Day 8: Bingen - Bad Honnef

Once again, to early. My roommate, a guy from Austria who walks a lot (he walked from North Germany to Italy apparently), got up very early and was already packing up when I woke up. 

Met him at breakfast again and after that started packing. Unlocking and loading my bike I talked to four english guys about my age. They were biking on racebikes from Köln to Frankfurt a. M. They first of all adviced me against taking shortcuts over the hills surrounding the Rhein, but after seing what bike I use they said it should be possible.

Set of and had to find my way back on to the track. After reaching it, it was along the Rhein again, racing against a passengerboat this time. There are a lot of castles here: on the hills, in the towns and even in the middle of the river. At one point I could decide if I wanted to continue along the water or take a shortcut across the hills. As I had enough of flat, strait biking at the moment I went uphill again. Felt meditarenian going up. Hot air, some kind of brick they also use in Spain to build walls and a lot of lizards everywhere. Was funny watching them, once they noticed me they got into fights who gets the best hiding place from me. Didn't run over any and reached the top in the end, which was full of wheat. Filled up my bottles by a farmers and then went downhill back to the Rhein along a forest path. Just inside the borders of Koblenz I then had lunch in a restaurant which was out of "Schnitzel". The fireworks on the Rhein in Koblenz last night had apparently been so popular that they had no supply of salad and "Schnitzel" left. 

After lunch it was then through Koblenz which looked culturely interesting but was so full of building sites that my track wase'nt correct anymore. After Koblenz the dirty industrie started. I crossed the river at one point to get to the next youthhostel, but the other side didn't look much better. Lost track of time a bit there as the only interesting thing was another, older nuclear power station. Dont get to see them that much in Allgäu. 

About 20km before Bad Honnef clouds started appearing on the horizon and they didn't look to good. But I carried on past more building sites and vinejards. Had to wait at a railway crossing for 5 min. The cars standing there said they had already waited 5 min. Three trains in total went past and one of them was a goods train (which means very long). Then doging past more building sites it was of to the youthhostel for a shower and some (cold) dinner.

Met an english guy later in the evening, cycling my trail backwards to Lake Constant. He still isn't shure if he should do the Black Forest or take the flat country but i'll see how I can advice him ;)

Track at GPSies and pictures at Picasa.

Time in saddle: 7 hours

Distance: 124,8 km

Daily average speed: 17,9 km/h

Total time in saddle: 49 hours 45 min

Total distance: 833 km

Average speed: 18,1 km/h