Day 11
Sleeping location: "Camping Lorleyblick" about 40km south of Koblenz
Distance (km today/total): 158 / 1227
Estimated climb (m today/toal): 400 / 8300
Maximum uninterrupted stretch of perfect Rhine cycleway: 1km
Day in three words: Germany, it's complicated
Yet another big day in the push for Mannheim (possible WW2 novel?), which we have chosen to make harder by going a longer but nicer route. Still, we are going well and chewing up the miles without too much trouble.
Started the day by accidentally wild camping, since there was nobody around at last night's campsite either the night before or the morning after, so we couldn't pay. There was a lock on the toilet block anyway, so all we actually did was squish their grass a bit for about 9 hours.
On to Koln for a breakfast kolsch, then met Toni's friend Michael in Bonn for a coffee and a cake. About this stage the Rhine cycle path started to show its face. It was absolutely fantastic... sometimes. The rest of the time it was a poor surface, or a wiggly route through an industrial estate, or full of walkers, or alongside a busy road. We seem to be more into the "Rhiney" bit of the Rhine now, so maybe things will improve. There has certainly been an increase in the number of ornate castles up on hills.
At this point I am for the first time as far south as when I set off from Lands End. Given that Cape Town is directly south from the UK, I have basically spent 11 days and over 1200km going the wrong way.
Distance (km today/total): 158 / 1227
Estimated climb (m today/toal): 400 / 8300
Maximum uninterrupted stretch of perfect Rhine cycleway: 1km
Day in three words: Germany, it's complicated
Yet another big day in the push for Mannheim (possible WW2 novel?), which we have chosen to make harder by going a longer but nicer route. Still, we are going well and chewing up the miles without too much trouble.
Started the day by accidentally wild camping, since there was nobody around at last night's campsite either the night before or the morning after, so we couldn't pay. There was a lock on the toilet block anyway, so all we actually did was squish their grass a bit for about 9 hours.
On to Koln for a breakfast kolsch, then met Toni's friend Michael in Bonn for a coffee and a cake. About this stage the Rhine cycle path started to show its face. It was absolutely fantastic... sometimes. The rest of the time it was a poor surface, or a wiggly route through an industrial estate, or full of walkers, or alongside a busy road. We seem to be more into the "Rhiney" bit of the Rhine now, so maybe things will improve. There has certainly been an increase in the number of ornate castles up on hills.
At this point I am for the first time as far south as when I set off from Lands End. Given that Cape Town is directly south from the UK, I have basically spent 11 days and over 1200km going the wrong way.
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