I am still so mad that I lost my post last night that I hope my rewrite today doesn't reflect on our really fun, varied day yesterday. Weather is picture postcard perfect, the nicest we have had. It is sunny and warm enough to take off our jackets but not too warm. A bus picks us up at our hotel and takes us to the train station, about a 45 minute ride. We board the Berlin-Copenhagen line and go to the ferry where we drive directly onto the ship. (A side note here. We become so dependent on our Experience Plus! trips that we become like robots. We had a little trouble finding the right train car to get on. Even Jessica our leader had trouble. So we get on the one we think is correct. We have reserved seats so we all find one and sit down. It seems a little strange that no one else is on this car but whatever. We reach some station down the line and a woman conductor comes in the car and tells us that this car is being taken out of service so we have to move. She asks us where we are going. Unbelievably and hilariously we all look at each other dumbfounded and say "we don't know!" Then Jessica comes and we all follow her to the proper car, her little sheep in tow. ) We have lunch on the ferry during our 45 minute ride and cross the Fehrman Belt to enter Germany. We spend the last of our Danish kroner on lunch and somehow come out with just 2 kroner left! The train drives right out the end of the ferry and we are on our way. We get off at Oldenburg, the second stop. Philipp is waiting for us with the van and bikes. Kathy is riding the e-bike today and I have the regular bike.
We ride 38 km to the city of Eutin (oy-tin) for our two night stay at Das kleine Hotel Eutin. The terrain is rolling hills, farmland, crops and cows not so different from what we have come from in Denmark. We learn that this part of Germany has gone back and forth between being part of Germany and part of Denmark. This area is known as the "Holstein Switzerland" because it is reminiscent of Switzerland in some ways. However, the highest " mountain" is just 394 meters so the comparison is questionable. It is beautiful though. We ride on many bike paths some of which are through dense woods with dappled sunlight. This is cycling at its best! This area is also known as the German lakes region for all the little, and large, lakes here.
Our hotel is in an old renovated building that has been turned into a hotel. It is charming and interesting since they have kept some of the original parts such as the floor and doors. The door to our room is very narrow as if perhaps this used to be a closet or maybe a maid's quarters. There are large windows to let in lots of light. Our room is rather small while some of the others have very large spacious rooms. We are greeted by a friendly welcoming person at the reception desk who shows us to our room.
There is a nice garden area in back where we meet for our briefing. We are on our own for dinner and we go to the Bacchuskeller Restaurant near the hotel. The friendly hotel woman takes us there herself. It is a lovely brick place and the food is wonderful. I have the pulled pork and Dave has the salmon. Others have the veal. All are large portions and are delicious.
This is the end to a really nice day. I am tired but will sleep with pleasant memories of the day.
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