I see we have no reason to complain about the teensy bit of rain we saw here.

Hey, I was just there too!

How wonderful to hear from you. We are missing bike touring but feel very, very fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world to ride this out. There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, although some days it seems the tunnel keeps getting longer. We are going to do some short door to door tours this summer on the island...I am thinking I may blog about them for information for anyone who comes to Vancouver Island. We can’t wait to get back to Europe. Fantastic tracks, amazing history and lovely distances between charming bed and breakfasts. I long for it, so am learning to be patient 😂.

Thanks for your note Rich - we are glad you enjoyed the journal. It’s certainly nice for us to periodically go back and refresh our memories and remind ourselves how fortunate we are to travel in this manner. We are looking forward to another bike trip in Europe once we able and comfortable to travel. Certainly a different world today..... I liked the old one better.
All the best! Keith

I just love this journal!. You have such a great positive attitude - makes me want to get out on a new adventure!

Ah.... the Moselle. I read with interest your journal entry on Day 11 of your ride up the Moselle. Our first bike trip started off with the Moselle and we vowed we would get back (which we did). Like yourselves notable memories of the Moselle is food related including the best apple strudel we have ever had, an unbelievable buffet breakfast at our stay at a winery setting an upper standard....along of course with the pretty villages and the steepest vineyards we have ever seen. And hopefully we will get back there again one day!

We are travelling vicariously now, through Cycleblaze and Youtube. But tonight we watched "The Dig" on Netflix - about the archaeological discovery of an Anglo Saxon ship and treasure buried at Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk. This triggered some Google mapping, and plans to visit there someday. But we also remembered a Roman wine ship, along the Mosel, sending us to read our own account of that. Typically, our main recollection of the town with the ship (Neumagen) was of the Romerweinschiff Cafe and its pastries. https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/books/day-11-neumagen-to-zell/

Hi Steve - Glad you enjoyed reading...reminded me to get back to finish rereading it myself. Hope you guys are doing well coping with this Covid thing. We are looking forward to getting vaccinated whenever that may happen and returning hopefully to some semblance of our former lives. We really don’t expect at this point a European trip is in the cards this calendar year unfortunately. Take care guys!

Thanks for taking me around the circuit again. It has been a great COVID distraction. But now in contrast to a peaceful cycling tale, I am turning to Raiders of the Lost Ark on Netflix. Soon enough, though, I'll be Poking Around 5 with you!

Hi Steve - I want to thank you for your comments which has lead me to rereading the blog as well. More correctly reading some of it probably for the first time. Kathleen of course would do all the work while I did other things like a short nap and planning the next day. She would often ask if I read the daily entry. Sometimes I did and sometimes I didn’t as I just experienced that day. Rereading certainly highlights what a great trip it was and I am very thankful that Kathleen took the time and effort to record it. Without the record it would be a blur. It is now a welcome escape back to better days away from this covid business. Hope you and Dodie are well! Stay healthy!

On my second read through now, I find my comment was going to be the same as the first time. But on closer inspection I can add that the flavours are almost all fruit plus some sort of herb, like thyme, mint, and lavender.

That makes real sense. I have smelled goats and can understand the connection 😂.

Yes, the crispy rice is the way to go.

The solution is simple: buy one, or three, or five.

I'm with Keith. We raised goats for a few years and to me goat's cheese smells like Billy goats. Brebis (sheep), however, is fine!