We are now in The Netherlands

Tuesday 19th part 2

We crossed the border into Holland about 5km out from Emmerich on the right bank. We are now in the land of the speeding grannies on their bikes - they whizz around the place and you need to make sure you are on the correct (right) side of the cycle track.

So how was Germany? It was good cycling, dedecated cycle paths for hundreds of miles. Car drivers are very good to cyclists, they give you priority if you are on a cycle track and give you space crossing roads. Most people are very helpful and a good number do have a sence of humour. However I cannot get used to the stare, it is normally accommpanied by an unsmiling, frowning face and puts you on the back foot thinking you should not be where you are. There are some great villages, the food is good and although the major cities we passed through took a beating by our bombers during the war, they have been remarkably well restored and their old quarters rebuilt to the original specs. We visited the most visited place by foreigners in Germany - Koln Cathedral - and the second most - Rudesheim, at the begining of the Rhine Gorge.

The Rhine is a powerful river, an artery for trade right across the country. It is navigable for nearly 1000km up to Basel and it is full of barges. I have enjoyed Germany and having now cycled the North Sea coast a couple of years ago, it leaves me the Baltic coast and Berlin to cycle on another day.