Snacking through the Alps

We cruised into Koblenz yesterday around 10:30 am and parked our bikes at a Bett + Bike hotel near the train station. Then we scooted to the station to meet Gesa's train. She traveled all the way from Bayreuth to spend the afternoon with us. So great to catch up on news about each other's families, as well as mutual friends in Corvallis.  Here's a picture from our time cycling with Gesa's family in the Netherlands in 2019: We got Gesa back on her train around 7 pm (and due to delays and the crazy long journey, she didn't get home until 1:30 am!!). It was so generous of her to come all the way to Koblenz to see us! After seven nights in a row of camping, sleeping in a hotel was a most welcome change. Ahhhh. Also the hotel breakfast was pretty spectacular -- brochen, cheese, meats, cucumber, sliced tomatoes, red pepper, hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, yogurt, cereal, etc. These Bett +Bike hotels know how to fortify their guests be...

It is beginning to feel like we are winding down. Tomorrow early in the morning we get to the confluence of the Mosel and the Rhine and have completed that part of this event. After that we only have to go a couple more days to get back to our friends in Wiesbaden for departure. We are still looking forward to the two days on the Rhine because they are particularly nice in our previous experiences, but they also feel in some way like an extended trip to the airport. So now it will be important to ride with intentionality. The vineyards in the valley continued to be amazing in their ability to work nearly vertical slopes. We haven't had a chance to see any of the monorail trains in action that go up the curving tracks to the upper terraces but we will keep hoping.  The towns we go through are still wonderful with their pedestrian areas and fountain streams that some riders feel a necessity to ride through. Tonight's campground seems to be extremely popular. Hundreds...

Overcast today, with some significant gusts of wind. We breakfasted on fresh brochen, cheese, yogurt, tea, coffee, and granola at the campground cafe tables, and then set out for a fairly moderate day of riding -- just 29 miles. Funny how our standards have changed. Thirty miles used to be a regular day for us, but now we know we can manage 42 or 45! We watched a very cute swan family diligently preening their feathers with incredibly flexible necks... There were some fantastic structures and towns along the way... And some rough gravel and sand stretches (we've been spoiled by perfect pavement!)... At lunchtime, just after Lyle declared it was time to look for food, we happened upon "meat shop" that gave us heaping plates of traditional German fare. Goulash over noodles, and thick slabs of ham, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut. We were able to wo...

We had a nice night In our campground, punctuated only by a strong rainstorm in the middle of the night. I believe that emergency rainfly rolling should be an Olympic event, as there is nothing better than being awakened from a deep sleep to run out In the rain and begin rolling down the sides of the tents. When done properly in the Greek style, this should be of course performed naked, and include trying to get back into the sleeping bag.  Because we were not going as far today, We waited for most everything to dry at least some and then rolled up the wet remainders and got on the road several hours later than we did the day before. It was lovely riding through beautiful villages and down quiet roads and paths between vineyards. It was kind of the whole point of this trip. We continue to meet amazing and fun people. This morning at the campground our neighbors are from the Netherlands and they are spending Hurricane season riding their motorcycl...

Today we rode 43 miles down the Mosel from Trier to Bernkastel-Kues. We were expecting a day of rain, but ultimately it just sprinkled on us while we were packing up. This propelled us rapidly out of camp and into a nearby bakery for breakfast. Mom will be pleased to hear that this valley seems unchanged since we rode through on tandems in 1983. Same steep vineyards, same half-timber houses, same beautiful river. Fun to ride it again with my own (big) kids. World-class bicycling! Lunch was an odd combo of fruit, peanut butter, and cookies we were carrying, and yogurt, blueberries, and drinks we procured from a grocery store a little further down the road. The only glitch in an otherwise glorious day of riding was that a bug that flew into Lyle's eye and stung him. Super shocking and painful! A little swelling but fortunately nothing major. Supper was rice and a can of veggie/lentil stew, along with cherry tomat...