The statement "No Water" was a common one when doing the PCT last spring. It required a constant vigilance to be sure we had a water source so we could refill each day. Here in Europe, on EuroVelo 15, finding fluids to drink is not a problem. We pass dozens of small towns and shops everyday where water, beer or soda is available. So, the statement "No Water" in this case refers to temperatures cool enough that we are not soaking in our own sweat nor dripping wet from rain. Today was the first day of the trip (note above this is the 34th day) when it wasn't above 85° or raining. We are neither sweating from the heat nor sweating inside our rain gear.
What a difference! The high today was 72°. There was no wind. The sky was clear blue. We rode in complete comfort in our T-shirts. We didn't feel the need to hurry up the ride and get out of the sun by noon.
Our path took us back across the Rhine to the center of Cologne, then right, heading, as always, downstream. This morning the ride was a mix of city waterfront with parks, cafes, and tree lined lanes, then gritty "Joe vs The Volcano" industrial manufacturing including a Ford manufacturing plant that stretched for a few miles followed by quaint towns with tree lined streets, and finally open farm fields with miles of open view. Through it all, it was perfect weather. One of those days you feel like singing as you ride along.
Although it is only the 18th of August, it feels like fall. Is it the angle of the sun in the sky? The cooler temperature? The leaves scattered about under the trees? The ripened corn, turnips and apples we go whisking past? Most likely, it is the sum of all these elements that triggers my bio clock to say, "It's fall".
We crossed the Rhine at Zons, a small town with a rich history. Originally, and the town was built right on the banks of the Rhine, and like all towns in those days, it lived by shipping and collecting tolls from passing boats. But the channel silted in and the river shifted, leaving the town landlocked and out of business. It did not disappear, but declined in significance and wealth. Today, it is well preserved walled city, with a windmill at a corner where two walls meet. The windmill did not open for visiting until 2:00 pm and we were there at 11:00 am, so we bid it and the very quaint town farewell and road to the ferry dock for our quick trip across the Rhine.
Once on the opposite bank, we found a nice vantage point to watch the ferry and other passing ships. We assembled Sally's chair and sat down for lunch of rolls and cheese. I shot a time lapse sequence of the ferry going and coming. Hopefully, it is posted on YouTube at this address:
Immediately after the Zons crossing, we passed between the Rhine and the town of Urdenbach. After a quick stop at McDonalds to leave a deposit, we had a decision to make. Do we follow our guidebook route into Düsseldorf, or do we take the more direct route along route D8 straight into the city and right to our hotel? Scenic beauty or efficiency? This time we chose efficiency. As we began to cycle the D8 route, a red highlighted route on my beloved MotionX GPS app, we were wondering if we had committed ourselves to 4-5 miles of cycling busy city streets. We were happily surprised to find a bike trail parallel to the highway, separated by a wide and heavily treed, green belt. 7/8 of the ride was on isolated bike trail. The last eighth had us on city streets contending with traffic. However, a change has occurred since my earlier reports of the driving habits of Germans. They were unspeakable courteous and yielding. They stopped at every crossing to let us pass. Even if they were making a right turn and we were behind them, waiting for them to make the turn, after which we would go straight, they somehow sensed we were there (rear view mirror) and waved us to go past them before they made the turn. Wow! This was so remarkably different from our experiences a week ago in Spyer, Worms, Mainz, Bacharach, Koblenz and Konigswinter. There must be regional difference in driving attitudes, or we just caught the southern drivers in a series of very bad days.
Our hotel was right in the middle of downtown Düsseldorf. It was clean, but tired and worn. But at €38 a night, we could see past the imperfections. Besides, it came with a balcony! After resting a few minutes, we headed for the waterfront and Altstaten, Old Town. Most of Düsseldorf was flattened by allied bombing in the war, so there is no "historic Düsseldorf", just what has been constructed since 1945. Some was built in the old style, but most is not. We had a beer and a pop on the quay after cycling around town a bit, then wound our way through the streets back to our hotel where we cooked Tortellini with veggies on the balcony, for dinner. It was good. A little TV on an old CRT TV, all in German, and we settled into researching our route to Duisberg tomorrow.
Today was such a wonderful day. As I rode up ahead of Sally, I could hear her singing behind me, just out of the joy of the day, the ride, the entirety of the trip. Every time we stopped, we would remark to each other how wonderful the day and the trip was. All the days have been fun, and challenging, but this day gets a special bookmark for exceptional quality.
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