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Sunday, July 7th - Heidelberg to Wertheim, 6525 km
I would have stayed an extra day if JP was staying on, but he is moving on in
another direction. I have the pleasure of sharing breakfast with him, as awful as any hostel breakfast I've ever eaten. There are no rolls, no hot chocolate for most of the residents and the bread and cheese are both stale, but at least it's something to get me started. He oversees me loading my bike and we hug, kiss and say goodbye when I am ready to roll.Today Heidelberg has a small town feel. It looks like a postcard shot of empty streets and squares early on a Sunday morning. The air is heavy with humidity but it is not yet unpleasantly warm. I move away from the Rhine following the Neckar upstream through the towns of Neckargemund, Neckarsteinach and Hirschorn to Eberbach. I am constantly bothered by hordes of gnats, which I call "gnatsies", which fly into my eyes, ears and mouth at every opportunity. The scenery is lovely though, with rolling wooded hills and the winding river.
The route along the Neckar to Eberbach is called the Burgenstrasse, or Castle Road, and it is the easiest past of my day. I stop in Eberbach at an outdoor café to eat some pastries as rest a little before climbing into the Odenwald, a hilly, wooded region that extends northward through central Germany. Here the Neckar turns south, towards the Alps, and I turn north. 
The road north climbs gradually but steadily on its way through Kaibach, Emsttal, Breitenbach and Krichzell. Climbing in the heat is not fun, but the woods give me shade some of the time and the gnatsies aren't bothering me anymore. I love the natural scenery, even if there are fewer dramatic buildings. I imagine this must be what the Black Forest region looks like south of Heidelberg. I reach the top of a 300m ridge shortly before Amorbach. At Miltenberg, I reach the Main River again and follow it 20 km upstream to Wertheim.
Wertheim is a town of 21,000 people, at the confluence of the Main and Tauber Rivers. Its outstanding landmark (surprise, surprise!) is Wertheim Castle perched high above the town. I find the youth hostel and book in, my sixth night in a row in a youth hostel (the place in 
Ruwer, near Trier, was a small hotel). This hostel is high on a hill above the town. It is smaller and more personal than most other ones, but the staff speak no English, except for a new receptionist who refers to the rule book each time I ask a question. The other guests at the hostel include six German cyclists and a loud-mouthed but nice American couple who arrive by car an hour or so after I do. Two of the German cyclists, Helmet and his wife Renate, cycle into town with me for a pasta dinner. It is still light and fine for pictures. There are some beautiful parts in the centre of town. We end up paying more than we expected but we have a fun time. I decide to visit the castle before leaving town tomorrow morning.
PHOTO 1: the Haital Viaduct east of Heidelberg
PHOTO 2: approaching Neckargemund
PHOTO 3: Neckarsteinach
PHOTO 4: Neckarsteinach Castle
PHOTO 5: Eberbach cafe
PHOTO 6: in the hills between Eberbach and Wertheim
PHOTO 7: Wertheim Castle, approaching from above
PHOTO 8: Wertheim, looking up at castle
PHOTO 9: climbing to the gates of the castle
PHOTO 10: Wertheim, viewed from the castle
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