{"id":3440,"date":"2023-07-18T14:46:32","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T14:46:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bendingtherules.co.uk\/home\/?page_id=3440"},"modified":"2023-07-18T14:46:32","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T14:46:32","slug":"europe-may-june-2023","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bendingtherules.co.uk\/home\/europe-may-june-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe May-June 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A revisit to TandemTreffen, this time near Bielefeld in Germany, followed a week later by the International Tandem Rally in Sca\u00ebr, Brittany. Between the two lay about 1,000km \u2013 too far to cycle in a week, so we put the Pino in the car and headed for Dover. We stayed overnight at a Premier Inn just outside Dover for an early start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We used to go by P&O every trip from Dover, but the poor way they treated their staff in 2022 made us decide to look elsewhere for future crossings, so we sat aboard a DFDS ferry and watched the P&O boat leave ahead of us.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not wanting to spend too long in the car, we stopped at Fletcher Hotel De Kempen<\/a>, one we’ve stayed at before as a half-way stopover right on the Dutch\/Belgique border. The next day we continued, timing our arrival at Bad Salzuflen to mid afternoon. The organisers of TandemTreffen 2023 (TT23) had arranged free parking under the hotel \u2013 most of the group would be arriving by car though a few cycled there. Later we all met up on the terrace for a welcome drink and official ‘meet’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Most of the group stayed in the hotel but a few had camper vans in the car park to the rear of the block. The hotel had set aside a large seating area in the restaurant for us to have breakfast and evening meals together. The wonderful staff in the restaurant\/bar area were so friendly and efficient…one never had to wait long for a drink! In true German style we each ran our own tab, writing down what we’d had in the way of drinks to settle up at the end of the stay. Breakfast and evening meals were buffets with a varied choice to suit most requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Outside the hotel on day 1. There were short, medium and long routes, all with nominated ride leaders. Because of our inability to sustain a brisk pace, we elected for the short rides. These were still around 35 miles, which is enough for us.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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