Distance - 42km to Blautopf and back.
I had a good night last night. I was a bit naughty because i had a 'donau' kebab (I wonder if this is where they got the name donner?). it's not something i normally eat but there are loads of kebab shops in Germany and they are nice with chilli sauce! Next I went to Einsteinhaus, hoping some genius would rub off on me. It is a cultural and arts centre in Ulm. The venue was a small room with a small stage at one end and circular tables around the room with seating for around 100 people. So, it was very civilised and had a quite middle class arty feel. The music was Brazilian smooth jazz style provided by a local trio called Al Jovo and Lea. It was a little too smooth for me but very pleasant and good entertainment for a ticket price of 10 euros. I spoke to a German couple who were good enough to do some interpretation of what the band were saying between the songs. The music was mainly bossa nova or samba in style but later it became more pop when they used any song as long as they shake a rattle along to it to give a Latin American percussion beat! I didn't get to my bed till after midnight. Way past my bedtime! I had a great sleep though.
Am I being lazy, having two days off? This is part of the beauty of my journey. I can adapt the timescale to do the things that appeal to me and make it an adventure and not just a holiday. I am doing what I want, when I want and I want to see Ian Anderson in concert tonight at the Congress Centrum at Ulm. As a teenager I was an avid Jethro Tull fan. They are not everyones musical cup of tea but they were very distinctive in their style of music and were very popular in the late sixties and early seventies. I have most of the music they have ever made, so I am not going to miss this coincidental opportunity to see Ian Anderson who is the bands lead singer and songwriter.
Whilst I have a none travelling day I thought I would give a little 'personal trainer' view on what this constant cycling is doing to my body. So far I am feeling good and strong and I constantly tell people that is type of travel is within anyone's ability. It is just a matter of how far and for how long. I personally knew that my general fitness level was OK but I prepared by doing regular but fairly short rides. I did not want to do so many miles that I was jaded before I started but I wanted to do enough cycling to get my body used to riding on an almost daily basis and it also acclimatised my backside to hours in the saddle. I presumed that once I had started cycling in France I would build up the stamina of daily cycling for 4-7 hours a day. That's pretty much how it's worked out. I now feel I have the specific fitness required for a touring cyclist. My bum, thighs and calves feel strong but I may have lost some core fitness and I try to fit in some tummy exercises in the morning to compensate. I don't think I have been loosing any weight but you will know that I have been keeping the calorie levels high! I must admit to getting occasional lower back stress if I labour uphill in a tough gear for too long and I occasionally get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. No, it is not a mental health issue for people who don't like tunnels, it's a numbness of the hands that some cyclists get when circulation is restricted at the wrist/palm area. Apart from that I am perfect!! Well as close as I am likely to get!
I went out for a little walk in the city this morning and was delighted to see that some event was being set up the the main square outside the Munster, I found out that in the afternoon there was a 10km run followed by a 40km cycle race. Again, they wouldn't let me take part, it was a pre-booked team event. This was especially good as the weather was looking pretty sunny and I need something to keep me occupied. First I decided to go and do a little bike ride of my own to Blautopf, which is the source of the River Blau. The round trip was 42km and when I got to Blautopf it was a nice village and the source of the river was a large waterhole where the water came up from nowhere and was unsurprisingly a lovely deep blue colour.
Back to Ulm for a shower and a bite to eat (a sandwich and Anne's lovely cake) and then out to the square to see the start of the 10k running race. The winner was someone called Daniel Unger who seemed to be a well known runner who was presumed to be the winner before the race started. It took him just over 30mins. The race was open to all abilities and the best bit is watching the different ages, sizes and running styles of the runners.
The cycle race looked good. The riders went 40 times around the 1km city centre route and they did it in just over an hour. Not bad going, about twice the speed of me this morning.
The song for the day has to be Blau by Bob Schneider for obvious reasons but I don't think he was thinking of this river when he wrote it.
Now off to the Ian Anderson concert. It is billed as a 'Thick as a Brick' tour so I am fully qualified to attend. For those that are not familiar with the albums of Jethro Tull is was a concept album with an album cover that folded out like a spoof newspaper. I will give you a review in tomorrow's blog.
Photo 1, Blautopf.
Photo 2, Blautopf from a different direction.
Photo 3, Bears outside a Gummi Bear shop.
Phpto 4. Start of the 10k race.
Photo 5, Cycle race.
Photo 6, Winners on the podium.
Now I feel motivated to get going on the bike again!
ReplyDeleteFound a couple of good bars last night. One with folk music, The Captain's Bar. Excellent wood lined old bar.
Main activity was our visit to an exhibition about Bartholemew map maker. Most interesting because one of the ways they updated maps was through the Cycling Club's members providing information! They did have an exhibit of an annotated map provided by a member. It was fascinating to see the process of map making/printing. 6 runs to get detail and then all the colours. 7 year apprenticeship for the engravers. Bit different now with Google maps etc! Dave says hope you enjoyed Jethro Tull. X