Bingen am Rhine to Heidelberg

Writing these updates the day after the ride can sometimes be a challenge. Yesterday, however, is easy to recall. We started the day like all the others - got up and had breakfast at the hotel's buffet. I had prosciutto and brown bread with swiss cheese, some yogurt, a bowl of fruit, orange juice and some coffee. Pretty standard. What's also pretty standard is our preoccupation with the likelihood of rain. When we got dressed for breakfast, it was overcast; when we came back and got ready to leave, it was sprinkling. No big deal, we thought, just the last of the overnight showers working themselves out and we knew the forecast called for sunny skies today. We got on the bikes by 9am and it was still sprinkling. My faith in the weather breaking our way was such that I didn't even put on my rain jacket. Getting out of town was straightforward and quick for a change and soon we were on a country road that begin to climb for awhile. As we rode higher and higher, the rain decided to fall heavier and heavier and I finally gave in to wearing my rain jacket. Very quickly, the rain started pouring down and it continued that way for the next hour and a half. We kept seeing slight blue skies around us and sometimes even sun, but somehow the rain managed to keep falling on us. We rode through lots of little towns and I thought it was unusual that those who saw us didn't think we were unusual - if I had seen us back home riding through town in a downpour I would think we were nuts! But, even though the rain was annoying and a bit chilly, the scenery was still impressive. We were rolling through wine country among the grape fields and hills in the background. Sorry, no pictures of that due to mother nature, but rest assured it was beautiful. At around the 35 mile mark and over 2 hours into the day's trip, the rain finally stopped as we rode through Worms. My friends from grad school might be horrified to know that all we did in Worms was go into a Home Depot to get Paul a much needed wrench and then have lunch at the kiosk in the parking lot. Although we had an easier time escaping Worms than Martin Luther once did, it was still difficult because our Garmin map wanted us to go directly through the center of a very, very large chemical plant. After we finally figured a way to go around it, we then found a lot of the streets to be under construction and the good time we had made so far was eaten right up. Fortunately, the day was getting warmer and we were drying out - even our shoes were getting dry. We mostly stayed on highways and then rode through Käfertaler Wald, a large park just north of Mannheim. From there, it was about 10 or 15 miles into scenic and historic Heidelberg. The hotel receptionist took our bikes to a back room and got us quickly checked into a comfortable 3rd floor room. Heidelberg is a very beautiful town on the Neckar river. We enjoyed a snack plate and some wheat beer at a nearby restaurant (our hotel is right in the middle of everything and right next to the Old Bridge) and then walked through town and across the bridge to Philosopher's Way, a scenic and much hillier walk than we expected. The payoff was an incredible view looking back towards Heidelberg and the castle sitting above it. We had Thai food for dinner as we were in the mood for a change of pace. Chicken soup, a beef salad, some spring rolls and rice along with some Pinot Grigio and some excellent people-watching from the outdoor seating. After dinner, we went to a bar recommended by a local crowd sitting next to us where we struck up a late night conversation with a very nice ex-pat gentleman named Barry before turning in for the night. It was great to make a new friend and get some tips from a local, and also to see how all the debt crisis nonsense back home is playing here in Germany (the Germans think our politicians are idiots). Trip Distance: 330 miles

This is from the day before in Bingen am Rhine



Katerfaler Wald



Katerfaler Wald



Paul still hasn't shaved and is going for the full mullah look by the end of the trip.





Heidelberg with a rainbow





A garden at the top of Philosopher's Way



The view from Philosopher's Way

4 Responses to Bingen am Rhine to Heidelberg

  1. Stan says:

    Still no rain here Tod. My water bill is over $100 and the lawn looks like s*&t. You’re not missing anything on the debt problems either; all is still the same. Term limits, that’s what we need too end our current oligarchy.

    I’ll throw in a couple of bob’s for you at the pool!

    Stan

  2. Jason says:

    The Germans are right.

    2700+ft of loading climing is a good day.

  3. Jill says:

    “Idiots” would be a kind word to use for all of ‘em right about now.

  4. john Hi, Tod, This is from Sara. says:

    Hi Tod: Visiting your in-laws with Reily and Jill her. Your trip looks great. The idiots are still at it!

    Tarp

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