From Remagen to Boppard: Another perfect day

August 7, 2014

Breakfast wasn't until 7.30 this morning so we didn't get away until around 8.30. It had rained a bit in the night but was perfectly clear this morning and the really good thing was that the pesky head wind we had had yesterday had all but disappeared. There were lots of cyclists stay at our hotel last night as when we went get our bikes this morning the shed was completely full of bikes with an overflow

From time to time we were going through industry but this is Germany so the industry was although often massive was neat and confined so that soon after you were back to the peace of the Rhine. We saw lots and lots of touring cyclists today going in the opposite direction to us. There were quite a number of large groups obviously on a tour and having there luggage transported from one pre booked hotel to the next. As we approached Koblenz all signage disappeared completely and of course so did all other cyclists apart from local ones. We blundered along knowing that the main thing was that we needed to get over the bridge that spans the Mosel then turn under this to get to the Deutsches Eck which is the point of land where the Mosel joins the Rhine at Koblenz. Just under this we met Phyl and Neil from Main and it was fun to stop and exchange stories. They are also on CGOAB so we will follow them as they make their way to the North Sea and beyond on their tandem.

The mass of humanity here was immense. We had already decided to go on and thought we would aim for Boppard which was about another 22km further on. There were two reasons for this firstly we remember it as being a lovely little town and secondly our grandson's nickname is Bop so I think of it as Matthew's town. After Koblez you enter the Rhine Gorge which is the jewel in the crown of a ride along the Rhine. Now the hills crowd in and on our side of the river there is only enough room for the Radweg and the railway line. The number of castles high up keeping watch on the river is countless and in ancient times they were anything but benign as they kept watch and made sure that no one passed without paying the taxes they demanded.

As we enter Boppard we struck it lucky and saw a magnificent guest house of rather faded grandeur and have a lovely room with a balcony looking out over the Rhine. We have been up to the town, shopped,visited the Eis Cafe and what is more Ken saw two old perfectly restored Kramer tractors one a single cylinder one and one a two cylinder one. I think it made his day !

The bike shed in the morning - there were another 10 bikes outside

The remain of the bridge at Remagen which houses the Peace Museum

Luca was born on 25th July. This is how they advertised his birth. I wonder when they change his clothes if they had to take a garment from the line ?

Our room is the one on the right with the balcony

Today's ride: 69 km (43 miles)
Total: 207 km (129 miles)

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