After pre-riding for 3 hours on Saturday, here I am getting ready for my group ride of two. The next 5kms were the most fun I had all day.
On Sunday, my group ride of two headed towards the Rhein. As the warm weather had melted all of December's snow, the level of the Rhein is very high. So we decided to explore.
Near my place on the south end of Köln there are 2 parallel bike paths on the west side of the Rhein. One is street level and the other is right on the bank of the river. For a couple of kms or so, this second path is approximately 10-20 feet below the one that is on the street level. As expected, when we arrived, we found this second path completely submerged in the water.
Upon reaching the path, we were greeted by many of these signs telling us the path is closed due to high water.
Not to let a little warning stop us from getting a little closer. Here is Cosette where the water meets the path, and well past the warning sign. Had a local authority figure been around to reprimand us for getting too close, I was well prepared to forget what little German I now know and plead in my best American accent "I'm sorry, but I don't speak German and I don't know what you are talking about." Hey, no where on the sign did I see the word "Verboten". :-)
Normally, this area is filled with runners and cyclists. In this photo, it is just filled with water. The A4 bridge is in the background, and ususally the river is nowhere close to the road level.
Bis später
