Europe 🇪🇺 2025 Part 4 Family time 🥳 🇮🇪 🇬🇷

Europe 🇪🇺 2025 Part 4 Family time 🥳 🇮🇪 🇬🇷 

Our Irish visas were finally issued! AND it was approved that it can be printed  and put in our passports in Berlin 🇮🇪  🇩🇪   🥳🎶🎈🎉🇮🇪 Super happy! 

We applied in April, it took 4 months! It felt to risky & we did not have enough time not enough time to DHL to South Africa 🇿🇦 and get it back in time for our flight.✈️  

Therefore our cycle tour 2025 🚲 comes to an end sooner than what we planned. So, we look forward to continue our cycle 🚲 tour in 2026. 🥳

We took a train back to our base ( our wondeful friends, Retha & Johan Strydom ) in Hanau. Dropped off our bicycles 🚲 and then took the overnight train 🚆 to Berlin 🇩🇪 to be there early the next morning when the embassy opened. ⏰️ 

And of course we utilised the time to explore the historical city of Berlin! It always feel to me like I am walking through the pages of a  history book 📖 . The beautifully restored buildings are also amazing. 🕍

But most off all we are very grateful that we can visit our children. 

And are very thankful to Barry Heneghan TD Independent who assisted us to get everything arranged in time.

Europe2025 Part3 cycling 🚴🏻‍♂️🚴🏻‍♂️

Cycling tour 2025 Day 1. We cycled along the Main River from Hanau to Freuedenberg (90km🚲). Beautiful landscapes and route. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

The last 2 hours it was pouring with rain. ⛈️. We were wet and cold. Luckily the rain stopped shortly after we arrived at the campsite and we could pitch our tent.⛺️ Enjoy a delicious dinner 😋cooked on our little Jetboil gas stove🫕 with a good bottle of Italian wine. 🍷And then we had a good night's sleep 😴 I would like to think, well deserved 😀

https://www.komoot.com/tour/2435987238?ref=avs&share_token=ayMCxXeQ89dDB3YFgfYupvDeO3F3sSHAMjRh2gH82Dq5YN8Kt3

Overnight ⛺️ http://www.seecamping-freudenberg.de/

One could so camp at verwaltung@camping-mainparksee.de which is anout 30km from Hanau. 

Cycling tour 2025 🇪🇺 🚲Day 2. We cycled along the River Main  Freuedenberg (85km🚲) to the confluence of the  Main & Tauber Rivers at Wertheim. From there via the Tauber Valley to Bad Mergentheim

Beautiful landscapes dotted with 🌽 and wheat 🍞 &  sunflower 🌻 fields. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

We had some rain on they way. ⛈️.  Luckily the rain stopped shortly after we arrived at the campsite and we could pitch our tent.⛺️ Enjoy a delicious Spätzle  😋cooked on our little Jetboil gas stove🫕 with 🥗 & a good bottle of Austrian wine 🍷. And then we had a good night's sleep 😴 I would like to think, well deserved 😀

Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/IfTXE1xwmVb

Overnight ⛺️ Natur Campingplatz Bad Mergentheim

Cycling tour 2025 🇪🇺 🚲Day 3. We cycled from Bad Mergentheim to Olenhausen, along the  Jagst & Kocher Rivers (50km)

Beautiful landscapes dotted with 🌽 and wheat 🍞 &  sunflower 🌻 fields. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

We had quite a lot of rain on the way. ⛈️. It gave me the opportunity to wear my new orange rain jacket 🧡 rain 💦🥳

The rain gave us a window of time, stopped for a short while, after we arrived at the campsite, and we could pitch our tent.⛺️ Fortunately there was an area under a roof where we could pitch our tent since it poured with rain during the night.💦 🌙 

We wanted to go for dinner in town since we knew groceries stores are closed on Sundays.  We discovered that there is no restaurant in Olenhausen. However, we were blessed by a kind lady, Inge (88 years young)

She walked passed the campsite and just came to say hello and started talking to me. I asked her where the closest restaurant is. Then she told us, there is no restaurant in town. She then said I should come with her. We sat down on her patio and some of the local people joined us. and  had a lovely conversation. I enjoyed  the time with the people of Olenhausen. I was so glad that I can speak 🇩🇪 😀

Inge gave us some bread 🍞 , tin of meat and fresh tomatoes 🍅 from her garden. It was extra delicious and tasty since she gave it with  love! 🧡 

To top a lovely evening was the arrival of André & Jean O'Kennedy at the Campsite. And we enjoyed a good German beer 🍺 together 🥳

And then we had a good night's sleep 😴 

Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/4t9swMOeZVb

Europe 🇪🇺 2025 Cycle 🚲Tour DAY 4 We cycled from Olenhausen to Neckarsulm (50km) mostly along the Jagst River. 

Our route took us via the industrial city of 

Bad Friedrichshall where the Kocher & Jagst rivers flow into the Neckar. 

A visit to the Salzbergwerk in Bad Friedrichshall, a functioning rock salt mine, offers a unique glimpse into the world of mining, with its rich history and modern-day operations. 

During World War II, the salt mine was converted into a production factory for aircraft engines, employing forced laborers.

The three-river landscape is unique & beautiful. The route was dotted with Spinach 🥬, maize 🌽 wheat 🍞 & sunflowers 🌻 fields. 

The sunshine 🌞 day was rounded off with delicious Schwäbische Maultaschen ( a fine pasta dough with a filling of minced pork & spinach)  😋 & a good Spätburgunder from the area 🍷

Another lovely day😀🚴🏻‍♂️🚴🏻‍♀️

Overnight ⛺️

Camper Chill Corner in Reisachsmühle

Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/IcAAHMz7vVb

https://www.komoot.com/tour/2443791926?ref=avs&share_token=a6vGFrob9dlO4amT6aOKlQ31WY3R0CV5KT7csjtbL0G5nzOFVn

Cycling tour 2025 🇪🇺 🚲Day 5. We cycled from Neckarsulm to  Stuttgart and along the Neckar. (84km)

Cycling tour 2025 🇪🇺 🚲Day 5. We cycled from to Neckarsulm to Stuttgart along the Neckar River.

We cycled through the beautiful university town of Heilbron. We very very impressed with the Experimenta Science Center, Germany's largest science center.

On the way Vineyards are planted on steeps hills, some planted like checker boards.  As well as Beautiful landscapes dotted with Spinach 🥬, pumpkin 🎃, tomatoes   🍅, 🌽 wheat 🍞 & sunflowers 🌻 fields.

The cycle ride took much longer  than expected due a number of detours where paths were blocked. We had an appointment with friends in Stuttgart and we came terribly late. They planned a very interesting & lovely afternoon for us but we arrived too late.

Luckily we could still join them for dinner. We went to a  "gemütlichen" tradional wine house, Die Kiste. We had  delicious "Schwäbisches" food and great company.

Typical Schwäbische food includes  Spätzle, Maultaschen (the schwäbische Version of Ravioli) , roasted potatoes etc. Kartoffeln und Kraut beinhalten.

A wonderful evening, delicious food 😋 and good local wine. We enjoyed Spätburgunderfrom the region🍷 And fantastic to spend time with dear friends It was a heart warming evening.🤗

Then back to the campsite to pitch our tent, make our beds and  we had a good night's sleep 😴  Another lovely day😀

Sunshine day !☀️ 🌞 Thoroughly enjoyed it

Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/S8ExDaLGrVb

Overnight ⛺️  Canstatter Wasen  Stuttgart

Cycling tour 2025 🇪🇺 🚲 Day 6.  We cycled from Stuttgart along the Neckar River to the beautiful university city of Tübingen (73km)

It rained 💦💦 most of the day. It was a bit difficult to take photos on the way due to rain. However, I was happy to wear my new bright orange rain jacket🧡😀. 

As we arrived in Tübingen, the rain stopped and it was an absolutely delightful evening in Tübingen.

A friend of us, Eberhardt, who lives close by, met us in Tübingen and took us on a walking tour through this beautiful old city. It was very interesting to learn more about this lovely city.

We ended the evening in a cosy restaurant which serves typical Schwäbian food. A wonderful evening, great company, delicious food 😋 and good local wine. We enjoyed Grauburgunder from the region🍷 What a privelege to spend time with a very special person.

The previous evening, our friends gave us a gift 🎁 🤗💕 Eberhardt saw that it will be raining a lot the next day and night and decided to surprise us & spoil us, with a night in a cosy little hotel in Tübingen. 💫🌟 🌙 We were blown away! 

So, at the end of a special day, there was no need to pitch our tent ⛺️  and  we could enjoy a cosy and dry night under roof😴,  followed by a delicious breakfast the next morning😀

Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/mna5jydjFVb

Overnight ⛺️  We planned to stay at Camping Tübingen Neckarcamping. 

Cycling tour 2025 🇪🇺 🚲Day 7  We cycled from Tübingen along the Neckar Tal Cycle route to Obendorf (59km)

This morning we enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast at the hotel. It was delicious! 🥐🧀🍓

Beautiful route! Lots of apple trees on the way🍎🍏🌳

Pitched our tent ⛺️ and rounded of the day with a delicious salad 🥗 Fried Camembert 🧀 & a good bottle of Spanish Rioja wine🍷before a good night's sleep 😴 

Overnight ⛺️  Obendorf  

Miniinfo@krokodil-oberndorf.de

Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/U8filCUxIVb

https://www.komoot.com/tour/2451992854?ref=aso

Cycling tour 2025 🇪🇺 🚲Day 8  We cycled from Obendorf to Bad Duerheim-Sunthausen (53.5km)

We continued along the Neckartal Cycle route for most of the day. We cycled through lovely forest areas.🌳🌲🌳 Beautiful landscapes, lots of wheat 🍞, sunflowers 🌻 and also pumpkin 🎃 on the way.

Overnight ⛺️  http://www.campingplatz-bad-duerrheim.de/

Rain was predicted for the night. We luckily discovered a small area under a roof at the almost "not used" area of the campsite. We cleaned it and pitched our tents under the roof. Found a table and chairs and had a lovely dinner at the table. We enjoyed Gnocci with salad 🥗 and a good bottle of Italian Nebbiolo 🍷. 

 

We enjoyed a good night's sleep 😴 and stayed dry in spite of pouring rain. 

Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/9FTL6rPoNVb

https://www.komoot.com/tour/2454337078?ref=avs&share_token=a1iyBXWaIrvUZlg8y9C822qaqfLJDHlwRI39khmYWoGyLnJTws

Cycling tour 2025 🇪🇺 🚲Day 9  We cycled from Bad Dürrheim -Sunthausen to Böhringen  (52.7km) close to the Bodensee.

We cycled via beautiful areas. Through a part of the Black Forest🌲🌳🌲  and crossed the Donau River. Fields of  wheat 🍞, maize 🌽 sunflowers 🌻 on the way.

We also cycled passed the " Test- und Technologiezentrum von Mercedes-Benz" 🚘 

A Swiss 🇨🇭 friend of us, Lilo, drove from her home close to Zurich with her campervan 🚚 to spend time with us. Her campervan is equipped with everything you possibly can desire when you camped. Even a  "coffee-machine"☕️

When we got to the campsite, Lilo was already there. She welcomed us with delicious cappuccino's☕️ which she made in her campervan. It was wonderful to meet her again. 

Lilo treated us with cheese fondue for dinner🫕 🧀🇨🇭😋. We really digged in! It is one of my favorite meals! 😋😋 AND she baked a delicious Zwetschgenwähe Torte 🥧😋 for desert. Absolutely delicious! Dinner was complimented with a good dry 🇨🇭 cold Swiss white wine 🥂 

It rained the whole evening but luckily her campervan had a  veranda and we cuddled up underneath the "roof" ☔️

It was an absolutely delightful evening with dear friends and delicious food!

Late afternoon we did have small period when there was no rain so we could pitch our tents ⛺️ We ad a good cosy nights sleep😴 and stayed dry with only the lovely sound of rain. 

Overnight ⛺️  Camp Böhringen

Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/hYJX41JJQVb

https://www.komoot.com/tour/2456345376?ref=aso

Cycling tour 2025 🇪🇺 🚲Day 10  We cycled from Böhringen to Rheinau which is close to the Rhine falls in Schaffhausen (57.5km) 

Our route took us all along the Bodensee and the river Rhine. Absolutely amazing, passing vineyards 🍇🍷 planted on steep slopes, apple orchards🍎🍏, fields of beetroot🫜 pumpkin 🎃, and cabbage🥬 on the way.

Stein am Rhein is a beautiful town. Wished we could have spent more time there!

Our usual picnic lunch was on the banks of the Rhine at Diessenhofen

Our last stop en route was for a spectacular view of the  Rhine Falls.

South African friends who live in Switzerland 🇨🇭 invited us to stay with them in Rheinau. We were welcomed with great cuppachinos ☕️and very tasty biscuits.🥯 I forgot the name of the biscuits.😗 Need to ask them again. It was lovely sitting in their garden, in the sun! 🌞 just chatting and catching up whilst sipping on our cuppachinos and eating the lekker /leckeren biscuits 😋

They live a few hundred meters from the Rhine. Towards the late afternoon, we walked down to the Rhine and enjoyed a lovely swim 🏊‍♂️  It was great!!

The evening we spent around their table chatting, catching up, enjoying delicious food & sipping on good wine 🍷was delightful! 

After dinner, they took us back to the Rhine Falls. With very few visitors at that stage, we could get close to the falls and appreciate the power of the water. This was an unforgettable experience!!

Then overnight ⛺️  stay with our friends in Rheinau.

Logistically we were extremely grateful for this haven where we could dry our tents after the soaking rain the previous night,  wash and dry our washing, and enjoy their wonderful hospitality. And of course....no need to pitch a ⛺️ 😀

Michael Appelt creates wonderul music. You simply have to listen to it. Check it out:

"I created a new professional account for my #podcast and #videocast endeavors. Follow me over there if you like to stay in the loop! The link to get to it is: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093429871839 "

Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/DDiFO72YTVb

https://www.komoot.com/tour/2459957706?ref=avs&share_token=ad6jE4rnvqYdfovhg8TUMK73USiUCKgWwBCMOwCMwenSGwI3J2

Europe 🇪🇺2025 Part2 TourduMontBlanc 👣

The Tour du Mont Blanc (TBM) a beautiful trail which passes through France 🇫🇷 Switzerland 🇨🇭 and Italy 🇮🇹. Starting from Les Houches close to Chamonix, it is a loop of more than 175 km and 10,000 meters of elevation gain around Mont Blanc. Breathtaking panoramas, crossing passes at more than 2,500 meters of altitude, and climbs facing glaciers on the way.

Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps 

This alpine trek will inevitably stay etched in our minds forever! 

Day 1 Les Houches to Le Pontet 🇫🇷 

26km Elevation gain 1141m

Check out my walk on Strava: https://strava.app.link/6SRSmbJcfVb

Overnight Le Pontet ⛺️ 

Good campsite

Wifi in the reception area

Charge points

Washing machine & tumble dryer available extra charge

No shop. Best to buy food in town before the campsite 

Small restaurant.  Also serves a breakfast buffet 

I will still post the rest of the Tour du Mont Blanc. Network was limited on the way. 

Europe 🇪🇺2025 Part1 🇨🇭

 Day 1 

Depature from Cape Town. Super exited! 

Luckily Emirates is very generous with rhe weigh allowance! Quite a mission to pack for biking, hiking, socializing etc and stay within the weight allowance ⚖️!

On the way to hike Mont Blanc👣 & cycling 🚲approximately 800 km in 🇪🇺 ⛺️& visiting family and friends 🧡 Super excited!

Hoping to visit our kids in Ireland 🇮🇪 but still waiting for our visas. Apllied in April already! Still need to figure out how we will mansge this.

Day 2

Wonderful to be welcomed by our friend, Retha Swanepoel Strydom at Frankfurt Airport Totally blessed! Baie dankie Retha!!

Day 3

On the way to Valais Switzerland 🇨🇭, to spend time with Katharina Lauber, Eberhardt Stephan and a lovely group of people who previously toured with me in South Africa🇿🇦 🤗  Special welcome on arrival in Brig. Blessed!!

Day 4

Walking in the Rosswald Alp in Valais Switzerland Beautiful!🇨🇭.Lovely Lunch at the the bortelhuette was delicious and so much fun!! All food are delivered by helicopter. No road going to the hut. You need to walk👣 or pay to fly with a helicopter 🚁You should go there it really is great!

Day 5 A wonderful day walking in the Vineyards of Valais Switzerland 🇨🇭 enjoying Swiss wine, Raclette, and spending time with wonderful previous guests who were on tour with me in South Africa 🇿🇦.  It was an amazing, unforgettable day with Zerzuben Touristik 

Day 6 A wonderful day walking in  Binntal & in Ernen Valais Switzerland 🇨🇭 with wonderful friends. Ending the day with  Swiss wine & Raclette 🧀 I love Raclette! It is an unforgettable day in a beautiful country and dear friends.🤗 Blessed!

Day 7 A wonderful day walking at the Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland 🇨🇭 with wonderful friends. It started snowing while we walked.  Wonderful! It was an unforgettable day in a beautiful country and dear friends.🤗

Day 8

Privileged to go up with the cable car at to visit the The Aiguille du Midi which is the highest point that can be accessed by cable car in the Chamonix valley. The station stands at 3,842m and is situated directly across from Mont Blanc 🇫🇷  Another Wonderful day with wonderful friends.  Absolutely amazing. 🤗 

Blyderiver Canyon

Panorama Route &  Blyderiver Panorama Route &  Blyderiver Canyon 

The biggest green Canyon in the World. 🌎

Third biggest canyon 🇿🇦 after Grand Canyon in USA 🇺🇸 & Fish River Canyon in Namibia 🇳🇦 

Timbavati Game Reserve

Greater Kruger, staying at Simbavati Hilltop Lodge, super lodge in Timbavati Private Game Reserve. Amazing🐘 Even surprised ice-cream in the bush 🍦🦓 Topped with great sightings 🐘🦒🐆🦏 Fantastic!🇿🇦

Watching animals from "own swimmpool" on the deck of one's room.

Whale Trail 👣 🐳

 Whale Trail, just finished this wonderful trail with a lovely group of people 👣🐳 🪷

https://www.timeout.com/cape-town/news/one-of-the-worlds-best-trails-three-hours-from-cape-town-050625

The Whale Trail is a must-do if you love hiking and appreciate the outdoors. The trail is suitable for medium-fitness hikers. It is a five day, 56-kilometre slack-packing trail through the De Hoop Nature Reserve that introduces you to some of the most beautiful scenes along the Western Cape

And a Whale Trail 👣 Wedding 💕 💍 👰‍♂ 

Cape Town & Peninsula

 Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula - beautiful  🇿🇦 🐧🦍

Table Mountain Cable Car, St James Tidal Pool, Chakma Baboon at Cape of Good Hope, African Penguin on Boulders Beach, Dassie (Rock hyrax)

Bo-Kaap / Malay Quarters,  Mandela on Balcony at City Hall,  The Sentinel Houtbay, Recyvlong artwork 🦒

Tea Tasting ceremony

Lovely Tea Tasting ceremony.☕️💐 Nigiro Tea offers tea tastings features a selection of 180 unique tea blends. 🍵 ☕️ Very enjoyable. 😀

Nigiro Tea Tasting can be enjoyed at Spice Route in Paarl. Enjoy!☕️ Let me know how it was.

Cango Caves

The beautiful Cango Caves, close to Oudtshoorn, are known for their spectacular rock formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, and other dripstone formations.  

The caves were  formed by the dissolution of Precambrian limestone over millions of years, creating a system of tunnels and chambers, and resulting in the spectacular rock formations.

The primary rock type in the Cango cave is limestone (CaCO3) from the Cango cave group. 

The caves have been discovered to extend naturally for well over 5km, but visitors can only explore about one-quarter of the entire system. 🇿🇦

Swartberg pass

 Swartberg Pass:

SWARTBERG PASS, a National Monument between Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn, is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular and best known mountain passes in South Africa. It is the masterpiece of the brilliant engineer and road builder, Thomas Charles Bain (1830 – 1893), and the last of the seventeen passes he built in the Cape Province.

Originally the routes through Meiring’s Poort and Seven Weeks’ Poort were the only links between the port of Mossel Bay and the towns and villages of the Great Karoo. The road through Meiring’s Poort was often closed due to flood damage and rockfalls. The heavy flooding during 1875 caused the closure of these gateways for weeks.

In 1879 Thomas Bain was commissioned to plan a new route over the Swartberg Mountain Range. The existing footpath over the mountain between Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn could only be negotiated on foot or on horseback. Due to the unavoidably steep gradients, Bain tried four different lines before he succeeded in finding a practical one. Bain’s original master plan was approved by the Government in 1880.

The building of the Swartberg Pass proved to be a mammoth task. As Bain was building the Tsitsikama road, John Tassie’s tender of £18120 was accepted. Employing 100 Mozambicans from Delagoa Bay he started construction from the Prince Albert side of the mountain in 1881, but after 13 months of toil he had advanced only 6 kilometres.

After Tassie was declared insolvent, construction came to a halt for a year, until Thomas Bain took over the building of the pass in November 1883. Using 200 to 240 convicts he tackled the job with great enthusiasm.

The pass was built with the use of pickaxes, spades, sledgehammers, crowbars, wheelbarrows and gunpowder. Boulders were split by heating them with fire and then dousing them with cold water. Rocks were broken into smaller pieces with sledgehammers and then carefully dressed by the convicts. The dry-wall method of construction was used to build the impressive retaining walls that supported the road against the precipitous slopes. A century later, travellers still wonder at this feat.

Meat, dried beans, soup and other kinds of food were cooked in large pots for the convicts. Fresh bread was baked and an ox and sixteen sheep were slaughtered daily to provide meat for everybody on the project. The convicts were divided into teams and the ruins and remains of the convict stations can still be seen in the Swartberg Pass.

Conditions during the winter were very unfavourable. During May of 1885 heavy rain and mud slides almost destroyed the convicts’ camp. The nearly completed road was also badly damaged. The road through Meiring’s Poort was completely washed away by the same flood.

The official opening of the Swartberg Pass was 10th January 1888. All the shops and offices in Prince Albert were closed for the day to allow everyone to participate in the festivities. At 7am that Tuesday the procession, consisiting of about 100 vehicles (spiders, capecarts and mule wagons) started off from Haak’s Hotel on the 3 hour trek to the open terrain near the summit. It’s estimated there were about 500 people present, including reporters from six newspapers.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works, colonel F.X Schermbrucker, officially opened the pass. Miss Gertrude Schermbrucker broke a bottle of champagne at the summit of the pass, 1 585m above sea level, and a twenty-one gun salute concluded the ceremony.

On 5th May, 1888 a toll was proclaimed on the summit of the pass. From the eight tenders received, John F. Mackay was appointed the first toll official with a salary of £45 a year. Besides collecting the toll fee(4 pennies per wheel and 1 penny per animal), the official was responsible for maintaining the road in good condition. The official was also allowed to use collected toll fees to his own advantage

Blyde River Canyon

The Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world 26 946 ha, after the Grand Canyon in the United States and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia, and is the largest 'green canyon' due to its lush subtropical foliage, with the deepest precipitous cliffs of any canyon on the planet.

One of the most-visited attractions in South Africa, the Blyde River Canyon is 26 kilometres in length and is, on average, around 800m deep. The dam itself, when full, is at an altitude of 665m (2182 feet).

The Blyde River Canyon Reserve extends along the Blyde River Canyon's winding path, which at every turn offers more and more impressive views over sheer edges droper personing 800m into the riverbed. Blyde River Canyon Reserve is situated against the Greater Drakensberg escarpment and includes natural wonders such as the Bourke's Luck Potholes, the Three Rondavels, Pinnacle Rock and God's Window. Many visitors to this region enjoy the visual splendor of combining the Panorama Route with exceptional game viewing in the Kruger National Park to create a spectacular itinerary in Mpumalanga.