ORSOY - Xanten - MILLINGEN a/d RIJN 55 miles

ORSOY - Xanten - MILLINGEN a/d RIJN 55 miles

High mileage again today, but wanted to get into the Netherlands today and so we did at 4.50. It was goodbye to Germany; we enjoyed your beautiful countryside, but now it's time to go onto the last stage, albeit much shorter.
We enjoyed Orsoy last night. Lovely place. It was once a heavily fortified town with walls built in three stages between 1273 and 1640, of which some ruins and one tower ( the Pulverturm) remain. Their principal industry was cigar production for 90 years from 1851. This ceased during WW II, when the raw materials became unobtainable.
In Rheinberg there is the old Fossa Eugenia canal. 50 km long, 4.3 wide and connects the Rhine and Meuse. The canal was built by the Spanish to provide an alternative route from Germany to the North Sea bypassing the Netherlands. The canal today is derelict but towpaths have been opened up for walkers and cyclists.
All the time when cycling very near the Rhine it always is through a nature reserve. And especially at the moment with the Rhine flooding the flood plains the bird life is enjoying this. We hear the call of many birds. Woodpeckers are very busy and I am sure to have heard spoonbills, but didn't see them. Saw an owl sitting on a post, wanted to take a picture but time wasn't on my side.
We stopped for lunch in Xanten ( the only place in Germany starting with an X) and managed to take a picture of St Victor's Cathedral.
At Bislicher -Insel is a large area of low-lying land in the bend of the Old Rhine and caught a Stork feeding its young high up on a Stork Pole. Very pleased with that picture. We also past a visitors centre where there was an exhibition going of country photographs and they were stunningly beautiful. See what tomorrow will bring...


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