Day 203 Oct 29 Mon - Black Forest Camp in Oppenau to Strasbourg ( France)

Small stream next to Oppenau camp
Bike gravel lane to Khel,border town to Strasbourg ,France

Rode into Strasbourg over the bridge of River Rhine

Palais de Justice of Strasbourg
Around the city
River Rhine

Follow A4 all the way to Paris...... first time I saw sign of Paris

Staying in Ciarus Hostel for 25 euro a night 4 bedded room
4 bedded room cost 25 euro per bed
Complimentary breakfast which I enjoy the most
Building next to the Palais de Justice
Street to the hostel

Today's Distance: 46 km
Today's Temp: 6 - 12°c
Average Speed: 14.3 max: 44.5
Time on Bike: 3 hr 15 min
Average climb: 1% max: 6%
Trip Altitude: 122 m max: 324 m
Today's spending: 31 euro
Total Distance to date: 13167 km
Total spending to date: 399.90 euro

Today short ride crossing from Khel in Germany to Strasbourg in France over the Rhine river. Have more time to look for hostel ,not really cheap for a 25 euro 4 bedded room. Tomorrow better leave......

Day 202 Oct 28 Sun - Scenic View Camp after Horb a. Neckar to Black Forest Camp in Oppenau

Sonja from Freudenstadt -Thank you for offering a hot coffee , you are such a friendly and wonderful lady !
German couples following the Malaysin flag in Freudenstadt. They worked 5 years in Malaysia where they met their life partners

Music fountain in marketplatz of Freudenstadt

Around Freudenstadt

The start of the Great downhill of the Black Forest

Tourist buses also pilling here
Bad Gerisbach

Spent sometimes relax and enjoy the view
Still going strong
Oppenau Camp

Today's Distance: 63 km
Today's Temp: 6 - 12°c
Average Speed: 14 max: 57.5
Time on Bike: 4 hr 25 min
Average climb: 3% max: 13%
Trip Altitude: 842 m max: 1013 m
Today's spending: 8.07 euro
Total Distance to date: 13121 km
Total spending to date: 368.90 euro

" Sunshine ....on my shoulder..... makes me HAPPY!!!!!!... I guessed when the late John Denver wrote this song,he must have not seen the sun for a long time in the cold weather just like me now in the Black Forest of Germany.Yes, it was a long awaited sunny afternoon day which lasted for only 2 hours between 2-4 pm. I couldn't remember when was the last time I seen the sun and blue sky. The ride started at 9.45am,still staying close on that scenic Rd 14 on uphill climb,passing thru' towns of Schopfloch and then Rd 28 to a beautiful town of Freudenstadt where I met a younf sweet German lady named Sonja who managed a fruits & vegetables stall.She speaks good English and offered a hot coffee to me and I bought some tomatoes/onions/cucumber.Also 4 German couples in 2 cars had been following me when they saw the Malaysian flag, they speaks some Bahasa " dari mana; apa khabar;terima kasih;berhati-hati " They had been working in Malaysia,Petaling Jaya for 5 years and just came back not long ago. Hope they will tell us more about their stay in Malaysia in my blog. I heard they got married in Malaysia, maybe they should make Malaysia their 2nd home! The uphill climb continued until town of Kniebis and then followed by a great 12% 6 km downhill in the Black Forest to scenic valley towns of Bad Griesbach, Bad Peterstal and Oppenau where I rode into the bike lane and camped next to a jungle trail. Tomorrow, I was told the downhill will continue and then very flat to Strasbourg in France

Day 201 Oct 27 Sat - Castle View Camp in Honau to Scenic View Camp after Horb a.Neckar

Bike lane sign to Rottenburg

A very tall Highway bridge connecting 2 hills

Scenic View Camp of Horb a. Neckar
On my way to Horb a. Neckar and Freudenstadt

Today's Distance: 83 km
Today's Temp: 6 - 12°c
Average Speed: 15.3 max: 57.5
Time on Bike: 5 hr 26 min
Average climb: 3% max: 14%
Trip Altitude: 622m max: 537m
Today's spending: 12.23 euro
Total Distance to date: 13058 km
Total spending to date:360.83 euro

Yet another day of celebration of hitting 13,000 km on my MC 1.0 VDO cyclometer.But still short of 2k km to reach my targeted 15k km. I doubt if it is possible even if I continue riding after Paris to London. If not for that truck hopping from Saritash to Osh in Kyrgyzstan due to bad gravel road , a car hopping from the Karakul Pass downhill to Bishkek due to broken rim and a train ride from Aralsk to Atyrau in Kazakhstan due to expiring visa, 15k km might be achievable. But all these were unexpected and unforseen even if you are an expert planner especially over such a long adventure trip. Highlight for today's ride was able to ride on a scenic country road from Rottengurg to Horb a. Neckar where many of the German road cyclists have their regular training rides. Very happy indeed to avoid the annoyounce bike lanes.Perhaps the only good of going into the bike lanes is pretty easy to spot a campsite,just like this one here..

Day 200 Oct 26 Fri - Railway Line Camp after Blaustein to Castle View Camp in Honau

Bike lane
Scenic view from the bike lane
The bike lane started with nice tared road often it was gravels in the middle
German kindergarden kids

Bike lanes often going into the farm land
German kids learning how to bike from the expert

Stop here, if you need helps or advice....

Castle view from my tent

Bike lane next to the tent on a hill top
My dinner for the night - 2 packs of instant noodles/ meat dumplings / egg
Castle View Camp in Honau

Today's Distance: 70 km
Today's Temp: 6 - 10°c
Average Speed: 14.1 max: 61
Time on Bike: 4 hr 57 min
Average climb: 3% max: 14 %
Trip Altitude: 694 m max: 897 m
Today's spending: 4.5 euro
Total Distance to date: 12975 km
Total spending to date:348.6 euro

Today I celebrated my 200th day in my longest adventure ride,my original targeted schedule in Paris.Nevertheless I am still proud of myself to make it this far and Paris is just only 600 over km to go,if the weather continues to stay fine,I should be there in 10 - 12 days time. My sister in London already booked the MAS air ticket from London to Malaysia on the 30th Nov. I 'd like to thank her for the ticket and also given me a date to aim . Today's ride mostly following the bike lanes which I felt uncomfortable with, not only it slow down my speed,often it leads you to some rough gravels and ended up somewhere you were not sure and time wasting to check the map again and again. I was horned many times and told to go to the bike lanes. The German drivers don't like to see cyclists on even the secondary roads if there is a bike lane. From Blaubeuren, to the scenic towns of Schelklingen,Munsingen,Gomadingen and finally camped in this beautiful hill top in Honau overlooking to a higher Castle from my tent