Gemunden to Wurzburg, then first day on the Romantische Strasse to Wertheim

One of the many things we enjoy in travel is serendipity.  You never know what might be around the next corner, or who you might meet.

After finishing the last blog post, we walked over to the main Platz in Gemunden to grab some dinner.  German restaurants generally have large tables, and it's common for people to sit down and share a table.  Shortly after we sat down, a woman, man, and child joined us at our table.  Julia saw us working to decipher our menu, and in perfect English offered to help.  And the conversation began.  She had lived and traveled for many years in various parts of the US, did some homesteading in the Midwest, but eventually returned to her roots in this Bavarian village.  After dinner she invited us to see her home (where her grandparents and then parents had previously lived) and the wonderful garden  (mostly healing herbs) she is developing in the back yard.  The conversation flowed, as did some excellent herbal liqueur, too late into the evening.  Thanks for a memorable evening, Julia.  I hope we'll see you one day in Oregon.



This was our final day on the Main River route (about 265 km from our start in Mainz).  We arrived in Wurzburg by early afternoon in very hot weather.  We had reserved a room at a nice hotel along the river, just a few blocks from the bridge where we crossed over into the old section of the city. 





Washed up and tried to play tourist,  but in the heat it was a struggle.  The cathedral was nice and cool inside,  and presented an interesting mix of partially modern building (the original didn't survive the war) and both old and new art pieces.

Eventually the heat drove us back to our room.  We emerged for dinner, and found the city packed with people (and this on a Monday, not a holiday).   The old bridge (bike and pedestrian only) where we'd crossed earlier was jammed with partiers.  The place selling glasses of wine on the bridge had a long line.





All along the river bank people were out drinking and enjoying the evening.

 

Today we left the Main River route and began following the Romantische Strasse which will take us south through Bavaria to the foot of the Alps.  It turns out that the first stage cuts west from Wurzburg to Wertheim, and town where we'd stopped for lunch just a few days ago.  This is different riding than we've had up to now.  The river route is very flat, but now we're riding through hills.  This route does not seem to be as heavily traveled by cycle tourists as the Main, and a little more difficult to navigate.

Our day began with 8 km of steady uphill from Wurzburg, some moderate and some quite steep (10-12 percent, I'm estimating).  Fortunately the Bike Friday has low gearing and is stable at slower speeds, so we just ground the hills out.

After that initial climb, we were mostly rolling and downhill until we rejoined the Main a little north of Wertheim.  Stopped by a lovely old church in Holzkirchen.



We rolled into Wertheim around 1, so after grabbing some kuchen, finding the hotel, and taking care of laundry we had plenty of time to walk around.  The Tauber river, which we'll be following for the next few days, flows into the Main here.

along the Tauber

Here are signs for the bike route, the Jakobsweg (one of the Caminos which eventually finds its way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain) and other paths I don't recognize.

Rest day in Marktheidenfeld, then on to Gemunden

Taking a day off turned out to be a great decision.  Neither of us had been on the bikes much recently, and by the end of four days in the saddle we were feeling it.   Giving things a day to settle down (for callouses to build?) made for a much more comfortable ride today.

We enjoyed a leisurely day exploring around Marktheidenfeld on foot.  Walked across the river and found some trails to explore.  Poked in a few shops (a new drawing pen and moisturizer for Ellen).  Tried not to eat and drink too much.  Visited the Franck house, which is among the oldest in town and now a museum (mostly showing exhibits of modern art right now).  Sat by the Main and watched the swans, geese, and ducks.  Enjoyed a short beer at an outdoor Biergarten (in the park, conveniently right next to the kids' playground).   Split one dinner (pork medallions, spatzle, and cheese, plus a salad) which the two of us could barely finish: we are learning about German portions.

In a small sculpture garden

our hotel, right on the river

Looking back at town from the bridge.  Bike path is right along the river bank.

The "Four elements" along the ceiling in the Franck house ballroom:




Sunny skies and warm weather for today's ride.







We stopped for a cool drink and a  little exploring in Lohr, another quaint old town full of outdoor cafes.

world's largest mousetrap (not functional)

castle, from around 1300

Today was supposed to be a short day, only 35 km or so, but the bridge to Gemunden is under construction, and we blasted right by the sign (several km before the bridge) telling us to take a ferry instead.  But we did learn an important new word in German: gesperrt   So, we ended up tacking on about 10 km extra as we rode well past Gemunden,  on the other side of the river, finally figured out what was going on, and then doubled back to the ferry.  The ferry was packed with about 15 bikes, plus three cars.  No photo on the ferry because I was  holding the bike, and Ellen was busy talking with the road biker next to us: the Bike Friday tandem is a real conversation starter.

the sign we missed

The old part of Gemunden (where we are staying) is decorated with old bikes turned into planters.





This one is outside our hotel, Zum Koppen, which dates from around 1500.

Offenbach to Aschaffenburg, Miltenberg, and Marktheidenfeld (days 2-4)

Good wifi and time to catch up on the last three days of riding....

Shortly after riding out from Offenbach we saw this group rowing along the Main.  Had to up our speed a fair bit to get ahead of them so we could take a picture.



The further we go from the Frankfurt area, the more rural things are.  The cycle route passes by (but not through) lots of small towns, and occasionally large industrial sites.

     

As we pass by towns, there are always signs pointing to places to stop: cafes, Weingartens, and of course Biergartens.  Gelato and ice cream are always good, but German pastries can't be beat.

apple and apricot cakes: yum!

river crossing

Near and in the towns, there are many gardens bordering on the cycle path.  Some are private and connected to houses, but many look like community gardens.  A wonderful mix of flowers and vegetables.  Frequently there are benches and tables in the gardens where people can sit and enjoy.





By mid-afternoon we arrived in Aschaffenburg, home to a very large castle.  The first hotel we tried was full, but the desk clerk recommended another just a few blocks away.  Unfortunately, his directions to get there included walking the bike up and over a railroad track.  The stairs have a ramp to the side for bike wheels, but it was three flights of both of us pushing up, and all our strength (even using brakes) to hold the bike on the descent.  Not an experience we want to repeat.  As soon as we'd checked in, the rain started to come down, so the bike quickly went into their garage.

Ellen was feeling intermittent foot pain all day, at the top of the foot near the ankle, and we were both a little worried about what this might mean for continuing on a long bike tour.  I did a little Google reading in the evening and decided to try moving her cleats back (toward the heel).  This seems to have taken care of the problem.

The rain continued on and off all night, and it was still raining (but not too heavily) when we wheeled out in the morning.  With help from the hotel we found a better way back over the tracks, and rode out of town very carefully on the wet cobblestones.  Right at the edge of town the path crossed back over the river to provide this view of the castle.



The terrain around the river channel is becoming more hilly, and we are seeing terraces of wine grapes.



As we continued along the path we saw our first (other) tandem at one of the many rest areas next to the path, so of course we had to stop to talk. 



This husband and wife team have about 12K km touring, mostly in Germany, on theirs.  They tandem because she has very limited vision.

By mid-afternoon we rolled into Miltenberg, a very quaint and historic little town at a bend along the Main.  The river cruise ships stop here, and the cobbled street through the center of town was packed with tourists, which made for interesting riding.  After a little calling around we found a room in the Riesen Hotel, which dates to the twelfth century and has been an inn since the 15th.  Emperor Barbarossa of the Holy Roman Empire stayed there in 1158.

Hotel Riesen

breakfast room

our room

Scenes around Miltenberg

Next day we left in morning fog to continue up the Main.





We stopped for lunch in another quaint town, Wertheim.



We ended the day in Marktheidenfeld, and have a lovely little hotel right on the river.  We decided to take a day off from riding here to let our sore butts recover a bit before we continue toward Wurzburg.

Biking at last!

Today was day one on the bike tour.  Our plan is to head east from Mainz on the Main river to Wurzburg, then turn south and follow the Romantische Strasse through Bavaria.  From there, we will probably take a train to Basel and start heading north on the Rhein.  But, all is subject to change: the only fixed point is returning to Mainz July 4 to retrieve the rest of our gear, pack up the bike, and catch a flight July 5.

We had a few errands in the morning, so weren't ready to bike until late morning.  By then it was dumping rain, so we opted to wait for it to let up.  We were rolling a little after noon.  The route from our hotel to the river is on a bike path that is basically one half of a (extra wide) city sidewalk.  Not half a mile out, someone walked right in front of us.  A very sudden stop left us both quite surprised, but no one was hit and we didn't fall.  A little adrenaline to get the day started.  Soon we were at the Rhein, and then riding a bridge across.

bridge across the Rhein, Mainz in the background

Our route turned south along the Rhein for a short while with several interesting twists and turns, then picked up the Main along its north bank.  The cycle routes are very well marked, and even though we spent most of today near or in a large city (Frankfurt) it mostly didn't feel urban at all.



We passed some vineyards, wheat fields, and asparagus.  Rode along the edges of several small towns.  We crossed the Main to its south bank on a beautiful and newish bridge, just for cyclists.

Snack break along the Main

Riding through Frankfurt was a piece of cake on this nice paved bike path.



We stopped for the day after about 30 miles in the city of Offenbach.  Found a great hotel in the city center, and just 200 m off the bike path.  When we were wheeling our bike to the bike garage behind the hotel, the owner remarked that ours is the second or maybe third tandem he's seen in 15 years of hosting cycle tourists here (this hotel is part of the Bette und Bike network which caters to cyclists).  Ate way too much great food at a German restaurant recommended by our host.  We need to eat smaller dinners (and drink less beer) so there is room for a gelato after.