DE
Der Waterkoud dem Sonnenschein und die Felder sind voller Bienen, die sich von der lila Phacelia ernähren

ENG
After a week where the Leine Valley felt if it was being suffocated by Waterkoud, a Dutch word for wet hanging cloud, it was therefore a surprise to wake up on Saturday to find a strong sun shining!

My last ride saw me doing lots of trampling on foot as I hunted a bunker, so this time I was keen just to pedal and I followed my whimsy. I did take one dead end under the fast rail line.

After a good number of gravel sectors, I climbed to higher ground via Bödel and then whizzed down the long Dransfeld Ramp, this redundant railway line was designed to allow trains to gain height and is commonly about 2%. It was fun going down!

To get home I included a section of the River Leine path, a bit of urban sprawl at Weende, a section of the city walls and then I rode through the Hainberg Forest.

At this time, the fields can be bordered by and often dominated by Phacelia – not so much Purple Haze, nor Purple Rain or Purple prose and more a purple patch. This plant is a magnet for bees and the area is alive with the sound of buzzing. The other great thing about Phacelia is that it reduces nitrogen and mitigates some of the chemical fertilizers used on the crops.

The Ride
57km – 22 Gravel sectors, plus asphalt farm roads and a few public asphalt roads.

Garmin Connect: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7064008880
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/5569659104