The bike is back in its box. It was easy actually. I had dinner and wanted to sit and write for the last time in Europe. My decision not to ride the Rhine was certainly an interesting and eventful one. The weather completely turned and the eastern part of of Belgium, the Ardennes, was tough. The last two weeks have been very different than the rest of the trip. I fought the hills and the rain and cold instead of long sunny days by the rivers. When I left Brugge I...

Well this is going to be short because these Belgian keyboards are very difficult to use. Its been a long week and I am happy that I come home next week. It has rained for three days straight and is now from quite cool to downright chilly. Besides that I fought the hills in the Ardennes as long as I could but I wore out in Libramont Chevigny and took a train to Brussels. Its been rough, cold, wet, and hills. Now im in Brugge. If it isnt the cutest town in Europe ...

Trier is the oldest city in Germany dating back to the Roman Empire in 16 CE. It is in the Rheinland-Pfalz and sits near the border with Luxembourg in the Mosel valley. This constitutes quite a change from the plan which I laid out in a previous entry. I had planned on a somewhat flat and consistent ride through the Rhine river valley all the way to Amsterdam. But that was such a good plan, such a clear and relatively easy route that I naturally chose to scrap it...

Man it was a hell of a day. I did 76 miles under reasonably difficult conditions. It rained and blew at the beginning and at the end. Now I am at a hostel in Würzburg and clean and warm with 3/4 of a bottle of wine in me. It was difficult finding my way out of Bamberg. Mostly because I hadno map. Once I had a map I was glad to be on my way. Saturday in Bamberg is tourist day in Bamberg. Yikes! I rode the Main (pronounced Mine) and went through numerous little ...

I am in a cafe in Bamberg and I am wearing a long-sleeve shirt. My jacket is on my bike because it is likely to be quite chilly tonight. No you have not entered the Twilight Zone. It is cool day and night now. The weather is all stirred up and I can't say that I mind. I am in Bavaria now having left the green rolling hills of Thuringa behind. As I traveled by train to get here I sat watching the landscape roll by and was pretty happy that I was not riding it. The...