Hamburg Germany

May 19

Today Ken and I got to test ride our bikes to make sure that everything was in working order.  With this in mind the group set off from the hotel right after breakfast. We were headed to a bike shop as some people wanted a few things.  Bob had scoped out a few shops and had a tourist map in hand and off we went.  It was a bright sunny day and though a little cool it was going to be a great day.  We rode past city hall, a bunch of canals and got to a bike shop but not the right one so another and then we saw the Kaiser sitting on his horse and looking very noble.  At the bike shop Bob got some leg warmers and a few other things were picked up.  Then we started touring the city we stopped at the Hamburg cathedral which was destroyed in WW2 and is now a museum.  More riding around and the we stopped for lunch in the Red Light district which is a reputed to be second only to Amsterdam.  We sat in a patio and watched the parade of characters strolling the street.  

After lunch we hit the Uboat museum which has U434 tied up. It is a post war Russian sub which served in east Germany.  Really tight quarters in it. I don't think it was too glamorous to be on that boat.  However it was very interesting.  From there we rode down the river and took the under the Elbe river tunnel which was opened in 1906 and is now a bike/pedestrian tunnel.  You enter the tunnel on a large lift which originally was for cars.  The center lane is for bikes and the walker are on two side walks.  It was a little un-nerving as people would step off the side walk and there were other riders coming towards you some playing with their cell phones.  Gosh I wonder why my call got dropped. 

After we got back to the hotel Ken and I headed off to find sim cards.   We will need cards to stay in touch with the rest of the riders when we are on the road. 

It was a wonderful warm day and the ride through the city was a lot of fun.  The fact that the bikes seem like they are in perfect working order made everything just that much better.  Big thanks to Bob for leading us through the city on a great ride.

Tomorrow we start off on the tour.  I think we have only 53 Kms down to Lauenburg.  Weather looks good.   I am really looking forward to getting started.

Terry