We’ve been this way before, but it is still pleasant, particularly since we finally had a properly sunny day. A few changes: we crossed the Rhine on the road bridge into Wesel. As last year, we picked up the cycle path beside the main road for several miles until we ditched it in favour of a disused railway line popular with Sunday cyclists.

Then a turning that looked vaguely familiar but I decided I must be mistaken for shortly afterwards we came across a small group of water buffalo – definitely not something I would have forgotten! But no, I was right – I realised we had been this way before when I saw the logs where we had stopped for a break last September. (Honestly! The inconsequential things that memories are made of.) The water buffalo must be a recent addition.