Day # 48 Breisach to Neuenburg.

Rhine flood control barriers at Breisach.
Note: river 'straightening' measures.

        Emerged from the French (west) bank of the Rhine (Neuf Brisach) into a bright, sunny, but crisp and cold morning. It is the first time that I have seen morning frost on roofs and on parked cars. For those that have interest, it may be interesting to Wikipedia “Neuf Brisach”. The old town, laid out in a grid pattern, is completely enclosed within a massive fortress designed by Vauban. The information board notes that the fortress and town have changed nationality five times in the passed 150 years.

       I am currently suffering from an extremely heavy cold and cough. The attendant temperature has subsided and for this reason I believe that I was wise to curtail my walking to approx. 50% of the distance to Neuenburg. The train ride into that town took all of about 8 minutes---interestingly for Canada boosters, I noted that the train, a diesel, was manufactured by Bombardier—likely in Germany. Anyway, rapidly located a gasthaus on the main street, attached to a restaurant and holed up early to sleep & to try and shake off this bug that maybe affecting the amount of oxygen that I absorb at my habitual 6000 steps per hour walking cadence. Last thing I want is a stroke. Scott of the Antarctic, I am not.

         Depending on how I am feeling in the morning, I plan to walk to Lorrach, which is only about 15 kms from here, and the last stopping place before I reach Basel, Switzerland. From this point on my walking stages become increasingly moderate, few more than 20 kms—4 hours max. on the road in a session. Definitely on the down slope now. Gone is the pressure I felt to build mileage as there was back in the early weeks, when one feels that they have to maximise efforts to reduce the overall size of the total distance mountain that confronts daily.

7.0kms. walked today per Google Maps.
906.7 cumulative kms. walked.
Type of overnight lodging: Gasthaus.
Cost of lodging:   48E.