Oops, dropped off the radar there
Ribeauville:
Hotel au Lion was the priciest of our accommodation (as you would expect in a pretty, touristy place) a nice stay with secure parking available - if you can find it!
Our final day at Ribeauville saw one of the group head to the Auto museum near Mulhouse - a worthy visit by all accounts, while the rest of us had a short run to Haut Koenigsbourg castle.
Then scoot to Natzweiler Struthof, lots of general ww2 info but a bit lacking in info of Natzweiler itself, a shame considering it's importance (to the Nazi's...)
The return to Ribeauville saw a change in the weather and the first rain.
Final day's stay - Cochem on the Mosel.
En route (following Tom Toms 'winding roads') we passed through a windfarm, noticing the tracks to each turbine weren't gated, I had a bimble up one - I always wanted to see a turbine up close.
Magnificent!
Shortly after and just a little damp.... we were greeted by a cheerful young lady at Hotel Holl, just a short stroll from Cochem centre and promptly led to the secure parking - a shared room for four with secure parking & comprehensive breakfast was only €35 pppn - basic but very clean & very good value.
A hearty meal with four litres of Bitburger.
Followed by more beers & cheers in Cochem.
The morning was damp, we had a little time before the run to Rotterdam so wandered round town & a play on the cablecar.
After some monsoon like rain en route to Rotterdam & just in time for rush hour traffic, we stumbled across a Lidl (or was it Aldi?) for supplies for the boat, at least the rain had eased.
I don't have a pic but on the ferry was the worst strapped down bike I'd ever seen - a 15reg wc GS ho hmm, anyone from here I wonder...., a smooth crossing so no dramas by morning and back to clear blue skies but dreadful traffic pretty much all the way over the m62 & home.
The bikes:
650 Vstrom (me)
929 Fireblade
1100 pan European
GSXS 1000 (new out)
Fuel/brew/ice cream stops were every 150 miles (fireblades safe range), a great week long trip all round, ~1300 miles door to door so no big mileages
Phil
Cheers for that, I enjoyed it.
