My New Ride

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Transportation in Germany tends to be expensive and it seems as though everyone in Heidelberg has a bicycle. So why shouldn’t I? That’s right…I bought a new-to-me Peugeot. This French-made bike is a sweet ride. It’s got 5 speeds, a bell, a kickstand, lights, a basket and you peddle backwards to stop. The back-peddling is taking some getting used to. Hopefully I won’t have too many collisions while I get used to that.

The bike has proven to be convenient transportation for getting around town and running errands. But today, it is my means of transport for my excursion along the Neckar River. I traveled approximately 20km round trip east to a town called Neckargemünd. The path on the way to Neckargemünd (south side of the river) was a bit rougher than the path back to Heidelberg (north side). I’m guessing the north side path is the one more traveled by cyclists. I was out for almost 4 hours on this excursion.

Some notes on the Neckar taken from Encylopedia.com :
(nĕk´är) , river, 228 mi (367 km) long, rising in the Black Forest, SW Germany. It flows generally N past Tübingen, Stuttgart, and Heilbronn, then W past Heidelberg before joining the Rhine River at Mannheim. The Neckar is celebrated for its scenic charm; its hilly banks are covered with fine vineyards, orchards, and woods. It is navigable for 1,000-ton barges and is connected to the Danube by a canal. There are more than 20 hydroelectric power plants on the river.

More Information on cycling the Neckar River Valley:
Info on cycling the Neckar River.

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Photos

My Peugeot
My New Ride. Ain't she a beaut?

My Route
Map of my ride along the Neckar River

Barge
Looks like it's carrying gravel

Another Barge
Not sure what's on this one :)
I saw serveral more while I was on my ride.

Road Sign
When I saw this sign my intention was to cross the river and head back to Heidelberg. However, I wasn't sure what town I was crossing in to. Turned out the be Neckargemünd.

Neckargemünd
Taken from the bridge.

Monastery or School?
I passed this on the way to Neckargemünd but this is taken from the other side of the river on my way home. I *think* it's a monastery.

Ziegelhausen
Ziegelhausen is approximatley half-way between Heidelberg and Neckargemünd. When I rode through Ziegelhausen on my way to Neckargemünd the church bells were ringing. I didn't stop to attend. ;-)

Heidelberg
Almost home.

Comments

[anonymous]

Nice bike!
Fuckin' hell Wee, does the sun ever shine there? Loving the updates, keep 'em coming! P.S. Claude and Brigitte have been slacking on the Fine Diners' duties! - Drapes

[anonymous]

Nice Bike
Andra, the Bike looks great! I think in a very short time you will appreacaite the "pedal brake" since it works under many condtions (like wet, damp) that your hand breaks would actually have you crash :-) Thanks for sharing your adventures. - Carm