Day #7 Postcard from Germany – Lübeck

Today we cycled 55 k return from where we are staying in Ziethen near Ratzeburg to Lübeck in the very north of Germany. Brick is the main construction material and some of the buildings are impressively high. The difference between former east and west Germany is obvious – the bike paths are not always paved …

Day #5 Postcard from Germany – Freckenhost & Vornholz

As we sat down before our well-deserved ice-creams (we had ridden 57 km and had another 19 km to go!) despite the fact that it was only 18°C, we looked up and saw this incredible fortified church that wasn’t even in our guide books. All we know is that it is an excellent example of German pre-Romanesque …

Postcard #23 – Churches of Peace in Swidnica and Jawor

I did not post a photo yesterday because my server was down which was frustrating because we visited one of the most extraordinary churches I have ever seen – not the outside, which was not particularly impressive, but the inside. Unfortunately, there is a lot of lighting which does not make it easy to take photos; …

Postcard #15 – Lublin & Zamosc

This rather strange castle in Lublin in eastern Poland was built in the 16th century and rebuilt in the English neo-gothic style after a fire in the early 19th century. From 1820 to 1945 it was a prison. Its saving grace is a Byzantine chapel which dates back to the 15th century. Ce château un …

Smart Shutter Holder – Attache-volet astucieuse

This very clever shutter attachment is one of a pair. Unfortunately, the second one is missing. We’re going to keep our eyes open at second-hand fairs from now on. Cette attache-volet très astucieux manque son pendant malheureusement. Nous allons essayer d’en trouver une autre dans une brocante.

Unexpected Snow – De la neige inattendue

We were absolutely not expecting to see snow on the ground when we woke up this morning! By midday it was all gone. I’m hoping no budding vegetation has suffered. Nous n’attendions pas du tout de voir de la neige ce matin en nous réveillant ! A midi, tout était parti mais j’espère que les …