August 26, 2022
Rhine to Moselle in a day.
Fog on the Rhine
August 26 Friday. 66 kms
We wake to a misty morning or perhaps it’s heat haze. It’s coolish anyway. We shower at our chalet and pack up. The barges are still chugging around the burnished Lorelei Rock, headed south, but we are headed north to Koblenz and the junction of the Rhine and Moselle.
Tent away and bikes loaded, we stop for a quick coffee before climbing up to the path. There’s a German family of 6 getting ready to depart as well. We noticed them in the camp at Mainz, in particular because one of the young boys was carrying an impressive load.
The path to Koblenz is very straightforward and the river views are spectacular as it broadens on its way north. Small towns along the river are a regular sight on both banks. At one point we come across a Grandfather and two young children walking two white geese. He whistles and the geese take their orders.
The towns are often dominated by a church with a high steeple and are built in dark brick. The sun mercifully doesn’t break through till afternoon. There are trains both sides of the river, castles high up in the hills and a stone wall alongside the path. A chap in a mobility scouter belts along the road uncaring of the traffic flying by.
We stop in Boppard for a bratwurst mit brochen. It’s a quick stop on a busyish pedestrian way with lots of visitors. There’s also a wifi spot so we catch up on family. The church has beautiful stained glass windows, both old and modern style.
As we enter Koblenz, the cycle path takes us through a park where shade is provided by an avenue of trees and there are stately old houses facing the river too.
The point where the two rivers meet is crowded with tourists and we only stop for a moment. I have a memory of parking our VW Kombi here overnight in 1979. That couldn’t happen now.
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The transition to the Moselle path is straight forward and we have lunch in the trees along the way. A high bridge crosses us over to the other side and we can see paddle boarders and kayaks out on the river. At one point also we see high above us a very long motorway bridge spanning the river. The Moselle, a deep green, seems a narrower and prettier change.
Our afternoon journey continues in a fairly leisurely fashion until about 5:00 we reach Hatzenport where we find Island Camping. We set up near a tree that has a useful seat beneath it. Rain is threatening so we don’t waste time. A couple of vans of blokey types set up next to us and we chat briefly. They seem to have escaped for a weekend’s biking and bonding. We also talk to a Canadian woman from BC who we’ve noticed on the trail a couple of times. Her husband tells us that he’s trying out his new knee.
We dine on salad and tomatoes and climb into our sleeping bags as the patter of rain hits Marmot.
Today's ride: 66 km (41 miles)
Total: 181 km (112 miles)
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