Today we had a gorgeous autumn day with an all over sunny day. Quickly commited yesterday wit a friend, I headed out of the house early and drove to his house and together we headed off to the perhaps last longer push bike trip together this year.

Although sun is still strong and warming, authumn wind does already feel cold and I was quit happy about I had thought to put on my wind breaker. The landscape scenery actually is most beautiful and colored, while the color green is already on it’s way back. Now making room for yellow, red and brown.

Along the countryside roads nearly every farm and shop does offer fruits, new wine and home made onion pies to buy. And seeing all cars and folks on the road it nearly looks like everyone is keep to get his or her piece of it.

In some way it was a little bit surprising seeing so much people out on the road, as for it was election weekend here in Germany and I really doubt all others had already voted like me. Not I personally would be a very political person at all. But I see it as an "obligation" to vote for every responsible adult. But enough of this!

… as more interesting I think is, that on one of the perhaps last really friendly "summer" days this year I decided against the motorbike prefering the pushbike about. And even now feeling a bit tired about I still think about it as the right decision.

Next few weekends will now be filled with work around the house on on the property getting everything in shape for the winter season and especially ready before we will head off into our vacation. This time I feel about it as very much over due and I’m really looking forward to this time off. The and hopefully having a short and sweet 2nd summer this year.

Inspired by some enjoyable chat with a friend about bikes and gear this morning, I headed out of the house around lunchtime to get Suzi out of the garage.

A quick tour and run that was what my mind was looking for. Regardless what others say, think or do … running on a bike rules the world. Two wheels, enough power and a pleasant surrounding does free your head whatever happend first.

It is the pure fun driving, the smooth running engine, the elements around and this tiny little bit of risk and therefore adrenaline what makes the difference of course. Not sitting in an air conditions car instead …. feeling the sun in your neck, the cold wind on top of a summit or plainly the wind blowing up in front of you what does make it special and different … for me.

Anyway having planned to see a friend later I just was planning a quick tour and decided to run light without maps, rain gear and stuff. Since a while maps are only just decoration on top of the tank rucksack anymore and when checking the weather it didn’t looks like rain.

It didn’t ….. Ok, I made it up already to 160km just cruising a few of my favorite tracks around when I spotted a dark and ugly rain cloud lurking for me. Being close to some of my favorite spots, I decided to head in for coffee and ice. Sitting there … thx god for mobile internet … I’ve checked my emails and stuff … had to lines of a funny chat again … and decided to return when the cloud seems have lost interest in me.

Until home it was 50km more to run and having done 10km or so the cloud did trap me from the back. A sweet splash and I had found some dry retreat under a bridge …. bad tonques blaming me ending up under a bridge sooner or later anyway.

Thanks god it needed just minutes to clear up and stop pooring again and I decided quickly about giving it a go trying to return home again. And luckily, it worked out …. last final 40km were even enough to dry me again.

Super quick drying service thats was ….. by he meaning of each word! LOL    You have a nice day as well

With May 1st, a public holiday here in Germany, falling on a Friday this year, we had another long weekend again.

Using time off best possible, we drove away catching up with a few couples at Bavaria close to a town called Bamberg.
Bamberg itselt is a lovely town directly situated at the River Main, with a picturesque "Old Town" and a lovely surrounding around.

 The folks we were going to see are all friends we did meet first, once back in 1993 during a trip at Greece we did all start as strangers to each other. Since that time we are committed friends and year by year we make effort coming together and seeing us again.

It is a strange and fascinating thing and for sure a strong relationship between all making it possible, all coming together on an ongoing base again and again.

Catching together this year,  even had a pleasant more reason on top, as for Astrid one of our friends living there had given birth to Kilian their 2nd son only 4 weeks ago.

Guess you are able to imagine, that catching up first, more or less were a wild "hallo". Over and over we had heaps of things to share and about a few things we did there together, spending time with each other was the aim. And you can be sure that we had a rather good time there together.

Curious topic besides…. little Kilian the one or other time feeling and being grupmpy with things and life in general and having the tendency to cry as the appropriate way to share this news with us … always relaxed and smoothed again when I started to hold him. Quickly recognised by his mum I soon started to become her "preferred method" of choice to become little Kilian quiet again.

Not I would have mind that in general, but not being used to it in general, I could not say I would mind no longer being in charge anymore.

Waaaaaaaaahhhhh…… Was that a nice and pleasant long easter weekend this year.

Sun, sun, sun and even more sun on all four days and we really enjoy it very much.

Of course there was the opening of the weekend with another long ride with Suzi on Friday. And can you imagine me looking surprised finding a real new "imagine NEW!!" track in an area I always though I could drive it blind?

A gorgeous short track bringing together two of my favorite bike routes now being combind a real dream of a biker without the need to drive between them on a bigger and crowded fast road heavily used by cars and truck.

You can now stay in the forest and all is green and calm …. that keen that we even scared a deer searching for food next to the track! Poor deer! …. Must have thought idiots are rushing by though.

Saturday then again was some more busy day again with preparing things in the garden and putting plants out of the house again where we had sheltered them during the winter month.

But then again working on saturday was balanced by some relaxed BBQ on Sunday , sitting together and chatting with friends. Finally drifting again in lots of lauging lokking old and age pictures and video clips showing us all a few years younger ….

 Today now with conditions … even forecasted different … there was no question about, me doing a second longer extended ride with Suzi again.

Running my bike on a seasonal license plate for me the season does open on Apr, 1st. Now after 5 month of a break and all the cold and ugly winter weather you might imagine how keen I am ususaly to do the first few hundred kilometres.

Now this year it turned out perfectly. Starting with April the weather turned pleasant and all the weekend we had splendid conditions. Still somewhat fresh during the mornings, but lovely spring conditions during the day later on.

So last thursday evening I decided for the push bike to use. But after finishing all really necessary errands and jobs already friday evening and early saturday morning, all the time besides where "Suzi" time.

Leaving after luch on saturday I dod only 100Km running up and down one of my favorite bike tours here in the surroundings and headed after an ice cream to a school mate, I recently got in contact again after long 28 years we did not met one single time. It was pleasant and nice and we had coffee on their roof terrace out in the sun …. great.

And finally today and early this morning I joined a season opening tour organized by a guy offering guided motorbike tours and I once did make a website for. Not I would need a guide and to be honest I do not really like to rige in a bigger group as for the risk coming out of a gang of people always including a few going over their limits … you know?! Ambitions exceeded Abilities or so?

But today it worked out perfectly and without any hassle and it was pure fun riding up to 300Km and crossing the border to France several time. Should I mention the farmer steak with salad, french fries and heaps of garlic and later on a relaxed coffee and cake out in the sun as well?!

Hey, I rarely remember a more sunny and pleasant season opening like the one this year. Wishing more days like today to come! Thats tops!