France-Germany 2011

RHEINGAU RAMBLE June 9-12,2011

2011-06-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

Car Drive

RHEINGAU RAMBLE
June 9-12,2011

After breakfast at our B&B hotel we set off, by car, to explore the beautiful Rheingau region of Germany. We have several days to play before our return flight.

We decided to go to Rudesheim because the Hertz guy said lots of Americans go there,

Rudesheim is on the other side of the Rhine River, and looks pretty much just like what we have seen for the last several days.

Huge barges travel up and down the river carrying tons of freight, stacked high with sea-land containers, coal, steel. Tourist boats also travel the river. On both sides of the river train tracks carry more freight and passengers. The trains are frequent, running about 20-30 minutes apart all day and most of the night. Lots of train traffic.

We went to the tourist information center to book a room for the night, only to be told that there was an event for the weekend, so we might possibly get Wednesday night, but no hope for anything more. The woman booked us into a place way up the hillside, and only for one night.

Our zimmer was quite modest, although our hostess was very nice. We had comfortable beds in a small, modest room with douche and WC. Rather pricey at 46 Euros a night.

After putting our bags in the room we set out to explore the area and get some dinner.

First we went to the ridge line where a gondola runs people up to a monument which commemorates the first unification of Germany after the Franco-Prussian War in 1871.

Then we drove around the hills, enjoying the scenery. Don took some photos of Kloster Abtei Sankt Hildegardis in honor of our neighbor.

We had bratwurst for dinner, thinking of Ingrid Pearson, and it was very good and the kartelhoffen, with some kind of a sauce, were delicious.

Back to our zimmer for a good sleep.

FRIENDS FROM PONT CHATEAU June 11, 2011

2011-06-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

FRIENDS FROM PONT CHATEAU
June 11, 2011

Rain was predicted today, so we planned some alternative activities. After breakfast we walked into town to see what was shakin’ at the Festival Francais.

It turns out Nassau is gemimillo (sister city) with a small town in Brittany, Pont Chateau. To celebrate their friendly relationship they were putting on the Deutsch-Franzosische Partnerschaft event in the town square.

In the morning there were hundreds of tables set up, just like you see in travelogues about Oktoberfest, and the food booths were beginning to cook, but there was nary a soul at the event.

We went up to the tourist information center to find out where the Citroen exhibition was located, only to find that the exhibit is just a dozen photos of Citroens. How disappointing.

I left Don at the TI center to do some computer work and I went back to our apartment to do some laundry.

When Don returned we went for a drive to check out some local sights. First we went up the hill to visit Berg Nassau, the local castle. There were lots of cars there and we were surprised to see so many because it is a small castle without a lot of interesting furniture or a museum.

It turns out that the castle is popular for weddings. One wedding ceremony had just concluded when we arrived and the bride and groom and guests were having photos taken. Many of the guests were dressed in period costumes, kilts and clan plaid of green, black and blue, so I guess one of the members of the happy couple was Scottish.

We climbed up in the tower, and thank goodness the stairs had been redone, so I didn’t have to cope with the uneven surfaces of stumble-stairs. Along the way we stopped in a side room, where the city official was waiting for the next bridal party to arrive. The room was set up for about 30 guests, so it has to be a very small wedding.

At the top we had fabulous vistas of the surrounding countryside and the town.
Next we drove through the green hills to Kloster Arnstein where we strolled the grounds and visited the church.

Back to the house for lunch and then we put on our French chapeaux, Don his stocking cap from Pont Chateau (1989 Cyclo Cross World Championships) and I my Carrefour bike cap, and we went back to town to see if there was any action at the festival. And, yes, there was. The tables were filled with people cheerfully chowing down on bratwurst, escargots, ratatouille, and of course, spargel mit kartelhoffen.

The charming maidens of Pont Chateau, dressed in traditional outfits, were dancing some folk dances, so we went up close for photos. Then the dignitaries got up on the stage to give their speeches and exchange gifts. I couldn’t make out everything they said. It was mostly “so happy to have this alliance and hope it will continue for many years to come” and “thank you for inviting us to share our culture”, but at one point they started talking about the “black American president”. They didn’t call him by name, but identified him by color and nationality. I wish I could have understood in what context they were referring to him and what they had to say.
As the dignitaries were finishing up patting each other on the back, one fellow came back to the tables where the mucky-mucks had been sitting. This is where we were sitting now. He noticed Don’s Pont Chateau had and was very surprised and commented on it, asking if we had every been to Pont Chateau.
We explained that this had is from the 1989 World Cyclocross competition held in Pont Chateau, and that Don takes this hat with him on all of our trips to keep his ears warm. This guy was the French event organizer and when the mayor of Pont Chateau came back to the table we were introduced as American friends of Pont Chateau. The cheeses got a big kick out of the fact that there was anyone at the festival that had been to Pont Chateau, and especially an American visiting Germany. We had a nice chat with the French dignitaries and took our leave with the whole table chattering about this unexpected meeting.

Back to the TI center, where we Skyped Pauline and Jerry, and then home to bed.

WANDERN IM BAD EMS June 10, 2011

2011-06-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

52.5km

WANDERN IM BAD EMS
June 10, 2011

We had a very comfortable first night at our new fowo, so we decided to stay for the rest of our last week in Germany. It is two large rooms with a nice, modern TV and plenty of space for computers, and a huge sauna. A steal at 33 euros a night.

The first night Don fell asleep watching the German version of American Idol, with all performers competing in a yodeling fest. Later he opened one eye to watch 30 seconds of the Lemans 24 hour race before he fell back to sleep.

The weather was partly sunny, partly cloudy, so we packed up our rain jackets and some lunch, set up the bikes and headed out for a ride along the River Lahn.

Right off the bat we had some mechanical problems with my bike and found that my shift cable was crimped beyond repair, so Don took my front derailleur off and now I can use the middle 7 gears, which is good enough for riding along the river.

There is good bike path along the river and we easily made it to the town of Bad Ems. This is a big tourist attraction because of the thermal waters. Lots of big hotels and convalescent hospitals, blue-haired tourists and walkers here.

We continued through the town and along the river path on to where the Lahn feeds into the Rhine, This came out just across the Rhine from the Hotel Kripps.

We stopped at the junction of the rivers for photos and then turned back, through Bad Ems again.

In the square a quartet was set up on the bandstand playing lovely classical music. We stopped and sat for awhile enjoying the lovely music. The fellow sitting in front of us was enjoying the performance, humming along and waving his hands, happily serving as informal conductor for the musicians. As we sat there enjoying the music I could imagine beautiful debutantes and their beaux swirling around a dance floor at a cotillion. It was that kind of music. Really lovely.
When the band stopped for a break we put some money in the yellow piggy bank discretely placed in the middle of the bandstand steps, and got back on our bikes for the ride back to Nassau.

We stopped at the tourist info center to get the code for their internet, and then home for a shower and some dinner.

Later that night we went back to the tourist info center to log on and get our email, but we had to sit outside and it began to drizzle, so we made short work of our computer time and returned home for the evening. I couldn’t keep my eyes open, so I went to bed by 9pm.

SPARGEL UND SUSS KIRCHEN

2011-06-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

56km

June 7, 2011

After breakfast we packed up and again set off along the Rhine River, going south, which is upstream. The route was pretty good and we made good headway as we watched hundreds of barges laden with sea land containers three high. There is lots of industrial traffic along the Rhine here because in addition to the river traffic there are railroad tracks on both sides of the river and the trains are frequent, about 20 minutes apart all day and into the night. Lots of freight moving up and down the Rhine.

About every half mile there is another majestic castle perched upon the craggy cliffs lining the river. I think Don stopped and took a photo of every one of the 105 qe passed. So there should be some good castle photos to post here.

After several miles of typical river canyon, with steep walls rising up sharply from the river, the terrain suddenly opened up into broad agricultural plains with fields of wheat turning gold and orchards and other crops. At this time of year, early June, there are two very important things--spargel and suss kirchen.,

Spargel are the white asparagus and are a special favorite in Germany. Most restaurants and cafes feature a special spargel menu at this time of year and one day we did partake. Don had the special spargel mit schwein und kartelhofen. This is several spears of white asparagras, artfully arranged on a special plate and then potatoes and pork. I had spargel suppe.

The suss kirchen are sweet cherries. The cherry trees are laden with fruit ripening in the sun. We stopped at a driveway stand and bought some, but I was tempted to pilfer a few from the trees that line the bike route.

Before long we were riding through family vegetable plots and the next thing we knew there was a big freeway overpass! We tried to ride along the river past the big city of Mainz, but that didn’t work, so we turned around and Trixie led us right into the city. We had hoped to fined a nice zimmer along the river, but had made a reservation at the Mainz B&B Hotel, just in case. We rode along, my worst nightmare, right into the heart of the city. Of course the B&B Hotel is in the industrial sections and Trixie wants to route us the shortest way, so we had lots of city streets and some traffic. Luckily there were lots of bike lanes and that helped a lot.

Finally we made it to the hotel and checked in, stowed our bikes, took a shower and now I feel much better.

It is bittersweet that this is our last day of point to point riding. Tomorrow we get our rental car and set off on an unscripted week of exploring Germany.

ROMAN TEMPLE

2011-06-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

15.3km

June 4, 2011

Today was another nice, sunny day and we decided to visit the Roman Temple at Martburg. We rode our bikes over the bridge and up the mountain on good trails. When we got to the top it was like a plateau, with grassy fields as far as could be seen.

The temple was built in 50ad and was actively in use until about 400ad. Before the Romans built the temple there was an old Celtic temple on this site, which was in use from about 300bc until the Romans took over.
This temple is dedicated to Mars and has been fully restored to it’s original style. The archeological digs are finished now, but this site was studied extensively for 20 years. The temple building looks very modern and I found it distracting because it does not look ancient.

The happy, helpful docent showed us many photos of the dig project and artifacts discovered at the site. We enjoyed his dissertation and then went for a visit to the temple building and other parts of the display.
In the temple building we saw colorful murals and a carved wooden statue of Mars, hand held out for tribute.

After our visit we returned to the little café where we bought a couple of beers and a piece of homemade cherry kuchen. We ate our lunch at the picnic tables and enjoyed the cake very much.

Then we went over to an overlook and we could see that although the plateau looked as if it went for miles, it is actually split by river canyons. We looked down on the village from the overlook .

We rode down the hard packed dirt road into the town, passing by Saint Castor’s Church. We stopped at the little museum there to see the artifacts found at the Mars Temple and also some very old hymnals which were hand printed and illustrated by monks in the 14th century.

COCHEM

2011-06-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

June 3, 2011  Lots of people have arrived along the river for the big holiday.  We have been told it is Father’s Day, but I think there must also be some state holiday.  People get Thursday off and they take an extra day off for Friday and make it a four day weekend.  As we have been riding along the river we see lots of big green fields that stretch for miles.  These are campgrounds.  As the holiday weekend began the campers started pouring in.  They park their camper and then set up a fancy cabana in front.  These cabanas are room-sized, quite large, and have sun protection and mosquito netting all around.  I think they are mainly used as dining rooms.  By the end of the day there were thousands of campers crowding the shores of the Mosel.  Outside the cabanas the barbeques are set up and the big parties are beginning.  Today we took the train back up river to the town of Cochem.  With all of the vacationers there are thousands of people everywhere.   We decided to take the hike up the hillside to the viewpoint.  The weather was muggy and hot and the hike was arduous.  I had to take extra care on the uneven surfaces and Don was very good about helping me, especially on the stairs.  The view from the top was quite stunning.  We could look down on the town and the river, all of the miles and miles of campers, and across to the hills on the other side of the river.  There is a chairlift and we considered taking that down, but we decided to hike down.  We took a different route down and decided to catch boat back to Treis.  Before we left we joined the throngs of people and strolled through the town.  There were lots of motorcycles parked in every square and the sidewalk cafes and walkways were crowded with people.  The boat ride was a nice change, with a refreshing breeze flowing off the river.  Along the way there was a bit of excitement when sirens blared and fire engines rushed down the road to put out a dramatic car fire.  The boat dropped us right in our town and we hiked up the hill and back to our apartment for a shower and a glass of wine.

are thousands of people everywhere.
We decided to take the hike up the hillside to the viewpoint. The weather was muggy and hot and the hike was arduous. I had to take extra care on the uneven surfaces and Don was very good about helping me, especially on the stairs.

The view from the top was quite stunning. We could look down on the town and the river, all of the miles and miles of campers, and across to the hills on the other side of the river.

There is a chairlift and we considered taking that down, but we decided to hike down. We took a different route down and decided to catch boat back to Treis. Before we left we joined the throngs of people and strolled through the town. There were lots of motorcycles parked in every square and the sidewalk cafes and walkways were crowded with people.

The boat ride was a nice change, with a refreshing breeze flowing off the river. Along the way there was a bit of excitement when sirens blared and fire engines rushed down the road to put out a dramatic car fire.
The boat dropped us right in our town and we hiked up the hill and back to our apartment for a shower and a glass of wine.

ELTZ CASTLE

2011-06-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Afi-Treis 50 km

June 1, 2011

After breakfast we headed out under gray skies. Our goal for the day is to find lodging for the holiday weekend, hopefully with internet. We have not had internet since we left France.
The ride along the Mosel continues to be pleasant, with very good bike path, excellent markings and directional signs and nicely paved. The locks have been under repair, so water traffic has been limited for much of our ride, but now they must be open again because we are seeing huge, long barges moving upriver.

The weather started out gray and cloudily, but by the afternoon the sun was out and weather was warm.

We arrived in Karden where Don found a tourist information center. The very helpful lady, who spoke good English, arranged a nice apartment for us for the 4 day weekend. The downside of the apartment is it is up a steep hill.
We crossed the bridge and rode up the hill part of the way, and then pushed the rest of the way, until we arrived at the very nice house of Agnes Kaufmann. There we were shown to our spacious apartment, with two bedrooms, large living room, dining area and kitchen. All this for e45 a night!

Agnes Kaufmann
Forststr. 53
56253 Treis-Karden

We put our bikes in the garage, carried our bags upstairs to the room, and took our showers before heading down to the grocery store for some supplies.

On the way home we stopped for dinner and ordered the special, although we didn’t know what it might be. It turned out to be 5 very large ravioli and they were served very hot. I ate about half and snuck the other half into a baggie I had in my daypack. Salad bar and dessert were also included in the price of e6.90, a good value.

The next day we took the bike bus up the hill on the other side of the river to visit the castle Burg Eltz. We were surprised as we traveled along in the bus, to find the top of the hill to be almost like a mesa, with lots of flat or gently rolling terrain covered in wheat fields.

The castle is nestled into a canyon and is in pretty good condition. Of course there was a big crane and scaffolding marring the view. These things seem to be in a constant state of repair.

We wheeled or bikes down to the castle entrance, parked and locked them, paid our entry fee and began to explore. The first room we visited was the treasury and the collection is extensive. There were armaments, sabers, suits of armor, etc., and fancy china and glassware, some jeweled belts and adornments, lots of reliquaries and boxes.

Next we took a guided tour of the castle. The presentation was in English. We learned that the castle is still owned by the founding family, so it has been continuously owned by the same family for 850 years. The family resemblance was quite obvious as we looked at the portraits of the Dukes from the first, a relative of Maria Theresa or Austria, of course, right on to the family photo of the current Duke. All of the men looked very much alike.

On our tour we saw dining halls and bedrooms and the kitchen. I liked that the rooms were furnished with original pieces, some 1000 years old.

After the castle visit the idea was to ride back down the hill on our bikes, but we couldn’t seem to get to any designated bike trail. Don’s guide book said there was a bike route, but we ended up lugging our bikes down several sets of stairs, over a bridge and then a hiking trail. The trail could possibly be ridden with a mountain bike, but I didn’t feel secure enough to ride it on my Bike Friday. Besides, being a holiday, there were lots of hikers on the trail. So we walked our bikes until we hit the road. The hike was quite nice, in shade and along a brook.

When we came out onto the road we were able to ride back down the hill, over the bridge and made a stop at the supermarket before crunching our way up the hill to our apartment.

HALFENHOF HOLIDAYS

2011-05-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

May 27-30, 2011

We had a great sleep after our long day yesterday and all of the great food at the bbq. We were able to arrange our room for 4 nights. So, Saturday morning we rode back to the market for food supplies. As usual, I bought too much. We also arranged for a couple of bottles of Halfenhof wine.
Saturday afternoon Ernst took us on a tour. First we went up the hillside across the river, into his vineyards. There we could sit on a nice bench and look out across the river at the beautiful and peaceful views.

Wien-und Gastehaus
Halfenhof
E. und G. Baumler
Uferalle 14a
54470 Bernkastel
Stadtteil Wehlen
Telefon u. Fax 06531/6229
www.halfenhof.com halfenbof@gmx.de

Ernst told us how the government has been refurbishing the land. He seems to have some doubts about the benefits of this. When the old vines are removed and the slate is culled out of the soil, new posts and vines must be planted. This is quite expensive for the landowner, but apparently this program is not optional. Therefore some of the land lays idle. There also seems to be some reallocation of land, also not optional.
Ernst and his brother Guido both work jobs, but also have the wine growing and wine making business on the side. Their wine is delicious. They own several plots of vines, but they are not contiguous. The vines are planted right up the wall of the river canyon on very steep terrain. It must be a demanding job to maintain the plants, pick the fruit fertilize and prune,
As we toured the vineyards Ernst rattled off historical facts about the region, from Roman settlements to WWII. His family has lived in the house for at least 4 centuries. Ernst hopes to get more proof of earlier residency when he retires and he has the time to research the old land records in Trier.
We continued on our tour, crossing the river and going up the other side of the canyon where Ernst has some land for fruit trees. We climbed up a tall structure and from there we had fabulous views of the surrounding countryside.
Returning to the Halfenhof, Ernst then took us on a tour of the winemaking equipment and storage area, right under the house, He was very thirsty after all of this talking and poured us all some wine, which he guzzled down like water.
Sunday Don and I rode or bikes into the tourist part of Bernkastel. The business part of town is on the left bank and there is a very nice tourist area on the right bank. This part of the village has lots of hotels and zimmers, many restaurants and gift shops, We strolled through the town admiring the old half-timbered houses and enjoying the yummy aromas from the many restaurants.

From there we went up the hill to check out the castle for which Bernkastel is named. The first half of the route is on busy highway, so we pushed our bikes up the cobbled hiking path until we got past the highway, then we rode the rest of the way. The commanding castle sits high up on a hilltop with views of the river, which makes a big u-turn right at the foot of the hill. This was a very good defensive position back in the day.
Most of the guests left Sunday night, but starting on Wednesday there is a big wine festival all along the Mosel and everything gets very booked up from Wednesday through Saturday. I am worried about lodging for us.

Monday was quiet at the Halfenhof and we rode into the Tourist Information in Bernkastel to begin checking for lodging down the river., Of course, as usual, they know nothing about the zimmers beyond the county line, 8 kilometers downriver, so we will have to check at a Tourist Information center tomorrow.

Don had the idea that he wanted to ride the bike bus up the hill and then ride our bikes down again, so we got all organized, worked out the pickup time just up the hill from our Gastehaus, and waited there patiently. When the bus finally came the driver said “nothing doing. He does not pick up bikes at this stop.” and away he drove. So, we had lunch by the riverside and then rode into the next town down the river for information. No luck, the information guy had to go to Bernkastel to fill in, so we have no arrangement for the rest of the week.

The weather has been beautiful and blue and warm for the last few days.

MOSEYING ALONG THE MOSELLE

2011-05-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

2011-05-27 Trier-Wehlen 71.5 km

May 27, 2011

The route out of Trier was quick and easy and not a lot of narrow, busy streets to navigate. We hit the bike path and set out along the river route for another day. Weather forecast was iffy again.

As we ride along the river path it continues to improve. Once in awhile we miss a signpost and a turn and have to correct. Trixie still wants to take us on the main highway, so we just ignore her,
We are seeing more and more cyclists now. Most of the groups seem to be family groups, with kids, mom and dad, and grandma and grandpa riding together. We also saw some very large organized groups of mostly older people. Don says at least 70% needed air in their tires. Several of the riders had motorized electric assists on their bikes, although, as long as you stay along the river there are few hills to navigate.
The scenery continues to be pretty, with green grapevines all along the route. In fact, the vineyards are carved way up the canyon side, several hundred feet of almost straight up and down terrain, and all planted in vines. Just about every spare piece of ground has a grapevine on it.

This day our ride was very long. We had made a reservation for a room with kitchen in Wehlen, so we couldn‘t stop early, even though I was very tired. We had been warned that rooms could be hard to come by on weekends, so we made arrangements for two nights here.

But, as we are riding along the route now we are beginning to see many more ads and billboards for restaurants and zimmers. The whole atmosphere has become more welcoming to bicyclists, since we left Trier.

We were running late for our reservation and worried that they would give our room away, so we stopped and called again to reconfirm that we would be coming for sure and to save our room.

The ride went on and on and on and I was really getting tired. We had promised to be there by 5, and yet, when we ran into another couple on Bike Fridays, we HAD to stop and talk. John and Danielle, from Seattle, were very well traveled and interesting to talk to. They were currently just finishing up a 9 week trip in France, Italy and Germany. It was hard to pull away from the conversation, but we finally did and continued along the route,
Finally we arrived in Bernkastel and our lodging was just on the other side of this town. By now I was so tired that I didn’t think I could ride back, even the two miles from Wehlan to Bernkastel to go to the grocery store, so we stopped at the Aldi and I told Don I was going to make soup and salad for dinner, so not to expect much.

While I went into the very busy store to pick up breakfast and dinner items, Don waited outside with the bikes. He went over to talk to the group of motorcyclists that had passed us coming into town and then went back by the bikes. A fellow came out of the store and was having trouble loading all of his purchases on his bike rack and almost rode off without his beer. Don called to him and as a thank you the fellow gave Don a nice cold beer. When I came out he gave me one too. What a nice gesture.

We made it the last few miles into Wehlan and asked the local policeman for directions. Down the hill and turn right and we rolled into the driveway of the Wein and Gastehaus Halfenhof. We were gustily greeted by a large group in the side yard who were drinking wine and preparing barbeque. Our host shook hands and showed us where to put our bikes, took us upstairs and let us into our room.

What a nice surprise our lodging is. We have two spacious rooms, a kitchen-sitting room overlooking the river, and a large bedroom with ensuite bathroom. The kitchen is well equipped and spotless. We will be very comfortable here.

After our shower we went back down to visit with the barbeque gang. They had invited us to join them for some meat and wine and conversation. We had a wonderful time talking to our hostess, Pat, who is Arkansas born, and her husband, Ernst, and some of the guests who spoke English. The wine is made by the host, and we tried middle-sweet and sweet white, and they were both delicious. The meat turned out to be delicious crispy sausages, then beef, then turkey. The food kept coming and so did the wine. We finished with watermelon. Finally around 9 we said goodnight and went upstairs to a good bed and a good night’s sleep.

In the morning we evaluated our travel schedule and decided we are very far ahead of our plan, so we are going to lay over here for 4 nights if we can arrange the room.

People here are so friendly, generous and open and fun. We feel very comfortable and welcome. High recommendations for Wein und Gastehaus Halfenhof, halfenhof @gmx.de, www.halfenhof.com

LUXEMBOURG LAYOVER May 24-25, 2011

2011-05-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

LUXEMBOURG LAYOVER
May 24-25, 2011

Our room is quite spacious at the Gastzimmer Masseria and having the little kitchenette is an added bonus. After a bit of discussion we decided to slay over for an extra day

We met a very nice guy who is also staying at the gastzimmer, Sanjay is a PHD who is working on a big safety review of the nuclear energy plant nearby. Sanjay is from Sri Lanka, but he has adopted Germany as his country now. He got his degree here, and met his wife, a mechanical engineer, here. He is a very engaging fellow, open and friendly, and we really enjoy talking to him.

Sanjay was going to the power plant to work, and he offered to give us a ride to Luxembourg, so we decided to go over the border and spend a day. The last time we were there it was -8 degrees Celsius, and we just froze walking along the old battlements. This was back in the 1980s when we flew over on the inaugural flight of People’s Express.

So, we arrived in Luxembourg and walked into the heart of town. There we saw the hop on hop off bus, so we decided to get a pass on that and we rode around the town looking at the sights and learning about the country.

Luxembourg is a very international city. As we walked along the streets we heard 15 different languages spoken. The locals are usually fluent in German, French and Luxembourgish and change back and forth with ease throughout their conversations.

The city has built itself into a huge international financial hub and there are lots of big business offices and modern buildings where the business of the world is conducted. This is also the seat of the World Court.

We stopped in the big market square for a nice lunch. I had salmon salad and Don had a 3 course meal, with a beer included, for only 8e40.

After lunch we walked down into the deep canyon that runs through the middle of town. I think the Vallee de la Petrusse was cut by a river, but now there is just a small stream running through it. There are nice pathways and gardens to walk through, and it was very pleasant, but I was not looking forward to hiking all of the stairs up again.

When we got to the point we were ready to go back up to street level, we noticed some people going into a big opening in the basement of a building. Some kids on bikes whizzed past us and into the maw as well, so Don speculated that maybe there was an elevator in there somewhere. We tentatively entered the black mouth and sure enough! There is an elevator in there that took us right up to the city again. What a find!

We walked around town some more, taking some pictures and soaking in the hustle and bustle of the city. As 4 o’clock rolled around we found the inner city bus ramada and located our bus with no problem. We took the bus back to Perl and were dropped right off across the street from the gas Zimmer. We walked over to the market and picked up some ribs and fries to cook for dinner and then returned to our lodging.

Our host, JJ, speaks pretty good English, and also French, so we can communicate pretty well. He is a slim fellow, with a long grey goatee that curls dramatically up at the end, and a chin-length page boy hairdo, also gray, kind of an aging hippie with a strong capitalistic bent. The one conversation I had with him taught me that he is a yes-butter. Any suggestion or idea I had he gave me the old yes-but response. I got tired of play the game pretty fast and gave up conversing with him. Don got the rest of the fun. His wife, Rosa, is a beautiful Italian woman, but seems to be a bit shy and didn‘t interact with me at all.

Upon our return I went upstairs to work on dinner and Don was getting something from the bike trailers. JJ approached Don, voicing some criticism because we had used the kitchen to prepare breakfast and coffee.
Apparently the kitchen was offered to us to smoke in and have a drink, but not for cooking. But, we didn’t understand that. He complained that we had food in the refrigerator and on the countertops and had used the dishes and clogged the drain. Well, I did not clog the drain, but I was guilty of the rest. So, JJ wanted us to pay an extra 35e a night. Don demurred, saying that this was not the deal and a discussion ensued in which JJ brought up our rental rates in Mount Hermon as a comparison with his rental rates. Well, of course there is no comparison between Treetops and the gastzimmer, but Don had a difficult time explaining that. JJ kept asking for specifics, and it is hard to explain that everything at TT is top of the line, first class and meets a much higher standard. Don didn’t want to be critical of the facility, but still tried to get across the differences. Things escalated and Don finally came up to our room, rather agitated.

In the meanwhile I was trying to cook dinner and had discovered that there were no pots and pans to cook with. So I was improvising, cooking the ribs on a plate in the microwave and trying to use the aluminum container they came in to cook the fries on the stovetop. Needless to say, I was also a bit frustrated, and the kitchen was filled with smoke from the fries.

So we had our dinner and after dinner JJ invited Don down to his tent to have a beer, a kind of peace offering, we think. And we went to bed back on good terms.

Don had a restless night and was up at the crack of dawn, scrubbing the kitchen and getting everything spit spot.

So, our review of the gastzimmer Masseria in Perl is that the location is good, the rooms are spacious, the décor is funky culture, the price is high and the breakfast cost is very high. Don’t hope for any concessions or freebees here. Anything you ask for will have an added charge.
Skip this place the prices are out line, double what we paid in France and Germany for rest of our trip.

PERL-TRIER May 25, 2011

2011-05-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

52.6 km

We set out along the Moselle River bike path and the very first think that we ran into was roadwork on the bridge. So we immediately had another deviation, but the rest of the ride went along pretty well. We didn’t get rained on and the bike route keeps getting better and better.

As we ride along the river edge we see groups of stately swans floating idly downstream with the river currents. Their long curved necks and white feathers make a pretty scene. On the banks of the river we hear the noisy staccato gobble-like call of the bullfrogs, wooing their frogettes and suggesting a little afternoon delight. But, when the swans near the route becomes eerily silent, while froggies snuggle into the vegetation and avoid becoming a swan’s hors d’oeuvre.

We rolled into Trier that afternoon and found a very busy city with lots of tourists. We rode right up to the main site in town, the famous Roman Gate, and the tourist information center. Don went in and arranged a room for the night.

The Roman Gate was built in 173ce and still stands in pretty good condition. In the 1100s the hermit monk, Simeon, came to live in the east tower. In the 14th century the Catholic Church canonized Simeon many people began to make pilgrimages to Trier.

We got a room at the Hotel Kessler and were very comfortable there. The fellow at the reception desk recommended a restaurant and gave us a coupon for a free glass of wine. So, after our shower, a stroll around the town, and a few photos, we had our dinner of Cordon Bleu and a nice dessert too and went back to the Kessler for a good night of sleep. We can recommend the Kessler for friendly service, moderate price, spacious rooms, and very extensive breakfast buffet.

DEVILISH DEVIATIONS May 24, 2011

2011-05-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

May 24, 2011 50.4 km

Don has been running into some trouble with
Trixie, his GPS. He very thoroughly plans our daily routes on the computer and then downloads the route into Trixie. Of course, Trixie thinks she knows best, so every morning when we set out she immediately reroutes us. This frustrates Don no end.

So, for this leg Don decided to fix Trixie’s know-it-all rerouting approach by marking many waypoints so she couldn’t change his route.

After a good breakfast at the B&B Hotel buffet we set out on the next leg of our trip and immediately ran into route problems. Trixie led us off, down a potholed road, which became gravel and didn’t look very hopeful. We got to the river and came upon a big gate stretched across the trail. There were no Interdit signs, so we detached the trailers and shimmied around one end of the gate.

On we went along the gravel path and as I rounded the corner I saw Don pacing back and forth along the levee, grumbling and staring at his GPS. Where is the bridge across the canal? There was supposed to be a bridge right there. Well we could see the bridge foundations, however the bridge went missing 20 years ago. Thank you Garmin. Never trust the latest version Garmin MapSource.

So, we continued along the dirt path and eventually came to another gate to get around, but we finally did find a bridge and lo and behold, we were back on the official bike route.

All went well for several miles until we came to a yellow sign--deviation. We looked down the bike trail and it looked clear and in good condition, and the sign was off to the side, so maybe it wasn’t in effect today. We continued along the bike path.

After a few miles we began to see cranes and big trucks and I was hoping they were across the canal at the plant there. Well, no luck, there was a sign with pictures of pedestrians and cyclists with a circle and a big red slash., Just the same, we wheeled out bicycles and trailers into the hardhat area, detached the trailers to get around a piece of equipment, and we were back on good cycle path., None of the workers yelled at us, and one nice guy even picked up my trailer, weighing at least 50 pounds, and lifted it over the barrier for me.

The trail was very nice for several miles, but then we crossed another bridge and oops, another big fence, another deviation, onto the busy highway for several miles.

We went through the very nice town of Yutz, where we stopped at the BNP. Yutz isn’t so yutzy. It is a lovely suburban settlement, with lots of big, fancy houses in subdivisions. The town is much bigger that I expected and seemed busy and prosperous.

We moved on along the river, with good bicycle path now. The river gets wider with every mile, first a hundred feet across, then two hundred, and now several hundred feet across. We are getting close to the border with Germany now.

We planned to stay in Sirck-les-Bain and stopped at the Tourist Information to get help with the arrangements. Although this seems to be a pretty big town, the unhelpful Tourist center informed us there were no chambres or hotels in the town. They finally booked us a zimmer over the border in Schengen. The bike path disappeared, so we had to ride the busy highway about 5 miles, up and down hills, to get to our lodging. No answer at the door, but Don went around the back and found a guy working on cars there. He was helpful and spoke pretty good English. This turned out to be JJ (for Jean-Jaques), our host,

After getting settled in our room, and paying the bill up front (the guy seems rather suspicious of his clients), Don did laundry and we showered, then we walked over to the nearby Lidl to pick up some groceries. We have a nice little kichen available to us, so we decided to make some salad and have a pizza for dinner. Breakfast was 10 euro, about $15 each, so we picked up some milk, OJ, croissants and bread and jelly too.

After dinner Don worked on his photos and I was playing Hearts. I was so tired I fell asleep right there at the kitchen table, game half finished and mouse in my hand. I hit the sack around 9pm and slept very well until about 3am. Then I listened to my audio book for awhile before getting the computer out and working on my reports.

Todays route

23-MAY-11 Montauville-Metz 50.4 km

2011-05-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

Montauville-Metz 50.4 km

We rolled into Pont a Mousson around 3pm and started looking for a chambre d’hote. Don had found something online and we had tried to make a reservation for Saturday, but she was full. We hoped that on Sunday night she might have room for us.

After much computer fiddling Don found the address and we rode on to The Cottages. The nice hostess regretfully informed us that she had no room available. I asked her to suggest another chambre, and she recommended Cote Jardins in a nearby town. She graciously telephoned for us and made the arrangements.

Although the town was nearby, it was up a long hill, and we were tired and ready for a shower and a rest when we arrived.

The house, tucked away behind the Mairie, looked rather plain, but the husband and wife were very gracious and when we went into the house we were very happy with our choice. The rooms are spotlessly clean and very comfortable. There is a nice salon and wonderful gardens.

That evening our hostess provided Table d’Hote of pork chops, salad, pasta and selected cheeses. Our host offered an aperitif to start, and he mixed up an interesting drink of Mirabelle juice, sloe gin and a little sparkling water. It was delicious. Mirabelle’s are those little yellow plums.

We had a great night’s sleep, and breakfast was ready for us early. Along with our bread our hostess offered several jellies. One was dandelion jelly and it was delicious. I got the recipe.

COTE JARDINS
Chambres d'HOTES
Marie Jo & Francois
ALBERT
12 rue de la Mairie
54700 MONTAUVILLE
www.cotejardins54.fr

After photos with our host and hostess we hopped on our bikes and started the day’s ride. We stopped briefly for a snack in Jouy aux Arches and shared an apple while we sat under the big Roman aquaduct which crosses the road. It is still in good condition and is well-maintained by the town. We never cease to be amazed at the range of the Roman settlements or the endurance of their constructions,

That afternoon we entered Metz and went into the town center to the Tourist Information Center. While we found the bike paths in Nancy to be excellent and very well marked, we cannot say the same for the bike paths in Metz. We checked out the huge cathedral there and then moved on down the road.

We were happy to roll into the dependable B&B Hotel north of Metz, in a very prosperous industrial area. Although the B&B Hotels are very basic we are quite happy to use them when we can. The small rooms are clean, the beds are good and each room has a bathroom with shower. Pretty much everything we need, except , of course, electric outlets. We now bring an extension cord

They also offer free wi-fi, but we always run into a problem because they want to text the logon code to our cell phone. We always have to spend a lot of time explaining we don’t have a cell phone (well, we do, but we don’t want to make an international call on it), but after awhile we get it across to them that we want to use their cell to receive the code. Once they catch on to the idea they usually are cooperative and get the code for us.

After checking in and showering we walked over to the nearby shopping mall to pick up a few groceries and a bottle of wine. We grabbed dinner at the cafeteria there and turned in for the night.

DEVILISH DEVIATIONS
May 24, 2011

Don has been running into some trouble with
Trixie, his GPS. He very thoroughly plans our daily routes on the computer and then downloads the route into Trixie. Of course, Trixie thinks she knows best, so every morning when we set out she immediately reroutes us. This frustrates Don no end.

So, for this leg Don decided to fix Trixie’s know-it-all rerouting approach by marking many waypoints so she couldn’t change his route.

After a good breakfast at the B&B Hotel buffet we set out on the next leg of our trip and immediately ran into route problems. Trixie led us off, down a potholed road, which became gravel and didn’t look very hopeful. We got to the river and came upon a big gate stretched across the trail. There were no Interdit signs, so we detached the trailers and shimmied around one end of the gate.

On we went along the gravel path and as I rounded the corner I saw Don pacing back and forth along the levee, grumbling and staring at his GPS. Where is the bridge across the canal? There was supposed to be a bridge right there. Well we could see the bridge foundations, however the bridge went missing 20 years ago. Thank you Garmin. Never trust the latest version Garmin MapSource.

So, we continued along the dirt path and eventually came to another gate to get around, but we finally did find a bridge and lo and behold, we were back on the official bike route.

All went well for several miles until we came to a yellow sign--deviation. We looked down the bike trail and it looked clear and in good condition, and the sign was off to the side, so maybe it wasn’t in effect today. We continued along the bike path.

After a few miles we began to see cranes and big trucks and I was hoping they were across the canal at the plant there. Well, no luck, there was a sign with pictures of pedestrians and cyclists with a circle and a big red slash., Just the same, we wheeled out bicycles and trailers into the hardhat area, detached the trailers to get around a piece of equipment, and we were back on good cycle path., None of the workers yelled at us, and one nice guy even picked up my trailer, weighing at least 50 pounds, and lifted it over the barrier for me.

The trail was very nice for several miles, but then we crossed another bridge and oops, another big fence, another deviation, onto the busy highway for several miles.

We went through the very nice town of Yutz, where we stopped at the BNP. Yutz isn’t so yutzy. It is a lovely suburban settlement, with lots of big, fancy houses in subdivisions. The town is much bigger that I expected and seemed busy and prosperous.

We moved on along the river, with good bicycle path now. The river gets wider with every mile, first a hundred feet across, then two hundred, and now several hundred feet across. We are getting close to the border with Germany now.

We planned to stay in Sirck-les-Bain and stopped at the Tourist Information to get help with the arrangements. Although this seems to be a pretty big town, the unhelpful Tourist center informed us there were no chambres or hotels in the town. They finally booked us a zimmer over the border in Schengen. The bike path disappeared, so we had to ride the busy highway about 5 miles, up and down hills, to get to our lodging. No answer at the door, but Don went around the back and found a guy working on cars there. He was helpful and spoke pretty good English. This turned out to be JJ (for Jean-Jaques), our host,

After getting settled in our room, and paying the bill up front (the guy seems rather suspicious of his clients), Don did laundry and we showered, then we walked over to the nearby Lidl to pick up some groceries. We have a nice little kichen available to us, so we decided to make some salad and have a pizza for dinner. Breakfast was 10 euro, about $15 each, so we picked up some milk, OJ, croissants and bread and jelly too.

After dinner Don worked on his photos and I was playing Hearts. I was so tired I fell asleep right there at the kitchen table, game half finished and mouse in my hand. I hit the sack around 9pm and slept very well until about 3am. Then I listened to my audio book for awhile before getting the computer out and working on my reports.

2011-05-22 Sexey-Pont-A-Mousson 64 km

2011-05-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

64 km today

OFF WE GO
May 21, 2011

After checking the weather forecast we decided to leave early on Sunday morning. The weather forecast was for sun in the morning and rain in the afternoon. The idea was to get our riding done before the afternoon rain rolled in.

We packed and cleaned on Saturday evening and Sunday morning we had breakfast, did the final cleanup and rolled our bikes out the door.

As we stood on the bluff we looked out toward Nancy only to see an ominous black cloud hanging right over our proposed route. We have experience with these black clouds, and we know that as soon as we get near them they are prone to open up and dump buckets of rain on our heads.

So, we decided to use the technique we learned in Ireland--if it is raining where you are, ride a few miles east or west to get out from under the cloud. We immediately changed our route and set off to the east.

Our plan worked out and our ride along the river and canals was pleasant. We came to an area that was very wet, with lots of puddles. We had just missed the rainstorm.

We eventually did have a short period of showers and we took refuge under a bridge. There we were joined by a group of river strollers. They were interested to hear about us and our travels. One woman asked me to send her a post card from San Francisco, so I took her address and will do so in June when we get home.

We rolled into Pont a Mousson around 3pm and started looking for a chambre d’hote. Don had found something online and we had tried to make a reservation for Saturday, but she was full. We hoped that on Sunday night she might have room for us.

After much computer fiddling Don found the address and we rode on to The Cottages. The nice hostess regretfully informed us that she had no room available. I asked her to suggest another chambre, and she recommended Cote Jardins in a nearby town. She graciously telephoned for us and made the arrangements.

Although the town was nearby, it was up a long hill, and we were tired and ready for a shower and a rest when we arrived.

The house, tucked away behind the Mairie, looked rather plain, but the husband and wife were very gracious and when we went into the house we were very happy with our choice. The rooms are spotlessly clean and very comfortable. There is a nice salon and wonderful gardens.

That evening our hostess provided Table d’Hote of pork chops, salad, pasta and selected cheeses. Our host offered an aperitif to start, and he mixed up an interesting drink of Mirabelle juice, sloe gin and a little sparkling water. It was delicious. Mirabelle’s are those little yellow plums.

We had a great night’s sleep, and breakfast was ready for us early. Along with our bread our hostess offered several jellies. One was dandelion jelly and it was delicious. I got the recipe.

After photos with our host and hostess we hopped on our bikes and started the day’s ride. We stopped briefly for a snack in Jouy aux Arches and shared an apple while we sat under the big Roman aquaduct which crosses the road. It is still in good condition and is well-maintained by the town. We never cease to be amazed at the range of the Roman settlements or the endurance of their constructions,

That afternoon we entered Metz and went into the town center to the Tourist Information Center. While we found the bike paths in Nancy to be excellent and very well marked, we cannot say the same for the bike paths in Metz. We checked out the huge cathedral there and then moved on down the road.

We were happy to roll into the dependable B&B Hotel north of Metz, in a very prosperous industrial area. Although the B&B Hotels are very basic we are quite happy to use them when we can. The small rooms are clean, the beds are good and each room has a bathroom with shower. Pretty much everything we need, except , of course, electric outlets. We now bring an extension cord

They also offer free wi-fi, but we always run into a problem because they want to text the logon code to our cell phone. We always have to spend a lot of time explaining we don’t have a cell phone (well, we do, but we don’t want to make an international call on it), but after awhile we get it across to them that we want to use their cell to receive the code. Once they catch on to the idea they usually are cooperative and get the code for us.

After checking in and showering we walked over to the nearby shopping mall to pick up a few groceries and a bottle of wine. We grabbed dinner at the cafeteria there and turned in for the night.

Sexey-Viterne-Sexey 19.87 km

2011-05-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

Route 19.87 km

Saturday, since we had had some heavy rain, seemed like the perfect day to do an off-road adventure (at least this seemed like a good idea to Don) so we headed off on the trail from St. Anne’s Chapel to Vitrene. Don had learned of this shortcut from Patrick, the other night.

The trail was nicely muddy and rutted, with big puddles and slippery spots, Treacherous riding for me when I am at the top of my form. Between the unstable surface and the dappled shade, which makes it hard for me to see obstacles, I chose to walk up the hill. As we moved deeper into the forest I ng of being began to notice the very deep silence. I realized how inured I have become to noise pollution in our neighborhood. Here in the forest there is no freeway noise, no leaf blowers, no delivery trucks, no air traffic. The quiet settled down upon me like a fluffy comforter. All I could hear was birdsong and the occasional church bell wafting over the canopy. I trudged along in the mud, enjoying the feeling of being cuddled by quiet.

Finally I could see some sunny patches coming up on the road and the ground got drier. Just as I emerged from the forest an obnoxious yellow dirt bike roared over the crest of the hill, and rooster tailing a spurt of dirt and gravel, made a hard right turn and off he roared into the forest. What a shock!

The day was sunny and blue and the fore cased afternoon rain did not appear. We finished up our ride on the road and made it home for lunch and packing. We leave tomorrow. by Geralynn

2011-05-20 Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Toul

2011-05-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

44.32 km

When we came off the bluff we went back down to the river and on to the city of Toul. Here we found an enormous cathedral. This building is a full block big, and as high as a skyscraper. It is amazing to think of the construction process, which took 200 years and was started in 800ce. Just to think of the façade being raised in a day without motorized equipment is dumbfounding.

We had pretty heavy rain the rest of the way home, and we rode steadily along as we heard the thunder roll down the river.
by Geralynn

Cathedral Saint-Étienne de Toul is a remarkable Gothic building with its western facade, a masterpiece of flamboyant Gothic cloister, the second largest in France Gothic, Renaissance and two chapels. That, with Our Lady of Annunciation of Nancy, one of two cathedrals in the diocese of Nancy-Toul.

History

The first cathedral, dedicated to St. Stephen and Our Lady, was built in the second half of the fifth century. The episcopal group includes the original three churches, one dedicated to the Virgin, the second to St. Stephen and the third, which served as a baptistery at St. John the Baptist. Between 963 and 967, Bishop Gerard of Toul is undertaking the construction of a Romanesque cathedral on the site of three basilicas of the fifth century will no longer form a single building. In the eleventh century and twelfth century cathedral underwent various reconstructions with probably establish a novel plan-Rhine.
Detail of the cloister by Viollet-le-Duc
Chapel of Bishops by Paul Boeswillwald (1877)

Company in 1221 by Bishop Odo Sorcy II (1219-1228), construction of the building that we can contemplate spans three centuries and ended in 1561, the Romanesque cathedral being destroyed little by little give way to Gothic elevation. The structural work of construction begins with the choir, flanked by two towers bedside called "harmonics", an adaptation of standard plan of a Gothic church with the Romanesque tradition of the old building. The choir was completed in 1235. The construction of the transept and the last five bays of the nave lasts from 1331 to 1400, in parallel with the progressive destruction of the Romanesque nave. The cloister is then built by Peter Perrat (d. 1400) and the western portal. Between 1400 and 1460, work was interrupted because of war between the Duke of Burgundy and the Duke of Lorraine. In 1460, the cathedral chapter had written to the Pope and the King of France, he received the pope a grant of 1 000 pounds, and King 1500 book that allow the resumption. The construction of a portion of the façade, down to the rose, and the first bay of the nave is undertaken by Jacquemin of Lenoncourt. It demolished the massive West of the Romanesque cathedral of the eleventh century. The Gothic facade of arms Wary Dommartin, bishop of Verdun, and René II of Lorraine. The second and third bays of the nave were completed in the Gothic style. Following the connection between the facade constructed from 1460 and the fourth bay of the nave completed at the end of the fourteenth century. March 9, Chapter Toul Tristan Hattonchâtel control the drawing of the western facade reserving the right to build by the architect of his choice. In 1496, construction of the western portal of the cathedral is completed with the crowning of the two towers fleurdelisé late Gothic. Between the late fifteenth century and early sixteenth century, the altar of the relics was built in the south aisle. Composite style, it combines harmony with the late Gothic and Renaissance style. It is decorated with the arms of patrons, Nicolas Le Sane, canon of the cathedral of Toul, flanked by arms of the bishops of Toul and the shield of the canonical section of Toul. 1503 sees the realization by some IV (Jehan le Verrier?) The canopy of the Coronation of the Virgin in the north transept of the cathedral. It is decorated with the arms of patrons, the emblem of the Nicolas Sane, the arms of Cardinal Raymond Perraud, Bishop of Gurk, legate of the Bishop of Toul to the Holy See, the coat of arms of bishops of Toul and the shield of Chapter canonical Toul.

During the Renaissance, the cathedral is completed with the construction of the dome says "the Boule d'Or, on the roof at the crossing. Around 1530, construction of two towers surmounting the towers of the sanctuary is completed. Before 1533, the Bishop Hector d'Ailly (1524-1532) passes control of the bishops' chapel, a Renaissance in the north aisle of the nave. In 1534, the campanile, the two towers of the western portal of the cathedral, was built in Renaissance style. It features a colonnade of Corinthian capitals, arches and a semicircular dome. The bell dates from 1536. In 1537, under the episcopate Pélegrin Antoine (1537-1542), the upper part of the large sacristy cabinet is installed. Before 1549, the poet Jean Forget Password command of the Chapel of All Saints, in the Renaissance. Built in the south aisle of the nave of the cathedral, it has a dome surmounted by a lantern and uses the method of perspective in sham Jean Pelerin Viator said the canon of the cathedral. 1561 saw the collapse of the upper floor of the south tower of bedside. The canons of the cathedral shot down the top floor of the north tower of bedside for security and to restore balanced according to the sensitivity of the sixteenth century are adding roofs cap-de-priest.
Cloister of the Cathedral from the South Tower

Between 1625 and 1725, the apse is decorated with marble. In 1648, the final annexation of the bishopric of Toul the Kingdom of France, was ratified following the Treaty of Westphalia which put an end to the Thirty Years War. This date marks the beginning of a long, slow decline and the shelving of Toul as a spiritual center. In 1776, the Diocese of Toul, which covered three-fifths of the Duchy of Lorraine was dismembered to create ex nihilo the bishoprics of Nancy and Saint-Die. In 1790, the bishopric of Toul existed since the fourth century is deleted in favor of Nancy. The eighteenth century saw the construction of side chapels, the organ loft (1750). In 1794, we remove the statues that adorned the niche portals of the west front, those of the gallery, stalls, and various ornaments including the sculptures of the cloister.

In 1824, Nancy became the bishop of the Diocese of Nancy-Toul. The windows of the thirteenth century the century of the apse of the choir are filed in 1836 in parallel with the redevelopment of chapels on either side of the choir, under the towers bedside. In 1840, the cathedral is listed on the first list of historical monuments. Casimir Balthasar de Gachéo realized, in 1863, the canopy of St Etienne in the south transept of the transept of the cathedral. In 1870, the western façade (the canopy of the large rose window in the early sixteenth century the century) and later damaged by fire Prussian. In 1874, Emile Boeswillwald, chief architect of historic monuments, undertook the restoration of the cathedral. His son Paul succeeded him Boeswillwald. The windows of the apse of the choir of the cathedral are installed in 1874-1876.

On 19 June 1940, the south tower of the western facade and roof are all destroyed by bombing. A temporary cover was put in place to protect non-Moorhen and vaults. The restoration was real late and this temporary installation lasted over forty years!

2011-05-20 Fort De Villey-Le-Sec

2011-05-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

Friday we took a bike ride along the river and then up to the top of a bluff where we found an interesting WWI military establishment,. In addition to a fortress hidden in a copse of trees there were some old cannon positions which were dug down into the ground and connected by underground passageways. The old, rusted metal installations are still there. Don has attached some information to this report, along with his photos.

We ate our lunch sitting on the bluff, high above the river, enjoying the green panorama of the hillsides. It was so quiet, with no noise except the church bell chiming the quarter hour.

When we came off the bluff we went back down to the river and on to the city of Toul. Here we found an enormous cathedral. This building is a full block big, and as high as a skyscraper. It is amazing to think of the construction process, which took 200 years and was started in 800ce. Just to think of the façade being raised in a day without motorized equipment is dumbfounding,

We had pretty heavy rain the rest of the way home, and we rode steadily along as we heard the thunder roll down the river. by Geralynn

by website
1874-1879: the only walled city!

Consequences of the War of 1870, the defensive system of rivers Sere was built on all land borders of France. Evidence of this renewed effort rarely in history, Fort Villey-le-Sec was present as a witness essential to finding one of the largest defense systems.

Cornerstone of the fortress of Toul, he has the distinction of having the existing village contained in an enclosure of more than 3.5 km. Composed of four elements (batteries north and south, Redan, reduced), Villey-le-Sec is the only example of a fortified village in the late 19th. With 1300 men in garrison and 79 pieces of artillery, the fort was one of the largest in France.

1904-1914: concrete turrets and artillery

Upgraded from 1888 and completely redesigned in 1904 Concrete, Fort received a turret machine gun turrets and two for two 75mm guns, one of which has been rehabilitated.

Besides these cuirasses, you will discover the imposing concrete barracks, one of which has an interesting museum dedicated to the fortification and various war materials. Some guns are also on display including a revolver gun Hotchkiss 1879, rare coin. The site also lists a 155mm turret, the commander Mougin work, monster-melting 250 tons, last copy in northern France.
Today

Maintained and open to the public by the volunteers of the association the Citadel, the tour will take you part of the fort in a leafy setting with breathtaking views of the coast of Toul and Woevre. This discovery is enhanced by rides in a small-gauge train of 0.60, similar to those supplies to the former fort.

WALKING AROUND NANCY, FRANCE 6.8 km

2011-05-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

2011-05-16 BR Ceintrey 37.6km

2011-05-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

MAY 15 2011 BIKE RIDE LA MOSELLE CANAL

2011-05-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

BR 36.1 KM

AROUND SEXEY

2011-05-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

May 15, 2011

We are staying in the village of Sexey aux Forges. This little village along the Moselle River is a bedroom community for the city of Nancy. There are several small villages nestled in the hills along the river. Our village has only a boulangerie, but no marche. The patisserie truck comes by in the morning around 9 to sell bread and other bakery items. Luckily Nancy has all of the big supermarkets so I can buy too much food.

Sexey also has a Mairie and a school and about 40 homes. The houses run along the river and up a steep street to our street, rue l’evique We don't see many people out but we did meet the little old man who lives next door. He was obviously interested in who we are, so we went to introduce ourselves. He has some trouble understanding my French and I think that in addition to my American accent I also may have a southern French accent. We mentioned to our hostess that we had met the little old gentleman, and she informed us that he is actually a she. Boy, we couldn't tell that! In France one rarely sees women, especially older women, in scruffy, baggy farmer blue jeans, so it is a natural mistake.

Our exchange home is quite spacious. Three floors with three bedrooms, a huge living room, big kitchen and nice family room. The views of the Moselle River and the little villages and hamlets dotting the wooded hillsides can be seen from the kitchen and family room, Each morning brings another beautiful sunrise with a layer of fog nestling in the valley. Don jumps up to take another picture just as the sun peeks over the hillside.

We are adjusting to the time change and beginning to get into a normal routine. Saturday we did our first bike ride, along the bike path at the edge of the river. The route is varied surfaces, sometimes dirt and gravel and sometimes pavement. There are many campgrounds along the route. We rode a loop of about 17 miles. As we neared home we stopped in the forest, alongside a pretty meadow, for our picnic lunch. Just as we finished a few raindrops began to splat. We quickly packed up and rode the last half mile to our house. By dinner time the rain had stopped, the pavement was dry and it was warm enough to have dinner on the patio with the neighbor cows.

Sunday we bought a baguette from the bread truck and then went out on our ride. This ride we went upstream along the river and found the bike path to be in very good shape, pavement and well marked all the way. Spring is bodaciously bursting here. We rode through beautiful leafy stands of maple, poplar and oak, and past verdant meadows with cows munching on buttercups. As we rode along we were serenaded by thousands of birds, chirping, trilling, cawing, warbling.

Sometimes the path took us along the riverbank and sometimes we would be diverted to the old towpath along a narrow canal. Along the river we saw several very large foundries operating at full speed. Big barges bring recycled metals upriver for processing. One factory made industrial wire because we could see the huge coils staked alongside the riverbank waiting to be picked up for deliver to an end user.

We set out to get our ride done in the morning because the weatherman predicted rain showers at noon. As we were on our way home we heard the church bells chiming noon and just one minute later a big black cloud rolled over and opened up and the rain came down. I wish channel 5 pinpoint weather could be that accurate.

We made it home without getting too drenched and took a hot shower to warm up. Don started a nice fire and we are cozy as can be. Sometimes the sun comes out and two minutes later it rains again. Spring weather.

Links today ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/85724763

Weather: http://www.weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/FRXX5361

MAY 14 2011, BR TEST 26.5km

2011-05-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

BR TEST 26.5km

MAY 12, 2011, REIMS, FRANCE

2011-05-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

A DAY WITHOUT COFFEE IS A DOOMED DAY

2011-05-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

May 11, 2011 Our first morning in France arrived with sunshine and puffy clouds floating along, We passed on the 5 Euro petit dejeunner of a cup and a crust, agreeing to get our coffee along the route.

First off we had some technical tweaks to work out. Don had used his bicycle trunk to carry his CPAP and the zipper began to fail so we decided to see if we could get a new one. Also we needed to pick up some bread and a few other supplies. So, we packed up an headed out for the big box region.

As we arrived at the Decathelon sporting goods store Don began to worry about his little camera. Now, he had his big camera with him, so why we brought two cameras is a mystery to me. But, we did, and Don worried that he had left it on the roof of the car as we drove away from the hotel.

No joy at the Decathelon, so on to the supermarket. Ed By the time we finished there Don was fussing about his camera, so we decided to skip coffee and go back to the hotel to see if someone had kindly turned it in, but no luck there either.

Off we went to Reims to visit the enormous, grand cathedral. This year is the 800th anniversary of the cathedral, and impressively, people have been worshiping at this site for 1500 years. We strolled around the building admiring the rose windows and the Marc Chagall stained glass, the ancient stone carvings and the impressive height and architectural accomplishment that is the Cathedral at Reims.A quick stop to check out an exposition sponsored by the Brittany Tourist Assn., featuring oysters, several booths with detailed information on vacationing at the shore, and live music. Then we returned to our car and made our way out of Reims, driving along the big canal.

There were lots of very large barges and boats in the canal. We drove south in the sun and I dozed off for a bit and when I woke up again we were out in the country headed toward Verdun.

We stopped along the road to have our picnic lunch and Don took a quick nap, snoring gently until a big semi blasted his horn at us to say HI.

While I was waiting for Don to have his nap I thought I would play a bit of Monopoly. But, my Monopoly game was not in my bag and I looked around a bit, but no game. After thinking about it I decided I must have left it at the hotel.

When Don woke up we decided to leave Verdun for another day and go back, just 16 miles to the hotel yet again to search for my game.

No game was turned in and the manager even went up to the room to look to no avail. What a day--lost camera lost game, NO COFFEE,

It was getting late in the afternoon so we set out for out home exchange in Sexey aux Forges. Don texted our hostess, Valerie, our expected arrival time so she could meet us. Of course, Don was relying on a cheat sheet from Rick Steves about how to make a call in France, but he just wouldn’t believe me that there was a special procedure to be used for his cell phone.

The drive from Chalons en Champagne to Sexey was very long and the sun kept popping out from behind a cloud and getting us all warm and cozy, so it was a challenge to stay awake.

We arrived on time, but no Valerie, so Don tried to call her a few times, always getting the nice French robot lady who didn’t like the number we were dialing.,

After awhile Don decided to check for a key under the mat, and lo and behold, he found a key under a rock! At last a bit of good luck. We went into the house and had just begun to look around when the doorbell rang and there was Valerie to say hi. She had not received out text and had stopped by to pick up the key.

We had a quick chat and checked out the house and then Valerie headed home to feed kids.

Don and I lugged our stuff into the house and I began to check out dinner options while Don made a final check of the car..

My hero, Don, came in holding my Monopoly game, which he had found under the seat. I hugged him and kissed him and told him how wonderful he is. He returned to the car and when he came back into the house the next time he had his little camera, which he had stowed in the side pocket.

So, all is well that ends well and our dastardly day without coffee came to a happy ending.

DEARTURE ANXIETY

2011-05-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

MAY 5-10, 2011

At our house the week before departure on one of our trips is always stressful. As the route is planned, the home exchanges solidified, and the packing begins, tensions rise and the stress level goes with it until finally, whew! The plane leaves the runway and takes to the air and we both breathe a deep sigh of satisfaction.

This year things were even more stressful than usual. Leading up to our trip I wanted to be sure that my water system was operating properly and the flower gardens would be looking pretty when we returned. Don and I spent several days replacing the pvc and creating new sprayer systems and got the timer set up to water on schedule and everything was looking good.

Also, we arranged for a gas fireplace to be installed in Mt. Hermon and so we had to be sure that that installation also got completed before our departure.

For several years I had requested a watering system in Mt. Hermon so the rhododendrons and azaleas could be kept alive. Finally I gave a deadline of April 30 to get it done and I bought the pvc and other attachments so that everything was ready for that to go in.

In addition, our very wet winter and spring resulted in neighborhood fences blowing over and requiring repair. Bids were obtained, neighbors were coerced, and checks were collected and the fence project also was butting right up into the final week before our departure.

.So much to do, so little time. Tension, stress, anxiety, worry, deadlines. Yikes!

Of course a few glitches occurred to add to the stress,. Some neighbors balked at the fence project and had to be negotiated with, but that was all smoothed out. May 1 we went to Mt. Hermon for the fireplace installation, and although the guys did a great job and the fireplace is great, they had to work until 8pm. There was no sign of my April 30th watering system, so Don had to start working on that. Meanwhile, back at the Ticonderoga ranch, the fence guys arrived and began their work, only to drill a post hole right into my new pvc pipe for my water system….Aie yii yiii!
The packing project was more of a challenge than usual too, because the airlines have started allowing one checked bag and one carry-on. We had to pack our clothes and toiletries in our carry-on bag, and of course there were the bicycle parts and equipment we had to pull out of the bike bags to get the weight to 50 lbs.

Well, somehow everything got done. I don’t know how because even on the day before departure we were still trying to get the backyard sprinklers to work and ended up having to recipe one whole section.

It WAS a big relief when we could finally go to the airport and sink down into our seat and just let it all go.

Our neighbor, Jim, took us to the airport and drove off with our Prius. The flight to DFW, and the connection to CDG went very well. We arrived just a few minutes late and collected our bags and headed over to get our rental car. We were glad to be in Paris again.

The rental car took at least 2 hours to get., Why, we don’t know. We had a reservation, but there was a long line and two agents. The agents seemed to be in no hurry to process paperwork and from time to time would take telephone calls, wander out to the parking garage, or just sit and stare into space. After a long wait we finally got our little red car, packed up, and headed out into the countryside. A few wrong turns, (we can never seem to get out of the labyrinthine CDG without driving around in circles three or four times.), we finally made it out to green fields and country lanes.

This region must have been very active during WWI and WWII. We saw many monuments, military cemeteries, and bunkers as we drove through the countryside, and eventually we stopped at a huge war memorial on a bluff commemorating 15 divisions and 170000 men who lost there lives. Marne_American_Cemetery_and_Memorial.Because my vision is still sketchy Don set up the route and GPS on his computer. After a bit I learned how to use the system and we eventually made our way to the Balladins hotel in Chalons en Champagen. This chain is similar to the B&B hotels we sometimes use in France. Very small room, basic necessities, low price.

After checking in we walked across the street to the supermarket and picked up some salad for dinner, a few fixings for breakfast and lunch. Then we settled into our 10’ x 10’ monks cell space for the night.

I stayed awake until 9pm, patted myself on the back for a valiant effort, rolled over and I was out until 3am. Don stayed up later, but I never felt him hit the sack.

A busy first day is under our belt.