Devonshire and Exeter

My next destination was Exeter in Devonshire via the wild hills of Dorset and Blackdown Hills. My touring equipment allows me to setup a camping site anywhere in these national parks and use the local village facilities as needed. If your willing to put yourself out of your comfort zone with unpredicatble weather this can be a rewarding mode of touring and extremely cheap but I'm a fit senior citizen. In fact my total budget including return airfares from Australia for nearly five months was around A$6000. Why would you spend $15000 on a 15 day cruise of the Danube? I guess you have the funds, not like roughing it and happy to let the tourism operators take your money.

Being a short person I can easily fit into this one person tent

 that only weighs 840g and withstands storms and snow

Rewarding views from my tent after a long day's ride

and a stunning sunset

I loved meandering through the Devonshire wild parks stopping for the occasional cuppa and take in the view. Even in late September the weather is comfortable which is not surprising given this south west region is some of the warmest parts of the UK. I've only had two wet days since leaving Dover a couple of weeks ago. The paths aren't to bad being mainly fine gravel or bitumen so riding is quite easy. UK does have a network of pathways not specially for bicycles as many counties have signage for this national network supported by the Sustrans membership network.

The academic city of Exeter like anywhere in the UK will have the promise of history and it did with the stunning medieval cathderal and Tudor buildings. I discovered the strong academic culture here after an unexpected moment. In 2013 I walked from the Amsterdam train station into a laneway lined with large glass panels that pivoted and what I thought were sensually dressed female manikins. Oops it was the central Red Light district. I think we've all done this before in varying circumstances and chosen a wrong path by accident. Who would have thought that WW1 would be triggered by such an event where Prince Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in 1914 because their driver took a wrong street trapping their quick exit. I expect WW1 was likely anyway with tensions rising between the various European cousins over power and land.

Well, after arriving in Exeter I made my way into the city centre with my bicycle fully laden with pannier bags and still had my high vis jacket on and helmet. I turned into the high street only to be met with a cacophony of sound coming from hundreds of student/civilian protesters marching to the town hall apparently about the NHS. There were people all around me and of course I had no choice but to become part of the process. Funny no one noticed my Aussie accent. It was loud but thankfully peaceful and the police were quite accomodating of the event. Don't let my grey pony tail fool you.

Dover, Wiltshire and Bournemouth

Here I was again on English soil and familiar terrain as I remember that steep climb out of the Dover port. This time the riding weather was good as it can be for Dover but I'd been on the road for a few days back in France so I settled for a dry bed and breakfast treat and warm shower

Dover bed and breakfast

In 2013 I had already cycled from Dover along the Hampshire coast through iconic towns like Folkestone, Eastbourne, Brighton and Southampton so I caught the express train from Dover to Salisbury in Wiltshire. 

Express train to Wiltshire

In 2013 I had already visited Stonehenge so I headed south for the coast for an appointment with the world famous Bournemouth air show. Why would a cyclist be interested in such an event? My father was in the Australian Air Force and my first career was in Avionics.

There were a number of festivals on at the time so finding budget accomodation was not an option but I was setup for camping with a tent and eventually found a caravan park (holiday park in Europe/UK) just a few kms on the southern outskirts of Salisbury. I have used a lot of them over the years and have to say this has one of the best camp kitchens ever and even better than one I used on the Otago Rail Trail in southern New Zealand.

Here in the northern hemisphere the moon is to the south

 and the crest to your right

The holidays had just finished so I had the whole park to myself

Cycling the beautiful Wiltshire Downs

Your typical general store in the small village 'high street'

Mother and daughter out for a stroll

Idyllic scenery enroute to Bournemouth

Japanese Miso soup

I don't like the stodgy English cuisine and I'm mainly a vegetarian with the occasional fresh fish or chicken but found a vegetarian restaurant in Bournemouth and enjoyed a miso, bok choy and delicate Enoki mushroom soup.

Belgium, Dunkirk & ferry to Dover

As I made my way to Bruges in north Belgium local cyclists told me about a canal that runs all the way to Ostend and from there I could ride into France and on to Dunkirk. This part reminded me of my 2013 140km three day trek along the Midi Canal in southern France finishing at Toulouse.

I enjoyed this new ride because each side of the canal had minor service roads with cafes and rest stops along the way which is what recreational cycling should be. Germany does this so well that unlike our grey nomads in Australia towing their mobile hotels with a large 4WD costing over A$200K and haven't even put fuel in it yet the German senior couples gather a cycling group together and ride these dedicated cycle paths for several days for just the cost of bed and breakfast and food for the day. That's very smart and the exercise is invaluable.

Archtitecture in Bruges

Nice earthy colours and lines

Following the canal to Ostend Belgium

France again after 6 years

Despite the tragedy and loss of life during the WW2 Dunkirk 1940 excavation I enjoyed the 2017 box office film of the same name. The lack of much dialogue left it to the wide angle cinematography and soundtrack which kept my adrenaline pumping from start to finish which I know is born from crafted film direction and editing.

'Saving Private Ryan' is another film that moves me with its tragedy and loss for both sides. Operation 'Dynamo' was the largest evacuation in military history. Dunkirk was later liberated by the allies in 1944.

Dunkirk's population is around 87000 not much bigger than the coastal city of Mackay on the eastern seaboard of Queensland Australia. Dunkirk translates as Dun (dune) and Kirk (church) referencing a prominent landmark in the town and there's no way I would attempt the local Flemish-Dutch dialogue. It's obviously a major tourism destination.

Dunkirk reborn

I'll always make space for a French pastry in Calais

My time in Europe has now ended for a second time as I work my way for several hours through the bio, customs, security and visa entry points at Calais. Before Brexit in 2013 it was so much quicker and simpler to enter the UK with an Australian passport. Now most of the process is done at Calais but I had everything prepared the day before to help streamline the event including British currency.

Return to the Netherlands

It has been six years since I last cycled through the Netherlands which despite being flat can be hard work when you're facing the North Sea winds with 45kg of baggage on board. That time I skirted Luxembourg/East Belgium and in fact I now immediately recognised a hill 5km to the south of Roermund that I passed several years before. I now realised I'd crossed the border into the Netherlands leaving West Germany.

Riding Dutch cycling infrastructure is world class and I also experienced this in Germany and Scandinavia, in particular Denmark. Despite France owning the crown of world cycling events, like the UK its cycling infrastructure is relatively nonexistent but at least the French motorists are respectful of cyclists. This attitude is not much better in Australia and I think it's due to the prevalence of your typical white English 'entitled' middle-aged/senior male patriarchal citizen who generally have little tolerance of anything in life except for young women, ankle biters, matching striped sailor tops and golf.

In the short six years I've also noticed the one-car family is now the two or three-car family which has impeded my use of cycle paths in towns here because they're now occupied by cars that also park in either direction. As soon as I leave the town the cycle path is clear again for myself and other cyclists/pedestrians.

I have to walk around the cars now

Think I'll pass on that air traffic controller job

The familiar hill south of Roermund

I absolutely love this space and quiet

I eventually made my way to Middelharnis on one of the lower peninsulas just south of Rotterdam where I stayed with my lovely hosts for a few days and discovered how hard the Dutch folk party. I'm a non-drinking non-'smoking' chap but enjoyed the colourful conversations and even cooked a meal for my hosts. It was Spanikopita and was popular in the Adelaide 80's restaurant I cooked in.

Dortmund, Wuppertal and Cologne

After three wonderful days exploring Leipzig and an attending a Mendelssohn symphony concert with one of the world's oldest still performing orchestras at the Leipzig Gerwandhaus (Garment House) I caught the fast train to Dortmund via Hanover and continued my ride to Cologne via Wuppertal.

Of course I needed to boost my cycling calories with an authentic Berliner bun (donut) and coffee 'pfannkuchen und ein kaffee bitte' and plenty of spring water to rinse my pearly whites. I learnt that coffee and herbal teas will stain your teeth over time so I always hit the water after a brew.

Leipzig Hauptbhanhof - the largest railway station in Europe by square metre

No need to unpack the bicycle - just walk on - unlike Germany, Italy was a nightmare back in 2013 as the station platforms were half a metre below the carriage step.

The promise of free range goose eggs with an unbelievable colour and rich flavour for my Dortmund rye bread and salad roll.

Thanks for Germany's cycling infrastructure I enjoyed my journey through North West Germany meandering through lovely villages, towns like Wuppertal then following the Rhine river on my way to Cologne.

Wuppertal

No speed limits here on the autobahn and cyclists understandably not allowed on but I do happily use the highways back home in Australia.

Entering the northern outskirts

On my way in from the north I passed through several suburbs of industrial/university complexes being the global headquarters of Bayer the largest agricultural seed and crop chemical supplier in the world who in the previous year purchased the US global giant Monsanto for over US$63 billion. Both companies have had their fair share of controversies relating to due diligence and public health matters. It took me over 40 mins just to pass through this large district.

I wanted to see the tallest cathedral in the world for its sheer stature despite my lapsed Catholic beliefs and is one of the most popular pilgrimages in Germany. This landmark was also seen in one of the most fierce tank battles during WW2 and thank goodness this was untouched. Cologne's early Roman roots are still evident with wharf structures dating back some 1900 years where the Rhine was used as a crucial transport corridor.

Looking west across the Rhine to the Cologne Cathedral

Apartment buildings using a cantilever design - not sure I'd sleep well at night but hey it's German engineering with an architect's statement of confidence.

German outdoor/camping shopping with style

Another delicious baked fish meal and desert

Mendelssohn and Bach in Leipzig

As I did for my 2013 trek across Europe I visited key locations where famous classical music composers lived and worked in past centuries. I left Berlin and cycled for three days south arriving in Leipzig to visit Mendelssohn’s home and museum which contains a collection about his life and work. Not only was Mendelssohn a gifted composer but a skilled conductor taking up the position of music director at the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He lived here from 1845 until his death in 1847. His sister Fanny was also a gifted pianist and composer who died the same year. Like Beethoven and Schumann both Felix and Fanny composed in the early Romantic style.

Bach was also a famous resident here during the Baroque era and many of us will appreciate the genius of his work. He was a composer, conductor, teacher and performer and in 1723 obtained the post of cantor (music director) for Leipzig and the Lutheran church. He mastered the church organ and the scoring and presentation of German church choral music both sacred and secular known as cantatas along with numerous instrumental works.

Church where Bach often performed

Berlin, the Wall and Hitler

With the Scandinavian days behind me I could start planning for Berlin and also places that had connections with German composers from the Baroque and Classical/Romantic periods. I love history and sometimes I've had the nerdy notion of being one of those academic presenters we see on BBC and foreign documentaries. How societies developed, reigned or completely disappeared. There are many lessons learnt and hopefully not repeating itself for some nations. Germany and in particular Berlin has been the cradle of significant decisions affecting not only neighbouring nations but the whole world.

Life on a fast train to Berlin

I recently learnt that one of my great uncles was one of the famous Rats of Trobruk whose Australian WWII campaign in North Africa played a major part with the first battles to turn back Hitler's war machine fighting against the German Panza tank divisions lead by one of Hitler's favoured military leaders Rommel. My great Uncle Emm (Emerson) from Australia survived schrapnel wounds. So to some degree the family connection is there.

In 1989 Berlin again made left its indelible mark in history with the falling of the wall that divided East from West Berlin and essentially reunited the nation. I remember for some odd reason I was listening to a song by progressive rock group Tears for Fears called The Working Hour while catching a news bulletin on the ABC with scenes of the Berlin wall falling with President Yeltsin in view. Now thirty years on it looks like the cold war has returned with two opposing nations run by unchallenged leaders backed by oligarchs. You can forget about liberating climate change when these regimes dictate their own agendas and our futures. The heroic people of Hong Kong (I've been there four times within the last ten months) are testing this mandate. Sorry Greta but your frustrations are falling on deaf ears while they will bury you happily and dispute your climate change fears.

I like to stay where the real folk are and by pure chance my hotel was only 10 mins walk away from the Wall and within the wonderful cosmopolitan centre - I felt like I was back in Brunswick, Melbourne with the sound of trams and baristas honing their skills. Most of this short section of the Wall is covered with artworks expressing views and meaning as art does.

Friedrichshain district Berlin

Many of us in the right generations should have some awareness of Hitler's extraordinary demise and last days in the famous bunker as Russian troops made their way from the East. It’s hard to fathom how one disturbed individual could gain such power as a member of an 'intelligent' nation and cause unimaginable sorrow and destruction across Europe and other continents. I'm going to jump to another subject I covered in a recent Australian blog - it's about people having extraordinary lives and ending their them in insignificant spaces so bear with me. If you look at the Australian ten dollar banknote you will see a portrait of Dame Mary Gilmore who achieved great things as a writer and campaigner against injustice - she is also the great great aunt of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. By chance I discovered her 'paupers' grave next to her estranged husband and son in a windy, dusty and treeless cemetery in Cloncurry in far west Queensland. I was actually looking at Afghan graves and how they were oriented towards Mecca.

Central Berlin

Brandebburg Gate

Berlin reborn

So this leads me back to my point - a significant individual like Hitler spends twelve years breathing oxygen, almost destroying the Jewish nation, dictates many military campaigns against other nations and yet when it all ends to mark his final resting place is a non-descript carpark amongst apartment blocks only minutes away from the historical Brandenburg gate. That’s probably how it should be as many German citizens want to forget this immovable stain on their history.

Site of Hitlers Bunker that no longer exists

Jewish memorial nearby