Hotel Santo had an amazing breakfast and seeing I was missing Mothers Day this year i thought id better make up for it on the Saturday. My Mothers day breakfast favourite is smoked cod on a bed of spinach with a poached egg (no comments please) so I seriously tucked into all the fish, 6 types, at the breakfast buffet, including rollmop herrings scrumptious. Eating fish once is lovely having it repeat on you whilst cycling means I will not be indulging in fish for breakfast ever again on this trip.

We exited Cologne via the Bike Station where you can pump up tyres etc all for free. Good decision to leave the city in view of the local elections happening that weekend.Signs were clear and easy to follow so a relaxed ride, we met a german couple who offered to take our photo and then proceeded to discuss german politics, poor Angela has lost her supporters.

Beautiful morning stop for morning tea overlooking the Rhine, we were finally starting to see more bikes laden with panniers now going in both directions …how busy is July going to be?

We cycled past Bonn given the local  elections were happening and were searching for a lunch spot so were now not stopping as it was already gone 1pm. Well that was what I thought and I was getting quite peckish however hubby couldnt resist a few more photos. Interesting as Id have thought food would have taken precedence. Anyway I kept an eye on my wing mirror and could just see hubbys blue cycling shirt, after some time I thought Id check with hubby whether he wanted to eat before we took a ferry across the Rhine or on the other side of the Rhine where there were more options for eating.

I pulled in and blue shirt cycled past it wasn’t hubby. !

I parked up and did my stretching routine still no sign of hubby, I waited 10 mins no sign of him. It was a straight path right next to the Rhine there were turn offs but he shouldnt have turned off and there were 2 paths at one point but they did rejoin. I went back towards Bonn, I cycled 3 kms back still no sign of him.I stopped under a motorway bridge a significant land mark. Our plan if we were to lose each other was to text (we still hadnt bought our german phones). I checked my phone no text, I texted hubby my location as he could easily see the motorway bridge from either direction and asked him to let me know where he was. I waited no response.I texted again, and waited.Id been there 5 minutes and did one more text then I thought forget the cost I’ll phone. Still no response , I then began to get worried perhaps hed fallen off his bike and was now in an ambulance on his way to hospital.

In case I’d missed him when I cycled back ,although Id been watching the top path ,I then cycled back to the ferry where we would cross the Rhine. Still no sign of him. Finally hubby texted me he’d cycled back towards Bonn…..when he couldnt see me. Hed stopped to take a few photos or more….and then thought he had got ahead of me somehow and didnt think to engage lost partner plan and text!

It was a late lunch and that was the end of cycling for that day Id had enough , so after crossing the Rhine we settled for staying in Konigswinter, a beautiful resort town for the seven mountains area. I decided no more expensive hotels we needed a guest house I found one . It looked pretty grim on the outside like an old workhouse but was lovely inside and we had a whole mini apartment, including fridge, small lounge area and large bathroom with views over the mountains. Beautiful. The owner did ask why we didnt book, I hope the germans arent too much like the japanese who get upset if you just turn up.

A late afternoon outing took us up the Drachenfels an amazing scenic view point with remnants of old castle, evening strolls along the Rhine…very nice.

Almost forgiven hubby ………..spot Hitlers favourite hotel in the photos…rooms over 300 euros a night!

Schorof guest house

Grabenstrasse

Konigswinter

Fridge, good beds, plenty of space, lock up sheds for bikes

No wifi,  normal bread and cheese and egg for breakfast

52euros