We awoke to a very cool and damp day in Thionville and wondered if we would be able to ride on the Moselle cycle route today. Would it still be flooded? The possibility of rain is very small so we ventured out with guarded optimism. Our stay at Hotel du Parc. was good, offering a great location, basic accomodation but quiet and a great view from our room.
Before we could leave, Mary Ellen had a nasty fall in the lobby and of course her knees took the brunt of it. Noel, who handles reception, and 4 men came running, helped her and patched up her knee. There is nothing quite like flying through the air and landing hard on solid stone tiles.
Noel was so kind to me, cleaning up and bandaging my knee and then she brought me water. As we were leaving she ran to the frig and gave us 2 tins of coke free and 2 juice drinks. I really appreciated her help.
We are now on the Moselle River and the trail is positioned higher above water level than further north. We are happy that the trail is dry and not flooding.
The structure on the right is the last remaining U4 blast furnace and it is 250 feet high. It is used for steel making. There used to be 6 blast furnaces here. It is located in the town of Uckange.
It is a challenge riding when this white stuff is airborne before it settles on the ground. It looks like you are riding through a snowstorm, except that the “snowflakes” are fluffy and dry.
Many gates along the route, but typically we had little trouble getting through. Even the one piece gates which cover the complete path have enough space on one side to make it easy to ride through. Nonetheless, having dealt with so many gates that are difficult to navigate, as the stoker, I always know that a gate is coming by the groans or #%&@ coming from the captain!
We have been having a lovely ride today along the Moselle. It has become quite wide in places and has a powerful current. The infrastructure of the route has been great. Compared to yesterday’s ride which was mostly flooded, this has been easier and uncomplicated.
Remember the white allergen dropping on the trail, well it is also very slippery when wet. This poor fellow was coming toward us and completely wiped out. He landed hard on his shoulder and we think he probably separated or broke it. He was in shock. Barry helped push his bike for him as he could not ride.
He plays in an orchestra and is scheduled to perform tomorrow. He was quite worried about that. We tried to encourage him to call for a ride and some help, but he couldn’t’ deal with that. Barry was happy to help.
Charmaine RuppoltOh my....the guy who fell on his arm, had to play in an orchestra the next day.... :( I hope they had a replacement for him! :( Reply to this comment 7 months ago
We have found Metz to be a very beautiful city. This fortress at the eastern entrance to Metz is known as the German Gate. A natural promenade has been built along the rampart.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral is quite impressive and it dominates the skyline. St Stephen’s Cathedral (1220-1522) is one of the highest in France. It has an incredible collection of stained glass windows dating back to the 10th century and some windows bear the signature of Marc Chagall, Valentin Bosch, Jacques Vilon and more recently Kimsooja.
Karen PoretThank you for this photo TODAY! Why? I was married in St. Stephen’s Church ( in SF, CA) 48 years ago today, but am in the Netherlands now. A timely reminder. 😀 Reply to this comment 7 months ago
Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles) Total: 514 km (319 miles)
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Suzanne GibsonI hope your knee is OK now!
The dry ride to Metz was good news for us, too. We're looking forward to it. Reply to this comment 7 months ago
