Beer at the top of Col du Marchairuz
View of Lake Geneva and The Alps
THE END - love my helmet hair!
Receiving our medals from Fiona and Kirsty, and Hector!
Sunday, 11 August 2013
Day 18 photos
Resting half way up the col du Mollendruz
Lac de Joux
Meetin Iain
The high point of the tour. All downhill from here.
Day 18 - Colombier to Rolle (on lake Geneva)
At 8pm we arrived at Rolle on Lake Geneva (or Lac Leman as the French call it) the end of the ride!!!! We then rode up the last 40 m climb to our friends Cathy and Iain in the village of Peroy where we are to stay for a couple of days holiday.
The day started early leaving at 9.30, now taking the familiar routine of Chris and Paula shopping in the local supermarket while I fix the bikes, in today's case it was Rachel's first gear which did not work on the climb on the previous day.
The first 15k were along rolling roads to the north of Lake Neuchatel before the cycle paths started and continued for 15k to Yverdon at the west end of the lake. We had 2 options from here, either head towards Lausanne and cycle along Lake Geneva to Rolle, or head East and add a couple of good climbs. We obviously went for the second option.
The road from Yverdon to Orbe was good, and it was here that the first climb started. The next 20k was a lovely gentle climb from 500m in Orbe to 1144m at le Pont. It was nothing like yesterday's horror climb. We all managed it very easily with Kate picking up the KoM points, Chris, Sarah and myself close behind, soon followed by Rachel and Paula. I suggested a 4k detour to pick up a Col. Everyone was up for it (am I finally converting them?). So we rode to and from Col du Mollendruz EL.1180 before the short descent to Lac de Joux. This lake is just over 1000m above sea level and there was an amusing sign telling people not to throw rocks at ice skaters.
We stopped for a break by the lake and before pressing on. We had been texting Iain all day as he was keen to bike to us and ride the last part together. At Lac de Joux we agreed to meet him on Col du Marchairuz (1447m) and enjoy the last descent together. However before this we had to climb it from the north side. It was only a 400m climb but the early stages were very steep, not quite as severe as yesterday's, but about 9-12%. It became a bit easier before reaching a false top at 1337 m. It was here that we met Iain which was fantastic. Kate again won the climb. Next time she is having panniers! Rachel refused to let me help her, now her gears were working she had no problem.
The last 100m climb to the Col became a race, Kate trying to beat Iain, who has just ridden a stage of the Tour de France, so it was great to see Kate being put in her place. After Kate was Chris closely followed by Sarah, then myself, Rachel and Paula. We had a drink in the restaurant before one of the highlights of the whole trip, a 24k descent to Lake Geneva with fantastic views of the lake, Mount Blanc and the Alps. We all simply loved it, getting up to 68kph, the roads were smooth wide and no dangerous corners.
So it was with big smiles that we arrived at Rolle beach, Iain took the obligatory photos before we rode up to Peroy where we were presented with medals made by Iain and Cathys girls, Fiona and Kirsty.
It had been a hard but great days ride. We were all very happy to finish and look forward to a couple of days of resting, swimming, eating, drinking and sleeping!
today's stats
Distance 117.1 k
Time 5.52.26
Average speed 19.9kph
Climb 1551m
Total distance 1548k
The day started early leaving at 9.30, now taking the familiar routine of Chris and Paula shopping in the local supermarket while I fix the bikes, in today's case it was Rachel's first gear which did not work on the climb on the previous day.
The first 15k were along rolling roads to the north of Lake Neuchatel before the cycle paths started and continued for 15k to Yverdon at the west end of the lake. We had 2 options from here, either head towards Lausanne and cycle along Lake Geneva to Rolle, or head East and add a couple of good climbs. We obviously went for the second option.
The road from Yverdon to Orbe was good, and it was here that the first climb started. The next 20k was a lovely gentle climb from 500m in Orbe to 1144m at le Pont. It was nothing like yesterday's horror climb. We all managed it very easily with Kate picking up the KoM points, Chris, Sarah and myself close behind, soon followed by Rachel and Paula. I suggested a 4k detour to pick up a Col. Everyone was up for it (am I finally converting them?). So we rode to and from Col du Mollendruz EL.1180 before the short descent to Lac de Joux. This lake is just over 1000m above sea level and there was an amusing sign telling people not to throw rocks at ice skaters.
We stopped for a break by the lake and before pressing on. We had been texting Iain all day as he was keen to bike to us and ride the last part together. At Lac de Joux we agreed to meet him on Col du Marchairuz (1447m) and enjoy the last descent together. However before this we had to climb it from the north side. It was only a 400m climb but the early stages were very steep, not quite as severe as yesterday's, but about 9-12%. It became a bit easier before reaching a false top at 1337 m. It was here that we met Iain which was fantastic. Kate again won the climb. Next time she is having panniers! Rachel refused to let me help her, now her gears were working she had no problem.
The last 100m climb to the Col became a race, Kate trying to beat Iain, who has just ridden a stage of the Tour de France, so it was great to see Kate being put in her place. After Kate was Chris closely followed by Sarah, then myself, Rachel and Paula. We had a drink in the restaurant before one of the highlights of the whole trip, a 24k descent to Lake Geneva with fantastic views of the lake, Mount Blanc and the Alps. We all simply loved it, getting up to 68kph, the roads were smooth wide and no dangerous corners.
So it was with big smiles that we arrived at Rolle beach, Iain took the obligatory photos before we rode up to Peroy where we were presented with medals made by Iain and Cathys girls, Fiona and Kirsty.
It had been a hard but great days ride. We were all very happy to finish and look forward to a couple of days of resting, swimming, eating, drinking and sleeping!
today's stats
Distance 117.1 k
Time 5.52.26
Average speed 19.9kph
Climb 1551m
Total distance 1548k
Day 17 - more photos
Cooling feet in lake Bieler
Jumping in lake Bieler in the pouring rain
Sun setting over lake Neuchatel
Day 17 - Photos
The early part of the climb from Court to Grenchen
Team cuddle at top of the hard part of climb - to keep warm
Paula near the top of the climb
Start of the descent
Day 16 - photos
Typical signpost on a German cycle path, with various route numbers, smaller signs are for walkers
On the longest single span cycle/pedestrian bridge in the world, looking south. The right feet are in Germany, the left feet in France, the buildings over Chris's right shoulder are in Switzerland
The bridge
View of Basel, about to say goodbye to the Rhine
Wet, cold, eating great chips at the end of the ride in Delemont
Day 15 - more photos - THE RESCUE
Chris swimming out to help Sarah as she is getting pulled into the rapids. The first question I was asked was "did you video it?" No, but I did take a photo.
Chris , Sarah , "the small crowd and the skull crushing rocks"
Day 15 - photos
Biking along the excellent path south of Strasbourg
Hail stones the size of marbles. But only lasted for 30 mins.
Day 17 - Delemont to Colombier
I woke up at 6am to sound of heavy rain as promised in the forecast. Our room for the night was 6 beds wedged together side by side making us look like the Seven dwarfs (only that there were 6 of us tall folk.....), and loads of wet clothes hanging all around us, yet we all slept well. Next time I woke was 8am and the rain had stopped. At breakfast we were promised a possible dry morning with rain in the afternoon. So we moved as quickly as Wiseman's can in a morning, ate as much as we could, put our wet clothes on, stocked up with food in Lidl and headed off about 10.30.
The first 20k were along the river valley through Moutiers and turning left at Court for our first serious climb. The 20k to Court was gradually up hill climbing to an elevation of 675m in Court from 550m in Delemont. The route was on a main road but through some lovely gorges. The road had cycle paths between the villages and towns but not in the towns. I must say that the drivers in Switzerland are the most arrogant and impatient drivers I have met. After the fantastically patient drivers from Holland, Germany and England to suddenly have drivers overtaking through towns on blind corners when they are not allowed to cross the central white line was very disappointing at best, and incredibly dangerous at worst. Several times drivers coming the other way had to break hard or drive off the road to avoid a head on collision. We always used the cycle paths, which were good, or rode in 2 groups of 3 where there was no path to make overtaking easier. The drivers attitude may also explain why there are relatively few cyclists in Swiss towns compared to Germany, Holland and even England.
When we reached Court we started the big climb, I did not think it would be too hard, just a climb of 650m. My first comment was "this looks steep". It was. It started with a 10% climb and then got steeper. I started the climb first and stopped to take photos. Chris and Kate were next to pass me, Chris out of the saddle fighting the weight of the 2 heavy panniers, Kate like Nairo Quintaro (winner of the king of the mountains at this years tour), floating up the hill behind him. Then Sarah, looking very comfortable. Rachel, next, what I did not realise was that Rachel could not use her bottom gear also she has only two gear rings in the front gears , I.e, a compact gear set, this meant she was always fighting the bike. This also meant her bottom gear would not have been as easy as mine even if it worked! She was also carrying her pannier which included her make up bag, not light. Next was Paula, who had started walking!!!!! However I was only cycling at 4-6kph, which is walking pace.
The climb was brutal, it got steeper. 10 - 14% for 5k with out a break. Worse than stelvio pass, alpe d'huez and the Galibier. Apparently my quote was "This makes the Alpe d'Huez seem like a piece of p***!"
After a couple of Ks Rachel was struggling so badly I had to take her pannier, that was 5 panniers for me. It had now started to rain and had got cooler, it dropped to 13C. My back ached, and I was suffering badly, I could not stop, as I knew I could not start again, as it was too steep. Eventually the slope got easier and I saw Chris, Sarah, Kate and Paula waiting for Rachel and me. Kate had won the climb, her only comment was "I am getting cold waiting for you lot!"
The last part of the climb was quite easy and we all crossed it without any problem. The first part of the descent was slippy and we all took care. After regrouping we descended the last part of the climb,
Chris and Kate went first, I gave them a couple of minutes headstart then chased them down. The
highlight of my trip so far. was flying passed them both at 60k giving them a huge fright! Gravity winning!
By the time we arrived in Grenchem it was warm, and we breezed into Biel/Bienne cruising along the main road. Biel/Bienne is where the language changes from German on the East to French on the West, but to avoid offending anyone Paula just spoke English!!
We rode along a cycle track to the north side of lake Biel, and we stopped for the children to have a swim in the lake. By the time they had got in, it was raining again and Paula and myself were hiding under the the train train track. We wanted to go as far as we could so we pressed on to Landeron for a good, but expensive dinner served in the lovely old part of town.
It simply poured down when we left the restaurant, but stopped soon to provide some amazing views of lake Neuchatel, we passed through the town of Neuchatel before finding a hotel in Colombier. It was quite late (9.20) so bargaining power was limited, 300 Swiss francs (about £220) for a very ordinary hotel for B&B seems pricy, but this is Switzerland!
We had ridden more than I had hoped as the forecast had been awful. Tomorrow would be the last ( but hardest) day!
Today's stats
Distance 99.7k
Time 5.33.05
Average speed 17.9 kph
Climb 1115m ( by far the most)
Total distance 1427k
The first 20k were along the river valley through Moutiers and turning left at Court for our first serious climb. The 20k to Court was gradually up hill climbing to an elevation of 675m in Court from 550m in Delemont. The route was on a main road but through some lovely gorges. The road had cycle paths between the villages and towns but not in the towns. I must say that the drivers in Switzerland are the most arrogant and impatient drivers I have met. After the fantastically patient drivers from Holland, Germany and England to suddenly have drivers overtaking through towns on blind corners when they are not allowed to cross the central white line was very disappointing at best, and incredibly dangerous at worst. Several times drivers coming the other way had to break hard or drive off the road to avoid a head on collision. We always used the cycle paths, which were good, or rode in 2 groups of 3 where there was no path to make overtaking easier. The drivers attitude may also explain why there are relatively few cyclists in Swiss towns compared to Germany, Holland and even England.
When we reached Court we started the big climb, I did not think it would be too hard, just a climb of 650m. My first comment was "this looks steep". It was. It started with a 10% climb and then got steeper. I started the climb first and stopped to take photos. Chris and Kate were next to pass me, Chris out of the saddle fighting the weight of the 2 heavy panniers, Kate like Nairo Quintaro (winner of the king of the mountains at this years tour), floating up the hill behind him. Then Sarah, looking very comfortable. Rachel, next, what I did not realise was that Rachel could not use her bottom gear also she has only two gear rings in the front gears , I.e, a compact gear set, this meant she was always fighting the bike. This also meant her bottom gear would not have been as easy as mine even if it worked! She was also carrying her pannier which included her make up bag, not light. Next was Paula, who had started walking!!!!! However I was only cycling at 4-6kph, which is walking pace.
The climb was brutal, it got steeper. 10 - 14% for 5k with out a break. Worse than stelvio pass, alpe d'huez and the Galibier. Apparently my quote was "This makes the Alpe d'Huez seem like a piece of p***!"
After a couple of Ks Rachel was struggling so badly I had to take her pannier, that was 5 panniers for me. It had now started to rain and had got cooler, it dropped to 13C. My back ached, and I was suffering badly, I could not stop, as I knew I could not start again, as it was too steep. Eventually the slope got easier and I saw Chris, Sarah, Kate and Paula waiting for Rachel and me. Kate had won the climb, her only comment was "I am getting cold waiting for you lot!"
The last part of the climb was quite easy and we all crossed it without any problem. The first part of the descent was slippy and we all took care. After regrouping we descended the last part of the climb,
Chris and Kate went first, I gave them a couple of minutes headstart then chased them down. The
highlight of my trip so far. was flying passed them both at 60k giving them a huge fright! Gravity winning!
By the time we arrived in Grenchem it was warm, and we breezed into Biel/Bienne cruising along the main road. Biel/Bienne is where the language changes from German on the East to French on the West, but to avoid offending anyone Paula just spoke English!!
We rode along a cycle track to the north side of lake Biel, and we stopped for the children to have a swim in the lake. By the time they had got in, it was raining again and Paula and myself were hiding under the the train train track. We wanted to go as far as we could so we pressed on to Landeron for a good, but expensive dinner served in the lovely old part of town.
It simply poured down when we left the restaurant, but stopped soon to provide some amazing views of lake Neuchatel, we passed through the town of Neuchatel before finding a hotel in Colombier. It was quite late (9.20) so bargaining power was limited, 300 Swiss francs (about £220) for a very ordinary hotel for B&B seems pricy, but this is Switzerland!
We had ridden more than I had hoped as the forecast had been awful. Tomorrow would be the last ( but hardest) day!
Today's stats
Distance 99.7k
Time 5.33.05
Average speed 17.9 kph
Climb 1115m ( by far the most)
Total distance 1427k
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
Day 16 - Neuenberg to Delemont
The day started with a lovely breakfast, and we had all had a good sleep during a much fresher night. What was better was that our friendly landlady had told us the forecast was 27C and no rain. I popped out to pick up a couple of inner tubes as we decided to bin the ones filled with slime, Paula and Rachel went to Aldi to buy the days provisions, and we met her there just as she walked out of the shop. Of course we had the customary tour of the town trying to find shop.
Nevertheless, spirits were high, the weather warm, but not hot, and there was no rain forecast..
We continued on the Rhine path on the German side all the way to Basel then crossed to France on the longest single span bridge in the world for cyclists/pedestrians. We did not have to cross here, but I had wanted to since reading about it a few weeks ago. The downside of this route was that we entered Switzerland on the industrial side. However after 16 days on the road we had cycled from home to Switerland!!!
We popped in to a bike shop to pick up a front light, and surprisingly it was not much more expensive than the UK, and after chatting to the owner, crossed to the more picturesque east side for a couple of Ks before one last crossing of the Rhine where we said our goodbyes having followed it since Cologne.
My biggest surprise about the Rhine is how industrial it is, and how many cargo boats travel along it. Apparently 2/3 of all Europe's river shipping traffic is on the Rhine, but it does make for varied and flat cycling.
Cycling out of Basel was quite easy, thanks to a kindly gentleman who went out of his way to show us the route via Reinach. The clouds were now getting very heavy, it had spitted a bit during the day but was comfortably warm. At Aaech, the rain got heavy, we put our coats on, it then got really heavy. We had hoped to get to Moutier, in fact the original plan was to get to Biel but I had binned that idea before we started today as it was too long.
We did not have an option but to carry on, the temperature dropped a bit, the rain got even heavier, and the cycle paths had finished so we were now on the main roads. One thing we did have was a dedicated lane for most of the way. The traffic was heavy and we had to shout to communicate. After 3/4 hour we passed through Laufen taking care on the slippery cobblestones before rejoining the main road again.
It was miserable, Kate and I were cold, the others not too bad, we kept on chugging on until we saw a cycle path. One good thing about mountains is that route finding is very easy as all roads go up the same valley. This cycle path was no different but was partly unpaved which made the going even slower. Just as we were at the end of the last unpaved bit Kate came flying off her bike to land on her sore arm. Poor girl, even I gave her some sympathy!
We decided to stop in Delemont which is just 12 k short of Moutier. The last few Ks were uneventful, but still very wet. As we arrived in Delemont Paula saw an international youth hostel and booked a family room while we scoffed some chips in the kebab house next door. The room which includes an evening meal and breakfast is about 230euros, which I am guessing is cheap for Switzerland. Once washed and fed we all cheered up quickly, laughing about the miserable end to another unforgettable day.
Only problem is the forecast is for rain all day tomorrow, hope it is as wrong as today's one.
Today's stats
Distance 90.89k
Time 4.59.39
Average speed 18.1 kph
Climb 332m (a gradual drag from Basel to Delemont)
Total distance 1329 k
Nevertheless, spirits were high, the weather warm, but not hot, and there was no rain forecast..
We continued on the Rhine path on the German side all the way to Basel then crossed to France on the longest single span bridge in the world for cyclists/pedestrians. We did not have to cross here, but I had wanted to since reading about it a few weeks ago. The downside of this route was that we entered Switzerland on the industrial side. However after 16 days on the road we had cycled from home to Switerland!!!
We popped in to a bike shop to pick up a front light, and surprisingly it was not much more expensive than the UK, and after chatting to the owner, crossed to the more picturesque east side for a couple of Ks before one last crossing of the Rhine where we said our goodbyes having followed it since Cologne.
My biggest surprise about the Rhine is how industrial it is, and how many cargo boats travel along it. Apparently 2/3 of all Europe's river shipping traffic is on the Rhine, but it does make for varied and flat cycling.
Cycling out of Basel was quite easy, thanks to a kindly gentleman who went out of his way to show us the route via Reinach. The clouds were now getting very heavy, it had spitted a bit during the day but was comfortably warm. At Aaech, the rain got heavy, we put our coats on, it then got really heavy. We had hoped to get to Moutier, in fact the original plan was to get to Biel but I had binned that idea before we started today as it was too long.
We did not have an option but to carry on, the temperature dropped a bit, the rain got even heavier, and the cycle paths had finished so we were now on the main roads. One thing we did have was a dedicated lane for most of the way. The traffic was heavy and we had to shout to communicate. After 3/4 hour we passed through Laufen taking care on the slippery cobblestones before rejoining the main road again.
It was miserable, Kate and I were cold, the others not too bad, we kept on chugging on until we saw a cycle path. One good thing about mountains is that route finding is very easy as all roads go up the same valley. This cycle path was no different but was partly unpaved which made the going even slower. Just as we were at the end of the last unpaved bit Kate came flying off her bike to land on her sore arm. Poor girl, even I gave her some sympathy!
We decided to stop in Delemont which is just 12 k short of Moutier. The last few Ks were uneventful, but still very wet. As we arrived in Delemont Paula saw an international youth hostel and booked a family room while we scoffed some chips in the kebab house next door. The room which includes an evening meal and breakfast is about 230euros, which I am guessing is cheap for Switzerland. Once washed and fed we all cheered up quickly, laughing about the miserable end to another unforgettable day.
Only problem is the forecast is for rain all day tomorrow, hope it is as wrong as today's one.
Today's stats
Distance 90.89k
Time 4.59.39
Average speed 18.1 kph
Climb 332m (a gradual drag from Basel to Delemont)
Total distance 1329 k
Day 15 - Strasbourg to Neuenberg
We had a good and late night in Strasbourg enjoying the city. We did not sleep much as it was very hot and with the windows open it was very noisy. So we were all a bit tired and grumpy as we ate our breakfast in our bedroom. I wasn't going to pay 54 Euros for breakfast!
We left at 11am (again!!! Bob Yates would not be impressed, nor me for that matter) and soon picked up the Rhone-Rhine canal path. This has to rank as the best path in the world to make up for lost time. It was perfectly surfaced, dead straight and flat, and going parallel to the Route of the Rhine and with a slight tail wind. After a quick stop for a bar we pressed on leaving Chris to catch up. After a while a group of 4 very fit, tanned roadies all in the same club kit came shooting passed, and hanging on, quite happily to the back of the group was Chris with a huge smile on his face. We were going at about 16-17 mph they must have being biking at 25-27 mph.
After 50k on the canal path we stopped for lunch in Marckolsheim, yet another gorgeous but quiet town in France. Thunder was promised and had been threatening for a while. As we ate our pizza/pasta lunch the thunderstorm arrived. It was short but very dramatic with hailstones the size of marbles. (Photo to follow)
Fortunately it cleared by 3 pm and as the perfect cycle path had finished we continued on the roads through Artzenheim and Kunheim before crossing the Rhine back to Germany on the South edge of Breisach am Rhein. The path was now the good but unpaved path that is common in Germany. It closely followed the Rhine route, therefore made navigation easy, which is a big bonus. There is nothing I find more frustrating during cycle touring then going the wrong way, or standing on the roadside not having a clue where you are. We had decided to stop in Neuenberg, and about 10k before in Gressheim we spotted a lovely spot by the river for a rest.
The next part is written by Chris, or actually by Paula typing what Chris has written, I just wish his English essays were this good...
"Somewhere in the last 10k we stopped at a place along the Rhine to skim some stones and have a possible swim. With Chris in the shallows throwing rocks and the girls having a dip it was looking like a good end to the day. However the mood changed as Sarah's scream cut through the air. She had strayed too near the rapids. As she desperately struggled to swim out a small crowd gathered. The pull was too strong and soon she faced the inevitable....... She was going to have to face the churning water and the skull smashing rocks. Suddenly there was another body in the water. Chris had heard the commotion, raced to the bridge and leapt off to rescue his sister. With Sarah still panicking he approached. He shouted over the roar of the rapid to go with the flow feet first. As they were pulled down the river the under currents ripped them down and then threw them back to the surface. Whilst they dogged boulders and treaded water Chris was looking for a place to drag them out. Finally the river slowed and Chris took the opportunity to drag Sarah to the river edge. The crowd cheered as they saw the act of heroism. Sarah only had a few cuts and bruises, Chris and Sarah were fine."
After that drama the last 10k flew by, and we soon in Neuenberg where we booked "Zimmer Frei" (rooms available) instead of a hotel. It was cheaper than we normally pay, 138 euros including breakfast. Normally it is close to 200 euros. I showered and instantly fell asleep and had to be woken for dinner, where we had our first schnitzel and schnapps of our stay in Germany. A good end to a good day
Today's stats
Distance 102.4k
Time 4.50.13
Average speed 21.1kph ( fastest so far)
Climb 199m
Total distance 1238k
We left at 11am (again!!! Bob Yates would not be impressed, nor me for that matter) and soon picked up the Rhone-Rhine canal path. This has to rank as the best path in the world to make up for lost time. It was perfectly surfaced, dead straight and flat, and going parallel to the Route of the Rhine and with a slight tail wind. After a quick stop for a bar we pressed on leaving Chris to catch up. After a while a group of 4 very fit, tanned roadies all in the same club kit came shooting passed, and hanging on, quite happily to the back of the group was Chris with a huge smile on his face. We were going at about 16-17 mph they must have being biking at 25-27 mph.
After 50k on the canal path we stopped for lunch in Marckolsheim, yet another gorgeous but quiet town in France. Thunder was promised and had been threatening for a while. As we ate our pizza/pasta lunch the thunderstorm arrived. It was short but very dramatic with hailstones the size of marbles. (Photo to follow)
Fortunately it cleared by 3 pm and as the perfect cycle path had finished we continued on the roads through Artzenheim and Kunheim before crossing the Rhine back to Germany on the South edge of Breisach am Rhein. The path was now the good but unpaved path that is common in Germany. It closely followed the Rhine route, therefore made navigation easy, which is a big bonus. There is nothing I find more frustrating during cycle touring then going the wrong way, or standing on the roadside not having a clue where you are. We had decided to stop in Neuenberg, and about 10k before in Gressheim we spotted a lovely spot by the river for a rest.
The next part is written by Chris, or actually by Paula typing what Chris has written, I just wish his English essays were this good...
"Somewhere in the last 10k we stopped at a place along the Rhine to skim some stones and have a possible swim. With Chris in the shallows throwing rocks and the girls having a dip it was looking like a good end to the day. However the mood changed as Sarah's scream cut through the air. She had strayed too near the rapids. As she desperately struggled to swim out a small crowd gathered. The pull was too strong and soon she faced the inevitable....... She was going to have to face the churning water and the skull smashing rocks. Suddenly there was another body in the water. Chris had heard the commotion, raced to the bridge and leapt off to rescue his sister. With Sarah still panicking he approached. He shouted over the roar of the rapid to go with the flow feet first. As they were pulled down the river the under currents ripped them down and then threw them back to the surface. Whilst they dogged boulders and treaded water Chris was looking for a place to drag them out. Finally the river slowed and Chris took the opportunity to drag Sarah to the river edge. The crowd cheered as they saw the act of heroism. Sarah only had a few cuts and bruises, Chris and Sarah were fine."
After that drama the last 10k flew by, and we soon in Neuenberg where we booked "Zimmer Frei" (rooms available) instead of a hotel. It was cheaper than we normally pay, 138 euros including breakfast. Normally it is close to 200 euros. I showered and instantly fell asleep and had to be woken for dinner, where we had our first schnitzel and schnapps of our stay in Germany. A good end to a good day
Today's stats
Distance 102.4k
Time 4.50.13
Average speed 21.1kph ( fastest so far)
Climb 199m
Total distance 1238k
Tuesday, 6 August 2013
Day 14 - Karlsruhe to Strasbourg
After a sad farewell we left Karlsruhe at about 10am, we cycled via Etlingen to Rastatt along a good and fast cycle track, soon after Rastatt we crossed the Rhine and entered France for the first time on our trip. Rachel was bombing along, often in front, partly due to the fact that she was the beneficiary of us reducing our panniers from 9 to 8. The Rhine path in France was very good, but in a dip outside of the flood defence, so providing no views, however we made great progress. Kate had a front puncture, the bike she has borrowed has green slime in the inner tubes that is supposed to self fix punctures, so I tried pumping it up again to see if it would work, the only positive result was that Kate and anyone cycling next to her got covered with the stuff!
It was a very hot day again with temperatures in the mid 30s.
I have cycled in France and it always seems that the place is empty and the shops are closed. Obviously I avoid the main towns, but the smaller towns and villages seem deserted. Especially when thirsty there is nowhere to buy water. We had our lunch ( sandwiches courtesy of Ali, thank you ) on the edge of the road, but we had committed the basic crime of running out of water, we crawled through a couple of villages until our luck changed in Gambshein where a boulangerie was open during lunch time. We bought fanta and coke and got our water bottles refilled.
We decided to visit the fish ladders at Gambshein, which meant retracing our route. These ladders are 290m long and raise by 10m and are only 7 years old. They allow for migratory fish in particular salmon, there seems to be a great drive to allow Salmon to return to the streams they have not visited in years. You can view the fish through a glass wall underground, however we did not see any, wrong time of the year. But where we were was lovely and cool and watching the water go by put all of us, except Rachel to sleep.
Returning to Gambshein village Chris noticed the temperature on a sign outside a shop was saying 46C, he was just saying "forty six degrees!" when he hit a kerb and just managed to jump off his bike before the crash. so far the crash count is kate 3, chris 2, sarah & paula 1, rachel and brendan 0.
There were more good cycle paths to Strasbourg, and we arrived before 7pm and found our hotel easily. For once we had pre booked the hotel. Strasbourg is a lovely place, we had a good wander around, a Chinese meal and were then entertained by a light and music show on the walls of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Even though we are in France, everyone assumes we are Dutch or German. The number of comments we have had from people thinking we are Dutch is incredible!
Today's stats
Distance 99.22k
Time 4.49.05
Average speed 20.5h
Climb 237m
Total distance 1137k
It was a very hot day again with temperatures in the mid 30s.
I have cycled in France and it always seems that the place is empty and the shops are closed. Obviously I avoid the main towns, but the smaller towns and villages seem deserted. Especially when thirsty there is nowhere to buy water. We had our lunch ( sandwiches courtesy of Ali, thank you ) on the edge of the road, but we had committed the basic crime of running out of water, we crawled through a couple of villages until our luck changed in Gambshein where a boulangerie was open during lunch time. We bought fanta and coke and got our water bottles refilled.
We decided to visit the fish ladders at Gambshein, which meant retracing our route. These ladders are 290m long and raise by 10m and are only 7 years old. They allow for migratory fish in particular salmon, there seems to be a great drive to allow Salmon to return to the streams they have not visited in years. You can view the fish through a glass wall underground, however we did not see any, wrong time of the year. But where we were was lovely and cool and watching the water go by put all of us, except Rachel to sleep.
Returning to Gambshein village Chris noticed the temperature on a sign outside a shop was saying 46C, he was just saying "forty six degrees!" when he hit a kerb and just managed to jump off his bike before the crash. so far the crash count is kate 3, chris 2, sarah & paula 1, rachel and brendan 0.
There were more good cycle paths to Strasbourg, and we arrived before 7pm and found our hotel easily. For once we had pre booked the hotel. Strasbourg is a lovely place, we had a good wander around, a Chinese meal and were then entertained by a light and music show on the walls of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Even though we are in France, everyone assumes we are Dutch or German. The number of comments we have had from people thinking we are Dutch is incredible!
Today's stats
Distance 99.22k
Time 4.49.05
Average speed 20.5h
Climb 237m
Total distance 1137k
Day 11 - photos
The Wisemans and Rory "chilling out "by playing cards in Speyer during lunch in 38C heat!
Bill, Rory and team Wiseman arriving in Karlsruhe
Day 9 - photos
Cycling out of Koblenz, Rachel sorting her hair as she cruises on
The pretty part of the Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen
The daily icecream
Day 7 - photos
Chilling out on one of the German cycle paths. A lot of these are un paved, but are away from the traffic
Day 6 - photos
Now which way?
Chris getting stuck into spare ribs in Deurne before the midnight finish in Venlo
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