Schweinfurt photos added: This is a big industrial city

September 25, 2017

A particularly good breakfast with lots of fresh fruit raspberries, red currents, mangos, grapes, oranges, melons, Pineapple. I really enjoyed them. Then it was into the fog and straight back onto the track. We were unaware of just how extensive that vineyards are in this part of the Main. I don't think I have seen such a huge area of grapes, even in Bordeaux, there must have been thousands of acres of them. The vines are meticulously tended and the grapes themselves in perfect order without a hint of rot. Harvest is certainly in full swing and there were busy tractors rushing round with importance. On the less steep slopes the grapes were being machine harvested but on the very steep slopes they have to be hand harvested. The little towns we passed through were real wine towns with the opportunity to taste their products on every corner. At one place away from the towns we came across a man preparing a massive lunch for the pickers most of whom seemed to be young people of about student age

Early on we saw lots of opportunities for coffee and food but later on when we were getting hungry the towns were too small to have anything. But we were riding along and what did I see across the river but people sitting on a terrace eating. What is more there was a ferry across the river so in no time we were on it and soon sitting on that terrace having our soup

It was back across the river and things turned slightly to custard There are cycle routes going everywhere and they are signed. We followed the wrong sign. It seemed it would be OK and it was for quite a while. Then we got to where we thought we would join the Main Radweg, we couldn't see what to do and asked a passing cyclist. He was a complete nutter and said follow him which we did. We got to a intersection and he seemed to indicate that we turned left. But he kept on talking and talking in frantic German telling us I think that we shouldn't go on the Autobahn (did he think we were suicidal ). Well we were safely on cycle tracks but were soon to learn what a big industrial city Schweinfurt is. By some miracle eventually we found a bridge that took us into the centre and to our hotel. We have once more an excellent room and Ken is particularly delighted that we have a purring cat

In one place there was a canal cutting off a loop of the river

A very busy tractor pushing one trailer and pulling two

Ken usually only photographs old tractors but this Holder is fairly new. He photographed it because he has two old Holders

Coming into the non industrial part of Schweinfurt

Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 2,716 km (1,687 miles)

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