Now there are two reports of cycle tours which were the beginning of a series of later tours over the next years. During the 70s and early 80s there was not so much interest in cycling, caused by the age of our children (10 years and below) and other things. So we made our trips to the "Lüneburger Heide", to the Eastern (Baltic) Sea, "Bayrischer Wald" or, as to be read now, to Cuxhaven at the mouth of the river Elbe.
This report is written nearly 10 years later but may show the intensive and fresh memories of this kind of touring by bike.
Cuxhaven - Leer, Summer 1984
In the summer of 1984 we spent our vacancy at Cuxhaven, as we did during former years too. So if you like the Sun, the Sand, and the Sea, the Waves, the Wind, and the Mud flats(Watt), everything is alright. But finally you cannot sit in your beachseat all the time. And the attractions around are well known after some time.
So it's me who wants to get off for a couple of days and everyone might
be glad to miss me for a while. Finally I got my bike packed and hopefully
stand in front of our pension. "Where you want to go the neighbour asks". "To
Holland" is the answer. "You go there Today?"
and "We may see" - anyway they peer with some respect.
The packed bike is one of those lightweight aluminium bikes from Kettler, which are very popular at this time. But they are somewhat unstable, that you rarely can go straight ahead without rolling aside especially if packed. But if you try carefully you may come along.
So I start for Holland, and when I reach the next village (Sahlenburg) leave the road and drive through the wide meadows and towards the dike at the Northern Sea. Soon I am lost and have to return to the road while the cows are watching me. So I have spent some time meanwhile and find myself at Sahlenburg again.
It is better to follow the road to Bremerhaven. There you cross the mouth of the Weser by a ferryboat and enter the other side named "Butjadingen". We pass Nordenham with it's steaming industrial areas. But the flowers in the ditches are nice, though many trees are signed by white crosses to suffer a soon death. The newspapers say it has come from the salty winds during the winter from the sea, but may be they want to apologize other sins.
Now the wind comes from the south, so I turn to the west as soon as
the dike of the Jadebusen allows to do so. I want to ride across Ostfriesland.
They tell jokes of those folks concerning the supposed stupidity of the
people living here. One example:
Question: Why got those Ostfriesian such flat heads on their
backside?
Answer: It comes from the falling cover of the toilet when they
bend down to drink ...
May be there are some Ostfriesians laughing on those jokes, but others do not
- so be careful!
The landscape is completely flat and green now, unfortunately just no picturesque canal or windmill around. But then there is a canal, the "Nordgeorgsfehnkanal" leading to the north to "Wiesmoor", a village known from its horticulture and green houses. After I realize, that I would have better gone west instead of north I have to ride back with a proper headwind.
So I reach the road towards Leer and I spend the rest of the afternoon for this stretch. Finally I reach 130 km and feel tired. Soon I can enter a hotel in the city of Leer to regenerate.
Nothing more to be seen in Leer this day. By the frontside of the buildings you realize to be in Ostfriesland, but the shopping center looks like one everywhere in the rest of Germany.
Leer - Wittmund
So I didn't manage to reach Holland within one day from Cuxhaven. But what to do in Holland, as well I can stay in Ostfriesland. So I cross the river Ems and ride on its left (western) shore meeting villages, whose name always end with ...um: Bingum, Jemgum, Midlum, Critzum, finally Pogum. This is the end, in front the "Dollart", to get back to the other side you must use the ferryboat.
This is just leaving the shore as I enter the scene. So I have to wait two long hours. What to do for two hours at Pogum behind the dike? First have a look from the dike to see the sea, but there is mud all around, grey to brown colored, it is low tide just now. At the left there is the coast of Holland.
Then there is a picturesque bridge, you can find a picture of it in a picture book of the nicest villages in northern Germany. Thereafter you find the grocer's shop, finally the most interesting thing around here. Something to drink and a newspaper, so enjoy lying at the foot of the dike.
Within those two hours gradually more and more persons appear waiting for the ferry. So you have a chat about this or that and soon the time has gone.
Finally on the other shore of the Ems you soon reach the city of Emden. This is the only town of Germany spelled with one letter only: "M" says the Ostfriesian. Now I have not so much interest to see much here, I pass along the harbour and soon be in the fields again. The villages are characterized by their beautiful churches built by brickstone and greeting far over the landscape.
Now I reach the Leybucht, unfortunately you cannot ride on the dike, there is no paved way but lots of sheep instead. At the landside of the dike there is nothing to be seen of the sea. Only the high antennas of Radio Norddeich rise into the sky.
Arriving at the ship- and railwaystation at Norddeich a sudden idea comes up: why not cross the sea to the island of Norderney? It is early in the afternoon, a ship soon will go and the price is not expensive (DM 18.-). So I find myself at a voyage over the sea. At a sandbank there roll a couple of seals, at the horizon you can figure out the silhouette of the big hotels of Norderney.
Just arrived I can watch two cars crossing a junction and hitting each other in the mid of it. "Good timing" I think by myself, and that means my arrival and that of the two cars. But do not laugh too much: the disappointment just follows. At the Tourist Bureau they laugh at me, as I ask for an accomodation. Everything payable is booked out, may be there could be a way if you pay DM 200.-. I look embarassed, suddenly there is nothing favourable on this island, apparently they all only want your money.
Soon I am back at the harbour, the next ship brings me back to the continent. "Auf Wiedersehen in Norderney..", this song sounds from the speakers, I hear the melody until today but never returned to Norderney.
Now we have a soft evening climate, no wind, wonderful conditions to cycle. Often those hours past 6pm are the best of the day for cycling, but in most cases you waste this time in seeking for an accomodation. But today I ride additional 40 km and return to my good mood. As it gets dark I reach the town of Wittmund and find a place in a guesthouse. The waiter there comes from Austria and tells me tales of Austrian lakes.
Wittmund - Cuxhaven
"Emden, Leer und Aurich, da geht der Mond so schaurig" ... this
cannot be translated cause of the rhyme, but this nice verse tells, that
the moon runs it's way through this lonesome area in a horrible manner
(I told you there is much humour around here).
But I go to the town of Jever this day, famous of its well known beer
(Jever Pilsener). For the further return I must again ride around
the Jadebusen, but today a cold rain makes things uncomfortable. At an
alley there are the white crosses at the trees again.
Later I reach the ferry of Bremerhaven, where I can change the wet clothes and warm up a little. Now my activity has been broken, so I look for the railwaystation and soon watch the rain from inside the train to Cuxhaven.
We will see, that the activity at all is not broken down, years of biketours will follow.