The ride from Munster to Freiburg was pretty uneventful.
We had decided we would buy breakfast in Munster but when we arrived there was a market that made trash and treasure in Ballarat look like a car boot sale. We wandered round for a while and found some food Germany Scandanavia

The ride from Munster to Freiburg was pretty uneventful.
We had decided we would buy breakfast in Munster but when we arrived there was a market that made trash and treasure in Ballarat look like a car boot sale. We wandered round for a while and found some food but it would have taken hours to walk around the whole lot. We spent the first couple of hours wandering around then we decided to head to Freiburg and Bron’s friends Angelo and Tamara’”s house.
After what seemed like endless roundabouts and 70kms we arrived and had an enjoyable afternoon walking the dog wandering the forests. The evening was spent with some friends over dinner.
From Europe

Today took a while to get up and about. We updated the blog and spent some time on emails and finding the best deal on sim cards. Then went for a ride on the local tramway into Freiburg. We looked around and had the local sausage dish. We had a look around the cathedral in town and found out what mentholated spirits (for the camp stove ) is called and where to buy it in Germany. After a few hours we headed. back to Angelo's and Tamara's and did some maintenance on bike and sorted some more gear to send home. Then had a good Aussie BBQ and Angelo helped us with some good advice on travelling routes for our journey.
I have enjoyed staying here. Angelo and Tamara are really welcoming and enjoyable to be around. It is so nice to have the luxuries that we have in our homes. It was good to update the blog and figure out updating the photo's and blog.

Slept in and then sent some stuff home followed by a long walk. Then took a ride out to a village outside Freiburg that has kept many of it old features.
The ride back we got lost so ended up seeing lots more of Freiburg.

Angelo and Tamara cooked us a lovely dinner and we talked until we went to bed.

The ride to Frankfurt to see Jutta, Michael and the kids seemed to take for ever.
It took us ages to pack and we had a late start, then it rained and we stopped to put on wets, then I had one of my fatigue thingies where I needed to stop and have a sleep then we continued into Heildelberg for a look around.
At first sight we were not too impressed but then we found the old part of the city. Then we got quickly impressed. The castle on the hill over looking the Decker/Rhine river with the bridge with churches and old buildings left us very impressed. Well worth the visit.
From Europe

The ride to Frankfurt from Heildeberg was all on Autobahn. We could've taken back roads but my fatigue was sitting there like a lump so we just continued on autobahns. These roads are a real experience. I am choosing to sit on approx 120kms an hour but cars just fly along doing speeds around 130-160kms. Then on the inside lane are tucks doing around 100kmh. You have to really keep aware, can't change lanes without a really good look in the mirrors quite stressful when I am tired and trying to navigate and it is wet. We made it and it is really nice to see a familiar face and be welcomed into someone’s house. I met Jutta 24 years ago in Cortina in the Dolimites in Italy. She has been out to Australia a few times since and has caught up with us in Aus. But it is nice to come here and visit her and her family. Sat around talking to Jutta and Michael till late then went to bed.

Today we got up late and headed into Bad Hamburg and did some shopping. Had another of my headache and dizzy days but seemed to resolve as the day went on. The gardens and parks in Bad Hamburg are lovely and the palace and church here are quite unique. Jutta made us a lovely fish dish for lunch and then Eva arrived. Another familiar face, it was nice to catch up with her but also to watch the interaction of the families. It is really nice to see the way that the families interact in such a lovely way, and the interaction between Jutta and Eva doesn't seem to have changed much since I last saw them 15 years ago. Michael and Jutta cooked us a really nice Aussie/German BBQ. The meat was cooked perfectly but the added flavour of Germany with the sheeps cheese and different salads were a delight to the taste buds. We spent some time talking afterwards until Detleff and Eva left. Then Michael and Jutta sat down for a cozy evening chat. What a warm and wonderful way to round off our visit. I really enjoyed meeting Michael, for him it was especially difficult because he did not know us at all, but he was a warm and inviting host along with Jutta, Leonard and Emma it has been a very special time to catch up with old friends.
From Europe

Leaving Jutta and Michaels was sad but nice. After the best continental breakfast I have experienced we had another late start (11am) Michael had given us some great advice on what part of the Rhine to see and where to go from there.
Enroute to the Rhine we came across a road block or should I say Autobahn block. Ambulance police and Fire and Helicopter all there to assist a motorcyclist to find a way to the hospital. ( a good reminder)
The Rhine is pretty much the biggest and most majestic of rivers that I have seen. With approx 500 metres from one side to the other, massive barges and tourist boats and ships going each way, a Castle every few kms and a historical village thrown in here and there it was a lovely ride. The road from the Rhine towards GeiBan was a enjoyable forest ride. Then from Geilbon we headed north along the Lahn river. Again a enjoyable ride with incredible scenery and historical villages.
In Geilban we picked up my new sandles that we had arranged with Keen shoes. My old ones had broken in England and I emailed Keen with my annoyance clearly stated. They responded promptly and emailed me with the name address and phone number of where I could pick up a replacement pair. Very impressive service. No fuss just how can we help.

Onto Kirchlotheim for the night. Camping again. A holiday destination for travelers that leaves them impressed. A mirror image lake, with hills all around. Our first camping night in Germany and a idyllic place to enjoy it. Ahh.

30th
Did a pack up with intermittent showers but when we got riding we had a virtual deluge for the day. An interesting ride, another crash on the Autobahn. This time 2 cars nose to tail.
Nightmare last night, I was hoping they would not exist while I was away on the trip.
We rode up a valley with sweeping bends and thick forests, would be even more enjoyable on a dry or even warm day but just have to enjoy what is here and now. Stopped along with half a dozen other motorcyclists at a diner, Had a nice snitzel lunch and then onto Hamelin of the pied piper fame. Walked around a bit and it was a nice town with lots of houses and shops with Rat emblems on them. Then we rode onto Hanover and then to Bad Fallingbostel for the night. Staying in a Motel for the first time since Scotland to dry out some stuff.

31st'

1st
Travelled up the coast of Denmark from the ferry today. Again it was wet windy and cold. Initially stayed off the Autobahn and stuck to the B roads but got lost a couple of times and gave up. Not too much to report about the Danish countryside. Occasionally a nice house but pretty flat. Got into Coppenhagen about 1pm and headed straight to camping spot. Setup camp in a historic fort that has been converted to camping. You even have to cross the moat to get in. The kitchen and bathrooms are all underground in the old fort. In Australia this would be a historic monument.
Into Copenhagen for a walk around. The Botanical gardens are not blooming yet, the shopping is busy but nice that the center of town is so focused on bike and pedestrian traffic. So good to keep cars out of the center of cities. Everything seems expensive here, Fuel is double what it costs in Aus, Milk is expensive. The Danes are really friendly and helpful. All seem to speak great English and are actually interested in you. Met a nice couple from Portugal at the campground. It was interesting talking about their perspective of the EU and how this has affected them.

Woke to a fine morning. How different it makes you feel. It was soooooo nice riding in normal gear, sunnies on and cruising along the coast. Road up the coast from Copenhagen to Helsinger. Seems like the place to be rich and famous in Denmark. Some lovely houses and the Scenery was picture perfect. Ships in the distance, Yachts sailing along the coast, the occasional speed boat with people sunning themselves on the beach and Cyclists riding along the bike path. It all seems to change with the weather. Crossed into Sweden on the 20 minute ferry. Rode up the coast to Goteburg and rode around there for a little while but the traffic was mayhem and it took ages just to go a km so we left there and headed up the tourist road to find a camp. Found a spot just near a river and free-camped for the night. Mozzies are bad here, we were warned.

From Scandanavia
We travelled from our camp near Vanersborg to Uppsala today. Most of it on a tourist road running along the edge of a lake. The whole way the scenery was rolling hills, green grass and assorted forests with lakes thrown in for good measure. All picture postcard of what I had seen of Sweden, but when you get here you realize it is everywhere here. The majority of houses are rusety red, the ones that are not red are mustard or pale cream. Must be cheap paint in those colors here. The landscape is a million shades of green with the sky today being pretty much the simpsons clouds on blue. The cities we went into had no real historic buildings or any special monuments just Red, mustard or cream buildings. All the cities are clean an the people continue to be wonderfully friendly.
Got into Uppsala about 5.30pm after a 450km day and the traffic was light, James advise us on the best camping park and he and Anna met us there on our arrival. Lovely little park on the lake. Mozzies are bit tough here as well.
It was soooooo good to catch up with James and give him a big hug. Miss my kids more than anything when they are not about and it is really nice to be close to one of them for a while. James and Anna stayed and chatted for a while and it was good to meet Anna after hearing about her from James for a while.

From Scandanavia
4/6
Had all the intentions today but not much went to plan.
Got up a bit late and headed straight to the motorcycle shop to get a new back tyre. (bit disappointed the last one only lasted 7000kms) On the way to the shop we needed fuel and we accidently put in Ethanol 85 and this seemed to play havoc with the bike, or was it another problem? Got to the motorbike shop and bike only just made it. Organized the tyre and dismantled the back wheel because we initially thought the issue was with fuel. Then the bike wouldn't start. Oo oh, Fantastic place for the bike to break down. So spent the first hour or so trying to diagnose the problem then the mechanic started to help me and we spent the next 5 hours pulling everything to bits and putting trying to find the issue. Bike doesn't look good in bits, and I had to pull everything off the bike, we even had the ignition switch in bits because it seemed like there could be no other place the issue is coming from. No power anywhere where we need it. It was so nice working with a Swedish mechanic. Before we left I was fortunate enough to spend the day with a mechanic in Kyneton servicing the bike and this was a similar experience. Working with someone who knows bikes and learning how it all fits together and what does what. I enjoyed the time thoroughly although it could be better( bike working and ready to go would be better). We gave up after a while and will move the bike to a Suzuki dealer tomorrow. After that we pushed the bike into workshop and the mechanic drove us into town.
Finally caught up with James. He was in town so we spent some time with him, Anna and a couple of their friends. Then caught the bus back to campground.

From Scandanavia