Day 26 - Somewhere in Switzerland Bloody Cold & Wet again - 45 kms !

We checked out of our exorbitantly priced hotel informing the manager that as colour TV has been in place since the 1970s he should consider upgrading the 12 inch black and white TV in our room !

Obviously an all points bulletin had been circulated throughout Switzerland with Kev and Ross,s mug shots on it as breakfast was a strictly controlled portion sized event preventing the food Thief's from doing their routine !

So incensed was H that he slammed his croissant on to to the table saying `is this all we`re bloody getting`! - at least the hot chocolate was nice !

We cycled around the corner to the super market to load up with supplies with Ross cornering the tin foil market by grabbing a few dozen meters to wrap round his feet while H ingeniously stole dozens of plastic bread sleeves to be used over our gloves - ` best bloody Australian invention ever said Ross !

Thus equipped we launched again into another day of weather misery leaving in rain that did not stop till we `swam off our bikes later in the day !

Climbing back over the hill we`d detoured on to get into St.Croix we headed back some 4kms to pick up our Jura cycle route and the 5 km uphill ride that we sucessfully avoided the day before.

Ross put out his supermarket picnic table as the Aussie boys toiled onwards climbing a steady 5 km on a forest road (6% gradient) to reach a Mtn top in mist and rain (and amazingly a pill box) before descending 10 kms down treacherously wet roads with full brakes on to reach Baumes.

Ross shot through in to town to put plastic bags around his frozen feet and remove the tinfoil which was acting as a conductor of cold rather than an insulator of heat !

The Aussie boys misinterpreting Ross kept cycling in the rain quietly passing a platoon of fast walking Swiss soldiers on maneouvres complete with machine guns, bazookas and heavy packs.

H passed them inquiring whether he could join figuring the Swiss Foreign Legion had to be better than this constant cold and wet !

We waited for Ross under cover of a small rail station amusing ourselves by trying to open a snickers bar with both gloves and plastic bags on - it was a Bear Grylls episode until we finally picked up a rock and smashed the bars open !

Re-united with Ross we ventured further into the Jura wilds striking a fierce headwind which coupled with the rain made conditions according to H `just wonderful !

Some off road riding followed in muddy conditions passing the same soldiers out on maneuvers who greeted us with friendly bonjours !

The first four hours had brought us only 35 kms and the next climb was a real beauty, 5 kms on a rocky, muddy forest track with a 6% gradient - akin to cycling in treacle !

Ross feeling the cold motored ahead while the two Aussies labored with the steeper sections 10-15% requiring some walking !
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H enhanced the day with a slow motion fall into the foliage caused by loss of control at such a slow speed - we laughed it off !

Finally breaking clear at the top and doing a short descent we came across an amazing site a lake with a village obviously at altitude.

By now wet & soaked thru we started looking for accommodation the lakeside hotels fully booked because of an agricultural festival we ventured further afield callng it a night in an Auberge complete with a hostel type accommodation and bunk beds - another bloody tough day !

I expect the Anzus alliance to be tested tonight with Ross an early to bed sleeper up against H a late to bed sleeper - watch this space !

We move on to lake Geneva tomorrow hopefully in better weather, aiming for better accommodation as we plan our journey to Grenoble.

Day 25 - St.Croix Switzerland - 62 kms The Ice Age Commeth !

After yesterdays icy conditions today promised little better with snow evident on the nearby hills.

Ross and H had teamed well earlier to distract the waitress over breakfast so they could both stockpile a weeks worth of food to take with us on the ride to combat fatigue and possible hypothermia !

We were only 10 kms into the days ride when an ominous black cloud had us scrambling for cover at a nearby farm house till the rain shower had passed - we weren't going to be caught again , we thought !

Back on track we cycled from one valley up and over into another with scenery almost story book like with toy villages amidst the valleys green conifers.

Entering a town and looking to stock up further we sent Ross out on a mission to locate a supermarket. He came back 10 minutes saying he'd seen nothing but asked what the shop was behind where H & I were standing - sure enough it was a small supermarket -suggestions we may have done this deliberately are completely false !

A descent following a good climb took us into the town of Travers where the sun made a cameo appearance in time for our lunch stop !

20 minutes later we were taking shelter from the rain under a garage overhang and gave serious thought to calling the day short - I wish we had !

Some more valley cycling was followed by a testing climb of 7-8% over 4 kms similar in make to the 1 in 20 at the Basin.

Reaching the top we could see that our forward journey was straight into more rain clouds.

Sure enough the rain came with icy cold conditions (3-5 C) as we battled another 15 kms.

Soaked and with H beginning to hallucinate we detoured on local advice to the town of St.Croix - what wasn't mentioned was that the road was 4 kms uphill !

We made it just in time for the sun to come out almost as if taunting us !

Cold and wet we quickly followed routine , showered, washed clothes and went in search of a meal - this time Thai !

Tommorrows weather sadly shows more of the same !!!

Kevs Word !

Hooley Dooley - what a day !

That got rid of the a few blood clots in the heart arteries. After 3 weeks of flat riding following the Rhine and Moselle rivers and canals with a total aggregate climb of 11 metres, the last two days especially today has gone a long way towards ripping the crutch out of our nighties.

The first piece of Info that got out attention was from the channel 7 weather girl Mavis Litchfield with an accurate forecast of 3 c overnight with a days max of 8 c weigh rain great cycling weather we thought !

Off we set at a world record time of 9.50 a.m. and within 1 k km encountered our first bum busting climb !

Our kiwi mate Ross with his full carbon BMC MTV+ next to nothing luggage compared to us took the front while Mega and I pounded out the kms at a staggering speed of between 5-7 kph !

The 9 km climb had gradients from 5 - 15% which took all our vast bike handling skills just to stay upright and moving.

That lovely old lady granny was called on very early and received a solid work out all day !

At 12 we stopped for a breather- we had been going for just over 2 hours and covered an impressive 12 kms a midnight eta looked distinctly possible.

As the day progressed we encountered numerous medium climbs of 5-8%, - not much I can hear youze lot say but when the whole bike package weighs 37 KGS it is damned hard yakka !

We cycled through one village that proudly displayed the current temp as 5 big ones - `bewdy - no wonder our digits were frozen - fingers and toes that is.

Our 2nd major climb of 4 kms had even steeper sections than the first and required a couple of bale outs by the dynamic duo!.

I found it harder to push the bike up the steep grades than mega so opted to plod away on the bike which saw me draw away rapidly about 3-5 meters every km- impressive hey !

The pinnacle of the day was being enveloped in a heavy hail storm which left a layer of ice over the road - by then it was about 3 degrees and I wasn't sure if my feet and hands were attached

Going down the mtn megas brakes were rasted slightly above useless and as per our 2011 trip (twice) he failed to negotiate a rather sharp left hander and ended up in farmer Fritzs paddock which by the way was a tad muddy !

After lots of laughs the Romanian judge behind the tree awarded mega a 7 for his spectacular dismount.

16kms later 3 totally frozen riders arrived at La Chaux de Fonds in search of a hot shower and a bed'

The toughest and coldest 60 kms of cycling I've ever done and there is predicted better for the next 2 days - Yummy !

PS TTL climbing for the day was 1450 metres over the 60 kms !

Day 24 - La Chaux de Fonds Switzerland - 64 Kms As tough as it gets !

What more could you want in a days cycling, 60 kms over 7 hours, climbs with gradients of 5-15 %, a top temp of 6 c, rain then later on hail, a lightning strike and to top it all off Mega repeating his party trick of flying through a farmers wire fence with no brakes - what a day !

The day started well with team motivator Ross having us on the bikes at 10a.m. - we cycled out of beautiful St.Ursanne almost immediately into a punishing climb of 9 kms with some sections 15% - nearly impossible with the weight on the bikes (all that bloody camping gear !)

The kiwi fly weight Ross, made it look all too simple having to wait often for the Aussie truckers as we labored up the hill with our speedos barely registering !

Half way up we were hit with the first of the days numerous rain showers requiring us to batten the hatches even though doing so would cause us to sweat excessively !

Once clear of the peak we cycled a mixture of field paths, road and even one off road muddy section that took us into mist at cloud level for an eerie effect and more rain !

Time was not going fast in fact after 2 &1/4 hours we had only covered 12 kms !

Our 2nd major challenge of the day was after lunch and more rain when we ascended Mt Soliel at 1250 meters again with 15 % gradient roads, straight into a heavy hail storm that littered the fields with ice and my hood when I placed it over my head .. Yuck !

While filming near the top a huge lightning bolt appeared not far from us bringing back memories of Nepal when our group was dangerously exposed in high ground to intra cloud lightning.

Down the other side of the Mtn I noticed my brakes starting to become less effective. Kev offered to adjust them in the rain but in near famous last words i said i would be right !

Coming down a hill not much later I lost control going over a 2nd dip leaving me with no option at a t intersection (farmland) than to head straight through a farmers wire fence !

The boys up ahead looked back in time to see me recovering my panniers from a muddy farmyard wondering how the hell they had got their when my bike (already recovered) was outside the fence !

In a great show of Anzac spirit Ross laughed while H showing a big smirk at least helped to put some traction back into the Avanti brakes !

The remaining 10 kms saw a constant battle to stay warm with both Kev and Ross faring poorly with frozen fingers and in Ross case frozen toes - at least I didn't laugh !

One final climb for the day saw H finally crack it and let rip with a fffffffuuuuuuucccckkkkk ! That could be heard three valleys away !

We checked into town busy now as peak hour and quickly sorted out a hotel where Ross jumped into a bath while the boys in their room luxuriated under warm showers !

Some pasta, some reminiscing of the days challenges and some drying of clothes and we will be back at again tomorrow with expected top temp of 8 c!

Day 23 - St.Ursanne Switzerland - 67 kms The Boys bag a Col and a Cold !

A knock on H`s door at 8.29 revealed a disheveled, crusty eyed response - H had slept in waking about 1 minute prior but was still determined to make team Anzac`s meeting scheduled at 8.30 in the breakfast room in between the 14 courses the boys were having !

With a stage overview and team strategy out of the way the Aussie boys showed their travel experience by stockpiling fruit and rolls to eat on the trail - something Ross picked up on very quickly !

Leaving Basle was a breeze compared to arriving as we rode past the city`s outer environs into the wide open green fields and meadows that make Switzerland so picturesque although passing a piggery that made Henleys socks smell like Eau due Cologne and singed nasal hairs !

Early climbing in sunny conditions saw us joking about the beaut weather and about bagging an easy Col - how wrong we were to be on both fronts !

Soon losing our route sign we navigated by off line GPS taking us through lovely villages that swept us from Switzerland to France and back to Switzerland on numerous occasions.

Taking time out for a mid morning cuppa gave us a chance to talk to Ross about all the valuable things that Australia has given to NZ over time - e.g. possums, lessons on under arm bowling and an opportunity to become our 7th state - decision pending !

Back on the bikes we climbed out of Winkel to have our first high speed descent with my pannier fueled bike reaching warp speed (about 68 kms /hr) with my front brake still on - scary !

We mistakenly took the undulations one hill too far realising that we had to backtrack completing the climb kust in time for a passing shower and a 10c temp drop !

Cycling to Courgenay took us on paths through beautiful Swiss countryside and then onto our first big challenge of the trip a 4 km climb at an average of 10% (in parts 15% plus) to bag our first Col !

The lightweight Kiwi and his carbon fiber bike excelled leaving the big Aussie boys in his wake, Kev battling away from one side of the road ( down to 4.8 km/hr at one stage) to the other and self walking about 3/4 of this testing climb not much slower than Kevs cycling !

Regardless we all made it safely to the Col De La Croix at 795 meters with Kev lamenting on my decision to bring the camping gear ... ` you fu&%ing idiot Litchfield`!

The descent into the next valley and St Ursanne was breathtaking with brilliant views of forest scenery as well as of an impending rain cloud of end of earth dimensions !

Sure enough half way down the heavens opened up causing a mad scramble for the wet weather gear. Both Kev and Ross struggled to stay warm Ross in particular suffering !

We made it into the superb medieval village of St.Ursanne cold and wet with H pleading for a room at the first hotel we saw ! Ross feeling the worst grabbed a hot shower and slipped under his bed blankets to warm up rueing his earlier outrageous claim ` no probs I brought the good weather with me `! (Hogwash!)

Refreshed, the boys snuck out for a well earned meal of pasta and vege at slightly less than Kenyas GDP !

With stage 1 described as moderate it is a little worrying to read that days 2-4 are described as strenuous to difficult !

Day 22 - Basel Switzerland The Anzacs are coming !

After yesterday's stress of getting to our hotel in Basel in the cold and wet we awoke, as you`d expect, to a brilliant sunny day !

Having caught up with Ross H set about educating him in the fineries of getting the most out of a European continental breakfast - go back for thirds !

Well fed we struck out in search of a bike shop to have Ross`s bike looked at as it appeared to have been damaged in flight on the way over - obviously by a kiwi unfriendly baggage handler !

There was little else to do for the Aussie boys other than to YouTube how to undertake various bike brake adjustments and go out for a walk in this town full of trams

We stacked up on protein & some carbs in prep for our stage 1 ride through the beautiful Jura region of Switzerland approx 300 kms about 1/2 of which is off road.

Tomorrow also sees us tackling our first small Col which could be testing for the men down under who have yet to do any serious climbs !

Its been relaxing resting up and having our own hotel rooms but its time to head for the French Pyrenees !

Day 21 - Basle Switzerland - 99 kms

Looking forward to a rest after our previous days big effort we left Marckolseim by road into a strong headwind making our way to Neuf Brisach a UNESCO listed walled town and more importantly the site of an open Boulangerie !

The choice of cold pizza, cheese bread and a custard flan was maybe not such a good idea as upon exiting town the headwind seemed to pick up 3 fold in the open fields !

A dead straight path took us through national parkland for 30 + kms giving us little scenery relief until we struck an off shoot of the Rhone canal heading down to Kemps and then into Basle.

Our entry to Basle on a cold drizzly afternoon was just a little less than spectacular as we first found our way over the Rhine into Switzerland and then struggled to find the main railway station and our hotel.

With self about to explode we asked what we thought was a local for directions and after her attempting to help we realized that she too was new to Basle

With much cursing we finally arrived at the Basle Ibis at 6.00 pm. Cold, wet & hungry.

After a warm shower (H stood under his for 20 minutes) we chased up Kiwi Ross (Peru 2012) who`d journeyed in from Auckland with his bike to spend 3 weeks with on the trail with us

Ross was kind enough to take us out to dinner for some magnificent pasta as wed yet been able to hit an ATM.

It will be a delight to finally have a day off cycling tomorrow, sleep in and suss out the cycle route of town on our next leg as we head from Basle through Switzerland on to Grenoble in France and then the magnificent Camino trail.

Day 20 - Marckolsheim - 127 kms Captain Courageous Leads the Way !

In a virtuoso performance Kevin Schleck, the unknown, slightly older and slightly less handsome brother of Andy & Frank dominated stage 20 of the tour de Europe !

In a day of firsts, the sun was out for the first time in two weeks, we departed at a record early time, cycled a 127 km day and had dinner with Asphalt on the menu !!!

It was an early start on day 20 from Seltz making some much needed brake adjustments on the bikes before departure.

We had a quick ride along the Rhine before heading inland to ride beside a high levee banks and small canals for 25 kms - a moment of humour when I prompted H to consider how the canal boats could get up and over the weir spillway .. `spose like salmon` said H not seeing the loch around the corner !

At last some scenery cycling through forests where we came across a small restored pill box / fort that served as a link on the supposedly impregnable Maginot line - 5 men facing the German army - no thanks !

We got lost momentarily before finding our way into Strasbourg along the Robertsau before then getting lost again trying to get out (I hate cities !)

With some help we finally succeded connecting with the magnificent Rhone Rhine canal lined with beautiful tress and a fantastic cycling surface

We continued until the 90 km mark (5 pm) stopped for a team meeting and at the call of Captain Courageous (H) elected to cycle another 30 + kms to shorten tomorrows ride to Basle.

Riding with astonishing strength (I suspect armed with either illegal tablets or mistakenly taken Viagra) H pumped a solid pace till black clouds and with respective sore asses ( nothing to do with the above) we called it a day in Marckolsheim at 125 kms + - well done H !

The canal ride was uneventful other than one incident when H shouted `beaver` ... not knowing which of the many cycling terms this referred to I narrowly missed embedding myself in him when he came to a complete stop to point out a beaver swimming in the canal !

We found a pension in the quiet town - or at least was quiet until a convoy of Turkish wedding cars stopped in the middle of the town with the whole wedding party then dancing in the middle of the road with someone filming - expect to see it on YouTube !

With little open (this is France of course) we took to the local restaurant for dinner ordered some food and asked the local waitress to explain what Asperges was in English .. when she came back with a language dictionary to explain the word meant Asphalt we said no thanks and settled for a steak

Leg one is nearly complete at just under 1500 kms. We cycle into Basle tomorrow meet up with Kiwi Ross and after 11 consecutive days of cycling take a well earned rest day !

Day 19 - Seltz France - 89 kms

After yesterday's downpour it was always going to be a late start allowing our clothes to dry, our weary bodies to recover and our sense of smell to slowly return !!!

We didnt make tracks till 11 after washing and cleaning the bikes. We tried to get our brakes looked at as they'd taken a pounding in yesterdays conditions- but with the mechanic on holiday (doesn't anyone work in Europe !) wed have to rely on our size 12`s (my feet and H`s hands) for back up !

We left Speyer without a chance to look at its transport museum which gets good raves but did see its full size display jumbo as we cycled out of town

Our route took us through a number of beaut open parklands and forests not unusual as since Bingen 95% of the Rhine cycle route has been well off the Rhine.

The paths surfaces were brilliant and although though late starting we were quickly clocking up the Kms.

Another lunch in a Liddl`s car park and some expert navigating around the fringe of the busy city of Karlsrhue saw us refreshed and in high spirits as we cycled high quality paths on a mainly fine ( yes - finally !) but cool day.

Our route on left bank of the Rhine took us back into France when we crossed the border at Lauterbourg posing for a photo with the sun shining !

It wasn`t much further down the road before an international incident of global proportions occurred when i threatened to clobber an ignorant motorist who turned from the road straight across our cycle path forcing me to take quick avoidance action with limited available brakes ... the driver cowered in his car while i abused him in fluent Australian .. You Fc&%kwit ! .. even `Switzerland` offered welcome verbal support !

At the 85 km mark we were faced with either pushing on for another 30 kms or taking our chance in Steltz {France} some 4 kms off the river - we wisely chose the latter.

A romantic evening was spent with H preparing a dinner of baquette with meat, cheese, tomatoes and mushroom ... It could have quite easily fed 1/2 the population of an African nation but we both bravely made our way through it to no doubt pay later

Tommorows aim is to end within striking distance of Basle and with good weather and 1/2 decent paths it is definitely achievable !

Team Work !

The question we often get asked is how do you put up with each other for such a long period of time when living and riding in close proximity day in day out !.

In short it all gets down to friendship and great teamwork let me give you a days example

H usually signals the new day by using his rear end trumpet at which point I open the window and blinds a) for obvious public health issues and b) to check out what the likely time of the morning is !

Breakfast is where we excel, i grab 2 OJ/`s while H puts together two bowls of cereal usually with about 18 gallons of milk - we both then make a habit of wandering aimlessly around the restaurant trying to find the utensils and other edible food !

Back in the room we pack and upon hearing the 5 minute warning signal, another blast from H`s rear end trumpet, we assemble to load our bikes and generally kick each others tyres to ensure everything is in good working order !

On the road H is let loose only where rivers and concrete walls prevent him from making a wrong. What he lacks in directional awareness though he more than makes up in his technical ability ... `not another f$%king puncture Litchfield ! ... And his hotel bartering skills e.g. tonight we are on the top floor of a hotel with no lift !

On the road we both cycle closely together a lesson learn in the UK. While riding i will usually inform H of local history or point out the scenery while H regales me in information about apples, cars, bikes or any bloody documentary he has ever seen !.

Once booked in to our hotel we both take turns in turning the well presented room into a disheveled laundry !

Despite rumours to the contrary our friendship is just that and any incursions into each others bed at night time are purely accidental, a result of sleep walking or me trying to smother H when he won't turn the damned light out!

Good friends !

Day 18 - Speyer Germany - 93 kms All soaked through !

It was our 7th consecutive day of cycling and the grind was beginning to show on H !

At breakfast it took him 3 attempts to blow out out a small candle on our table - not a good sign ! 1 km into our ride he came to a stop on the cycle path wondering why a line of cars were not proceeding until I explained to him that the cars were waiting for the ferry (on the other side of the Rhine) and that the river some 10 metres away was a pretty good impediment to their movement .... definitely not a good sign !

I had looked at the map prior to the days ride and noted that our path was unpaved - this in fact translated to a combination of bone shaking pavers, narrow dirt paths and 10 kms of full on mud roads complete with rain filled potholes !

H`s 4 wheel pannier drive, bald tyres and fearless riding (he had forgotten to put his glasses on ) triumphed over my rear wheel drive avanti as we both slithered and slipped our way along not able to check the Rhine river scenery for fear of losing control !

With drizzle continuing we took a cuppa at Macca`s on the outskirts of Worms. Now rejuvenated we were back on the bikes just in time to catch a heavy downpour that lasted all the way to Ludwigshafen some 30 kms later leaving us cold and soaked all the way through !

Leaving Ludwigshafen H made an unfortunate comment`wouldn`t it be funny if our last 20 km were in the mud ... damned if we turned the corner and there the mud was (why couldn't he have wished for 7 vestal virgins !)

Needing to get a couple of 90 km days on the board to reach Basle by Sunday we pushed on to Speyer a beautiful cathedral town and one of the oldest in Germany arriving in time for yet another downpour !

Eventually securing a hotel H showed his great grab of their German language asking if the hotel had a drying room - the receptionist went away eventually returning with two small hand towels to dry ourselves - close !

Operation clean up quickly sprung into action with freshly washed and drying clothes soon dominating the bedroom !

Dinner was in the hotels beaut winner cellar restaurant with the menu interestingly having horse as a main dish - not when you have seen some of the hacks I have !

The forecast is for rain clearing but we wont be in any rush leave !

Day 17 - Nierstein Germany - 83kms The not so pretty Rhine !

In a near record performance we were packed and ready to get underway just after 10.00a.m. - the weather not only threatening but now dammed cold as well !

Reliably informed by the `Source` that we were in fact heading up the Rhine not down it we left Bacharach in much higher spirits !

We don`t normally create international incidents so early in the morning but decided to buck the trend when accosted by as group of German tourists who made a large `WOOO`sound as we walked a pedestrian crossing with our bikes against the little red man !

Considering all sorts of possible intelligent replies I simply gave a `WOOO` sound in return causing a giggle and thus avoiding WW3 ( H predictably adopted the role of Switzerland during all of this !)

Passing through Bingen saw the end of the picturesque Rhine scenery as the path deviated off the water heading towards Mainz. A section though of 1-2 kms in the mud kept us entertained as we slithered and slathered generally dirtying the bikes we`d cleaned the day before !

Entering and exiting Mainz was painful. A big & not so pretty city (80% destroyed during WW2) it was easy to get lost looking out for signs that often vanished by the next intersection. Both German cyclists and the public though were incredibly helpful much more so than you would reasonably expect back home !

Finally clear of Mainz the cycling picked up even though the scenery was pretty basic. A section of path / road following a canal was superb and seemed endless with our only issue being that of H being attacked by a couple of dogs.

With the days cold weather we both started to tire. Checking the maps we sought out the nearest town of Nierstein requiring a crossing of the Rhine by ferry.

On the ferry we met an interesting cyclist who indicated that he was as about to embark upon his yearly 400 km canoe ride down the Rhine to Holland the following weekend.

He indicated that it wasnt too strenuous as in doing nothing the Rhine still takes you at 10 knots - not a bad strategy considering he was also planning on drinking 2 bottles of wine a day !

In Nierstien we found a hotel had dinner, a poor impersonation of a Stroganoff, and walked a small section of the Rhine having an obligatory ice cream despite the very cold conditions

We expect the next 2-3 days similarly to not offer too much scenery as we work our way through industrial areas and towns that border the Rhine.

Day 16 - Bacarach Germany - 69 kms ! Henley turns 1,000 !

I was able to extract revenge on H for his late nights by this time dragging him out of bed to take a Skype call from Chris and Marysia back in Oz which genuinely thrilled him to bits !

Following our usual sleep in (at least this time with a good excuse) we gave the bikes a thorough cleaning after the rain and muddy conditions of the last few days.

Getting away at 11.00 (after we found our lost hotel key) we stopped about 10 mins later to acknowledge H cracking his first 1,000 kms on tour, a significant achievement by all measures !

With accolades and speeches over (he thanked his Mum and his on road support team) we cycled in to central Koblenz with H trying his damnedest to get us lost until he realised that the bike signs titled KO Centrum actually meant Koblenz central !

Koblenz a large city is also the point at which the Moselle joins the mighty Rhine - Kev and I stopped to take a few photos of the confluence and looked on in awe at the joining of these giants (nearly as impressive as the joining of the Yarra and the Maribyrong !)

Having reached the Rhine we could finally turn southwards on our journey to Switzerland and experience first hand why this section of the Rhine is considered one of the most beautiful river settings in the world.

Riding right on the river we had grandstand views of castles, old towns and ships plying the river. Different in character to the Moselle which also provided great scenery but mainly of hills and vineyards this section of the Rhine seems steeped in history and importance.

We reached the touristy town of Boppard for yet another bratwurst lunch before searching for a chemist for Kev who is still struggling with his inner ear problem.

Onwards we cycled to the historic town of Bacharach (or Burt as H calls it) at the 69 km mark a beautiful town with 13-15th century buildings courtesy of its wine trade and prominent position on the Rhine.

H at his best beat the hotel owners down 10 Euro on our room and we were soon again into our regular routine of unpacking - in my case simply just dumping everything on the floor. .. Why waste energy !

With the weather showing some signs of improving we continue to head down the Rhine tomorrow as we aim to make Basel by the 25th of May.