Visiting cities is not generally high up on our to do list and given the logistics involved in incorporating Leroy and finding open-air parking suitable for Bob (too high to get into any of the garages), we are generally relieved to give them a wide berth.  However, there are some attractions that we are keen to see and the gothic Notre Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg was one of them, as well as Strasbourg itself which is famous for its beautiful historical centre.  Originally part of the Holy Roman Empire, this capital of the Alsace region sits very close to the border with Germany and between 1870 and 1945 has changed nationality four times.  This makes for an interesting mix of culture and architecture most evidenced in the grey buildings of German construction sitting alongside the pink buildings of the French.  We tagged onto the end of a walking tour which was a first for all of us, Leroy included, which turned out to be a great way to learn some of the history and gain insight into an area from a local’s point of view.  The Cathedral is considered to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture and at 142m high was the world’s tallest building until 1874 when the accolade was snatched by St. Nikolai’s Church in Hamburg.  Perhaps the most impressive fact is the time it took to build – from 1015 until 1439! 

It is always amazing to see what man is capable of building and the Cathedral is a magnificent example but more memorable for us was Strasbourg itself.  Before leaving this lovely old city we stood on the cobblestone square at the front of the cathedral and listened to the most beautiful classical music played by possibly the cutest busker in Europe.  It was then that we noticed the piller de la minceur/Buchmesser, a belly-measuring pink sandstone column.  Built in 1567, the column stands a distance of 35cm away from what was once the oldest pharmacy in France, the name taken from an old tradition that signified that if a person could not squeeze between the column and the wall they should go on a diet. What an easy way to solve the question of “does my bum look big in this”.

Cultural appetite appeased for the time being we crossed back over the Rhine to the lovely German town of Baden-Baden, the elegant queen of spa resorts.  Since leaving Bad Kissingen we had seen the Bad prefix used by many towns in the region and Google once again educated the uninformed and we learnt that it denoted a spa town with thermal water springs containing healing lithium and magnesium.  The prefix requires governmental authorisation and can be taken away if certain standards (set by the German health insurance funds) are not met.  Some of the criteria include easy access to nature and hiking trails as well as scientifically proven natural healing sources.  It would be near impossible to imagine that Baden-Baden scores anything less than 100% with its beautiful parklands, fountains, Roman baths and Belle Epoch architecture.  Add in a lavishly ornate casino and what more could you possibly want other than perhaps a jacket with which to gain entry to said casino – oh, no problem, hire options available. 

Both Bob and Leroy left a bit of an impression on this upmarket resort.  On arrival at the 5* hotel (yes, we do treat ourselves every now and then) we were greeted by the doorman who, once over his initial surprise at not only observing us pulling up but seeing that we intended to go into the hotel, agreed that we could park Bob on the tiny frontage right by the front door of the hotel.  We thought Bob looked quite good parked between a vintage Rolls Royce and a couple of other sporty cars, most of which were in town for the “old-timers” festival, a huge international vintage car fair which attracts over 350 vehicles and 20,000 people each year.  Given the car event, the town and hotel was packed and there was an infectious party atmosphere but we knew it was time to leave when, a couple of days later, on leaving the room through a very slowly closing door, we didn’t notice that Leroy had managed to squeeze through behind us and once we had taken the lift downstairs he was free to explore the 5th floor of the hotel.  We came back to quite a bit of excitement as the hotel staff seemed to be drawing straws as to who would be the one to go and deal with him!

Each time we have crossed the border between Germany and France we crossed over the Rhine and as we now wanted to head further north we decided to follow the river for a while.  It is one of Europe’s major rivers, starting in the south-eastern Swiss Alps and snaking northward over 1200km through France and Germany before entering the Netherlands where it empties into the North Sea.  The river is an important part of the German economy as it provides cheap transport for around 30% of the country’s coal, iron ore and natural gas.  These commodities are transported on huge barges, some up to 110m long which are capable of carrying 2,500 tonnes, a weight that would require 110 trucks to shift.  In-keeping with all this industry, there are many factories situated close to the banks of the river and, for the most part, the river is highly industrialised.  However, there is a sweet spot.  The Upper Middle Rhine Valley between Bingen and Koblenz runs through a steep and narrow gorge flanked with forests and vineyards, overlooked by more castles than any other river in the world.  Charming villages are scattered along the narrow river bank providing plenty of opportunity to soak up the romantic scenery and sample the renowned Rieseling wines that are produced in the area.  This short section of the Rhine is just 70km but it is easy to see why this UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered to be one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe and understand how it captured the imagination of many composers, writers and artists who were inspired to create great works.  

The Rhine has been the focus of much attention of late due the ongoing drought that has been sweeping across much of Europe.  There is a key waypoint not far from Frankfurt where the fairway is shallower than anywhere else on the river, and the water along this section has a critical depth of 40cm which is necessary for the heavy barges to come through.  Just this week, the levels dropped below this standard forcing many of the barges to substantially reduce their loads, a necessary move which could well result in many of the energy companies limiting their output.  Not great news amid a looming energy crisis

We left the Rhine at Koblenz and drove the short distance to Cologne which is home to another of Europe’s impressive Gothic cathedrals.  Cologne Cathedral stands at just under 158 metres, the cornerstone of which was laid in 1248 before completion a mere 632 years later in 1880.  Able to hold more than 20,000 people this is one spectacular building, but rather more interesting is the reason behind such an undertaking which revolved around just three people – the Three Wise Men.  The relics of the Magi were originally situated in Constantinople before being transported to Milan in an ox-cart by the City’s Bishop in 314.  Eight centuries later in 1164 the remains were handed to the Archbishop of Cologne and over the next 40 years an elaborate golden shrine was built to hold them.  The cathedral that was standing in Cologne at the time was not considered worthy to house such important relics and so the cathedral as we see it today was purpose built as a stone reliquary. 

As we were making our way towards Cologne, Ian discovered that the City is within a low emission zone requiring all vehicles to sport a green environmental sticker.  Obviously we have no such sticker to display and so opted to park and ride on the train instead.  This was the first time on a train for Leroy and a good warm-up for what was to come later in the day.  We had been hoping to tag onto another walking tour but despite wandering around by the cathedral and the train station for some time were unable to find an English speaking person with either a flag or large umbrella.  What we did find though were a group of guys in motorised rickshaws.  After a bit of negotiation with one of the younger, more laid-back drivers, it was agreed that we could all pile into the back and off we went for yet another city tour.

The cathedral was amazing, huge stained glass windows and the most stunning architecture both inside and out but Cologne as a city didn’t charm us in the way that Strasbourg did as much of the old architecture had been destroyed during excessive bombing of the city during WII.

We had one more night in Germany before one again crossing the border and Park4Night directed us to a large open camping spot on the outskirts of a forest.  Just before dark another Land Rover arrived with a French couple who were making their way north to drive the Marguerite Route, a 3,600km route through Denmark.  Before we all departed the following morning a few beers were exchanged and it turned out that they were administrators for an overlanding FB group where a picture of Bob in Strasbourg had been posted a few days before.  Such a little thing but it goes a long way to making us feel connected and part of a far-reaching community as we travel around.  Nice to see social media working in a positive way!