When I lived in London, I spent a great deal of time within the built environment and I often found myself in the shade. One of the aspects of my new life in Göttingen is that the sky is open to me and the countryside is accessible being just a few minutes from my front door.

Because of the lack of sunshine during the Winter we may not get enough Vitamin D which is important for maintaining the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. A lack of Vitamin D isn´t good for muscles, teeth, and bones. You can take supplements or eat products with lots of fish oil for instance, but I choose exposure through pedalling.

We have just had a wet spell (good for nature) and with the sun now shining strongly we went Goosegog Kuchen and Vitamin D hunting in the Leine Valley.

Come the summer and if we have a repeat of 2019, I will be escaping the extremely high temperatures by cycling in the forests. Although being English (& a wee bit Welsh) – I like mad dogs – will always venture out into the mid-day sun.

We rode the many gravel roads along the Leine Valley including sections of the Gutingi Strade Bianche. I was also able to scout an extra section of Strade Bianche which will push out the 66km version to a longer length and include a café stop.

50km.

(Sunshine)

The Ride
Garmin Connect: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/5138647515
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/3664533712