The Immeasurable Wilds

[Dynamik]

EVA: Well, the Lorelei story is - as so many other nice story - an invention of a romantic poet. The reality is much simpler: The name Lorelei consists of two words Lore (or lureln) and ley. The first means "murmuring" and the second "rock". So it is the "murmuring rock". The heavy currents and the small waterfall created a murmuring sound. It must have been quite difficult to pass the rock in the old times. The first records of accidents date back to the 10th century. But even today accidents happen there. In 2011 a barge carrying 2'400 tons of sulphuric acid capsized near the Lorelei rock.

Worms, 6.7.25

Today the route became even more romantic than yesterday. The rocks on both sides of the Rhine were almost vertical. At least the rock where Loreley has been sitting combing her hair. Who doesnt know this famous song:

Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet
Dort oben wunderbar
Ihr goldnes Geschmeide blitzet,
Sie kämmt ihr goldenes Haar.

...
and in the last verse:
...

Ich glaube die Wellen verschlingen
Am Ende Fischer und Kahn;
Und das hat mit ihrem Singen
Die Lore-Ley gethan.


Burg Katz


Lorelei rock

When I passed the Lorelei Rock it had started to rain and Lorelei wasnt there. Who would comb her lovely golden hair outside in the rain? I myself took shelter in a cafeteria and there I have been really spoilt. I had only ordered "Milchkaffe" but - because I had such an interesting velomobile and had coverd over 3000 km - I got in addition an orange juice and four cakes. Isn't that great.

The Rhine Gorge ends at Bingen and from there on it gets flatter. I took the road over the hills that leads directly to Worms. The bit between Bingen and Worms is rather boring but Worms is a real marvel. So many nice churches and above all the famous dome.


St. Peter's Cathedral in Worms

 

[beate]

It must have been quite difficult to pass the rock in the old times.

Klar; Väterchen Rhein offeriert uns da bis hoch nach Bingen etliche Untiefen. M.W. hatte man da irgendwann sogar mal Teile der Fahrtrinne freisprengen müssen

 

[Dynamik]

EVA: Today was a perfect day for DYNAMIK. No plans except that we should reach Strassbourgh. Of course we didn't reach Strassbourgh. We spent a lot of time in Speyer and at the end of the day we came across a wonderful Half Timbered House in a small village which happened to be a hotel and a restaurant. That's where we ended the day.

Kilstett, 7.7.25

The start in the morning is not easy. How to get to the right road. What would be a good town name to aim at. Because the town you want is never at display among the street signs. With a bit of trial and error and some detours we made it to the historic town of Speyer. Speyer is quite impressive. An old tower at the beginning and a giant cathedral at the end of the main street. And in between all the well kept historic houses which are of course used as shops. One could spend the whole day here.


Entrance to the historic centre of Speyer


Speyer Cathedral

We carried on and crossed the border to France and are now in Alsace. The roads are perfect and had only little traffic. Now and then a small village.


After crossing the border to France

In one of these little villages we met - after 3000 km - the first velomobile. It is quite a new VAW and the owner is happy and excited.


The first velomobile after 3'000 km

We didn't make it quite to Strassbourgh as we almost stumbled over this wonderful Half Timbered House in Kilstett, which is a Hotel and a Restaurant. Strassbourgh has to wait.


Nice hotel in Kilstett

 

[Dynamik]

EVA: What would DYNAMIK do without the cultural support of his wife. He would miss the most important historic marvels. Not the Cathedral of Strassbourgh. This he finds himself. But the "Rotunda of Ottmarsheim". He finds a hotel in Ottmarsheim but has no idea that in a distance of 500 m there is also the famous Abbey of St. Mary. It has been consecrated in 1030 and is one of the rare octogonal churches like the Basilica San Vitale in Ravenna.

Ottmarsheim, 8.7.25

This morning, after about 20 km on the road, the first cultural highlight came in form of the Cathedral of Strassbourgh. You must have seen it to believe it. The size is overwhelming and the tousends and thousends of decorations blow you mind. I wandered around the cathedral and could hardly believe that this has been done by human hands.


Cathedral of Strassbourgh

Little bit south of Strassbourgh we stumbled by pure luck over the canal that connected once the Rhine with the Rhone. It has a nice bicycle path with good tarmac. So for about 30 km we were safe. And there is nothing nicer for a velomobil than a well paved canal road.


Rhein-Rhone-Canal near Plobsheim


Rhein-Rhone- Canal near Nordhouse

But without proper reason the tarmac changed to gravel and we left the canal and went back to the D468. This road will bring us to Basel. The scenery here is rather dull. In the far left you can see German mountains and in the far right the Alsacian mountains. And inbetween the huge Rhine plane.

In Ottmarsheim, 20 km before Basel, I found a nice hotel. What I didnt know was that right in the neighbourhood of the hotel a cultural marvel was hidden. Luckily Karin (my wife) told me - upon texting her that I am now in Ottmarsheim - that I must not miss the Octogonal Church from 1030. What a good idea.


Benedictine Abbey of Saint Mary


Inside the octogonal Abbey

 

[Dynamik]

EVA: After 27 days on the road we are back home. So this will be the last diary paper for quite a long time:

Zürich, 9.7.25

This morning I started with a strange feeling. I knew that those coming 130 km will be the last of this long journey. I knew that I have to enjoy every single mile. The day was sunny but a bit fresh. Quite soon we reached Basel and - knowing Basel pretty well - it was not difficult to find a nice way leading through the centre. Soon we reached Birsfelden and continued along the Rhine.

In Rheinfelden a metalwork teacher wanted to know everything about EVA. She explained, that she had built with here class a recumbent bicycle. There is obviously some interest in this type of bicycle.


The last chocolate with cake of this journey in the medieval village of Rheinfelden

The road was easy, no heavy climbs and above all, the surface of the tarmac was smoth and above all no potholes. It seems that in Switzerland we do not use this coarse stuff for the road surface you find so often in Great Britain but also in France and Germany. The smoothness of the road surface has such a big influence on the speed of your velomobile.

I took the road through the Furttal as it is much less industrialised than the Limmattal. And here I got the unique chance to sit on a big trekker. I stopped at the side of a freshly ploughed field and could not believe my eyes. Around the ploughing trekker I saw about two dozen storks walking around and picking the worms from the overturned soil. And in the air there were ceartainly hundred Red Kites looking for prey. The farmer invited me onto the trekker, so I could see these birds from realy quite close. They are so used to the trekker that they only move away if the trekker is closer than one meter. I never have seen Red Kites or Storks so close.

Slowly we reached Zürich and our final destination. A four weeks journey of 3400 km has come to an end. EVA has performed flawlessly, no single mecanical problem. I didnt even pump the tires in these four weeks. These four weeks on the road with all the cultural highlights were something extraordinary.


EVA safely back in our garden behind the house

 

[Gwynfor]

seen Red Kites or Storks

Hey! Wo sind die Bilder? Wir wollen auch was sehen!...

 

[Dynamik]

Wo sind die Bilder?

Leider ganz unscharf.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Today was a historic day. First stop was St. Andrews with its famous Cathedral. Famous for the romantic ruins. And then St. Andrews has the oldest University of Scotland. While I was having a hot chocolate with cake just in front of tha cathedral ruins a young man asked me if I am the owner of the velomobile outside. He owned a VAW and he even new the sad story about ALVA who is kept prisoner in Greece. ALVA seems to be world famous.

Was that you @pn_day?

Some more Scottish history, like many clans my clan has two tartans - the war tartan and the "normal" tartan. When the tombs were opened to find the lost patterns when tartan was legal again the colours had of course faded. The reproduction in those colours is the war tartan. Later the original dyes and colours were found and used and those are the much brighter colours you see today.

 

[pn_day]

That was indeed me - it was nice to meet the world famous Dynamik

 

[Dynamik]

lost patterns when tartan was legal again

Did your family emigrate after 1745? You certainly know much more about these dificult times. It would be great to get some more first hand stories from you.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Clan Grant - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

One of my cousins is writing a book about the migration of my great grandfather to New Zealand. I don't know much about him at all, arrival in the 1870's I think, my grandfather was born in 1892. </off topic>

Your voyage was as usual very inspiring and I think the information on crossing Belgium and the Netherlands may come in handy in the future. We went for lunch with a friend and she got us "lost" on the cycle paths around Arnhem despite living there and having a phone app

 

[Dynamik]

Winter is approaching and the weather is not really inviting for extended velomobile trips. Hence I used the time to convert the diary of the trip to Scotland into a travel report. You can find the report with the link below:

https://armin.zcag.ch/velomobil.htm

Remember, the website only works on computers and tablets but not on smart phones.

Uebrigens ALVA ist immer noch eingesperrt. Der Fall wird am 4.12.2025 vom Gericht in Thessaloniki behandelt.

 

[Manfred Agne]

Viel Glück, ich wünsche dir, dass du dein VM endlich zurückbekommst, und eine reichliche Nutzungsausfallsentschädigung obendrein!