The Ride - Day one
In 2011 the weather? - perfect! - In 2013 the weather? - terrible! - the local dogs are busy meeting all their new friends that are dropping from the sky! - the unfamiliar faces look out from the boat at their rain soaked bicycles - they look pensive - they question the voracity of the stories that led them to be here - some harbour greater doubts than others - the deeper ports among them decide that a day spent enjoying the ministrations of the Patria would be more consistent with their aspirations for their holiday than a day battling the weather gods.
Off towards Erbach - the weather gods do their best to discourage the riders - when their initial efforts come to naught they try harder - they rally their rain troops who respond by emptying their buckets and banging their drums - still the intrepid travellers maintain a steady cadence - the most intrepid among them even laugh at the weather gods with such intensity that weather gods decide to instruct their forces to fall back and regroup for a possible future assault on the travellers.
The travellers have prevailed over the weather gods - they drop their guard - first the weakest among them fall to the temptations of a beer garden - then the self righteous among them fall to lure of a patisserie - So infatuated are they by her and her services they agree to sit upon newsprint lest they soil her furniture with the remnants of their battle with the weather gods.
The travellers recover their dignity - recover their sense of purpose - onward along the Neckar - through forest- through village - over bridge - through village -through forest - pass castle - gradually shed their weather god armoury - enjoy the sunshine as it appears, disappears and reappears - stop - enjoy lunch overlooking the Neckar - this is good - this is great - the unfamiliar faces now much more familiar - much more relaxed.
Relaxed - no rush - enjoy - enjoy - into Erbach and Patria - smiles - a great time - the deeper ports look down at the reappearance of the travellers and question their decision to stay with Patria for the day - they quickly resolve to join the travellers in the morrow.
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