To Bernkastel-Kues.

July 22, 2024

Meandering along the Moselle. Not the most direct route, but fabulous nonetheless.

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Today's ride was as relaxing and scenic as you want get. Imagine kilometer after kilometer of river riding on a separated bike path hemmed in by hills covered in vineyards, and our route following the lacets and bends of the river. That pretty much sums up today.

We can honestly say now that we are almost feeling like we have adjusted to the nine hour time change. There is no more fading and nodding off in the mid-afternoon, and we're feeling a lot more 'normal'. That being said, I was up at 3:30 am this morning for some reason, so I suppose I'm not fully adjusted to the time change just yet. So, I worked on the journal for a bit at the little desk in the room, and tried to not make a sound while Sue sawed logs.

It was so quiet at 3 in the morning. The door to our balcony was open and when I took a moment to step outside, the lights of Cochem reflected in the still waters of the Moselle, and the illuminated cross high up on the hill above seemed to be floating against the black sky. Quite idyllic, and it gave me pause to appreciate where I was, and who I was with. Take me now, I thought to myself.

I slunk back into bed around 5am, and within what seemed minutes, it was already 6:30, and time to get up.

We packed, got into our cycling kit for the day and headed down to breakfast. Oh, sure we got some quizzical stares eating breakfast in lycra, but we're too old to care about things like that. The hotel breakfasts that come included with your room are absolutely incredible in most parts of Europe, and they fill your belly for most of the day. Several types of meats, eggs, sausage, a variety of cheeses, breads, pastries, yoghurt, fresh fruit, vegetables, cereal, waffles, smoked salmon, muesli, and of course, coffee. It's all quiet overwhelming, really, and it's usually quite the spread.

Hotel Zehnthof in Cochem. Getting ready for today's adventure.

After breakfast we were on the road by 9am. For most of today's ride we meandered the lacets of the Moselle past one quaint town after another. Each town had it's riverfront side lined with historic tudor style hotels, restaurants and cafes, but they also had inviting narrow streets that led to medieval hidden town centers behind which we wish we had more time to explore.

Although the riding was pretty flat today, we were both quite ready to get off of the bikes by the time we reached our destination at Bernkastel-Kues. Bernkastel-Kues is a hyphened town that straddles the Moselle. There is a Bernkastel side and a Kues side separated by a bridge spanning the Moselle. I always wondered what it was like hundreds of years ago when there wasn't a bridge linking these two communities. Did they throw rocks at each other and call each other names from across the waters? I imagine a comical Monty Python scene here.

Our hotel tonight is Burgblick hotel, located on the Kues side of the Moselle. We're not taking sides here! We're neither Kues's or Bernkastel's, just to be clear.

So, here are some photos from today's ride. We didn't take that many photos today, as much of today's ride's scenery was so much of the same...the Moselle and vineyards. But, who's complaining? Consider this a photo montage in no particular order.