Author Archives: Paul Spanjaart

Changes in Munich

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In the Werksviertel (Factory Quarter) near the Eaststation of Munich a lot of small or medium factories existed. Some remainders are still visible like the Pfanni tower with the orange globe on the top or Rhode & Schwarz, an high tech company in communication techniques.

This quarter is changing from an Industrial Zone to a Cultural Quarter since about 20 years. It started with reusing the industrial buildings for discotheques, small theatres, bars etc. But occasionally a building was not suitable for such usage anymore and it had been replaced by a modern buildings with very individual architecture. Currently major changes are happening. Ugly and rather flat buildings and underground garages are de-constructed as shown on the photo. We will see what will grow there afterwards, but currently it is a big technical theatre with bulldozers, draglines and lorries. They play destruction. The actors move around on the stage, interact and disappear sometimes behind the scenery. And this scenery is changing and changing all the time. It never returns to the state before. This play will continue for this season until all the scenery has been removed and the stage is 4 meters under street level. For the play in the next season all most actors will be replaced. Some of them will not move from there spots but with their long arms reach for over the stage and again the scenery will change continuously until the feet and legs of the long arms actors have been covered completely.

No tickets are sold for this play, but visitors are welcome anytime. No seats are available, so please bring ,our own seat or just take place in the standing room.

The theatre is situated at the Grafinger Straße, corner Haager Straße.

Paul

Day 40 – to La Roche de Glun

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118 km
As I left the camping I heard a strange noise and yes, the tire of the Extrawheel was flat again. It costed a delay of 30 minutes to dismount a pannier and repair the tube. BTW at the end of the day the tire was flat again so it will be replaced.
I followed the signs of the Via Rhona until they disappeared at Donzère, but that w as no problem, because I could follow the track on my OSM/Garmin. After crossing the Rhône on a suspension bridge there was a yellow sign ‘Deviation’. I was looking at it as some French racing cyclists told me, that I could ignore that sign, which was true. The cycle route was here everywhere on minor roads or cycle paths not far from the Rhône. The Rhône? Sometimes the river is divided three streams  and I was hopping from island to island. Near Meysse I had lunch on a Via Rhona picnic area. At Le Pouzin the route was directed to the east bank. I expected to change the bank again, but for that I had to use a bridge with much traffic near Charmes Sur Rhone, but that probably was to risky for the Via Rhona architects. So I arrived in Valence passing through industrial areas instead of the nicer west bank (that I cycled last year).
In the center of Valence I didn’t see the signs anymore, so I had tot find my own way to the continuation of the Via Rhona in the north of Valence.
Now just some km.’s to the camping, I agreed with Monika as meeting point. The camping though was ‘complet’. But I found another camping on  7 km’s distance, where we finally met.
With this day my cycle tour ends. In total over 4100 km’s distance I mastered with body power and it probably will remain the longest cycle trip in my life. The previous record was about 1700 km’s in 1979.
When I am at home, I will beautify the chat and add photos, maps and tracks.
Paul

Day 39 – to Lapalud or La Palud ## 4000 km reached

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142 km
(I have to write this a 2nd time, because I accidentally hit the arrow back on my Lumia – no way to revert this 😩

Yesterday I already cycled on the Via Rhona from the coast to Aigues Mortes. Today I picked this up again, but the total length is just 20 km. After that you have to find a way yourself. That means from Gallician on I used departmental roads until Beaucaire and Tarascon. From there I cycled my tour from last year reverse, but I have a shift of about 40 km. That means I use different campings for the overnight stay.
This camping I only found, because I have the coordinates in my Garmin  – I did not see any sign.
The total length of this tour is over 4000 km’s  now!
Paul