There were good things and not so good things until now. First the not so good things: My so sophisticated and lightweight bike now appears too be very heavy. It took me a whole lot to get used to it and my optimism concenrining the passes in the Alps has diminished a bit. We#ll see by then.  Then there is a constant head wind, limiting my speed and range. Then the fist night and the morning after that it rained heavily and almost without interruption. It left with a wet tent  packed on my bike and it took most of the day for my shoes (and feet) to get dry. But in the end I#m in my third day now and covered 230 kms. I reached the river Rhine the second day at 15.30. There I turned to the right and now I have the river on my left hand all the time. I put my tent on a (very basic) campsite along the river. Quite romantic, I heard the ships’  engines the whole night. They had a little Imbiss (cafeteria) there as well and I enjoyed some large beers and a Schnitzel a la casa (real name!). Now I’ m 25 kms before Cologne, which I hope to pass. I just happened to see this internetshop along the road. My next stop is too be near Bonn.
Talk to you later. Frans