Month: August 2023

Lauterbourg France to Strasbourg Germany.

Posted on by mikebike
All is well on the western front . Ya only get that if you watched Hogan’s Heroes as a kid.
The Rhine splits the border between France and Germany here as I go back and forth on across the river. {CAPTION}

The bike trail has everything today. Gravel, mud, rocks, and some beautiful smooth areas. There was rain and wind as well. All in a day’s ride. {CAPTION}

My first view of the foothills of the Black Forest of Germany of in the distance. But I got lots of time before I have to think about the climb.
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This house was built in 1395. Long before American was discovered by the Europeans. Now that’s a fixer upper 😂.
Thanks again for sharing the ride with me. I’m headed toward Basel, from there i take a left and follow the Rhine almost to Lake Constance. Then I head north and east in the Black Forest and follow Danube to Passau and the head south ish to Salzburg. Then over over over to Austria and the Italy to a little town of Groddo about 100km east of Venice where I’ll dip my tire in the Adriatic. It’s all a dream at this point 😃. Love you guys. Mike

Mannheim Germany to Lauterbourg France

Posted on by mikebike
Viva le France and country number three.
Drive through clock tower. I’ll suggest it to the Mayor of Stoughton.
Not sure why the city is named Speyer🧐.
More Speyer’s in Speyer and a bike shop where I replaced my biking shorts 🩳. It’s a long story full of Irish ☘️ truth. 😂
Horse and I getting our morning pie.
And chewable orange juice. They even gave me a spoon for the OJ. Very thoughtful and delicious.
Bulletin:::. I found a sweet little hotel in a sweet little French village ( Lauterbourg) and took the sweetest nap in the sweetest bed ever. When you’ve been tenting for two weeks a real bed makes you cry. Viva le France.
I hope you have some sweetness in your day. Mike






Mainz Germany to Mannheim Germany

Posted on by mikebike
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Mainz at sunset from my camp 🏕️. {CAPTION}

Beautiful ride through the vineyard. I think people pay to do this. But is on my route, so it’s free. Too bad the grapes 🍇 aren’t quite ready, but don’t think I didn’t try one. {CAPTION}

More vineyards nestled in between storybook villages. {CAPTION}

Even the church is surrounded by grapes 🍇. {CAPTION}
I love these quaint little villages. But the cobblestone not so much. {CAPTION}

I just want to live in this house for awhile 😃. {CAPTION}

Evidently it has a security guard. I believe she’s wood. Or dead. Happy trails to you all Mike in Mannheim ( actually outside the city in a camp on the Rhine).

Koblenz to Mainz Germany

Posted on by mikebike
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Took a rest day yesterday and met a couple of German guys. Their daughter was an exchange student in Whitewater WI they went to visit her a view years ago. He liked Door County the best. He had the Wisconsin flag on his camper, so I had to ask. It was a wonderful conversation. {CAPTION}

Beautiful castles on hilltop’s. Some are fixer uppers 😂. {CAPTION}

I love castles. {CAPTION}

And a gingerbread church. {CAPTION}

Raining cat and dogs, but horses and I take cover and a beer garden and have lunch and what out the rain. {CAPTION}

Blue skies return and I stop for pie and good conversation with a biker from Switzerland 🇨🇭. We ride the rest of the day together. My Holland buddies and a day ahead of me because of my rest day. Tomorrow Mannheim is on the radar. Thanks for following me.

Near Bonn to just passed Koblenz

Posted on by mikebike
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Downtown Koblenz {CAPTION}

My riding partners for the last couple days from Netherlands 🇳🇱. Andre and William. {CAPTION}

Hilltop castles along the Rhine. {CAPTION}

Rain on the Rhine kept me busy putting on and taking off my rain jacket all day. But it was cooler so that was a real relief. {CAPTION}

Petty little towns in wine country. {CAPTION}

Hiding from the rain. {CAPTION}
A stop for morning cake 🍰. It’s become addictive. Sent from my iPhone

Hitdoff to Rolandswerth Germany

Posted on by mikebike
Continuing up the Rhine passed Cologne and Bonn. It’s getting much prettier as I approach the middle Rhine with beautiful castles perched on the hilltops of the Rhine. {CAPTION}

Castle ruins at the top of dat hill over there 👉. {CAPTION}

In the rain on the Rhine. The back of Andre and William my riding partners for the afternoon. We are camping in a nice little spot with a hot shower 🚿. OMG I smell beautiful 🤩. {CAPTION}

I love umbrellas ☂️ . Could have used this afternoon 🚿. {CAPTION}

Bonn from a moving bike 🚴🏻 🧐. {CAPTION}

Cologne cathedral and a guy the could use so cologne. {CAPTION}

It’s huge.
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Approaching Cologne and so was everyone else 😂. {CAPTION}

Da big ass bridge and the big rain clouds. {CAPTION}
Broken Ferry ⛴️. I will need to wait here until tomorrow- time to bush camp 🏕️. {CAPTION}

Gyro plate and Tums for lunch. {CAPTION}
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Reese my granddaughter needs one of these. {CAPTION}
The world needs more of these. {CAPTION}

Is it any wonder that I get lost. But I have a new app from another biker called MapOut and I haven’t been lost since. Well some will argue with that statement. {CAPTION}

Fork in the road. I take left – it’s not a good choice cuz the cows 🐄 weren’t happy with me going through their pasture . I did a bat 🦇 turn and got the hell out of there. I think they had mad 😡 cow disease 🦠 😂. {CAPTION}

Am I supposed to follow the red, purple, or magenta? I keep forgetting. You’re only lost until you’re not. Don’t waste a crisis- is a my new motto 😃😂. Love you guys. Thanks for the comments . You are the best.

1 country down 7 to go

Posted on by mikebike
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They have Mammoths 🦣 here. Nobody told me 😂
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Bike fairies everywhere. I crisscross the Rhine several times every day. {CAPTION}

Drive through windmill 😃. With desserts just beyond . {CAPTION}

Yes , that’s chewable orange juice. I’m loving it. {CAPTION}

Camp Happy on the Rhine. {CAPTION}

Entering Germany 🇩🇪. No border crossing guard 💂‍♂️. {CAPTION}

The shaded trail along the river Rhine. {CAPTION}

Crossing the Rhine on big ass bridge. {CAPTION}

Morning on the Rhine. Just me and da big barges. {CAPTION}

Flat with a wind from behind. Great way to start the day. {CAPTION}

A dip in the Rhine. Great way to end the day near Düsseldorf Germany.

Rotterdam to Wijk bij Duurstede

Posted on by mikebike
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Rotterdam a beautiful city and easily got lost 😠. {CAPTION}

Camping with the sheep. {CAPTION}

Following the river Lek to the Rhine on heavenly bike tracks. {CAPTION}

Chewy orange juice 😂❤️ {CAPTION}

Life’s a beach. The cold river felt wonderful. {CAPTION}

Drive thru windmill in Wijk bij Duurstede included carrot cake. {CAPTION}

Carrot cake break and more chewable orange juice. {CAPTION}

Camping with chickens in the backyard of a guy and wife that I stopped to ask directions. Julius and Ann were wonderfully kind and I had a great nights rest in camp happy 😃.

Tire dip

Posted on by mikebike
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It’s official. After a two day ride from Amsterdam I dipped my tires in the North Sea this morning. {CAPTION}

The Rhine. I’ll be following it upstream all the way to Lake Constance. {CAPTION}
Lunch in Rotterdam . {CAPTION}
More beautiful windmills and the amazing bike paths in Holland.