Last few days of our adventure :(

Heading and pictures yet to come Pictures are here and Here

Our last few days in Germany flew by. When we got up after a great nights sleep over looking the Main, we climbed onto our bikes and headed into Frankfurt. Our entry into Koblenz had involved some less than ideal paths and dealing with a little more traffic than we liked. As a result, we were a little nervous about cycling into Frankfurt. We didn't need to be. The ride was beautiful with excellent cycling paths and bright sunshine. There was one spot where the trail sign was missing but we luckily ran into a group who were coming the other direction who could tell us where to go and we, in turn, could tell them where to go.

The route goes south of Frankfurt and on the left bank of the Main.
(It's worth my mentioning that while it WAS the left bank of the Main, going downstream, since we were going upstream, the Main was on our left)
 The cycle into downtown Frankfurt goes right along the river bank and one beautifully kept park after another.

Once down town we cycled to the bahnhof and sought out our hotel. We had booked into a hotel near the Bahnhof. Once we were checked in it was off to explore and get reacquainted with my teenage stomping grounds.

I lived in Frankfurt 1975-1977, my last two years of high school. My father's office was just a few blocks from the Zeil and the old opera house. I can say I was thinking about where we were in relation to his office when suddenly I realized we were on the Ulman Strasse and there was his office. So many memories of visiting him there and going out for lunch with him came flooding back. I don't remember ever planning those visits in advance but I do remember the warm welcomes, walking down the Zeil with him and some great lunches at the Bursen Keller.

It was a short walk from there to the Zeil which was a buzz of activity. Every store and restaurant you can image is there. The promenade was teaming with people. We chose a restaurant with an outdoor patio to have dinner and watch the comings and goings around us. As in every other large centre we visited, the gypsies were evident plying their variety of trades from begging to performing and selling trinkets. There was also a group of Muslim men with a booth set up and making street contact to educate people about their faith.

I find that often when I am in large retail settings with a lot of buying and selling happening I get somewhat repulsed by the avarice. For that reason we didn't go into many stores. I did do a quick dash into the Kaufhof to ferret out a few small gifts to take home. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, tour cycling and shopping don't jive well as there is little space to carry things and even less inclination to add any weight to the load you are carrying.

Our time on the Zeil and in Frankfurt did allow for time to wander down memory lane. Many things have changed but many were as I knew them as a teenager. We even took the time to visit the Burse and rub the bull's testicles!

After a pleasant nights rest we loaded up our bikes for the last time and headed off to Dreieich to return the bikes. We cycled down to the bahnhof and got on the train. All went well until we got to our destination and discovered the elevator was broken and had been for three months. This meant we would need to unload the bikes. Carry our things down the rather steep stairs, which would involve a few trips, and then carry our bikes down. Ugh! At that point a young family came up the stairs and noticed our situation and probably the less than thrilled look on my face. The turned out to be yet another set of road angels who helped with our bags and helped Marvin carry the bikes down. So, in one trip we were down the stairs a and giving our thanks to another wonderful German family.

We were then back on our bikes and off to find the bike shop. Marvin had directions from the owner. Our mistake was that we had not loaded the route onto google maps. A the directions we get were not very detailed, we were not as sure of them as we could have been. It lead to some frustration and back tracking until we finally called the shop again and got clarification. It turned out that Marvin had us going in the right direction the whole time.

As we cycled into the shop Peter was waiting for us. It was sad to see the trip ending and to have to return our bike. We both had come to appreciate the mid-drive and structure of the bikes. I felt like I was leaving a good friend behind. I think next time we cycle in Germany we will need to plan on bringing bikes home with us!

Once our gear was loaded into Peter's car he kindly gave us a tour of the Taunus area and took us up to see his beloved golf course. The views were wonderful.

We then met up with the rest of the family at their favourite Chinese restaurant. In addition to the usual buffet arrangement, this restaurant also had a section where you would go and select raw meats and vegetables and then they would be cooked fresh to your specification. Katharina and Phillip got the honour of teaching their foreign aunt and uncle what to do.

After dinner it was back to Peter's home to visit and say our good byes to him and the children. In the morning it would be Astrid who would be picking us up and taking us to the airport.

Saying good bye is never easy but we are always grateful that we have had some time to enjoy getting reconnected with Peter's family. They are lovely people!

Our flight home was fine, marred only by the extremely rude behaviour of the passenger sitting in front of me. I was very impressed by the flight attendants and how they managed him.

Once we were in Vancouver it was on to the shuttle bus and off to the ferry. Once back in Victoria, Bob Gauthier was kind enough to pick us up and drive us home.

Our dream vacation was at an end! However, we now have an increased determination to do more tour cycling and hope it will not be too long before we  are back on the wonderful cycle trails of Europe!

Day 13 - Boppard to the Main

Tuesday, July 14th 2014  -  Day 13

Boppard to the Main

79.6 km , 604.4 km so far

elevation gains:  223 meters 

Track for the day: 

Boppard to Mainz-Kostheim

Mostly sunny and quite warm  

temp from mid 20's to low 30's Celsius 

(The text is by Erika with pictures and captions or comments in italics added by Marvin) 

We had just two full cycling days left until we must return our rented bikes and prepare to fly home. Peter and Astrid were so wonderfully supportive in getting us started on the journey that we are mindful of their time and how very busy they are. As a result, as we started the day knowing how far we would need to cycle each day in order to return the bikes and get picked up. So we hit the road hoping to cycle close to 70 kilometers.

Marvin here:  We had decided that if we made good progress on this day we would be in easy striking distance of Frankfurt where we could stay for the night and then get an early enough start Thursday morning that there would be plenty of time to take a train down to near the town of Dreieich.  That way we could cycle right back to the store where we rented the bikes and save Peter or Astrid from needing to pick us up somewhere else (with the van) and have to load the bikes and then drive us to Engel's Elektromobile in Dreieich.  I mention all this because for me there was immense satisfaction in having covered the entire distance of our planned tour comfortably with enough time to spare.  When we first planned the five river tour and then settled on the date we would be flying home, I was worried we might have to shortcut some part of the tour with a train ride.  But the whole trip went really smoothly.   Back to Erika ...

We started in Boppard and stayed on the left bank (to us it was the right bank, but Erika is correct in calling it the left bank since you would normally refer to a river's banks while facing downstream)  until Bingen. A lot of the trail followed the highway but it was separate and well kept. We bacame a little spoiled cycling the other rivers because we were often in park-like areas, quaint towns or agricultural areas. So, although the path was good, the noise of the traffic was a change.
Pictures to come are found here
We were still discovering castle after castle and every town with a castle had at least one magnificent church. Vineyards continued to dot the hills but not in the sheer size of what we had seen on the Mosel.

When we were in Koblenz we had picked up the BikeLine book for the section of the Rhine we were on. Although it is in German, we find the maps very useful in helping us know which side of the river to cycle for the best trails. At Bingen we caught a ferry over to Rudesheim as the book indicated the trails were better and more picturesque there. It was mostly true. Unfortunately, we came to a section where construction was being done and there was no clear signage indicating a detour. A couple of young men gave us some directions which we followed right onto a highway. Within minutes we could see the path but there was no way to get off the road so, following Steve and Dodie's advice, we stuck to the white line. In those situations I am inclined to put my head down and do my Wicked Witch of the West impersonation. I hate to admit it, but I even have the sound track from the movie going through my head at those times. When, after several kilometres, we were finally able to turn on the path, Marvin teased that he had never seen me cover so much distance in so little time before! I really white knuckled it!

The trail was lovely and the towns on the right bank north of the Rhine/Main confluence are quite beautiful and stately. Unfortunately, the BikeLine book ends at Wiesbaden and we had not yet found any signs indicating we were on the Rhine Radweg or getting close to the Main Radweg. The signs we had been following were for the R3 trail, one of the trails of the state of Hessen. While it had served us well, it was getting to be late afternoon, we were not sure where we were and had nowhere arranged to stay for the evening. Cue cycling angel.

We were paused on the path discussing our options when a fellow stopped to see if we needed help finding our way. We explained our situation to Wolfgang, whose English is much better than my German, and in that very German get-to-the-point manner, we were instructed to follow him and he would take us where we needed to go. Well, he certainly knew the bike paths and lead us along a lovely route. After a few kilometres he signalled us to stop. There he showed us the marker that indicated the confluence of the Rhine and the Main. We also found the trail sign that indicated we were leaving the Rhine Radweg and starting down the Main Radweg. A little further on he pulled up in front of a Bett and Bike approved gasthaus and bid us good bye. We would have like to have thanked him with a drink but he was on his way home from work. He claimed he had not gone out of his way but we figure we cycled almost 10 kilometres with him. In any case to us he was a roadside angel and, as it turned out, the hotel he had lead us to was the Hotel zum Engel (angel).

Again we lucked into a lovely room this time over looking the Main. Once our gear was unloaded and our bike secure we went down to the restaurant and sat out on the patio to enjoy dinner.

Gustav Adolf Fischer, March 1, 1929 - February 9, 2014

My Papa

On February 9th I sat by my father's bed as his battle with ALS came to an end. Over the past few years, as he could no longer speak, finding new things to tell him about became something I was ever mindful of. My father always loved a good story and was especially pleased when any story you shared reminded him of his life and past experiences. Throughout this trip he has never been far from my thoughts. The sights, the people, the food, my fumbling with the German language, and so many other things I wish I could tell him about. Today was no different.

As we cruised down the Rhine we were, as stated yesterday, impressed with the scenery and all the castles. My father was a great lover of history and knew European history very well. He would have been able to tell me about the forces at work at different times during the known history of this mighty river. He also would have been able to talk about the vineyards and which grapes produced his favourite wines. As the ships went by he could identify home ports, types of cargo and destinations.  He would have noted the depth of the rivers and what was contributing to the height. In all, if Papa was here I would be approaching the end of our journey with far greater knowledge and understanding of the area than I presently have. I like to think he rides with me in spirit.  A few months ago I would have been able to pop into his room and share my adventures. Now I just say, Papa, I miss you. I will not, however say good bye, instead I say, "Papa, auf wiedersehen.

Day 12 - A day in Koblenz, then on to Boppard

Monday, July 13th 2014  -  Day 12

Koblenz and then on to Boppard

22.1 km , 524.8 km so far

elevation gains:  67 meters 

Track for the day: 

Koblenz to Boppard

Mostly cloudy and very pleasant  

temp in low 20's Celsius 

(The text is by Erika with pictures and captions or comments in italics added by Marvin) 

We enjoyed a nice slow start to the day. After yet another wonderful German breakfast (poor Marvin will go into shock when we are home and it is back to do it yourself cereal!) the hotel let us stow our gear so we could go off exploring the town. First we headed into the Altstadt to get to a bike shop, pick up some ibuprophen (my knee), and look into a new camera. We had not gone far before there was something we wanted a picture of. Marvin automatically pulled out the camera which, to our delight, worked! We think that the rain and humidity caused it to seize up. Now things had dried out it was back to its old dependable self! Yeah!
(Actually, to be more accurate, I took it out of my pocket knowing that it had not been working but hoping for what proved to be the case:  It seems the camera just needed a full day to dry out.  I think there must be a sensor in it that shut it down when it sensed moisture in a bad place.  I remain very impressed by the camera)

We had skipped some towers that I wished to take pictures of but then it occurred to me I should try the camera at least one more time before we bought a new one

Everything is always so impressive, you just can't stop taking pictures

You have to be careful around this one or he might just squirt water at you out of his mouth

On the way back I took some pictures of towers that I had missed earlier because I hadn't tried the camera yet

At the bike shop we got Marvin the handle bar bag that matches his panniers. We couldn't get it in yellow in Canada so, once again, yeah! I got my anti inflammatory, we discovered some sights and poked around a church from the 1100s.

Actually, I think these pictures are of a newer church than the one that Erika refers to above

Then it was back down to the Deutches Eck for Marvin's photo shoot! As I had been without anti inflammatories for over 24 hours, there was no way my knee or ankle were able to do all the stairs so Marvin did the climbing and I did the photography.

First a picture taken by me from high up on the Willhelm I memorial.  This is the confluence, with the Mosel coming in from the left and the Rhine from the right.  Erika is standing next to the bikes in the foreground

Taken from down below, close ups of the left hand part of the picture above

So I begin the climb 

The lower of the two viewing levels you can climb to.  You can see me waving in the picture below.

Now I am on the upper level.  You can see me to the left in the picture below.

Erika zooms the camera in on the statue

While I was up there, I leaned back over the rail to get a close up of the statue from below

In addition to the usual sights on the Eck, there was something else we wanted a picture of. Each of the radwegs has its own trail marker that indicates where to go and distance to the next main town. At the Deutched Eck the sign post has the trail marker going one direction to go up the Mosel and the one for the Rhine. We wanted a photo to document that we had done it!

We've done it!  We reached the end of the Mosel and now our 4th river valley, the middle Rhine.

Now we follow the yellow cyclist on the blue background toward Boppard

After our photo session it was down to the cable car station. In 2011 a cable car was opened from just below the Eck running up to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress . We cheerfully payed the ridiculous  fee for us and our bikes and up we went! The fee turned out to be not so bad as it gave us access to the fortress as well as the cable car. In addition, there is a wooden structure ( which is basically what they call it) that gives you access to wonderful views of the valley and rivers.

Not very busy, so we have a car to ourselves

Looking down the Rhine as we start out.

As we start to get higher, old Wilhelm looks pretty impressive trotting above the trees.

Turning and looking up the Rhine in the direction we will be going

Looking down the Rhine as it heads north

Of course, there are a lot of pictures of the Eck, the statue and the rivers.  After all, we had an incredible view and the angles and perspectives were ever changing as we angled across the Rhine, all the time getting higher and higher.  I will just include them all and label them as to main feature and direction.

Impressive shots of Wilhelm I with the Mosel flowing in from the west

Looking up the Rhine to the south.  We will be following it on the right hand bank as we face upstream.  

The Deutsches Eck with the muddy Rhine in the foreground and the much clearer Mosel flowing in from the west

Zooming in to show the difference in water color

The view of the Mosel gets better as we get higher and were angling more downstream on the Rhine.  I could then zoom in on part of the Mosel further upstream.

Erika seems to like to take pictures of me.  I guess it evens out since I take a lot of pictures while riding and she is often in them

Looking south up the Rhine

Big group in that car headed back down

A couple of final pictures of the Eck as we get high on the East bank of the Rhine

Looking west up the Mosel valley from whence we came

Looking north down the Rhine valley as it heads towards north western Germany and ultimately Rotterdam

When we reached the top, we peddled our bikes down to the big wooden structure at the north end of the site.  This picture is taken from the top viewing platform of that structure.  We are now quite high and downstream of the Eck as you can see.

The fortress is massive. It is hard to comprehend how structures like that were built in a time prior to machine assistance. Each wall is at least 40 feet tall and several feet wide. Being positioned at the confluence of the Mosel and the Rhine made it a very significant fortification.

Look at these two pictures and try to imagine how long the hook has been there to have worn the wall that much

This picture is for our gardeners, Emily and Miranda

The garden was at one end kind of on the top of the castle walls

There was a viewing area from the upper courtyard of the south end of the complex.  You can see how we are much further upstream at this point than the picture taken at the far north end of the fortress grounds

Narrow passage allowing access to the fortress from the river below.  We are now looking north down the Rhine 

From the fortress, our hotel is visible on the opposite bank

We had one of the balconies in the upper row of flower boxes

After a good bit of exploring the fortress it was back onto the cable car and down to our hotel where we loaded up the bikes and headed up the Rhine. As it was later in the afternoon when we headed off, our plan was to get well out of the city for an easy start up the Rhine the next morning.

Waiting for the next empty car.  They just keep moving slowly, so you make sure you are ready to wheel the bike on quickly

We share this car with one other tourist

There are other fortifications lower down on the river bank

Loading the bikes back up.  You can see the balconies now with the flower boxes

What a great place to stay.  I really warmed up to this place after my grouchiness of the afternoon before

Heading south along the west bank of the Rhine, south part of Koblenz

Steve had a picture of this in his blog  (See it here), so when we saw it, I had to get a picture :)

It wasn't long before we started seeing some of the castles this area of the Rhine is known for. In one area we paused to get a picture of Marvin on his "bench of the day". Marvin counted four castles in view. I said no, there were five. "Where is the fifth?" He asked. I pointed behind him where an impressive structure towered. Not a minute later Marvin spotted another one. So, sitting on one bench on the Rhine he had the view of six castles.

Our cycle that day was a brief 20 some kilometres. When we got to the town of Boppard we stopped at the first gasthaus we came across (they were advertising a reasonable room rate) and settled in for the evening. Another lovely room with a view of the fast moving Rhine River.

Dinner was enjoyed at a restaurant in the town square followed by our now highly anticipated eis. The pain in my knee now under control, we settled down in anticipation of our cycle up the Rhine in the morning.

I'm checking the Bett und Bike book for possible accomodations

I was impressed by how fast the river ran in this section.  Going against the current is not easy for this large river boat