Starting week two with a bang! We not only took a rest day from riding yesterday in Heidelberg, we took a rest day from blogging. Needing rest, running errands (laundry, bike store, bank, grocery, pharmacy), catching up on emails and phone calls, blogging and dinner, and whoosh! the day was gone. If we get a chance, we will come back for more exploration of the city of Heidelberg. So beautiful – the architecture!, so historic, so lush and green and outdoors-y!
This morning we hopped back on two wheels and resumed our way east across Germany. The Rhineland is the perfect launch pad for the sensory overload that awaits, as we traverse some of the country’s most dynamic pastoral scenery.
Heidelberg to Jagsthausen
DAY #09 of 35 Germany 471 miles total
WEEK #2 OVERVIEW The second week of this five-week cycling adventure promises to be as inspiring to the eye as it is fantastical to the mind, and taste buds. As our quest will take us through the antiquated towns of these ancient, forested mountains; we have been warned to be prepared to feast – as did warriors of the past – upon the delicacies that abound spectacular Saxony. From its medieval pork knuckles to the myriad beers and Rhineland wine, this week promises to be a bombardment of the senses.
On The Road Again
We’re back on the road again, going places we’ve never been before and seeing things we might never see again. For the first 8 miles of our ride this morning we followed the Neckar River deeper into the forests of Odenwald, a classically beautiful backdrop for our ride.
Mark welcomed the chance to catch his breath after a steep climb. Shauna, of course, is long gone.
Mark calls her his mountain goat, which he means in the most complimentary and affectionate way one can call another a mountain goat?!
She is a mountain climber, whether on foot or on bike!
The latter part of the day found us following the Romantic Road into a luscious, castle-dominated landscape, which was to serve as our very own Medieval theater setting for the night. No, really.
Our home for the evening, Götzenburg Castle
Along the Romantic Road, the Hohenlohe Plain is an area of sleepy postcard villages and German Renaissance castles such as Burg Götzenburg. Overlooking the Jagst River, this charming hotel is spread across a turreted mansion and its outlying buildings. It is also our home for the night!
Trivia Fact: The namesake of the castle was Götz von Berlichingen, who was born here in 1480. A famous knight in German history, Götz was romanticized as a kind of Robin Hood, who stole from the rich to give to the poor when he wasn’t busy fighting in military campaigns against the Turks and French. He was also known as Götz of the Iron Hand, a nickname which comes from the prosthetic that replaced the real one he lost at the siege of Landshut. Banished from the empire on a couple of occasions, he returned to lead a faction in the Peasants’ War. Goethe immortalized him in one of his dramas.
There was a biergarten (beer garden) and band playing as a fundraiser for the castle, which was perfect for our post-ride refreshment.
A former Royal Air Force pilot, Chris is a veritable wealth of information on the latest in road bike technology.
Ardent road and mountain bike enthusiasts, Chris and Penny have been on a number of bicycle trips including two trips across the US.
So magical not sure how you see so much while concentrating on riding a bike!