to Euskirchen: through heat, hills, humidity and thunderstorms
We are really suffering in the heat and humidity this week. Last night, we had an early night and tried not to do much in our attempt not to overheat. It was hard to sleep, but we enjoyed having a shower for cooling off and looked forward to having breakfast prepared for us. Our room was very old and had seen better days, but the rest of the Gastatte was well cared for and proved very interesting for us.
After breakfast, we explored the expansive area behind the dining room and discovered many rooms and a bowling alley. Clearly this Gastatte has historically been a hub for the community.
Some of the rooms were dedicated to a special club for young males called the Corps. Its members are referred to as Corps students who belong to a student fraternity and they practice academic fencing called: Mensur. The act of fencing is a strictly regulated rapier fight between two members of different fraternities using razor sharp weapons. Basically, they stand still and fence at arms length while attempting to hit unprotected areas of their opponents face or head. Flinching or dodging is not allowed. The resulting scar is seen as a badge of honour. To be a member, a young man is chosen solely on his character, irrespective of religion or political differences. Karl Marx, Kaiser Wilhelm II and Wagner were members of the Corps.
Our ride today is undulating through the upper Eifel region. We follow the Roer River and take refuge from the heat at times in the lush foliage along the river and sit with our feet in the water to try to cool down. The sound of thunder is with us much of the day.
A big surprise of the day was arriving in the medieval town of Julich. If the weather hadn't been so hot yesterday, we had intended to push on and camp here. As it turns out, it is good that we stopped early as we would have had trouble finding space as there is a Pirate Festival here for 3 days, and it is the biggest Pirate gathering in Germany.
At first we were enchanted by the attractive medieval city gate, buildings and its cobbled streets that greeted us, but soon we were distracted by the loud sounds of drumming and music coming from across the river, and then we were further distracted by the vision of Pirates riding bikes, driving and walking along the street. We stopped a young woman and asked what was going on and we were told that she always dresses this way, except when working as her employer doesn't allow pirate clothing at work. She said that the next 3 days were "full on" pirate days.
We had fun here taking in the pirate culture, visiting the market and wandering the city centre. We liked Julich.
Despite the increasing bad weather, we pushed on and managed to dodge the thunder - most of the time. It is a bit unsettling to be in densely forested areas in thunder, but we had no choice as the villages were few and far between.
Being late in August with people on holidays, we found it increasingly difficult to find a place to stay. There were no campgrounds so we pushed on to Euskirchen with a room held for us. When we arrived, the owner was most apologetic as they had miscalculated their bookings and had no room. Thankfully, he had found us a room at another hotel, so we rode on. It turns out that this was a good thing as it is a "Bike and Bett" hotel with breakfast included and in a better location. We didn't like the vibe of the neighbourhood in the centre of Euskirchen at the first hotel. We were given a very large room which was very comfortable and our bike had a safe place as well. The only problem was that it continued to be very hot - 2 cold showers each that evening gave us temporary relief.
Breakfast at the Gastatte - we enjoy staying in traditional guesthouses.
We discovered that the Gastatte has a long history of being run by the same family for over 100 years. This room is where a traditional club, German student Corps meets. The swords and Academic Mensur Fencing have great significance in their customs. We learned that the Corps dates back to the 15th century.
After breakfast we were touring the Gastatte and found the bowling alley. This is a typical feature of Gastattes from this era. We gave it a try and learned that it requires skill to get the right spin and angle when throwing the ball down the narrow lane. Sadly bowling clubs are no longer as popular as they once were.
We enjoyed staying here. Behind the simple facade of this Gastatte, there is a labrynth of rooms and gathering areas for the community - bowling alley, club rooms for the Corps, dining areas. We can see that these inns have been the hub of the community.
We are approaching the upper Eiffel region - the route is straight here and undulates through the landscape that is becoming less flat. Very pretty. It is early in the day, and already the heat is giving the vista a shimmering haze.
What a HOT day it is - high 30's and increasingly humid. We can feel the thunder approaching. This man is teaching his dog to fetch in the water. It was fun watching them as the dog really wanted to please him, but didn't quite get the concept.
It was the oddest thing - as we entered this pretty, historic town, we heard loud drums and music across the river....and then most of the people we saw were dressed as pirates. It turns out that for the next 3 days, the town is hosting an annual Pirate Festival. People come from all over to participate. These girls told us that they dress like this most of the time, except when they are at work.
We're not exaggerating - everybody we encountered was dressed in full Pirate costume. We felt conspicuously odd being dressed in conventional clothing.
This couple of pirates are from Regensburg on the Danube River. Their costumes and make up were incredible - especially considering the high heat and humidity of the day.
It is always interesting to meet another couple who enjoy tandeming. The bike may look conventional, but it is a bit odd. The fellow chose the bike as his positon is on the back and the design of the bike elevates him quite a bit higher than the captain. They and their dog were out for a day ride.
As our trip is winding down, we find ourselves wanting to remember the scenes like this of outdoor cafes and Eis Cafes (Italian ice cream shops) that we so love in Germany.
Oh yes, it is getting hillier. The gradient is too steep for us both to be on the bike. Barry had to give in and walk part of it - painful but necessary. It doesn't help that the humidity is making it harder. We had a brief bit of rain but it didn't help.
For some reason as we were riding through this landscape of vast rolling terrain, the image of this lone tree touched us. On days like this, when the riding is good (despite the weather!), we wish that the Schengen agreement allowed us more than 90 days to travel in Europe.
