June 7, 2008
From Pforzheim to Karlsruhe: A short but tiring day
A long, amusing conversation with our chatty hostess while she serves us breakfast compensates for the discomfort of our room. She is a French native speaker but her command of the Swabian dialect is perfect. She lets us in on local gossip and raves about her adopted home, Pforzheim.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
We don't travel many kilometers today, perhaps it's the grey weather, cool and unfriendly, that makes the cycling so tedious. A little bit of sun can make all the difference. The ride from Pforzheim starts with a walk up the mountain, as in Stuttgart, but not so long, fortunately. The rest of the day takes us through small towns and villages, not ugly, but not quaint either, with the occasional traditional half-timbered facade. The route more or less follows the train tracks and the pretty Finz River.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
In Karlsruhe the tourist information office for some reason only has rather pricey hotels on its list. We look for an Internet cafe and have more luck finding a room on our own. Our hotel is fine except we have to climb up to the 100th floor, or so it seems. Otherwise Karlsruhe, situated in the Rhine valley, is flat as a pancake.
Cycling in Karlsruhe is pleasant and easy. The city was planned with 32 streets radiating out from the the palace (Schloss) at the center like spokes on a wheel. Much of the downtown area, including the Schloss, was reduced to rubble by Allied bombing during World War II but was quickly rebuilt after the war and the original street plan was retained.
Today's ride: 38 km (24 miles)
Total: 365 km (227 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 0 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |