BAD BREISIG - Bonn - RODENKIRCHEN 41.50 miles
We left a very nice Rhine village. Had a comfortable stay and off we went at 9 alongside the river. Soon we couldn't get any further, the river had overflowed (see picture), so we made a slight detour. Little did we know at that time that worse was to come.....and not once...but 6 times!. Also it was quite deep. Lionel just went through the first one not realising how deep it actually was. Wet up to our calves! I was quite angry, but then I saw other cyclists do the same and they were laughing about it, that I shrugged my shoulders and gave up being cross. For the following flooded areas we made sometimes large detours and on one occasion we lost the plot so to speak. A kind cyclist showed us the way as he was heading for the same destination. Relief..
But what of the day itself. So much to see again. At Remagen we passed the remains of Ludendorff Bridge. It was the only Rhine Bridge captured intact by advancing Allied forces in March 1945. German soldiers attempted to demolish it, but failed, were court-martialled and shot. 10 days later it collapsed suddenly and 28 American army engineers were killed. The bridge towers remain on both banks. Both the American and German flag can be seen on the West Bank.
As we were cycling the west side of the river we could see sitting above Konigswinter on the other side, Drachenfels(Dragon's Rock), the westernmost peak of the Siebengebirge range of volcanic hills. Also that side of the river is Rheinhotel Dreesen. It was here that Hitler met British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in sept 1938, prior to signing the Munich Agreement - which promised 'peace in our time'. It was not to be..
It has again been a great day.
Hope the flooding will recede for tomorrow...
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