The Rhine Valley

Unfortunately the weather finally took a turn on us by the time we reached the much anticipated Rhine Valley (between Koblenz and Mainz) so it all did seem to be a lot greyer than it would normally be.

A very grey view across the Rhine to Lorch (taken from our campsite!)

The quaintness of the Mosel had gone and the Rhine was definitely looking more like a working river - or rather canal as not much of its banks seemed to still be following its natural course. The villages were amazing and immaculately preserved (for all the tourists no doubt) but the dual railways on each side carrying freight and thousands of VWs non stop day and night on both sides of the river did detract from it somewhat. The river traffic seemed to have more urgency about it too.

But we did manage to find a very pretty little village, Bacharach, and spent a morning dodging rainshowers and strolling about admiring the half timbered buildings and neatly manicured vines.

Mmmm..lekker!

Admiring yet another 'romantic' half timbered house

The very pretty town of Bacharach

The nobel Riesling itself

Winegut? I guess that's what you get if you drink too much!

From the Rhine we were aiming to cross into France and spend some time in one of the most anticipated regions of our voyage - Burgundy. To get there we needed to head further south through Germany, which provided us with the perfect chance to pop back into the Black Forest!

As we drove though the rolling forested hills we passed by the famous German ski fields - all sprouting with buttercups and spring flowers. Could there really be enough snow to allow skiing we chuckled? I guess not this season. It looked as if nothing had been open for ages.

Driving into the nearby town of Todtnau, famous for being the home of German skiing - where it was first introduced in the country no less, we stumbled across a downhill mountainbiking track. So off came the bikes and up we all went on the chairlift for a nosey around the Black Forest terrain and one terrifying downhill ride (well at least it was for the one of us capable of doing it!!).

Taking the chairlift, Todtnau

Cheese

Biking in the Black Forest