2017 Mosel trip

[Rynglieder]

Day 6 Koblenz - there and back (170 miles)

With no particular plan before we left the apartment, we made the decision over our usual breakfast in Bernkastel to simply ride down the river to Koblenz and take a few stops at some of the villages that we had just flown through on our runs down the Mosel on the previous nights.

The heat and sunshine had still not let up. This time we were able to take the western bank northwards from "home" as the road at re-opened under the new autobahn bridge, albeit with some speed restrictions.

We spent some time in Alf as it is an old favourite and the bakery that we recalled from the past was still there to provide us with another coffee and a bun. Next up was to be Cochem but the place that we used to park was now barriered off against bikes so we left it for the return trip. Navigation today was simple, just follow the river....

A couple of hours leisurely riding eventually bought us to the city of Koblenz at the confluence of the Rhein and Mosel. As usual we parked up at the Deutsches Eck where the promenade almost looks like the bow of a ship as it juts between the two rivers. As in other instances we decided to give the old town of Koblenz a miss as although it is worth a visit we had done it before. We chose instead to buy a couple of tickets for the cable-car that crosses the Rhein and takes you to the Ehrenbreitstein fortress on the opposite bank which we had never really had a good look round. We spent much longer than we had thought wandering around the museum's exhibition halls, took a little more time with a drink in the courtyard and taking in the views down to the city and two rivers below us. Our visit the fort was finished with an AV display down in one of the tunnels although it has to be said we may just have been enjoying the coolness down there rather than the show. Returning to the old town by the cable car we found that the promenade was becoming crowded with dozens of beer stalls and trailers; there was obviously going to be some sort of festival tonight –a shame we couldn't stop but we did find something to eat before we walked the short distance to the bike. "What time do you think it is?" asked my good lady. "About four?" I guessed. "Just gone six" came the answer. I still have no idea where the time went.

And so for the third time this week I had the GTR under me and the trip along the Mosel in the lengthening shadows to look forward to. You may think I would be bored of it by now, but it seemed to get better every time, pinching a few more MPH here and there.  On the way back down we did find the relocated bike park in Cochem so had a bit of a break there sat alongside the riverbank.

We were late-ish getting back to the apartment but there was still time to pull a beer from the fridge and unwind for half an hour or so on the balcony and start to think about what to do with tomorrow; our last full day in the valley.
 

[Kiwifruit]

Great write up and photos Pete.
Thanks for taking the time to put them up. 

[Andre]

Really enjoyed your write up and pics. Brought back lots of good memories way back to my childhood. Thank you!

[KiwiCol]

Really enjoyed your write up and pics. Brought back lots of good memories way back to my childhood. Thank you!

That was only last week Andre!

[Andre]

Last week? Serious? Can hardly remember last week, but what happened 45 years ago in and around Burg Cochem for 3 weeks I remember quite clearly. Sign of early onset of Altzheimers? Who cares...I don't   

[Timothy Spencer]

Here's some food for thought for next year and a way to get further away faster. Our trip this year, been home for just over a week started off by taking the Pan down to Weedon in Northants where it was loaded onto a lorry at about 11 am on a Tuesday. We used a company known as Bikeshuttle.
We also left our helmets and gear with them which were placed in soft lined storage boxes. We were then taken by minibus to a nearby pub where we had lunch. From there we were taken by luxury mini-coach to Luton Airport where we boarded an EasyJet flight to Geneva. We were picked up at the airport by the hotels courtesy bus. The hotel was just over the border in France.
The bikes came down overnight and were already being unloaded before breakfast.
This was all very smooth and stress free apart from a 50 minute EasyJet delay!
We then set off on our tour which was Brig, Switzerland; Varrena, Italy; Innsbruck, Austria; Konstanz, Germany; Baden-Baden, Germany, Clervaux, Luxembourg:
We managed the B500 in the Black Forest, the Stelvio and countless other passes and some ton up cruising on the Autobahn.
Our final night was on the P and O Ferry from Zeebrugge to Hull. Left at 19:00 Thursday and arrived in Hull at 08:30 Friday - everyone has a cabin. Then a simple ride home with no M25. In fact we headed cross country and did not use the mways to get home.

Here is the Bikeshuttle website. They can do one way in or out or return and are doing some runs to Toulouse soon too.
It is upt to you how you get to where the bike goes too but the website better explains it - we will use it again.
http://www.bikeshuttle.co.uk/

[Rynglieder]

Sorry about the break in continuity - too much going on in my life at the moment....


Day 7 – A little idling

For that last week I had got used to going downstairs and seeing the TV weather girl pointing at the map and saying the local equivalent of "Scorchio!" Today was looking a bit different though and some thundery rain was in prospect for the afternoon. We therefore decided not to go too far on our last day and stick close to Bernkastel. We had had three good runs up the valley north of our base so we made the usual breakfast stop and headed for Piesport, a village I had seen on the map but couldn't recall having stopped at although I must have ridden past it a dozen times in the past.

In the end I still never got there; we crossed the river at Minheim as a "panoramastraße" sign caught my eye and we followed that instead, climbing through the vineyards on one of those fingers of land that the Mosel loops around. A layby at the top offered good views of the valley Piesport below and as we stood taking in the views we were joined by half a dozen bikers from a Pforzheim patch club. We obliged them by taking a couple of group photos for them with their camera and exchanged a few words – their English being rather better than my German.

We then rode westwards into the Eifel with no real purpose, choosing a direction at random at each junction that we came to. It was a nice relaxing morning just loosing ourselves in the landscape; one of those days where you have to look at the receipts in your wallet to work out where you have actually been. Eventually we decided to head back and dropped back into the valley just north of Trier. Our last ride along the Mosel took us from there northwards along the river with a short stop at Neumagen-Dhron before returning to the apartment for the last time.

Back at Bernkastel the big idea was to do a bit of initial packing and cleaning in preparation for our departure the following day but like the couple of old folk we are becoming we both manged to nod off for an hour or so – I blame the heat.

The GTR was given the rest of the day off and we walked down through Kues to the riverside. Although there was a sign clearly saying it was verboten we decided to fütteren das wasservögel a bit as no one was looking. After walking over the bridge we settled into a riverside bar terrace and ordered a beer. We hadn't eaten much, it was still hot and the beer had a pretty immediate and impressive impact. Mindful of the big hill that I would have to walk back up to return to our accommodation I vowed that I would only have the one, but when the young lady with the big jugs (on a tray) came past the table and asked if I wanted another I have to confess I folded like a cheap tent.

The promised thunderstorm never came so we walked back up to the apartment in the dry, the time had come to face the oven and a lasagne that had been languishing in the fridge for most of the week. An apartment with a kitchen is a bit wasted on us really although we had taken the trouble to find somewhere we could cook for ourselves it had been used very little. Never mind, less cleaning to do tomorrow.

[Buddynq]

Beautiful Countyside

[Sweaty]

Great pics, looks sensational 

[Andre]

Not nice this construction stuff here and in the pics of Burg Eltz. But still nice to see them working on the castles.

As a side note. Our minister for integration stated that there is no German culture except for the language. She (a person with Turkish roots) apparently understands integration is for the native Germans and not for those who come here to take advantage of our social system (€ for doing nothing).  Not enough reducing our culture to language, they want Arabic taught in our primary school system. Let the fox guard the hen house seems to be the order of the day in popular German politics.

Sorry for the high jack but had to get this off my mind.

[Sweaty]

We feel you pain. Don't get me started on the Politically correct bullshit that has taken over Australia.

[KiwiCol]

Snap Sweaty, it's getting in everywhere!

[Hooli]

Not nice this construction stuff here and in the pics of Burg Eltz. But still nice to see them working on the castles.

As a side note. Our minister for integration stated that there is no German culture except for the language. She (a person with Turkish roots) apparently understands integration is for the native Germans and not for those who come here to take advantage of our social system (€ for doing nothing).  Not enough reducing our culture to language, they want Arabic taught in our primary school system. Let the fox guard the hen house seems to be the order of the day in popular German politics.

Sorry for the high jack but had to get this off my mind.

Why do you think so many people over here voted out of the EU?

[Andre]

I fully understand why so many of you voted to get out and I agree. To me the EU is a thoroughly undemocratic construct. While I want that we Europeans are getting along peacefully, this is just not the right way. That is why I vote in the next election a party that is highly critical of the EU.

[Hooli]

Good for you.

I really like Germany, but I can see what's happening there too when I visit. I'm glad you lot living there realise too.