To Basel.

July 30, 2024

Descending to the Rhine Valley, then following the Rhine upstream to Basel.

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The first thing I saw this morning when I woke up at 6:30am. Reflecting on the day through our bedroom mirror. Thought it was worth a shot. Looks like a nice day for a ride.

Yep. Looks to be smashing day. The forecast predicts a hot one out there, though.

I caught a sneaky pic of Susanna eating breakfast this morning.

About to push off from Théière & Couverts - Les Chambres, Cernay.

Our stay at Théière & Couverts - Les Chambres in Cernay was great for a one night stay, even though there wasn't much going on in town yesterday. But, our foray into Mulhouse for a few hours yesterday did the trick.

Today, however the town seemed to come alive with shopkeepers getting ready for the day. This morning Cernay seemed like a totally different town. In all appearances it seems that Sunday and Monday are considered the weekend and most businesses are closed on these days; and, Sunday is definitely a doors shut day throughout most of France. You may find a cafe open, but for the most part, Sunday is a day off for most French workers. For us Canadians, this seems so strange, and we take Sunday shopping now as a given in most parts of Canada.

But, I remember when there was a time in Ontario, Canada when Sunday shopping was a huge political and ideological issue. Up until 1992, there was absolutely no Sunday shopping in Ontario at all. It was a day off for all workers. Then, the government at the time bowed down to public pressure and allowed grocery stores, and shops to be open. I remember this being a big deal at the time. But, I digress. As for this morning, I was just thankful to be able to get my pain-aux-raison from the Patisserie.

Beautiful morning light over La Thur river upon leaving Cernay. La Thur is a tributary of the larger Ill River, which then eventually flows into the mighty Rhine.

Our ride out of Cernay this morning could not have gone any smoother. RidewithGPS did a great job of calculating our route today. We followed La Thur river downstream on quiet cycle paths with many early morning riders greeting each other along the way, and many shared smiles, nods and bonjours were exchanged. There's something so egalitarian about traveling by bicycle. Before long, we bid adieu to La Thur and made a dogleg eastward towards the town of Pulversheim where we were directed onto quiet farming lanes bookended by long rows of cornfields.

Can you tell which direction we are headed by the shadow? Here we're headed towards the mountains of the German Black forest rising in the distance. Just leaving Pulversheim.

As the day progressed, the temperatures began to rise, and we rode through open pastures and crop land devoid of any shade as we continued to descend further into the Rhine basin inferno. It was a hot one out there. We intentionally routed ourselves to skirt Mulhouse to the north and avoid the urban congestion; and, by chance, we entered the Foret domaniale de la Hardt; a long stretch of oak forest that provided a wonderful reprieve from the intense sun.

Foret domaniale de la Hardt. We had about 15kms of this incredible forest riding until meeting the Rhone-Rhine canal.

Wonderful morning light in the Foret domaniale de la Hardt. The best part of today's ride.

When we emerged from the forest, we made a short climb up and over the bridge crossing the Rhone-Rhine canal. This canal which links the interior French city of Dijon with Basel was built in the early 1800's with intention of creating a national waterway system for trade, defense and for providing linkages with several other major waterways in France. The canal system in France is quite the incredible engineering feat, and it's truly mind-blowing to think of the amount of skill, man-power, and planning to construct these intricate waterways.

Here we're sitting on the 22 km (14 mi) stretch of the Canal de Huningue linking Mulhouse to Basel completed in 1828, and enlarged in 1961. You can just make out the canal in the back.

Canal de Huningue, linking Mulhouse with Basel.

We continued for several kilometers along the Canal de Huningue before reaching the outskirts of Basel. By this time the temperature was around 33 degrees, and we were ready to get off of the bikes.

Entering Switzerland. Just outside of Basel.

Sue on the Mittlere Brücke (Middle bridge) in Basel.

Us. Mittlere Brücke (Middle bridge) in Basel.

As we stood on the bridge we noticed dozens of people floating downstream holding onto what seemed like inflatable bags for buoyancy. Turns out this is a thing to do in Basel. The bag is for floaters to pack their clothes and shoes in, as well as for floatation. It was entertaining to watch all these humans floating down the Rhine like this.

More floaters....and the Mittlere Brücke (Middle bridge) in Basel.

After arriving we got cleaned up and headed out the door. It didn't take us long to retreat back to the air conditioned room, though. It was unpleasantly too hot out to be out wandering around in the city, and by mid afternoon the temperatures were creeping towards 36 degrees. So, it's some Olympics watching for us until the temperatures fall later this evening. Then, maybe we'll head out for a gelato. A great day.

Our eat in lunch in the comfort of our room at our hotel. Maybe we'll head out a little later when the temperatures fall. Another great day.

I did manage to get out for an evening stroll while Sue took a late afternoon nap. Here are some shots of my evening stroll. I'll let the captions tell the story.

The swimming spot. The Mittlere Brücke is just out of frame to the left. This seemed to be the most popular place in town on this sweltering evening. As floaters drifted by, kids and adults alike jumped into the Rhine to cool off. I joined them. This was the highlight of my day!

Along the Rhine on a hot summer evening.

The dreadlocked bubble guy with his equally dreadlocked dogs put on the bubble show for the crowd. This kid was loving it.

Today's ride: 61 km (38 miles)
Total: 776 km (482 miles)

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Rachael AndersonSorry it’s getting so hot! We’ve had very cool days and threats of rain but haven’t got wet.
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4 months ago

Patrick O'HaraTo Rachael AndersonGlad to hear that you're keeping dry. We've come to expect these temperatures when we come to Europe during the only time we can come. We can't wait until we retire. Southern France in February!
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4 months ago

Elmar KlukasBasel’s supposed to be a very interesting city. Lots of cool architecture apparently. It’s on the list!
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4 months ago

Patrick O'HaraTo Elmar KlukasHey Elmar. We wish we had more time to visit some museums and art galleries, as well as see some of the architecture. Looking forward to riding with you guys when I get back.
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4 months ago

Jacquie GaudetAl uses his Swim Buddy (yes, that's what it's called) for open-water swimming. He can put his valuables in the dry-bag section, inflate it, and attach it to his waist. It floats along behind him and makes him visible in the water as he swims. He hasn't tried it for just floating along...
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4 months ago