Neuf Brisach to Huningue

August 20, 2018

End of the wine trail and onto the Rhine trail.

August 20 Monday 61kms

From Neuf Brisach to Huningue.

End of the wine trail and onto the Rhine trail.

It’s hard to leave this pretty little campground at Vauban but after breakfast in the shade we’re ready for the ride to Basel.

We head for Neuf Brisach and it’s market. The town, laid out in the form of a star, was captured in the Franco Prussian war of 1870 and not regained by France until after the First World War but lost again to German invasion in 1940 and regained again in 1945. Hopefully the Eu has put a stop to this kind of shenanigans.

Siege during the Franco-Prussian conflict of 1870.

The star shape of the town’s walls created in flowers.

The path is easy and finding bread for lunch seems to be the only challenge. This issue is solve when we spot a bread van. The woman within speaks both French and German in order to accommodate her customers. We stop at Ottmarsheim for lunch and explore a little. The Romanesque church has an beautiful interior.

Ottmarsheim church of St Peter and St Paul- 11th century Romanesque architecture. It is the oldest surviving church in Alsace.

15th century frescoes discovered under a layer of plaster.

By mid afternoon, with the blue distant hills of the Black Forest in the distance, we close in on Huningue and Basel. The Rhine canal must be the same we cycled on in 2016, but I don’t recognise much. It’s still hot and two young lads are cooling off by diving into the canal which looks reasonably clean and clear.

Memorial to a French fighter pilot who died in 1945 while flying an American Thunderbolt.

Bantzenheim with German hills in the distance.

Water quality clearly not an issue for these young chaps enjoying a cool canal dip on a sweltering day.

Huningue campground is small and dusty, with many nationalities set up on small patches of hard ground. We select the greenest patch we can find and use water to soften the ground for our pegs. In sight , through the fence is the Rhine and several massive barges ploughing through the water. We meet a pleasant young Australian chap, who works as a paramedic and we spend the evening chatting as we eat our Imambayildi (stuffed eggplant from the Middle Eastern store) and bread. Mark has a genuine ‘Surly Trucker’ and his tent is a superlight MSR ‘Hubba hubba’. Some equipment envy there, but we’re happy our choices match up well. He’s covered a considerable amount of territory and it’s interesting comparing notes.

Sleep that night is accompanied by the delicious smell of the patatas bravas the motorcycling Spanish couple next to us are frying for their late night banquete.

Today's ride: 61 km (38 miles)
Total: 3,379 km (2,098 miles)

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