Blimey – having an interesting time on FB in Klaipeda putting photos into an album and creating and ordinary post. Looks a right mess at this end, and probably even worse at yours. Pouring with rain outside with 800km ahead of us to Tartu in Estonia, where we’re now thinking of taking a train for … Read more …
As old Soviet hands (Jutta and I did after all first meet in Moscow 43 years ago in 1974 when we were both working there), we head out of Kaliningrad/Koenigsberg towards EU-member Lithuania today with mixed feelings. The Russians we’ve met here since crossing on Daisy from Poland five days ago, have been unfailingly kind … Read more …
Here’s our route over the past two days from Gusev/Gumbinnen to Kaliningrad/Koenigsberg – and a mighty interesting one it was too. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/1918353884 178 km, average moving speed of 14.7 kph, and a completely delightful overnight stay (after late-evening thunder run to nearly 10pm) at new private Amelia Hotel in Pravdinsk (terrible name), formerly Friedland. Hugely … Read more …
Fascinating to have arrived in Kaliningrad Region – looks, feels, smells even so much like the Russia/Soviet Union Jutta and I knew so well. Our two-day slow route in mapped on the right, from Mauerwald with its crazy WWII bunkers, to Gusev/formerly Gumbinnen. Read more …
First, a couple of Garmin map links if you’re interested in our exact route, and speeds, and elevation and all the rest. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/1909929009 https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/1909906242 If you check, you’ll note that the first one suddenly picks up speed dramatically after Rozogi. And yes, from that point we were no longer trundling sedately along on Daisy, but … Read more …
Jutta’s stomach – norovirus? something she ate? – forcing a one-day pause, rather early in the proceedings. But hoping to continue tomorrow. Read more …
All’s well, British Airways finally delivered Daisy safely if 36 hours later to Warsaw’s Chopin airport (sorry for the terrible, and obvious, pun in the headline…) and we set off north tomorrow. First though, an open-air Chopin concert in Warsaw’s Lazienki Park. And this is how Daisy arrived, her plastic packing somewhat compromised from her … Read more …
So, after a satisfying if brief dalliance with electric bikes in the south of France in May, it’s time again for some serious cycling, with Daisy our tandem some 1300km from Warsaw up through Russia’s Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad and Riga to Tallinn, the Estonian capital. I’ll see if I can embed here a rough … Read more …
Our two Kalkhoff BeatBikes, from 50cycles.com, took Mt Ventoux – the Mecca of serious global cycling and 5000 feet or so of uphill slog – in their stride. Mark got up on the Sport setting, and bottom gear, while Jutta used the full Monty, on Power all the way up. And even then, we each … Read more …
The Braynes’ Tour de France Electrique continuing to go rather well, from Bordeaux and the Medoc down to the Pyrenees, where Mark spent a wonderful week this time of year in 1970 helping restore an old police station/young people’s holiday hostel in Saurat, near Tarascon-sur-Arriege (and Andorra). Alongside the weather’s perfect timing, and the sheer … Read more …