September 4, 2022
Day 13: Eurovelo 15 - the Rhine river (source to sea)
Rest day in Speyer
The weather forecast for today predicted rain starting at 2 a.m. and continuing for most of the day, so I decided to book a hotel room and take a rest day - my second in 13 days of riding. As dependable as the European bureau of meteorology seems to be (on par with our Australian one!), it did rain ... but only from about 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The rest of the day turned out to be quite nice!
Regardless, I took the day to rest and enjoy Speyer. First up, a bit of bike maintenance. Being the unskilled mechanic that I am, I stared at my bike for a few minutes, pushed on the tires (seemed fine), and promptly went for breakfast.
Today is Bluey’s Day. Bluey, my mascot, is actually the mascot of the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, a charity I’ve supported on all some fundraising trips - Vietnam, India, and Myanmar. He’s strapped onto my front-right pannier like a guide by my side! Today, he joined me for some sightseeing.
We started by strolling down Maximilianstraße, the main street in Speyer's commercial centre and the hub of many local attractions. Our first stop was Speyer Cathedral, originally founded in 1030 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was as magnificent inside as it was outside.
Next up was the Historical Museum of the Palatinate, where I explored three exhibitions (all free). The first focused on the French military connection to the city - they had a garrison stationed here until the late 1990s. The second delved into the history of Martin Luther and Speyer’s role in the Lutheran movement. The third was the world's first wine museum. Since all the signage was in German, I had to rely on Google Translate for the first two exhibits. But as a wine enthusiast, I’m confident I interpreted the wine exhibit simply fine!
Then, it was off to the Technik Museum Speyer, a treasure trove of human technological advancements. It was impressive - acres of machinery showcasing the ingenuity of humankind. There was an extensive collection of aircraft, both civilian and military; boats, including large rescue craft and submarines; cars, motorcycles, bicycles; and even fire engines of all makes and models. Steam trains were also part of the display. Most striking was the Lufthansa Boeing 747 that dominated the Speyer skyline as I rode into the city yesterday. I had planned to watch a show at the IMAX theater about the Apollo 11 mission, but unfortunately, the narration was in German.
Bluey was particularly fond of the fire engine exhibit, and we even spotted a Junkers aircraft that had made an emergency crash landing in his home country of Vietnam!
After all the sightseeing, I treated myself to an afternoon ice cream before heading back to the hotel to pack for tomorrow's early departure - to Worms via Mannheim.
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