Rhine cycling tour Day 8

Summer in the city - our evening in Basel

We love country life, nature, and tranquility. But this summer evening in Basel is very beautiful. Life by the river pulsates and flows and obviously brings joy to everyone. Many people sit by the shore, laugh, drink, and eat. We try to capture the atmosphere in pictures for you, imagine the smell of barbecue, a mix of voices in many different languages, besides Swiss German, lots of Italian, Spanish, Dutch, German, and French.

Once again the city swimmers, so many in the evening. Slowly but surely, we understand how it works. Everyone has this "Wickelfisch", a waterproof bag for the swimmer's belongings. If you pack in some air while closing it, you have a buoyancy aid and your belongings with you while you swim downstream with the help of the current.

During our afternoon stroll, we discovered a poster for the "Basel Tattoo". Mario was immediately excited, while Petra thought it was some kind of tattoo artist stuff and was afraid Mario would go crazy. However, in this case, Tattoo refers to the English word "tattoo". We spontaneously managed to get 2 tickets for tonight and after our evening walk along the Rhine, we head to the Basel Barracks.

200 bagpipers from Switzerland, Greece, Holland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany, and even China was represented - along with many drummers, dancers, and wind players - a total of over 1000 performers, transforming the barracks courtyard into a stage. Fire, light, and an indescribable atmosphere give you goosebumps. We unexpectedly spend an evening that alone would have been worth cycling the many kilometers here.

Saturday: Our first cycling tour book is finished. We went from the Upper Rhine to Basel. Volume 2 is now in demand. The decision of whether to cycle on the right or left bank of the Rhine is quickly made. On the right bank, the cycle path runs directly along the river, just as we want it. We have another wonderful day of cycling, although we realize that the gravel paths require more strength and concentration than expected. We only notice the temperature, which is above 30 degrees, at intersections where we have to stop. Also, we are really thirsty today. Stopover in Breisach: at the entrance to the town, there is a large camp because there is a rowing competition taking place today. We weave our bikes through the many athletes.

The Rhine is already so big here that several large river cruise ships are moored in the harbor.

In the afternoon, we reach Bischwihr: our last pre-booked accommodation. Tomorrow we want to visit Colmar and plan the route for our second week. So tomorrow, our behinds will enjoy a day without saddles.