A change of plan. The notion of repeating our usual Nijmegen-Maassluis return route has been shelved after discovering that there are engineering works on the Dutch railways. PLUS the fact that temperatures are rising and the wind continues from the east: so much more attractive to reverse-ferret and turn it into a tailwind.

So we traced our revolutions from Schermbeck to Wesel, but this time part-following the Wesel-Datteln Kanal (which goes into the Dortmund-Ems Kanal – thus enlarging my unused mental map of the German canal network). And now we are back in Xanten, in a proper hotel with a nice Grauburgunder and no superfluous beds cluttering up the space.

There’s a great deal of repetition about this holiday, but I still enjoy the sensation of travelling under my own steam. Today’s tailwind and views reminded me of previous cycling holidays when my average speed was rather higher than it is today. Something about the haze of the sunshine on the river and embankment tops brought old holidays to mind too. And Xanten offers other comforts as well.