Hello everybody! I’m very sorry I haven’t updated the blog in a while. I’ve been having big problems with the internet so I haven’t been able to upload anything. There won’t be any videos so you’ll have to make do with some pics! This entry will cover the last four days.

Day 45 Rhinau to Neuf Brisach

The campsite in Rhinau was one of our favourites. It had lots of activities such as table tennis, crazy golf, a swimming pool and an all night disco (that had kept us up as we tried to get to sleep!). I was determined to have a more adventurous ride today. The cycle path was going to take me down the Rhine again to my next destination, Neuf Brisach. I decided I would take a detour through a couple of German towns along a different bike route. It was a wise move!

I set off next to the Rhine and quickly crossed over into Germany. The river is huge! The sun was beating down and I was flying along nicely. I made my way off the Rhine route and head for some German towns. It was nice to be in another country! I saw a big hill in the distance and wondered if the route would be up it. I was proved correct! The path took me up a steep hill through fields of vineyards. The view from the top was spectacular! It was well worth the climb. I could see for miles and miles. Check out the pics below!

I made way back down the hill and joined the cycle path towards the Rhine again. Our campsite was in Neuf Brisach which is an old town surrounded by a deep moat and wall. The layout of the town is hexagonal so it looks cool on Google Maps! I cycled 49km and climbed 350m of hills so I was feeling good! This was one of my best rides and I was pleased I made the detour. Time to relax in the glorious sun!

Crossing the Rhine!

Day 46 Neuf Brisach to Bantzheim

Well the glorious sun didn’t last long. The weather forecast for the next five days was rain! Not ideal for cycling but oh well. I set off in the rain and it didn’t stop for the whole ride. Luckily I was prepared so I was kitted out in coat etc…Once again I decided to stay away from the Rhine as much as possible. There were a couple of cycle routes in Germany that intrigued me so I decided to go for it.

The rain wasn’t very heavy at the beginning of the ride so I made good progress along a well signed cycle route. I decided to leave this safe haven and make my way into Germany. I crossed the Rhine but things got confusing. The rain started pouring down so I followed the cycle path. It seemed to be taking me back up the Rhine in the opposite direction. I crossed a very busy road with cars and lorries everywhere. I wished I stayed on the cycle path! The cycle lane was next to the main road so it wasn’t the most pretty of rides. Some majestic mountains appeared on my left so I felt a bit better about my decision to check out Germany. I was soaking wet now so I wanted to get to the campsite as quick as possible. I arrived at a very empty and quiet campsite with no sign of life, much like these sleepy villages in France. I quickly got out of my wet clothes and made some lunch. Not a fan of the rain at all!

I’d cycled 40km so my legs were feeling a bit tired. My calves are still very sensitive so I’ll have to keep stretching them out! Looking forward to meeting Leila and my friends tomorrow!

Day 47: Bantzheim to Basel

I was really looking forward to today’s ride! I was meeting Leila a couple of kms away because she was in the same area and we thought it would be nice to cycle together. Leila is the lady who is cycling to Rome with her dog Rolo! My uni friends Ellie and Crofty were also meeting us at some point along the route. I’m so glad they made it out to meet me. They flew from England to spend the next few rest days with me in Basel. Top effort guys!

I met Leila on the bridge above the Rhine. We decided to cycle along the bike track next to the river on the German side. However, we were soon turning back as the path had been blocked off. No problems as there was another cycle route on the French side. We changed direction and went back into France to find it. The route was great and we sped along at good rate. We met Ellie and Crofty half way and had a coffee to celebrate! The second half of the ride was fun. The route was flat and easy to navigate and had lots of cool views of the canal. We reached the campsite after cycling 40km in two hours. I’m looking forward to having a few days off now and checking out Basel!