Day 9, Rothenburg - Bad Mergentheim, July 27, 2003 (Sunday)

I eat decent breakfast at the restaurant located at the camping (you have to order it in the evening though). Since it was such a nice camping I did not really want to leave, I was thinking about taking another day off. On the other hand I knew I could not afford to loose another day. What if I have some technical problems... I have a chat with Dutch couple travelling (also on bikes) from Rhein to Vienna and we exchange some ideas. I finally leave around 10:00 - very late. 

I am riding and riding and nothing is happening. After yesterday's climb I start very nicely for I either go flat or downhill. For a long time I am cycling on one side of the hill, actually on its slope so I have quite fantastic view of the valley below me.

In Baden all of them will be called Bad something

It is warm but not hot and you can see that clouds start to build up. Also more I get down head wind is getting stronger but hope that Bavarian hills are behind me gives me more power.

For quite a while I cross very green area and what is most important flat.

Lots of trees.

At ~40 km I eat lunch at bicycle inn, many other bikers (I am on actual bike route). Resting a bit and continue.

I expect a rain. It did rain already a bit but only for few minutes each time. I feel something bigger will come today.

I pass numerous towns. They already look different that in Bavaria, it looks to me that there less farmers here.

Later I will learn that in this area, since there are some many Bads, main "industries" are actually sanatoriums.

It starts to rain, and it looks it will rain for a while. I put on the jacket. Clouds are getting heavier and heavier. I reach another town (sorry do not remember the name now, should have written it down) and hide under a balcony.

47th km, already Bad-Mergentheim area I pass baseball field and see game is about to begin. I stop to watch (have a beer for a game without one is not a good game). It was local team against French one (if you look at the map, France is not far away from here).

Bad Mergentheim team was coached by American living in Germany (ex-soldier I've been told). Of course I supported local team :-)

So I watch the game and heard somebody speaking in Polish. We start to talk. Polish family living in Bad Mergentheim. Towards the end it really started to rain. I have been offered to stay in the house (which was very convenient as rain became very strong later on). So here I would like to thank them again :-) By the time I got to their house I was soaking wet.

So that was the end for Sunday, only...

Distance: 47 km

Average speed: 15 km/h