Biking and barging

PTwo days on a barge and we like it! Before boarding the barge we had time to walk about Köln. We skipped the busy shopping areas and found the "real" Köln. We lunched beside old city walls and had spargel soup and delicious pasta. The restaurant is to the right of the tower. 

Norm found the Volksgarten park and we walked around. Even Yellow Bunny loved the rhododendrons. 

The Canadian Geese and their goslings have found a home in Köln. Hopefully the locals don't know they are from Canada. 

Graffiti is supreme in Germany (Deutschland). 

More walking means more desserts. We'll diet when we are home. 

We found our home for the next week, Sailing Home is the ship, with fourteen other cyclists, our leader Marcel and 6 other crew members Our room is cozy.

Sunday morning we are ready to ride. Down the Rhine we go. It is an amazing water way with over 350 ships using it daily, coal, gas, shipping containers...

The day is broken up with stops for coffee and washroom break. Yellow Bunny was right into the ride.

Lunch at Zons. Town with fortified walls, musicians, pig fountain

The biking today covered 60km today. Lots of locals out biking too so you had to be careful negotiating the pathways. 

As we crossed the river by ferry we came upon hundreds of sheep crossing the road as we got off the small ferry. 

The Jacdschloss Benrsth, German Castle, was a mini Versailles.

Our last stop was Düsseldorf. Quite the surprise to see what looked like the entire town was having a beer and listening to music in the town centre, wild and crazy. 

Back to the barge for a glass of refreshment on the deck then an excellent dinner, pasty stuffed goat cheese and rocket, grilled salmon with tomato/rice, celery purée?, salad and chocolate soufflé. We figure we deserve it because we biked. Maybe.....