The collective thing has been pretty convenient for bills where we've all consumed. Sure, Chris and Simon eat more than me, but I drink more coffee. To save the international fee we do the same with cash withdrawals; each taking turns to draw €300, and giving the others 100 each. Most goes into the aforementioned collective fund.
The past 4 days have been spent riding through some of the nicest imaginable countryside. Maniz-Koblenz, was 2 days of easy riding through the Rhine valley, with castles overlooking the river on both sides. We stayed in St Goar, which has deteriorated into a clip
joint for the international tourists (albeit a pretty one). The cycling, however, is free.
In Koblenz, the clear, tranquil waters of the Mosel meet the more turbid waters of the Rhine and its bustling barge traffic. We had read about the Mosel ride, so decided to leave most of our gear at the hostel, and train up river. We figured that from Trier, we could ride back down in a couple of days, catching the train if we got stuck for time.
The Mosel is tremendous. There is little boat traffic, and the trains only join the river at some towns. In between, it is a steep sided 100m deep valley, lined on the southern sides with grape vines, for which the region is famous. there are medieval towns every few kilometers, virtually all of which are catering to the German and Dutch cycling tourists, motor homers and Koblenz day-trippers.
After staying the night at Traben-Trabach, we headed down to Cochem for lunch. Chris was feeling a little under the weather, so caught the train back to Koblenz, while Simon and I enjoyed the strengthening afternoon breeze. The other beautifull thing about the Mosel was that it had a strong wind from the South. With the wind at our backs, it was great to get into a 2 bike train, and blast allong at 35-45km/h. By 3:30 we were back in Koblenz. after doing 210km in the last couple of days, we're getting close to the 1000km mark.
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