Day 3: Schlüchtern to Bad Salzschlirf

August 22, 2021

The weather report for today is dismal. We decide we better hurry if we want to reach our destination before the heavy rains hit in the early afternoon. We are packed before breakfast and are off shortly after 8:00. The breakfast again today is amazing, with a tremendous variety of cold meat, cheese, juices, joghurt, makings for musli, bread, bacon and eggs...

Under the grey skies we start on the slog out of Schlüchtern, a steady climb on a bike path next to the road, good for getting warmed up.

The kind of climb that looks like nothing but is 6% nevertheless

We now follow the Fulda River to the town of Fulda. The bike path is excellent and well signposted and in spite of the grey I am enjoying the countryside.

Is the sky brighter in the direction we are headed?

Hilly countryside but we remain in the valley

Fulda would be worth a visit but we are in a bit of a hurry. The bike path takes us through its lovely park but skirts the city center. Even on this grey day there are plenty of people out for a Sunday morning walk or ride.

We don' even leave the path to get a better view of this monastery, we are in a hurry.

Just a house with white hydrangeas, but I liked the traditional wood shingle facade.

It's not raining yet, just ten kilometers more.

Our hotel is in Bad Salzschlirf, a spa town, which means it will have pretty parks and walks for its guests.

Local remedies are mineral baths, brine baths, mud baths and mud packs. Until around 1985, the moor was obtained from the Red Moor in the Rhön. Wikipedia

Janos, is that our hotel? Bad Salzschlirf was an elegant place to take the waters in the ealy 20h century.

We arrive shortly after 12:00. Usually we dawdle so much in the morning that we have covered little more than 20 kilometers by noon. And it's not raining yet. Unfortunately we can't check in to our hotel before 4:00 and Janos can't reach anyone by telephone. We settle down in a cafe, at least we have a roof over our heads for the wait. After a few more futile telephone calls, we ride by Haus Maria, where we will stay, and ring the bell. Hurray, someone opens the door, our room is ready.

Built in 1935, Haus Maria is old but well kept. I think the furnishings are all original. Unique is its elevator which uses a hydraulic system. It is very slow to move up the two stories and we are told that if the oil in the system is too warm, it won't make it to the top floor. But it won't crash, either, it just moves slowly down again. The bicycles spend the night in what appears to be the ball room from days gone by. When I comment to our host on the elegants quarters our bikes have for the night, he answers that we will sleep in the basement. He has a sense of humor.

I am hoping that it will finally rain, thus justifying our effort to get our ride finished before the storm. And it does. We are hardly in our room ten minutes before the thunder, lightning and rain hits.

Today's ride: 49 km (30 miles)
Total: 158 km (98 miles)

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Scott AndersonCongratulations! There are few better feelings than just getting in before a downpour. Virtue and self-discipline justly rewarded.
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3 years ago

Kathleen JonesI look forward to hearing more about your basement accommodations! That was a very funny riposte.
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3 years ago