Well I've had a busy couple of weeks!!
At the present time I'm in the Hotel Zum Lowen (Loo'ven) in Duderstadt: a beautiful town steeped in history and still comprising many 400year old buildings. Most of the High Street is at least this old.
The ash cloud from Iceland has caused all sorts of logistical issues for training that I had to undertake for the new job I started a few weeks ago. There were flights booked for me to travel to Hannover and from there I would travel by hire car to Duderstadt. The stay was supposed to be for a week whilst treating a British patient with a new all singing and all dancing orthosis which provides the ability to stand and walk more normally: using electronics and fancy biomechanical application.
Biomechanics (sports, diabetic, and lower limb) are my main interest in work and this new job means I get to wallow in them full-time. Groovy.
Anyway, my flights were cancelled but I had to wait until the airport told me so, before deciding to drive over (with my bike of course). This meant that I arrived in Duderstadt to start working in Otto Bock...
...at 5:30am. 1 hour of sleep later and I was in work with bloodshot eyes and the trademark Buchanan Bullfrog Eyes surrounding them.
The ash cloud maintained it's hold on the airline regulatory authorities and my charge never arrived from the UK.
The upshot of this is that I've had to stay in Germany for 2 weeks and have used the time well, professionaly, for cycling and socially. I have been treated like a family member and been entertained every night. It's been great, but I need to get back to my normal diet and weightloss when I get home!
So, the bike came with me and I've been trawling up and down the old East/West border looking for places to ride and get my training in. It's been easy as the place is covered in forestry and cycle tracks.
The boys from Bi-Cycles, Duderstadt
MuseumThe defining point this week was realised on Saturday (Yesterday). I have befriended the local shop owner (Andreas of Bi-Cycles)and he and his friends have looked after me too. After going for an 80-85Km ride in the morning, I met up with them at the shop in the afternoon feeling a little tired. I was sort of expecting a short ride as I only had 2hrs left of a 5 1/2hr day to do. We ended up shooting off into the distance and covering another 4hrs worth of riding. This ranged from firetracks to Machenesque steep ground which was really enjoyable.
And the defining moment?
At the end of the ride we traversed the museum area of the old border, with it's helicopter gate guardian and heavy steel sliding gates made out of girders. After this we rode along a section where the minefield, killing grounds, watch towers, lights and trenches remained untouched (apart from actual mines, I hope). It was an eerie place and I found it slightly disturbing to think about the things that could have happened just where I stood.
One of the guys on the ride (Tony) told us of how his family had been split by the border and, also, how just up the road was a smuggling passage where his uncle(?) had tried to smuggle a little pig across to his family. This was a corridor used mainly for cigarettes and booze and the guard wasn't bothered when he found the pig, so let him through.
A big day out in many ways.
Although I must admit to a slightly tongue in cheek giggle when my i-pod seemed to know where I was and started playing Frankie Goes to Hollywood, "Two Tribes".
Today, I went back there and rode along the concrete road remains of the borders and some cycle tracks in between with a 15Km deviation into some of the towns of "East" Germany. I was looking for an Imbiss as I was starving, but they were all shut. I managed to get another (hungry) 3hrs out of the bike today in the scorching heat and slight breeze.
It's a nice area and I like it, so now I'm off to try the local speciality: Carbonara Ice Cream would you believe?? Whilst there I will ponder a new route I found on the internet: "The Iron Curtain Trail." I wonder how long that'll take?
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