Rhine : From Mainz to home

A 16-day adventure by Chris Read more

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Trip start
June 3, 2022
Rhine : From Mainz to home Traveler
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Day 1
Friday, June 3, 2022 at 9:54 PM
☁️ 20 °C
Altitude: 19 m
Belgium Cureghem 50.836814, 4.33973950°50’13” N 4°20’23” E
Home to Brussels
June 3, 2022 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
A rainy start riding down to Crossflatts station but under cover thereafter.

The 09:15 train to London was quite busy and a couple of small groups were noisily enjoying their private parties in our carriage.

It seemed that many people had the same idea of going away by Eurostar so the queues to get through security were very long. Due to the bikes being clunky when folded, we were rescued by a woman greeter who pulled us out of the crowd to go through a deserted business class gate.

Eurostar full, but spacious, quiet and efficient.

Brussels hot and humid. Lots of locals and tourists drinking and dining on the streets. Chips and beer, followed by a Thai meal.Read more
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Day 2
Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 9:27 PM
🌙 23 °C
Altitude: 94 m
Germany Neustadt 50.005808, 8.25196950°0’21” N 8°15’7” E
1
Brussels to Mainz
June 4, 2022 in Germany ⋅ 🌙 23 °C
Foraging for breakfast in Brussels took a while. Finally we found Buddy Buddy vegan cafe. We were just able to scrape the surface of the architecture, art, churches and culture. Worth a longer visit.

Smooth and fast train to Frankfurt- unfortunately I misread our tickets and we failed to get off at the stop before the main station. Luckily we managed to jump on a local train which took us to Mainz - arriving earlier than originally scheduled.

Very hot. Melting. We ate outside again - burger and beer today.

X(XX)XRead more
Julia Beaumont With a broken elbow
6/4/22Reply
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Day 3
Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 6:35 PM
🌧 20 °C
Altitude: 72 m
Germany Münz-Bach 50.05926, 7.76829250°3’33” N 7°46’6” E
Mainz to Bacharach
June 5, 2022 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 20 °C
An early start to minimise the rain - forecast as thundery showers in the afternoon. However, we only suffered a couple of light showers and didn’t have to don waterproofs while cycling.

Coffee in Rudesheim, picnic lunch in a Bingen park.

Arrived in Bacharach at 14:30 after 50km cycling.

Pizza and real ale in one of Germany’s smallest breweries, eating outside yet again in an abandoned carousel.Read more
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Day 4
Monday, June 6, 2022 at 9:41 PM
☁️ 17 °C
Altitude: 88 m
Germany Koblenz 50.354469, 7.59256550°21’16” N 7°35’33” E
Bacharach to Koblenz
June 6, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
The weather was better than forecast - hot and dry most of the day.

Faster average speeds on good tracks through the Rhine Gorge, but we had to endure occasional clouds of tiny black flies.

We had difficulty finding supplies and refreshments and it turned out that virtually everything was closed for Whit Monday.

We got by. Takeaway coffee from a bakery that was officially closed, chips from a brewery beer garden and a Vietnamese evening meal.Read more
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Day 5
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 8:10 PM
🌧 18 °C
Altitude: 81 m
Germany Ahr 50.567017, 7.28276350°34’1” N 7°16’58” E
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Koblenz to Linz am Rhine
June 7, 2022 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
Blue skies, hot sun and a stunning breakfast gets us off for a good start, crossing the Mosel then passing an industrial estate out of Koblenz.

Strong coffees in Andernach followed by a trip round the local museum. I’ve never learned German but I can say fluently “where can I leave my bicycle?” and we were granted space.

Lunch from a bakery in Bad Bresig.

Long detour around construction work on the approach to Remagen. Central apartment in Linz on the north side of the river. Thundery showers after we arrived. Lovely old town.Read more
Julia Beaumont The femora were the wrong way up
6/7/22Reply
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Day 6
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 10:34 PM
🌧 15 °C
Altitude: 49 m
Germany Rodenkirchen 50.89332, 6.99600150°53’36” N 6°59’46” E
Linz to Koln
June 8, 2022 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
Our overnight accommodation was a small flat in the centre of this lovely medieval town. We woke to the sound of bin men (probably) doing the rounds of the town at 6:15 - it felt like the siege of Linz had begun.

Make your own breakfast this time - nothing fancy - so we were on our way at 8:30 ready to catch the ferry back across the Rhine.

Lots of other cyclists, mainly touring but going the opposite way. Coffee in Bad Godesberg, lunch in Wesseling after which it rained all afternoon.

We are staying in a 7th floor flat outside Koln (well appointed with Rhine views).Read more
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Day 7
Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 9:14 PM
☀️ 16 °C
Altitude: 51 m
Germany Rodenkirchen 50.893192, 6.99572150°53’35” N 6°59’45” E
Koln - day off
June 9, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Leisurely start after buying fresh rolls from the bakery opposite.

Masks compulsory on public transport and 100% compliance.

English tour of Duft Haus where eau de cologne was invented- entertaining speaker and lots of guessing the perfume oils.

A trip round the Dom (cathedral).

Then a harrowing visit to EL-DE Haus, the head office of the gestapo in Koln.

Warm sunny evening- nice to go out for a leisurely ride by the river.Read more
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Day 8
Friday, June 10, 2022 at 9:47 PM
⛅ 20 °C
Altitude: 66 m
Germany Graf-Adolf-Place 51.21957, 6.78334151°13’10” N 6°47’0” E
Koln to Düsseldorf
June 10, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Lazy 9:30 start in warm and dry weather. North of Cologne is industrial with a large Ford plant to bypass. Picnic lunch in Zons before catching the small ferry to the north bank.

Way marking often confusing leading into Düsseldorf and we helped some children on a school project on one of our breaks.

Düsseldorf seems moneyed (many expensive cars and shops) and is our least favourite city to cycle in so far.

Cheap Turkish vegan evening meal.Read more
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Day 9
Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 8:08 PM
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 15 m
Germany Xanten 51.658755, 6.46875551°39’32” N 6°28’8” E
Düsseldorf to Xanten
June 11, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Our longest planned day. Over 80km / 50 miles in hot conditions. Once past Duisburg we were into “big sky” country, mostly riding on or near the top of dykes (all of the Rhine area being prone to flooding).

A nice surprise at lunchtime: we abandoned our pre-made cheese sandwiches for dining out on a posh hotel’s lunchtime special: fish and chips (tomato soup, pickled herring, potato wedges, salad and dessert) all for €8.90.

We arrived at our holiday flat at 4pm - nice and hospitable hosts - and had just enough strength to shop for our tea and food for tomorrow - have to be prepared as most shops and cafes are closed on Sundays.Read more
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Day 10
Sunday, June 12, 2022 at 9:34 PM
☀️ 16 °C
Altitude: 41 m
Netherlands Sint-Jansbeek 51.989182, 5.91075651°59’21” N 5°54’39” E
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Xanten to Arnhem
June 12, 2022 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Beautiful, sunny Xanten where we stayed all morning. Miners’ brass band competition in the market place. Interesting (free) Stiftsmuseum.

Hard cycling into a head wind, either on dam tops or by roads. Two ferries.

Staying with Emma via Vrienden op de Fiets, our host in Arnhem. Indonesian meal.Read more
Julia Beaumont Stalking stork
6/13/22Reply
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Day 11
Monday, June 13, 2022 at 7:51 PM
☀️ 16 °C
Altitude: 8 m
Netherlands Wijk bij Duurstede 51.976833, 5.31627851°58’37” N 5°18’59” E
Arnhem to Wijk bij Duurstede
June 13, 2022 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Interesting Dutch breakfast : boiled egg, melon, fruit yoghurt, various cheeses, various breads. Black tea by request.

Very easy finding our way using the Dutch Knoppunt system. Most of the time we were riding through nature parks and forests with occasional glimpses of the Rhine.

Very moving visit to the Arnhem / Osterbeek war cemetery where the fighters from “A Bridge too far” / operation Market Garden are buried. Most died within a couple of days and were aged between 18 and 28.

Headwind all day - hard work!

X(xx) XRead more
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Day 12
Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 8:07 PM
☀️ 21 °C
Altitude: 6 m
Netherlands Schoonhoven 51.947155, 4.84571451°56’50” N 4°50’45” E
Wijk to Schoonhoven
June 14, 2022 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Quiet night on the alpaca farm. Sunny and dry all day with a moderate tail wind - so much easier than the last few days.

Riding on top of the dykes looking down onto farms in the polders - a lot growing pears.

Have met other cycle tourists on similar missions.

Another Vreinden op de Fiets host this evening and a picnic tea.Read more
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Day 13
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
☀️ 20 °C
Altitude: 10 m
Netherlands Haarlem 52.380909, 4.63222552°22’51” N 4°37’56” E
Rotterdam and Haarlem
June 15, 2022 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Our delightful Vrienden op de Fiets host Elly is kept busy with guests and liked the Bromptons.

Dry, hot and sunny with a slight tail wind. The best cycling section was in the polders with prolific bird and insect life.

Famous Kinderdijk (19 windmills in a row) was busy with tourists with cameras.

Little ferry to cross two rivers.

The back streets of Rotterdam transitioned into a very busy city centre with cars, lorries, trams , cyclists and pedestrians everywhere. Only segregated cycle lanes brought a measure of safety.

Train to Haarlem for a rest day from cycling. Haarlem is a nice size, slightly quirky, pretty.Read more
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Day 14
Thursday, June 16, 2022
☀️ 21 °C
Altitude: 4 m
Netherlands Haarlem 52.380961, 4.63237852°22’51” N 4°37’57” E
Haarlem
June 16, 2022 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
A day exploring Haarlem. After two breakfasts, a visit to St Bavo’s, or Grote Kerk - well worth the €3 entrance. It was as lofty as Köln cathedral and an organist was practising while we were there.

Picnic lunch from Deka Market. Archaeological museum- small but well explained and free.

A recce of the route to the ferry, worthwhile as it is a bit complicated and the advice from those queueing was to come early.

Tea in Chickpea (every dish made from chickpeas).Read more
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Day 15
Friday, June 17, 2022 at 9:47 PM
🌙 17 °C
Altitude: Sea level
North Sea 53.176844, 3.11238453°10’37” N 3°6’45” E
Haarlem / Ijmuiden/Newcastle
June 17, 2022, North Sea ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
Final walk around Haarlem to view a couple more statues associated with Dutch Resistance during WWII. Some souvenir shopping and a final coffee.

A smooth ride to the ferry terminal at Ijmuiden.

First experience of DFDS - a smooth sailing so far.Read more
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Trip end
June 18, 2022