Entering Germany

 Tues May 17 Milligen - Wesel  66 km

Just south of Millingen we crossed the border into Germany, announced only by a small sign on the side of the road. We've reached the point now where the Rhine is indeed one main river. Up to this point we were in the Rhine basin with a complicated network of river branches heading to the sea.

The morning ride was nothing exciting as we took a more direct route along a main road (with its own separate cycle path) towards Xanten. I notice we're not seeing any more thatched houses since we crossed the border.

Morning ride


Xanten was an attractive town with a main square that was humming with life.  We had a picnic lunch right against the walls of an ancient Roman settlement that is now a museum and UNESCO site.

Xanten town centre


The evening was interesting. We crossed a big bridge to get to the town of Wessen where Maps.Me indicated a campground. It looked like we were on a wild-goose chase when we ended up in what looked like a private property and surprised a group of folks having a drink on an outside terrace. However, although only one lady spoke english, they understood we were looking for camping and that lady told to to follow the man! So we did, as he eventually led us on an overgrown narrow path to a vacant meadow overlooking a duck pond where we could pitch our tent anywhere  we wanted, and there wasn't  another soul around. There were bathroom and shower facilities  but nothing else. Suited us just fine. The man chatted away in german oblivious to the fact we didn't understand a word (well actually Frank did pick up a word or two).

The man was concerned that we didn't  have any food ( we understood "kuchen") and he beckoned us to follow him to an old neglected caravan where he must have an emergency stash of survival stuff. He pulled out can after can of soups and vegetables, jars of pickles, etc, and wanted us to take it all. So we settled for a large can of goulash soup, to which he added a couple of bottles of beer and mineral water. He wouldn't  accept any money. So we were set for the night, dining with the ducks and geese in our own tranquil field. I forgot to take photos on my phone - it's all on my GoPro though so none to post here.

I think this spot really was a camp for canoe and fishing groups, as we were right beside the Lippe River, and there was what looked like a fishing clubhouse.


Comments

  1. JirkaMay 19, 2022 at 2:56 AM

    Willkommen in Deutschland, gute Bratwürste und hervorragendes Bier erwarten Sie.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eva and GeorgeMay 19, 2022 at 9:03 AM

    Way to go guys! Fantastic! Everything is back to normal! Happy biking!

    ReplyDelete

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