Koblenz

I kept it simple today. Once the temperatures move beyond 30, I've no tolerance for faffing, so faff we did not. 

I woke up in my shady tent, had coffee and a banana then packed up. I was on the road nice and early so for the first hour at least, it was quite a comfy ride. 

The second hour may have been a bit warmer and, although I'd planned a lunch stop, I just couldn't face sitting in a cafe dripping sweat into my hot food.  And salads are a pointless cycling meal.  I contented myself with rice pudding, sweets and more bananas.  

With that attitude it won't surprise you to hear that I was soon making my way out of the Moselle gorge (not going to lie, rather glad to be leaving the white railed meanders behind me) and into the last of the vineyards. 

As is ever thus, the last 5 miles were a bit of a killer. It was 32 degrees, I was hot and hungry and I probably should have had that proper stop. When it gets to three miles, I tell myself that's just the distance to the station, one mile - as I'd got to the city proper by then - was a lot of navigation and then ... boom, I'm here!  

Cochem

 Today I was a tourist. 

No, it's not a Kermit tribute. It's a lion with a visor, obviously. 

I cycled into town, had a massive sandwich and mooched round the shops. 

Then I caught the bus (get me, 2 buses in one trip, quite the expert now) and visited the castle. 

I took the obligatory English language tour with a delightful guide who mangled the translations wonderfully. 'You're welcome' sprinkled throughout the tour,  suspicious instead of superstitious, flowers planted in the shape of the town 'weapons' which I eventually understood as coat of arms.  It was like being shown around by a small enthusiastic crossword clue. 

The castle itself was very pretty rebuilt as it was in the 19th Century by a steel merchant. It had a whimsical filmic quality about it. 

I walked back down the hill, retrieved my bike and headed off to search out something for tea. 

Cochem

 It's been a bit on the warm side here.  It's still 'only' 31 but I feel like that's enough.  It can peak there thanks.   

Today I decided not to rush the morning, although I still got away at a good time it could have been earlier had I not had the second coffee.  I'm in a constant battle between rushing to beat the heat and not rushing so as not to be exhausted by said heat. 

The site was right on the route so after checking out (they have what I would describe as a stupid card system for the toilets and showers. I and my neighbours all forgot the cards at various points as campers often don't head to the facilities with their wallet and towel.  And I don't have pockets in my pyjamas.) I followed the path up a little then back to the river.   

I cycled along, I'd planned to stop for lunch again today but the first part of my route was a little short on restaurants. After consulting Google I found a little honesty cafe on an old wine cellar. The cake was good and the orange juice welcome. 

At this point in its journey, the river is a geography teachers dream.  It meanders though the gorge creating keyhole loops that double back on each other. All this loop the looping has made the day long. There is a train that goes through the rocks that cause the meander, it takes 4 minutes. It took me 25km. So a bit longer. 

Those loops on the map don't match those loops in reality, you think you're almost there but they go on and on and on. And on. You can always see the corner but you never quite reach it. 

I must have done eventually though because I looped a loop and found blessed shade. I stopped again, to eat, to drink and basically to have a bit of a nap on a park bench. 

I repeated that pattern a couple of times until at last the pretty town of Cochem came into view. I cycled right the way though and straight onto the campsite where after a very technical on line checkin - I found myself a shady pitch and settled down for the afternoon. 

Zell

Another day of blue skies and vineyards. This time with added old buildings. 

I got up at a reasonable time and set off on my way relatively early. First stop was Bernkastel-Kues, a town famous for its pretty half timber buildings. It was indeed full of half timber buildings, some at a slight angle. It was also very busy, the Riviera cruise (ship called Emily Brontë which I found a bit incongruous) was in town. 

After taking a few obligatory pictures I headed on. I'd resolved not to race the heat - if I'm too worried about getting too hot I end up too hot because I don't stop long enough to cool down - but I didn't want to linger too long. 

My lunchtime stop was Traben-Trarbach, another pretty town. I parked up my bike and found a cafe serving iced drinks and veggie food. I didn't rush and by the time I got back to my bike I felt quite rested.  

The second half of the day was much the same as the first. I looped around meanders doubling back on myself several times. This meant that the head wind was sometimes a cross wind and occasionally a tail wind.  

The heat did ramp up and at 30+ I was feeling it. I made sure to stop for snacks and water and by the time I arrived at the site I was boiling but ok.   

Although the site isn't exactly spacious pitches it is right on the river, full of evening shade and right in the path of an excellent breeze. 

Bernkastel-Kues

I started today retracing my steps, perhaps with some trepidation I passed the bench where the puncture happened but, before long, I was over it. 

At first going was slow. It was a slight gradient, a slight head wind and a slightly under inflated tyre. As I cycled along I started to wonder if I'd done such a good job with my repair after all. 

I stopped eventually for brunch and unloaded the bike, checked the wheel alignment and pumped up the tyre some more. That, and noticing the gradient and the head wind seemed to do the trick. 

I enjoyed rolling through vineyard after vineyard occasionally interspersed by Roman ruins. I can't say I gave them, or the little villages I passed through, the attention they deserved because realistically, if it was in full sunshine I wasn't stopping. 

I think this is a replica. I also passed the dock where a wooden replica should have been moored but the boat was on its travels. 

I took the wrong side of a main road and the climb up the slopes of the vineyard was a pleasant change. After I made it back to the path the gradient seemed more in my favour and I cycled along happily. 

I probably could have done without the final 15k on a roadside bike path that didn't allow for stopping. Not good timing as the sun got stronger and my water bottles ran dry.  I had more water but couldn't really stop to faff and fill the bottles that are easily reachable when riding.

After what seemed like less distance than it should have been (this has been the longest day so far as I had to add the 20k I missed) I finally arrived at the campsite, happy, sweaty and rather thirsty. 

In the same place

We do love a little adventure. After a nice relaxing morning I set off to Trier, confident that somewhere amongst the many bike shops there would be the pump that I needed. 

I decided to take the quicker bus with the longer walk, so headed across the bridge into the next village (coincidently the village where the disaster occurred). Google had assured me the bus was leaving soon but o was sceptical as no such bus was on the time table. I was hopeful again when other passengers arrived but we waited in vain. As the next bus wasn't for an hour I had a coffee in the supermarket before heading back to the bus stop. I asked a very nice lady some pertinent questions - cash or card? do they do day tickets? exactly how do you pronounce Trier? She offered to speak for me but I'm beginning to think that for someone who spend so much time in Germany I should be more au fait with the language so I managed the ticket sale all by myself. 

The bus was a fancy air conditioned number and arrived quickly. I thanked my guide, who pointed out where the return stop was before heading off, and set off to the bike shop. I had success with a replacement tube but no luck with the pump. Heading to shop two, my luck was in. 

So then what to do?  I wandered round the shops, got some more gas, got something for tea then decided to head back. I was trying not to worry - goodness knows I can change tubes - but I couldn't help imagining the worst. 

The bus driver sped us back to Longuich and I wandered the kilometre back to the site. 

Barely had my bag hit the ground before I whipped out that pump. The tyre was already off so I mounted the new tube and began the battle. I'd say the swearing was kept to a minimum and I won the war. In a short time my wheel was back in place, I was covered in oil and grease and Nordie was back on the road. 

Quite near Trier

Dagnamit!

Sometimes you have a run of good days and they just go on and on. Sometimes you have a run of good days and they're followed by a stinker. And sometimes there is a rather awkward little blip that although easily fixed somewhat annoys you at the time. 

I'm choosing to see today as the latter. Basically, I'm an idiot. When preparing for this tour I had my bike booked in for a service. It didn't happen so I had to do the necessary bits myself. Whilst doing that I gave my touring tool box an overhaul, throwing out duplicates and checking I had everything I needed. Including the new pump I'd bought because this bike is presta valves and the one I'd found was not a presta pump. They did however look very similar. Can you see where this is going...? 

Cut to me, under a bridge, bike upside down, all bags off, sweating a bit, finding the tool bag and with one look I know - wrong pump. Now. I can fix the puncture. I can use the spare tube too but none of it is any use if I can't pump up the tyre.  

Luckily for me I'd spent a good chunk of my time fighting with Brexit to send stuff home so I hadn't got too far. I walked along to what might be a bike shop where the man assured me I did indeed have the right pump. He then demonstrated, and tried some other pumps. All very kind but considering how finicky presta valves are I suspect I'll also need a new tube. 

In the end they couldn't help so I pushed on to another shop he assured me was open - another hot sweaty treck back the way I had come - and found it closed. 

Nothing for it, I walked to a camp site, booked myself in for a couple of nights and enquired about buses to Trier. So I'm having another visit to the city, this time to check out its bike shop scene. 

Although this all sounds simple, but presta valves and 700c tubes are far from the default here so we wait with bated breath.