Cochem: This was not meant to be a mountain biking expedition

September 14, 2017

The weather today was again very variable so we again spent time under bridges waiting out the rain. We stopped for a while at Zell - the town uses black cats as an emblem and they are everywhere. We had coffee and cake at a beautiful backerie cum cafe and explored the town. Ken bought a bottle of the local wine which is of course decorated with a black cat

Some time after this our navigation went completely to pot. Our guide book showed a route on this side of the river. Well there was one, it had no signage not that that mattered but some how indicated what it would be like. The first few hundred meters were a paved road between vineyards, the paving soon disappeared. The further we went the worse it got until we were riding a very muddy single track There was no sign of habitation but across the river we could see cute little wine villages the more sensible cyclists were riding through. Every little while there was a notice giving you the number to ring if you needed first aid! Our wheels were slipping in the mud and we both came near to falling off. I kept thinking about how I broke my ankle when I fell off my bike in May. But all was well, luckily it didn't rain and we were reasonably sheltered from the wind. This went on for 14km and we were certainly relived when we popped out of the forest at Senheim and rewarded ourselves by sitting down and eating the plum tart we had been carrying.

Now we joined the cyclists coming over the bridge from the other side of the river and cycling turned to normal. Who should we meet a bit further along but a group of Aussies on a walking tour of the Moselle and the Black Forest. They are having a great time and were able to direct us to a cafe where we were once mor able to reward ourselves

Cochem Castle is a spectacular sight as you approach the town. The town itself is charming and rather overrun with tourists There were snakes of them following their tour guides around some of them listening intently to the words of wisdom. Our hotel is absolutely wonderful, it is right on the Market Square, we have been upgraded to a room overlooking the square. The room is enormous and extremely comfortable with tea and coffee making facilities and is no more expensive than the very second rate place we were in last night. I await their breakfast

This is one of the early Deutz single cylinder tractors made just after the war this is the first I have seen working

The army were advertising them selves in Zell

There are lots and lots of well used camping grounds along the Moselle

It was after this Monastery Stubin founded in 1100 that our track turned bad

Wine fron Enkirk and Zell We will drink the Enkirk wine tonight and carry the black cat a little longer

Today's ride: 52 km (32 miles)
Total: 2,133 km (1,325 miles)

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