Rad Radtour 2019
Last year, when I was just getting to know my girlfriend Ela long-distance having met in
Cologne in the summer, she went on a beautiful bicycle journey with her stepdad’s family,
the Wassers, and I enviously looked on. Turns out they do a tour every year, rotating the
planning to different family members each time, and the destination is a surprise to all but
the organizers. Once we officially began dating, I hoped that I would have the opportunity
to join in the future, and indeed, I did!
Cologne in the summer, she went on a beautiful bicycle journey with her stepdad’s family,
the Wassers, and I enviously looked on. Turns out they do a tour every year, rotating the
planning to different family members each time, and the destination is a surprise to all but
the organizers. Once we officially began dating, I hoped that I would have the opportunity
to join in the future, and indeed, I did!
The Radtour was as glorious as I had dreamed of, everyone welcoming towards me and the
cycling delightful! My “new” bicycle is an 80’s silver Hercules which we got out of the basement,
one of Ela’s ex-girlfriends brother’s cycle corpses collected there in years past. We tuned “Herc”
up for the mission with a bath, lubed chain, new tires, and a new saddle and she performed
beautifully. I got to put my rusty-but-recovering bicycling skills to the test! I do love to ride and
this was my first-ever real multi-day tour, as I learned growing up on the Big Island, did a little
mountain biking with my Dad there, and then occasionally used a bicycle to get around Portland,
Oregon when I lived there. The last near-decade I have motorcycled frequently, but actually
bicycled seldom, enjoying rentals in Montpellier, Toulouse, Paris, and Salzburg when visiting
and that’s about it.
cycling delightful! My “new” bicycle is an 80’s silver Hercules which we got out of the basement,
one of Ela’s ex-girlfriends brother’s cycle corpses collected there in years past. We tuned “Herc”
up for the mission with a bath, lubed chain, new tires, and a new saddle and she performed
beautifully. I got to put my rusty-but-recovering bicycling skills to the test! I do love to ride and
this was my first-ever real multi-day tour, as I learned growing up on the Big Island, did a little
mountain biking with my Dad there, and then occasionally used a bicycle to get around Portland,
Oregon when I lived there. The last near-decade I have motorcycled frequently, but actually
bicycled seldom, enjoying rentals in Montpellier, Toulouse, Paris, and Salzburg when visiting
and that’s about it.
It was such a blast rolling over 30 bikes deep, ringing our bells and shouting in the tunnels to
hear the echo, trying to let other cyclists and pedestrians pass with “gehen fahrkehr!” or if they
approached from the rear, “auf hintern!” It was a joy watching the kids (of which there were
about 10!) enjoy riding on the back of bicycles, in trailers, and also on their own two wheels.
The scenery ranged from farmland and forest to little rivers, a lake, and pretty rolling hills. As
we cruised the countryside, I saw horses, ponies, sheep, dogs, chickens, ducks, geese, hawks,
swans as well as hawks. The grade was never too steep as we were following a former railroad-
cum-bicycle path, and there were lots of vistas, benches, and informational signs, it was all very
well kept-up.
hear the echo, trying to let other cyclists and pedestrians pass with “gehen fahrkehr!” or if they
approached from the rear, “auf hintern!” It was a joy watching the kids (of which there were
about 10!) enjoy riding on the back of bicycles, in trailers, and also on their own two wheels.
The scenery ranged from farmland and forest to little rivers, a lake, and pretty rolling hills. As
we cruised the countryside, I saw horses, ponies, sheep, dogs, chickens, ducks, geese, hawks,
swans as well as hawks. The grade was never too steep as we were following a former railroad-
cum-bicycle path, and there were lots of vistas, benches, and informational signs, it was all very
well kept-up.
The Wassers Radtour is so well-organized, with a meeting point in town (Deutz train station),
where a large group of people and some bikes gathered, and then a second meeting point an
hour and 20 minutes away where a van met us with more bikes, plus a folding table full of
snacks: brotchen, cheeses, meatballs, meat sticks, condiments, grapes...good lunch/snack
before our departure. There was always a bicycle in the lead and one bringing up the rear, and
all the kids wore helmets, though interestingly none of the teens or adults did. Then off we went
around 2pm, into the pastoral landscape, with clouds threatening, but no raindrops until we
made it into the town where we took a break for ice cream.
where a large group of people and some bikes gathered, and then a second meeting point an
hour and 20 minutes away where a van met us with more bikes, plus a folding table full of
snacks: brotchen, cheeses, meatballs, meat sticks, condiments, grapes...good lunch/snack
before our departure. There was always a bicycle in the lead and one bringing up the rear, and
all the kids wore helmets, though interestingly none of the teens or adults did. Then off we went
around 2pm, into the pastoral landscape, with clouds threatening, but no raindrops until we
made it into the town where we took a break for ice cream.
My first spaghetti eis! It poured down outside, but was done by the time we all enjoyed a treat
and some coffee. Onward several more miles to Lennep, where we would spend the night.
What a charming town of slate-shingled buildings! Very scenic, nice hotel that had arranged a
room for us to store all of the bikes and rooms for everyone. The room we were assigned had
two twin beds though, and we tried pushing them together but there was a huge gap so Ela
went to check if they had a room where we could share a larger bed. They did! On the top floor
with a skylight window.
and some coffee. Onward several more miles to Lennep, where we would spend the night.
What a charming town of slate-shingled buildings! Very scenic, nice hotel that had arranged a
room for us to store all of the bikes and rooms for everyone. The room we were assigned had
two twin beds though, and we tried pushing them together but there was a huge gap so Ela
went to check if they had a room where we could share a larger bed. They did! On the top floor
with a skylight window.
After checking into our room and relaxing for about an hour (Isa got a hot shower, Ela and I had
a short nap), we got dressed and headed to dinner, just a few blocks’ walk across the charming
town from Hotel Berliner Hof to Restaurant Koln Hof :) They got us started with drinks, then took
quite a while to get the food out, but it was absolutely scrumptious. We started out with a hot
brie with toast and jam, then I had a schnitzel with killer mushroom (champingnons) sauce.
Juicy and delicious. There were announcements and thank you’s about the tour this year and
plans for the coming years, and much merriment.
a short nap), we got dressed and headed to dinner, just a few blocks’ walk across the charming
town from Hotel Berliner Hof to Restaurant Koln Hof :) They got us started with drinks, then took
quite a while to get the food out, but it was absolutely scrumptious. We started out with a hot
brie with toast and jam, then I had a schnitzel with killer mushroom (champingnons) sauce.
Juicy and delicious. There were announcements and thank you’s about the tour this year and
plans for the coming years, and much merriment.
So many children! They’re cute, and entertaining (a house of not cards, but beer coasters!) but
for me after a full day, it really it was a relief when they went off to bed and just adults were left.
We played a tipsy game of “boomsk” with multiples and containing seven, which was tough
given our lack of sobriety, my poor math and German skills :) Then when we departed at last,
Isa, Ela, Bruno, and one male cousin were the last walking up the street, and we went to “just l
ook” at a local bar. Great music, funny people watching of a couple groups of small-town locals,
and threeish more beers. Oy! Bruno is such a fun guy though, and I love being included in these
special moments. At this point I thought I was just having an allergy attack all day, but now I
know I was coming down with a cold or sinus infection of some kind. Still, I felt ok, just miserable
from all the sneezing, but with decent energy. Once we returned to the room, prepared for bed
and watched a little of a Hitchcock film or some such to sober up before a lovely night’s rest.
for me after a full day, it really it was a relief when they went off to bed and just adults were left.
We played a tipsy game of “boomsk” with multiples and containing seven, which was tough
given our lack of sobriety, my poor math and German skills :) Then when we departed at last,
Isa, Ela, Bruno, and one male cousin were the last walking up the street, and we went to “just l
ook” at a local bar. Great music, funny people watching of a couple groups of small-town locals,
and threeish more beers. Oy! Bruno is such a fun guy though, and I love being included in these
special moments. At this point I thought I was just having an allergy attack all day, but now I
know I was coming down with a cold or sinus infection of some kind. Still, I felt ok, just miserable
from all the sneezing, but with decent energy. Once we returned to the room, prepared for bed
and watched a little of a Hitchcock film or some such to sober up before a lovely night’s rest.
Slept great and felt ok but still sneezy on Sunday. Had a lovely continental breakfast downstairs
with everybody, then we all packed up and set off, doubling back along the rail trail for a ways,
past a “waffel pause” house, then to a site called NaturGut for lunch break and coffee (and some
of us enjoyed a touch of whiskey as well). More delicious rolls, meats, cheeses, veg and fruits,
some amazing Zitrone (lemon) loaf, all surrounded by art, a quaint brick building, children having
a birthday party, climbing grapes, and roses.
with everybody, then we all packed up and set off, doubling back along the rail trail for a ways,
past a “waffel pause” house, then to a site called NaturGut for lunch break and coffee (and some
of us enjoyed a touch of whiskey as well). More delicious rolls, meats, cheeses, veg and fruits,
some amazing Zitrone (lemon) loaf, all surrounded by art, a quaint brick building, children having
a birthday party, climbing grapes, and roses.
Off again through the countryside, then neighborhoods of a town (or suburbs? I don’t really
know where we were!) and then a huge park with camping sites and big trees past the stadium,
where, momentarily, I was lost! I had stopped to take a picture of a carved wooden squirrel (or
beaver?) bench at a road crossing, then continued in the direction the bikes had headed, though
there were path intersections along the way, I hadn’t been the last cyclist, but for a lovely
moment I was completely alone. I stopped to take a picture of the forest, then raced ahead to
catch up.
know where we were!) and then a huge park with camping sites and big trees past the stadium,
where, momentarily, I was lost! I had stopped to take a picture of a carved wooden squirrel (or
beaver?) bench at a road crossing, then continued in the direction the bikes had headed, though
there were path intersections along the way, I hadn’t been the last cyclist, but for a lovely
moment I was completely alone. I stopped to take a picture of the forest, then raced ahead to
catch up.
No one there! I should have caught them, so turned back, and found Isa, their Swiss cousin-in-
law, and the follow guy there. Whew! What would I have done if I found nobody? I had a phone,
but where to say I was or how for us to reunite? I’m sure it would have been ok, but I was
nonetheless extremely relieved to be reunited with part of the group and to be adeptly guided
(by phone map) back to the larger group eventually. Many twists and turns and a crossing group
of children on 4-wheeled cycles later, we found them. By now we were tired, many things hurt
(my butt- thank god I got that new saddle though!, my hands, shoulders…), and starting to get
hungry again.
law, and the follow guy there. Whew! What would I have done if I found nobody? I had a phone,
but where to say I was or how for us to reunite? I’m sure it would have been ok, but I was
nonetheless extremely relieved to be reunited with part of the group and to be adeptly guided
(by phone map) back to the larger group eventually. Many twists and turns and a crossing group
of children on 4-wheeled cycles later, we found them. By now we were tired, many things hurt
(my butt- thank god I got that new saddle though!, my hands, shoulders…), and starting to get
hungry again.
After the home stretch of riding, where you could tell everyone was growing weary, we stopped
once more in town at a restaurant for dinner and one more Kolsch. A few more family members
joined at that time, including Bruno’s ex-wife/mother of his daughters and a couple of his
grandkids!) before we said our goodbyes and headed home by train, exhausted. Such a fun
adventure! So interesting, different people’s responses to me, from super friendly and welcoming
(now I want to visit Basel! Some asked about my teaching and seemed genuinely curious about
my life), to skeptical “well, good luck for as long as you choose to stay.” Over all I really like the
Wassers and admire their initiative in getting together for an annual Radtour, working out all the
details, and having this time together in the summer (well summer-ish) as well as a Christmas
gathering. Though of course I love them dearly, and it's tough since we're all spread out, my
family is not that organized! And though most of them are in Cologne, some did come from
Spain and Switzerland, and one cousin-in-law who lives here is Irish, so they are a somewhat
diverse group and some do have to travel to join in the merriment. Such a healthy activity for all
generations to participate in, and I was honored to take part in it.
once more in town at a restaurant for dinner and one more Kolsch. A few more family members
joined at that time, including Bruno’s ex-wife/mother of his daughters and a couple of his
grandkids!) before we said our goodbyes and headed home by train, exhausted. Such a fun
adventure! So interesting, different people’s responses to me, from super friendly and welcoming
(now I want to visit Basel! Some asked about my teaching and seemed genuinely curious about
my life), to skeptical “well, good luck for as long as you choose to stay.” Over all I really like the
Wassers and admire their initiative in getting together for an annual Radtour, working out all the
details, and having this time together in the summer (well summer-ish) as well as a Christmas
gathering. Though of course I love them dearly, and it's tough since we're all spread out, my
family is not that organized! And though most of them are in Cologne, some did come from
Spain and Switzerland, and one cousin-in-law who lives here is Irish, so they are a somewhat
diverse group and some do have to travel to join in the merriment. Such a healthy activity for all
generations to participate in, and I was honored to take part in it.
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