Tuesday - 8/10/2010 - Arrival in Stuttgart, Germany

Hello, here I am finally starting this adventure. I arrived in Stuttgart this morning at 8:30 am (local time). Thirty minutes early. This is the plane at the gate. Jack, Lydia, James, Marty, and I landed at this same gate in 2007. The plane was not full. I sat in a middle seat in the middle row with no one on either side. I was able to lay down in the three seats and get some sleep on the way.

I have assembled the bicycle (no left over parts). I also relearned the age old lesson to pack and then take half out and leave it at home. In this case I will leave the excess with my hold baggage at the hotel while I ride. I just simply packed too much stuff. I am lucky to be able to sort stuff out that I do not really need or want. What was I thinking?

I spent the day downtown.I am glad I will be riding in the country side. The big cities in every country are full of people. I did shop for a bike bell (required by law) and I found a yellow one. It matches the bag and helmet. I will look so gay. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) Downtown Stuttgart seems very much like it did 20 years ago when I was here in the National Guard.

I will leave about 6:30 local time for my first leg of this journey. I will leave the airport complex and head south to the Neckar River Valley to connect with the Neckar Radweg (Bike Path). I walked to the start of the path earlier. As you can tell it is a paved path through some farm land. I am looking forward to leaving Stuttgart in the morning and I will keep you posted about any adventures. Today has been very slow and laid-back. I have just worked to get ready to leave.


I am going to get some sleep now. I will have a better report tomorrow. Who knows maybe I will meet a Duke and a King.