Beating the Barge

Mosel Bike-Barge Day 7 – Fri 2nd Sep 2016 – Schengen to Thionville (bike tour 30 Km)

Weather: 16⁰C min – 26⁰C max, fine, clear

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“A bicycle ride is a flight from sadness ” ~ James E. Starrs

By the time the bell rang for breakfast at 8 am Iris was already purring down the Mosel towards our final destination of Metz in France. When I climbed the stairs from my spacious room below deck I glanced outside to see another crisp, clear morning with mist rising like steam from the Mosel. There was a tinge of sadness as we lined up for breakfast on our last day of cruising & riding. Tomorrow morning our group of 19 from Sydney and 4 from Canada will scatter in all directions: some to ride around Lake Constance; some to visit Paris and Amsterdam; and yours truly to continue riding down the Mosel through the Lorraine and Alsace regions of France.

By 9 am Iris had reached the interesting town of Schengen, where the three countries of Germany, Luxembourg and France meet. Here we disembarked to commence our 30 Km ride to Thionville, where we would be faced with the choice of catching the barge or train to Metz (I chose the latter to give myself an extra 4 hours to sight-see in Metz). But first we had to drag ourselves away from the historic town of Schengen where the treaty was signed to form The Schengen Area. We could not leave until we had identified all the countries represented by the stars on the three totem poles on the promenade. Netherlands was easy (the marijuana leaf gave it away) and the Eiffel Tower was an easy clue for France, but other countries like Hungary (Rubik’s Cube) were more challenging.

By the time we had solved all the stars, Iris had a good head start. It wasn’t until about 7 Km further down the Mosel that we caught up, only to be leap-frogged again when we stopped for our morning coffee.

Riding along the Chemin de La Moselle track was flat, easy and scenic. Grape vines gave way today to lush green trees, some beginning to turn yellow with the advent of autumn. There were lots of cyclists along the route and we had to remember to say bonjour rather than morgen.

By the time we completed the 30 Km to Thionville Iris had already arrived. Most of the riders boarded for the leisurely cruise to Metz, with only six of us electing to catch the train … a wise decision because beating the barge gave us an extra few hours to explore the marvellous town of Metz. The highlight was Saint Etienne Cathedral, one of the most beautiful gothic cathedrals in France with stunning stained glass windows.

Dinner tonight was even more special than normal, with four amazing courses prepared by Bas. Being the last night there were also speeches by Lenny (owner of the boat) and a heartfelt response from Tony. It really has been a fabulous week of cruising, riding, camaraderie and eating, shared by a great group of like-minded people. The facilities on board Iris, the crew, and the guides were absolutely five-star and I would have no hesitation in recommending Bike Planet Tours to anyone wanting to indulge themselves with a week in another world.