I went bikepacking for 5 days along the Moselle river in Germany, cycling the so-called “Moselradweg”. And I brought a friend! Both of us are beginners to bikepacking, so we did the best we could with the little gear we have. No crazy distances, but mostly an easygoing adventure. But it was all the more fun! We met wonderful people, cooked delightful meals and stepped outside of our comfort zones. And I still can’t get those beautiful views out of my head.
Hope you’re having a wonderful day, wherever you’re watching. 🙂
Music: The Horseman by Night Drift (Uppbeat | License code: FG0ZJIHQINHCPI88), Alma Viajera by Arnito (Uppbeat | License code: SJGQS2F7RFW8H7S1), Lyric Melody for Solo Bass by John Patitucci, Before the Loss by Nathan Moore, The Girl from Saint-Anne-des-Plaines by The Mini Vandals, Dew on the Roses by The Mini Vandals
#bikepacking #cycling #travel #vlog
Cycling the Mosul Katrek for 5 days. [Music] So, my chain is broken. We’re just Yeah. kind of nervous about knocking on someone’s door. [Music] We’re starting the bike trip in Brussels. Yasm mean just went to the bathroom and I’m watching our bicycles and we already saw the bus we think that we have to take. Um, and we like we booked a spot for our bicycles, but we’re not really sure how that’s going to work. So that’s going to be an adventure in its own. Hey, so we’re taking the bus to Tri or however you pronounce that. And getting on the bus was already quite an adventure cuz we we were kind of late or not really late, but we were like 3 minutes early, which was kind of late because our bicycle still needed to be put on the bus and the bus driver got really angry and we some tears were shed. Um just one just just the one tier. And then we did get on finally after she made her point that we paid for the bus and that we were planning on Oh, once again, the bus almost left without us. [Music] I’ve already wasted all of my energy for the day on on this. Yes. [Music] Okay. [Music] Yeah. [Music] Yep. Oo. Yeah. Oh, cute. Very nice. We’re here. Yes. Oh, it means now you can see the house. The tiny house. Look at this. Anyway, once again, we were almost too late. We were supposed to check like be checked in by 5:30 and we arrived after 5:30 of course like a couple of minutes a little bit. Um and so the woman she only spoke German so we tried we really tried speaking German. You tried? I tried and half managed like in the end we we got our f we have our little map everything is fine. Um so today was very yeah it was not so much physically challenging as it was mentally challenging. So [Music] Yum. Dinner. [Music] Oh yeah. [Music] [Music] Good night. [Music] Uhoh. Oh, sorry. Yeah. Bug. Yeah, that’s Yeah. We are going to cycle 65 km or about 65 km today. I don’t know. It’s It’s the longest. It’s the longest we’re going to cycle in all of these days, which isn’t really that far, but still it’ll be enough of an exercise for us probably. Okay, bye-bye. [Music] [Music] [Music] So I think we’ll take a [Music] [Music] So, we’re starting to get really hungry. So, we’re just looking for a place to eat hopefully in this neighborhood. I mean, it looks like there’s like we we’re seeing a little church. Oh, I don’t think you can really see, but whatever. So there might be some food there. [Music] [Music] In the meantime, we fixed my saddle for the third time already so far because it just keeps getting loose somehow. Um, and it like gets backward and I needed to be in the most forward position. So, it’s not really comfortable. But anyway, let’s let’s go again. [Music] [Music] So, we’re on our way to our accommodation of the evening, which is a person um that we found through couch couch surfing, like the be Alcom website. Yes. And they are cooking for us. And we’re really excited. And also kind of cooking. Yeah. Not just cooking because it’s Arabian. Yeah. Like Arabian like roasted pumpkin vegetarian which is just perfect. Yeah. I’m really excited for the meal and for meeting them and for I don’t know. I think it will just be really cool and fun. Hopefully we’ll we’ll actually arrive because my bicycle has been having some difficulties. So yeah, that is all. [Music] We arrived to the nicest people ever. So, I’m so happy. And we’re It’s almost time for dinner. Um, we just had a shower and I just feel so nice. And yeah, this day was nice. It was full of ups and downs to be honest. But overall, we had a lot of fun. We saw a lot of beautiful things and views and everything. And I just really enjoyed moving my body. And yeah, time for decent food. I’m so happy. [Music] late night hike. Okay. [Music] Open [Music] waterproofing everything. Yes. So, my chain is broken officially, but we’re going to this bike shop right now. And the bike is fixed. I’m very pleased. Um, we can actually go go now or about now. And we still have to pick up our stuff. So, we officially left our beautiful hosts home and it was so fun and they were so lovely. And now we’re just cycling. Well, it’s not really raining anymore. This morning it was raining quite hard and we were a bit scared that this was going to be the weather for the entire day. Even contemplating taking the train, but honestly, we don’t actually want to take the train. So, now we’re quite happy just cycling with like very light rain. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Cheers. No, no, no. Sorry, sorry. Up. [Music] [Music] that will be late. [Music] Not on the right route apparently. Luckily, no, we almost had to like climb this whole thing and now we don’t. The question is how do we get to the actual route? Do you know [Music] or we have to go back? [Music] Back on routes. Found it. [Music] It’s rainy day. Looking for a cup of coffee or a cup of tea to drink. about [Music] last 10 kilometers. [Music] A castle. Castle on the hill. [Music] Oh, [Music] so because it rained the entire day today, we were upgraded to a hut instead of a tent. So now we just Yes. E tour of the hut. Yes. Yes. Burr. Okay. Cute. So many beds. Getting dinner. [Music] Yeah. Hey. Whoa. Yeah. Go. Yeah. Poy. One moment. When’s the time? [Music] Today was very nice. We cycled kind of kind of a lot longer than we anticipated or like at least 10 km more. Was it today that we just kept like sort of crossing the same people time and again? Yes. Yes. So, basically there was this couple and we cycled past them and then we stopped somewhere and then they cycled past us and then it just kept going for like several times and we just said like, “Hey, see you later.” You know, because obviously we were going to see them again, which is funny. Fixed my bike in the morning which was great. We had a nice lunch. We sat like at the table with two other people. Yeah. And they were just I don’t know. They were like, “Oh, yeah. You can come sit with us.” Because there wasn’t any table left to sit on and it was kind of cold to just sit outside, you know. Yeah. I forgot the upgrades. Oh, yeah. This beautiful place that we’re in. Like, it is 10. No, it’s going to be 10° this night and we really don’t want to sleep in a tent. So, yeah. Good night. [Music] Okay, so today’s plans um mostly depend on whether we can leave our bags at reception or not because we already did most of the Mosul uh tour. So we only have about 50 kilometers to go and we basically planned dividing it over two days. So today we would cycle 25 or about 25 and we would also do a hike and then tomorrow we only have the the other like 25 km left to finish. Um and then we just have the rest of the day to spend in Koblins and then we have the train in the evening around 6. Um so that was the plan. However, we need to check out right now and we don’t want to leave like all of our bags on top of our bicycles while we do a hike. So we hope that we are allowed to leave them here. If not, we’ll completely or we’ll complete the tour today, finish it entirely and find a place in Kublans to stay. Um, we are entirely flexible because we don’t have a place to stay the night. Uh, we still have to look for one, which is going to be an adventure in its own because we are planning to just knock on people’s doors and ask for a place to stay. So, we really, really, really, really hope that that is actually going to work. Um, But yeah, we’re not entirely sure whether it will and otherwise I don’t know what we’re going to do. Maybe sleep in the street. We’ll see. Anyway, that’s the plan. Okay. Hey, look at this. We ended up um leaving our stuff at like a couple’s what is it called? Like camper camper van. Yeah. Super sweet couple. So now we’re going uphill um with this like what is this thing called? Like a elevator type of um cable cable bane cable. Yes. And then we’re walking there like a little circle and then coming back. [Music] [Music] [Music] We think we’re on our way to that ruin there. [Music] We arrived. [Music] Yeah. [Music] We just finished our 10 km hike which was really great. It was really nice. Now we’re getting back on the bike. Put those on there to dry. A lot of wind in the opposite direction today. It’s really strong. What do you think of the wind? And it’s one thing I would like it that way. First break after 10 kilometers already. [Music] Right over there is the bridge we have to take. [Music] So, we’ve arrived um at the destination that we plan to go to, L. Um, but it’s it’s kind of dead or there’s not a lot of people outside or things to do and we’re just yeah kind of nervous about knocking on someone’s door and saying, “Hi, this is us. Can we please sleep here?” We’re on a bike trip and we’re looking for a place to stay tonight and we were wondering [Music] Yeah. So, we just talked to this lady and she said, “Maybe, you know, you can go to my parents because we don’t have a spare room.” But then we pulled up at her parents and then she was back there and she said, “Well, actually, I talked to my boyfriend and we have a van and you can sleep inside of it.” And now we’re so happy after all of the rejections. We finally have a place to sleep tonight. doing our shopping. We’re on our way back to the van. We just went shopping. Um I bought a little gift for our people. Our people. Our hosts. dinner. [Music] Wait, hold up. Oh, what am I saying? I think we already explained the story of the van. I’m not sure. I can’t remember. Anyway, people basically the kindest people ever once again gave not gave us their van but like allowed allowed us to sleep in their van. Come on. And it’s just so lovely. So, we’re just lying in this cool ass festival van or just it’s just like a van in which you can sleep. And we have a fridge and everything that we can use. And there’s electricity and lights, like working lights and just a bed. I don’t know, like an an actual mattress. Like, we didn’t even need our like sleeping mat thingies. And we’re still comfortable except for the fact that there’s a lot of moths in here. But I mean honestly it’s our fault because we just we stayed in here with the door open and the lights on the entire evening. So yeah, it’s on us. [Music] Last day of having to pack our stuff. [Music] Yeah. [Music] Today is our last day. Only 25 kilometers to go. Yeah. And we’re a bit sad about leaving the beautiful landscape. Um a fly in my eye. Wow. [Music] I’m left [Music] now. [Music] Take the egg. [Music] Yeah. [Music] back at the muzzle. Couldn’t miss it. We were planning or actually we were doing um like a little city bike trip uh sightseeing thing by bike, you know. We just like put some pins on Google Maps, but then the streets just ended up being horrible uh to travel by bike and I was in a bad mood because of it. And now we just decided to get coffee and to have a little piece of cake maybe and just wait for the train. [Music] I was just editing this video and I realized that I didn’t really properly end the video. I’m sorry for my voice. I’m a bit sick. That’s why it sounds kind of weird. So, I just want to say some last things about the strip. First of all, I had a lot of fun. Like, I really had so much fun. I know I probably said that like a million times. Um, it was great to be moving every single day to get on the bike every single day. Sometimes the distances were kind of short, but even then we were we were cycling from one place to another. It felt good to be moving. Um, and I think traveling by bike, you just really take in um your surroundings that much more and you just feel or I personally just feel so much more connected to to my surroundings and to to to what I’m seeing. Um cuz you smell the outside air and you I don’t know feel the rain if it rains. If it wasn’t clear, by the way, like both my friend and I are very much beginners um to bike packing. Like we don’t really know how to pack our bags. We’re not really trained to do long distances. Um but it’s just so much fun and I am starting to love it more and more and I really want to pursue this and try and do this more often. Um try and go further away, try and cycle longer every single day. Um, that’s something that I’m really looking forward to. But for now, I’m really happy with the way we did things cuz we just took our time every day. Had a cup of coffee when we felt like it. Um, you know, it was just about fun and it was about it was about meeting people also. Like we we met so many wonderful people. Honestly, we had so many conversations with I don’t know just people who were interested in us and our bikes, the people that we stayed with, for example, our hosts. so many wonderful and kind and welcoming people and it just really makes me feel grateful. So even though the trip was only five days and even though there were times where it wasn’t fun, I just really really enjoyed it and I feel like we did a lot of things and saw a lot of things in a very short period of time. So, I just want to end the video by saying that I would recommend this specific bike trail to anyone. And yeah, thank you so much for watching. [Music]