Day 34: Rhine

During the night there was a heavy thunderstorm. At breakfast, the sky is cloudy, it looks like more rain. We have a conversation with the lady at the reception, who paints a different picture of Wuppertal - citizen participation, creative minds, recreational value with lots of greenery and a forest where you can still get lost. We can see an example directly: the Nordbahntrasse was created by a citizens' movement that provided working hours and own resources because they recognized the potential of the littered, overgrown old railway line. Today, along the 20 km (some say 23 km) there are restaurants and cafes, playgrounds, art, etc. You would like to experience that in the evening.
So we leave Wuppertal and get closer to the Rhine along adventurous paths. Whatever the komoot map allows - my wife always finds a way through, even if it's a hiking trail that mountain bikers would enjoy (that's called a single trail...). But it was also fun with the fully loaded touring bike, after all, challenges have to be mastered!
We take a break at Lake Elbe. Since we have no hurry today, it's a long break. It's still dry, occasionally the sun comes out, the temperature is very pleasant - perfect cycling weather. So far we haven't met any other bike tourists, that's been the case since Hameln.
Then we reach Father Rhine, a somehow uplifting sight. Now I know where I am again, the area becomes clearer, if I ride upstream, I can get to Cologne without a navigation device, inevitably. It's time for an ice coffee again, which we get at Gut Blee, overlooking the Rhine. Before that, we visited Haus Bürgel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Lower Germanic Limes. At Hitdorf, we cross the river with the ferry, the originally planned bridge is currently being renovated. We pass the Ford Works and watch a container loading in Niehl. Something is going wrong, it takes a while for the container to sit on the wagon. Then we soon arrive at the Lindner, where I have spent a few business travel nights and which I treat myself to once more. If you go out on the backside, you only need to cross the street and you are at Päffgen, one of the major Kölsch breweries. A glass marks the end of the evening.