Sauer Valley Cycle Route

Sun 27 Aug

Woke to everything shrouded in mist - the houses, the river, the surrounding hills.

We got away early after wonderful breakfast at the hotel. Aiming to avoid the main road, we took the N27 on other the side of the river. Sensational road even if first climb was a nasty one straight up. We had climbed up 206 m by the 18 km mark. There were a couple of cruel hills which tested our by now quite tired legs.

Despite the bumpy ride it was just lovely following the Haute-Sûre valley, the river bubbling along either next to us or down below depending on whether we had ascended or descended. Very picturesque.

After 25 kms, we reached the turnoff for Ettelbrück and I got to pay my respects to U.S. Third Army General George S. Patton who led a liberating US force into town on Christmas Day 1944. I like this famous quote of his:
'No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his'. Yep.

Lucked on finding the start of the cycle route here that we will now follow for the rest of today and tomorrow - the Sauer Valley Cycle Route (from Ettelbrück to Wasserbillig) which runs along a disused railway trail. Our destination was Ralingen 52 kms away.

We stopped along the way at Diekirch for a very nice pizza and the local beer.

Here also is the National Museum of Military History - Musée National d'Histoire Militaire (MNHM). It focusses on the most significant events of the Battle of the Bulge 1944-1945. Is meant to be very good. I sent the boys in. I had plenty of weaponry outside to keep me occupied.

This photo of the tank also has the steel and concrete 'dragon's teeth' or Höcker fortifications built by the Germans as anti-tank obstacles - particularly along the 'Westwall' (also known as the Siegfried Line: a 630 km long defensive line constructed along the German-Swiss border to the border with the Netherlands; construction began in 1936).

Probably spent an hour here at Diekirch including the ancient Église St-Laurent which dates originally from the 6th and 8th centuries.

We set off through town back to the bike trail. We had to pass 3 'dorf' towns: Reisdorf, Wallendorf, Bollendorf.

We had a stop for coffee at caravan park at Reisdorf. We've never done that before; I had seen several caravan parks as we'd ridden along that had cafes, even restaurants. It was good. (MF1 went to the Damen instead of the Herren WC).

There was this oddity constructed from hay bales along the way; and the strong smell of silage that accompanies us much of the way is a reminder of the rural way of life here.

The riding continued to be just lovely. I don't think I've ever ridden such a pretty bike route. Bollendorf Castle, built in 1619, soared over the river on the other side.

Echternach was very busy: people everywhere. Very pretty gardens.

About 5:30 p.m. we wheeled across the bridge over the river into Ralingen (and into Germany) - my knees were just about done; it has been a long day. David shouted dinner at the hotel (he enjoyed a Wiener Schnitzel).

It was a lovely evening and we enjoyed sitting out on the verandah overlooking the river.

One more day of riding to go. Tomorrow we complete the last 15 kms of the Sauer Valley Cycle Trail and at Wasserbillig we meet the Moselle River where we will turn north to return to Trier.

Ride: 76 kms: climbed 386 m; descended 495 m.