Rain Runners

What is it they say about the best laid plans? Something about them going awry.

This morning we’d planned to leave our bikes and luggage at our hotel and to go out and explore for a while before taking our short(ish) ride to Drusenheim. Over breakfast Neil announces a thunderstorm is approaching and after checking the weather the best we can, we decide, reluctantly, to just get on our bikes and go!

So we do. While I am disappointed, I did spend an early, jetlagged morning exploring here three years ago, so I have a pretty good feel for the place. And we’ve visited so many medieval villages since then, I feel a little like the early magic I felt in Strasbourg back then is dissipated a little now. Oh my God – am I travel jaded?

We get ourselves out of Strasbourg and ride in a forest for a wile, then, finally we are reunited with what we are calling “our river” – Le Rhin! I am a bit disappointed to find out the river is masculine. I had it in my head he was a she. Genderising items can be so confusing these days … well, since forever with the French language.

We ride along Le Rhin, and then weave through the streets of a town where the main industry seems to be taking very large stones and turning them into piles of much smaller stones.

After that, our access back to the river is blocked. The grey clouds are chasing us and we make a decision to just ride on the roads for the remaining few kilometres to Drusenheim. Neil had secured a lovely gite for the night, which we may have to share with others if anyone shows up for the other room, but in the meantime we have a private room, a shared living/dining/kitchen area (and nobody to share with) and a room to lock our bikes in. There’s even a hose, and space to give our bikes a much needed wash!

We are in a slightly suburban area, and as I write this I wonder where end of day beer will be, but that is in the future, and I’m sure it will be resolved satisfactorily and happily very soon.

We have just realised that today is our last day in France for this trip. Tomorrow we cross a border to Germany and will remain in Germany until we reach the Netherlands in the coming weeks. We are also approaching the halfway point in our riding trip. Now that is going just a wee bit too fast!

Stats for today:

• Distance: 34.71km
• Climb: 35m
• Average speed: 17.6km/h
• Average temperature: 21C
• Moving time: 1:58:07
• See our ride on Strava

The beer picture

At the end of a day’s ride, our tradition is to enjoy a beer, and to photograph it for posterity. Today’s beer picture was taken at the only hospitality place that was open this evening in Drusenheim and where we also had dinner. For a while there I was concerned it was going to be packaged beer and supermarket pasta for dinner! The restaurant was called Restaurant à l’Arbre Vert and they certainly had a thing about trees.

Along the way today:

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