Day # 16 Dormagen to Koln/Cologne.

Riding the Rhine in luxury....

        Exiting Dormagen somewhat circuitously, I left my hotel at 8.00am into a grey cool, but dry day day. There is definitely a nip to the morning air these past couple of days—a rapid deterioration, when I think that I was battling 30+ only 5-6 days ago.

      The route today, due south towards Koln, took me along the west bank of the river, through thickly forested areas where leaves were falling like a snowstorm. The provincial ‘A’ road, heavily travelled, but with the usual much appreciated pedestrian/cyclist separation from motor vehicles, acts as a conduit for the chemical companies that favour this region due to the proximity to the Rhine and the heavy large scale barge harbour loading/unloading facilities that abound along the river ‘highway’. I believe that it took me more than 15 minutes to walk past the Bayer property.

         The northern outskirts of Koln were reached faster than I had expected, but like similar major cities crossed so far, it took me a further two hours to reach “stadt mitte”/city centre. As I walked along the pleasant park like west river promenade embankment, I noticed all the massive river cruise boats that have have proliferated these past twenty years. Massive is an understatement. As long as a city block, they are veritable floating resort hotels. As I pushed my buggy past, I photo’d the “silver foxes” enjoying their steak and wine lunches and felt quietly superior---if only they knew of all the fresh air & exercise that they were missing! Koln must be the northern terminal for these cruises, as I had not spotted them earlier on the river further to the north.

        It is noticeable that river levels are very low, up to 30-40 feet below the retaining walls. Several winters of low snowfall in the Alps have meant limited residual Spring runoff. During WW11 (you know, the big one), Koln was the recipient of millions of bombs, a fair number falling into the river and never found/cleared post 1945. I under stand that these unexploded munitions currently represent some risk to shipping, as the river has fallen to record low levels. Just hold on tight those folks on a Viking river tour! During a visit here in Feb. 1996, I saw that the river when it had burst its banks and river front areas of the city were flooded.

     Tomorrow, Saturday, I have scheduled as a rest day so as to re-acquaint my self with this attractive city.

21.7 kms. walked today per Google Maps.
Cumulative kms. walked: 288.4
Type of overnight lodging: Koln Deutz Youth Hostel.
Cost of lodging: 33E incl. b/fast & dinner.