Perl to Trier - How I Saved My Marriage - CycleBlaze

July 7, 2024

Perl to Trier

We got off to a late start, as usual, which we prefer over setting an alarm. The main road was on the opposite side of the river from the bike path, so there was next to zero traffic.
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There were several sections of canopied trees.
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We leapfrogged these guys several times as we rode. They were going slightly slower, but I stopped a lot for pictures.
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Then, several miles farther down, there were a lot more.... a regatta maybe?
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Does it get any better than this?
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There were of lot of RVs/caravans like this one along the river.
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Steve Miller/GrampiesLess expensive than building a house. Probably used as a weekend getaway home,
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3 months ago
Some appeared to be well established, with permanent patios and plants like this one.
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Others even more so.
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We stopped to get a picture in front of the border sign, visible to the cars coming from across the river in Luxembourg.
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When I started riding my tire was making a weird sound. I took a closer look and found a thick layer of tar on it. I tried scraping to off with this zip tie, but it didn't help much, and I got some of the tar on my hands. I tried to get it off my hands but it REALLY didn't want to come off, even when I used a roadside plant to help.
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Unfortunately, the plant I used was stinging nettle. My hand swelled up a little and hurt for several hours! :-)
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Steve Miller/GrampiesIt went from bad to worse for you. Poor you.
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3 months ago
Kathleen ClassenSheesh! Ouch, ouch and ouch.
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3 months ago
Bill ShaneyfeltThose are good to eat if you wear gloves to pick and clean them before steaming like spinach. I like them. Supposed to have medicinal benefits too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urtica_dioica
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3 months ago
Mark BinghamTo Bill Shaneyfelt"if you wear gloves"
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2 months ago
Bill ShaneyfeltTo Mark BinghamYou noticed... :-)
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2 months ago
Mark BinghamTo Bill ShaneyfeltIndeed I did. I also noticed that the medicinal properties don't appear carry over to stings, and might even make them worse. :-)
And also that, according to the article, it's used "as punishment for severe crimes." I believe it!
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2 months ago
Bill ShaneyfeltTo Mark BinghamFunny thing... as a kid in the early 1950s, I first encountered them. Not good!

In the early 1970s, I was told they are good to eat. It wasn't until the mid 1980s, after doing lots of reading that I finally summoned the gumption to actually try eating them.

I still occasionally get days long painful welts when I fail to pay attention while fishing, berry picking, etc.

Yup, I agree, kinda brutal, but memorable punishment!
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2 months ago
Cat LloydOuch! I would have mistaken that plant for mint.
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2 months ago
We had a 15+ mph tailwind all day, and the temperature stayed between 65-70 F/18.3-21.1 C.
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Bill ShaneyfeltChicory. Edible and nutritious. I find it a little bitter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicory
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3 months ago
For lunch, we crossed the river back into Luxembourg and bypassed a place with good ratings because it was near the street, which was noisy. We opted instead for a place away from the crowds, La Taverna, on a road closed to cars.
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There appears to be a custom at the Italian cafes that you get a free digestif. Last night it was port (Heather) and ouzo (Mark), and today it was limoncello.
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no cars - only pedestrian traffic
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Kathleen ClassenWe love this about Europe.
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3 months ago
Rich FrasierGood choice!
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3 months ago
We saw a lot of these today.
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This vineyard looks almost vertical.
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Steve Miller/GrampiesSome are up to 60 or 70% slope.
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3 months ago
Mark BinghamTo Steve Miller/GrampiesI believe it. It made me wonder about harvesting.
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3 months ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Mark BinghamThey often have little carts on tracks that go up and down at the ends of the rows. The pickers handpick the grapes, place them in baskets on their backs, and bring them to the carts which carries the picked grapes down the hill. It is incredibly labour intensive work.
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3 months ago
perfect riding conditions
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We rode to our hotel in Trier, Germany's oldest city, where Porta Nigra is located. It was built by the Romans in 170 A.D. as a gate to the city. We also passed the Roman Bridge, built in 17 B.C.E.
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Our hotel. The open windows on the top left are ours.
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You can see that they're serious about allowing bicyclists the right of way. It's like this everywhere we've been. Cars respected cyclists, and even so we only needed to ride on the road for about a kilometer from the bike path to our hotel.
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After cleaning up we walked to Walderdorff for dinner, which is across the plaza from St. Peter's cathedral, the oldest cathedral in Germany. On the way back to the hotel we stopped for some gelato at Eiscafe Rigoni.
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Today's ride: 34 miles (55 km)
Total: 62 miles (100 km)

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