Wednesday 2^nd October 2019

Xanten – Wolfheze    Holland

88kms

I signed off the blog yesterday in the expectation that the final 68!? Kms would be without incident, merely a formality in reaching our destination. How fickle is fate?

We woke to the clanking of scaffolding being erected on the building next door to our hotel ( a very noisy operation) BUT the sun was shining. Al had mentioned quite casually, that winds today would be blowing from the north but not to worry they were not expected to be very strong. WRONG! We were to battle with a nostril wind gusting at up to 30 or 40 mph and consistently whooshing at about 20. This was unpleasant and very hard work – a bit like riding through treacle. As if the winds were not bad enough, some joker had decided to dig up a vital part of our route with scant mention of a 7kms detour – the second of the day! Lunch time was spent catching fleeing bun bags as the wind strength continued to rise.

Undaunted (well, maybe a bit), we arrived at the first ferry of the day and a piece of good luck. We would only have to wait for 30 minutes instead of the 2 hours we would have had to wait had we arrived just 31 minutes later. (Winter timetable – they all seem to start in October) Be vigilant. A second ferry crossing, this time a continuous toing and froing, and we reached Arnhem and faced the usual dilemma of which of the five or six roads we should take at the junction. Al’s machine and the wind direction concurred and we headed north.

Now, along with many folk, we had been led to believe that Holland was a flat land except (yes, you have guessed it) for Arnhem! Not big hills but after 75 kms of a gruelling ride we had to call on our rapidly reducing reserves and , with some considerable relief, found signs for Wolfheze.  An hour later and 20 or so kms longer than we planned, we were welcomed by the guardian of the camp site and collapsed into the chalet of friends where we planned to take a day off and leave the bikes.

NB.  As points of interest go on this journey, none was more obscure than the nuclear power station that was built and never commissioned as a result of the Chernoble  disaster. Built at great cost, it is now a theme park sporting many attractions but shut at the time of our passing. Enterprising though.

We have now really done with our ride down the river Rhine. It has proved to be one of our favourite routes with a huge variety of urban and rural scenery. The GPX files have been excellent as an accurate and comprehensive source of route finding even though it has sometimes been difficult to know exactly which country we have been in as frontiers are not even a line in the sand.( Thanks to the EU!!!) Nonetheless the differing cultures, languages, history and diets have been a constant source of education and interest. And , as ever, we have met so many lovely people. So, where next?

Rotterdam Market Hall

Monday 30th September - Tuesday 1st October

Dormagen - Wittlaer via Dusseldorf

Wittlaer - Xanten via Duisberg

Total 120 kms

I don't know about where you are, but autumn has well and truly arrived in this part of Germany. Leaves festoon road and paths alike in a carpet of bronze and yellow. Very high winds have added twigs an even small branches to the melee.

We cut short our day yesterday. We had shared a really lovely bottle of white wine with dinner the previous evening but paid for the pleasure by experiencing a very disturbed night's sleep. So not feeling all that refreshed at the start of the ride, conditions deteriorated and our resolve with them. Very, very windy and with the river, and thus our route, continually changing direction, the gusts were wobbly strong. 

So we did the only sensible thing - found a room, bought some grub from the supermarket (no wine!) munched our way through supper and collapsed into a comatosed sleep.

There is always one shite day and this was ours.

What a difference a good night's sleep can make. Bursting with energy this morning (maybe a bit of an overstatement) we even managed and earlier than normal start. The weather was already looking ominous, as in grey and drizzly, when we set off. Ten kms or so saw us on the outskirts of Duiseberg. We knew from perusing the map that this was going to be an awkward city traverse. What we hadn't banked on was the cloudburst that had us soaked through in a matter of minutes. Really, really wet - knickers, vests, everything. Still, such is life and Wales could show Duiseberg rain a thing or two so we peddaled or puddled along.

The city was as complicated as we had expected but enlightened and enlivened by an addition to our twosome into a threesome by a meeting with Jana. This young lady was completing a year of travelling alone throughout Europe with her bike and enough luggage to sink a battleship. Riding with a chatty companion relieved the angst of the navigation and proved more than useful when we met up with two German riders coming towards us who explained through our new friend, that the bridge ahead was impassable. Clearly nothing could thwart Jana and between her and Master Navigator, we were only momentarily misplaced. 

Leaving the city behind, we were now into big sky country which was also big wind country! Jana left us after about 30 kms to cross the river and continue with her journey to see her father. It had provided an enlightening interlude and her company and conversation were much appreciated. We do wish you well, Jana.

If all goes to plan, tomorrow should see us arrive at the Chalet of Hans and Bert and the end of this ride.

I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings and look forward to your company on our next trip where ever it may be.