Day 58 Cologne to Erkelenz

Day 58. Cologne to Erkelenz. 73.72 kms cycled. 4.50 hours cycling. 34.85 km/h max speed. 15.23 km/h average speed. Weather – mid 20s perfect for cycling.

The good weather is back, I’m back on the road, feeling relaxed and fit … it’s amazing how much more enjoyable cycle touring is when the weather is fine.

  After leaving the Rhine at Cologne, the day’s cycling was via a series of small back roads, laneways and even narrow tracks heading towards Roermond in The Netherlands.

  While the initial estimate that it was a 60 to 70km trip was off the mark, it was such a nice day to be out cycling that it didn’t really matter.

  In the end I booked into a small hotel in Erkelenz, with Roermond another 30 to 40 kms cycling tomorrow.

  Erkelenz is a lovely little town, but like just about everywhere else I have been to in Germany it is impossible to get internet connection. Hopefully it is a different story in The Netherlands.

  Riding along a narrow cobblestone pathway between farms today, I started to think about all the different sorts of roads/tracks I have cycled on since leaving southern Portugal.

  You name it from major freeways to muddy tracks with everything else in between. Overall Portugal had the best roads (although just about every village had the dreaded cobblestones), with Germany’s Rhine track the worst by a long way.

  This was another reason I decided to leave the Rhine track and head for The Netherlands. You can take just so much bouncing along muddy, rocky and badly paved and signposted tracks. I did about 400kms and that was enough!!

  Today’s riding was through endless potato and wheat farms, so there wasn’t really anything of any interest to photograph. Hopefully that will change once I get to the Maas River over the border.

Day 57 Sightseeing in Cologne (Koln)

Day 57 Sightseeing in Cologne (Koln). Cycled 19.5kms

In my travels overseas over the past few years I have seen some huge and incredibly imposing cathedrals. But I think I saw the most impressive of the lot in Cologne (Koln to the Germans) today.
There is only one word to describe it and that is huge. In fact it is so big that try as I did there was no way to photograph the entire building in one photo from any easily accessed vantage point around the city.
Inside and out the cathedral is massive and like most of the well known cathedrals allows visitors to climb to the top – all 533 stairs – to get a birds-eye view of the city.
Fortunately my fitness is right up there at the moment, so I had no troubles with the climb, but I certainly couldn’t say the same for many of the other tourists. One elderly lady bit off more than she could handle and had collapsed half way up and others were doing it very tough.
But once up to the top the effort became well worth it, with views in both directions along the Rhine and over the city.
Except for the cathedral and a couple of other small historical areas, Cologne is very a modern 21st century city with just about every upmarket shop label in existence.
And I even found an internet café that had a plug in cable so I could use my laptop to use skype and update the blog. It only took a week of looking, but I finally made it!

After chatting to a German couple in the campground I am staying in, I have decided to leave the Rhine and head for The Netherlands which is just 60 to 70 kms away from here due east.
From what I am told the Rhine from here on is very industrial again and there is not a lot to see of any interest.
The German couple have been very accommodating and have mapped out a cycle-friendly route for me that takes me to Roermond just over the border from Germany in The Netherlands.
From there I will follow the river Maas to Nijmegen and basically from there you know as well as me where to next (I will work that out when the time comes).
Initially I had been toying with the idea of going south to Belgium, but it means too much doubling up which doesn’t make a lot of sense.
So anyway, it’s off to The Netherlands tomorrow and my fifth country.

captions: Pic 1, 2 &3 The huge Cologne cathedral and it's great views down the Rhine. Pic 4: One of many pedestrian shopping malls throughout the city.

Day 56 Oberwinter to Rodenkirchen

Day 56. Oberwinter to Rodenkirchen. 46.57 kms cycled. 2.55 hours cycling. 31.2 km/h max speed. 15.88 km/h average speed. Weather – cold, wet at times and freezing.

56 days after setting out from Faro in Portugal with 2000 euros spending money, I finally had to top up my finances today.

  Not including dental expenses and two nights hotel accommodation that I put on my credit card, I work that out at 35 euros per day – not bad at all for nearly two months travel through Europe including all food, sightseeing and transport costs.

  Without doubt cycling is the best and cheapest form of travel if you camp and watch your expenses along the way. And believe me I haven’t held back in the food department. While I certainly haven’t eaten out every night, I have eaten much, much more than I normally would at home. In fact there have been times when even I couldn’t believe my appetite after another hard day’s cycling.

  And I have still managed to lose weight… sounds like the perfect formula for a food addict!! Cycle all day, eat as much as you want and stay slim and toned.

  Portugal was by far the cheapest country, followed by Spain and France, with Germany extremely expensive for just about everything.

  The Germans have made it into an art form to find new and innovative ways to charge extra. At camp grounds you pay the exorbitant camping fees (up to 18 euro for a tent site for one night) then have to pay to have a shower and one even charged extra to use the toilet.

  There is no such thing as free internet access as there was in the other countries. Wireless connections are non-existent and everywhere – including McDonalds – there is a charge for internet connection. As an example I just used the computer at the campground here at Rodenkirchen and was charged 5 euros for 12 minutes access.

  Food is also extremely expensive as are entrance fees to attractions such as castles etc. The end result has been that my money has disappeared much quicker here than anywhere else.

  But I guess I can’t complain too much, 35 euros average is extremely cheap for everything I have done over the past 56 days!!!!!

 

After a late and wet start to the day’s cycling, I managed to make it to just outside Koln where I will take the day off cycling and go sightseeing tomorrow.

  I also had a good look around a deserted Bonn (it is Sunday) along the way, but unfortunately it was extremely cold so it was hard to get into the sightseeing mood.

  Bonn appears to be a lovely town and was where Beethoven was born in 1770. It has many, many pedestrian precincts and as many cafes and pubs you could possibly want in one city.

  But the one thing it doesn’t have is internet access … I thought I would try, but once again failed.

 

  captions: Pics 1&2: The famous bridge at Remagen where the Americans crossed towards the end of the war. Pic 3: Another castle Pic 4: Bonn is` a` lovely city

Day 55 Spay to Oberwinter

Day 55. Spay to Oberwinter. 75.37 kms cycled. 5.05 hours cycling. 25.2 km/h max speed. 14.80 km/h average speed. Weather – overcast and cold with a few showers.

I can’t believe this is summer in Europe, because it is freezing. With a bitterly cold wind seemingly going right through you, it definitely wasn’t a day to be out cycling.
But that was exactly what I did for five hours after deciding to adopt a ‘ take it as it comes’ attitude to the ongoing bad weather.
Actually the weather wasn’t the low point of the day; it was the impossibility of finding internet access in Germany.
In all the other countries I have visited internet connections were relatively easy to find. But not here in Germany. Wireless connections are virtually non-existent – even in internet cafes – tourist information centres are no help and even McDonalds do not provide the internet.
With a few urgent emails to send, I spent 2 very frustrating hours in Koblenz trekking throughout the town with my bicycle trying to find a connection.
I eventually tracked it down, but there were restrictions on sending photographs so I couldn’t upload pics onto the blog which was very annoying.
Koblenz is a beautiful town, but after all the dramas all I wanted to do was get out, so unfortunately I didn’t get to see much from a sightseeing point of view.
And once again because it was so cold and wet, photos were virtually out of the question all day, so in the end it was a bit of a wasted day.
Anyway, I will see what tomorrow brings – hopefully better weather and good riding!!!!!!

captions: A Beautiful castle castle high on the hill across the river ... unfortunatel not good weather conditions for photography. Pic 2: Koblenz

Day 54 Assmannhausen to Spay

Day 54. Assmannhausen to Spay. 44.62 kms cycled. 3.08 hours cycling. 28.37 km/h max speed. 14.15 km/h average speed. Weather – over cast with fierce northerly wind.

It’s quite unbelievable the amount of traffic that goes up and down the Rhine. I have heard that it is one of the busiest rivers in the world and after riding along its shores for a week or so now, I have no reason to doubt the fact.
Tourist boats, oil tankers, coal tankers, soil and sand tankers … the list of boats going up and down the river is almost endless.
Add to that railway lines on both sides of the river that come and go every few minutes and it pretty much full-on all the time.
Last night at Assmannhausen (or at least directly across the river from the town) I thought I had the perfect campsite to escape persistent rain.
Right on the bank of the river (literally) and under a huge tree. After enjoying a few drinks with a couple of Kiwis, I finally hit the sack looking for a good night’s sleep. But that’s just what I didn’t get.
Between the diesel engines of huge tankers going up the river and trains on both sides of the river sounding as though they were coming right through the tent, I basically didn’t get any sleep all night.
The comings and goings were relentless and with the deep Rhine Valley echoing the sound, it was quite unbelievably loud.
So as you can imagine it was pretty hard to get going this morning despite the prospect of better weather and a day full of picture postcard castles.
And unfortunately the day just seemed to go from bad to worse, with a ferocious headwind kicking in mid-morning in combination with a thick mist that` made photography impossible.
As a result I decided to call it quits after just 44 kms, about 17kms short of my target for the day, Koblenz. Fighting into a fierce headwind after a night of next to no sleep isn’t a good combination!!
This part of the Rhine is amazing with castles on both sides of the river all along. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will cooperate so I can get some worthwhile photos!!!!!!!

captions: Pic 1: The castle I toured the previous day Pic 2: The castle above the campground. Pic 3: Beautiful buildings. Pic 4: A particularly good section of the Rhine track

Day 53 Bischofsheim to Assmannhausen

Day 53. Bischofsheim to Assmannhausen. 48.29 kms travelled (32 by car, 16.29 by bike). 1.11 hours cycling. 27.69 km/h max speed. 13.65 km/h average speed. Weather – overcast and wet.

Now, this is the Rhine Valley I came to see. After too many kilometres of a boring, industrial-dominated landscape, finally I am into the picture postcard area the Rhine is so famous for.

  After waking to a miserable wet day, my plans for the day were somewhat thrown into disarray. In the end Joel offered to drive me to Rudesheim about 32 km downstream to avoid a bad traffic area and to hopefully give the weather time to clear up.

  So it wasn’t until about 2pm that I finally started cycling after saying my goodbyes to Joel and Linda, two very lovely and hospitable people that I had enjoyed two memorable days with.

  After deciding in conjunction with Joel that the west bank of the river was the best to cycle along as there were more castles and other attractions to see, I caught the ferry across the river and finally started cycling.

  But it wasn’t long before the drizzling rain turned to a downpour, so I decided to call it quits for the day after just 16 kms of cycling.

  As it turned out it was a good move, because the campground is just about opposite Burg Reichenstein Castle, which I visited after setting up my tent and unloading all my gear into it.

  Despite the continuing pouring rain I leisurely toured the fascinating castle which was built way back in the 1100s and is now privately owned. After enjoying a drink at the end of the tour, I started talking to the son of the family about the history of the castle and the improvements they have made to it over the past 25 years which gave me a great insight into it.

  The views from the castle in both directions along the Rhine are stunning and would be even better on a fine, sunny day.

  Tomorrow, weather permitting, I plan to cycle to St Goar and possibly Koblenz stopping as often as possible at the various castles along the way. Unfortunately the weather forecast for the next few days is bleak, so the weather will probably play a big part in determining my progress.

  There is no doubt about it, I have certainly had my fair share of bad weather along the way. But after a good rest over the past few days I am well and truly refreshed and looking to the final 20 or so days of cycling.

captions: Pic 1: Goodbye to Joel and Linda. Pic 2,3 and 4: Reichenstein Castle

Day 52 Sightseeing in Weisbaden

Day 52. Sightseeing in Weisbaden

What a beautiful town Weisbaden is. Situated on the banks of the Rhine it is a German picture postcard city with stately homes, great views and a very upmarket shopping district.
And I was lucky enough to have a guided tour for the day with Joel driving me there and showing me the sights.
For me the highlight was the railway line up the incredibly steep hill overlooking the town and the fantastic views from the top. The track is probably no longer than 300 metres long, with the train pulled up the hill by the displacement of water.
It was built in 1888 and is incredibly ingenious. There are two carriages – one at either end of the line joined by a cable. A huge tank underneath the carriage at the top of the hill is filled with water, while the tank of the one at the bottom of the hill is emptied.
The extra weight from the water in the carriage at the top going down the hill pulls the other carriage up the hill. Ingenious, but very simple when you see it work.
At the top we enjoyed lunch overlooking the magnificent views over Weisbaden.
After looking around the town and taking a few pictures, it was off to the huge US Army base at Weisbaden for a look around.
It is where Linda works in Army Intelligence, so Joel has access to most areas and was able to give me a guided tour which was fascinating.
There is a complete suburb full of townhouses for the soldiers and their families, with many more currently being built to house soldiers from other camps elsewhere in Germany that are going to be closed down over the next couple of years.
I even went into the Army supply store where the soldiers buy all their clothes and bought two pairs of genuine US Army issue socks for the grand total of $US9.95. I was assured they are the best socks available anywhere, so it will be interesting to start wearing them.
A major feature of Weisbaden is its magnificent stately homes which clearly show the wealth in the town both in the past and today.
It is without doubt the prettiest German town I have seen yet.

captions: Pic 1 &2 The water lift railway. Pic 3: Overlooking Weisbaden Pic 4: The Roman wrestling ring at the top of the railway line Pic 5 & 6: two of the hundreds of stately homes in Weisbaden Pic 7: The largest cuckoo clock in the world  Pic 8: A magnificent building on the edge of the Rhine