Cristiano da Rocha - Fotos - Forrest Gump Expedition

Forrest Gump Expedition (FGE)

October, 7th to 9th, 2005 I did a small bike trip through Germany. Something I wanted to do already for a while, but had no opportunity during the summer, so I had to take this possible last weekend with sun and a pleasant temperature this year.

Germany map with the route in red and the stopping points in green. Göttingen, Freden, Garbsen and Verden, the point of return.

The trip started with the preparation on thursday night (06/10/05) when I saw that the weekend would be good and that would be the last chance for this trip. Put all I needed together (clothes, tools and food), everything into the bags, useful maps chosen and cleaned and lubricated the bike to the journey!!

Everything set ... where to go??? That was to point of the trip, go nowhere and at the same time anywhere!!! It would be get the map, look and "I wanna go HERE!!" and go, then, "now I wanna go HERE!!" and so on, until you get tired!!

That's the reason of the name "Forrest Gump Expedition". Is like on the movie, when he gets the sneakers and feels like running, simply running ... just like that :-)

I felt on friday (07/10/05) with one direction, north! Wanna get to Einbeck!! Got this direction, a bit late (11:30), because of the fog this day. I followed the "Leine route", the river that pass through Göttingen and has a very beautiful route to the north. Got there around 15:00, after passing through several towns and eating at a lake on the way.

Got to Einbeck and the question was ... and now what?? Well ... map ... Alfeld! Let's go!! I ended staying on the way, like 12 km away because the sun was getting low and it was getting cold. Stopped in Freden. Searched for a hotel ... that was the difficult part of the trip ... not every town has a hotel or a restaurant ... not every town is a TOWN! This one had two hotels, one full (I haven't seen anyone) and one that had a room for me ... "I'm saved" after 78 km in about 5 hours of cycling.

Saturday (08/10/05), left about 9:50, heading to Alfeld, got there in half an hour, after that, where to go? Well, since I'm here, Hannover! But I wanted to go further not to sleep in the big town ... beside Hannover, there was Garbsen. So there it is, and I could keep on the Leine route.

Got to Hannover, crossed through a part that goes around the city and went to Garbsen, got there and the same story, finding a hotel. After a couple of frustrated trials at a hotel that "would not open that day" and another that was full, found one to stay, great! By that time it was 103 km in 7 hours of cycling.

Sunday (09/10/05), left earlier, about 9:15. Where to go? Since I'm here, wanna get to Bremen! Let's go there, more road and less tourism, specially because the day was ugly, and I would have to move not to get cold. Heading north. It was 5 hours until Verden, 93 km, but that day, the third one, I was really tired and there was still some way until Bremen, so that I decided to come back to Göttingen. Got the train back and got home at the evening very happy with my trip!!

Total ... 3 days, 275 km cycled in 17 effective hours. Good for the first expedition.

Equipment:

- Frame Caloi Elite 27V

- Group Shimano Acera/Alivio/STX-RC

- Rims Gipiemme

- Tires Cheng-Shin

- Pedals Wellgo WAN-M919

- Bags Bycicles/Profex

- Helmet GTS

- Shirt Bikers SJC - Dona Coisinha

- Pants Fox

- Shoes Scott Comp

- Gloves Proshock

Now pictures! :-)

Beginning of the preparation, putting all over the bed (shirts, tissues, tools, gloves ...)

Bike ready to go! Bags on the back with the stuff and front bag with maps over and food inside!

Bike outside, the trip starts!

Getting out of Göttingen, heading to Bovenden, a pretty sight, the end of the town.

A corner for the physicists friends! Meeting of Born and Schwarzchild (both lived in Göttingen for some long while).

Fields, following the river!!

First new town in the route (the previous ones I had already been before), Elvese!

Second town, Hillerse.

First bigger town on the way, Northeim.

Church at the entrance of Northeim.

Main square.

Street with stores. A typical structure.

Square at Northeim downtown.

Back to the river, the fields and the road!

The lake, Northeimer Seenplatte.

Stop for "lunch"! Bike fully loaded! :-)

One more sight of the lake before leaving!

The other side of the lake!

More towns in the way! Hollenstedt.

A sight of the field. A black spot can be noticed close to the energy post ...

That was the spot. Birds! Very beautiful the joint movement!

Stöckheim.

Drüber ... already Einbeck county.

Sülbeck ... almost there!

Finally Einbeck ... First stop!

River at the entrance of Einbeck.

Streets of Einbeck! Very pretty town.

Next town, now heading Alfeld. Kreiensen.

The way to Freden! Sinuous road, mountains and dusk!

Freden!! First night of the trip!

Streets of Freden.

Hotel at Freden! Hotel Steinhoff.

Leaving on saturday. Yes! I was on the trip hehehehe

Fields on the way to Alfeld.

Röllinghsn seen from far away.

Alfeld!

River at the entrance of the town.

Street with stores at the old town of Alfeld.

Church downtown.

Town hall.

Channel in the middle of the town, at the pretty street!

Old tower downtown.

And the way continues ... does it??

Road, getting to Nordstemmen I found a castle I have seen once going by train to Hannover ... on the map ... Marienburg! The impressive is that is a flat region, there's only one mountain with the castle over it, feels like they build it with the mountain.