Here are a few remnants from yesterday where we spent four hours walking around this beautiful city. Canals winding through the city provide a spectacular habitat for bird life. The Swans are such graceful birds and are at home living close to people.

This Swan was very close to her nest but out swimming on the water. The nest was so close to the pathway that you could have reached out and touched the eggs, providing you don’t mind being attacked by an angry mother swan.

Here she is back sitting on her eggs.

A colony of Storks nesting in a local park was a great delight to see.

Therin enjoying a moment watching the swans.

Excitement ruled the evening as Maggy from the tour company brought our bikes and maps to begin our cycling journey. After checking everything out Therin noticed her bike appeared to have been in some kind of accident with a broken fender and handlebar bag. The bike was mobile so we made a few adjustments and she will ride today and get a new bike at our first stop.

A few wrong turns getting out of Strasbourg added an extra hour onto our day but we are now much more adept at reading the maps and GPS app so hope tomorrow will be easier.

Goodbye Strasbourg.

The majority of cycle paths we rode on today were excellent with winding trails through wooded areas and small towns.

This shot is for my turning buddies. Now I just need a bicycle adapted chainsaw and trailer!!

What an impressive site the Rhine presented as we came upon the embankment and peered into a river based transportation hub. Long snake like vessels hugging close to the water and appearing much too long for maneuverability created what looked to this prairie boy like controlled traffic mayhem .

Based on pure speculation it appeared to me that much of the local commerce along the river used these vessels to transport various goods to and from plants such as this gravel sorting station.

Ferry rides are always such fun on a bicycle. This ferry was busy running back and forth from the French side of the Rhine to the German side with hardly a wasted moment at either end.

This Grey Heron never moved a muscle as we were waiting for the ferry. Perhaps it would have liked the large snail up on the pathway.

A few sore spots where saddle meets sitter, some screaming muscles and weary bones made us feel like this rider we met along the way.

Arrival in Rastatt revealed a lovely Ibis hotel and some great German beer and food preparing us for another ride tomorrow.

Tired bones and empty stomachs left no time for exploring Rastatt so these photos show our first view as we entered the town square. Perhaps tomorrow will give us a better feel of the city.