My virtual bicycle tour to Girona continues. Yesterday, I found out that one beer might just be too much. I had quite a few on Friday in Staufenberg and then I just could not cycle far on Saturday.
I did cycle 30km on Saturday, after all. I set out from Staufenberg towards south with the intention to cycle as far I could. In Münzenberg I had enough. Luckily I found a room in Burghotel Münzenberg, a lovely hotel with an outdoor terrace. Yes, I decided a pint of local pils would not hurt too much.
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| Burghotel |
Burghotel commands a nice view over the valley to the Burg itself.
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| The Burg |
Today, I felt OK after a decent hotel breakfast. I decided I do not need to visit Frankfurt am Main. I have been to Frankfurt twice, once in 1992 and the other time in 2016. In 1992, a strange thing happened. We visited the tourist info at the main station one day asking for a city map. After a few days, the map got lost and I visited the tourist info again. The lady told me that she had given me a map already, so why would I need another one. After some explanation, I got a new one. The lady had a good memory, I would say.
So, today I rode past the centre of Frankfurt towards Darmstadt, not stopping for lunch or anything. Of course, I just had to see the European Central Bank, one of the most powerful institutions in the EU. Impressive building. I hope I will never have to visit it. Looks like Kafka's Castle.
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| ECB |
I had vague recollection that Darmstadt would be an important city. And so it turns out to be. According to
Wikipedia:
Darmstadt holds the official title "City of Science" (German: Wissenschaftsstadt) as it is a major centre of scientific institutions, universities, and high-technology companies. The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) are located in Darmstadt, as well as GSI Centre for Heavy Ion Research, where several chemical elements such as bohrium (1981), meitnerium (1982), hassium (1984), darmstadtium (1994), roentgenium (1994), and copernicium (1996) were discovered.[7] The existence of the following elements were also confirmed at GSI Centre for Heavy Ion Research: nihonium (2012), flerovium (2009), moscovium (2012), livermorium (2010), and tennessine (2012).[8] The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) is an international accelerator facility under construction. Darmstadt is also the seat of the world's oldest pharmaceutical company, Merck, which is the city's largest employer.
So many institutions I would like to visit. And quite a few I would like to work for. Maybe some day?
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| Darmstadt |
But today is Sunday, all institutions are closed. So, I checked in the Bockshaut hotel.
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| Hotel |
The hotel has a restautant. For dinner I had fried cheese.
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| Menu |
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| Outdoor seating |
Today's and yesterday's
virtual ride.
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| Stages 8 & 9 |
And the
real rides in Helsinki
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| Today in Helsinki |
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| Yesterday in Helsinki |
total virtual distance: 598km
total real distance (ridden in Finland): 604km
riding time: 28.5h
accomondation costs: 530 euros
food costs: 225 euros
beer costs: 120 euros
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