Getting to your hostel and discovering you reserved it for tomorrow night, not tonight! Thank the Lord they were able to get me a bed.
I got a real breakfast of potatoes and eggs this morning. Continental breakfasts are ok but it just isn't as good as an American breakfast.
Weather forecast was for some showers but it never rained enough to put on rain gear.
I got a good start today. It takes me a lot longer to do the miles here because I'm stopping to take pictures and check my guide book a lot to find out where I turn next. The signs are great but it can be a long way between them and I like to be prepared for when to expect them. Also I don't have anyone to draft behind.
On the road again. The route is R2 in Switzerland and Eurovelo 15 everywhere else. The Swiss just have to be different.
Swiss defense history. Helps if you can read German.
More pretty poppies along the trail.
Mama swan tending to her eggs in the Rhine. Also saw birds that looked like coots doing the same on river nests. I would worry that a rise in the river could float the nest away, but I guess they know what they are doing.
Statue includes a snake (bottom right) trying to eat a frog.
Paved path adjacent to road
Roadside break for lunch. Bought it all at the COOP market. COOP is pronounced like a chicken coop, not co-op like I first thought.
Just in case you are interested in history.
The monks had a pretty impressive wine press! The picture doesn't do it justice.
Stein am Rhine, where the abbey is, has an incredible town square lined with fresco covered buildings, a cobbled street, and even an arch entry from the old town wall. Enjoy these shots!
I saw this street sign and figured it must be a tough neighborhood.
The trail, which is often a very lightly used county road, cuts through farmer's fields...
and sometimes disappears into the woods.
In this area you may not even know what country you are in. This is the border between Germany and Switzerland. I'm not sure which country my bike is in.
Covered bridge over the Rhine in Diessenhofen. This one is open for 1 way car traffic. Groups of cars are held back to let the oncoming traffic through.
I called this a cow wash and started singing "At the Cow (Car) Wash". But actually it is an automatic brushing machine. I like my idea better.
Generous people decluttering their home. A couple stainless steel thermoses looked pretty good, but i have no use or space for them.
I like the VW mini busses they have over here.
These boats are unique to the Rhine. You use a pole to push yourself up stream. There is a paddle but it is more for steering. There are a lot of these moored along the river.
The easy way to get seeds out of pomegranates!
I made it with only a few wrong turns. I may not be a 'Youth' anymore, but luckily they let almost anyone into these hostels.
And here's my room. My only roommate, Adian, is a coach for the Swiss National Waterpool team!
That's all the news for the day. Tomorrow's destination is Waldshut, Germany. A little longer ride than today.
Very nice day for enjoying the scenery along the river, the old, well preserved buildings and the history. It’s one of the things that I love about traveling in Europe. The rich history of the centuries of cultural interactions is fascinating. We saw a wine press at a winery near an old church in Burgundy that was also built and used by the monks. They were the original wine producers.
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