Introduction

In 2023 Lisa and I did a gravel bike ride near the Swiss/German border, part of which was along the Rhine River.  Lisa mentioned there was a bike route called the EuroVelo 15 Rhine Cycle Route that went from the source of the Rhine in the Swiss mountains to the North Sea in The Netherlands.  We chatted about it over the next few months and with Lisa’s encouragement I started to warm to the idea.  Lisa thought it would be a cool thing to do for my 70th birthday, and she would ride part of it with me as a birthday present.  So we started planning for the ride that was to take place in August, later moved to September.

So just a note about my history of bike trips.  In 1983, my brother Loren and I rode from San Diego, CA to Urbana/Champaign, IL (~2,500 miles).  We were not prepared or in cycling shape for the trip, but we made it.  In the next few years we took several other long bike trips accompanied by my sister Suzanne and brother John driving support vehicles including:  Cupertino, CA to San Diego, CA, Canadian border to San Francisco, CA, Oregon coast to Missoula, MT and New Jersey to Halifax, New Brunswick, Canada.  All these rides were done on an old Reynolds 531 steel frame Peugeot “Record du Monde” road bike with 2x6 gearing and a low gear ratio of 42 front to 32 rear (not exactly a good climbing ratio).

For the Rhine trip, Freddy let me borrow his Specialized Diverge carbon gravel bike named “Pinkest”.  It has a 58cm frame, Future Shock in the headset, SRAM Rival components, 1x11 gearing (40t front, 10-42t rear), hydraulic disc brakes, Roval aero disc wheels, Specialized Sawtooth 700x38 tubeless tires, SPD pedals and my WTB Speed saddle.  A quick release rear rack was added and I hauled my gear in a 50L pannier bag set.  I used my Garmin Edge 530 (which died on day 3 due to rain) replaced by a new Garmin Explorer 2 I bought at a Transa store along the way.  I also used “The Rhine Cycle Route” book by Mike Wells for navigation.

I have to admit, I was not well prepared for this trip.  I felt I was in good riding shape, with over 5,500 miles logged in 2024, but it was Northern California riding in mostly 80 degree weather.  I assumed I would be riding in warm weather, so I mostly brought short sleeve shirts and an old “water resistant” jacket.  Fortunately, Lisa and Freddy made me buy a really nice Gore Tex rain jacket on day 4, which made a huge difference.  So the bottom line is that I brought too much warm weather gear and not enough colder, wetter weather gear.  Alright, to the recap:

Rhine River Trip - Stage 1

Oberalp Pass to Chur, Switzerland - Thursday September 12, 2024
Stage distance: 54.11 miles  Cumulative distance: 54.11 miles

The first day of the epic Rich's Rhine River Ride started at Oberalp Pass, Switzerland. Freddy is riding with me for the first 2 days. We took 3 different trains from Zurich over about 3 hours. It was 38 degrees at the start and seemed to get colder and windier as we took the series of hairpin turns. There were even a few snow flurries.  I put on every piece of clothing I bought, but being my normal Californian under dressed and under prepared.  I was really cold!  We took the big descent from the 6,700 ft starting point, with me going slowly being a bit nervous about the packs on the bike and the wind. Freddy took off downhill like he was racing in the Tour de France.

There were a few uphill sections, which I struggled with. The route included dedicated bike trails, normal roads with cars and limited bike lanes, farm roads and even some dirt and gravel paths. We are following the EuroVelo Route 15, which is mostly the same as Swiss bike route 2. Freddy was able to get some good pictures, but it was really cold and it was hard to stop, remove gloves and pull out the phone. We stopped at a Co-op grocery store and had sandwiches. There were also some rain squalls along the way.

We arrived in Chur, SW around 6:30 and found the hotel. I stayed in the smallest hotel room I had ever seen, with a narrow bed and a bathroom down the hall. On the plus side, The shower was hot and the bed was comfortable. We had a great meal of local Swiss specialties.

Rhine River Trip - Stage 2

Chur, SW to Lichtenstein - Friday September 13, 2024
Stage distance: 43.28 miles  Cumulative distance: 97.39 miles

Freddy and I had a good breakfast and bundled up for a fairly heinous day. It was cold, windy and rainy the whole way. I was pretty much soaked after the first 10 miles. Even though I had “waterproof” shoe covers, my cycling shoes filled with water.  The route included mostly smaller roads and a long stretch of bike path along the Rhine. The river is now wider and a slate, green, gray color.

At about 25 miles out, we decided to skip a lunch/rest stop and just power through. We were wet and miserable and the reward of a hot shower was the major factor to keep us from questioning the sanity of riding under these conditions. We crossed the Rhine and into Lichtenstein and found the hotel. This is a nice place with an excellent bike room with tools and an air compressor.

We arrived around 1pm which is not a good time to get food. Freddy called around and we managed to get a good burger and fries at a sports field with a kitchen near the hotel. I've been using the hair dryer in the room to try and dry my clothes, shoes and gloves.

Note1: My Garmin didn't save the whole route missing 10 miles of a middle section (it was a 43 mile day)

Note2:  What’s up with ice in Europe?  Trying to get a bag of ice for my nagging achilles tendon was NOT easy.  You don’t get ice water as a default in Europe, you have to ask for it (then pour it into your trusty ziplock bag to ice down body parts!)

Rhine River Trip - Stage 3

Liechtenstein to Konstanz Germany - Saturday September 14, 2024
Stage distance: 58.81 miles  Cumulative distance: 156.20 miles

The day started out cold and rainy as we left Lichtenstein (Lisa, Freddy & Rich riding).  One of our first stops was a dip into Austria. This ended up being a 4 country day (Lichtenstein, Austria, Switzerland and Germany). We had a long stretch riding on a bike trail on top of a levee that bordered the Rhine. The river continues to grow in width as it enters Konstanz Lake.

After several hours of riding, the rain slackened to drizzle and then stopped. We had a bunch of short stops for pictures (mostly of water fountains, for Lisa's life goal of producing a coffee table book "The Water Fountains of Switzerland". We stopped for lunch at a nice cafe right off the route. They had really good fish-n-chips using fish from Konstanz Lake.

It was a tough return to the ride since my clothing was wet and it took a while to warm back up. We rode along the lake for most of the afternoon, crossing the border into Germany and arriving at Constance around 4pm. We showered, cleaned up and explored the city, which was hopping with people. We found a sporting goods store where Lisa and Freddy coerced me into buying an actual waterproof jacket! They got tired of seeing me wet and cold. Dinner was at a Spanish restaurant where we had some excellent Paella followed by a trip to an ice cream shop. Note: Food prices in Germany are about 1/3 less than Switzerland.

Rhine River Trip - Stage 4

Konstanz, Germany to Zurzach, Switzerland - Sunday September 15, 2024
Stage distance: 63.67 miles  Cumulative distance: 219.87 miles

We started the day with a nice breakfast at a small coffee shop in Konstanz (Lisa, Freddy & Rich riding). The sun actually showed its face today. Which was a big relief. It stayed sunny with the temperature in the 50s. We continued to ride along Constance Lake on small roads and dedicated bike trails. There were a lot more touring cyclists on the trail today.

It turns out that German Zeppelins were made in this area and we did actually see two blimps. We rode along some long stretches of dedicated bike trails which were nicely paved. I wore my new waterproof jacket and it kept me much warmer. We made good progress and reached Schaffhausen and had lunch outdoors looking over the Rhine.

After lunch we continued along the Rhine towards our final destination of Zurzach, Switzerland. There were a few hills, some gravel roads and river crossings. Freddy split off from Lisa and me about 25k from Zurzach and he rode another 50k back to Zurich. We made it to Zurzach around 4:30 and found a decent hotel. After we got cleaned up we walked around the town looking for more fountains for Lisa to photograph.

Rhine River Trip - Stage 5

Zurzach to Basel, Switzerland - Monday September 16, 2024
Stage distance: 48.71 miles  Cumulative distance: 268.58 miles

Lisa and I had a nice breakfast at the hotel in Zurzach, then headed out. It was cool and overcast the whole day, but we managed to get to Basel before the rain started. The route continued along the Rhine with a combination of paved bike trails, small rural roads, surface streets within housing areas and crushed gravel paths.

We rode right past a nuclear reactor site and within a mile we rode past a hydroelectric plant on the Rhine. It was interesting to see two forms of energy production so close together. We stopped in Laufenberg to see the ruins of the old castle there. We also got pretzel sandwiches and tea at a local bakery. Can I just say. Pretzels are like the "bagels of Europe"!

We decided to power through to Basel since we expected rain around 1pm. There were some long stretches of packed gravel paths through the forest adjacent to the Rhine. There were a few mild hills, but mostly smooth level roads. In general, the roads in Switzerland are very well maintained and the asphalt is much smoother than the bike paths in the Bay Area.

We made it into Basel at 2:30pm and found our hotel (which I booked myself with help from Lisa, who is patiently trying to expand the planning skills of her father. We went to the Transa store and bought a Garmin replacement (Garmin Edge Explorer 2). The helpful service center guy helped us get the Garmin synced to my phone and set up for the ride tomorrow. We also found the elusive "The Rhine Cycle Route" book at a bookstore near the Transa. We finished the evening with a great meal at a Lebanese restaurant, where I discovered the joys of baked Halloumi cheese!

Rhine River Trip - Stage 6

Basel, Switzerland to Strasbourg, France - Tuesday September 17, 2024
Stage distance: 87.96 miles  Cumulative distance: 356.54 miles

Wow, what a day! This was the longest stage of the tour, 87 miles. It was also almost completely into a 20+ mph headwind. It was cool and overcast when we left in the morning. I was trying to use the maps on my new Garmin for getting us going on the trail, and pretty much failed miserably. As we left Basel we went from Switzerland to Germany to France in about 15 minutes.

The morning route was mainly along a canal that runs parallel to the Rhine. The surfaces changed between asphalt and crushed gravel. The wind was strong, cold and in our faces. Lisa's new nickname is "The Super Domestique" as she took the lead and dragged her father through the headwind. We also rode through miles of cornfields with narrow one lane pathways the effectively became wind tunnels. We saw some old WW2 pill boxes that were part of the massive Maginot defense line to prevent the Germans from invading France (Note: the Germans just went around the fortifications and invaded France through Belgium and Luxembourg).

We had an awesome lunch at a French restaurant that had massive, juicy burgers. The downside was having to get on a bike when you've eaten too much! Much of the afternoon was spent on narrow roads and dedicated bike trails alongside the canal or through more cornfields. Lisa had us cranking at 23 KPH into the wind and sometimes I had her slow down for me to catch my breath.

We stopped for water when we were close to Strasbourg, and when we started back up my front tire was flat. There was a small hole with sealant sweeping out (Freddy runs tubeless tires). We pumped up the tire with the hole straight down (hopefully where there would be more sealant) and magically that seemed to at least temporarily fix the tire. We made it to the main train station that allowed Lisa to get a train back to Zurich via Basel. My hotel is right across from the train station. I was able to walk around Strasbourg for 2 hours and saw the amazing Cathedral of Notre Dame.

Rhine River Trip -Stage 7

Strasbourg, France to Karlsruhe, Germany - Wednesday September 18, 2024
Stage distance: 80.96 miles  Cumulative distance: 437.50 miles

This was my first solo day and I definitely missed having Lisa and/or Freddy on the ride, especially since they are much better at directions. I got packed up and was on the road early, but really struggled finding the start of the Euro 15 bike trail. The new Garmin kept trying to recalculate a route. But it took minutes each time.

I eventually ended up on the German side of the Rhine, riding through more corn fields and on levees. I rode across a dam to get back on the trail on the French side. It was warmer today (mid 60s), but the headwind was really stout all day. On this side of the Rhine the trail runs along both the river as well as some canals. I saw a whole bunch of large white swans in the canals.

There really weren't any towns on the route, so I didn't get lunch, surviving on a Cliff bar and a Kind bar that Lisa left me. There were a lot of cyclists on the trail; some bike packers and some local riders. Almost all of them were riding in the opposite direction, enjoying the tailwind. Near the end of the route I took the car ferry across the river. I then rode into Karlsruhe and found the hotel (it was a totally funky place, almost like a Disneyland attraction). After a shower I walked around the city for a bit and got something to eat.

Rhine River Ride - Stage 8

Karlsruhe to Worms, Germany - Thursday September 19, 2024
Stage distance: 74.63 miles  Cumulative distance: 512.13 miles

Day 8 started out well with sunny skies and warmer temperatures. I found the start of the trail fairly quickly. I rode on paved trails the whole day as opposed to the patches of gravel roads. Most of the morning was spent riding directly next to the Rhine. There were quite a few large, low cargo barges on the river along with a few 2 deck passenger long boats.

I stopped in Speyer for an excellent pretzel sandwich. There were long stretches of trails that started on levees, which again became wind tunnels. I rode around a truly massive BASF chemical plant. I met a couple from New Zealand that had started from the source of the Rhine, but a week earlier (they also had e-bikes). Yeah, Rich, don't you sound all high and mighty! I will say, the last 4 days of steady headwinds, an e-bike would come in hand.

I made it to Worms around 5 and am staying at a brand new hotel (well, the inside of the building was totally renovated.). After a long shower, I walked around the downtown area for an hour. Calling it early tonight.

Rhine River Ride - Stage 9

Worms to Koblenz, Germany - Friday September 20, 2024
Stage distance: 102.83 miles  Cumulative distance: 614.96 miles

Well call me a clumsy carpenter cause I PUT THE HAMMER DOWN! This was the best day riding on the trip so far. The wind was in my face in the morning, but seemed to shift to be coming from the East. In the afternoon there were several long sections heading west and I actually got a tailwind.

The morning started exiting Worms through an industrial area. There are a lot of factories and sand/gravel/concrete yards along the Rhine. There were several long sections directly next to the Rhine River and other sections alongside the tall levees that protect the houses and farmlands from flooding. There were some corn and barley fields, but a lot of the land is being used for vineyards. There were people picking the dark purple grapes in some of the areas I rode through. By the way, I'm risking my life due to wild boars roaming in the forests in Germany! (See picture of the boar warning sign)

I really got rooked today, because there were castles in almost every view of the Rhine (I know the thousands, well hundreds, ah maybe 10s of dedicated people following this blog were just waiting for my awesome sense of humor to surface!). I understand why there are so many riverboat cruise ships on the river. There were also hundreds of touring cyclists out today, most headed in the opposite direction. I would say more than half of those cyclists were on e-bikes.

The original plan for today was to ride to Bingen, but I got there at 2pm and I was feeling good. So I decided to head for Koblenz. This made it a 100 mile ride. I was riding really well until the last 5 to 10 miles when I started to run out of gas. The hotel I'm staying at is right in the old town area and when I walked around the streets and outdoor cafes were packed. Overall it was an excellent day!

Rhine River Ride - Stage 10

Koblenz to Koln, Germany - Saturday September 21, 2024
Stage distance: 70.64 miles  Cumulative distance: 685.60 miles

Day 10 of the ride was really delightful. The temperature was in the 60s with a light wind from the East (so a 2nd day with more of a tailwind vs headwind). I started early, but as usual, I got a bit turned around trying to find the trail. For large parts of the day the bike trail runs directly next to the Rhine. I stopped at a nice bakery and got an awesome cheese pretzel to have with my breakfast tea (ask for Schwarzer Tee).

I rode at an easy pace, since yesterday was so long. The route was at least 75% dedicated bike or bike/pedestrian trails. Most were nice and wide, but some sections were narrower which made it a bit squirrely when bikes with panniers are riding in both directions. There have been quite a few detours due to construction, however they do a really good job of signage to get you around the area.

One part of the trail a bunch of bikes pulled over to let an old man in a cart being pulled by a very small donkey go by. I stopped by a bike shop to pimp up tires and had a good conversation with the owner who is into vintage bikes. I rolled into Cologne by 3:30, found the hotel, took a shower and spent about 2 hours walking around the old town. I was able to check out the Cologne Cathedral, which is absolutely amazing.

Rhine River Trip - Stage 11

Koln to Xanden, Germany - Sunday September 22, 2024
Stage distance: 100.94 miles  Cumulative distance: 786.54 miles

Well, I cranked out another 100 miler today and spent time riding on both sides of the river. I got started early and it was crisp and clear on Koln. My hotel was only about 1/4 mile for the trail, so I didn't have my normal starting challenges. When I was leaving the city I saw a bunch of birds flying around and they certainly sounded like parakeets. A bit later I saw more of them and they clearly were parakeets (The parakeets of Cologne, just like Sunnyvale).

Overall, it was not a super exciting day. There were a lot of large industrial sites along the river, and sometimes I had to ride over a mile out of the way to get around the sites. There were some long stretches of trail composed of brick, mostly smooth, but some bumpy cobblestones. The wind was much milder and it felt like a tailwind in some sections. As like yesterday, there were many people out on bikes; including road bikers, local day riders and bike packers.

Late in the afternoon I decided to go for Xanden and push for another 100 mile day. Xanden has a large Roman fort archeological site. There are some ruins as well as a partially reconstructed fortress wall and towers. I was able to look around. But unfortunately it was closed when I got there.

Rhine River Trip - Stage 12

Xanten, Germany to Wijki bij Duurstede, The Netherlands - Monday September 23, 2024
Stage distance: 80.56 miles  Cumulative distance: 867.10 miles

It was a long and tough day. The weather held up. With overcast and some headwinds, but no rain. After several hours riding through the German countryside I turned into a small town and there was a small Netherlands sign. No board guards, barriers, passport check, big brass band, etc..... What's up with that?

I took a small bike and pedestrian ferry across the Rhine and chatted with a group of people from Belgium. A lot of the route was on small roads on top of levees, so cars had to wait to pass bikes. There were farm animals everywhere, sheep, goats, cows, horses, donkeys and even some llamas. There were large areas along the side of the levees where sheep were used as manual lawn mowers.

The wind seemed to be coming from the southwest again, so I did catch some headwinds. I had a few directional malfunctions, where the Rhine Route map didn't match up with the Garmin route, nor with the Dutch bike route signs. Somehow I figured it out. I got to the hotel, where the only place to store the bike was in the restaurant associated with the hotel. Hey, whatever works! I had a really good dinner (I was hungry since I didn't stop for lunch). OK, what is up with French fries served with mayonnaise??? On the plus side, I actually got water with ice cubes!!

Rhine River Trip - Stage 13

Wijk bij Duurstede to Rotterdam, The Netherlands - Tuesday September 24, 2024
Stage distance: 69.87 miles  Cumulative distance: 936.97 miles

Other than some rain for the last hour. It was a good ride. The Netherlands is a beautiful country, but after the mountains and small villages of Switzerland and the castles and churches of Germany...... It's a flat country with a lot of farmland and water. For most of the route through The Netherlands there was water visible at all times. It was a bit difficult to orient yourself due to all the canals which could be confused with the Rhine.

I started out early and rode along the dikes with plenty of farmlands (mostly corn) and the usual array of farm animals. There were quite a few "Dutch Llamas" and surprisingly large numbers of ponies and/mini horses. Something I found interesting was that there were a bunch of blue herons in the fields following the cows that were grazing. Another interesting note was that a horde of grade school aged kids came roaring off one of the ferries presumably on their way to school. And yet a final note, I read some info on the famous Dutch windmills which were used to pump water out of areas to farm. Most were phased out in the 1800s, but then were brought back on line during WW2, where there was a lack of fuel for the mechanized pumps.

I made it to Rotterdam without issues, but my Garmin seemed to direct me in weird directions. When I finally got reoriented, it started raining and I got a bit wet. Thank goodness Lisa and Freddy made me buy a nice rain jacket. Note: there are bike trails all over Rotterdam. Every one of the many bridges I went over had nice 2 lane Bike paths. Bike traffic was crazy around the afternoon commute. Motorized scooters (like Vespa size) are allowed on the bike trails and are pretty aggressive. OK. On to the ocean tomorrow.

Rhine River Ride - Stage 14

Rotterdam to Hoek van Holland, The Netherlands - Wednesday September 25, 2024
Stage distance: 21.46 miles  Cumulative distance: 958.43 miles

I made it!

It's been quite a trip and a really big achievement for me. I rode a total of 949 miles in 14 days, from Oberalppass, Switzerland to Hoek van Holland, The Netherlands and 1,018 miles if you include the ride up to Amsterdam. There is no way I could have pulled this off without the planning and support of Lisa and Freddy. I'm super lucky to have a daughter and son-in-law that understand bike packing and trip planning for such an event.

So, the last day. I left Rotterdam around 8am into a light rain. It was a straight shot out to Hoek van Holland and the North Sea. I rode past the massive sea gates that can be swung out if there is a storm surge. There is a beach boardwalk area out there, but most shops and restaurants were closed. I walked out to the water to get a picture with the bike's front wheel in the water. I did feel pretty good about getting to the end, but it was cold, wet and windy, so I didn't stick around for long.

I'll try to add my overall thoughts about the trip in a week or two.

Rhine River Trip - Stage 14a

Hoek van Holland to The Hague, The Netherlands - Wednesday September 25, 2024
Stage distance: 15.90 miles  Cumulative distance: 974.33 miles

This was a quick stretch from the end of the Rhine River route up to The Hague.  It was cold and wet so I wasn't sure if I was going to stop in The Hague or go all the way to Amsterdam.  The trail went right along a levee next to the ocean.  The whole route was on a tight brick surface.  I had a decent tailwind.  When I got to The Hague I rode past some of the International buildings with a large line of flags from all over the world.

Rhine River Ride - Stage 14b

The Hague to Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Wednesday September 25, 2024
Stage distance: 52.78 miles  Cumulative distance: 1,027.11 miles

Once I got to The Hague I felt that I didn't want to give up on a decent tailwind, so I pointed Northeast for Amsterdam.  Again, most of the route was on a tight brick trail along the ocean.  I went past several larger beach villages with apartment/condos and seaside shops and restaurants.  I was making really good time and kept pushing on the pedals.  I then turned west towards Amsterdam.  There were a lot of small bridges across levees and waterways.  Once I got close to Amsterdam the bike trails became more and more crowded with bike commuters from the city.  It started raining harder as I searched for a hotel, but finally got there.  The hotel didn't have a place to store bikes, but I stood dripping water in the lobby of the fancy hotel.  Fortunately, the reception staff had pity on me and found a basement room to put the bike.  It was good to get to the finish of the ride.  What a trip!

Rhine River Ride - Amsterdam

We spent 4 days in Amsterdam checking out the city, museums and coffee shops.  The Rijksmuseum was absolutely amazing with countless pieces of amazing art from Dutch painters and sculptors.  We also went to the Canal Museum which did a great job showing how the canals were built and Amsterdam expanded over the last 500 years.  Lisa and Freddy spent a lot of time trying to find the best coffee shop in Amsterdam (the winner was Rum Baba Coffee Roasters).  Amsterdam was bike crazy, where essentially bicycles have the right of way and pedestrians beware! 

Rhine River Ride - Retrospective and Lessons Learned

First of all, this was an awesome trip!  I’m really proud of myself to be able to complete the ride.  I’m also really thankful for all the planning, support and help that I received from Lisa and Freddy.  To be honest, I was pretty apprehensive about being able to put together 2 weeks of 70+ mile days on a bike.  It turns out, the riding distance was achievable for me.  I was worried about potential mechanical issues on the bike, but other than a leaking front tire (which was mostly solved by the glue in the tubeless tire) the bike worked flawlessly.  I would estimate about half of the ride was on dedicated bike trails and less than 10% was on roads with narrow or non-existent bike lanes and heavier traffic.

The two biggest issues I faced were the weather and my challenges with map reading and directionality.  I did not properly prepare for the weather.  I assumed it would be warm and sunny for most of the trip.  It was cold and wet for much of the ride and I did not have the correct riding clothing for the conditions.  I have never been good at following maps, and it seems to have gotten worse as I have grown older.  I didn’t figure out all the features on the new Garmin and in particular, I couldn’t seem to get the Garmin to find the beginning of route each morning.  In Switzerland and Germany, this wasn’t that much of an issue since the EuroVelo 15 route was well marked.  In France and The Netherlands the routes were not well marked.  Lisa and Freddy were greatly amused as they remotely looked at my daily Strava maps which often looked like spaghetti at the start of each day.  Between the Garmin, the EuroVelo book, the compass on the Garmin and asking people along the way, I was eventually able to find my way.  The route should have been 900 miles and I rode over 1,000 miles.  Much of the extra miles were due to wrong turns.

It was great to ride with Lisa and Freddy at the beginning of the trip.  The last 8 days riding alone had its challenges.  If I do another longer bike vacation, I will definitely do it with other riders.  It got pretty lonely those last 8 days.  Also, I often ride listening to podcasts and audiobooks; I couldn’t do that on this trip due to phone battery life.  I would have stopped at more interesting places and restaurants, and explored more of the destination cities.  I also don’t like to eat alone at restaurants, so many nights I bought take out food or shopped at grocery stores and ate in the hotel.  Also, having friends that are not “directionally challenged” riding with me would have relieved a lot of stress and cut down the extra wrong turn miles I put in.  The last few days of the ride did not have much interesting scenery since it was mostly through flat farmland.

OK, so in summary, it was a great trip and I’m really glad I did it.  I’m grateful to have a daughter and son-in-law that were so supportive of me in this adventure.  I was able to see some very cool sites across Europe.  So what’s next?  I would definitely like to do another trip like this next year.  The Rhone River actually starts at the same location and travels south to dump into the Mediterranean Sea in southeastern France, so that’s a possibility.  Stay tuned for my next exciting post on All My Dogs Eat.   I will keep on riding as long as I can stay on a bike!