Torgau

June 29, 2019

A bike problem and the heat is climbing, we’ll stay 2 nights

We both felt overwhelmed and exhausted by the heat when we arrived at our hotel in Torgau. As there is a Lidl next door and it is Saturday, we are stocking up for our meals for the next few days as all shops will be closed until Monday.

I got us checked in and started to take our bags to the room when Barry had a frustrating mishap. The power cord from our motor got caught in the spokes of the rear wheel which ripped the cord from the connector for the battery. Poor Barry, not what he needed. This very thing has just about happened before, to both of us. Nothing broken, but we don’t have the expertise to figure out how to reconnect it as we can’t be sure of the polarity of the cable. If we do it wrong, we could fry our battery.

Well, this,makes our decision simple.

Tomorrow, Sunday is predicted to be the hottest day in this punishing heat wave.. Can it get any hotter? We feel that it would be wise not to ride on Sunday. Plus, without a motor, we don’t want to! So, we’ll stay here for 2 nights, try to keep cool in the hotel and hope for the best on Monday. On the positive side, we have tons of food, thanks to Lidl, and we are in a comfortable room at Hotel Torgau Brauhof. The clerk has kindly lent us a fan, so we won’t be going far.

Just an update, it’s Sunday afternoon and I saw some cyclists arrive. They looked like they had been through a war, dirty..sweaty and dishevelled. They headed straight to the terrace and had cold beer. I had the good sense just to smile as a greeting and not engage in conversation as I am inclined to do.

We went for a very brief ride in to Torgau to check out the bike shops (that will open tomorrow) and we couldn’t believe how hot it was. One of the shops looks promising. We briefly checked out Hertenfels Castle and the resident bears in the moat, visited an Eis Cafe and then gratefully made our way back to the hotel. Motor or no motor, we are grateful that we didn’t ride today.

The centre square of Hertenfels Castle is very impressive.

Love the artistic details and intricate work on the castle walls.

Built in the 15th century, this Gothic Renaissance Castle, Schloß Hartenfels is worth touring. It was pretty quiet today with only workers and a young family playing by the fountain.

The happiest people were this mom and her two young boys who loved the fountain.

Visiting these historic sites puts you into a reflective mood. This castle has withstood the ravages of time and historical challenges. It makes you consider what life has been like over the centuries. In most recent history, WWII, followed by 40 years of Soviet rule behind the Iron Curtain, German reunification and the rebuilding. This statue has seen it all.

We were fascinated by this resident pigeon with its own bowl of water, sitting by the entry to the ticket office.

I sat down in the shade beside the pigeon and my presence was of no concern. This guy is the resident and he has seen people like me come and go, Just hanging out, trying to keep cool.

Crossing the moat to enter the castle is a grand feeling. The stead of the nobility of the 16th century has been replaced by a modern noble breed, a recumbent tandem.

The tradition of bears living in the moat continues today.

The family history of the Schloß Hartenfels resident bears.

A smart bear playing in the water on this hot day. The others were resting in the shade of the moat walls.

Pasta “a la Barry” in our room sitting close to the electric floor fan. Hopefully we find a kind, capable bike mechanic or electrician tomorrow.

Stay tuned.

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Djurre Van der SchaafDear Barry & Mary Ellen,
We hope it is allright with You. We are following your trip.
Hope you can continue your trip along the river Elbe en hope the heat is a little less.
Enjoying your foto's and stories .

Kindest Regards,

Djurre & Janke v/d Schaaf
Fryslân
The Netherlands
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