RED = Original route
YELLOW = D-tour
Blue = Car
Green = Ferry crossing
Sunday 5th of August 2018 and I was out of bed early as I wanted to check out the area for birds before I take off towards Rendsburg with my paddled “hell on wheels” The first thing I run in to is two deer across the River Eider. Yes, a gorgeous morning in beautiful surroundings.
What a sight to wake up to! Two Bambi across the river outside my window
A rabbit is jumping across the river
A rabbit is jumping across the river
River Eider early morning
Bambi
Making more Bambies
Making more Bambies
River Eider early morning
It was a beautiful morning and I enjoyed my morning walk even though I never got any bird pictures. I was back for breakfast and it was OK. I checked out and I was soon back on the saddle paddling my way towards the Breiholz ferry. I will cross the canal at Breiholz and I will go towards Rendsburg passing the pilot station. And there will hopefully be some excitements.
It was longer than I thought to get down to the canal from Bootsmann - Lokal Camping & Lodge, maybe because of my aching behind. But it is my last day on the bike, tomorrow I will be on the tourist steamer or the train to Kiel. It have been a lovely tour here in Germany, but I can´t help it, I was happy that it was my last day on the bike.
I see a huge ship in the canal when I approach Breiholz and I try to hurry up to see when it is passing Breiholz but when I arrive the ship is just passing.
I can see the ships on the canal approaching Breiholz
Reaching Breiholz and I just miss the big ship
I reached Breiholz ferry and I decided to turn right to get to the siding to see the ships waiting so I turned right and paddled back towards Brunsbüttel for a few hundred meters until I was at the siding and the ships waiting.
Not a very good siding as there were plenty trees blocking the views of the canal. But I managed to get the container ship m/s Svendborg when she came in to the siding to wait for some ships coming from Brunsbüttel. m/s Sp Viking was in the siding and they were waiting for a big container ship, m/s Delphis Bothnia to pass the siding so they could continue towards Brunsbüttel.
m/s Svendborg at Breiholz siding
m/s SP Viking in Breiholz siding
At Breiholz siding
m/s SP Viking in Breiholz siding
m/s Svendborg can continue when m/s Delphis Bothnia have passed
m/s Delphis Bothnia passing the ferry
As soon as m/s Delphis Bothnia has passed I threw myself on the bike and I took off towards the ferry hoping to see m/s Delphis Bothnia passing the ferry.
I get m/s Delphis Bothnia passing the ferry waiting on the other side for her to pass so she can cross the canal. The ferry is leaving as soon as the canal is clear and I can board a few minutes later. There were some old tractors on the ferry, looked to be everything between 5 and 100 years old and I enjoyed looking at the tractors while crossing the canal.
The ferry is coming
The ferry is coming
Tractor coming off the ferry
Seems like an “old” tractor club is out on the roads
Old tractors on the ferry
Old tractors on the ferry
More old tractors are coming
Where do they find all the old tractors?
The ferry is full of old tractors
The ferry is full of old tractors
Coming off the ferry on the other side
I really enjoyed watching the old tractors coming off the ferry, mint condition. And as I could see that there were many more coming on the other side I stayed behind to have a look at the other tractors. And I had no problem kill time waiting for the tractors as there were a family of Egyptian Gooses next to the ferry jetty.
One of the parents were on guard while the rest of the family was feeding on sea weed in the canal. So I spent the time trying to get close for some pictures. But as soon as I approached the guard gave off a warning call and they swam away, but never far away.
Male or female on guard while the rest of the family is feeding
Young Egyptian Gooses feeding with one of the
parent while the other parent are on guard
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy recorder. Audacity High Pass Filter applied
At Breiholz ferry in the Kiel Canal, a family of Egyptian Gooses are feeding on sea weed while one of the parents is on guard. When I approach the “guard” gives an alarm call and goes down to the rest of the family and they swim away.
The whole family leaves
I never got much time with the gooses, the ferry was soon returning and this time fully loaded with old tractors. The first load was waiting in a field and I thought they would have an exhibition there. So I will go have a look when they are all across the canal.
I was waiting for the second ferry believing that this would be it with the tractors. But I could see across the canal and there were plenty more tractors when the ferry returned with the second load.
The ferry returns loaded with old tractors
Coming off the ferry on the other side
Coming off the ferry on the other side
Coming off the ferry on the other side
Coming off the ferry on the other side
Coming off the ferry on the other side
Coming off the ferry on the other side
Coming off the ferry on the other side
The ferry is back with the third load of old tractors
The third load is coming off the ferry
The third load is coming off the ferry
The third load is coming off the ferry
The third load is coming off the ferry
The third load is coming off the ferry
The third load is coming off the ferry
The tractors takes off down the road
The tractors takes off down the road
Well, the tractors on the field was just waiting for all the tractors to cross the canal and they continued their journey to where ever they were going. But a fantastic sight with all the old tractors. Thanks to these enthusiasts these tractors are saved for generations to see. I was a wee bit disappointed when they left, but I have new adventures ahead. Breiholz Pilot station.
It was not so far from the ferry to the pilot station, well, it was very long for me and my aching arse. I walked most of the way with the bike next to me. But I was lucky at the pilot station, I arrived in the middle of a “double” pilot change and I got to say hello to the pilots when they came out to get on board the pilot boats.
Two of them took of with roaring engines and I made a video. I had already decided to buy a video camera when I was back home and I had decided to buy a Panasonic after some studies on the internet. But for now I will have to use my action Canon G7 and the result leaves a lot to wish for. It as a very good camera, of course, it is Canon. But it is not easy to hold the camera in zoom mood and the result is very shaky and uncomfortable to watch.
Rüsterbergen Lotsenstation / Rüsterbergen Pilot station
I make it to the pilot station
I make it to the pilot station
I explore the area waiting for more action
Pilot boats stand-by for action
The pilot boats came back and I decided to wait around, who knows, maybe there are more action. And I didn´t have to get disappointed as there were soon more pilot changing excitements taking place. This time one ship and the ship is coming from Brunsbüttel and needs to change pilot here. This time I skip the video taking pictures only.
The boat is passing just in front of me and I get a picture of the crew preparing the pilot ladder. For sure, I´m not missing the action on board the ships when I see this. But kind of nice to sit here and watching it only.
Pilot takes off again
Pilot on the way to the boat
Pilot boat turning around to get alongside the ship
Pilot boat alongside
Preparing the pilot ladder
Another ship have changed pilot
Pilot boat is back and I sit down waiting for more action when I see a group of Egyptian Gooses, they were flushed out of the canal with the swell from the ships passing and are now on the ground eating from the dry vegetation.
I make yet another stupid video before I continue my trip to Rendsburg and Hotel ConventGarten. And as an bonus I get some pictures of some fresh goose poo and I can see that they have been eating sea weed. Interesting facts!
Egyptian goose, Alopochen aegyptiaca, Nilgås
Fresh poo and we can see that they are eating seaweed
I leave Rüsterbergen Lotsenstation / Rüsterbergen Pilot station paddling towards Rendsburg and Hotel ConventGarten. And seriously, I think I walked more with my bike than I was paddling the bike. My behind was really aching and I had already decided yesterday that this would be my last day on the bike. It will be train or the tourist steamer back to Kiel from Rendsburg.
I when Iäm at the hotel I will ask in the reception about the tourist steamer. But today I had to go through the pain to get me to the hotel in Rendsburg.
And this last stretch was nothing but bike track so I was kind of happy to reach Schülp and there was a bench with a table. I sat down and I popped open a Diet Pepsi. OHHHH!!!! It was nice to get off the saddle. The girl I had passed earlier on came walking passed me and she is almost walking quicker than I bike on my last day.
I pass a place to sit down to rest my behind
More ships in the canal
A ship coming towards me
I continue and I´m almost in Rendsburg when I spot a group of Black-headed Gulls and I get off my bike. The birds are very close and I try to get some pictures. A couple coming after me and they see what is going on and they approach very carefully and they manage to get pictures as well. The guls is changing to winter plumage and the black head is slowly turning white again.
I was quite happy with the pictures and I continued along the bike track. After 100 meters I could see Hotel ConventGarten on the other side of the Kiel Canal. I could see the tunnel entrance and I also spotted a few ice cream shops outside the tunnel entrance, just what I needed.
Black-headed Gull / Skrattmås - 5 August 2018 - Rendsburg, Kiel Canal
Adult in winter plumage
And we can see that the bird is not yet in full non breeding plumage
Kiel Canal, Germany - August 2018
Black-headed Gull / Skrattmås - 5 August 2018 - Rendsburg, Kiel Canal, Germany
Black-headed Gull / Skrattmås - 5 August 2018 - Rendsburg, Kiel Canal, Germany
Black-headed Gull / Skrattmås - 5 August 2018 - Rendsburg, Kiel Canal, Germany
Black-headed Gull / Skrattmås - 5 August 2018 - Rendsburg, Kiel Canal, Germany
Black-headed Gull / Skrattmås - 5 August 2018 - Rendsburg, Kiel Canal, Germany
FINALLY!!!! Rendsburg
Hotel ConventGarten on the other side of the canal
Of course, they didn’t had cones at the ice cream place so I skipped the ice cream. I crossed the street and I took the elevator down to the tunnel under the Kiel Canal. Took me a few minutes (including photo stops) to get up on the other side, just outside my hotel.
I sat down and I enjoyed my last bottle of water and my electronic fag looking at the canal before I went to my hotel. It was really nice to sit down relax even though it was gloomy and grey, last day so never mind the weather. I have been extremely lucky with the weather during my stay here in Germany. OK, lucky, extremely would have been a little cooler as it has been very hot.
Coming out from the elevator
Elevator behind me
There is always the escalator as an option
Starting my journey to go under the Kiel Canal
Here we go
Almost across
Almost across
Up on the other side of the canal and I see where I had threw myself out
the step, seems like yesterday but it is a weeks since I started from here.
I see my hotel from the elevator
I take the time to sit down enjoying the last
glimpse of the canal before going to my room
163,11 km since I started
Sweet Lord! It was nice to get back to my room at Hotel ConventGarten. I made a bucket of tea first thing. I had a lovely dinner at their restaurant. I asked about the tourist steamer but there was no such thing in Rendsburg so it will have to be train tomorrow.
Click HERE to find out everything about that adventure.
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)
noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!
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