Cycling in Europe and other adventures

  A Koblenz castle as seen through our hotel window   Our hotel was just across the road from the train station.   We had a leisurely start to the day as our train was leaving around midday.   After packing we checked out and wandered down to a nearby café for a place to wait and have a coffee.   It was a very cute place done out in pink with the tables covered in tablecloths.     The train left on time and in contrast to our trip to Trier there were plenty of seats available.   A good thing too because we had not seen where to put our luggage when we got on the train.     We stayed in a hotel near Frankfurt Airport as we were leaving to fly to Ljubljana early the next morning.     Here are a few thoughts about the ride in retrospect.   The bikes we had rolled well enough, but the bike seats were seriously uncomfortable.   None of us were impressed with them.   We were lucky with the we...

Deutsches Eck - we're there.    We left Treis Karden and continued along the left bank.   This involved about 15 kilometres on a cycle path adjacent to the road.     A few kilometres out of Treis Karden there is the “romantic” Eltz castle.   We chose not to go there as it involved going off the path for a couple of kilometres then a 45 minute walk.   Seeing yet another castle was not so high on our bucket list so we bypassed it.     The next place of note was Koburn-Gondorf which is the central cultural and historical town of the Lower Mosel.   It has five castles and two medieval chapels.   Trish called into the town and did a self-guided walking tour around it. This castle greeted us as we came to Koburn-Gondorf   We knew she was going to be there and coincidentally as we were looking for somewhere to have a bite to eat and a coffee, she was walking across the road.     jGraham bellowed at...

  Beilstein   It was our penultimate day on the cycle path.   After leaving Ediger-Eller we continued along the left bank before crossing over the river to ride on the right bank.   A few kilometres on from Ediger-Eller we encountered a swan nesting.   The locals had even put a screen around part of her nest.   Her mate was keeping an eye on her to make sure nothing untoward happened.   Then after a while the male swan decided he had had enough of us and in particular me.   Next thing I knew he was lunging at me.   I made a quick retreat but without my bike.   The swan was between me and the bike.   Graham manoeuvred his way behind a tree on which rested my bike and was able to retrieve it without the swan attacking him.   In the meantime, the swan kept a malevolent eye on us.   The swans One of the recommendations in our notes was to visit Café Klapperburg in Beilstein.   Apparently, it was ren...

Traben-Trarbach pedestrian bridge over the river     It was another cool day and partially overcast when we put our rather sore bums back on the bike seats.       We had not had a chance to look around Traban-Trarbach having arrived a little later  than intended  the previous evening.   Traban-Trarbach was an important wine trading centre many years ago and was the largest one outside Bordeaux. Around the early 1900s a fire had burnt many of the buildings that were similar half-timbered  o nes to those in Bernkastel.   They rebuilt the town in the Art Nouveau style.       Apparently there are cellars under the town and you can take a guided tour of them.   We did not have time and I suspect like many of these things they don’t open up until May or June.     There was a ruined castle above the town.   We had contemplated a climb to get a view of the valley but time did not perm...

  A little house in the vineyards    The temperature had dropped overnight and we pondered whether to wear long pants and bit more clothing on top.   We opted for the more is better as we can always strip off a layer.   It was partly cloudy as we took off along the cycle path keeping to right bank of the Mosel.     The first village of note that we went through was Brauneberg.   We were looking for a café but it was Sunday and despite it being after 10am there was nothing open.   One of the features of the village was a 1.6km row of walnut trees which according to our notes served as a barrier against the ice floes in the Moselle.   This clearly is not needed now as it does not get cold enough.   There was also meant to be a church with an onion domed tower.   We were not able to find it.     A few kilometres past Brauneberg we stopped so I could take a photo of a rather imposing castle or perhaps f...