Grüss Gott!

That means hello in Bavaria, or so I'm told. We have been on the road/bike trail now for one week, and Internet connections are scarce. We are now in Hof, which is in Bavaria. We traveled along the Saale River bike trail, from Barby to Hof (rode from Matthias' home town of Gommern to Barby, which wasn't far, first.) The ride is nice, though it has gotten plenty hilly the last few days. I blame the extra weight of the large packs on our bikes as the reason I have to walk my bike so much (but it could also be the extra weight on me!) Actually, we're doing pretty well - about 50-70 km per day. Weather has been terrific. Twice it rained in the evening, just as we got the tent put up, but we haven't had any rain during our ride yet. Strange for Germany.

We have stayed all but one night (plus tonight) in campsites. Once we stayed in a youth hostel, which wasn't bad at all since we were the only ones there...literally! Even the guy running the place left at 10PM! And, the breakfast (included) was fabulous! Tonight we are staying in another youth hostel. It isn't empty, but we have our own room. On the bright side, I get to watch the Germany/Sweden match tonight (Matthias isn't into Soccer at all, so I haven't kept up with the games, although I did get to see Ghana celebrate beating the US two days ago. I can't help but love some of the fans' slogans: "God Bless America and let Ghana win!" Very funny.

I would describe our planned route now, only we don't really have one. We plan to head down through Bavaria toward Munich, and then get over the Alps somehow (most likely by train) to Italy, where we hope to ride through Tuscany. This is all subject to change, however.

Till next time, take care!

A Pain in the Butt

We got back to Germany a few days ago and picked up our bikes and other things we needed for the ride. For the last three days, we've taken quite a few rides around here - there are tons of trails and little roads through pretty scenery. Already put about 100 km on the bike odometer, while our butts get used to riding (ouch!) We set off tomorrow for Barby and the Saale River RadWeg (bike trail) which will take us through Thuringen toward Bavaria. Hopefully, by the time we get to Bavaria I'll be able to handle the hills that we're sure to encounter.

I didn't yet report on the end of the Russia trip, but the two last stops on the river cruise were pretty cool. Uglitsch had an historic monastery - we skipped the tour and headed to the town, where we found the market and mingled with Russians as they shopped for cheese, meat and clothes. Our last stop was Moscow, and though it poured like crazy during our tour of the Kremlin, the weather during the rest of our day and a half there was fabulous. We explored the Metro system, which has some beautiful stations, walked around pretty pedestrian malls and parks, and marveled at the wide array of goods for sale that just 15 years or so ago could not have been bought for any amount of Rubles. Oh, and the beer and vodka weren't bad either!

Links to pictures from my parents trip to Germany and our trip to Russia are on the left.

White Nights

Wow. I'm writing this from the Russian river boat (but transcribing it to the blog from Germany.) It's 11:30 PM and still bright as day outside. I only have to use the light when we go through the locks along the river. I know that it stays light all night, since Matthias won't let me draw the curtians (afraid he might miss breakfast or something!) Last night I woke up at 2AM and could see across the river - pretty awesome!

(Family getting ready to board the boat in St. Petersburg. Not pictured: photographer (me.))

Russia is quite fabulous. I highly recommend a trip, though not necessarily a river cruise. We didn't have nearly enough time in St. Petersburg and our stops along the river were mainly tourist traps, though we did get to see lots of old wooden churches and one pretty "typical" Russian town. The river scenery is nice, too. Matthias thinks it's better than the Chilean Fjords, but I take exception to that. Also, the weather has been pretty grim - cold and wet. So much for bragging that we didn't have winter this year. We're getting it now!

On the family front, we are doing pretty well. My mother taught Matthias' mother how to play Solitaire (I think Sudo-ku is next!) and Matthias keeps busy translating conversations between our fathers. My mother's German is holding up pretty well, and mine is getting better. A good thing, since we didn't realize when we booked the trip that the entire cruise (tours, menus, etc.) would be in German. The Roses are coping well, however, and it's a good experience for us seeing that the world - or at least the tourist industry - does not revolve exclusively around the English language.

St. Petersburg did not disappoint - it was wonderful. We took a couple of tours included with the cruise and although I couldn't understand the tour guide, the sights were terrific, and I taught myself to read Russian (Cyrillic Alphabet) while in traffic on the bus. We saw spectacular palaces and churches, along with the Ermitage, and also spent an afternoon walking around on our own discovering Russian cafes and fast food.

We arrive in Moscow in a couple of days and will have to say goodbye to my parents adn then to Matthias' parents as we begin our bike tour and much needed diets! Pictures to come soon, of course.

And, in case I don't get to say this later...Happy 40th Birthday to Linda on the 19th of June!! Wish I could be there to help celebrate (but just to help celebrate.) Also, a belated 40th birthday greeting to Steve. Geez, we're all getting old!

Gute Fahrt

This phrase, meaning (I think) "Good Journey" or "Good Drive" always makes my mother giggle. We have been driving around Germany for the past week with both sets of parents, with Achim (Matthias' father) at the wheel of the van. We visited Frankfurt and Aschaffenburg, where the Roses explored some family history. Then we were off to the Rhein and Mosel valleys, where we took in the scenery and drank wine from the region. Before heading back east, we stopped in Cologne, to see the famous Dom (Cathedral).

We are now back in Gommern with the whole family for another three days before we start our Russian River Cruise. All nice and cozy. Today, we are going to Potsdam to visit Sanssocci Palace and gardens. Tomorrow we are off to Berlin to (hopefully) get our Russian visas and tour the city. Then a day of rest and off to St. Petersburg.