It depends who you talk to but on the return to the boat this evening we had reports that the temperature in Mannheim reached 39c or 40c. What we can attest to is that it was like biking into a furnace. Mannheim reported the hottest temperature today in all of Germany. Unpleasant riding conditions are an understatement . Tomorrow the weather predictions are a high of 27c which after the last four days is positively cold and there is the possibility of a drop of rain – EXCELLENTE!!!!
Our ride to Heidelberg follows the Neckar River of a distance of approximately 27km.
These magnificent trees that have provided most of our route in shade so far are called Plane Trees or “Platane” in French. They were planted during the Napoleon era along the roads and canals to provide shade especially for the troops and travellers and are also valued for their aesthetic appeal.
A fungal disease called Ceratocystis platani poses a significant threat to these trees, but efforts are underway to manage and replant them. To combat the disease, France is implementing replanting programs, including the use of disease-resistant plane tree varieties from the United States.
After biking for 10 kilometers we entered into a very quaint town called Ladenburg which goes back to the Celtic and Roman Ages, when it was called Lopodunum.
Famous residents include Carl Benz, inventor of the first automobile. There is a small private Carl Benz museum established in 1984, which focuses on his career of the automotive pioneer, and on the history of the automobile manufacturers associated with him. It has limited opening hours but couldn’t quite fit it into our schedule today.
We had a bit of a cycle around the town enjoying the architecture along with some fabulous examples of hydrangeas. Everything from almost bright red to alabaster white.
It was then time to get back on the main bike path and head towards Heidelberg. By now, things were seriously heating up.
We crossed over into Heidelberg on this stone bridge which was built between 1786 and 1788 by Elector Karl Theodor, hence its official name.
It is the ninth bridge built on this site, with previous bridges being made of wood and prone to destruction by floods and ice. The surface being made cobble stones were just a little rough on our bums as by this stage we had biked 25 kilometers.
The bridge was destroyed during World War II but quickly rebuilt again.
By now we were starting to seek out any shade we possibly could find.
The town square did not attract our attention as it was very open and exposed to the unrelenting sun.
We headed up to the Heidelberg Castle via the funicular. It gave us some much needed relief.
We were certainly rewarded with magnificent views. The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps.
The castle has only been partially rebuilt since its demolition in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The earliest castle structure was built before 1214 and later expanded into two castles circa 1294; however, in 1537, a lightning bolt destroyed the upper castle. Of course there has been many a battle over its ownership over time but no one really wants to take on the current challenge of renovating it🤪
Now this is what really caught our attention inside the castle – rather large wine barrel – but it got better –
…..an even bigger wine barrel – in fact we think it is the largest wine barrel we have ever set our eyes on. The craftsmanship is supreme. In 1664, the barrel was built with 220,000 liters capacity.
It was about now we were starting to reach our limit.
And here we are looking like total wipeouts.
It was now a matter of making our way back to Heidelberg by either biking back the 25 kilometers or else putting the bikes on the train. It seemed like a no brainer to go for the latter option.
Twas a bad decision, indeed. The heat was causing problems with the rail lines so trains were stuck waiting along the tracks; plus they were overcrowded and when they stop, so did the air conditioning. What should have taken 20 minutes took almost an hour of sheer hell. At least when you bike you get a coolish breeze against you and don’t get stuck in amongst a heaving plethora or human bodies.
It was such a relief to get back to the boat and have showers and drink gallons of ice cold water. The heat wave breaks tomorrow so we are all ecstatic!!!
Steps 12,500
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