Thursday, July 25, 2002,
This weekend, GoldWing Club Danmark has their annual treffen
(rally) and since I have never been in Danmark before, it's a good reason to go to that treffen.
I planned my route to Danmark and packet all I need for the weekend on the GoldWing and my tank
is full. My alarmclock rings at a quarter past six in the morning. After a quick shower and a
cup of coffee, I start my trip at seven o'clock. Danmark, here I come!
I drive from Bergen op Zoom to Roosendaal and from Roosendaal to Breda. Thanks to the holiday
season, there is no sign of the usual traffic jam at Breda and without any delay, I take get on
the A59 to Raamsdonkveer. On the A27/E311 I drive to Utrecht and from Utrecht I go in the
direction of Amersfoort on the A28/E30. I'm ahead of my schedule so I don't stop at the McDrive
in Soesterberg, as I planned, but drive on in the direction of the German border. Near Apeldoorn
I stop for gas and with a full tank I drive in the direction of Osnabrück in Germany..
Just past Osnabrück I stop again at a gasstation to fill my tank again and to go to the
toilet. It is more a truckstop then a regular gasstation with a very big parking and a garage
for maintenance and repairs on trucks.
It was funny that when I got the key of the toilet, there was a big oil-bottle attached to it,
to avoid that people just put the key in their pocket and forget it. That worked fine so I
returned the key  .
Pitstop near Osnabrück
From Osnabrück I drive on the autobahn A1/E37 to Bremen.
It is half past eleven when I decide it's time for brunch. I think I'm almost halfway now so
I stop at the next restaurant, Rasthaus Wildeshausen, for a coffee and a sandwich.
In the restaurant I have a table at the window so I can keep an eye on my bike.
The Wing at the parking.
Rasthaus Wildeshausen
After a good bruch I see a few busloads of elderly tourist coming in the restaurant
so I think it's time to get on the road again. I drive past Bremen and get on the
A1/E22 to Hamburg. Halfway Hamburg, I fill my tank again at a gasstation at Sittensen.
In Hamburg I go through the tunnel that goes under the river Elbe. From the autobahn,
I see a very high bridge too, I guess that's also crossing the river but I'm not sure.
From Hamburg I go North, following the A7 in the direction of Danmark.
In Quickborn the temptation of the big golden M on the side of the road is to strong
and I park the Wing at the parking of the McDonalds restaurant for a cheeseburger
and a milkshake. As people who know me can tell you, I'm a big fan of McDonalds
and Burger King fastfood.
I follow the A7/E45 to Flensburg, past Kiel and after a while, I pass the Danish border.
A few kilometers intop Danmark, it is half past three now, I have to stop for gas
again at the Q8 station at Padborg. Shortly after filling the tank I stop again at at
parking along the E45 to drink a soda and stretch my legs a bit after the hours
in the saddle.
Reststop along the E45 just past Padborg in Danmark
Following the E45 I come at the E20 to Odense and Kopenhagen. The GoldWing Treffen
is at Vissenbjerg, close to Odense so I'm almost there.
From the Danish mainland to the isle Fyn, the Danish build a beautifull suspension
bridge, high above the water. The weather is good so I have a marvelous view. Over
the bridge I enter the isle Fyn and after a few kilometers I get at Exit 54,
Vissenbjerg.
I drive past the exit because I first want to fill my tank at the Shell station, a
few kilometrs down the road. At the Shell station I buy a detailed map of Danmark and
some chocolat. It's almost five o'clock PM now.
At a few minutes past five, I arrive at the treffen site in Vissenbjerg, 869 kilometer
from home. The treffensite is at the Vissenbjerghallerne (a sportsaccomodation) at the
Idraetsvej 3 in Vissenbjerg.
The weather is nice now. I have had a few showers on my way to Danmark, mainly in
Germany but its dry and sunny now so I don't have to put up my tent in the rain.
I pay the entrance fee for the treffen, 220 kronen because I did not have a
(GoldWing European Federation) membership card with me (later I found out it was in
an envelope I got with some other papers but I did not notice it at that time
 .
At the entrance I also buy a nice rally T-shirt and then I start looking for a place
for my tent. I drive around the treffen area when I hear someone calling my name. I
look around an see some members of the Dutch GoldWing Club, Sieneke, Andre, Helene
and some others. They ask me if I would like a coffee. Well, after 869 kilometer,
I can use a cup of coffee, specialy because it comes with some cake for Andre's birthday.
At the campsite
There is some camping space left next to the tents of the GWCH members so I put my
small tent there. It's a nice setup. The treffen area is normaly an atletics fields
with a running track. Now with the treffen they organised it very nice with the
tents on the outside of the track and the bikes on the inside.
A trike with a small caravan.....cool!
Within twenty minutes, my tent is ready with my sleeping bag and other belongings
inside so it's time for a few sandwiches and a soda. Then, with some other club
members, I walk around the treffen area, have a few beers, chat with other Wingers
and have a good time until it's getting dark and we go to sleep.
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