No alarm this morning.... we awake after 12hours sleep and are beginning to realise the full physical impact of our almost 6 weeks continuous cycling - both bikes and bodies are much in need of this forced rest day! We enjoy breakfast for the meal that it is (unable to help ourselves, it does become a recon for tomorrow's lunch, and Hazel can't resist slipping a few jams into her pocket to help replenish the storecupboard...) and then retrieve bikes from the garage, and head for the bike shop. Ali has scoped out the area whilst waiting for hazel and I to check in last night, and we quickly locate two potentials just around the corner. Opting for the "older" one (identified as such by the pennyfarthing on the sign...), we each explain our various mechanical difficulties to the helpful storemen, resplendent in red overalls! "Come back at 12" we are told. We of course need to clarify this 3 times - thats only 2.5hrs away!! Delighted at this prospect, we nip off to tourist info and grab a quick coffee after wandering through the old town, just in time to pick up bikes. Whilst the German bicyle mechanic is very confused by our combination mountain bike/road bike shifter combo (he is finding it difficult to comprehend why we haven't gone for the 5kmph-along-asphalt, butterfly-handlebar, german-river-path tourer), brakes, steering and buckled wheels are now back in working order. Hazel has a new headset, and Ali's bike has been fitted with amazing super-heavy-duty pannier rack - we are all suitably impressed!
We stop for lunch(yesterdays rolls) in a park, but are struggling with the ever changing weather - hot/cold, cloudy/sunny...the max temperature is apparently only 10degrees but i think we may be at risk of getting burnt! The girls head to Netto for supplies (needing fresh fruit) and I hit the hotel for some Colby family catchup time... we have a habit of ending up in hotel rooms which don't seem to get the wireless connnection so I find myself sitting in the stairwell for an hour or so - luckily most guests use the lift!! Hazel and Ali enjoy an afternoon nap, but awake, starving at 4pm...we decide that two dinners, prior to our cycle to Dresden tomorrow, is not a bad idea so we head to a local Italian joint for some pasta... timing is good and we experience the daily torrential rainfall from inside the restaurant, then feeling the pressure of being 6 days behind on the blog, we hit up the local internet cafe... it turns out this blogging business is quite costly to us - 127minutes and 18euro later, not to mention the emotional pre-blog stress, we're up to date and its time for second dinner.
Little german hotel, we decide to go for the local cuisine - goulash and meat broth, followed by three different potato courses...hazel gets her tinfoil, baked potato swan, which I'm sure is a peacock...), and strudel to finish... we are three very full cycletourists, who have exceeded my designated bed time of 9pm! Back to the Bear Hotel, Ali utilises the hairdryer to achieve her sleek bob look, ready for the big town tomorrow....
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