September 1, 2022
Day 10: Eurovelo 15 - the Rhine river (source to sea)
Neuf-Brisach to Strasbourg
There had been constant but light rain all night, and it stopped right at 6:30 a.m., allowing me to pack up and load the bike. Very considerate! The tent was wet outside and in (outside from the rain and inside from the condensation). Fortunately, all of my other gear was dry.
I would have left around 7:30 a.m.; however, just as I was about to put my stand up, the owner of the campingplatz brought out a freshly brewed espresso for me. Very generous!
My route took me on one final lap of the town centre before heading onto a decomposed granite and well-compacted path running alongside another canal - this time, the Ancien Canal du Rhône au Rhin. So, the same as yesterday, but 'ancien' today. Yesterday's canal journey became monotonous after the first 30 km or so; however, I found todays much more enjoyable. Today’s ride had far more vegetation growing into and alongside the canal, making it seem much more natural than the concrete culvert of yesterday. Also, the trees were deciduous rather than the evergreens from yesterday, so the colours of the turning leaves were a montage of browns, yellows, greens, and reds.
Even after the rain last night, there were few signs of it on the path - no puddles and little mud. The ground is so dry from the drought that it quickly absorbs moisture. In summary, it was good for me as it settled the dust, not so good for the surrounding farmers.
After about 45 minutes, the path took a 180-degree turn, then another 90 degrees onto a bitumen pathway, and I saw my first lock, where small boats traversing the canal can move up and down the surrounding hills. Many more locks were to come, some even having small restaurants attached. I’m unsure if that's for boat owners waiting for the locks to fill or empty, or if watching boat owners’ manoeuvre into the locks with inches to spare is a blood sport for spectators!
The bike path continued on the left side of the canal, with some respite by changing to the right side at times, but never for long. I started to see more anglers (I've only seen men fishing here so far) and observed that they are solitary creatures. They know you're riding past but don’t seem to have a desire to acknowledge or be acknowledged. One angler, on the opposite bank, had a fishing rod so big it could practically reach my side of the canal. He watched as I rode past, so I waved, hoping for some level of interaction. He began to raise his hand … yes, here it comes … to his mouth to vape!
I came within 7 km of Europa-Park, the largest theme park in Germany and the second largest in Europe after Disneyland in Paris. The child in me wanted to turn and head that way, but I continued on instead. It was around here that I actually saw boats in the canals. Some are lived on full-time and are so big I don't know how they will ever get out of the canals - too big to turn around, and the upper reaches of the canal from where I’d come seemed too narrow and shallow to accommodate them.
I was stopped on the path by a mother and her four children - a family of coypu, also known as nutria, a large, herbivorous, semi-aquatic rodent. This one was far too big for a mouse trap … they are quite cute, actually. I also saw plenty of swans today … also cute - kinda, sorta.
When I saw a fully loaded cyclist heading towards me, I’d pull over and hope they would do the same. Most did. We swapped information about the journey ahead and the grand plans for each. I met a young Brazilian couple who were travelling for the next six weeks, criss-crossing France and Germany. I soon stopped for another couple, but they didn’t stop. I’m sure the second rider, a woman, wanted to pull over and chat; however, the male rider leading the charge was on a mission - head down, legs working hard. He did call out "hello," which was nice. I hope he takes time to enjoy the ride. It's the journey, not the destination … right?
I was now very hungry. I had to veer off the marked route to go into the local village of Krafft to find a patisserie. I hadn’t passed through a village all day. This small, home-based, patisserie only had three choices - I went for an apple turnover and a chicken salad. Both were fantastic - the salad was so flavoursome and fresh.
As I closed in on Strasbourg, I started to think about riding on, at least to the northern side of Strasbourg, for an early start on the EuroVelo tomorrow. I visited the city in 2019, so I felt comfortable bypassing the town this time. I pulled into central Strasbourg; however, I didn’t feel the pull to stay, so I rode downstream toward the Rhine. Ironically, I hadn’t seen the Rhine for two days now. Thankfully that changes tomorrow.
I rode just a further 5 km and pulled into the Boutique Hotel des XV. Nice! I was looking forward to a great sleep tonight.
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I had no sooner arrived when I received a message from Don Hudson, who connected with me a few days ago. Don and his wife, Claire, are USA nationals who now call France - specifically Strasbourg - home
Don kindly offered to catch up for a beer. It was such a kind and generous offer; how could I refuse? Don and Claire were wonderful company, and I really valued our time together. They have a passion for France, and it’s not hard to understand why. Thank you, Don, and Claire … hope to see you in Australia soon!
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