Talking Gear

13/07/2010

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Just a couple of days ago, riding towards the border between Poland and Germany, me cycle-computer tiked over 15.000 kilometers. Maybe a good opportunity to briefly report about the gear that has served me well during this year-and-a-half on the road.

Bike
Not much to say about my VELOTRAUM (now about 2 years old). Had it serviced twice so far, once in Oviedo (Spain) and some months ago in Nikolaev (Ukraine). The wheels are tough as nail and just the back wheel is a fraction out of true after hitting a road bump full speed somewhere in Poland. Somehow, I missed to service the pedals and the ball bearings wore out on the left pedal. I had to purchase some replacement in Livov, Ukraine - finding a decent bike-shop was an adventure by itself...
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Berlin

04/07/2010

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Rather tired I sit on my cousins couch which is to be my bed for the next two weeks. Just did not feel like camping another night just kilometers out of Berlin, so I pushed hard and after over 10 hours riding and 190 kilometers rolled through the Brandenburg Gate.
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The next days I shall spend meeting old and new friends, goind out with my cousin and his girl-friend, exploring the cycle-paths in and around Berlin, seeing the sight I have not seen yet and having lots of rest and even more ice-cream.
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Auschwitz

28/06/2010

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  Following text you can read either in Polish, English or in Hebrew on a sign board next to the entrance to the visitor center of the museum Oswiecim-Brzezinka.

"On outskirts of the small town of Oswiecim, lies a place that throughout the world has become a symbol of terror, genocide, and the Holocaust – AUSCHWITZ.
 
German forces occupying Poland established a concentration camp in 1940 on a site of former military barrcks, they called the place Auschwitz and it was soon expanded into three main camps: Auschitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau and Auschwitz III-Monowitz and over 40 subcamps.

Beginning in 1942, however, Auschwitz became the setting for the most massive murder campaign in history, when the Nazis put into operation their plan to destroy the entire Jewish population of Europe. The great majority of Jews who where deported to Auschwitz, men, women and children – where sent immediately upon arrival to death in the gas chambers of Birkenau.

When the SS realized that the end of the war was near, they attempted to remove the evidence of atrocities committed here. They dismantled the gas chambers, crematoria, and other buildings, burned documents and evacuated all those prisoners who could walk to the interior of Germany.

Those who where not evacuated were liberated by the Red Army on January 27, 1945 ."

In 1947 the Polish Parliament established the State Museum of Osiecim-Brzezinka. The camps where recognized by the UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1979 .
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Southern Poland - Impressions

25/06/2010

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Krakow - Poland

25/06/2010

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Finally. I managed to get hold of some decent tires to replace the cheap chinese ones I had to buy in Ukraine and that threatened to explode any minute since I mounted them. Although Polish bike shops seemed to have a good selection of material, to got hold of some SCHWALBE tires I had to order them via Internet and have them delivered to the adress of Justyna, my kind and generous host in this wonderful city in southern Poland.

Five days I spent resting, sightseeing, sleeping and eating (Justynas mother does little wonders in the kitchen and I got spoiled with delights from the Polish cuisine every day, yesterday the balance marked 83 kilos, not bad, but I think I weighed only 80 when I left Russia) - it will be so hard to leave.
I am not looking forward to it, although I am eager to reach Berlin and already see myself standing under the Brandenburger Tor, I ll be seeing a lot of my family and friends in Germany. And there is  a lot to discover in my home country, I hardly ever travelled properly there. 

But then, Krakow is such a nice place with interesting sights, great cafés and bars and tons of places with student atmosphere and the idea of swapping conversations and excursions with new friends, a comfy bed in a nice house, a full fridge, wireless internet access and a daily hot shower for the open road is not very appealing at this moment.

But then I know once I am out there again, feel the saddle under me, spin the pedals, hear the wheels turning and ride along the traffic through Poland towards home and (maybe) some new adventures, I will be perfectly happy to be on the road again - once again wondering whether or not and When I will meet again with those amazing people that opened their hearts and homes for me, without even knowing me.

Somehow the cold and rainy weather seems to predict tomorrows gloom sending me towards a place mankind should never forget about -  AUSCHWITZ.
Am I looking forward to actually see this place with my own eyes ? - I don´t  think so.  But I feel I have to.
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Fotos

13/06/2010

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You find the latest fotos from Moldova and Romania in the foto-page...

Some stories are soon to follow. I am now on my way to Livov in western Ukraine - a heat wave has hit the country and 37 degrees celsius in the shade, I am sweating my soul out. 

By 11 o'clock yesterday I already had drunk 4 litres of water. I also beat my own ice-cream eating record, the score is now up to 6 delicious ukrainian ice creams in one day !!
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Romania

31/05/2010

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A couple of days ago I crossed into Romania from tiny Moldova and now have reached pitoresque Brasov (formerly Kronstadt)  the heart of Transylvania after climbing my first mountain pass in months. The city is surrounded by the spectacular Carpathian mountains. I am to meet my friend Bea from Spain who will tour around Bulgaria and Romania and hopefully bring me some good new tires and brake pads my bike needs badly (after my rear Marathon XR tire exploded on some small town cobble stone surface and I had to use some cheapy one which gave up just after 500 kms, see foto below), the Magura brake pads also have been worn pretty thin after all the hard work they did in snow and ice and dirt road conditions in Estonia and especially Russia in spring. 
 
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My travel through Romania started well enough with friendly customs officers, no hassle, a good road map and a comfy first night which I spend in a monastery ...
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Cycling Ukraine - Impressions

31/05/2010

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At the Black Sea

15/05/2010

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After hundreds of kilometers cycling against a headwind, crossing the steppe with its huge fields and acres, suffering under a merciless sun, I have reached the Black Sea. My plans change a lot lately so I decided not to cycle to Kiev but go south to Nikolaev and Odessa instead and afterwards visit the tiny country Moldova before crossing the Carpathian Mountains in Romania.

And believe it or not, little wonders keep happening on this trip: Gleb, a guy from Odessa read the blog post my friend Artem wrote (about meeting me on the road) and spontaniously invited my to stay with him while in Odessa. We had a great time talking and wondering around this beautiful city, visiting the famous Potemkin Steps and the harbour, having dinner at Glebs dads Datscha. Thanks so much for the hospitality, Gleb ! See you soon in Ukraine !
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Victory Day - Veterans, local beauties, a farmer and a bunch of bikers

14/05/2010

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On the 9th of may, 65th memorial day for the victory of the soviet armed forces over Nazi Germany, I got up early and left the little town of Lubny in eastern Ukraine around 7 o clock in the morning. By noon I had cycled nearly 50 kms and was crossing the village of Petrovka where the memorial celebration was in full swing...
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