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+--- Thread: How I spent my summer vacation (/showthread.php?tid=100406)
RE: How I spent my summer vacation - MoFromMonroe - 07-25-2014
These pictures are breathtaking. What an amazing trip. Little scary about the mob thing though.
RE: How I spent my summer vacation - macyoder - 07-25-2014
Truly, falling in love!
RE: How I spent my summer vacation - Tim - 07-25-2014
The next day was my race day. The half marathon started at 6:30PM, so we had all day to do as we pleased, which basically meant more exploring on foot, our specialty; and more drinking beer, my specialty. Truthfully, I only had a couple that day despite the heat, I didn't want to be bogged down for the run. There are several very small lakes on the edge of town and walking trails everywhere. So we saw more new areas as we wandered but by the middle of the afternoon it was very hot and I thought it would be a good idea to try to get a nap in before the race. It was tough to sleep - the hotel didn't have a/c so had to open windows all the way, which meant the loud noise from the street cafes right below. Turned out the noise wasn't an issue, I zonked right out.
Have a few random pics to share from the day, including a tandem selfie of the wife and me. First one is our hotel, the Ludwig.
RE: How I spent my summer vacation - Tim - 07-25-2014
continued...
RE: How I spent my summer vacation - Sharleen - 07-25-2014
great report, sounds like you both had an amazing vacation. I too am having a hard time resizing my pictures from my recent vacation, at work I don't have the ability too download programs without contacting our IT staff.
I have spent quite a bit of time in the U.K. since I was a child -- my mother was a war bride and since I was five we would travel to U.K. for three months every summer - usually on the QE2. Seeing the White Cliffs of Dover was great, always SO glad to see blessed land. Consequently I have absolutely never ever a desire to go on any kind of a cruise ever.
Europe is great though, the gardens, so different from anything in the US or Canada. The antigue stores.. talk about old ancient stuff, totally unreal. So many homeless people on the street though, from so many different nations, kind of scary.
The absolute devotion to perennial gardens, the way even in an economically deprived street the people go out and sweep their street and wash their sidewalks NICE!!
RE: How I spent my summer vacation - Tim - 08-12-2014
Well I have been back in Canada for a little over a week. What an eye opener it was to see what it's like on the other side or the Atlantic. With all the recent bad news coming out of Jamaica hopefully some of you will take a break and have a read, will continue where I left off.
I wrote this chapter shortly after the race and just re-read it last night. It's a bit of a ramble but I figured it would be easier to cut and paste than re-write...
After my pre race nap I had a somewhat cold shower to try and cool myself off and wake up. Got dressed and walked to the starting area, it was only about 3 blocks away. It wasn't a huge crowd, there were about 400 runners, and about the same number of spectators lingering. It wasn't long before the countdown started and we were off. It was apparent after about a minute my pre race pizza was a little too much, I was cramping in my side, a sure sign of over eating, nothing new to me. The early part of the race took us right passed our hotel and by many sidewalk cafes. It was really nice to have the crowds cheering as you ran by, a bit of a adrenaline booster. Our race consisted of 3 laps of about 7kms, once passing through the maze of narrow cobblestone streets we followed a paved walkway out of town along the riverbank, then past a couple small lakes before making a 180 back towards town. The race was advertised as flat but I guess that would be if you lived in the mountains as I would describe it as quite hilly. Each lap meant about 5 leg burners, not bad on the first lap, but progressively tougher. I actually felt pretty good after lap one but by the end of the second I was getting pretty beat. I was way more fatigued at 14k then after the 16km run we did in Amsterdam only 6 days before. It was a combination of the heat and hills but I make up for my lack of fitness with perserverance, and was determined to keep going without stopping to walk. There were only 2 water stations on each lap, 4 would have been a better amount. There weren't a huge amount of spectators but the ones there were watching were very vocal. Our names were printed on our number bibs, and they would call you by name. From all the downhill ski races I have watched on TV I recognized the cheer - hopp,hopp,hopp!!! I'm not sure what it means but it felt good knowing they were cheering for you. Half way through the 3rd lap I was slowing down, but was determined to keep running. But at the second last (and longest, steepest) hill I had to slow to a walk, but resumed running once on top, then once again on the final hill I had to walk again. After that it was only about a 1/2km to the finish line which was on a slight decline as well. I dug deep and increased my speed a bit to look "good" at the finish line. It was a relief to guzzle a bunch of water then switch to the free beer they were pouring as fast as people could drink it. I actually recovered (lung wise) in about a minute but my legs were beat. Even my knees were a bit sore, which has never happened in all my half marathons. My time wasn't great, almost 20 minutes slower than my personal best, but it felt great to finish a run in such a beautiful location.
For now I get to enjoy the german beer to my stomachs content, although will be up early to send off my wife in the 42km marathon tomorrow morning.
RE: How I spent my summer vacation - Tim - 08-12-2014
Start, middle, end...
RE: How I spent my summer vacation - Tim - 08-12-2014
Rosie's marathon started at 7:30am so she was up about 6, I kept a pillow over my head till 7 as she got ready. I dragged my ass out of bed right after she left, got dressed and quickly picked up a couple take out coffees. She likes a few sips before running and I knew she wouldn't stop on her own in case she was late. So I found her and she was quite happy to see me and the coffee. It is unusual for the races we usually run, there were more marathoners than what ran the half, more than 500, although the amount of spectators was a bit less because of the start time I guess. It was another nice day and it was going to be plenty warm soon. I watched her at the start then made my way to a spot to have some breakfast. The marathon was a different route, just one long loop taking her well out of town around a couple larger lakes then close to the neuschwanstein castle before coming back into Fussen. My plan was to rent a bicycle and try to catch up to her, but the earliest opening I could find at a rental shop was 10am, she would be over half done by that time. So I had a big buffet breakfast at a really nice cafe attached to one of the more luxurious hotels. Had a bit of sticker shock when I paid, 17 euros! At least it was good and I ate all I could (nothing new there).
I wandered around the town while watching the time. I was still a bit sore but was loosening up at least. Went to the bike shop just past 9:30 and the guy was just opening up. I had to wait for a customer in front of me but by about 9:45 I was on my way, I kind of knew the route from a crappy map they handed out, and it was fairly well marked. It took me about 10 minutes to get to a point where I thought I might intercept her where the route doubles back from circling one of the 2 large lakes they would go around. I initially was going against the light running traffic but when I came to a marker showing 17km I knew she would have passed that point already. It was about 2 1/2 hours into the race so she would have gone at least 25kms by that point. The route (at that point) followed a wide paved walking/biking trail and it no problem getting passed the runners as they were mostly spread out, and as a runner I was sure to be very respectful of giving them all the space I could and would pass as to not interrupt their cadence. As I continued on I was getting tired and my sore knees were starting to bother me. The course was very scenic and I stopped to take pictures along the way, as much to rest as much as anything. I passed by countless runners and I knew Rosie was going to have a good race time in her 2nd ever marathon. I went by a nice beach where there were several people swimming and I almost stopped and jumped in, it looked so inviting. Then I went by a couple guys carrying fly rods and I wanted to stop and talk but I knew I wanted to catch my wife, plus they probably never spoke english anyways. It was around the 33km mark that I finally caught up to her. At that point I was ready to stop biking but I had no choice. We had a small chat (she likes to talk while running), and then I worked my way ahead of her where I would wait till she passed so I could take pictures of her. I did this several times. I saw a few interesting sites along the way. At one point one of the female runners must have decided she couldn't hold it anymore, and proceeded to pull down her shorts to relieve herself right in the "bushes" (grass) as I biked passed her. When you gotta go, ya gotta go, I guess.
RE: How I spent my summer vacation - papamark - 08-13-2014
Tim...I thoroughly enjoyed your trip report this morning. Thank you for taking the time...
In 1978, I took a similar trip through Denmark, Germany and Austria. Went to some of the same biergartens and castles. We only had enough money to hitchhike, stay at hostels, and eat from the markets. Seeing your pictures has roused some great memories!
Now hearing your stories of hotels and trains has me dreaming of another trip. Will have to add Amsterdam to the itinerary...
Thanks again for sharing...
RE: How I spent my summer vacation - macyoder - 08-13-2014
Wow, I am inspired and ready to book.