We woke well actually  Im not sure we  slept as that tranquil photo of the hotel on the river didnt show the main road across the river with trucks hurtling down it and screeching brakes all night.Feeling worse for wear having not had enough sleep to recover from the heat yesterday we set off half dazed.

We had planned a shorter day to cope with the heat but it wasnt to be.Scenery was stunning forests , steep gorges and castles dotted everywhere.Lack of sleep though meant we weren’t feeling too energetic.

We managed a good coffee stop but then thought we’d go further before lunch. I knew we had a horrible hill to go up so when we started going uphill I just put my head down and peddled. Unpleasant was probably a gross understatement.We were cycling into a headwind with no shade on a road. After 4 kms hubby said stop we need a drink. We were just coming into a small village I realised it wasnt on our list we were going the wrong way up a huge hill!! We were soaked in sweat and I looked redder than a beetroot.Back down the road we went, very  very fast.We found a cafe grabbed a drink and roll they didn’t sell anything else and set off again.

Fortunately a lot of the next 20 kms was in forests so we could recover a little.We arrived at the little town Neckergemund we were staying at and how lovely just when we need sleep there is a town festival.!!All the other little towns we”ve passed no festival but where we happen to stay the market place is full of bands.

It has been quite fun to wander around enjoying the music and festivities. I’m not sure about the dj kicking off at 10pm tbough…

All the towns around here are full of history and folklore  fascinating and how the towns have changed from various trades to modern towns. Here they used to be leather workers and big producers of hemp.The local museum reports how the Neckar used to ice over and winter skating was common.

We were laughing at all the small children playing in the fountain today in Australia they’d have fencing all around the fountain with big warning signs

Another river the Elsenz joins the Neckar here hence the Neckar often floods here right to the upper storeys, June was the last floods in 2013.

Better try and get to sleep before the dj kicks off. If its too noisy then we will have to go out dancing if we hadnt cycled 64kms in the heat I might have been up for a night out!!

Hotel Art

Neckargemund