The promise of rain most of the day had me anticipating an interesting ride. I'd passed through a few light showers over the past few weeks however nothing like what was expected. Spoiler Alert: I didn't get rained on!
The bike route into Bonn yesterday and the exit out of town today were both easy and scenic. The bike paths follow the river through a very small industrial section, otherwise parkland.
I received a WhatsApp message this morning from David, whom I'd met on the road a couple of days ago. He was in Cologne and heading to Dusseldorf where he would be staying for 2 days. My target today was Cologne, however, if the weather wasn't too bad, and both bike and body held together, I might reassess in Cologne and maybe head towards Dusseldorf. Either way, I was confident of catching up with David for a beer and dinner at some point.
My big concern beyond the weather was Myrle (bike Myrle, not human Myrle) not breaking another spoke. I rode far more gently than ever. Standing up to move my weight off the back wheel if I came to a bump in the path, and slowing right down on uneven ground. Fortunately, most of today's ride was on good roadways so I really didn't lose any time.
I'm in the industrial part of the Rhine and some people have kindly offered alternate routes that are much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I've valued those ideas however I really want to see this river 'warts and all'. The sights, sounds, and even smells, of the Rhine. Arguably it's the most important river in Europe so I want to see it in all its glory ... including the yucky icky industrial bits!
Coming into Wesseling you spend a couple of kilometres in a forest setting first before emerging on an excellent bike path into the town. Towns do seem to be vying for the best bike paths against nearby towns ... some do a great job, while others lack funding or have other priorities! This one is good! A few kilometres north of Wesseling I come to shared forest trails that go for around 4-5kms - no one around ... oh the serenity!
As I turn a corner, Cologne comes into view ... I'm still some distance away however the Cologne Cathedral spires dominate the skyline. At its time it was the tallest building in the world. My wife, Kathy and I came here in 2019, so I won't be stopping in the city for too long ... however, I will visit the Cathedral again!
I'm feeling good and the expected rain has unexpectedly disappeared for the time being. Clouds do look menacing however all good for now. I decide to press on until the rain hits and then make a decision about where to stop for the night. Unfortunately, camping is out again.
For a sugar hit, I delve into a bag of gummy bears - a gift from a hotel for not using room service reusing my towels and making my own bed (don't complain, I also received an apple). Within a minute of eating them, I had the worst bout of indigestion. It was like a lump of concrete in my stomach ... and I felt terrible (for me, not the bears!). The indigestion was to last the remainder of today's ride until I got to a pharmacy for antacid relief!
The ride into and out of Cologne is basically a straight path along the river ... even getting into the old part of Cologne didn't involve riding on roads ... very easy. The paths north of Cologne are generally good and cut through parks and some light industrial areas, however far less than I expected. Although I do pass the Ford motor vehicle company ... hectares and hectares of estate... and that's just the employees' car parking!
The next couple of hours fly by. The ride takes you along the river and up onto dikes for a lengthy part of the journey to Dormagen, and then a narrower track (breath in when you pass other bikes coming the opposite way!) to Zons where I catch a ferry across the river.
There are a few hotels in the area between here and Dusseldorf, however with only 20 km to go I decided to make that my destination! With 10kms the rain finally arrived and I ducked into a bus shelter until the rain passed a few minutes later. I then made the final dash into the city!
David and I caught up to have a beer, wine, and Iranian meal in Dusseldorf. Great night.
Thanks for reading.
I'm
doing this ride to raise funds for Blue Dragon Children's Foundation.
I'm self-supported so all donations go directly to Blue Dragon. If you
can give please do at ...
https://au-bluedragon.givecloud.co/fundraisers/pedalling-for-a-purpose.
Alternatively, go to Blue Dragon's website at bluedragon.org
Perhaps if you had christened the bike with the name of someone young and virile, breakdowns would not occur with roughly the same frequency as occurs with the namesake! Inspiring narrative, all the same. Lean forward.
ReplyDeleteLeaning forward Myrle! I think Myrle's issues are more operator error than your connection! He'sbeen very loyal to date! Thank you so much for your very generous donation. Very much appreciated. Hope all well there!
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