A low-key day with just 35 miles of riding. After today, we’ll be picking up our daily mileage to ensure we can finish.
Another day of dedicated bike and foot paths. Deeelightful!
Dresden was a great stop for the night. We both agreed it’s a city worth coming back to someday. There’s a transportation museum here that we’d love to see, but our short stay didn’t allow the time.
Speaking of yesterday, I forgot to mention the most remarkable outdoor store we stumbled into: Globetrotter. It makes REI look like a corner shop! Four floors of gear—including a bike track and even a pool where you can test a kayak before buying. Incredible.
Leaving Dresden this morning, our path passed an unusual landmark: a cigarette factory built in the early 1900s in a “Moorish Revival” style. Today it houses offices and a restaurant, but its ornate façade still makes you stop and stare.
We rolled into the beautiful town of Meissen for a simple lunch.
People have lived here since the early 900s, and the old town square has a great vibe.
On a whim, we decided to dive deeper into what Meissen is famous for—its porcelain.
A tour of the Meissen Porcelain Factory revealed that this was the very first place in Europe where porcelain was made. The founder brought the knowledge back from China in the early 1700s and started producing hard-paste porcelain here.
Germany considers the process so culturally significant that the factory is still state-owned and operated today to protect this heritage.
We loved the tour and politely declined the offer of a stunning €390,000 vase.
With our curiosity satisfied, we pedaled on towards Riesa for the night.
Riesa is a bit more industrial than some of our recent stops. The area is historically tied to pasta, steel, and even wooden matches. Feels like a very random mix of industries!
Our apartment here is fabulous—modern and spacious. We almost wish we had another night just to enjoy it.
So far Bob and I have logged 345 miles, with about 420 still ahead. The first few days were tough as our bodies adjusted to hours in the saddle, but now it feels almost second nature.
Tomorrow brings a bittersweet moment: we’ll be saying goodbye to Elise. She’s catching a train upriver to do some solo exploring before heading back home to LA. It’s been such a joy sharing this part of the trail with her these past several days.
I love following your trip! I do feel a little stalkerish. I'm loving all the pictures of Germany; especially the churches and old city centers. I have a Meissen coffee set; their work is so delicate and beautiful. Save travels tomorrow! Give each other hugs for me. Love ya.
Great pictures. Glad you all are having such a good time. Love and safe travels to you all. DOM
I love following your trip! I do feel a little stalkerish. I'm loving all the pictures of Germany; especially the churches and old city centers. I have a Meissen coffee set; their work is so delicate and beautiful. Save travels tomorrow! Give each other hugs for me. Love ya.