Just another walk - it's not cold but it's not that nice either. I flipped a figurative coin whether to get on my bike or take a walk. Why the coin said walk I don't know.
It was a longer than usual out-and-back walk along the Würm starting in the park at Schloss Fußberg.
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On a late afternoon walk in the drab countryside of mostly brown and green, I had my eyes open for some color - and found it.
Several Celtic entrenchments are to be found in southern Germany, one of the largest is only a few kilometers from where we live - but we always rode by and never bothered to stop and have a look. As far as I knew it was not much more than a mound of earth and grass and nothing much else to see. But today we stopped. It is a mound of earth, but a big one. One side of the square is 110 - 120 meters long. Here is a translation of the information: The importance of Celtic entrenchments was controversial for a long time, one thought of Roman defenses, cattle pens, etc. An investigation of the Celtic entrenchment at Holzhausen in 1957-62 proved its purpose as a place of worship. Traces of a small wooden temple with a covered walkway and 3 sacrificial shafts (with depths of 6.18 and 35 m) were discovered in which animal sacrifices were offered. These sites date from the Latene period (500-15 BC). "No statues there," I was told by a walker who had also stopped to read the information plaque. We got on our bikes and continued our ride. The rest of the ride was on some forest paths that we hadn't ridden before and then finishing the loop through Buchendorf to home.
In the times of Corona bicycles are becoming more popular as a means of transportation and there are calls for better bicycle infrastructure. For example, the mayor of Paris has announced plans to make the streets of Paris 100 per cent cycle friendly by 2024. Rome is following Paris's example, promising 150 km of streets safe for cyclists. But not just the metropoles are initiating changes. Cyclists in mall towns like Gauting want more space and safety. Last Sunday in Gauting, local environmental organizations and bicycle clubs joined to make their cause known. I'm not sure how many participated, perhaps 50 or 60. To call attention to the need for more room on the road for bikes, the participants attached a pool noodle to their bike rack. The pool noodle extended about 1.5 meters, the distance motorized traffic should allow when passing a cyclist. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the procession as we got underway. It was an impressive sight with all those colorful pool noodles.
However, many were not impressed at all. This is what happened to what I thought would be a good way to raise awareness to the needs of cyclists. Drivers in cars didn't know what in the hell we were doing, we were in their way which made them aggressive and probably increased their antagonism. Those who understood and were tolerant, didn't need to be reminded to keep a safe distance. Although the demonstration was registered, unfortunately we weren't given a police escort - it would have helped us to look more legitimate. To make matters worse, some of the participants, riding two abreast, weren't adhering to traffic regulations. Eventually, the police did come because there were complaints. But by that time I had left the group and gone my own way. I appreciate the good intentions of those demonstrating and am 100% for better bicycle infrastructure, but I am very skeptical as to the effectiveness of Gauting's pool noodle parade. I was surprised to get a call from the bike shop on Monday, exactly one week after I brought them my bike for repairs, telling me I could pick up my trusty steed, it was ready. Wow, I had already resigned myself to a longer wait and more walking.
Now that I am again mobile on two wheels, I don't know how consistent I will be about getting enough walking exercise. So far I haven't found the time - excuses, excuses. But I did sign up at the gym and will work out twice weekly. Missing seven days on my bike, I won't meet my July goal of 800 km for my 80th birthday. I have been out on my bike daily since I got it back but I doubt if I will even match last month's total. My most modest goal is 3,000 km on the new bike, the second modest goal is 700 km for the month. Happy to be out on my bike with Janos. I almost always prefer riding a bike to walking because, well, it's easier and faster. But now that I am temporarily without a bike I am walking for exercise and to get my errands done. This has made me very aware that all forms of exercise use different groups of muscles and how important cross-training is. Am I ever stiff from our short hikes the past three days! I guess that is the silver lining to the dark cloud of not having my bike for a while - I see that I must diversify. I might even try to find a gym again. As long as we lived in Munich I worked out regularly.
Janos and I wander to the Würm, to Park Schlossberg, in the woods, and always with our cameras. Since the beginning of lockdown we see many brightly painted stones with positive messages lining the paths in the parks, something to put a smile on your face. It seems this international trend has to come to Gauting and Park Schloss Fussberg. I didn't write about days 1, 2, 3 and 4 - I was sure I would have my bike back by today. Nope, the bike hasn't been repaired yet. My e-bike is a nice bike when it is working properly. Unfortunately, it has been giving me trouble. The e-support often, but not always, quit on hills. That is when it was noticeable anyway. The last time I rode, on my 80th birthday, it quit altogether. I was able to ride home but I was glad I didn't have any hills to pedal on the heavy bike with no real granny gears. Today is Friday and the bike shop has had my bicycle since Monday and they haven't been able to promise that they will get around to it soon. So instead of cycling, Janos and I have been walking. We're not used to that. But I suppose it is good to be reminded that walking is exercise and we are one-sided only riding our bikes. Obviously, I have no more daily bike pictures. But I do have pictures from our walks. Here are some pictures from our walk along the Würm. The Ride of Silence, held on the third Wednesday in May, is an annual international bicycle ride to commemorate cyclists killed or injured while riding on public roads. Participants are encouraged to visit a ghost bike in their area and take their photo with it as a gesture of honoring the deceased person. In past years in Munich hundreds of cyclists took part, a moving experience. This year Janos and I rode alone.
The rules are simple: 1. Ride in silence 2. Remember and honor those who've been hit & killed while riding or seriously injured 3. Ride slowly and a relatively short distance - this is not a race 4. Wear a helmet & obey road laws for bicyclists We cycled to a ghost bike in Munich to pay our tributes. Home We moved from Görresstrasse in Munich to Gauting exactly one year ago. It was a big decision after living in the same apartment for 35 years, and it entailed a lot of work. Now after a year of life in the suburbs I can say, yes, it was a good idea. We like it here, the apartment is fine and the best part is that we can either walk or cycle from our door. We also enjoy that we no longer have to climb the three flights of stairs when we get home. Still, sometimes I am homesick for Munich and our life there. Those were happy years and we had our favorite places that we visited regularly. I miss them, so on this first anniversary of our new home, I got on my bike and rode to Westpark in Munich, one of our favorite haunts before we had the woods at our back door. Dipping even further into the past, I remembered that there is dogwood in Westpark, not a common tree here in Germany. Where I grew up in New Jersey, the woods were full of them and I knew they should be blooming now. I had my goal for the day. I planned a route through many streets that I wasn't familiar with. It might not have been the shortest way to Westpark, but I love to discover new neighborhoods, small connecting pathways, unexpected parks only the size of a block and insider shortcuts. The weather was perfect. Fortunately it was a weekday and the park wasn't crowded. The first spring blossoms were gone and it was too early for the rose garden to be in bloom, but I wasn't disappointed. The pink and white dogwoods were lovely. It was a happy and satisfying ride. How nice it is to be able to ride into the past and back again and it's only 40 kilometers. Not related to my ride, but gone home. RIP Little Richard Winter Rides January has been kind to us so far ... knock on wood. We haven't seen a single snowflake and have had plenty of sunny days. It's cold, yes, but not often below zero and I am managing to get out on my bike often. This year my goal is not only to ride as often as possible but to increase my mileage. Nuff said. I won't commit myself here to what my km goal is. But I have one. This is not the end-of-the-month post, that is yet to come with more pictures, stats - kilometers. Famous Last Words "we haven't seen a single snowflake"
That was yesterday. Today we got some snowflakes. |
My blog...
... is up and running again. It is a space for notes on my daily doings - walks, bike rides, photo outings, travel. Thanks for reading. Archives
January 2022
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