A journey to the origins of my family

[Werner Berghofer]

Part 1: A few impressions from a three weeks/672 miles journey via bicycle to the origins of my family near the borders between Austria and the Czech Republic (my mother’s family) and Hungary (my father’s family):

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_01.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_02.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_03.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_04.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_05.jpg

[Werner Berghofer]

Part 2: A few impressions from a three weeks/672 miles journey via bicycle to the origins of my family near the borders between Austria and the Czech Republic (my mother’s family) and Hungary (my father’s family):

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_06.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_07.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_08.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_09.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_10.jpg

[Werner Berghofer]

Part 3: A few impressions from a three weeks/672 miles journey via bicycle to the origins of my family near the borders between Austria and the Czech Republic (my mother’s family) and Hungary (my father’s family):

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_11.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_12.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_13.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_14.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_15.jpg

[Werner Berghofer]

Part 4: A few impressions from a three weeks/672 miles journey via bicycle to the origins of my family near the borders between Austria and the Czech Republic (my mother’s family) and Hungary (my father’s family):

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_16.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_17.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_18.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_19.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_20.jpg

[Werner Berghofer]

Last part: A few impressions from a three weeks/672 miles journey via bicycle to the origins of my family near the borders between Austria and the Czech Republic (my mother’s family) and Hungary (my father’s family):

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_21.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_22.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_23.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_24.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_25.jpg

My mother died at the age of 70 back in 1998, my father in 2014. He was nearly 82 years old.

The whole album titled “Unterwegs/On the road” (currently 324 photos) is available here, unfortunately in reverse chronological order when viewed with a desktop browser:
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0g532ODWJEZCh6

One important thing for me is that I was able to control the pace of the journey. Most of my (visual) memories of the landscapes and neighborhoods originated from 50 years ago, from a child’s perspective on the back seat of my parent’s car. I don’t own a driver’s license, I don’t like cars. In my opinion nothing compares to walking or using a bicycle when attempting to get in touch with a landscape or a urban area, to experience and develop an awareness of the distance.

The image descriptions are available in German only. Sorry for the image quality; the pictures were taken with an ancient Apple iPhone 4. Thank you for watching and your patience ;-)

[brian2957]

Beautiful images Werner . It must be fantastic to revisit all your childhood memories . Fortunately for me I've lived in the area where I was born and brought up most of my life and only have to travel a couple of miles to relive those memories. I lived away for a few years in Bristol but missed the place so much I returned to live where I am now .

[Werner Berghofer]

Brian,

It must be fantastic to revisit all your childhood memories.
yes, it was a fantastic journey, although sometimes painful for body and soul, but that was what I was looking for. Being an elderly guy, nearly 60 years old and with a reduced lung volume due to COPD, feeling the heavy pannier bags on my bicycle’s rear wheel somewhere on an uphill road, I became aware that this was actually a private and personal pilgrimage back to my own roots and to my own core. I don’t believe in religion, churches and gods, but this journey was rich and deep in achieving knowledge and experience.

Werner.

[AlfaGTV]

Thanks for sharing Werner, and you should be very proud of the images!
They are both pleasant to look at and also makes me want to travel to these parts!

[Werner Berghofer]

Mike,

They are both pleasant to look at and also makes me want to travel to these parts!
thank you for your kind words. If there’s a way for you to visit these parts of Austria, I wholeheartedly encourage you to start your journey. In return to your plans I’m thinking about a bicycle trip to Sweden and Norway.

Werner.

[Marco]

Hi Werner,

First of all, nice to see you back and that you're keeping well. Your contributions to the forum have always been fantastic, whether when discussing hi-fi, music, computers or aspects of your life. It's that last bit (giving something of your genuine self), however, which not only is always great to see, but shows that you're human, and most importantly turns 'faceless bulletin boards' into thriving communities of real people :)

Too many folks on Internet forums like to 'hide', be anonymous entities, and show nothing of their true selves, which is a mentality I simply can't relate to.

Anyway, just to get this right, are you saying you cycled all that distance? If so, that's pretty impressive! How many kilometres would you say you cycled in total, there and back? Aside from your lovely images, I can't believe how similar the landscape and the whole 'vibe' is compared with that of my own family, and where they come from, in Italy.

I also love the big, wide-open spaces and empty roads, devoid of traffic congestion... You can 'breathe' and genuinely feel that you're alive there, unlike in some parts of the UK!

The picture of the old lady (was that your mum?) looks just like I remember some of my older relatives in Italy, not to mention those of my wife's in Germany (her family come from Cologne and Bergisch Gladbach), and also from Croatia and Hungary, as I can testify from the truly superb Goulash I've tasted, cooked by one of her cousins! :eek:

But yes, the similarities in that respect, and the culture (also noting the Catholic religious ornaments), is so very similar :respect:

I was wondering where this was, as it looks right up my street:

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_24.jpg

Which country is this and what's the name of the town?

Marco.

P.S Thanks again for sharing these lovely images with us.

[struth]

Would appear to be Hungary... Inscription say something like Forgiveness. Do not you go down to the day of wrath. Its very distictive and a lo vely street

[Marco]

Yes, I could just see myself sitting at what looks like a quaint little cafe/restaurant, on the right (with the canopy), sipping an ice-cold beer! :)

I'm sure that Werner will be along soon to confirm.

Marco.

[Werner Berghofer]

Hi Marco,


First of all, nice to see you back and that you're keeping well. Your contributions to the forum have always been fantastic, whether when discussing hi-fi, music, computers or aspects of your life.
thank you very much for your kind words and the warm ”welcome back“!


Too many folks on Internet forums like to 'hide', be anonymous entities, and show nothing of their true selves, which is a mentality I simply can't relate to.
Me too, this is a kind of mentality I cannot relate to and the main reason for me to always use my real and full name, ever since I started to communicate via “Bulletin Board Systems” (BBS), as these forums were called back in 1987 when I discovered computer based communication.


Anyway, just to get this right, are you saying you cycled all that distance?
Actually it was even a bit more. My journey started in the last week of April, and my bike computer tells me that I cycled 672.94 miles (or 1,083 kilometres) during May, until I returned to my home here in Tyrol. But it was not troublesome at all, since riding a bicycle seems to be my second nature. I’ve been cycling in the metropole of Vienna since the age of eight years, so far without any serious accident (knock on wood). As a 22 years young man, back in 1978, I returned to Vienna after living for six months in the city of Bremen, northern Germany. The distance was 746 miles (approx. 1,200 kilometres), I think it took eight or ten days. Nowadays, with my 60th birthday coming up, I have been using a Pedelec (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedelec) for my most recent journey, which certainly won’t be my last.


I also love the big, wide-open spaces and empty roads, devoid of traffic congestion... You can 'breathe' and genuinely feel that you're alive there, unlike in some parts of the UK!
I too love these big, wide-open spaces; they are very different from the narrow valleys and the big, sometimes menacing mountains here in Tyrol. Both my father and my mother were born and grew up in flat, wide-open landscapes, and as a child and young dude I spent most of my holidays in areas like these.


The picture of the old lady (was that your mum?) […]
No, that’s “Gretl-Tant” (“aunt Gretie”, although she was never my aunt), the widow of one of my father’s cousins, living in the neighboring village of my father’s home, a branch of relatives from the side of my father’s mother.


I was wondering where this was, as it looks right up my street:
That’s the centre of Köszeg (German: Güns), one of Hungary’s most beautiful cities, very close to the Austrian border and once (back in the “Habsburger” days) part of the Austrian-Hungarian empire:

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_27.jpg

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_29.jpg

I’m grateful for receiving that kind of warm welcome from you and the other AoS members, Marco!

Werner.

[Werner Berghofer]

Marco,


Yes, I could just see myself sitting at what looks like a quaint little cafe/restaurant, on the right (with the canopy), sipping an ice-cold beer! :)

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_28.jpg

that was exactly what I had with my vegetarian pizza.

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_30.jpg

“Kávéház” means “Kaffeehaus” (German, it even sounds similar) and “coffeehouse” (English). “Etterem” means “entrance”. A part of my father’s family is from Hungary. As a young man, my father’s nickname was “Piszta”, which is shorthand for “Istvan”, the Hungarian variant of “Stephan”.

Werner.

[CageyH]

I take my hat off to you for doing something like this.
It seems you were able to travel relatively light? Did you get xperi nice any issues charging up the battery for the bike, as it can't be easy cycling on one of those with no battery power available?

[Werner Berghofer]

Kevin,


I take my hat off to you for doing something like this.

thank you, but believe me, most of the time it was not really overly demanding or exhausting. I’m nearly 60 years old, 6' 6" tall, my weight is 194 US pounds, I’m not strong, but persisent, and my average travel speed was not really fast, around 15.5 mph (25 km/h) with a completely packed bicycle, sometimes going uphill or against headwind.


It seems you were able to travel relatively light?

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_31.jpg

I used two pannier bags and a backpack. My luggage included even a teapot, a teacup, two cans with Darjeeling and Ceylon tea, my favourite book, my iPad with a detachable keyboard and a mobile LTE router/WLAN hotspot. However, for future trips I plan to purchase bigger pannier bags, because my back muscles are occupied with supporting my lungs for breathing, so I don’t like to wear a backpack for more than a few hours per day. I suffer from COPD, an emphysema with only 60 percent of the lung capacity.


Did you get xperi nice any issues charging up the battery for the bike, as it can't be easy cycling on one of those with no battery power available?

You have to carefully plan the daily route and to be prepared for unexpected circumstances like strong headwind or steep rises, which of course cause more power consumption, but usually everything went really fine and effortlessly. Only one time, after some 37.3 miles (60 kilometres) through hilly terrain, the battery capacity was done sooner as expected, but I had to take a lunch break anyway, and the restaurant owner allowed my to recharge the battery in the meantime.

Werner.

[Virtual-Symmetry]

Köszeg looks very nice, reminds me of my home town in Rotherham

:lol:

[Joe]

Lovely pictures and a great story, thanks very much for sharing them with us.

Back when I was a lad, my father took me and my brother to look at the house in Liverpool we lived in when I was tiny, and before my brother was born. Not only had the house been demolished, the street itself had disappeared! So much for that trip down memory lane!

[CageyH]

My uncle did a bit of cycle tourism.
This is him on one of his rides - hence the "travelling light" comment.

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0176/7702/files/42.jpg?1797

A top bag on the back would remove the need for a backpack.
The handlebar bag is also useful for the important stuff,mas it is quick to remove.

[Werner Berghofer]

Joe,


Lovely pictures and a great story, thanks very much for sharing them with us.
you’re welcome, and thank you so much for looking at my pictures and listening to my story. However, a very interesting and touching part of my story happened when Nouras, a refugee from Syria, invited me on a drink because I didn’t have the matching coins for the vending machine while waiting for our train to arrive.

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_32.jpg

He told me about the used car business he owned in Damascus, the four years he spent studying English literature and a whole lot of other things no one would believe …

[Tim]

Superb Werner, I totally love the pictures and great to see out and about. I noticed you still have a love of bread ;)

I like to travel light and I'm on the point of applying the same principle to my life, it doesn't take much these days to mske me happy and coming to live in China has reaffirmed I really do want to life a simple life.

When I have some time I will have a look at the full picture website, but I'm off to Thailand tomorrow and have a few things to do.

Take care :)

Sent from my XT1580 using Tapatalk

[Marco]

Hi Marco, thank you very much for your kind words and the warm ”welcome back“!


No problem. It's great to have you back :)


Me too, this is a kind of mentality I cannot relate to and the main reason for me to always use my real and full name, ever since I started to communicate via “Bulletin Board Systems” (BBS), as these forums were called back in 1987 when I discovered computer based communication.


Indeed, and it's why we INSIST that all members, current and new, put their real first name somewhere on their profile, whether that's on the space provided, signature, or as in the case of you or I, forms one's actual username.

On AoS, we're not interested in the 'hiders'. We like people here to be 100% transparent and up front, proudly telling everyone who they are and what they're about - and the more pictures illustrating that, the better!


Actually it was even a bit more. My journey started in the last week of April, and my bike computer tells me that I cycled 672.94 miles (or 1,083 kilometres) during May, until I returned to my home here in Tyrol. But it was not troublesome at all, since riding a bicycle seems to be my second nature.


Nice one. That's still pretty impressive, although I suppose you did it in a relaxed way and weren't in any race!


I too love these big, wide-open spaces; they are very different from the narrow valleys and the big, sometimes menacing mountains here in Tyrol. Both my father and my mother were born and grew up in flat, wide-open landscapes, and as a child and young dude I spent most of my holidays in areas like these.


Yup, me too. I enjoy the expansiveness and sense of 'freedom' it gives. The sheer cleanliness of the air is also fantastic in such areas. Can't stand overcrowded and congested or polluted places! Mind you, I don't imagine you'll be any stranger to nice fresh air in Austria... We adored Zell am Zee and Salzburg, when my wife and I were there on our honeymoon.


No, that’s “Gretl-Tant” (“aunt Gretie”, although she was never my aunt), the widow of one of my father’s cousins, living in the neighboring village of my father’s home, a branch of relatives from the side of my father’s mother.


Ah, I see. She just looks like a typical European 'country-type' old lady, who could be from Germany, Hungary, Austria, Italy or anywhere like that. I think it's a lot to do with how they dress.


That’s the centre of Köszeg (German: Güns), one of Hungary’s most beautiful cities, very close to the Austrian border and once (back in the “Habsburger” days) part of the Austrian-Hungarian empire...


Well, it looks fantastic and just my type of place! I'll save the details for when we visit Hungary, which is definitely on the cards :cool:

Marco.

[Marco]

Marco,

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_28.jpg

that was exactly what I had with my vegetarian pizza.


That's it. I'm sold! That's my idea of HEAVEN... Sitting in somewhere like that, on a beautiful day, enjoying some superb food, beer or wine and just watching the world go by - awesome!! :cool:

Marco.

[Werner Berghofer]

Kevin,


The handlebar bag is also useful for the important stuff,mas it is quick to remove.

I fear my bike’s dashboard is already a little bit too crowded for a handlebar bag:

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_05.jpg

However, the suggestion of a top bag on the back is a good one, I’ll be keeping it in mind when thinking about a way to increase the luggage storage volume of my bike.

Thanks for the quite impressive picture showing your uncle crossing the desert on his bike. Personally I wouldn’t dare to use a vehicle like his for my trips, because there are no lights and fenders. Although these pieces of equipment add to the total weight, I was very happy to have them available when cycling in rainy weather or during the night.

Werner.

[CageyH]

It would be worth going to a decent bike shop and trying to find a bar bag that fits. You may find one that fits easily beneath the dashboard. The top bag is extremely useful and will remove the burden on your back.

He rarely cycled in the dark, as he has planned his day to make the most of the daylight.
Mudguards used to get jammed with mud on some of the "roads" he used, so never bothered with them.

[Werner Berghofer]

Marco,


I enjoy the expansiveness and sense of 'freedom' it gives.

very, very true. For me nothing matches the feeling of full openness and the ability to breathe freely (both physically and mentally) when being located in a flat landscape. During family reunions Daniela and I were asked if living in a valley surrounded by mountains would not make one weird or at least a little bit “gaga” ;-) I wholeheartedly agreed and felt very much at home, connected to my relatives and ancestors and deeply embedded in my family, because there was no need for trying to explain why I don’t feel that good in the presence of mountains.

Though you might hear laughin’, spinnin’, swingin’ madly across the sun
It’s not aimed at anyone, it’s just escapin’ on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin’
(Do these lines sound familiar to you, Marco?)

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_34.jpg

A typical family reunion in Burgenland. Two of my three cousins each have four children of their own.

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_33.jpg

A view of Baumkirchen, the little village near Innsbruck in Tyrol where I have been trying for the last twelve years to feel at home.

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_35.jpg

My partner Daniela, the only reason for me to travel back to Tyrol.

Werner.

[Werner Berghofer]

Kevin,


He rarely cycled in the dark, as he has planned his day to make the most of the daylight.

I often like to cycle during the evening and night because of the lower temperatures (my lungs can’t stand the summer heat), the low traffic, the few inexperienced cyclists and the animals one encounters on country lanes. The joy of arriving at my destination during sunrise is rarely matched by anything else.


Mudguards used to get jammed with mud on some of the "roads" he used, so never bothered with them.

For my style of cycling and bicycles I prefer well-maintained, paved roads, maybe because I used to be a long-distance motorcyclist in earlier years, when many of my companions were still alive …

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/gear/my_gazelle_bikes.jpg

Top: Gazelle Ultimate C8 HM pedelec (frame size: 25.6 inches); bottom: Gazelle Tour Populair USA (frame size: 26 inches). Both bicycles originate from the Netherlands. Gazelle is the biggest bicycle manufacturer in the Netherlands with a yearly output of 350,000 pieces.

Werner.

[Marco]

Marco,

very, very true. For me nothing matches the feeling of full openness and the ability to breathe freely (both physically and mentally) when being located in a flat landscape. During family reunions Daniela and I were asked if living in a valley surrounded by mountains would not make one weird or at least a little bit “gaga” ;-) I wholeheartedly agreed and felt very much at home, connected to my relatives and ancestors and deeply embedded in my family, because there was no need for trying to explain why I don’t feel that good in the presence of mountains.


Yup, don't get me wrong, I also love mountains; it's more about being 'in touch with nature' and REAL life, which gives me that sense of contentment, as opposed to the unhealthy and claustrophobic atmosphere of living in a large town or city, which for me is fine up to a point, but simply too stressful and 'false' to handle in the long term.


Though you might hear laughin’, spinnin’, swingin’ madly across the sun
It’s not aimed at anyone, it’s just escapin’ on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin’
(Do these lines sound familiar to you, Marco?)


Indeed. It's Mr Tambourine Man, by Bob Dylan. I know where you're coming from ;)


http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_34.jpg

A typical family reunion in Burgenland. Two of my three cousins each have four children of their own.


Superb! That looks just like a typical family gathering for us in Italy or Germany, or even here in North Wales, when some of us, including friends, get together for Sunday lunch. Lots of nice food and wine! Eating outside together like that, in a such a pleasant space, is definitely a European thing, and something which Brits don't seem to do to the same degree.


http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_33.jpg

A view of Baumkirchen, the little village near Innsbruck in Tyrol where I have been trying for the last twelve years to feel at home.


In a word, STUNNING! That scene looks so typically Austrian, although we were there in December, so the landscape was just a little different! ;)


http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_35.jpg

My partner Daniela, the only reason for me to travel back to Tyrol.


And I'm sure a very worthy one. She looks like a nice lady - nice warm smile :)

Marco.

[Marco]

Kevin,



I often like to cycle during the evening and night because of the lower temperatures (my lungs can’t stand the summer heat), the low traffic, the few inexperienced cyclists and the animals one encounters on country lanes. The joy of arriving at my destination during sunrise is rarely matched by anything else.



For my style of cycling and bicycles I prefer well-maintained, paved roads, maybe because I used to be a long-distance motorcyclist in earlier years, when many of my companions were still alive …

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/gear/my_gazelle_bikes.jpg

Top: Gazelle Ultimate C8 HM pedelec (frame size: 25.6 inches); bottom: Gazelle Tour Populair USA (frame size: 26 inches). Both bicycles originate from the Netherlands. Gazelle is the biggest bicycle manufacturer in the Netherlands with a yearly output of 350,000 pieces.


Stylish bikes, Werner. My wife has one of these (a Pashley Princess), including the little shopping basket, lol:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/MHYLMu.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnMHYLMuj)

...which she uses to go to work in the summer, and pick up some 'bits' for tea on the way home! Fortunately, she works locally; only a 10-min cycle from where we live :)

Marco.

[Werner Berghofer]

Marco,


the unhealthy and claustrophobic atmosphere of living in a large town or city, which for me is fine up to a point, but simply too stressful and 'false' to handle in the long term.

I can comprehend and understand this very well. During my last stay in Vienna (May 8th to 10th this year) I realized that I don’t want to live anymore in a large town or big city, regardless if surrounded by mountains or in a flat landscape. Maybe this is because I got older or there are too many people in a confined space, but I don’t feel good anymore in crowded areas.

Although I have been doing this since the age of eight years without any accident, cycling in the city isn’t fun or rational anymore for me. There are too many people, and most of them seem to be ruthless, silly and brainless egoists. Taking a ride with the subway or walking also is not a big pleasure anymore because of the crowds of iZombies who pass with bowed heads, don’t take notice of the reality surrounding them and look terribly surprised if you are suddenly standing in front of them.

Old man yelling at a cloud, or “In earlier times, even the future was better” (Karl Valentin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Valentin)) ;-)

[brian2957]

Me and my five brothers were brought up in a rural setting . We all played together and there were plenty of kids in my street to play with . We left the house early in the morning and only returned home when we were hungry ( usually at lunch time ) . Plenty of trees to climb and parks to play football in.
I've never lived in a city , although I live near Glasgow ( 12 miles ) and Edinburgh ( 30 miles ) and wouldn't even consider the prospect . I've recently been doing a bit of walking in the countryside with my wife and thoroughly enjoying it , frequently stopping to examine a tree or a flower , and just listening to the birds all around us :)

[Arkless Electronics]

But did you find "quality"? ;)

[Marco]

What, you mean like some magic mushrooms? :eyebrows:

Marco.

P.S Werner, I'll get to your last post later, as you've made some interesting points! LOL@"iZombies" :lol:

[Arkless Electronics]

You need to read the book Marco...

[Marco]

Which book, daftee? :)

Marco.

[Arkless Electronics]

3rd picture down, first post, daftee :D

[Marco]

Lol - cheers.... And how was I expected to know, at the point we were in the conversation (discussing magic mushrooms), you were referring to that? I understand now :)

Marco.

[struth]

Rather eat the sourdough next to it:)

[struth]

Me and my five brothers were brought up in a rural setting . We all played together and there were plenty of kids in my street to play with . We left the house early in the morning and only returned home when we were hungry ( usually at lunch time ) . Plenty of trees to climb and parks to play football in.
I've never lived in a city , although I live near Glasgow ( 12 miles ) and Edinburgh ( 30 miles ) and wouldn't even consider the prospect . I've recently been doing a bit of walking in the countryside with my wife and thoroughly enjoying it , frequently stopping to examine a tree or a flower , and just listening to the birds all around us :)

Used to like pushing wife down the cycle track. Edit. (Doesnt sound right that. Lol...in her wheelchair) :eyebrows:Country right next to me. Alas its not as nice now as they stuck a railway right through it....but its still good in places. Used to cycle on it a lot til hip went.

[Werner Berghofer]

Marco,


My wife has one of these (a Pashley Princess), including the little shopping basket, lol:

a wonderful, comfortable bike. When looking at the picture it clearly becomes obvious that originally British bicycles were the examples for the typical bikes from the Netherlands, “oma fiets” as they are called there, or “Hollandrad” in German.


Fortunately, she works locally; only a 10-min cycle from where we live :)

It is surprising how much physical stamina can be improved with regular activity. Meanwhile a few small errands in Innsbruck mean little effort for me anymore. Back and forth it are 20 miles.

Compliments to your wife for her beautiful bike!

Werner.

[webby]

I have also been away from this forum for some time and returned yesterday to get some help with my amp.

I am very happy to see that, Werner, you too have returned with some wonderful pictures and a fantastic story of your journey and the reason for making it. Very touching. Bravo Sir.