2012 - Greg's Cycle Tour Zurich to Amsterdam: DAY 26: MON 17 SEP

Ride: 66km; total: 1,245km

Fine, but cold with grey skies. It was supposed to have been 12-22deg but it didn't get above 12 all morning on the 35km run into Cologne.

The Rhine cycle path was only 5 minutes from our motel so we were back on track quickly after a lovely breakfast. I said to Graham I will see you downstairs as he wasn't ready so I waited out front. Due to a misunderstanding he went downstairs, straight out the back door and headed off. I waited till I ended up getting a phone call from him saying he was at the river. We finally hooked up and were on our way. Got a couple of boiled eggs, an apple and smoked meat for lunch.

The path to Cologne was understandably good considering how busy it was. Spent a good couple of hours wandering around Cologne, which I thought was a bit shabby this visit compared to the other few times I had been there. Graham went up to the top of the famous Cologne Cathedral by himself as I had done it before. I was actually glad when we had had our fill and were on our way out of the city. The stop for this night was a great little walled fort village, practically intact, dating back to 1288. Our motel was built some 400 years ago and was crammed packed full of medieval stuff and junk. Dinner was at a medieval restaurant, (motel restaurant was closed) I had turkey salad and Graham had a bacon pancake & ice-cream dessert, 12euro each. Despite the junk in the motel and restaurant the room was clean, tidy and well equipped. We ordered breakfast for 7:00am.