Fussball Fever....

We popped into Bonn to use the internet, opposite the station - where the helpful owner allowed our bikes inside the shop for security. Nearby is Gilde's Bookshop. Starved of reading material since Spain, we fell on their English section. Eventually common sense prevailed & we restricted ourselves to 1 book each, & a map of Holland. Football fever has hit Germany, with everyone flying flags, eagerly anticipating kick-off at 6.oopm between Croatia & Germany. We watched the match on a big screen in the Camp restaurant. Its a close game, & the Ref gets very stressy towards the end, waving yellow & red cards at anyone who catches his eye. Croatia win 2-1, deflating our fellow diners.

As we approach Koln, there are fine views of the twin-spired cathedral, as we pass close along the river front. There is a lot of high-rise flat & office development here, & its is busy with tourist boats, including one shaped as a whale called, you've guessed, Moby Dick. N. of the city is heavily industrialised, including acres of Ford motor plants along by the railway. We crossed to the other bank to peaceful meadows, where the Rhein dam is full of rabbit warrens, & bunnies run across the cycle path. We camp at a Rhein-side site, & watch Barnacle Geese with their goslings, & fellow campers with an impressive array of fishing rods catching nothing.

Duisberg & Dusseldorf merge into a huge conurbation. In the densely populated inner city areas where there are snooker halls & kebab shops, the Turkish red flag outdid the German flag in size & number, as football fever mounts. We eventually emerge into flat open country, & camp in a huge lakeside site. The young German cyclist in the next tent confirmed that this is the largest site in Europe. His tent was a genuine American Vietnam War tent in mint condition. He encouraged us to visit Xanten as it is full of Roman remains. We had hoped to follow his advice the next morning, but there was only a very limited Sunday service on the foot ferry, so this will have to wait for another time.