May 22, 2023 to May 24, 2023
Cologne - Weiberg
Stage 19
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It was a cool grey, hazy morning as I pedaled out of Cologne. Like most cities, it took some time to shake off the suburbs, but after crossing the Rhine and working past the big box stores, I was into some lovely forest paths. There were the usual dog walkers out, and less usual, two horse walkers.
The temperature slowly dropped but the rain held off and I enjoyed following the Trail in all of its random turns. I started to speculate that forest paths are well used in Germany, and seem less likely to just stop or become impassable. This theory was tested in the early afternoon by a big pile of windfall trees, but the re-routing was simple, so supported the theory.
My hotel was in Ludenscheid and it being Monday, the advertised restaurant was closed, so it was another bed picnic with catering by ALDI. I am just a little embarrassed by the pile of packaging I leave behind after these "meals", and wonder if the cleaners ever comment.
I have discovered that Germans take their breakfast buffet very seriously, and I have been able to eat several bread rolls, pastries, cheese, ham in various forms, eggs, and several cups of coffee without feeling I'm over doing it. It still feels too early to eat, but it's important to use the opportunity. The rest of the day is bakeri fare, and sadly, nothing like patisserie fare!
The road was wet as I set off from Ludenscheid, but the rain was so light it was like a heavy dew. I spotted a frog band as I headed out of town.
It didn't take long for the rain to set in, and while the Trail went through some nice forest behind small towns, the tracks soon became very muddy and slippery, and the rivers were showing increased volume and colour. With the air temp around 12° I opted to keep moving on roads (there were a lot of good cycle paths) and get to my hotel sooner.
The other notable feature of the landscape was the effect of the Pine Bark Beetle, which attacks both pine and spruce trees. There were large areas of dead spruce trees, and areas that had been clear fell harvested early, before the trees were mature, and before the beetles got there. There were some large gaps in the forest cover and this is being replanted with faster growing species.
My night's hotel (near Ruthen) was another which mentioned a restaurant, but didn't open it. My hosts were planning a supermarket run, so kindly gave me a lift to get supplies for yet another ALDI bed picnic.
I completed Stage 19 in Weiburg about mid morning, after another damp grey start. Planned distance for the stage was 169km and 3210m climbing; I rode 178km and climbed 2710m.
Today's ride: 178 km (111 miles)
Total: 3,981 km (2,472 miles)
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