Today we took a pass on the €29 each breakfast buffet which allowed us to have a bit earlier start. We stopped at a nearby bakery for breakfast sandwiches and made our way back to Minden`s waterfront park. Initial travel was slow as Minden has many sights along the Weser including the second largest working aqueduct in Europe. It conducts the east-west Mittelland Canal across the Weser River. The original 370-metre aqueduct dating back to 1914, needed rebuilding after the war because it was demolished in 1945. By the 80s that first structure had become too small for modern shipping, so a new steel-built aqueduct 50 metres to the north was begun in 1993 and opened five years later.
Minden Aqueduct is the second largest aqueduct in Europe, conducting the east-west Mittelland Canal across the Weser.The original 370-metre aqueduct dates to 1914 and is a listed monument that needed rebuilding after the war.
Schachtschleuse Minden (Shaft Lock). One of the challenges facing the engineers of the first Midden Aqueduct was how to lift river traffic on the Weser to the canal.The answer was a lock 85 metres long by 10 metres wide, elevating vessels 13 metres to join the aqueduct.
Missing our breakfast coffee, our first stop will be not too far down the road at Petershagen. The radweg signage is very good and makes our route finding quite easy.
Not many dog pictures in this blog. This gal waits at the corner of her yard for passersby and then races the length of her fence with you and never makes a sound. Definitely worthy of a pic!
This asparagus was being sold at a stall in Petershagen. Included the picture of it for my dad. He knows why besides it being his birthday today. Thinking of you!
Sculpture in Estorf is by artist Pablo Hirndorf. It is five meters high, made of one ton of steel. It was thought that, "it will certainly be a popular photo motif for cyclists on the Weser Cycle Path". The figure marks the middle of the 515-kilometre-long premium Weser Cycle Path.
Nearing the end of our ride we decided to substitute some of the path routing and remain on the road. We were not far from a bridge crossing and the roadway was a natural connector. Upon entering the road we noticed the line in the middle was now solid and that there was a car behind us. We hugged the side of the road but the car would not pass so when we crossed the narrow bridge we pulled off the road to a small area beside it. We now noticed that there were at least six cars behind us and one was a police car. The police car pulled up beside where we were standing and rolled down the window. Oh no, what have we done?!?! Do you speak German was the first question. Obviously no. Then in perfect English the officer stated that the cars are not allowed to over take us. The cars must follow behind cyclists until there is a dotted line and they can pass safely. We were not sure what to think or do next as the officers drove off. We later thought perhaps they were just telling us what to expect when cycling in Germany. Well, thank you.
We reached Nienburg and found a biergarten at the end of the main pedestrian street. We enjoyed a beer in the sun before finding our room for the night. The rain, as forecasted, soon arrived so we stayed close and had a great Mexican dinner at our hotel restaurant.
The fountain symbolizes Nienburg's reputation as a leading asparagus town. The sculptures are a monument to one of the region's most important branches of agriculture and Nienburg`s renowned specialty.
