Oberbruchwiesen

We are already up to day three of the Bike/Barge section from Mainz to Basel. Due to almost non existent wifi on the boat I cannot access the Internet until we arrive in Paris in a few days time. In the meantime we are all having an amazing time. The weather has been superb for riding (25 to 28C) and clear blue skies every day. We are so thankful that we did not get the excessive heat that many parts of Europe have been experiencing.

Last week there was a serious incident on the Rhine where a river cruise boat collided into 3 boats that were triple moored. The police have now banned all multiple moorings on the river and this has caused some confusion in the industry. For us it has just added an extra layer of interest, so we are not greatly concerned.

We began our cycling by riding into the centre of Speyer. We found a large crowd of American tourists gathered outside the huge cathedral. I somehow let slip a derogoratory comment about Donald Trump and was promptly confronted by one of the Americans who apparently though that Trump was the best thing that had ever happened to his country.

After cycling to Sonderheim we reboarded the boat to sail to Rastatt-Plittersdorf. The mixture of cycling and cruising is really quite magical and gives ample time to relax and enjoy the varied experiences along the way.Read more