego on the way to Germany

Map of Day 22

Wednesday 5th August 2015

Mark had slept well last night. I hadn't been so lucky, and had to resort to earplugs just after midnight to block out the sound of his snoring. We both woke up just after 07:30. There were two young couples also staying at the B&B. One of the couples was just packing up and leaving, as Mark and I thought about helping ourselves to some breakfast.

There was a communal kitchen and dining area, with the rooms leading off it converted into bedrooms. As it was dark when we arrived last night, this was the first time we had been able to appreciate our surroundings. The B&B was a converted thatched farm building, and part of what must of been a quite a prosperous farm. The owner lived in the cottage across the courtyard. There were some art studios in one of the other larger buildings opposite. It was lovely. There was no noise apart from bird song, and the sound of an occasional passing tractor.

The B&B was a gallery and antiques showroom too. Everything was for sale. The furniture, paintings, ornaments all had a small price label on them with information about the maker or artist. 

Mark made some fresh coffee, and I helped myself to some cereal and a yogurt. We sat chatting about our plans for today. Shortly after we sat down to our breakfast, the young couple in the room next to ours emerged and headed for the bathrooms. They were in their early twenties. She was a very attractive, leggy redhead. And, he was a very handsome, blonde haired military type. I felt very old all of a sudden!

About half an hour later, just as we were tidying up after ourselves the young lady appeared in just a very small towel. Embarrassed, she almost sprinted for the security of her bedroom. She obviously didn't expect Mark and I to be still sitting there. It put on smile on my face, anyway.

By the time Mark and I had loaded the dishwasher, and tidied up the kitchen. The young couple were leaving. Mark and I got showered and packed up. We were ready to go around 09:30.

We had no real plans for today again. We wanted to get to somewhere around the Hamburg area of Germany, and then look for a campsite. There appeared to be a few to choose from in that area. I suggested that we stopped off in Billund for a look around. So Mark set his satnav to winding route, and we set off into the Danish countryside. It was a beautiful day already, and a complete contrast to the rainstorms of yesterday. It seemed that the weather forecasters had got it right for a change.

The Danish countryside very much reminded me of  Lincolnshire, where I spent a large chunk of my life growing up. My parents still live there today. The sights, sounds and smells were all the same. Only the fact that we were riding on the other side of the road made it different. There were large fields of onions and leeks that made my nostrils twitch as we rode past. The only other traffic we saw was the occasional tractor. The land was flat with a gentle breeze which made it a good spot for wind turbines.

There were some nice little villages on the way to Billund. The buildings still had a continental vibe about them, only they were now built of brick instead of timber. We stopped for fuel in a little village called Ans, as we were both running a bit low after yesterdays blast in the rain.

There were some interesting buildings on the outskirts of Kjellerup. They were round with lots of windows at random levels cut in the side. They appeared to have an observation deck near the top. They looked industrial. But, if they were houses they must be very funky places to live.

The villages became a little more frequent as we got closer to Silkeborg. Each one only seemed to be a few kilometres apart. Nice little stone churches, tree lined roads, and large lakes became the normality for the next fifty kilometres.

Then in the middle of nowhere a huge Christmas tree farm appeared along both sides of the road. There were thousands of trees about eight feet high, for as far as you could see. It was a bit bizarre. But, I suppose they have to grow them somewhere.

As we got back on to a stretch of more major road, huge sculptures had been built on some of the roundabouts. They were quite impressive. I don't know what they were meant to symbolise, but they looked good in my eyes.

We arrived in Billund, and Mark headed straight for Legoland. Once, I explained that we wanted the town and not the theme park, we fought our way out of the quickly filling carpark, and parked up in the quite town centre.

The town was very pleasant. Quiet, clean with pretty little buildings. There was a large Lego hotel and shopping complex being built in the middle of the town. This is obviously a more to attract more tourists into the town itself. But, to me it looked like it might spoil the serenity of what was already there.

Mark and I walked down the main shopping street and found a nice looking coffee shop. Mark had some Danish Krone to use up, so he offered to pay. We sat outside, and a very friendly lady served us our coffee and a couple of disgustingly nice brandy snap pastries filled with cream. Mark had made a good choice!

Full of caffeine and sugary cake goodness we waddled back towards our bikes. On the way we passed the original Lego headquarters built after the second world war. Lego was invented by Kirk Christiansen in  Billund in the 1930's, and the original factory was destroyed by fire in 1942. This building was built shortly after WW2, and acted as the Lego HQ. The outside of the building had panels moulded in concrete to look like Lego bricks. It was very cool.

There was a display of all the most popular Lego models on display in the windows dating back to the 1940's. Mark and I both recognised the Lego we played with as children. Some of the models must be pretty valuable now.

Back at our bikes, we found them surrounded by a group of middle aged men. They were curious about our bikes and our travels. One of the guys owned an Aprilia Moto 6.5. He had never seen an Aprilia Caponord in the flesh before. He seemed impressed that Mark's bike had traveled so far without any major issues.

We left Billund and headed for Germany. On the outskirts of the town is the new Lego HQ. There is a large Lego industrial estate filled with various factories making different Lego components. Huge Lego bricks appeared every so often at the side of the road. They were just randomly arranged like a giant child had dropped them. It just reminded you where you were. I would of loved to take one home to put in my front room!

We headed for the E45 which would take us south. A series of funky looking aqua ducts crossed over the road on the way. It seems the Danes like to add a splash of design to an otherwise boring concrete structure.

We also encountered some strange roundabouts. They were a roundabout with another roundabout around the outside. The outer ring acted as a filter lane for the next exit, and meant that you didn't have to stop and give way. I found the first one a little confusing. But, by the time the next few came along I was getting the hang of things.

Just after Kolding ( where Finn lives ), we joined the E45. This is the main motorway that runs from the top of Denmark to Germany. It was dull, straight and boring. But, it enabled us to cover big distances in a reasonable amount of time.

It was a bit smelly though. Every few kilometres, we would pass a transporter truck full of pigs on their way for bacon conversion. The stinky pig wagon aroma would hit you about three or four kilometres before you passed the truck. The temperature was rising the closer we got to the German border. This was not helping either. Perhaps someone should invent deodourised trucks for piggy transportation!

Just before the German border was truck town. Every conceivable make of truck had a dealership or repair shop at the side of the E45. It went on for around ten kilometres. This was certainly the place to get your truck washed, serviced, or exchanged for a new one.

Over the border into Germany and the E45 became the A7 Autobahn. The next few hours became a game of avoiding the BMW's and Audi's driving at 130kph or more in the outside lane. We settled at a pace of 110-120kph, and chose our overtaking of slower traffic very carefully. Riding at a speed lower than this was dangerous.

About a hundred kilometres from Hamburg, the traffic began to build up. Warning messages on the overhead matrix signs warned of an accident ahead. I had the life scared out of me by a police car that appeared on my tail from out of nowhere with a cute blond policewoman at the wheel. I pulled over, and she was gone as quickly as she appeared with sirens and emergency light blazing.

Mark signaled for us to pull off the autobahn at the next services. I was happy to do this as I was running low on full due to our increased pace on the autobahn. We decided to sit it out for a bit. The traffic was virtually stationary as it passed the services. 

We had a bite to eat and a drink. The sun was blazing down, and it was still warm in the shade. I was cooking in my bike kit. After about an hour the traffic had begun to stop and start. We spotted a few cars taking a back road out of the services. Mark looked on his satnav and a small road appeared to run parallel with the autobahn for the next ten kilometres or so.

We got back on our bikes and took the back road. There were warning signs telling us the exit was for authorized vehicles only. But, it was written in German, so we chose not to understand them and carried on anyway!

The small back road took us alongside the autobahn before crossing over to the other side. Several other cars and vans had followed us along this route. The traffic below was stationary again. At least we were moving, and in roughly the right direction. A few kilometres further on we were directed back onto the A7. But, we were now only two or three hundred metres from the accident.

The remains of a burnt out caravan was being cleared up by the emergency services. The cute policewoman was there leaning on a broom, watching her colleagues sweep up the mess. A few metres further up the road, a family was trying to load all of their salvaged belongings into their estate car. I hoped they were on their way home rather that just starting their holiday.

We cleared the seen of the hold up, and were set free towards Hamburg. But, not for long. A series of road works and contraflow systems slowed our progress. The traffic was heavy again. Most of the drivers were ignoring the 80kph speed limit and average speed cameras. As the cameras were forward facing, Mark and I just maintained our pace with the other traffic.

There was a lot of dust in the air caused by the construction traffic. Several water tankers were damping down the earth. One of them was running close to the road, and I was given a refreshing shower. It was much needed in the increasing heat of the day.

As we arrived in Hamburg, it became clear that we were lucky to be heading south. The north bound traffic was backed up for miles. It didn't appear to be moving for the whole of the way around the outskirts of the city.

We crossed under the river Elbe via a tunnel, and exited the other side in the dockland area of the city. The north bound traffic was even worse here. I later found out that a large cargo ship leaving the port had collided with one of the supporting columns of the suspension bridge that crossed the river to the east of Hamburg. This had closed the bridge, and now all the traffic had been directed this way.

Once we were clear of the city, Mark and I pulled over at a rest stop. It was time to find somewhere to stay for the night. As it was a hot, sunny day we decided to camp. With a campsite search in our satnavs we headed for a site just off the A1, near Ottersberg.

The Paradise "Grüner Jäger" campsite sounded a bit like the set of a Carry-On movie. But, it was nice enough. There was a swinging pool and a restaurant on site. It was a quiet site, and we were given a pitch in the corner of the site just across from the entrance. It felt strange to be using the tents again. They had been stored on the back of our bikes since the Lofoten Islands.

We had a meal in the restaurant that evening. Mark had fillet steak and chips. I had a Wiener Schnitzel with mixed vegetables. This was all washed down with some large steins of beer. The food was good. The only problem was the abundance of flies. They were everywhere. One we had finished our food, Mark and I retired to the fly free sanctuary of the bar for another beer. We then sat around by our tents for the rest of the evening chatting until the sun went down.

Tomorrow we head for Holland, and spend the night at a biker campsite.

Here is part 20 of my vlog: