Observations

Just can't seem to say enough about the bike ride. Here are some of our general observations from the trip....


Nature and Wildlife
Have I mentioned sheep? While everyone told us that in Scotland we would see tons of sheep, we saw many more in Germany and Holland. And when we did packaged lamb meat in the supermarket in the Shetland Islands (famous for sheep, I thought) it was from New Zealand! We also saw more Highland cows (the wooly ones) and Shetland ponies in Germany than we did in Scotland. Indeed, overall, we saw the widest variety and largest numbers of animals in Germany, from storks and partridges to cows and horses. We also saw more Belgian horses in Holland than in Belgium. Matthias likes these horses because they are huge and sturdy, or big and fat. I noticed that Belgian cows (actually seen in Belgium) are also big and fat. I wonder what, if anything, this means…

As for agriculture, there were countless cornfields dotting the German landscape (I noticed this during last year’s bike ride, too), but I have yet to be served corn (they call it mais) in Germany – it is a far cry from a German staple. Matthias says they feed it to the cows. We also didn’t see any oats growing in Scotland, though we were able to purchase Scottish oatmeal. Finally, it was interesting to note that Norwegian salmon, Danish cheese, and Dutch cheese are cheaper to buy in Germany than in their respective countries. Guess I should be grateful I didn’t marry a Norwegian dude!

Best and Worst of 2007

Best Campsites – Holland
While we stayed in good and bad campsites in all the countries we visited, we loved a concept that the Dutch had: Mini-Camping. The mini-campsites consisted of a small plot of land a local farmer (or just someone with extra property) would set up as a small campsite. Prices were low, facilities were good, and people were friendly. They were a welcome change from the traditional campsites where we might have to wedge in between RVs or find an open spot in a crowded tent area. Campsites in Denmark were quite posh – sometimes with swimming pools, free Internet and well-equipped kitchens – but we paid just a bit less than a bed and breakfast might cost in Germany, so we weren’t pleased with them.

Worst Campsites – Germany
Aside from one squalid campsite we stayed at in the Czech Republic, Germany tended to have the campsites we liked least, particularly along the North Coast. Basically, many were just open plots of land with RVs and tents lined up in rows. No shelter from wind or rain, and you had to pay extra for showers - which were clean and had hot water, as Matthias wants me to point out.

Best Bike Routes – Denmark
Denmark has a great cycle network and the best signage to keep cyclists on the route. I didn’t have a very detailed map of our route in Denmark but it didn’t matter – I don’t think we ever missed a turn, even though I didn’t have a very detailed map of our route. The signs and trails were also excellent in the Netherlands; in fact, their system not only told you what trail you were on (e.g., #10), but what direction you were going (A or B). However, now and then some signs were missing, and we needed our map to find the next point on the route.

Worst Bike Routes - Czech Republic
Our first answer in this category was Germany…not that the trails weren’t good, but there are so many routes that the signs would get confusing – you definitely need a map to know which town you are headed for as few signs had route numbers or names. But when we got to the Czech Republic, we learned what a crappy bike trail was. Actually, the route signs were great, but some of the paths were just awful – incredibly bumpy, stony or sandy – it’s a good thing that the Czech Republic is the one place we didn’t have a lot of rain!





Best Food – Germany
What the North Sea coast lacked in campsite comfort, it made up for in food – great fresh fish at decent prices. We also did better at German supermarkets, which had a wider variety of soups, cheeses and salads at affordable prices. And of course the bread in Germany wins hands down.

Worst food – Norway or Scotland
Ok, we didn’t go out to eat in Norway, so we really can’t say how the food is there, just that it’s super-expensive. So Matthias voted for Scotland in this category because he got tired of eating haggis (which we both liked) and fish and chips. We found the various meat pies to be pretty disappointing. And, Matthias doesn’t like Indian food, so that didn’t leave him much to work with.

Best People – Scotland!
Could these people be any friendlier? I don’t think so. I think I’ve mentioned a dozen times how outgoing, nice and helpful people were in Scotland. This went for the people in the tourist centers as well as people on the streets, in restaurants and supermarkets. Besides being helpful, people were also very interested in our trip – perhaps because Scotland is not one of the larger “biking nations” so they’re not used to seeing as many fully loaded bikes passing by.

Least friendly people – Norway
I couldn’t very well say “worst people” could I, as I didn’t get to know any. But there was a stark difference that we noticed the minute we got on the Scandinavian-run ferry from the Shetland Islands. Not only did no one talk to us (or smile back at me), but people weren’t all that keen on holding doors open either.