September 20, 2012
Back in Germany to Laufenburg: We retrace our route of last year
The seasons are certainly changing, it is not the high summer it was about a month ago. It is not getting light till around 7am. We left this morning around 7.30am and it was absolutely freezing – I will veto these early starts from now on. A cold mist was rising off the canal and I wished we had our gloves on but we were too cold to stop and hunt in our panniers. The walnuts are beginning to fall and yesterday we watched crows picking them up, flying high then dropping them on the asphelt path to break them and get at the goodies inside. Our bikes now crunch over acorns and horse chestnuts that are falling. The first grapes are being picked and although very few of the vines are changing colour yet the leaves are getting the tired look that they get when the berries are ripe. The corn is now golden instead of green and the cobs fat and ready for harvesting, a little has been done but I am sure the headers will be very busy in the next few weeks. Leaves are beginning to fall and these make patterns on the canals and keep the tidy Germans in the towns busy with their leaf blowers. We have seen the first of the Autumn crocuses. The wild roses have been replaced by beautiful hips and other berries are appearing on the bushes beside the track beginning to turn the countryside gold. One strange thing is that in Denmark the blackberries had unripe berries on them but now they are completely bare and we haven’t seen any of the ripe ones we look for as we travel.
All today we were travelling along a route we had done last year. We did try to vary it by changing to the other side of the river at Basel but that was a failure (to cold and busy) and we soon retraced our steps and were back on the other side of the river. Riding the same route again was strange rather like flicking through a photograph album our memories were so incomplete then suddenly everything would seem familiar. From last year we had remembered a gorgeous little village from last year which was at a steep bend and with a German and Swiss part. We thought it was Bad Sackingen but when we got there although Bad Sackingen is lovely it was not the one. On we went then about 10 km later we swept down the hill on a narrow path and there it was. There was a Tourist Information and the helpful lady got us what was the last room in Laufenburg. After the tiny grotty room at St Louise it seems luxurious and is as big as our bedroom at home
Today's ride: 68 km (42 miles)
Total: 2,939 km (1,825 miles)
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