One of the most sublime stretches of cycle path in Germany is along the Rhine between Bingen and Koblenz, winding between storied headlands and quaint romantic villages. Instead, we rode the dull bit further downstream between Bonn and Cologne, past chemical factories and through industrial estates.
To be fair, we had cycled the good bit years ago as part of a cyclefest called Tal To Tal, and today we had trains to catch. Our ride mostly served as a ninety-minute cobweb-blower after a sociable night before at Bonn Fest 2022’s Polish beer stall.
The ride was on decent broad flat paths, mostly car-free, in the German riverside style. And at the end, approaching Cologne, we saw our target of the cathedral’s twin towers, knowing the train station – and a McDonald’s – was right underneath.
