Had done about 50 of the 115km planned for the day, heading to Munster when Liz fell off her bike crossing a low Kerb.
Disaster! She is now in a fine country hospital in rural Germany in the town of Oelde, recovering from breaking her arm in 3 places. She also has a very strained set of muscles in her leg which makes walking painful. The accident was on Saturday about 11.30am about 5 minutes from the hospital. The efficient ambulance service took only a few minutes to arrive.
I travelled with Liz to the hospital while our friends took our bikes by train to Munster. I have packed up Liz's bike and cycling gear and left it with mine in our truck, where it now wends its way on with our friends towards Barcelona.
I am ensconced in a small hotel over the road from the hospital and spending time with Liz while she recovers. She needs an operation on Tuesday on her elbow, so it will take a while to recover and get her mobile.
The plan is for me to try and rejoin the tour later, and for Liz to recuperate either with her Dutch relations or Amy in London. However all that is a maybe, since she needs to be able to walk for me to get her by train to Amsterdam, which is 400km and 4 train changes away. Changes of platform and lots of subway steps etc require her to be mobile.
I'm also trying to sort out a not inconsiderable insurance claim. I guess this is where you find out whether the travel policy one has secured actually works........
So the appropriate adjective is I think "bugger" to describe our response to the situation. The planned family reunion in Holland with Liz's Dutch relations, planned for this Thursday is probably going to be cancelled, since it looks like Liz will be in hospital for quite a few days. In fact it looks like I will see little of either her relations, most of whom I have not met, nor the countryside, since our tour will be on to Belgium by the time we Re ready to move.
Oelde is a town of 35000 with a good hospital. At this stage I have no idea when we will return home.
will keep everyone posted. I hope to get a sim card for the iPad tomorrow so Liz can use it from her hospital bed where there is no free wifi.
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John & Liz Pfahlert
P O Box 9740
Marion Square
Wellington 6141
2 comments:
Hope the Surgery goes well and everything works out too.
Hi guys
Hope you get this - keeping Liz in our thoughts and prayers. What a pain but at least you were close to help and not in the middle of nowhere like last time!
We will try to skype this weekend - Sat nite at the Mctagues about 9.30 our time.
Love
Anne & Steve
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