Its 4pm and Im showered , smothered in lotions and potions in a wonderful “chambre” ie bed and breakfast place.I’ve decided after the days incidents to lie low and chill, maybe safer.
So the day started well with a sumptious breakfast at Hotel Santo although the fish section was missing, dont they realise thats what makes you rebook with the same hotel chain.We got packed up quickly and headed to the garage to pack our bikes. Problem number one the padlock with the rotating numbers would not unlock.Bear in mind we are doing this in a dark underground garage with dim lighting. The bottom line of numbers had been sticking so in case that number had changed we dialled in the line 10 x with the different combinations it still wouldnt open.Yes we had oiled it ..wise guys…Eventually we were off in search of a hack saw but it was Sunday morning 830am so we werent being too hopeful.The hotel manager came up trumps but with a none too sharp hacksaw.The padlock was dangling over my brand new bike I just knew it would never be the same after a near hacksaw attack. We got through the padlock in 15 mins, always a concern I imagine someone with a super duper hacksaw would do it in far less time. No doubt hubby will now get me a padlock weighing 3kg to carry with a key of course no more numbers to get stuck.
So we were delayed by nearly an hour never a good sign.Finally we set off and realised it was not going to be so easy to get out of Karlsruhe as it was coming in.The guide book mentioned a village we were heading to that did not appear on any sign posts nor any signage of the stream we were meant to follow. Finally a great young guy directed us to the Albe stream but he had no idea how to get to Rappenwort. Incident no2 we had no idea how to get out of Karlsruhe.
This was when incident no3 happened I was trying to read instructions which said things like cross the stream 5 x , then go under 2 motorway bridges and at the same time cycle and work out where we were and if the bridge we were going under was actually a motorway bridge. Now you do see youngsters cycling, on their mobile phones and carrying fishing gear so I should be able to read , cycle in a straight direction and be thinking of where on earth are we, all at the same time. Not possible , hubby yelled at me “right ” and luckily I returned to the right side of the path just as a racing bike whizzed past at about 35kms an hour. Could have been a nice head on.Hubby quite shaken. It was Sunday and the sun was shining so everyone was out and about, so Im suprised the racing bikes where racing on these paths with prams and toddlers.
Interesting also to reflect on the grafitti everywhere in Germany even on this quiet little path by a pretty little stream why deface everything, it seems the germans havent heard of or invested in the antigrafitti squads like us aussies.I would have thought it would have just been their cup of tea.
Eventually asking people enroute all the time we managed to get on the route to the Rhine and once we were back on the Rhine there were plenty of signposts. It was now 11am and we had only gone 15kms in the right direction and we’d left our hotel room at 830am ready to set off!
After our ferry crossing of the day it was only 100m before we crossed into France , the ferry was packed as there was a perfect circular trip crossing back further along for families on bikes with picnics or heading to a french restaurant, situated on the rhine.We also headed to the french restaurant , wonderful much as I love asparagus a week of schnitzel,asparagus and boiled potatoes starts becoming less appealling.It was a great french menu…so very nice.
It was a beautiful day, once next to the Rhine the scenery was stunning with canals and rivers joining the Rhine. The air was full of dandelion seeds floating around like fine flakes of snow, idyllic. Our only concern was that there were only 2 small french villages or another 45kms to Strasbourg if we didnt get accommodation at either of them on top of the 42kms we’d already done, it would have made it probably a 90km day and we werent sure we were up to it.. We passed a beautiful swannery with a lagoon whose banks were full of the old wooden punts they used to use to collect reeds for thatching.We saw more storks but not close enough really for my mobile.
When we arrived at the first of our accommodation options and there was a chambre sign, we took her last room. We thought no more incidents today, stop and relax, especially as we hadnt had that lucky a day.( Id have slept in a field but not sure hubby would have.) A great huge chambre very modern with also a kitchenette attached and half the price of what you ‘d pay in Germany. So we are staying in the village of Beinheim with the river Sauer running through it and pretty wood facade houses, the local church is complete with a storks nest.
Chill time it is a holiday after all…time to finally partake in a little pinot gris me thinks..
Ps Hubby reminds me to tell everyone that we are only using a guide book written from the source of the rhine to Holland so we are having to reverse all the directions and we havent brought any maps of the Rhine, I personally think why would we remind everyone because yes I know what you’re all thinking how stupid can you get…
Chambres dhotes
26 rue Principale
67930 Beinheim
0388807784
celine.revolio@orange.fr
65 euros with breakfast
"Slow" Cycling Europe with 2 Ozzy Grey Nomads 