Tea Tasting ceremony

Lovely Tea Tasting ceremony.☕️💐 Nigiro Tea offers tea tastings features a selection of 180 unique tea blends. 🍵 ☕️ Very enjoyable. 😀

Nigiro Tea Tasting can be enjoyed at Spice Route in Paarl. Enjoy!☕️ Let me know how it was.

Cango Caves

The beautiful Cango Caves, close to Oudtshoorn, are known for their spectacular rock formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, and other dripstone formations.  

The caves were  formed by the dissolution of Precambrian limestone over millions of years, creating a system of tunnels and chambers, and resulting in the spectacular rock formations.

The primary rock type in the Cango cave is limestone (CaCO3) from the Cango cave group. 

The caves have been discovered to extend naturally for well over 5km, but visitors can only explore about one-quarter of the entire system. 🇿🇦

Swartberg pass

 Swartberg Pass:

SWARTBERG PASS, a National Monument between Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn, is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular and best known mountain passes in South Africa. It is the masterpiece of the brilliant engineer and road builder, Thomas Charles Bain (1830 – 1893), and the last of the seventeen passes he built in the Cape Province.

Originally the routes through Meiring’s Poort and Seven Weeks’ Poort were the only links between the port of Mossel Bay and the towns and villages of the Great Karoo. The road through Meiring’s Poort was often closed due to flood damage and rockfalls. The heavy flooding during 1875 caused the closure of these gateways for weeks.

In 1879 Thomas Bain was commissioned to plan a new route over the Swartberg Mountain Range. The existing footpath over the mountain between Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn could only be negotiated on foot or on horseback. Due to the unavoidably steep gradients, Bain tried four different lines before he succeeded in finding a practical one. Bain’s original master plan was approved by the Government in 1880.

The building of the Swartberg Pass proved to be a mammoth task. As Bain was building the Tsitsikama road, John Tassie’s tender of £18120 was accepted. Employing 100 Mozambicans from Delagoa Bay he started construction from the Prince Albert side of the mountain in 1881, but after 13 months of toil he had advanced only 6 kilometres.

After Tassie was declared insolvent, construction came to a halt for a year, until Thomas Bain took over the building of the pass in November 1883. Using 200 to 240 convicts he tackled the job with great enthusiasm.

The pass was built with the use of pickaxes, spades, sledgehammers, crowbars, wheelbarrows and gunpowder. Boulders were split by heating them with fire and then dousing them with cold water. Rocks were broken into smaller pieces with sledgehammers and then carefully dressed by the convicts. The dry-wall method of construction was used to build the impressive retaining walls that supported the road against the precipitous slopes. A century later, travellers still wonder at this feat.

Meat, dried beans, soup and other kinds of food were cooked in large pots for the convicts. Fresh bread was baked and an ox and sixteen sheep were slaughtered daily to provide meat for everybody on the project. The convicts were divided into teams and the ruins and remains of the convict stations can still be seen in the Swartberg Pass.

Conditions during the winter were very unfavourable. During May of 1885 heavy rain and mud slides almost destroyed the convicts’ camp. The nearly completed road was also badly damaged. The road through Meiring’s Poort was completely washed away by the same flood.

The official opening of the Swartberg Pass was 10th January 1888. All the shops and offices in Prince Albert were closed for the day to allow everyone to participate in the festivities. At 7am that Tuesday the procession, consisiting of about 100 vehicles (spiders, capecarts and mule wagons) started off from Haak’s Hotel on the 3 hour trek to the open terrain near the summit. It’s estimated there were about 500 people present, including reporters from six newspapers.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works, colonel F.X Schermbrucker, officially opened the pass. Miss Gertrude Schermbrucker broke a bottle of champagne at the summit of the pass, 1 585m above sea level, and a twenty-one gun salute concluded the ceremony.

On 5th May, 1888 a toll was proclaimed on the summit of the pass. From the eight tenders received, John F. Mackay was appointed the first toll official with a salary of £45 a year. Besides collecting the toll fee(4 pennies per wheel and 1 penny per animal), the official was responsible for maintaining the road in good condition. The official was also allowed to use collected toll fees to his own advantage

Blyde River Canyon

The Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world 26 946 ha, after the Grand Canyon in the United States and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia, and is the largest 'green canyon' due to its lush subtropical foliage, with the deepest precipitous cliffs of any canyon on the planet.

One of the most-visited attractions in South Africa, the Blyde River Canyon is 26 kilometres in length and is, on average, around 800m deep. The dam itself, when full, is at an altitude of 665m (2182 feet).

The Blyde River Canyon Reserve extends along the Blyde River Canyon's winding path, which at every turn offers more and more impressive views over sheer edges droper personing 800m into the riverbed. Blyde River Canyon Reserve is situated against the Greater Drakensberg escarpment and includes natural wonders such as the Bourke's Luck Potholes, the Three Rondavels, Pinnacle Rock and God's Window. Many visitors to this region enjoy the visual splendor of combining the Panorama Route with exceptional game viewing in the Kruger National Park to create a spectacular itinerary in Mpumalanga.

Cape Town Shopping with a twist.

 Cape Town Shopping with a twist.

Shopping for  Cape Town. Amazingly beautiful fabrics 

Visit: 

Da Gana Fabrics. Mnandi Fabrics, Jacksons, Lively Fabrics. And more...

Shopping for sport socks Cape Town. Loads of fun

Visit: Falke, AP Jones, Sportsmans Ware House and others.

Shopping with clients for products made from "waste". Amazingly creative artists!

Visit:Nathan Chikoto, Bo Kaap Bazaar, Recycled Flipflop or many street artsiist 🎨 

Sandybay Shipwreck Trail

Hiking the Sandybay Shipwreck Trail 👣 ending wirh a loceky swim 

The BOS 400 is a French crane barge that ran aground during a storm in 1994. It was being towed by a boat that was not up to the task of tugging such a massive vessel, and the tow rope broke loose, sending the barge into the rocks just south of Sandy Bay. Deemed too damaged and difficult to salvage, it was abandoned and has been rusting there ever since.

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/T4eF30LPtQb

Table Mountain Circuit Adventure

Table Mountain Circuit:

A Five-Day Four-Night Adventure by Easy Travel & Tours

Walk around Table Mountain, approximately 100km of pure delight! The route and the direction clock or anti-clockwise vary depending on the accommodation, the group, and the weather etc.

Only carry daypack. 

Breakfast,  lunch, dinner included

Exclusive of drinks and snacks.

Transport arranged during the tour.

Exclusive of  return transport to trail at beginning and end of trail.

Day 1

Fishhoek to Constantia along coastal road. 

https://anniestour includeds.blogspot.com/p/scenic-coastal-walkway-from-muizenberg.html

Day 2 & 3

Constantia to Cape Town along the Greenbelts 

https://anniestours.blogspot.com/p/constantia-green-belts-tokai.html

Day 3 

Cape Town to Houtbay via Atlantic strip. 

https://anniestours.blogspot.com/p/favorite-hiking-trails-around-cape-town.html

Day 4

Houtbay over Chapmanspeak to Fishoek. 

Regenerative farming

Regenerative Farming on Bucklands Guest Farm 

On our recent visit  to Bucklands Guest Farm, we learned more about regenerative farming in the Karoo. We highly respect the farmer for the amazing work they do. We helped for a few days to move the kraal (enclosure) every day and to collect the livestock at night to bring them back in the kraal/ enclosure. It is hard work! 

The livestock (on Bucklands - sheep and goat) are put into a temporary enclosure, made with interlocking gates every night. The temporary enclosure is moved to a different location the next morning.  Each morning, the sheep and goat leave the enclosure (kraal) to walk "free" and graze in the surrounding areas. At night, they have to be fetched and brought back into the enclosure (kraal). This protect the livestock from predators, but this is also where their "night work" starts. 🌙 🐐 🐑 

Livestock, in this case Angora goats 🐐 and  sheep 🐑 is is used to restore the veld.  The veld needs to get brief, intense grazing on it, and then be left to recover for many months. That is why the enclosure is moved every morning to a new location.

Livestock has the following impacts : grazing, trampling, hooves cutting soil, and fertility (dung & urine). 

Grasses grow moribund and die when not consumed. Many seeds need to be distributed and fertilised by animals.

As the livestock walk and nibble fresh shoots, their hooves flatten moribund grass tussocks into mulch, exposing the growth points to sunlight again. They break up the crusted earth with their sharp hooves. Wherever they go, they leave their dung as a gift to the land and its seeds. When the rains come again, green grasses will spring up here.

The belief is that most farm areas were overgrazed, not because there were too many animals, but because they were left in one place too long. It was a function of time, not numbers.

Records show that there were sporadic but enormous springbok migrations across the dry plains. Many are reliably estimated to have numbered in the many millions. Some even say the migrations would have contained more animals than there are livestock present on Karoo farms today. (Before the current drought, there were around 7 million sheep and goats in the Little and Great Karoo.)

One particular trekbok migration in 1849 took three days to pass through Beaufort West. Writer Lawrence Green reports that they left the veld looking as if it had been consumed by fire.

The theory is that the buck, following the scent of rain and fresh forage, travelled mostly bunched together by predators. They would eat almost any living plant before them – there was no time or space to pick and choose the most palatable ones. All the while they would be churning up the crusted soil with their hooves, depositing their dung on the waiting seeds. Then they would move on, leaving the plants to recover and grow over months or years.

The veld thrived on this rough and irregular treatment. Explorers and hunters in the mid 1800s reported how the tall grass reached their booted shins while travelling through on horseback near Richmond in the Northern Cape, something almost unimaginable today.

Botswana 🇧🇼

Chobe River Cruise

Chobe Game Reserve 

Ntweta Pan and the Meerkats

Bushman visit

Very interesting to spend time with the friendly Bushmen people to learn about their hunting and gathering & survival techniques. 🏹 🔥

The Bushmen are the indigenous peoples of southern Africa. Largely hunter-gatherers, their territory spans several nations and they have called the region home for tens of thousands of years.

The tribes are well-known for the profound connection they have with their land, for their intimate knowledge of the natural world, and the delicate balance they have maintained for millennia with the environment.

Moremi, 

Moremi's thick sand 🚙

Moremi Game Reserve Botswana 🇧🇼 and it's challenging sandy roads 😀🚙 Our Ranger got stuck in the the thick sand. 

So, I eventually offered to drive the vehicle, so that he can help to push. He is much stronger than I and I got the opportunity to drive the landcruiser out of the thick sand 😀 💪🏻🚙 Luckily it was a fantastic group who helped finding wood to put under the tyres and helped pushing the car. We all actually enjoyed the experience 😀

House Boat on The Okavango River

Caprivi Strip. Now called the Zambezi Province of Namibia 🇳🇦 

Baobab Trees 🌳  in Botswana 🇧🇼 . Beautiful!

Tsodilo, Botswana 🇧🇼 , a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been called the ''Louvre of the Desert'sodilo has been called the ''Louvre of the Desert' since it has one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, '. Over 4,500 paintings are preserved in an area of only 10 km2 of the Kalahari Desert. Record of the area gives a chronological account of human activities and environmental changes over at least 100,000 years. Local communities in this hostile environment respect Tsodilo as a place of worship frequented by ancestral spirits.

The archaeological record of the site gives a chronological account of human activities and environmental changes over at least 100,000 years, although not continuously.

Often large and imposing rock paintings exist in the shelters and caves, and although not accurately dated appear to span from the Stone Age right through to the 19th century. In addition, within the site sediments, there is considerable information pertaining to the paleo-environment. This combination provides an insight into early ways of human life, and how people interacted with their environment both through time and space.

Four countries meet.

 

Diversity Trail

Wander through dense Afromontane and Milkwood forests on the Diversity Trail. 

Indigenous forests, known to be 1,000 years old inspire a sense of enchantment during the 40 km slack-packing trail.  Explore cool labyrinths with your guide and uncover the secret world of the forests where a tranquil sanctuary of life pulsates under the tall canopy.

Experience this and so much more on the 40 km slack-packing trail in the Overberg.

Day 1

The lovely Diversity trail day 1 started at the Stanford Kitchen Restaurant where we enjoyed a light lunch and met our excellent guide Christoff. After lunch we went on a walk through the historical village. Then we went on a leisurely cruise down to the beautiful Stanford River on board the Lady Stanford and enjoyed  the lovely scenery and rich bird life with our knowledgeable guide. The day concluded with a short drive to Bellavista Country Place where we had time to check in and refresh. The evening we had a very informative fynbos gin tasting and delicious dinner with magnificent views of the sun setting over  Walker Bay.

Day 2 

Day 2 of the Diversity Trail and we walked along the beautiful forest and fynbos trails on Grootbos Nature Reserve. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Grootbos Environmental Centre.  After lunch the trail lead us into the incredible and ageless afromontane Witvoetskloof forest. We walked through the forest to the waterfall where I was really keen to swim but no one else was keen to join and I did not want to waste everyones time. Afterwards, I regretted not swimming. We walked back along a flower picking track to our pick up point were we got into a 4x4 vehicle for our transfer back to Bellavista Country Place. The evening we enjoyed around the fire place enjoying a delicious dinner.

https://strava.app.link/APgMKyaJJLb

Day3

On day 3  of the beautiful Diversity Trail we explored the Walker Bay coastline. The trail started at Bella Vista and lead through the rich coastal fynbos on Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. From there we head into the Walker Bay Nature Reserve, and walked through a remote dune field, onto the Plaat beach. We enjoyed lunch on the beach after which we strolled along the beach to the archaeological site at Klipgat Cave – the home of Middle Stone Age and Late Stone Age people. Inside the cave, our guide will interpret the fascinating insights into early human occupation along this coastline. In Whale season there is good possibility to spot the Southern Right Whales. We were transported back to Bellavista Country Place. This evening we enjoyed a wine tasting with Giant Periwinkle wines (a boutique wine farm and committed member of the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy) and dinner at the fire place.  Another delightful day ⚘️👣

 

https://strava.app.link/gJpPPYZGPLb

Day 4

Diversity Trail day 4. And we explored the nature, art, wine and culture of the Walker Bay region. We enjoyed the walk which offered views of ocean, farmlands and fynbos landscapes. The days interpretive walk focused on the conservation efforts of rhe various partners in the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy. We walked on a beautiful trail through Fynbos and the Flower Valley Farm after which the trail will dropped down via the vineyards, where we learned about the complex interactions between soil, climate and grapes 🍇.  After the morning walk, we will enjoyed  lunch 🥗 and a tasting of some of the estate’s premium wines 🍷 at Lomond. After lunch we were transferred back to Bella Vista and had time to relax. The last night's dinner was at Grootbos restaurant  Before dinner we visited the Hannarie Wenhold Botanical Art Gallery, which includes South Africa’s first Fynbos Florilegium – a unique collection of botanical art. Another delightful day!

👣🇿🇦

https://strava.app.link/VXwqVzUfRLb

Day 5

We enjoyed the lovely views over Walker Bay while having our last breakfast after which it was time to go home 🏡 

We thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful trail wand can highly recommend it.👣

Europe Cycling Part 1 South of Rotterdam to Koblence

Assembling Bicycles 🚲 after our flight ✈️ 

Our Bicycle trip started 🥳 Assembling Bicycles, saying goodbye to Sofia Spaans & Klaas who were amazing in assisting us. And Janet Moyle and Thinus arrived!! Super excited!!🚴🏻🚴🏻‍♀️🇳🇱

Day 1 Piershil to Utrech

Cycling 98km  from Piershil to Utrech in Netherlands 🇳🇱  Incredibly beautiful 🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻⚘️ (Day1)

Utrecht, the fourth largest city of the Netherlands, is often seen as the intimate alternative to Amsterdam. It has beautiful canals and parks, vibrant restaurants, interesting museums, and special historical buildings. The Dom Tower, at 112.32 meters, is the highest church tower in the Netherlands and the symbol of the city. The Utrecht University is the biggest university in the Netherlands 👨🏼‍🎓📚

Utrecht lies on the Vecht, which is a Rhine branch. A special way to discover all the beauty of Utrecht is by canoeing through the canals. 🛶A lovely way to marvel at the historic canal houses, vaulted cellars, and lively restaurants.You do have to duck every now and then at a bridge, but that is part of the 😁 

https://strava.app.link/fHcLLZDSvKb

Accommodation: Stay Okay Utrecht Central.was perfect for us. Very practical. Walking distance to station.🚆 Storage space for bicycle boxes  🚲📦 Safe parking area for bicycles 🚲  across the road. In the heart of the city. Large room with private bathroom. Clean, efficient accommodation. Will stay here again

Day 2 Utrech via Amersfoort to Putten 

Cycling 78km  from Utrech in Netherlands via Amersfoort to Putten 🇳🇱  Incredibly beautiful even in the rain  ☔️  We found a cosy little house on the border of the Veluwe forest. Birds singing woke us up this morning.🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻⚘️(Day 2)

Amersfoort is known for its medieval city centre, quaint streets and picturesque buildings. Amersfoort is named after a ford in the Amer River,  today called the Eem River. 

 

Around 1500, Amersfoort was expanding so quickly that more space was needed. To accommodate this rapid growth, the first city wall was demolished and new houses were built on its foundations using the rubble. The Wall Houses (Muurhuizen) is one of the intriguing features of the city.

Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren (The Tower of Our Lady church), is 98 metres tall, and visible from all corners of the city. The city owes this tower to the Miracle of Amersfoort. In 1444, a statue of the Virgin Mary was found in the outer moat. When the statue appeared to cause all kinds of miracles, Amersfoort became a world-famous pilgrimage destination. The many donations from pilgrims made it possible to build Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren.

Amersfoort boasts several breweries, such as De Drie Ringen, Rock City and 't Mirakel. Thanks to its location on the Eem River, the city has plenty of clean water to make beer 🍺  One can taste and learn more on special beer route.

De Nieuwe Stad, is a 'city within a city', located in a former industrial area right next to the historical city centre. The authentic, original factory buildings have been redeveloped into sustainable work and meeting places. 

Amersfoort is the only city in the Netherlands bordering three nature reserves: the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the Veluwe and the Eempolder. Of these, the Eempolder is closest to the city centre. From the city centre, you can travel to this polder region on foot or by bicycle or scooter. 🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻👣

https://strava.app.link/dLcMmzg6xKb

https://www.hogeveluwe.nl/en

Accommodation: https://www.airbnb.com/slink/YJ5pjace 

Lovely place. Will definitely want to stay here again.

Day 3 Putten via Veluwe NP to Arnhem 

Cycling 48km from Putten  via Veluwe forest to Arnhem.🇳🇱  Birds singing all the way. Incredibly beautiful .🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻⚘️(Day 3)

Netherland has 21 National parks! Veluwe is definitely my favorite! In the parks we found all the typical Dutch landscapes, such as dunes, woods, moorlands, bogs, valleys and swamps. We did not see the wolves but saw rabbits and enjoyed birds singing. Veluwe is a dream for cyclist, hikers, birdwatchers and nature lovers

Arnhem it is called 'The Gateway to the Veluwe'. The city offers the perfect mix of city amenities and relaxing green spaces. 

Arnhem is probably best known for a famous Second World War battle that took place there in 1944. During the Battle of Arnhem, the (now famous) John Frost Bridge was literally and figuratively 'a bridge too far' for the Allies in their attempt to liberate the city during the war. Traces of that battle for freedom can still be found today, not just in museums but also via sculptures and other (outdoor) art. The Open Air Museum, where the past comes alive with authentic buildings and objects, is highly recommended

https://strava.app.link/Y7RYYtPuAKb

 ⛺️Camped at:

https://campingwarnsborn.nl/en

Great Campsite for small tents. Very clean. Friendly,  helpful staff. Boxes to charge phone, watches etc,  Fridge to put in iceblocks. Table & benches. Quiet. Will definitively stay here again when in area.

https://www.hogeveluwe.nl/en

Day 4 Arnhem to Nijmegen 

Cycling 63 km from Nijmegen 🇳🇱  Xanten, Germany 🇩🇪 Lovely route. Great to cake &  coffee  on way 🏊‍♂️ 🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻🌳(Day 5)

Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands with an abundants of natural beauty, thanks to its location on a hill along the Waal River.

The Romans settled in Nijmegen over Two thousand years ago Traces of the Roman's history and archaeology can be enjoyed in the city’s streets and museums.

Nijmegen was also the northernmost residence of Emperor Charlemagne and a flourishing imperial city. Unfortunately, Nijmegen did not survive the Second World War intact. On 22 February 1944, a large part of the inner city was destroyed by allied bombings. When you’re standing on the Grote Markt, you can see a clear difference in the type of buildings when you’re either facing the Waaggebouw or when you turn your back to it.

 A large number of students, numerous events and festivals, unique hot spots, and cozy restaurants all add up to an unprecedented liveliness in the city.

Nijmegen has beautiful cycling routes. After cycling put your feet in the sand on the city beach next to the river Waal, or relax at one of the numerous sidewalk cafes. 🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻☕️🍹

Nijmegen

 https://en.visitnijmegen.com/to-see-do/cycling

 

https://strava.app.link/GXQ8ts2REKb

🏡 Accommodation: https://www.airbnb.com/slink/YJ5pjace

Lovely place. Will definitely stay here again

Day 5 Nijmegen to Xanten 

Cycling 63 km from Nijmegen 🇳🇱  Xanten, Germany 🇩🇪 Lovely route. Great to enjoy cake & coffee on the way 🏊‍♂️ 🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻🌳(Day 5)

Xanten was one of the most important Roman sites in Germania for about 400 years. One can visit the remains of the Roman town in the LVR Archaeological Park in Xanten. It is the largest open-air archaeological museum in Germany and a real highlight for history buffs. The impressive reconstructions of Roman buildings show what life was like in a Roman provincial town. Spectacular buildings include the harbour temple, the amphitheatre, the inn and the imposing city wall with defence towers.

https://www.nrw-tourism.com/a-archaeological-park-xanten

https://strava.app.link/GXQ8ts2REKb

🏡 Accommodation:

Day 7 Xanten to Dusseldorf 

Cycling 78 km from  Xanten to Dusseldorf, Germany 🇩🇪 Lovely route.  🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻🌳(Day 7)

Dusseldorf, on the Rhine River, is the fashion capital of Germany, with more than 800 showrooms presenting the latest designer and couture creations. The abundance of pubs, clubs, and bars has earned Düsseldorf's Old Town the nickname of 'the longest bar in the world'.

https://strava.app.link/s1fI3V0GFKb

🏡 Accommodation: We stayed with friends who spoiled us 😀 It was lovely!!

Day 8 Dusseldorf to Witten

Cycling 61 km from  Dusseldorf to Witten Germany 🇩🇪 Lovely route especially the Nordbahn Terasse above Wuppertal.   🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻🌳(Day 8)

The Nordbahntrasse in Wuppertal is a 22 km long, wide pedestrian, bicycle, and inline skating path on the former railway lines ). It runs on a west-east axis along the northern slope of the Wuppertal urban area. The route includes five cycle path tunnels with a total length of two kilometers. The route leads past numerous testimonies to Wuppertal's industrial and transport history, residential areas, monuments, and geological features, which are described on around 90 accompanying panels.

https://strava.app.link/syJp189pHKb

🏡 Accommodation: We stayed with friends who spoiled us 😀 It was great!

Day 9 Witten to Gevelsberg 

Cycling 12 km from Witten to Gevelsberg, Germany 🇩🇪 Lovely short route. Relaxing day   🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻🌳(Day 8)

Gevelsberg, a charming destination in the Ennepe-Ruhr district. The cycle circel route Ruhr to Ruhr is great 🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻  

https://www.outdooractive.com/mobile/en/travel-guide/germany/gevelsberg/1018930/

🏡Accommodation: We stayed with friends who spoiled us 😀 Blessed ! Petra baked the most delicious apple tart 🍎 😋 and the sauna was fanatic!

https://strava.app.link/RET2qhL4IKb

Day 10 Gevelsberg to Cologne 

Cycling 65 km from Gevelsberg to Cologne, Germany 🇩🇪 Lots of Hills today. We especially enjoyed the Balkan Trasse  & Alte Bahn Trasse 😀🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻🌳(Day 9)

Balkantrasse – the name is reminiscent of the Balkan Express. This was the popular name for the former railway line between Leverkusen-Opladen and Remscheid-Lennep. Today, a cycle path runs along this route. Ideal for leisurely cycling with views from lofty heights.

https://strava.app.link/m1mUrDYYJKb

⛺️ Camped at: https://waldbad-camping.de/ Campsite okay but not great. Staff friendly but not keen to help. Location practical. Wifi no free. Not willing to put ice block in freezer. No safe spot to charge phone. No tables or chairs for small tents. I will choose another site next time. 

I had bicycle problems and on the way to Cologne we stopped at Stephen Gehle (on photo 👆🏻) He fixed both our bicycles. It would have been incredible difficult without Stephan Gehle. It was like cycling up a sand dunes, after Stephan changed my bicycle It was like ski-ing down a Ski scope. THANK YOU!!! Zweirad-lGehle 

Day 11 Cologne to Bonn

Cycling 67 km from Cologne to Bonn, Germany 🇩🇪 Cologne is lovely & the cycling along the Rhine close to Bonn was beautiful.  Landscapes, many people enjoying the great weather. Swimming, enjoying a beer, kayaking etc. Less enjoyable for me was 2 flat tyres but absolutely worth it😀🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻🌳(Day 10) 

https://strava.app.link/IcDc9vosLKb

⛺️ Camped at:

https://campingplatz-genienau.de/ Good campsite. Friendly & helpful staff. Clean. Wifi free and working on the whole campsite

No tables & chairs for small tents. Willing to put freezer block in freezer. Charging point at the restaurant to charge phones. Good restaurant."Gemütlich" . Will gladly stay here again 

Day 12 Bonn to Koblenz 

Bonn to Koblenz. Cycling along the Rhine River 🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🏻⚘️  Love it! Enjoying every moment! (Day 11)

https://strava.app.link/OksPwZ0zOKb

🏡 Camped at: 

https://www.moselbogen.de/ camping at Gülser Moselbogen. Great Campsite.  Very friendly & helpful staff. Table and bench available for the small tents which is great. Free wifi, works well on whole campsite. Will gladly stay here again.