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Monday, July 1st - Luxembourg to Trier, 6081 km
This morning at breakfast everyone is together again. Marty, Benoit and I exchange 'Happy Canada Day's. I help Chad and Brent call Paris and I meet a charming
Icelandic fellow named Steinn, who exchanges addresses with me. I get Chad and Brent's addresses too. I bring out my wine labels from Le Puy, France - "Derriere Les Faggots" - to show them to the Americans and that produces a lot of laughter. A French fellow is mildly offended. He doesn't think the labels are funny and tries to explain that the term
means 'behind the woodpile' where one might stash a special wine, but while he is explaining a German guy sees the labels and cracks up laughing, much to the French guy's chagrin. After all the conversation and bustle of the hostel, I hit the quiet road again, moving on to my ninth country, Germany. My departure is a bit too slow for the cleaning lady's satisfaction but before the required check out time. I stop at the post office but there is no mail waiting for me.
I ride east along a small highway, which has a low volume of traffic because it is parallel to a larger expressway. The wind is behind me and the road is generally downhill, making for an easy day of riding. I pass through Niederanven and Flaxweiler on my way to the Mosel River, which forms the border with Germany along the south-east edge of Luxembourg. 
Where it merges with the Sauer River, I cross the border and leave Luxembourg for good, having covered 275 km in this tiny country.
The road follows the river, with its banks rising in a steep V-shape on either side. Vineyards clothe the sunny slopes of the north side. There is wonderful bike path along the north side at road level, which makes the trip peaceful and beautiful, but the path drifts away from 
the highway to end in the middle of some field and I need to return to the highway to continue. The path begins again a kilometre or so later but again trails off and dead-ends in a field. This pattern repeats one more time so I decide to cycle on the road and not on any path.
I go only as far as Trier, about 10 km beyond the confluence of the Sauer and Mosel.
The Lets Go guide book describes Trier as the oldest city in Germany. It has the city gate Ponta Nigra, a bridge, a ruined amphitheatre and baths from Roman times, as well as a famous basilica, cathedral and palace. I have extra time to ride around and photograph the sights, but finding a place for the night occupies most of my
time. It's another wild goose chase to find the tourist information and the two hostels, but both are full. They refer me to a place in Ruwer, also on the south bank, about four kilometres downstream. It is reasonable, only 27 DM for a night, but it is away from the town and dead quiet here after all the socializing and busyness of the Luxembourg hostel. I ride back to Trier for an hour or so, making sure to make it back before dark. I eat in a local diner, also very quiet. Three youths chatter in German beside me. They are so happy and comfortable with their own company. I am feeling lonely.
PHOTO 1: Luxembourg International Youth Hostel
PHOTO 2: Luxembourg, Palais de Justice
PHOTO 3: on the road near Niederanven
PHOTO 4: the bridge over the Mosel into Germany
PHOTO 5: main platz, Trier
PHOTO 6: Ponta Nigra, Roman ruin in Trier
PHOTO 7: Trier Cathedral
PHOTO 8: Trier
PHOTO 9: Kurfuerstliches Palace, the pink palace
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