With the panniers again attached and going down the 18 percent incline, my brakes nearly caught fire, but I otherwise got out of Koblenz just dandy. It wasn't until I hit a small town called Dieblich, where an enormous viaduct crosses the Rhein valley, that I decided to have my breakfast. 'Schwarzbrot' (black bread), some with cheese and others with honey.. Fabulous! From Koblenz to Dieblich the landscape had looked quite like what you often see with Märklin miniature railways. Rolling green hills, cutesy houses, roads and bridges.. It got more realistic after that, as I followed the meandering course of the Mosel river and discovered a downside about meandering water. Near a place called Alf, the Mosel bends sharply to the East, to Zell, then back West to Pünderich. At Alf, I noticed a thick rain cloud overhead. I swerved out of its path following the course of the river, but then followed the river right back into the rain. It proved to be a hail storm (ouch) but I didn't get frustrated, I just found it funny. At Traben-Trarbach I had another steep climb toward the hostel, when I had had enough of that yesterday. Not sure what the meaning of the name "Traben Trarbach" is, actually, my German sucks. I'd say Grapes-Mourning Creek. Interesting wines they must make.

Labels: travel