Distance = 71.01 miles
Time = 6 hrs 58 mins
Average Speed = 10.2 mph
Elevation = 757 feet
Calories = 3320
Tour Distance = 269 miles Time = 22hrs 32 mins Calories = 11,368
Day 3 started with a liesurely cycle across Saxony passing lots of typical villages such as Hesel, Firrel and Ockenhausen before a slight detour to see Lengener Meer which turned out to be a bit of a disappointing wet patch of land. The road tuened into a bit of an unpaved off road trail and at the meer there was a wooden hide which I climed and observed the lake from. Upn leaving the poor trail became a sandy muddy mess which stuck to the tires and was almost impossible to ride on - fortunately it was only 2-3 miles before I was back on solid ground. Next around bockhorn and into Varel where I had a lovely coffee and Schnitzel dinner - after which looking at black skies and being unable to place my wtareproof I bought a new waterproof top in somewhat laboured German.
Off I set with my new waterproof and lo & behold the sun came out !!!!
It was down to the Jadebusen which is an inland arm of the North Sea which forrms a bay south of Willemshaven. A beautiful day cycling east along the Jadebusen behind the dyke , I ventured behind the dyke to see the sea and lo & behold it was green fields - no water in sight & I thought this bay is really just a flood plain.
10 miles later the bay turned north and there followed a very painful 10 miles into the teeth of a gale until I was at the head of the Jadebusen facing Willemshaven from the other side of the Bay - 25 miles cycling to move 2 miles east !!!
At this point the filed had given way to a full out & out raw North sea inlet - there was no question this was a serious tidal inlet. There were lots of holiday parks and Germans families out on the beaches and cycling four wheeled 'Surrey's' along the path.
I tracked the coast all the way avoiding an inland 'downwind' shortcut until just after Burshave where I crossed the dyke again to get my first view of the cranes across the Weser and the ort of Bremerhaven.
It was thena straight fast ride down the Weser to Blexen and a ferry across the Weser to Bremerhaven, from where I cycled across town to my hotel for the night which was the Havenhostel about 1 mile across the City.
I then cycled into town and took the elevator to the top of the Sail Hotel only to be dissapointed that my camera decided now was the time to stop working - I took a few photographs of the town and a fantastic sunset on my mobile phone before buying a new camera in the morning.
A lovely meal in Lloyds Bar beside the sail hotel finished off a good night.
Photographs :
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| This is the wooden platform overlooking the Lengener Meer |
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| Not the best of roads to be cycling on - again near the Lengener Meer |
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| A lovely garden in the heart of Saxony near Ruttel. |
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BEWARE : A lovely windmill in Germany and as I approached the field to take a scenic picture across the barley fields .... ZAPPP... Ouch !! .. electric fence |
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| A lovely Scnitzel and coffee in Varel |
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| The road from Varel out to the Jadebusen - as you can see what had threatened to be a wet day had now turned into a lovely sunny if blustery afternoon |
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Cycle paths galore ... Ooooh which way ??? I decided to hug the Jadebusen and endeavour some really tough headwinds and an extra 20 miles riding to see the full coastline. |
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| This is the dyke which holds back the North Sea inlet which is the Jadebusen. |
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My first view of the North Sea and the Jadebusen since the Afsluitdijk in Northern Holland. |
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| As you can see in Summer the Southern end of the Jadebusen is somewhat, well, errr dry - not exactly the North Sea is it - This is taken inside the dyke. |
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| This is one of a lot of wooden carvings on the South Shoreline of the Jadebusen near Diekmannshausen. |
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This is a reminder that the North Sea coastline of northern europe much like Holland is pretty much below Sea level and the Dykes along the coastline provide protection against the high tides around the equinox. This pole shows the height of various high tides over the years which have came close but not breached the dyke. |
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| Still on the South of the Jadebusen this was a garden I cycled past with lots of little lighthouses in it |
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| Oh look they're strengthening the dyke with new piles |
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| One of a series of sculptures along the Jadebusen. |
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| A sign showing the scultures and their locations around the Jadebusen. |
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| Another sculpture and again showing the heights of the various high tides over the years - I have left my bicycle in shot deliberately so you can see the scale. |
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| Cycling north along the eastern side of the Jadebusen the North Sea became much more apparent |
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| An action shot cycling North still along the Jadebusen. |
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| Well then here we are full circle around the Jadebusen and the view from the east looking west towards Wilhelmshaven. |
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| Lots of families at the seaside at Eckwarderhome |
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| A large trumpet at Eckwarderhome. |
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| My first view across the Weser to all the cranes in the docks at Bremerhaven |
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| An old house just north of Blexen |
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| Auf wiedersehen in Blexen !! |
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| On the Blexen ferry across the weser to Bremerhaven |
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| The Weser ferry heading past us in the other direction. |
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| Bremerhaven skyline |
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| Bremerhaven Harbour |
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| Bremerhaven from the top of the Sail Hotel |
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| A dramatic sky behind the Sail Hotel in Bremerhaven. |
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