Day 37: Nice and warm by the Rhine

We say goodbye to Neuwied through a massive gate that protects against floods. The entire riverbank is separated from the city by a massive wall, the people of Neuwied have probably had bad experiences over the centuries...

We follow the Rhine. Like yesterday, we are sometimes very close to the river, then further away. In the small towns, the route is sometimes easy, sometimes difficult, the local conditions are so different. We leisurely pass through Bendorf and Vallendar to Koblenz, where we change sides. Komoot thinks it's better to cycle here because the path is a bit further from the road. We skip the Deutsches Eck, we have been there a few times where the Mosel flows into the Rhine. Castles keep appearing, and in my opinion, the most impressive one is Marksburg. At the beginning, we rode with a vest, but it has become so warm that we take it off and still sweat.

We have a first break shortly before Spay. Then we pass the familiar towns of Boppard and Sankt Goar, of course Loreley, Bacharach. Ice coffee must not be missing today, it is exhausting to ride in the heat. This is followed by a third break, we are now happy about any shade. We ride along the road for a long stretch, fully in the sun. Only bridges offer shade.

This only changes about an hour before Bingen, when the sun can no longer reach our side of the Rhine. The attentive reader has certainly noticed that I chose the 'Rhein-Main' option. It would have been madness to ride uphill in these temperatures...

So after almost 90 km, we reach Bingen. Finding accommodation is initially difficult - a hotel demands €20 per person for breakfast, which I am not willing to pay. I can already see myself sitting in front of a bakery tomorrow, enjoying an 'external' breakfast, when we discover a hotel/cafe in the old town. The boss is about to close, but still takes us in. Saved!