Day 93: Stuttgart to Kirchheim, Germany

August 20, 2012

We woke up at 5, with it still dark. The city around us, to the extent that it had ever slept, was already stirring. Some cyclists with lights whirred past, and maybe one dog walker came along. Still we were anxious to break camp. It just makes us nervous to be where we might get harassed. We had prepared a fast start because of this: no fly on the tent, no footprint, no inflatable sleeping mats, no shower kit in the tent, etc. (The last one was easy, since the showers were kms away!)

Our "stealth" camp near the Mercedes plant

We had cycled about 100 metres when we realized two things: Our wild camp was absolutely the last opportunity for about 30 kms, and that we had camped basically in the parking lot of a Mercedes Benz factory that itself seemed at least ½ km long. We are sure this factory was just one of many, but it was huge.

The surrounding industrial area was also huge, with a steady stream of heavy trucks coming and going. We know industry like this is necessary. Else, where would our fleet of Mercedes cars, our VW van, and our 60 inch TV come from? However, it was a bit sad to see our friend the Neckar River corralled and channelled.

Finding our way through Stuttgart was, as expected, a chore. Roads run every which way, and cycling signs, while many, are confusing and sometimes contradictory. We fetched up at one point at what turned out to be a major mineral spring swimming and drinking centre. There was a fountain with multiple water streams and lots of signage, but we could not tell if we were being instructed to drink or not to drink. We asked a passer by he explained about the water, and the fact that he comes here every day to swim.

Nearby the springs was something called the Wilhelma, which we take to be a botanical garden. There was also a dock where river tour boats seemed to be available. We also know that Stuttgart has many other wonders, including the Mercedes museum which was nearby. However, because of the size and complexity of the city, our interest was just in getting past it.

The temperature was already at least 38, and we filled up on the spring water. We then discovered it’s strong taste, but at that temperature, who cares, as long as it is wet.

We did of course muddle our way past Stuttgart, but even before leaving the city completely behind, noticed steep cliffs on the opposite bank of the river, completely terraced with old brick work. The terraces supported extensive plantings of grapes, some across the fall of the hill, and some in rows going almost straight up and down.

These cliffs and terraces were not just a flash in the pan. In fact, they stayed with us all the rest of the day. To reinforce that, I am typing this sitting on a bench at our new (luxury) wild camp, and behind me are terraces, extending about three hundred vertical feet, with a very intense slope.

Our cycling today, again, was coloured by the unaccustomed amount of traffic and roads lurking around in general. However, we must also say that a lot of the time we were on nice paths by the river, or passing by towns with at least a little charm. The terraces, though, have got to be the story of the day. We have no doubt that if we were not so ignorant we would know that this is a super famous place with terrific wines. Then we could be doubly impressed, like with the Wachau or the Loire. But, we are impressed enough. We may also have sampled one or two of the ripe, dark purple grapes. Oh my, what a waste to use these yummy things for wine!

We cycled for two or three hours, running on a couple of cookies, an apple, and water. After a tough day yesterday, I was feeling a bit weak – sweaty but with chills. So it was great to suddenly come across pretty much our first McDonalds in Germany. Yikes, how strange to find that I have missed “real” bacon and a pretty large, weak, coffee, and eggs for breakfast (not boiled!). A funny observation about globalization was that most of the things on offer were “authentic”. That is, the Egg McMuffin was a “real” Egg McMuffin.

The path also brought a bit of frustration. We came upon a lady, out in the full sun, with a mostly deflated tire. Her pump, she explained, was “too small” to pump it up. So here came Steve, ready to save the day with his long distance tourist savvy and tools. Only thing, the valve on her tube was not like anything I have seen before. Unlike a Schrader or Presta, there did not seem to be any central pin. Does it work by air pressure alone? Is it essentially a Presta type fitting? In the end I could not get anywhere with it, and had to apologize to the lady - Roswitha Fischer. Roswitha, if you are reading this, let us know how it turned out and what the problem truly was!

As the day wore on, the temperature on my bike computer rose to 41 degrees, as high as I have ever seen it. We took care to keep finding water, since we are only carrying 3 litres each, and that can go very fast when it is really hot. We did find a shady spot by the river, and not only had our lunch, but also washed some clothes in the river and wet our cycling shirts.

We left in pretty good shape, but the broiling sun soon took its toll, on Dodie especially. Like the delicate flower that she is, she wilted, no matter how watered. Then, we were negotiating a particularly zig zaggy portion of the route. It can be tricky, because signs (such as they are) can disagree with the map, and both often need to correlated with the GPS story on where we actually are. So we were heading on what seemed like a reasonable trajectory when Dodie suddenly grabbed a side path toward the river side. It is comforting to head for the river that we are theoretically following, but this was a dead end. The GPS knew it, the map knew it, but Dodie was way too overheated and the “true” path, up a series of steep hills in the open sun was just too much.

I have found that operating Dodie above 35 degrees for any prolonged period results in disorientation and later, collapse. So I pulled out a foam mat and tried to get her to lie down on it. She mostly refused. I tried to explain our route and why we had to go that way. She put her fingers in her ears. She said that I did not know how to work the GPS and that the map was wrong.

Fortunately, the afternoon was progressing and the temperature dropping. Like magic, when the thermometer went below 35, Dodie rebooted, and we were off!

We have found that this route lacks most of the support that is found on the Donau. Gasthauses are fairly rare, grocery stores are not that easy to find, and camping places are extremely rare. Even restaurants do not exactly pop out at you. To be fair, it’s mostly that these services are not along the radweg, though in the towns they are more rare as well.

So when we happened on a grocery store, we jumped on the chance to get cheese and yogurt, and what will surely be a new favourite: cold peach tea. Then we began to look for a place to wild camp, yet again. We hit the jackpot with a spot with three benches and a beach on the river. Behind is the huge wall of grapes.

The only thing, this place is a favourite of locals. First up were two girls, come to sit and stink up the place with cigarettes. They were teenagers who spoke German, and Kurdish, reflecting their immigrant heritage. One lives here, and one is a cousin from Stuttgart. We asked about the grape vines and whether wines from here were famous. Surprisingly they denied any knowledge of this main feature of the landscape. Rather, they sat eating Pringles and smoking. Teenagers, yeeech.

Next up was a couple that sat by the water and talked and talked, while smoking and smoking. Finally, they left, as did any dog walkers, cyclists, joggers, etc. So we went for a swim in “our” river – so refreshing – and retired to our tent, hidden in the corner. Waterfront in the vines – what a luxury vacation home!

Signs we can not understand explain it all

Near Mulhausen - there are still pretty towns to see on this route.

The still industrial Neckar, almost out of Stuttgart

Picnicn by the river, with a (rare) boat coming along.

We need to follow the blue dotted line, but it's up into the hills.

Dodie won't hear of it. (This is not a posed picture)

This bridge was on our map, but the GPS denied it.

Proof, from multinational Nokia, that the Grampies can walk on water!

The Kurdish girls. They objected when we spoke of them as coming from Turkey.

Today's ride: 74 km (46 miles)
Total: 4,570 km (2,838 miles)

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