Completing the circuit 28 August

When we woke up this morning we were surrounded by cloud, but it was dry, so a huge improvement over yesterdays weather. It was very cool though, and I debated whether or not to put another jumper on. Hill wise started off well with a good long downhill run. However there were the inevitable up hill bits one of which included at least 5 hair pin bends (although it felt like many more), even the fast cars slowed down for those.

Horse meat sausages anyone?
We went through Mayen because route 258 turned into a motorway around about then. A very nice town with a nearly complete fortification wall around the old town centre. It also features a church with a interestingly twisted spire. A bit like the spire in Upukongaro it looks crooked because of the twists, but it is actually straight. We had coffee and tea there, even though it was only about 10am and officially too early to stop. It was nice sitting in the sun and trying to warm up again. George also managed to score a presentation pack for an Audi A1, a pretty little car, about the size of an Toyota Echo. We abandoned most of the stuff except for the drink bottle and the pottle of mini-smarties.











We got to the big statue in Koblenz around lunchtime. That closes the circle, as we stood in that exact same spot just over three weeks ago. This time I accepted the challenge and climbed to the top of the statue. What a difference! Three weeks ago I didn't think I could make it to the top after a bare hour of cycling and today I sprint to the top after a 60km bike ride.
George seen from the top of the statue - below third flag from the right

I'm the pick spot below the left hoof






Cycle-through money machine

From Koblenz we are once again following the Rhein, this time upstream and on the true left bank. Very easy cycling on nice flat paths. Later in the afternoon we got rather drenched by a heavy passing shower. Accomodation in St Goar was hard to come by. We must have asked at a dozen different hotels, before we found a room. It is a quaint place, sort of a cross between a youth hostel and a hotel. It has wiggly floors and door jambs that are too low for George. We're on the third floor, so that is six flights of stairs, with a brilliant view over the river and the ferry that plies between this and the opposite shore. Great place to watch boats and the bustle down in the street. This turned out to be the cheapest place we stayed at on this trip (other than staying with friends and family) and was within 12 hours of the most expensive hotel. The cheaper one had more character. Total distance covered about 92 km.
The cream building is our hotel

View from our room

Today we managed to pass three upstream boats (as in cycle faster than they were motoring). We couldn't catch the downstream boats on the way down as the combination of current and motor was just too fast. We also saw a herd of about 100 roller bladers closer to Koblenz, that would be hard going. Since Koblenz we are once again surrounded by other people on touring bikes. Mind you they all seem to dissapear at the first rain drop - you find them huddling under bushes and bridges as we cycle past. Only about 85km to get to Frankfurt and two days to do it in. We'`ll have to slow down or take a bit of a detour.
The type of slug that needs to be regularly avoided

Tourist 'train' that goes around St Goar