Tal Total

Today Tom and I and our friends went on a bike ride. We heard about this event called the 'Tal Total' where both highways that run along either side of the Rhein River are closed to vehicle traffic and you can ride your bike, skate, or walk on the road. All of the restaurants have tables set up outside and there are spots where music is playing (either from a stereo or a live band). There were so many bicycles out! It was a lot of fun! Tom was excited because he got a new bicycle for his birthday, even though his birthday isn't until next month :) We spent the morning getting our bikes all ready to go. We had to put headlights on and a bell because that is the law in Germany. We also had to install a water bottle holder and kick stand on Tom's new bike. Then we pumped up the tires on my bike, oiled the chain and the shifters, and my trusty old bike was ready to go! Since Tom didn't have a bike before, mine has been sitting in the basement. I am so excited to use it again. I hope we go on more bike rides this summer!

When our friends got here, we loaded up our bikes into their truck and drove to the city where the road closures began. Then we unloaded our bikes and rode down to the river. It was so much cooler when we were riding along the river and the wind was blowing in our hair! It was a hot day with high humidity, so the breeze from riding was very nice. We rode through several towns before we decided to stop and get some food. We got brots for only 1Euro each and they were delicious! After eating, we decided to turn around and head back. It was such a nice atmosphere, great views, and overall good time.