Day Sixteen

Another morning with a bike shop in mind as we headed into Koblenz, over the Mosel river. We had a a lucky strike with a substantial camp shop, and were able to pick up the couple of sporks and mugs we've been after for a while! We bought Charlotte a bright yellow one, just to make sure. With a bike shop opposite, we were able to ask for an opinion on Tom's infamous rear wheel; the one Tom had condemned to replacing. It turns out that his back wheel appears to be one of the best in Germany. As far as we have discovered...and another bike shop later, we are still being convinced of this opinion.
Boring and trued again.

Lunch came in the form of a 36 euro MacDonalds meal with potential internet...but there wasn't any. We ate and cracked on.

Having been told about a newly layed cycle path on the western bank of the Rhine, and that this was also the prettiest cycling we made the decision to continue to follow the river as opposed to make a vector across to save distance and time.




Probably a wise move in hindsight as who knows what lurks beyond the valley's walls. However, this yellow brick road turned out to be less than gleaming and the hindsight took a while to come. With a narrow muddy tow path followed by a a few kilometres of dodgey gravel with intermittent cobbles. Spirits could have been higher and saddles softer to say the least.

Eventually we discovered the delights of the efficient German road laying that we had heard so much about ...approximately 200 miles into Germany. It was like the rain had cleared, our arses did not hurt anymore and our tyres ran true. H.M. The Queen said crack on, so we obliged.

Rob took the wind and we all followed obligingly. With the cycle path following the sweeping bends of the river and the wind behind us, we upped the pace. Some say they heard the sonic boom as far as Frankfurt; more realistically it was Tom breaking wind again. Luckily he was at the back.



As we reached a top speed of 47kph, the gap between the boys and girls began to grow as we tried to sustain it. Another benefit of Tom being at the back was that he was able to close this gap by reducing the effects of the apparent wind.

By alternating the front man to maintain momentum, it enabled a fast and aggressive assault to be launched on Boppard. With the Main Effort being to take and hold the Best Western Hotel (Tom has expensive taste, as we stopped for a drink there!) Minor resistence encountered from the local populus, when charlotte's ice cream caused offence to their Helga-esque employee. Awesome international relations...

Coyle then saw the bill...




...I suppose it was pretty though. Maybe not 5 euros a coke pretty!

Then through the wealthy picturesque riverside towns of the Rhine on the comendable cycle path. We took the last 10km or so as a bit of a cool down, to save ourselves the agony the follwing morning.

Reaching the campiste next to the Rhine, a potential swimming opportunity was called off due to unfavourable temperatures and the sun going behind a cloud. It looked like showers, food, blog and bed.

More rain...and trains serenaded us to sleep...bliss


Ellie

xx