The Mosel ... as far as Trier

The Mosel joins the Rhein at Koblenz and we followed it back, with our first stop about 60k upstream at Cochem. It is another one of those beautiful little towns, overlooked by a fairytale castle that we have seen so many of on our journey in Germany so far. I feel rather guilty of dismissing it so easily. If this had been the first town we'd seen on our travels I am sure I would be waxing lyrical about its virtues. The same could also be said about Bernkastel, two days cycle-ride further up the river. We called there for lunch, and it too is beautiful and charming and deserving of much better adjectives.

The river itself winds its way through a steep walled valley for much of the way. At Treis Karden we passed and celebrated our 2000km with a picnic lunch with a glass of wine and a beer.The valley sides are clad in vineyards using every available square metre, even clinging to almost vertical slopes. At Piesport, the river has cut a tight 'S'-bend below steep cliffs which give this section the name of the 'Mosel Loreley'. Piesporter wine comes from these slopes, and we stopped at the Mosel Loreley Vineyard Gasthof for a sample. The wine-maker himself served us and we got a photo of him and our bottle (which is bound for our mantle-piece at home!)

We've also been rather sated with magnificent churches and cathedrals. Every one is magnificent, but after the first half dozen you tend to run out of superlatives. The Cathedral of St Peter in Trier however, is in a league of its own, and truly stands out as the most impressive we have seen. It still incorporates some of its earliest construction going back to the conversion of the Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine in 329AD. Later, no less than four basilicas were added in Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles (so the guide book tells me) ... but you only need a pair of eyes to tell you that it is totally awesome.

Going back almost as far, is the Porta Nigra (Black Gate), another Roman edifice dominating the entrance to the 'old town'. The hermit Simon 'Stylites' spent his entire life in pious meditation on top of the North Tower, which seems a shame because I'm sure that the Tourist Information housed at the foot of the tower, could have found him somewhere more comfortable in one of the town's hotels.

We were quite happy in the campsite, where we stayed for two days, having completed our cycle ride, and now prepare for our journey home by train and ferry. Di would have been happier still if she hadn't had an exploding Thermarest, but luckily it is the last night she will need it. Another piece of 'luck' was the discovery that the rim of her rear wheel was disintegrating. One good 'bump' and the whole wheel would have collapsed ... a frightening prospect when you think what that might have involved! As it happened she was able to get it replaced at a very good bike shop in town.

We're having a few beers and wines with a couple of our neighbours on the campsite, in the Biergarten on our last night ... which is maybe a bit of a mistake because we have to be up at 4.30am in time to catch our train tomorrow.